By Todd Fertig
TopSports.news
The Topeka High boys basketball team used a balanced attack to open its season with a 58-38 victory over Wamego at Topeka High Thursday night.
Da'Mykel Hales led a balanced Topeka High attack with 14 points in Thursday's 58-38 season-opening win over Wamego. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Isaiah Lyons scored 10 points as Topeka High opened the season with a 58-38 win over Wamego. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Against a team that handed them a season-opening 62-47 defeat a year ago, Topeka High got off to a hot start. The Trojans jumped out to a 17-12 advantage, which they stretched to 28-21 at halftime.
After leading 38-28 after three quarters, the Trojans slammed the door on the Raiders, outscoring the visitors 20-10 in the final period.
The Trojans return several players from a team that won just three games a year ago.
“Getting this first win really boosts our confidence a lot,” said senior guard Isaiah Lyons. “We’re ready to turn this program around. Coming in, we had a lot of talk about us being the underdog. But we’re here to prove that we’re going to win.”
Four players recorded at least eight points for Topeka High, and all seven who played tallied at least four points. The Trojans were paced by Da’Mykel Hales with 14, Miguel Villegas with 12 and Lyons with 10.
“We’re not big by any means, but we definitely won the war of attrition tonight,” said Topeka High coach Geo Lyons. “That’s what we’re going to do every night.
“We went into this summer talking about getting one percent better each day. That transitioned into the fall in the weight room, everybody pushing one another. And I think we’ve had some of the toughest practices you would see -- everyone competing and holding each other accountable.”
The son of the coach as well as the point guard, Isaiah Lyons has the most experience on the team. The All-Centennial League returner wants to step up as a senior.
“I can help everyone be under control and work as a team,” Isaiah Lyons said. “My role is just being a leader, making sure everybody is in their spots, listening to the coaches and running the plays.”
The Trojans’ offensive balance is by design, Geo Lyons said.
“I think it’s a pretty exciting style of basketball that we’re playing,” the coach said. “I don’t ever want to turn it off. I want to be in go mode, go mode, go mode.
“We’re shooting for games to be in the 70s, and the only way you can do that is to run, to kick the ball ahead, and knock some shots down. I think it would be a dream for any young man to come in and play here.”
Wamego was paced by senior Spencer Hecht, who knocked down 18 points.
TOPEKA HIGH BOYS 58, WAMEGO 38
Wamego 12 9 7 10 -- 38
Topeka High 17 11 10 20 -- 58
Wamego (0-1) – Smith 1-1 0-0 2, Hecht 6-14 3-4 18, Monroe 1-4 2-2 4, Pettey 2-9 1-2 5, Isch 1-5 0-0 2, Cooper 2-3 0-0 4, Johnson 1-2 1-2 3, Schuck 0-0 0-0 0, Newell 0-0 0-0 0, Panzer 0-0 0-0 0 . Totals: 14-38 7-10 38.
Topeka High (1-0) – Lyons 2-9 4-6 10, Freeman 2-6 1-2 5, Hales 5-10 4-5 14, Villegas 4-8 2-2 12, Norman 2-5 0-0 5, Groves 3-7 2-3 8, Brown 2-3 0-0 4. Totals: 20-48 13-18 58.
3-point goals – Wamego 3 (Hecht 3), Topeka High 5 (Lyons 2, Villegas 2, Norman 1). Total fouls – Wamego 11, Topeka High 15. Fouled out – None. Technical fouls – None.
