Senior fullback Broderick Desch (44) scored a pair of TDs Friday as Hayden advanced to the Class 3A title game .

[File photo/TSN]

2024 All MIAA Volleyball selections

[Graphic courtesy of Washburn Athletics]

Seaman senior Maegan Mills (23) has been named the TSN Shawnee County volleyball player of the year for the second straight season.

[Photo by Jesse Bruner/Special to TSN]

2024 All MIAA selections from Washburn

[Graphic courtesy of Washburn Athletics[

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 TSN Game of the Week bug

High School Game of the Week

3A STATE CHAMPIONSHIP Hayden vs, Andale
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By RICK PETERSON

TopSports.news

Seven Topeka Shawnee County Sports Hall of Famers, two current NFL players who continue to add to their legacy, and a baseball great who made his mark more than a century ago comprise men's picks No. 11 through 20 on TopSports.news' list of the Top 100 Athletes in Shawnee County history.

The late Fred Slaughter and Steve Tilford, who graduated from Topeka High, Highland Park's Michael Wilhoite, Kyle Weems and James Patrick, Washburn Rural's Aaron Crow and Topeka West's Warren Seitz are all members of the Topeka Shawnee County shrine while former Topeka High star Teven Jenkins and Shawnee Heights/Washburn University great Corey Ballentine have carved out successful NFL careers and the late Elwood "Bingo'' DeMoss made his professional baseball debut in 1905 before going on to an outstanding career in the Negro Leagues as a player and a manager.

Slaughter played on the legendary John Wooden's first national basketball championship team at UCLA, while Tilford was a world renowned cyclist.

Wilhoite put together a seven-year NFL career, including a Super Bowl appearance, while Weems helped lead Highland Park to a perfect 25-0 season basketball season before starring at Missouri State and embarking on a long and continuing professional career while Patrick helped the Scots capture the only Grand State championship in Kansas history.

Crow was an All-American at Missouri and an American League All-Star for the Kansas City Royals while Seitz was a multi-sport standout at Topeka West, quarterbacked the Missouri Tigers and had a stint in the NFL.

TSN SHAWNEE COUNTY ALL-TIME TOP 100 MEN’S ATHLETES

pa18s9vjThe late Fred Slaughter was a basketball and track star for Topeka High before playing on John Wooden's first national championship basketball team at UCLA. [Associated Press]

11. FRED SLAUGHTER, Topeka High

A 1960 Topeka High graduate, the late Slaughter was a state high school track champion and became a starting center at UCLA on John Wooden’s first national title team in 1964 (30-0 record). A three-year starter for the Bruins, Slaughter played in two Final Fours. Slaughter was inducted into the UCLA Hall of Fame in 2004 and is a member of the Topeka Shawnee County Sports Hall of Fame. Slaughter passed away in 2016 at the age of 74.

 BingoDeMossTop100 3Topeka native Elwood "Bingo'' DeMoss was a star second baseman in the Negro Leagues, commiting just one error in his career. [Submitted photo]

12. ELWOOD “BINGO” DEMOSS

DeMoss, who grew up in Topeka, was considered by many to be the best second baseman in Negro Leagues baseball history, committing only one error in his career. DeMoss, who was born on Sept. 5, 1889 in Topeka, began his professional career with the Topeka Giants in the early 1900s and later starred for the Chicago American Giants before managing for 15 seasons. DeMoss died in 1965 in Chicago at the age of 75. 

MichaelWilhoiteTop100 2Michael Wilhoite starred at Highland Park and Washburn before playing seven seasons in the NFL, including a Super Bowl appearance. [ninersnoise]

13. MICHAEL WILHOITE, Highland Park

Wilhoite was a football standout at Highland Park and Washburn before playing seven years in the NFL for San Francisco and Seattle, including a Super Bowl appearance with the 49ers. Wilhoite is currently the outside linebackers coach for the Denver Broncos, Wilhoite is a member of the Topeka Shawnee County Sports Hall of Fame.

KyleWeemsTop100 3Former Highland Park and Missouri State star Kyle Weems is entering his 13th professional basketball season. [File photo]

14. KYLE WEEMS, Highland Park

Weems is getting set for his 13th season playing pro basketball after earning All-State honors and helping Scots to an undefeated Class 5A state championship in 2007 and being named Missouri Valley Player of the Year and earning All-America recognition for Missouri State. Weems is a member of the Topeka Shawnee County Sports Hall of Fame.

TevenJenkinsTop100Former Topeka High and Oklahoma State star Teven Jenkins is now playing the NFL with the Chicago Bears. [chicagobears.com]

15. TEVEN JENKINS, Topeka High

Jenkins was a star offensive lineman for Topeka High and Oklahoma State, earning All-Big 12 honors before being selected in the second round of the NFL draft by the Chicago Bears (30th overall). Jenkins is now in his fourth season with the Bears, playing in 31 games with 24 starts after making 35 career starts for the Cowboys. 

CoreyBallentineTop100Former Shawnee Heights and Washburn standout Corey Ballentine has put together a lengthy NFL career as a defensive back. [packers.com]

16. COREY BALLENTINE, Shawnee Heights

Ballentine was a football and track star at both Heights and Washburn before being drafted by the New York Giants in the sixth round of the 2019 NFL draft. In addition to the Giants, the defensive back has also had NFL stints with the Jets and Lions and is currently with the Green Bay Packers. Ballentine, who is starting his sixth NFL season, has played 54 games with 85 tackles (65 solo) and an interception. 

zbbyc2nfFormer Highland Park star James Patrick helped lead the Scots to the only Grand State championship in state history and was a college star and a NBA draft pick. [Topeka Capital-Journal]

17. JAMES PATRICK, Highland Park

A basketball All-Stater at Highland Park, Patrick helped lead the Scots to a Class 4A state title and the first and only Grand State title. Patrick went on to play on a national championship team at Independence Community College, was an All-American at Southwest Texas and a fifth-round draft pick by the Denver Nuggets. Patrick is a member of the Topeka Shawnee County Sports Hall of Fame.

AaronCrowTop100Washburn Rural product Aaron Crow was an American League All-Star with the Kansas City Royals after being a No. 1 draft pick twice. [Royals Review]

18. AARON CROW, Washburn Rural

A standout at Washburn Rural and All-American and Big 12 Pitcher of the Year at Missouri was a first-round Major League Baseball draft pick twice and was selected to the American League All-Star team for the Kansas City Royals. Crow joined the Royals as a relief pitcher in 2011 and was 2-0 with an 0.00 earned run average over his first 12 appearances. Crow is a member of the Topeka Shawnee County Sports Hall of Fame and the Kansas Baseball Hall of Fame.

94jbp0roThe late Steve Tilford, a Topeka High graduate, was a world renowned cyclist and is a member of the Topeka Shawnee County Sports Hall of Fame. [Submitted photo]

19. STEVE TILFORD, Topeka High

The late Tilford was a four-time World Championship team member on the road, the first U.S. Mountain Bike National Champion and a four-time Elite USCF Cyclocross National Champion. Tilford graduated from Topeka High in 1978 and won the U.S. National Cyclocross Championships in ‘83 and ‘84 and the National Mountain Bike Championships in ‘83. He turned professional in ‘86. Tilford was inducted into the U.S. Mountain Bike Hall of Fame in 2000 and was inducted into the Topeka Shawnee County Sports Hall of Fame in 2016. Tilford passed away in 2017 at the age of 57.

ewh6ctrdWarren Seitz was a multi-sport standout for Topeka West before playing at Missouri and in the NFL. [File photograph]

20. WARREN SEITZ, Topeka West

A 1981 Topeka West graduate, Seitz was a standout for the Chargers in football and basketball and a state champion in track. Seitz went on to play quarterback at Missouri and professionally in the NFL and CFL. A member of the Topeka Shawnee County Sports Hall of Fame, Seitz participated in the 1985 Senior Bowl and was drafted in the 10th round of the NFL draft by the Pittsburgh Steelers. 

21. RON PARADIS, Washburn Rural

22. DELVY LEWIS, Washburn Rural

23. KYLE McNORTON, Seaman

24. TREY LEWIS, Washburn Rural

25. WILL GEARY, Topeka High

26. WYATT HUBERT, Shawnee Heights

27. DUFF "SIR RICHARD'' COOLEY

28. MARK ELLIOTT, Silver Lake

29. JERAD HEAD, Hayden

30. KY THOMAS, Topeka High

31. TANNER GARDNER, Shawnee Heights

32. TED EVANS, Topeka High

33. JOHN TETUAN, Hayden

34. MARK TURGEON, Hayden

35. DALE CUSHINBERRY, Highland Park

36. DAN DAVIS, Hayden

37. JAHMAL McMURRAY, Highland Park

38. JOHNNY JOHNSON, Seaman

39. DAN CNOSSEN, Shawnee Heights

40. AUSTIN HANSON, Seaman

41. “DODE” LESSER, Seaman

42. ED DELK, Highland Park

43. TONY LEIKER, Silver Lake

44. TOM BUNGER, Washburn Rural

45. MARCEL CARTER, Shawnee Heights

46. CARROLL RAY “DINK” MOTHELL

47. NICK STRINGER, Hayden

48. RYAN ZEFERJAHN, Seaman

49. JUSTIN GLASGOW, Seaman

50. JARED HUSKE, Highland Park

51. JOEL HOFFMAN, Topeka High

52. DAN O’MARA, Hayden

53. GLENN TRAMMEL, Topeka High

54. BOB BENOIT, Topeka West

55. ART GRIGGS, TOPEKA HIGH

56. DUANE "BLACKIE'' MELVIN, Seaman

57. SCOTT LEON, Shawnee Heights

58. BILL McDONALD, Topeka West

59. JIM GOLDEN, Silver Lake

60. JASON STUKE, Seaman

61. LAMAR MADY, Topeka High

62. WILL COKELEY, Washburn Rural

63. LEVI LEE, Topeka High

64. J.P. WRIGHT, Seaman

65. CHUCK NELSON, Topeka High

66. TROY SLUSSER, Topeka High

67. LUKE YARNELL, Washburn Rural

68. KEN “HOOK” JOHNSON, Topeka High

69. MILO MITCHELL, Topeka High

70. JOE DOUGLAS, Topeka High

71. CLARDY VINSON, Topeka High

72. C.B. MCGRATH, Topeka West

73. TOMMY HUNTER, Hayden

74. JOHN GRANTHAM, Topeka High

75. BENNIE SIMECKA, Rossville

76. THERON WILSON, Highland Park

77. DAVID PROCTOR, Topeka High

78. RICK DEHART, Seaman

79. SHANNON KRUGER, Silver Lake

80. TUCKER HORAK, Rossville

81. ANDREW BECKLER, Washburn Rural

82. TAGEN LAMBOTTE, Rossville

83. BISHOP MURRAY, Washburn Rural

84. MICHAEL HOFFER, Shawnee Heights

85. RAPHEAL POSEY, Highland Park

86. ZEKE METZ, Seaman

87. LAMONT AUSTIN, Highland Park

88. CHRIS CARLSON, Seaman

89. SHANE WRIGHT, Hayden

90. DUANE ZLATNIK, Rossville

91. AUSTIN HALSEY, Washburn Rural

92. JACOB MORGAN, Washburn Rural

93. LARRY MILLER, Topeka High

94. TANNER NEWKIRK, Hayden

95. TRE RICHARDSON, Highland Park

96. DESMOND PURNELL, Hayden

97. JORDAN COOPER, Shawnee Heights

98. ROB HAYS, Topeka West

99. BEN CARLSON, Seaman

100. JACK L. BYBEE, Washburn Rural

UPCOMING TOP 100 TENTATIVE SCHEDULE

July 27 -- Women's No.10 through 1.

July 28 -- Men's No. 10 through 1.

 

 

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