By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
EDITOR'S NOTE: Over the coming weeks TopSports.news will recognize Shawnee County's all-time best teams in 21 sports as part of our Best of the Best project. The project continues with boys basketball and readers will have the opportunity to vote through July 22, with the top teams in all categories announced in late July and August. To cast a vote for the Best of the Best, click on https://take.quiz-maker.com/poll4866544xC1E64A21-151 while email votes/nominations will be also accepted at
--------------------------------------------------------
Seven Shawnee County schools have produced a total of 27 state championship teams in boys basketball, and every one of those teams could make a case for a spot on the TopSports.news Best of the Best list.
But a good place to start is with four championship teams that have taken on legendary status among longtime high school basketball fans over the past six-plus decades.
Ben Meseke's Hayden team posted a perfect season in 1982-83, the first of eight state titles for the Wildcats. [Submitted photo]
Highland Park posted a perfect 25-0 record in 2006-2007 en route to one of the Scots' six state championships. [Submitted photo to KSHSAA.org]
Ben Meseke's 1982-83 Hayden team and Ken Darting's 2006-2007 Highland Park team are the only two boys teams in Shawnee County history to post perfect seasons while Randy Springs' 1975-76 team accomplished an achievement that no other boys team in the state can lay claim to -- the 1976 Kansas Grand State title in the only year that event was held -- and Washburn Rural's 1960 title team was led by two of the biggest names in Topeka history.
Mark Turgeon, who went on to play at Kansas before embarking on a distinguished college coaching career, and Tom Meier, who went on to lead Washburn University to a national championship, were the ringleaders for the '83 Wildcat Class 4A championship team while former Missouri State All-American and 11-year veteran professional Kyle Weems and fellow Division I player Lamont Austin headlined Highland Park's '07 5A title team and former college star James Patrick helped lead the Scots to the '76 4A state crown and the Grand State win.
Washburn Rural won the Class A state title in 1960 as local greats Delvy Lewis and Ron Paradis led the Junior Blues. [Submitted photo to KSHSAA.org]
Turgeon, Meier, Weems and Patrick are all members of the Topeka Shawnee County Sports Hall of Fame while two other Hall of Famers, the late Delvy Lewis and Ron Paradis, led Bryce Stallard's Junior Blues to a 25-1 record and the Class A championship before Lewis went on to a standout career at Kansas and Paradis played at Kansas State.
Meseke, also a Topeka Shawnee County Hall of Famer, coached Hayden to six of the Wildcats' county-high eight state championships while Ted Schuler and Torrey Head also led Hayden to state crowns.
Highland Park has won six state championships, with Springs coaching the Scots to titles in '76 and '77 before Hall of Fame coach Darting led Hi Park to four championships, including three straight from '07 to '09.
And Darting was already a state title winner long before he got to Highland Park, coaching 3A Silver Lake to the Eagles' lone state crown in 1981.
Shawnee Heights is a five-time 5A state champion, winning back-to-back titles in '88 and '89 under Bob Bodenheimer, state crowns in '00 and '02 under Craig Cox and a title in '17 under Steve Wallace.
Current PGA standout Gary Woodland (23), the 2019 U.S. Open champ, starred for Craig Cox's 2022 Shawnee Heights Class 5A state championship team. [Submitted photo to KSHSAA.org]
In addition to the '60 championship, Washburn Rural also won 5A titles under Larry Longhofer in '82 and the late Don Williams in '85.
Topeka High also has won three state championships, including the county's first title in '32 under E.B. Weaver and 5A and 6A titles in '73 and '86 under the late Willie Nicklin, a member of multiple Hall of Fames.
Cox, who also coached two state championship baseball teams at Shawnee Heights and played for a state champion in baseball for Silver Lake, coached Seaman to its lone boys state basketball championship in 2022, with the Vikings winning their final 11 games.
Vote for your favorite team at https://take.quiz-maker.com/poll4866544xC1E64A21-151 while readers also have the option of writing in a candidate.
Vote as many times as you wish. Final selections will be based on reader vote as well as input from TSN contributors and current and past local sports media professionals.
Votes in boys basketball will be accepted through July 22 before TSN publishes our Best of the Best lists in late July and August.
NEXT UP: Boys/girls bowling (ballot will be published on TopSports.news on Sunday).
