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PREGAME winter sports preview
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Kansas Pregame Winter Sports Preview, Volume 2
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Permanence
Kansas Pregame
My passion for print started as a young high school football fan, always anxious for the local newspaper’s preseason tab and postseason awards issue. Later, as a high school and college player newspaper coverage became even more important. And more recently, as a coach, coverage in print and online became a source of information on opposing teams. The expansion of sports websites and social media accounts has added an urgency to coverage of local high school sports. A rush to be the first to livestream the local game or break the news about a JOHN BAETZ notable coaching change, and while I’ve enjoyed expanding into the online arena with active social media PUBLISHER accounts and an ever improving website (www.kansaspregame.com), Kansas Pregame’s mission statement remains the same: Provide athletes, parents, coaches and fans high quality full color keepsake publications that can be treasured for years to come. Thanks to a number of technical hiccups - computer software issues no less - this publication is hitting sponsor locations much later than I’d like, but it doesn’t negate the value of print. Certainly I encourage our readers to use all of the online resources available to not only preview your team’s season, but follow them every step of the way. But, when you get a few minutes, put down your phone, kick back in your favorite recliner with a cup of coffee or your favorite cold drink and do a deep dive into the pages that follow. You’ll find features on some of the state’s top basketball players and wrestlers, profiles on dozens of Kansas high school teams, and the names of hundreds of returning starters and key contributors to teams from across the Sunflower State. To access the next story from one of our great contributing writers doesn’t require a scroll or a click, but rather just the flip of a page. And, 20 years from now when your kids or grand-kids come home to visit, dig out your copy of Kansas Pregame and let them read about how you - or gramps, or Uncle Joe, or Aunt Jane, or Cousin Eddie...you get the idea - once contributed to the fabric of Kansas high school sports. While it may be hard for print to ever be first to report the story in the modern era, print does provide permanence, memories that can be cherished for years to come without digging through online archives or scrolling through years of social media. So, if you’re reading this online, head out to one of our dozens of fantastic sponsor locations and pick up your copy today!
WINTER SPORTS PREVIEW, Vol. 2
John Baetz & Bree McReynolds-Baetz, Publishers Co-owners of Sixteen 60 Publishing Co., publishers of Kansas Pregame Football Magazine, Kansas Pregame Winter Sports Preview, and other specialty publications. Layout and Design: John Baetz & Becky Rathbun, Sixteen 60 Publishing; Ad Design: Kayla Kvacik, Kvacik Graphics Contributing writers: Mike Lavieri; Brett Marshall; Gallagher Martin, McPherson Sentinel; Brent Maycock, Topeka CapitalJournal; Conor Nicholl Contributing photographers: John Baetz; Suzanne Mooradian; Everett Royer, KSportsImages.com Acknowledgments: With a project of this size and scope we can’t possibly thank all the contributors, but a special “Thank You!” goes out to the school secretaries, athletic directors, coaches and parents who helped us secure team information. Thank you to the advertisers who made this possible - without your support this publication would not be a reality. Mail inquiries to kansaspregame@gmail.com or Kansas Pregame, PO Box 186, Lincoln, KS 67455 Publication date: Volume 2, December 8, 2019 The 2019 Kansas Pregame Winter Sports Preview cover was photographed at the new Salina Fieldhouse. For details on the many exciting events hosted at the Fieldhouse visit www.salinafieldhouse.com.
WHAT’S INSIDE? 5 Set the Example
23 Youth Movement
8 Supporting Cast
35 Directory 37 Basketball
11 Central Plains Continues Streak
Find digital editions of back issues of Kansas Pregame online at www.issuu.com/1660publishing, or, find a list of free Kansas Pregame print distribution locations and links to the current digital edition at www.kansaspregame.com.
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Kansas Pregame Winter Sports Preview, Volume 2
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MAYB Appreciation January 18, 2020 in Wichita, KS 1st-4th Grade Shootout Middle School Mayhem February 29, 2020 in Wichita, KS Winter Finale March 28-29, 2020 in Wichita, KS Hall of Fame Girls Showcase April 18-19, 2020 in Wichita, KS 1A-2A Championships June 6-7, 2020 in Wichita, KS 3A-4A Championships June 6-7, 2020 in Salina, KS Summer Kickoff June 12-14, 2020 in Wichita Metro MAYB National Championships July 30-August 2, 2020 Boys in Wichita, KS and Girls in Oklahoma City, OK or Girls Northern Nationals in Omaha, NE
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Kansas Pregame Winter Sports Preview, Volume 2
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PARENT BEHAVIOR BEGINS AT YOUTH SPORTS LEVEL Long-term solutions to increasing the number of participants in high school sports and improving parental behavior at high school contests? The answer to both questions might start at the youth sports level. The NFHS hosted a first-ever meeting of about 25 leaders of National Governing Bodies and the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee recently to discuss common concerns and opportunities to align and work DR. KARISSA L. NIEHOFF NFHS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR together. Within the youth areas of these organizations, the issues are familiar ones to high school leaders – decline in participation, parent behavior, coaches education and minimizing the injury risk. Clearly, however, reaching parents with appropriate educational messages on sportsmanship, injury risk and the values of participation is a top priority for leaders at all levels – youth, middle school and high school sports. Recently, the NFHS formed a Middle School Committee in an effort to build interest in education-based sports at that level and to share the proper messages with parents before their kids reach high school. However, as we learned in our meetings, middle school may even be too late! Those educational messages will be enhanced if the process starts in out-of-school youth sports. If messages about the values of multi-sport participation, playing for the love of the game, and limiting contact in sports like football are consistently shared and demonstrated at the youth level, the education-based concept should be firmly in place by the time students reach high school. Coach education is another common concern. While the NFHS has created an outstanding online education program for interscholastic coaches through the NFHS Learning Center (www.NFHSLearn.com), there is no standard requirement to coach at the youth level. There should be some type of required certification for anyone to walk onto a field or court to coach. And while knowledge about teaching the proper tackling form in football or the proper defensive positioning in basketball is important, those are not the most important prerequisites for coaching. Similar to the NFHS’ online Fundamentals of Coaching course, youth coaches should be required to take courses that help them learn how to
coach the kids more so than the sport. And since many of the coaches at this level are parents of players on the team, these individuals – and all youth parents – should be presented materials similar to what is presented at preseason meetings at the high school level. This would include, among other things, the non-negotiable requirement to positively support their child while letting the coaches coach, and the officials officiate. Lofty goals, for sure, without a collective governing organization over youth sports. However, these concepts can be endorsed and promoted within the youth areas of sport-specific NGBs. These fundamentals of education-based athletics are essential for the two to three percent who play sports beyond high school as well as the majority who apply the values learned in high school sports in their chosen careers. The skills will eventually fade – even for those individuals who play sports beyond high school – but the values learned from playing sports, beginning at the youth sports level, will last a lifetime. Dr. Karissa L. Niehoff is in her second year as executive director of the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) in Indianapolis, Ind. She is the first female to head the national leadership organization for high school athletics and performing arts activities and the sixth full-time executive director of the NFHS, which celebrated its 100th year of service during the 2018-19 school year. She previously was executive director of the Connecticut Association of Schools-Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference for seven years. This editorial is reprinted as part of a parntership with the Kansas State High School Activities Association. Find them online at www.kshsaa.org.
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Kansas Pregame Winter Sports Preview, Volume 2
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Kansas Pregame Winter Sports Preview, Volume 2
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Kansas Pregame Winter Sports Preview, Volume 2
2019 SUPPORTING CAST
Page 8
Kansas Pregame and Nex-Tech Wireless are joining forces to recognize the individuals behind the scenes who help area high school sports teams achieve success. Band members and cheerleaders, athletic directors, team managers, assistant coaches, athletic trainers, booster club members and more. Nominate a key supporting cast member from your community and they might earn recognition in an upcoming issue of Kansas Pregame, on KansasPregame.com and at a Nex-Tech Wireless location. Submit nominations for the Nex-Tech Wireless Supporting Cast by messaging Kansas Pregame on Facebook or Twitter, emailing kansaspregame@gmail.com, texting or calling (785) 524-6019 or mailing a nomination to PO Box 186, Lincoln, KS 67455. Be sure to include details about how they support the team behind the scenes, contact info if you have it and other references who can attest to their key role as a member of the team’s Supporting Cast!
MEREDITH GLEASON
BRAEDEN HOPKINS
Southeast of Saline
Hoisington
Assistant Coach
Southeast of Saline is one of the top high school cross country programs in Kansas right now. It is also one of the most popular sports at the 3A high school. So much so that the school needed to hire a second assistant coach a few years ago. It was at that time “Coach-Mom” Meredith Gleason stepped in. In October, Gleason just finished her third season as an assistant with the program. The boys repeated as state champions while the girls finished second. Between the junior high and the high school, Southeast of Saline had 64 runners out this season. Despite the large numbers, Gleason believes the program is still able to maintain a “family atmosphere.” “As a parent, I really like seeing the family support, and the family kind of feeling that the cross country coach really pushes,” Gleason said. “I think we keep a really friendly-family relationship. Everybody seems to support all the kids, and it’s really great.” Gleason has worked as a hair stylist for 18 years, but her true passion is cross country. The nickname “Coach-Mom” was coined when her son Luke was running in junior high. Gleason’s enthusiasm, not only for Luke, but for the other SES runners, earned her the nickname that has stuck. “I started off as ‘crazy mom’ when my son was running,” Gleason said. “Then the numbers increased and the school felt they needed another coach to help out, so I did. After that first year I was still crazy mom, but then I was asked to come back for a second year and then I kind of adopted the name coach mom. It’s stuck through the whole school.” Luke just finished his junior year on the cross country team and was a big reason the Trojans defended their 3A State Championship. Luke was the Trojans’ highest finisher at state in 2018 as a sophomore, placing 12th, as Southeast of Saline won 3A over Hugoton by 35 points. This past season, Southeast of Saline won state by a thinner margin continued on page 9
Student-Manager There was a somber mood surrounding the community of Hoisington following the Class 2A Sub-State Championship. The Cardinals lost to Norton 10-8 on a 33-yard field goal by Luke Wahlmeier with six seconds left. A month earlier, Hoisington dominated Norton 38-7. Hoisington was 11-0 heading into the rematch against Norton. The Cardinals would have likely been a favorite over Nemaha Central in the championship. Hoisington senior Braeden Hopkins knows as well as anyone the many ups and the lone down of the 2019 season. He’s been with the team since his freshman year when a similar season ended with one loss in the state semifinals. Hopkins has seen four winning seasons and a lot of good football. “The team is a brotherhood,” Hopkins said. “Everybody stays humble. They know they’re pretty good, but they stay humble about it. They just want to go 1-0 every week, and perform at the highest level.” Hopkins has a passion for helping and giving back. That’s why he served as the manager for the football team all four years. Hopkins is currently a CNA in Great Bend to further serve. “I want to be there to serve. What better way than being a CNA and being a manager,” Hopkins said. “That will help me transition into the medical field.” Hopkins had a variety of duties as team manager. Hopkins did some of his work before practice, while during practice his roles varied depending on what coaches needed that day. Whatever Hopkins could do to make life easier for Hoisington head coach Zach Baird and his staff was Hopkins’ responsibilities. “For practice I get the equipment ready, I get their music set up, I fill up the waters, then ask the coaches to see what they need,” Hopkins said. Hopkins exclled as a manager, because it was something he enjoyed doing. continued on page 9
DAVID LARSON
Custodial Staff
McPherson
McPherson native David Larson calls the McPherson High School Roundhouse his “home away from home.” He jokingly added that he takes better care of the Roundhouse than he does his own home. Maintaining one of the most esteemed high school basketball courts in Kansas is an honor that Larson doesn’t take lightly. Whenever the Roundhouse is looking in pristine condition, McPherson fans have Larson to thank. “The Roundhouse is a classic, it has so much class to it,” Larson said. “I take pride in what I do. I appreciate everyone that tells me I do a good job.” Larson is a lifelong member of the McPherson community. “I lived a block-and-a-half away from the school when they first built it (the Roundhouse) so I watched them build it from the ground up,” Larson said. In 1989 while working for the Board of Public Utilities, Larson was offered a volunteer job to record football stats for the season. When basketball season rolled around, Larson continued his role of volunteer statistician. Larson’s role with his alma mater was just beginning. For two and a half decades Larson continued to get more involved with a variety of sports, all as a volunteer. After 25 years at the BPU, Larson retired. McPherson Schools then officially brought him on as an employee. “I never got paid because I just loved the games and loved the sports,” Larson said. Larson will be celebrating his 30th anniversary with the school this May. His roles include helping with football, basketball, track and field, cross country, soccer, baseball, softball and pretty much any other activity the school offers that needs his assistance. If McPherson High School has a home game, match, or meet, Larson is likely there. If the McPherson girls and boys basketball teams are at home, continued on page 9
Kansas Pregame Winter Sports Preview, Volume 2
Page 11 Photos by Everett Royer, KSportsImages.com
CENTRAL PLAINS CONTINUES HISTORIC STREAK The six Central Plains Lady Oiler seniors and their coach (L-R): Rachel Lamatsch, Zoe Potter, Emily Ryan, Coach Pat Stiles, Addison Crites, Rebecca Stratmann and Delaney Rugan.
By Conor Nicholl, For Kansas Pregame Atwood-Rawlins County won 17 games last winter and faced Claflin-Central Plains in the sub-state championship game at Barton County Community College. In scouting, Atwood coach Brad Pfortmiller struggled to identify what offense the Oilers actually ran. Additionally, he had trouble seeing the different strengths and weaknesses of each Central Plains player, mainly because of the sheer volume of turnovers and fast break points the Oilers’ pressing defense and team chemistry produced. Pfortmiller tried to mimic Central Plains’ press and speed in practice the day before the contest and played five versus nine. In the game, Atwood briefly led 3-2 before the Oilers went on a 28-2 run. Central Plains eventually captured a 69-13 victory. The win marked No. 108 in a row for the Oilers, which broke the record of 107 set by Hoxie from 2012-16. “It’s impossible until you absolutely get out there,” Pfortmiller said. “You pick up your dribble, they are going to trap you. They get the ball out, they run, but boy, everything is off of that pressure. They get so many layups off of it.” The following weekend, Central Plains finished 28-0 with three victories in the Class 1A state tournament at Dodge City: 63-28 versus South Gray, 78-36 against Thunder Ridge and 50-34 versus Hanover, a two-time defending state champion. The Oilers bumped their winning streak to 111 straight wins and captured their state mark sixth straight title. Buoyed by veteran coach Pat Stiles, point guard Emily Ryan, its talented supporting cast and the defense, Central Plains set multiple Kansas Sports Hall of Fame records. “Just between Emily’s work ethic and Pat’s coaching pushing us to be better, we just kind of got this drive,” senior Rachel Lamatsch said. The Oilers’ five perfect seasons and four straight undefeated years are both Kansas marks. Last year, Central Plains set records for scoring defense (24.5 points allowed per contest) and average margin of victory (plus-49.2). In a win against Victoria, Central Plains broke the state record with a 73.1 field goal percentage. The 2017 Oiler team has the Kansas standard with a 75.4 season free throw percentage. “That’s what we take pride in,” Ryan said. “Our identity is defense, and it starts on the defensive end.” A couple years ago, Central Plains didn’t have the athleticism it currently has. CP ran the pack line defense, a half court look popularized by Virginia men’s coach Tony Bennett and his father, Dick Bennett, most notably a former Wisconsin men’s coach. The look was designed to take away the gaps and keep opponents from getting to the basket. The Oilers now run more of an aggressive scheme designed to clog the passing lanes. “It’s just easier to get out in the passing lanes, put a lot more pressure on the ball,” Stiles said. “And just figure out what teams are weak at, and force them to those weaknesses.” After the season, Central Plains made its annual appearance in front of the Barton County Commission meeting, and Stiles
read off the state marks, which senior Delaney Rugan called “incredible.” “My favorite one was our defensive record, our defensive scoring,” Rugan said. “That we can stop people. Our defense controls the game, I feel like. Because we can have a really off game on offense, but we can still completely control the game with our defense.” Stiles, who has served more than 30 years in various coaching roles at Claflin, is known for his calm demeanor. However, Stiles even said that he didn’t see the Oilers’ streak stopping any time soon. Central Plains is 156-1 since the start of the ‘13-14 season and 176-4 under Stiles. “My dad is extremely quiet and shy, and a lot of people don’t know that,” Jackie Stiles said last March. “When he steps on the basketball floor as a coach, he almost has a whole other personality as far as the way he coaches with such confidence, and his players get such confidence from him and his demeanor.” That confidence is mainly because the Oilers returns four starters and its large senior class of Ryan, Rugan, Lamatsch, Addison Crites, Rebecca Stratmann and Zoe Potter, and sophomore standout Kassidy Nixon. “We have to get better, because everybody is chasing us,”
coach Stiles said. Ryan is an Iowa State-signee. She has more than 2,000 career points. Last year, she delivered 30.6 points, 6.1 assists and 5.6 steals a contest. “You are not going to see that but once in a blue moon, and in my 30 years, I have probably seen, at that level, probably two or three like that,” Smith Center coach Nick Linn said of Ryan. Crites missed the last part of her sophomore basketball season with a knee injury. She was a key starter last winter. Then, Crites earned 1A Player of the Year in volleyball this fall and led the Oilers to a state championship. “I just remembered to not take it for granted, and that it could end anytime unexpectedly,” Crites said. Lamatsch is known for defense. She, Ryan, Crites and Rugan are returning starters for a squad that knows roles, strengths and weaknesses extremely well. Stratmann was hurt last winter. Rugan, a cheerleader, might try out for the Kansas State cheer squad next year. “It all started when we playing back in second grade,” Potter said. “And then as we grew into our skills, we really realized that, well, Emily is best when she has the ball in her hand. So you’ve got to try and just work to their abilities and do whatever you can to really help them out.” Ryan’s dad, Jim, is a longtime coach at Claflin and currently serves as Stiles’ assistant. Ryan has three older siblings: Michael, Janae and Devin, all whom won a state title with the
Oilers. In second grade, Ryan fell in love with basketball when she attended a Jackie Stiles camp. Stiles, currently a women’s basketball assistant at Oklahoma, still holds a significant number of state records, including all-time points (3,603). Ryan lives about seven miles from the school and will often drive to shoot in the mornings, and then again at night. Coach Stiles has often said the biggest comparison between Jackie and Emily is their work ethic. Ryan has excellent ball handling skills and will practice with her off-hand nearly as much as her dominant right hand. “It doesn’t feel like I am working out or anything,” she said. “It just feels like I am playing around. It’s just fun getting in there and seeing improvement.” The group has remained intact since second and third grade. They played MAYB, and then Ryan said “it all came together” in junior high. Stiles noticed the chemistry, too. Ryan started as a freshman on a squad that had six seniors. Stiles was impressed with the then-freshmen against the seniors, and believed the group would be special, especially defensively. “Everyday in practice, they battled all the time,” coach Stiles said. “Ball goes out of bounds, they dive on the floor, and they just scrap and claw.” The following year, Ryan was the only full-time returner. Still, Central Plains won every game but two by at least 24 points. Stiles was “very proud” to see the sophomore-heavy group step up. “It was really awesome knowing we had a lot of underclassmen that year, knowing that we were still able to be successful,” Ryan said. “It gives a lot of excitement going into our junior and senior year, and high expectations.” When asked about her favorite memories, Potter, a reserve, doesn’t list anything on the court. “The many, many jokes we share throughout practice, forgetting the plays, and also just hanging out after practice with this team and always having fun together,” she said. The team has very specific superstitions. CP listens to certain songs before each contest and has normally has a team song. “‘If I Were A Boy’ (by Beyonce) was a big one that we all liked to jam out to and stuff like that,” Lamatsch said. At the state tournament, notably in Manhattan, where the Oilers had long played before going to Dodge last winter, Central Plains has tried to eat at the same places. That included Texas Roadhouse in Manhattan. In Dodge City, Hanover, a two-time defending state champion with Washburn signee Macy Doebele, provided Central Plains with some resistance in the final. However, Central Plains had another big game from Ryan and its defense limited the Wildcats to their lowest point total of the year. “I just never felt really nervous about it,” Stiles said. “I just have so much confidence in these guys. I just knew once we got it up by 10, that we were in pretty good shape.”
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in the
Xavier Bell
By Conor Nicholl, For Kansas Pregame Earlier this fall we welcomed a sampling of the state’s top athletes to a feature photo shoot at the Salina Fieldhouse. The nearly new Fieldhouse made a stunning backdrop for the shoot. These athletes are among the very best basketball players and wrestlers in Kansas and are “In The Spotlight.” Check out their profiles below. To learn more about Salina Fieldhouse visit their website, www.salinafieldhouse.com. Xavier Bell, Andover Central Last winter, Andover Central finished 22-3 and won the Class 5A state championship behind a prolific trio of Xavier Bell, Braden Belt and Easton Leedom. All three players cleared 1,000 career points, an extremely rare achievement. AC, for coach Jesse Herrmann, won the first boys’ basketball title in school annals and captured each state game by double figure margins. “It was more like a movie,” Bell said. “It was kind of unreal, still thinking back on it, but just the way the group of guys that I had, we all just clicked together like family. We have been together since I was a freshman, and then just grew together, each and everyday in practice.” Two years ago, AC averaged 58 points and 1.08 points per possession, solid marks. Last winter, the Jaguars upped to 71 points a game and 1.19 points per possession, excellent efficiency. Bell led with 20.4 points and 6.7 rebounds, while Belt delivered 18.2 points. Leedom had 16.6 points, 6.1 rebounds and 5.6 assists per game. Andover Central shot 39 percent from 3-point range. “Just playing with them, it was unbelievable,” Bell said. “It was a fun group of guys to be with honestly.” Bell has earned attention from multiple Division I schools in
Ty Berry
basketball. However, that might not even be his best sport. The 6-foot-3, 180-pound Bell had more than 60 catches and cleared 850 receiving yards with double-digit receiving touchdowns. He helped Andover Central improve from 5-5 in ‘18 and into the Class 4A state title game versus Bishop Miege this fall. Bell picked up a PWO offer from Oklahoma. When asked about his collegiate plans, Bell took a long sigh. “Honestly, it’s up in the air,” Bell said. “I was more leaning toward basketball going into the football season. But as it’s gone, and then as it’s like a few more schools are contacting me, it’s still more and more just kind of confusing as it goes.” Bell - whose dad Wayne played on the last Wichita State football team and has served as a district director of the U.S. Small Business Administration – said the recruiting journey has not been stressful. Bell has talked to college coaches and asked for coaches on what areas he could improve. “I have really enjoyed the process,” Bell said. Even without Belt and Leedom, AC still returns 50 percent of the scoring. Bell’s supporting cast features seniors Jerome Washington, Shomari Parnell, Ty Herrmann, Matt Macy and Trey DeGarmo. Ty Berry, Sunrise Christian Academy Combo guard Ty Berry delivered 24.3 points per game and led Newton to its first winning season in a decade in ‘18-19. Berry had already earned multiple Power 5 offers and eventually committed to Northwestern. However, Berry wanted to test himself as a senior. On July 16, Berry announced his transfer to nearby Wichita Sunrise Christian Academy, a non-KSHSAA school known for producing Division I players every year. “It was definitely hard at first, but then after I talked to my parents and realizing that it would be better for me to get
Aubree Dewey
there, it was pretty amazing,” he said. Berry makes the 24-mile drive south down Hwy 135 to Bel Aire, and normally stays in the team house during the week. He returns to Newton on the weekends. “Really just that I could be surrounded by guys who have the same goals as me, and get pushed by those type of guys everyday at practices is something that is really important to me,” Berry said. “And I feel like it is going to help me a lot in the long run.” Berry has played basketball since he was four years old, normally with his brother Tevin, four years older. Tevin played two years at Butler CC, and is currently a senior at Tabor College. Ty always played up in age groups, which “helped a lot.” “I feel like I can shoot it really well,” he said. “I am good at making plays for my teammates. I am seeing the floor, and being able to make plays for others.” Berry had offers from Wichita State, Kansas State, Iowa State, Oklahoma State and Minnesota, among others. Recruiting industry leader 247 Sports listed Berry as the No. 15 combo guard nationally. He and Sunrise Christian shooting guard Jayden Stone are ranked as the top-two players in Kansas. On Oct. 9, Berry committed to Northwestern. Seventh-year coach Chris Collins led the Wildcats to a school-record 24 wins and first NCAA tournament berth in ‘16-17. Previously, Collins served as an assistant at Duke for 13 years. “Really, when we got on campus, it just felt the most like home, and my parents really, really connected with the staff, and my other family members, my brothers and sisters really liked the staff, and felt like it would be a good fit for me,” Berry said. “I love coach Collins and what he has done, and I feel like what he can do with guards is going to be good, so I feel continued on page 15
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Photos by Everett Royer, KSportsImages.com
Kansas Pregame Winter Sports Preview, Volume 2
Ishante Suttington (#23) & Camille Evans (#1) from page 13 like that was the main reason.” Aubree Dewey, Plainville Plainville senior guard Aubree Dewey averaged 28.3 points, 6.3 rebounds, 4.2 steals and 3.9 steals per game as a junior. She was a finalist for 2A Player of the Year and has inked with Washburn University. Dewey is fifth all-time in Mid-Continent League history with 1,462 points, according to MCL archives. While well-known for her offense, Dewey has helped change the culture for Plainville girls’ basketball and delivered a big team defensive turnaround. Last year, Plainville opened with a 71-49 road loss to Smith Center. “Most of our girls came in thinking we were going to lose,” Dewey said. On Jan. 15, the Cardinals fell again at Smith Center, 52-46. At that point, Plainville was 2-19 in its last 21 games versus the Lady Red and had lost five in a row in the series. The Cardinals finished 5-2 in February, including a 53-50 victory versus Smith Center on Feb. 25. Dewey had 28 points, but the Cardinals limited Smith Center to 1 of 11 from 3-point range, and Plainville was plus-nine on the glass. “Everybody wanted it really bad,” Dewey said. “Everybody stepped up more. They weren’t as scared to shoot and dribble around, and then we had a couple of our sophomores pick up their defense, and they actually figured out what they could do, instead of just playing scared.” On March 1, Plainville delivered another milestone victory with a 50-43 win versus Hoxie. The Cardinals had lost five in a row versus the Indians since ‘09. The SC and Hoxie victories helped Plainville finish 13-10 with its most wins in more than a decade. Plainville permitted just .71 points per possession after .82 in ‘17-18. “They didn’t get a lot of playing time their freshman year, so they weren’t sure how varsity was,” Dewey said. “So from the beginning of the season till the end, I think they just knew that their role was defense, and they just played it good.” Senior Jersey Kaiser and Dewey had played together since
Kade Hackerott
Dewey’s family moved to Plainville during elementary school. Kaiser stepped up with three points, 4.3 rebounds and 1.7 steals a game. “She’s a great contributor to our team,” Dewey said. However, Kaiser has battled scoliosis and had to sit out in volleyball. Former head coach Kate Bremerman, a former Division II Player of the Year at Fort Hays, has returned to coach at Newton, her hometown. Former assistant Chris Rinehart is now head coach. Rachel Doll, who played at Ellinwood and Fort Hays, is the assistant. Dewey, Kaiser and their good friend Halli Friend are listed as the three seniors. The junior class includes Brooke Nuss, Ashlynn Stamper, Britynn Hovis, Brady Bouchey and Brianna Augustine. Dewey took a visit to Washburn toward the end of last school year. She set up another visit so her mom, Jami, could come. Dewey still had a few more visits lined up, but the family walked out to the car, discussed, and decided to commit for longtime WU coach Ron McHenry there. “My favorite thing to do is run, and play up on defense,” Dewey said. “And he said that that’s what they are looking to do the next few years is to run and push really hard and play full court D, and that’s what I like to do.” Camille Evans/Ishante Suttington, Schlagle Ishante Suttington and Camille Evans have helped Schlagle enjoy a four-year string of excellence – and one of the best finishes in school annals last winter. KC-Schlagle lost in the first round of state in ‘16, ‘17 and ‘18, including as the No. 1 seed in ‘16. Last season, Tynica Gilmore was the only senior, and Suttington and Evans were the team captains. Evans had transferred from Sumner Academy. Both girls said they have looked to change the culture at Schlagle with bringing a more serious attitude to basketball. “It was a lot of pressure,” Suttington said. Last winter, Schlagle finished 19-6 and took third in Class 5A. The Stallions, the No. 6 seed, defeated Wichita Heights, 69-67, in the first round of state. After a 43-41 loss to Blue Valley Southwest, Schlagle beat McPherson, 60-54. Schlagle has made only two state finals in school history,
Tanner Halling
most recently in ‘02, according to Kansas historian Carol Swenson. Suttington earned first team all-state in 5A, and Evans was second team. At state, Evans posted 18 points and 12 rebounds in the win versus Wichita Heights. “I knew we wanted to go far, so I had to step up, do what I needed to do to help my team,” Evans said. Suttington, known for her scoring at shooting guard, signed with Hutchinson Community College. Additionally, Suttington and Gilmore earned acclaim from Kansas City area media for a school capstone project to help their neighbors. Gilmore focused on homeless students, while Suttington and her team researched the dangers of sexual abuse. She and her colleagues partnered with Sunflower House to create videos to educate kids about predators and crime. At the Class 5A state tournament, Evans collected 49 points, tied for second-most in the field. McPherson’s Grace Pyle led with 55 points. In the third place win versus McPherson, Evans tallied two points in the first half, and 17 in the second. In January, she finished with 13 points, 14 assists and nine rebounds in a win against Sumner. in the summer Evans played with Next Level Eclipse Blue Star. She played on the same elite team with Miege’s Payton and Ashton Verhulst, and Kapaun’s Ella Anciaux. She recently signed with Missouri Western. Evans also qualified for state track in the 100- and 200-meter dashes and 400 relay. Kade Hackerott, Goddard Goddard senior Kade Hackerott has greatly enjoyed playing for her father, Kevin, the Lions’ head girls’ basketball coach. Kevin, the coach since ‘13-14, has led Goddard to a big turnaround, including a nine-win improvement and 20-3 mark last winter. The pair has always been very close, in a large part because of basketball. “Playing for my dad is a lot of fun,” Kade said. “I really just enjoy the fact that we have gotten closer through basketball, and it’s allowed us to know each other better in a different way than I think a lot of father-daughters do, and so I love it. I wouldn’t trade it for anything.” continued on page 17
Salina Downtown is in the midst of a major renovation! Scheduled for completion in 2020, the downtown will have a new streetscape and many new businesses and attractions. Lots of activity and new excitement is already expanding with fun! Anchoring the project, the Salina Fieldhouse is a versatile 68,000 sq. ft. indoor sports facility, completed in 2017. New attractions include The Alley Indoor Entertainment Center, a five-story Hilton Homewood Suites and a classic car museum. New restaurants such as Old Chicago, and coming soon, Yaya’s Euro Bistro, as well as seasoned favorites like Cozy Inn, Martinelli’s and Blue Skye Brewery are just a few of the delicious choices to satisfy. Downtown has become a pedestrian friendly family entertainment destination! For more information about Salina Downtown go to www.SalinaDowtown.org
Page 17
Photos by Everett Royer, KSportsImages.com
Kansas Pregame Winter Sports Preview, Volume 2
Katie Horyna (#1) & Machia Mullens (#11)
from page 15 In ‘17-18, Goddard finished 11-10 with zero seniors. Kade, then a sophomore, led the team with 15 points a contest. Last year, she delivered 15.1 points, 7.4 rebounds, 3.1 assists, 2.3 steals and 1.4 blocks per game. Hackerott earned first team all-state honors. Goddard significantly upped its offense to 52 points per game. Goddard recorded its most wins since ‘0708. Torri Vang averaged 10.9 points per game, and sophomore Brooke Sullivan delivered 10.2 a contest, her second straight double-figure season. Hackerott committed to Division II power University of Central Missouri, which won the national championship in ‘1718. Hackerott also had interest from Division I’s Oral Roberts and Missouri-Kansas City. She was complementary of UCM assistant coach Mike Nicholson, calling him “a great recruiter.” Nicholson texted about non-basketball topics, including holidays and wished luck on other sport gamedays, such as volleyball. Hackerott was a key starter for the volleyball team that qualified for state. Tanner Halling, St. John The 2018-19 St. John basketball team had a strong nucleus that had played together for many seasons. Point guard Mason Osborne’s dad was a former St. John standout on the ‘74 state title team. Osborne and forward Tanner Halling were the team’s two returning starters. Osborne enjoyed a big year with 13.3 points, 4.6 rebounds, 4.4 assists and 2.4 steals a game. After 14 points, 10 rebounds and 2.5 blocks per contest as a sophomore, Halling delivered 17.5 points, 7.6 rebounds and 3.6 blocks as a junior. Trey Fisher and Collin Halling were among those in a key supporting role. Coach Clint Kinnamon noted one of the team’s strengths was its unselfishness.
Daquan Johnson
“We have all developed together, so it’s just cool seeing how far we’ve come over the years,” Tanner said. As well, St. John welcomed in several new players. Marshall and Toby Woolf transferred in from nearby Stafford, and 6-foot-6 junior Sead Pepic was a foreign exchange player from Montenegro. The new players gelled well, and notably Marshall Woolf averaged 7.3 points per contest, third-best on the squad, in 17 games. Woolf sunk 15 treys and led the Tigers with 31 percent from 3-point range (min. 12 attempts). “It was pretty fun,” Halling said. “We have been friends with the guys from Stafford for quite awhile, and they lived in our district already, so they transferred over, so it was fun working with them and teaching them and seeing everything that the different coaching provides from Stafford and St. John.” The chemistry helped St. John improve from a third-place finish in Class 1A, Division I two years ago to state runner-up to rival Claflin-Central Plains in 1A last winter. SJ finished 0-4 versus the Oilers on the season, including a 40-28 final loss. The Tigers went 23-5, including a 53-48 win versus Hanover in the first round of state. Hanover was 24-1 at the time. The Tigers twice defeated Ness City, the eventual 2A champion. This year, Halling has worked on his ball handling skills and extending his range. SJ has six seniors, including Marshall Woolf, both Hallings and Fisher. Kinnamon is in his 30th year of coaching, 28th as head coach and 19th at St. John and has more than 450 career victories. New assistant Danton Hilton earned a state title as Attica’s head coach in Class 1A, Division II in 2016. “He is a really great coach, and he cares for his players a lot, and he’s like a father to all of us, honestly,” Halling said of Kinnamon. “If we have a problem, we know we can go to him, and he just pushes us to be our best everyday.”
Parsons Par sons H i g h
H i g h
S c h o o l
S c h o o l
3030 Morton, Parsons, Kansas 67357 | Phone: 620-421-3660 | Fax: 620-423-8816 | Parsons High School, the Home of the Vikings, is a center of academic excellence in Southeast Kansas. We educate for life, offering a variety of premier Career and Technical Education programs and dual credit college classes. Visit our schools to explore our options and see why USD 503 is your school district of choice.
3030 Morton, Parsons, Kansas 67357 | Phone: 620-421-3660 | Fax: 620-423-8816 | p h s . v i k i n g n e t . n e t Parsons High School, the Home of the Vikings, is a center of academic excellence in Southeast
Zach Keal
Katie Horyna/Machia Mullens, Liberal Liberal senior point guard Katie Horyna and senior forward Machia Mullens form a strong bond both emotionally and schematically. The duo has led Liberal to 23-2 and 22-1 records the last two seasons, the latter their best start in 43 years, according to longtime broadcaster Brock Kappelmann. “Basically we complement each other in what we lack, and I think that’s a really good relationship to have with someone,” Mullens said. “And we both can get each other up and get each other focused, so that’s really nice to have, someone who is always on the court with you, and knows exactly where to motivate you when you need to be motivated.” Last season, Mullens delivered 15 points, 7.2 rebounds and 2.4 blocks a game, all team-highs, along with 1.7 steals. Horyna had 14.3 points, four rebounds and paced the team in assists (2.7 per game) and steals (1.9). Mullens also shot 75 percent from the free throw line, and Horyna was one of the state’s leading 3-point shooters at 41 percent (31 of 75). “The good thing about us is that we can tell each other when we are doing really good and really bad, and I think that’s really good to have with each other,” Horyna said. Mullens is a four-year starter in volleyball and basketball and has committed to Division I University of Missouri-Kansas City and coach Jacie Hoyt, a former Hoxie standout. Horyna is headed to Division I Abilene Christian. The 6-foot Mullens has tallied 825 career points. Horyna has participated in state competitions in basketball, cross country, track and golf. The 5-foot-9 Horyna has 740 points and more than 200 rebounds and assists in her career. “Especially with Machia, like if I drive, I know she is going to be on the backside or she is going to be in the corner ready to
continued on page 19
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Page 19 Photos by Everett Royer, KSportsImages.com
Kansas Pregame Winter Sports Preview, Volume 2
Cade Lautt
from page 17 shoot the ball or score,” Horyna said. Horyna earned first team all-state 6A, and Mullens was second team for the ‘18-19 season. Mullens committed May 14, and Horyna June 18. The duo each played for Ohlde Elite. “If you ever met the coaching staff there, you would be like ‘Oh my gosh, I want to play for them,’ and that’s what it was,” Horyna said of Abilene Christian. “I walked on campus, I met everybody, it was like ‘This is home, and when you walk around the campus there, you don’t look down, like you do at like normal places. You look up, you smile, you wave, like everyone is so nice. It’s like in our hometown basically.” Mullens, like Horyna, both signed on Nov. 13. She has really enjoyed Hoyt, the daughter of legendary Kansas high school girls’ coach Shelly Hoyt. Jacie Hoyt went 16-15 with UMKC last year, the school’s best season since ‘09-10. Notably, Ericka Mattingly, a Wichita South product, was all-conference first team last winter. Coach Hoyt is highly active on social media and is known for his charisma. “She’s a very empowering woman, and I think later in life that’s something that I want to strive to be,” Mullens said. “So being surrounded by such a great coaching staff and such a powerful woman ... that was really important in the choice.” Overall, Liberal is expected to return 85 percent of its points for coach Carter Kruger. Senior Audrey Gilmore, juniors Aubrey Warden, Reagan Watt and Reece Hay are key players. Horyna’s sister, sophomore Bree, is expected to step up. Last season, Liberal was the No. 1 seed at the Class 6A state tournament, but fell to Olathe Northwest, 57-46. Sarah Beth Gueldner, a Drake commit, had 31 points, while Mullens finished with 29.
Morgan Mayginnes
“We were fired up,” Mullens said. “We had a good season. We were feeling well, and then to go in and not go as far as we wanted to, it was really humbling, and it really showed us, we still have things to work on as a group and individually.” DaQuan Johnson, Parsons DaQuan Johnson has played a very instrumental role in big football and boys’ basketball turnarounds at Parsons. In the ‘17-18 basketball season, Parsons finished 17-8 and earned fourth place in Class 4A, Division II, the school’s first state victory since 1996. Johnson delivered 15 points, 10 rebounds and three assists a game. Coach Anthony Houk earned classification coach of the year. In the 2018 football season, the Vikings were 8-3 and had its first playoff victory since ‘76. Johnson earned first team all-state at defensive back. “Really, it’s all about the kids, the leadership, seniors, you have got to step up and really change the program around,” Johnson said. “It’s not just the coaches’ job to change stuff around at Parsons. It’s the kids, and also the coaches, too.” Last winter, Parsons finished 17-6 with a 55-52 loss to eventual 4A champion KC-Piper in the first round at state. Johnson finished with 14 points, eight rebounds, five assists and three steals a game and was 4A Player of the Year. Johnson has posted 10.8 seconds in the 100-meter dash. In basketball, Johnson has played point guard through power forward, and has listed “seeing the floor” as his greatest strength. “Coach Houk, he’s a coach that will do anything for you no matter (what),” Johnson said. “If I wanted to get into the gym at 3 o’clock in the morning, I would call him, and he’d wake up, and he would come let me in the gym, so he would do anything for us.”
ST. JAMES ACADEMY
Nichole Moore
Parsons has key returners with Johnson, Dariq Williams and Zeke Lyons. All three players could reach 1,000 career points this winter. Johnson said Houk and the coaching staff allow both aggressive play and a close bond at practice. Johnson, who listed football as his primary sport, wasn’t able to play this fall. In summer basketball camp, Johnson was doing box out drills and went to grab a rebound. He was kind of pushed in the air and landed on his knee wrong. Johnson still finished up camp, and then went to the rec. center after four or five days. He couldn’t run or jump, and knew he had to go to the doctor. A CAT scan showed torn meniscus. He was expected to be cleared for basketball. Zach Keal, Mill Valley Mill Valley High School was opened in the 2000. Travis Keal was the inaugural wrestling coach, a position he stills holds. Keal has brought up his twin boys, Zach and Austin, in the wrestling room. Zach still recalls looking up to Trevor Boyer, a 112-pounder who was Mill Valley’s first state champion in ‘09. As well, he recalled Zach Callahan, who took third in ‘11 and second in ‘12 at 285. “I have been in that wrestling room since I have been born,” Zach said. Coach Keal has enjoyed an illustrious career, including a 103-58 dual record, Class 5A Coach of the Year honors in ‘15 and ‘18, along with third place state showings in ‘15 and ‘16. Last season, Mill Valley bumped to 6A and finished seventh. Zach (45-6) was third at 120, and Austin (34-17) earned fourth at 132. Ethan Kremer captured the title at 220 pounds. On Nov. 13, Austin signed with Little Rock, and Zach to Army West Point. Zach has several ties to West Point. Matt Anderson, one of Mill Valley’s assistant coaches and the head JV
continued on page 20
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Kansas Pregame Winter Sports Preview, Volume 2
Jordan Vincent
one match from qualifying for boys’ state. “I would probably say my legs, because once I get them in, that’s what I run the most,” Mayginnes said of her top strength. Mayginnes has served on Team USA, and like Nichole
Page 21 ships at Nickerson and Garden Plain last winter at 106 pounds. Moore, is headed to Estonia to wrestle in March. She is “It’s completely changed me,” Moore said of the sport. interested in Baker University, too. Mayginnes joined Moore, Entering regionals, Moore had a mark of 33-7 and came close Robinson and Osawatomie’s Amanda Newcome as All-Amerito qualifying for the boys’ state tournament. cans at the ‘19 Junior Nationals. While Robinson finished second, Moore was third, Newcome Moore had missed the unofficial girls’ state tournament in McPherson her first two seasons. Last winter, Moore was not sixth and Mayginnes eighth at 152 pounds. Mayginnes continued on page 87 finished last season ninth nationally and opened eighth in the country at 152, according to the Flo Wrestling rankings. Nichole Moore, Nickerson By her own admission, Nickerson senior Nichole Moore was shy, quiet, and “wasn’t super athletic.” Her dad put her in wrestling as a sport to try. In seventh/eighth grade, Moore knew wrestling was an endeavor she loved. “I completely committed myself to wrestling,” Moore said. Moore won more than 80 www.eclipsebasketball.com matches against boys the last Email: operations@eclipsebasketball.com three seasons and captured boys’ tournament championTwitter: MVEclipseBball
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Photos by Everett Royer, KSportsImages.com
YOUTH movement
Turning our focus from the seniors that are “In The Spotlight,” Kansas Pregame gathered 14 of the state’s top underclassmen at Rolling HIlls Zoo for our “Youth Movement” feature. With the inspirational and educational 20th Anniversary exhibit in the world class Rolling Hills Museum as a backdrop, veteran photographer Everett Royer captured these athletes in uniform and long-time sportswriter Conor Nicholl interviewed them on site. Though now experienced veterans, these athletes got their start early in high school and they’ll look to achieve even more success this winter as juniors and sophomores. Check out their photos and features starting on page 25. Rolling Hills Zoo, located at 625 North Hedville Road, six miles west of Salina and two miles south of Interstate 70, was the host sponsor for this year’s “Youth Movement” photo shoot. Check out some of the many fantastic events held at the zoo below and find more information online at www.rollinghillszoo.org: Armed Forces Day – May 16, 2020: FREE admission for active and retired military personnel and their immediate families. Military ID required. Wild About Moms – May 10, 2020: Show Mom how much you care with a visit to the Zoo, and all Moms get in FREE! Plus, that day there will be Keeper Encounters, Animal Feedings, Animal Meet & Greets, and a restaurant special at the Overlook Restaurant.
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Page 25
Photos by Everett Royer, KSportsImages.com
Kansas Pregame Winter Sports Preview, Volume 2
KAI ALLEN Kai Allen, Silver Lake Silver Lake junior Kai Allen watched the Eagles develop tradition at the 126-pound weight class. Notably, Haegan Schaefer won the 126 title in 2014, and Jordan Priddy earned the crown in ‘17 and was second in ‘18. Also in ‘18, Allen earned third place at the Class 3-2-1A state meet at 113 pounds. After that, Allen set a goal to capture a state title. He moved up a pair of weight classes to 126. “Carry the legacy,” Allen said. As well, Silver Lake gained new assistant coach Colt Rogers for the ‘18-19 school year. Rogers is one of Kansas’ all-time great wrestlers with four individual titles and no losses to Kansas opponents during his career at Smith Center. He wrestled at Bethany College and had previously served as the Lakin head coach. Allen watched some of Rogers’ college matches online and was excited for him to be in the practice room. Rogers influenced Allen’s work ethic and focused on setting high goals. Additionally, Rogers worked on Allen being fast and staying on his feet. “He made a big impact on me,” Allen said. “He was my partner a lot in the practice room, and just drilling with him, just going through his workouts, and what he did in college and bringing that to the high school wrestling room was a great impact.” On Jan. 20, Allen finished in fifth place at 126 pounds at the Beloit Invitational. In a consolation semifinals match, Hill City’s Alec Segarra defeated Allen, 6-4, in sudden victory. At the Class 3-2-1A state championships, Allen was ranked third, Segarra first. In the championship semifinals, Allen defeated Segarra, 1-0. “It was a lot of adrenaline rush,” Allen siad. “I mean, from losing to him in overtime in Beloit, that pushed me a lot to go and just try to be perfect. And that’s all that match needed was just perfection to beat him. And scoring that one point there,
Kapaun
ELLA ANCIAUX
a sudden rush of like just relief, and I was like, ‘Wait, I got to keep wrestling through that one.’ In the finals, Allen held off Phillipsburg’s Josh Sisson, a former state titlist, for a 3-2 match. “Just staying in position, keep my angles, keep trying to score, and I think I could have scored more,” Allen said. “That’s something I regret from that match, just not scoring an extra two points at the end.” Rogers, coaching matside, led Allen with great excitement, especially in the final seconds. The two punctuated the match with a big hug on the mat for one of state’s top moments. Allen finished the season 43-6. He and Sisson are in the top-two preseason spots at 126. Rogers is again a SL assistant coach. “Just sharing that moment with him, sharing that our goal to win state - to do that, it’s unbelievable,” Allen said. Ella Anciaux, Kapaun Mt. Carmel On Jan. 4, 2019, Kapaun Mt. Carmel played City League rival Bishop Carroll in the Holy War. At that point, KMC had dropped seven in a row to Carroll. Kapaun pulled off one of the bigger upsets of the ‘18-19 season with a 32-31 victory. KMC then sophomore 6-foot-4 post Ella Anciaux delivered a massive performance with 25 points. “That was one of my favorite moments, because it’s such a great atmosphere,” Anciaux said. “It always is for the Holy War games. There is so many people. Just the energy, it’s just different, and it’s super exciting. I was very happy with how I and my entire team played that game.” In sub-state, Anciaux delivered 18 points and 10 rebounds in a 5A sub-state road loss to Hays High for the 9-11 Crusaders. The Kansas Basketball Coaches Association names five players to its first team all-state squad, and five to second team. Anciaux collected second team all-state. Anciaux’s dad, Todd, is 6-5, and her brother, Will, is a freshman at Kapaun and is also 6-6. Anciaux often ends up at the Wichita Sports Forum or Wichita Hoops for workouts. “I have had a lot of people Mt. Carmel Catholic High School throughout my life that have helped me and just wanted me to do really well,” Anciaux said. “So that has been a big part of it, just like really focusing in on what they are telling me what I need to be doing, and then working on those things by myself has been a big part of where I have been able to find success.” In the summer, Anciaux played on the elite Next Level Eclipse traveling team with Bishop Miege sisters Payton and Ashton Verhulst, along www.kapaun.org with St. Thomas Aquinas’
HAGAN BOOI Madison Skelton and Molly Hartnett. Ashton has signed with University of Central Florida, and Hartnett with Northwest Missouri State University. Payton has dozens of Division I offers, and Skelton, like Anciaux, is one of the top players in the 2021 class. The team traveled throughout the country, including Denver, Indiana, Chicago, St. Louis and Kansas City. “Honestly, that is one of my favorite parts is being able to not only get to travel all over the country, but get to do it with the people that have become my best friends,” she said. Hagan Booi, Colby Colby finished seventh in Class 3-2-1A with 58.5 points in 2018. Last winter, the Eagles showed big improvement with 95 points and a state runner-up finish to Eureka. A big difference came from Hagan Booi. As a freshman, he was 27-17 and was 0-2 at state at 182 pounds. In 2019, Booi finished 39-7 and earned second at 195 pounds. Booi dominated the state tournament with wins by fall with 31 seconds, 1:33 and 5:10. In the final, he lost to Hosington’s Wyatt Pedigo in 1:39. “I would say it is one of the best years that I have had in wrestling,” Booi said. “I have been wrestling for probably 10 years now. It was kind of disappointing to lose that match, but there is always more years to come.” Booi is a multi-year starter for the Colby football program that has posted 8-2 and 9-1 marks the last two falls with head coach Rees McKinney and a staff that includes assistant Matt Sims. This year, the Eagles had its best start since 1984. The 6-foot-1, 190-pound Booi rushed for 594 yards and seven scores, along with nine TFLs and six sacks as a sophomore. In 2019, the junior was one a few returning starters back for a team that had an average score of 33-13 and won a district title. In the winter, Sims has served as head wrestling coach for 13 seasons, and assistant Rick Williams has been on as an assistant every year. McKinney came onto the wrestling staff last season. Cole Garcia, a two-time state champion from Colby, has coached the upper weights since 2013. “Having him in the room is a lot of help,” Booi said. Sims and the coaching staff have fostered a close bond. Colby won the ‘19 WaKeeney regional by 46 points over Plainville. The Eagles captured 4A state titles in ‘01, ‘09 and ‘16. “We work their tail off, but we do try to keep things short and to the point, and they just do a good job of having fun themselves,” Sims said. Among returners, Booi and sophomore Tyler Voss won regional titles. Sophomore Aiden Cook, senior Cade Lanning and junior Declan Ryan are returning state qualifiers. Colby is ranked fifth in the preseason team rankings. Voss is No. 1 at 106 pounds after a third-place state showing. Lanning is fifth at 152, and Booi is second at 195 behind Pedigo. Lanning, a JV wrestler in ‘18, finished 24-21 and made a great run to earn sixth at state. He won one match in January.
continued on page 26
Kansas Pregame Winter Sports Preview, Volume 2 from page 25 “Real tough January, down and out,” Sims said. “Just credit to him just battling back to get a medal, so great performance, happy for him.” Lauryn Dubbert, Beloit-St. John’s/Tipton Dave Dubbert was a Tipton graduate, and his wife, Jeri, came from St. John’s Catholic in Beloit. Jeri played volleyball and softball at Pratt Community College. They had four children: Trey, Davis, Kail and Lauryn. Their house has two basketball hoops, one in the driveaway, and a second goal in the farm shed. The shed hoop generally had the most usage. The shed features tractors and truck. It has two goals, a normal-sized one and much smaller hoop the Dubberts used when they were younger. The siblings often played two-on-two, one-on-one and HORSE. Dave came out to the shed and rebounded. The work has helped Lauryn, a junior, post back-to-back strong seasons for the Blujays. “They humble me extremely, and don’t let me get me out of
hand,” Lauryn said. “So I loved growing up with them. A lot of people say that it would be terrible to grow up with three older brothers, but I couldn’t imagine not.” The three brothers were all excellent athletes. Trey and Davis both played quarterback for BSJT. Kail recorded 321 career tackles. Trey played college basketball at Sterling College. He is currently student teaching at Plainville under head football Grant Stephenson, a former BSJT assistant. “Honestly, it was awesome,” Lauryn said. “I loved having them there. They were basically my guide in everything I did. And I’ve always looked up to them, especially Trey, he was the oldest, so he always took the time to show me new things.” Davis was a remarkable athlete who averaged more than 22 points per game his junior and senior seasons. He still holds the state record for 11 straight 3-pointers made over three games in ‘16, according to the Kansas Sports Hall of Fame. He competes in multi-events for Wichita State track and has twice earned Academic All-Conference. Kail is a student at Kansas State.
Page 26 “Davis was just so athletic, and he was one that really stood out to everyone when he played, I think,” Lauryn said. “Just kind of his shooting, I wanted to replicate, and Trey’s attitude, and then Kail is super tough. And I think it’s all three of them growing up have pushed me to be really humble.” As a freshman, Lauryn averaged 14.4 points, 2.8 steals, 2.8 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game. Last year, she delivered 15.3 points, 3.5 steals, 3.2 rebounds and three assists. BSJT finished 18-3. The Blujays went 1-2 versus Thunder Ridge and lost to eventual state runner-up Hanover in the postseason. Dylan Evans, the Wheat State Elite founder, sought out Dubbert to play travel basketball last summer. Evans called Dubbert an “extremely, extremely talented guard.” Dubbert said she “couldn’t have asked for a better summer” with WSE. “Coming into our program has really, really helped her get better for sure,” Evans said. Dubbert improved on some subtle areas, notably “being strong” on the court and shooting quicker. She has talked
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Kansas Pregame Winter Sports Preview, Volume 2
LAURYN DUBBERT
to Newman, Nebraska-Kearney, Missouri Western, Emporia State, among others. BSJT has a new coach with Leah Bergmann, the wife of veteran Blujay men’s coach Lance Bergmann. She replaced longtime BSJT girls’ coach Keith Kresin. The Blujays have 22 players, including eight seniors. BSJT graduated just two players in Kara and Elle Eilert, who combined for 18 points and 24.8 rebounds a game. “We have a lot of seniors who haven’t had a ton of opportunity to play,” Dubbert said. “So I think it will just be a lot of fun trying to rebuild that, and getting some other girls in there, having a chance to step up with big roles.” Jayden Garrison, Little River Little River junior Jayden Garrison earned all-state honors in Class 1A basketball last winter. Garrison had run cross country in the past. In the fall, LR brought on legendary coach Kevin Ayers. He had won two state titles at Jetmore and one at Wallace County. Ayers’ wife is a Little River graduate. Ayers saw Garrison was a leader and that other players looked up to him. He talked to Garrison and convinced him to play football. “‘You’ve got to go out, it is going to bring kids out, and you will have fun, be a leader of this team, and we can do some special things,’” Garrison recalled Ayers saying. “It’s been awesome.” Garrison, one of the state’s biggest individual breakout players, helped Little River to a 9-2 record and Eight-Man, Division I quarterfinal showing. It marked the Redskins’ top finish since ‘14 – and second-best since ‘02. Garrison completed 41 of 68 passes for 444 yards with an 8/4 TD/INT ratio. He rushed 130 times for 1,234 yards and 26 scores. “He’s an awesome dude, an awesome leader, really trying to change the culture around our area, and just improving,” Garrison said of Ayers. “‘Take a step every week’ is what he says.” This winter, Garrison has another new coach with veteran Wayne Morrow, the Little River athletic director. Notably, Morrow had served as basketball coach in Newton and Larned. In late October, Garrison hadn’t talked to Morrow much, though called him “really cool.” Garrison has a 30-plus inch vertical jump and averaged around 20 points per game. Little River is expected to have zero seniors after a 17-5 record last winter. The Redskins return three starters in Garrison, along with juniors Graham Stephens and Trey Rolfs. Stephens, a three-sport standout,
JAYDEN GARRISON
did suffer an injury at the end of football that could take his basketball season. “Graham and Trey bring a lot to the table also,” Garrison said. “They can shoot it. They are scorers. We play together as teammates, it’s going to be fun to watch this year.” Karenna Gerber, Halstead Halstead 6-foot junior Karenna Gerber has earned offers from Kansas DII schools Washburn, Newman and Pittsburg State. She was one of five Halstead sophomore starters last winter. Gerber was one of five players named to the Class 3A allstate first team by the Kansas Basketball Coaches Association for a 16-5 squad. Gerber credited her father, Joe, along with her summer team, Next Level Eclipse, for her success. Joe Gerber played basketball at Cowley County. Karenna’s brother, Braden, is playing at Hesston College. He helped Halstead to a state title as a junior, and was second team all-state last year. Gerber called her greatest strength the ability to move the ball up the floor and read the floor. She played point guard as a freshman, but Halstead needed help in the post, and Gerber played more down low last winter. Gerber said she has improved her post game. She has worked with her father on ball handling drills. “I am very lucky to have him as my dad,” Gerber said. “He is very smart when it comes to basketball. He has been my coach since I started playing basketball. Me and him, I’d say, are very close. We get in the gym and do a lot of workouts together. He teaches me everything that he knows – and he knows a lot.” Gerber, who is ranked eighth in the Class of 2021 by Prep Girls Hoops, has traveled all over the country with Next Level. Gerber said the summer work has prepared her to face top teams in her league. “They have helped me so much,” she said. “I am very lucky to play on Next Level. It’s a great group of girls. I love them all to death. I think it’s helped me being on that team.” Coach Derek Schutte has led Halstead to 15-6, 18-3 and 16-5 marks in the last three years. Halstead’s junior class of Gerber, Haley Lewis, Kinsley Heck, Parker Schroeder, Hailey Kelley, Josie Engel and Madi McClain are expected to lead the Dragons. In volleyball this fall, Gerber was first team all-conference, Engel second and McClain honorable mention. “We have all played with each other forever,” Gerber said. “It’s always been us together playing at Halstead. It’s just so much fun. We know each other so well. We have grown so
Back to School Blast – August 8, 2020: HALF-PRICE ADMISSION for everyone! Bring the whole family for a fun day at the zoo before school starts. $1 hot dogs at the Overlook Restaurant all day! We’ll have giant bounce houses, Keeper Encounters, touch carts, and so much more!
KARENNA GERBER
close because of basketball, and I think that really helps on the court.” Jackie Johnson, Wichita Southeast Wichita Southeast junior point guard Jackie Johnson III has been immersed in basketball virtually his entire life. “Ever since I have came out of the womb, I have always had a ball,” Johnson said. Johnson, an only child, gravitated toward balls instead of toys as a child. He still recalls shooting on a little tikes hoop with his mother, Denise. The Johnson’s living room eventually became a half court. Denise briefly played at Wichita State, and, even with a defibrillator, is the primary trainer of her son’s basketball skills. The duo has long worked on ball handling, shooting, and conditioning. “People don’t believe me when I tell them that,” Johnson said. Johnson, a highly touted player even in the younger ranks, averaged 22.1 points and 4.2 assists as a freshman at Wichita North. Then, Johnson transferred to Wichita Southeast to play for his cousin, Joe Mitchell. The pair has been close for years, and Johnson used to play one-on-one against Mitchell, who earned NAIA Division Player of the Year at Friends University. Mitchell, who led Southeast to a state basketball title, became the Golden Buffalo head coach last winter. “Just more beneficial to come to Southeast,” Johnson said. Last winter, Johnson averaged more than 20 points a game. He has followed in a long line of City League standouts that includes Perry Ellis, Conner Frankamp, Jerrick Harding and Israel Barnes. “A lot of people think my greatest strength is scoring, but it’s not that, to be honest,” Johnson said. “I think my greatest strength is passing and getting others involved.” Johnson said he watched Mitchell and Harding play at Southeast “a lot.” Harding, a former Kansas Gatorade Player of the Year, helped lead SE to a state runner-up. He ranked fifth in scoring in Weber State history entering this year. Johnson was one of five players, and the only non-senior, named to the Kansas Basketball Coaches Association first team squad. SE finished 21-4 and took third place in Class 6A. His recruitment has picked up, with contact from Oklahoma, Minnesota, SMU, Wake Forest, Cincinnati, Virginia Tech. He has an offer from Eastern Washington. “We’re just trying to come back this year and try to win it all,” Johnson said. Aubrie Kierscht, Salina Central Salina Central sophomore guard Aubrie Kierscht wants to contribute “in any way” she can for the Mustangs’ success. Kierscht, though, carries a scorer’s mindset. “Scoring, it just comes natural to me,” she said. As a freshman, Kierscht led Salina Central with 14.7 points per game. She also collected two assists, two rebounds and 1.4 steals a contest. Kierscht was Kansas’ second-leading scorer among freshman, according to continued on page 29
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Kansas Pregame Winter Sports Preview, Volume 2
JACKIE JOHNSON
from page 27 MaxPreps’ statewide lists. Only Topeka standout post NiJaree Canady scored more at 20.6 points per game. “I didn’t have a whole lot to prove, so I was just playing,” she said. “It was a fun experience, definitely good.” Kierscht is a strong shooter and sunk 61 of 163 treys (37 percent), along with 76 percent on free throws. She tied for fifth in Kansas among all players in made treys – easily the most among freshmen. Salina Central finished 12-10. “It was a fun year,” she said. “I think we all could say that we wish it could have gone better, but for me and for the returners, we learned from it, and we are excited for this next season.” In the summer, Kierscht plays for Ohlde Elite, one of the state’s top summer programs. They traveled all over the country to Kansas City, Wichita, Louisville, Dallas and Washington D.C., among others. Kierscht saw how Ohlde Elite emphasized communication in practice, and she learned leadership “is a big deal.”
AUBRIE KIERSCHT
“Practicing with other high talented kids, just automatically grows your game,” she said. This year, SC returns three of its top-four scorers. Sophomore Hampton Williams delivered 9.6 points and a team-high 7.1 rebounds. Senior Kadyn Cobb finished with 8.7 points and 2.4 assists per game. Cobb was second with 39 treys. She has committed to Missouri Western. Kierscht labeled Cobb “a great leader” last year. This season, Kierscht looks to step more into a leadership role. Kierscht has already heard from multiple schools, including Kansas, Wichita State, South Dakota and Abilene Christian. “Last year, (I) wasn’t a great leader,” Kierscht said. “But I think I can be a good leader, and also scoring, I feel like that’s what I contribute most to the game. I think I also notice the others well on the court as well, and I look to improve on that this season, and do that more.” Jordyn Knecht, Paola Paola junior Jordyn Knecht went to her dad, Joe, when
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JORDYN KNECHT
she was around four or five years old. Joe Knecht has long coached wrestling, notably the head coach for the Paola club program. Jordyn’s older brother, Jaden, was involved in the sport. Jordyn wanted to wrestle, too. “My dad was like, “No, you can’t do it, you are a girl,” she said. Knecht told her dad he was “being a dream stealer.” Then, Joe changed his mind. “He was like, ‘OK, we are done, we are going, we are going to get you a pair of shoes,’” she said. “And then I started then, that week.” Knecht has long been one of Kansas’ top girl wrestlers and has seen the sport grow tremendously. This winter marks the first time girls’ wrestling is a sanctioned KSHSAA activity. “It was a hard process, let me tell you that,” she said. “A lot of people discouraged me, because I was a girl, even in the beginning and now sometimes still, not a lot of guys will wrestle me.” continued on page 31
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Kansas Pregame Winter Sports Preview, Volume 2
CRUZ LARA from page 29 Knecht has placed high at multiple national competitions. In Feb. 2018, she became the first female Frontier League wrestling titlist. That winter, she also finished third at the Paola Invitational against boys in a meet held Jan. 19, 2018. At that point, Knecht had a 15-9 record versus boys in her freshman season. “I have built a crazy amount of friends from this, the friendships are awesome,” Knecht said of wrestling. “I have had a whole new view on life.” On March 18, 2018, she won the high school portion of the 114-125 weight class at the USA Wrestling-Kansas girls’ state championship, a meet that is held several weeks after the high school season concludes. Knecht moved up a weight class to wrestle McPherson’s Mya Kretzer, also a pioneer for girls’ wrestling in Kansas. Knecht normally has butterflies before matches and called herself “super nervous.” She eventually won 0-0 in an ultimate tiebreaker. Knecht rode her out to complete the match. “Top is probably my best position,” she said. Knecht, though, missed her entire sophomore high school season. She hurt her knee many years ago, and it was never fully assessed. Doctors had trouble diagnosing the injury. Then, medical personnel determined Knecht had exploded the bursa sac in her knee, and it never healed. It kept swelling up, was in
E.
GRACE PYLE
between the joints and caused a lot of scar tissue. “Got super swollen, and then I couldn’t move it,” she said. She stopped wrestling May 2018, and had surgery Nov. 2018. She competed a little in summer 2019, including two firsts, a second and a third at various state, regional and national tournaments. She finished 4-2 at the junior women national duals. In late fall, Knecht was already counting down the days until the high school season started. “I am pumped,” she said. Cruz Lara, Bonner Springs Two years ago, Bonner Springs’ Cruz Lara finished 37-5 and captured the Class 4A state championship at 106 pounds. Lara faced limited resistance at state with 14-3, 10-2, 4-1 and 7-2 victories. Last winter, Lara bumped up to 120. Lara earned seventh at the Bobcat Classic on Jan. 12, one of Kansas’ most competitive regular season tournaments. However, Lara won a Frontier League championship and Class 5A regional title when the Braves shifted a classification. At state, Lara took fourth with a 32-10 record at 120. “I had a good freshman year, and then last year we had a couple rough patches,” Lara said. “But my coaches really helped me through that, helped me get to the end of the year, and really just leave it all out.” Lara won his first two matches by fall in 1 minute, 18 seconds, and a 10-2 victory. Then, he fell to Newton’s Grant Treaster, the eventual P.O. BOX 9 champion, by a 6-2 margin. On 300 NORTH CENTENNIAL DRIVE the backside, he beat Great McPHERSON, KANSAS 67460 Bend’s Drew Liles, 8-0, and 620-241-0713 then lost, 3-1, to Arkansas FAX 620-241-3226 City’s Kael Pappan. Lara is CELL 620-242-7579 ranked second at 126 pounds tompylejr@gmail.com in the preseason 5A rankings, while Treaster and Pappan Tom Pyle, Jr. & Associates, P.A. have remained at 120. ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN & SERVICES “I could have done better, but www.pyledesignbuild.com I tried my best, and it didn’t go as we thought it would, but we are going to come back this E. TOM PYLE, JR. year and hopefully do better,” ARCHITECT - NCARB CERTIFIED the junior said.
LANIAH RANDLE Lara had a high number of matches this spring and summer. On March 30, he took first at the Blue Chip Black and Blue. In June, he was first at state Greco-Roman at 126 pounds, and third at state freestyle. He competed at the Southern Plains Greco and free style, as well as the national duals in Greco and freestyle. Lara said his best strengths are on top, holding opponents down and getting off bottom. “Just on the mat a lot, getting a lot of work in,” he said. Grace Pyle, McPherson McPherson junior Grace Pyle is the only girl in a five-sibling household. She has three older brothers: Drew, Ben and Sam. Drew played two years at Washburn University. Ben is one of the all-time greats in the storied McPherson program and is currently enjoying great success at Western Illinois. The 6-foot-7 Ben ended his Bullpup career first in career games (99), points (1,560), rebounds (614) and 3-pointers made (173). He started 29 games for WIU as a freshman last winter and the first six contests as of Nov. 27. Sam is a McPherson senior this year. “You have to make your personality known in your household, because there is five of you,” she said. Known for her fierce competitiveness, Grace went to all of her brother’s MAYB summer contests and picked up certain aspects to use in her game. At home, the brothers challenged their only sister. “Them being so tough on me, and treating me like I am a basically a boy,” she said. “They didn’t take it easy on me, and I really, looking back, I appreciated that, because that made me the player I am today.” The Kansas Basketball Coaches Association names five players to the first team all-state squad and five to second team. Pyle earned second team all-state last season and paced McPherson to a Class 5A final four showing. “Wearing a McPherson jersey is definitely an honor,” she said. “You walk into the Roundhouse, and you don’t see that anywhere else in the state. I never want to take that for granted, because when you go off and you play in college, you won’t get the same fans that you got at McPherson, because they are just incredible, and I’m so thankful to play at McPherson. It is such a great town to play basketball.” A guard, she didn’t start until February, yet still led the Bullpups in scoring and rebounding. continued on page 33
Spring Break: Go Wild! – March 7 – 15, 2020: During this year’s Spring Break take the family and go wild at Rolling Hills Zoo. There will be a daily featured animal, Keeper Encounters, tram rides, Kid’s Country Feedings, Nature Playground and daily lunch specials at the Overlook Restaurant as well as Gift Shop specials. ZOOrific EGGstravaganza – April 4, 2020: All kids 12 & under receive ½ price admission plus one trip to the Bunny Patch for an egg hunt. There will be photo opts with the Easter Bunny, face painting, Keeper Encounters, touch carts, Animal Meet & Greets, and a restaurant special at the Overlook Restaurant.
Kansas Pregame Winter Sports Preview, Volume 2
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LILI SHUBERT
Photos by Everett Royer, KSportsImages.com
Kansas Pregame Winter Sports Preview, Volume 2
“I want to do what it takes to win, whether it from page 31 is scoring points, whether it is getting all the rebounds or working hard on defense,” she said. McPherson coach Chris Strathman said Pyle is “athletic with long arms, skilled and can get to the rim.” He said Pyle is an above average 3-point shooter and a great free throw shooter. “The thing that really separates her, though, is her competitiveness,” Strathman said. “As she just absolutely hates to lose.” McPherson, which finished 21-3 last year, is ranked second in the 5A preseason poll. Seniors Andrea Sweat and Lakyn Schieferecke have signed with Washburn, and senior Emma Ruddle, a three-time state track champion, has committed to Fort Hays basketball. Pyle, who loves to bring energy to the court, has offers from Wichita State and UT-Rio Grande Valley. Laniah Randle, Wichita Heights Wichita Heights’ junior Laniah Randle said she “didn’t start off too well” in the high-profile Class 5A sub-state championship game March 1 against Maize. However, Randle delivered the game-winning free throw with 0.5 seconds remaining for a 45-44 victory. “I knew I had to finish great,” Randle said. With under 20 seconds left, Randle fouled Sydney Holmes on a three-point shot. Holmes made all three free throws to tie the game at 44. Heights then turned the ball over on the inbounds. The Falcons fouled Maize, which missed a 1-and-1 attempt. “A very close game,” Randle said. “It was very intense, and the game was on the line, and we were both good teams.” Next, Randle grabbed an offensive rebound for Heights and was fouled on her putback. She missed her first free throw. “My nerves really got the best of me the first free throw, because I thought I had it, but my body was like shaking in the inside,” she said. “The crowd was screaming.” Randle went through her familiar routine on the second free throw. She spun the ball once, took two dribbles, spun again, another dribble and then shot. The second one went through, and Heights went to the 5A state tournament. Heights fell, 69-67, to Schlagle in the first round, though finished 20-3, a six-win improvement for coach Ken Palmer.
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ELI WISEMAN
Randle, a 5-foot-9 guard/forward, helped Heights win the City League for the first time since 2012. “We’re pressing,” Randle said. “We are really quick with the ball. We just get it up there, we are quick on our feet.” She earned all-state honorable mention from the Kansas Basketball Coaches Association. Randle has four offers, including Wichita State and Missouri Western. Heights has all five starters back with Randle, seniors Taylor Jameson and Dayjsha Fanning, sophomores Zyanna Walker and Cayanna Stanley. Lili Shubert, WaKeeney-Trego WaKeeney-Trego junior Lili Shubert has grown up around sports. She is one of five siblings. Her older brother, Keagan, played in 81 career games for the Golden Eagles and tallied more than 500 career points, 270 rebounds and 60 blocks. Keagan, who graduated in 2019, served as a multi-year starter at quarterback and finished his career with 2,631 passing yards and 43 touchdowns accounted for. Lili’s twin is Kobi. He replaced his brother as the Golden Eagle signal caller. This fall, Kobi passed for 1,257 yards with a 13/3 TD/INT ratio. In basketball, he averaged 6.8 points and three assists a game as a sophomore for an improved team under coach Sean Dreiling, a former Fort Hays player and coach. Lili believes the time with her brothers has made them better. She is also a cheerleader and previously did gymnastics for three years at Heartland in Hays. Lili earned all-state honorable mention by the Kansas coaches in basketball last winter and volleyball this fall. “It’s pretty cool,”she said. “We have just grown up playing against each other, 1-on-1.” Additionally, their parents are both WaKeeney head coaches, a rare combination. Kate Shubert is the Golden Eagle volleyball coach and has led Trego to a combined 47-19 mark the last two seasons. Donnie Shubert paced WaKeeney boys’ basketball to a state title in 2006. Coach Shubert has helped turn around the Golden Eagle girls’ basketball program. “He’s harder on me, but that’s good,” she said. Shubert coached many of the girls in the younger ranks, and then took over as varsity coach from Jerod Brown, a well-known
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Page 33 local pastor. In ‘17-18, Trego had a big improvement and finished 15-7. Lili, as a freshman, led with 12.8 points and 6.2 rebounds. Last winter, the Golden Eagles, known for its airtight defense, opened the season unranked. Trego finished 20-5 and fourth place in 2A. It marked the best showing in 42 years. “I have worked with them,” coach Shubert said after state. “Coach Brown had them before me, and he did a tremendous job with them, so he deserves a lot of this credit.” Lili again paced the Golden Eagles with 15.4 points, seven rebounds and 2.5 assists a contest. “Last season was pretty good,” Lili said. “We made it to state, and that was cool. It was cool to see the community come out and support us.” Coach Shubert could join Ted Juneau and Garry Smith as the only coaches in state history to win titles for both the boys and girls, according to research done by Kansas historian Carol Swenson and Eagle broadcaster Dustin Armbruster. The Golden Eagles permitted just 35.2 points per game, with just .608 points allowed per possession. Garden Plain, the 2A state champion, permitted .733 points per possession. WaKeeney plays the pack line defense, a scheme well-known from coach Tony Bennett. “Kind of more like a zone man, and we play pack line, and help each other out,” Lili said. “We take away the drive a lot, and inside, and that way it’s not so much on one person, like if someone gets beat, we have help there.” This winter, the Golden Eagles return four starters and 95 percent of its scoring. Senior Libby Frost is a strong player with nine points and 4.4 rebounds a contest. In the preseason, the Golden Eagles have again focused on defense, but improving their offense and 2-2-1 press. “We have got a lot back,” Lili said. “...I just like the competitiveness, and playing with my teammates and for my coaches.” Eli Wiseman, Belle Plaine Belle Plaine junior Eli Wiseman was 5-foot-10 last winter. He delivered several seminal performances, and helped the Dragons to a 9-1 start. In the first 10 games, he had a game-high 15 points on 4 of 9 shooting and 4 of 4 from the free throw line in a loss to Wichita Trinity, then ranked third in 4A. He finished with 21 points on 8 of 10 shooting against Conway Springs in a 64-34 win. In sub-state, Wiseman led BP with 22 points as the Dragons defeated Halstead, 64-46. “Going into the paint is always scary, always a touchy subject going in there, but to be able to get people going just off a pump fake or maybe two pump fakes and getting the foul is something I think I’m pretty good at,” Wiseman said. “And a big part of my scoring is being able to hit the mid-range shot, like a pull-up jumper that’s my game. ... It just helps a lot for me being not so tall.” Overall, BP finished 16-6 after a sub-state semifinal loss to Kingman. The Dragons were fourth at state in ‘17. “It was really fun playing with those guys,” Wiseman said. “It was a really good team, one of the best teams I have ever been on.” In football, Wiseman, known for his speed at running back, continued on page 88
Ark Valley Chisholm Trail League, Division I........ 37 Ark Valley Chisholm Trail League, Division II....... 38 Ark Valley Chisholm Trail League, Division III...... 38 Ark Valley Chisholm Trail League, Division IV...... 39 BIG 7 League....................................................... 40 Centennial League............................................... 41 Central Kansas League........................................ 42 Central Plains League.......................................... 43 Central Prairie League.......................................... 44 Crawford-Neosho-Cherokee League.................... 46 Eastern Kansas League....................................... 47 Flint Hills League.................................................. 47 Frontier League.................................................... 48 Great West Activities Conference......................... 49 Greater Wichita Athletic League........................... 50 Heart of America League...................................... 51 Heart of the Plains League................................... 52 Hi-Plains League.................................................. 53 Kansas City-Atchison League.............................. 54 Lyon County League............................................ 54 Mid-Continent League.......................................... 55 Mid-East League.................................................. 56
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North Central Activities Association...................... 57 North Central Kansas League.............................. 59 Northeast Kansas League.................................... 61 Northern Plains League........................................ 62 Northwest Kansas League................................... 65 Pioneer League.................................................... 66 Southeast Kansas League................................... 67 South Central Border League............................... 68 Southern Plains-Iroquois Activities Association.... 69 Sunflower League................................................. 70 Three Rivers League............................................ 70 Tri-Valley League.................................................. 72 Twin Valley League............................................... 72 United Kansas Conference................................... 74 Western Athletic Conference................................ 75 Western Kansas Liberty League.......................... 76 Wheat State League............................................. 76 6A Wrestling......................................................... 78 5A Wrestling......................................................... 79 4A Wrestling......................................................... 80 3-2-1A Wrestling................................................... 81 Girls Wrestling......... 82 Basketball: Others.........82
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Kansas Pregame Winter Sports Preview, Volume 2
Page 37
By Kansas Pregame Staff AVCTL D-I basketball looked ready to cap a season for the ages in March with the Maize boys in 5A and Derby girls in 6A. Both had won first-round games in their respective state tournaments; both were still unbeaten and both were favorites to bring home state titles. But, sometimes, things don’t work out the way you want them to. Maize was stunned in the 5A semifinals by eventual champion Andover Central, a member of AVCTL D-II, and Derby fell to Washburn Rural, ending its chances for a second straight title. Both teams rebounded to finish third and wrap up one-loss seasons. Oh, so close. There’s work to be done for both programs as the 2019-20 season begins. Maize lost 10 seniors from last year’s team, including Kansas Pregame 2018 Winter coverboy Caleb Grill, now at Iowa State, while Derby’s four-year starter, and covergirl, 6-foot6 Kennedy Brown, is now at Oregon State. But, don’t shed too many tears for either program. Both will be very competitive again. BOYS The CAMPUS Colts are receiving plenty of preseason recognition as not only the team to beat in the league, but also a club to challenge for state honors in Class 6A. Head coach Chris Davis returns four starters from a 17-5 team that was eliminated by Wichita Southeast in last year’s sub-state championship game. Sterling Chapman, a 6-4 junior, averaged 14.6 points per game last year and is joined by his older brother, Steele Chapman, a 6-1 senior who scored 8.0 points a game. Both earned secondteam all-league honors. Also back are 6-4 senior Shawn Warrior (14.0 ppg.) and 6-5 senior Thomas King (11.2), who both scored in double figures last year. Davis said there are two key goals for the season: “Obviously, to win our league and play on Saturday night in Koch Arena.” In case you didn’t know, Koch Arena hosts the 6A state tournament. MAIZE High must replace all five starters from last year’s 24-1 team, including guard Caleb Grill, who earned all-state honors and is now at Iowa State. K.J. Hampton (junior) and Jacob Hanna (sophomore) were the only non-seniors on the Eagles’ state tournament roster. “We’re looking to improve throughout the year and compete in every game to give ourselves an opportunity to win,” head coach Chris Grill said. “Huge keys will be to pick up some early season wins in tight ball games.” SALINA CENTRAL has a new coach in long-time assistant Ryan Modin, who replaces Doug Finch. Under Finch, the Mustangs were one of the more consistent programs in Class 5A over the last decade. Seven seniors graduated from last year’s 17-6 team that lost in
the first round of the Class 5A state tournament. Caden Kickhaefer, a 6-4 junior, is the lone returning starter. He averaged 5.5 points and 4.6 rebounds last year on a team that relied on the 3-point shot. Those numbers are expected to improve considerably this season. Seniors Aaron Watson, Jevon Burnett, Christian Tedlock and junior Reed McHenry return after lettering. “We have upperclassmen who have played behind some of the best teams we’ve had and now they are excited for the opportunity to lead our team,” Modin said. SALINA SOUTH expects a big jump in victories this season with five players returning who started at one time or another for last year’s 8-13 team - 6-2 senior Ty Garrett (4.3 ppg.), 6-3 junior Colin Schreiber (10.0), 6-1 junior Josh Jordan (7.3), 6-2 junior A.J. Johnson (11.6) and 5-9 junior Devin Junghans (11.0). Jordan joined the team at mid-season as a transfer from Sacred Heart and missed the last part of the year with an injury. “This team will be very athletic and will look to push the tempo on both ends of the floor,” head coach Jason Hooper said. “I’m excited about this team and look forward to getting started.” The NEWTON Railers took a hit during the offseason when standout guard Ty Berry transferred to Sunrise Christian Academy. The 6-foot-3 Berry averaged 24 points, eight rebounds and five assists last year and recently signed a letter of intent to play basketball with the Northwestern Wildcats of the Big 10. The Railers, 11-10 last year, also lost Damarius Peterson (14 ppg., 8 rpg.) to graduation, but return three starters - 6-3 senior Alex Krogeimer (11.5 ppg.), 5-10 senior Jaheem Ray (2.9) and 6-2 junior Jaxon Brackeen (4.4). Krogimer earned post-season honors last year and will be a three-year starter. Ray and Brackeen will handle the point-guard duties. Everything that could go wrong last year for the DERBY Panthers did. The Panthers suffered their first losing season (813) under head coach Brett Flory. Three projected starters missed the season with injuries and Derby lost eight games by single digits. But they ended their season with a 36-point win over an 18-2 Topeka High team in the sub-state semifinals before losing a close game to Free State in the finals. “The good that came out of all this was we got a lot of young players valuable playing experience,” Flory said. “We are a little undersized, but this is probably the most athletic team I’ve ever had, and certainly the deepest.” Ten players return with varsity experience, including 5-10 senior guard Tre Washington (11.0 ppg) and 6-4 sophomore Amari Thomas (7.0 ppg.). Seniors Grant Adler and Jacob Karsak are back after missing last year with football injuries and the Panthers also have a talented sophomore class to choose from. HUTCHINSON will look to improve on last year’s 4-17 record with 6-8 senior Weston Krause (5.8 ppg., 4.5 rpg.) and 6-0 senior Joe Blake (4.3 ppg.) returning as starters. Also back are junior lettermen Jake Huhs, Brenton Burns and Treyton Peterson.
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“We’ll have a veteran group most of mostly seniors and juniors,” said coach Ted Webster. “Defensive toughness and intensity will be key strengths for us.” GIRLS The Kennedy Brown era may be over at DERBY, but the Panthers will likely continue to be a force within the AVCTL-I and Class 6A. Brown was part of a senior class that was 63-7 over the last three years and finished first, second and third in the state tournament. “Many might think after losing such great player that we will be rebuilding,” head coach Jodie Karsak said. “I would agree with that at some level, but with a lot of experience returning along with some very talented young players, we believe we will have a team that will continue to be very competitive.” The Panthers return two starters from last year’s 23-1 team senior guard Sydney Niles (7.0 ppg., 5.3 rpg.) and junior Katelyn Kennedy (4.0 ppg.). Niles has been a starter since her freshman year and was second-team all-state in 6A last year, while Kennedy was honorable-mention all-league. Expectations are high once again for the MAIZE Eagles, and for good reason. The Eagles return five players who started at one time or another for last year’s 18-4 team and they have added Eisenhower transfer Kyla Freners, a 5-5 sophomore, who averaged 14.6 points and 6.0 assists per game as a freshman. Sydney Holmes, a 5-8 junior, averaged 10.1 points a game and will be joined by returning starters Emily Laham (6.2 ppg.), Cassandra Onwugbufor (6.9), Baylee Miller (5.6) and Joscelyne Espinoza (1.2). The tallest returnee - 6-1 junior Olivia Wedman lettered last season. “I look forward to this season to see how much our young players have improved,” head coach Jerrod Handy said. “5A basketball is really strong in this area and it’ll be a challenge to get through the sub-state tournament.” continued on page 88
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Page 40 an all-league selection. He’s part of a strong sophomore class that will take on much bigger roles this year after being the supporting cast last year. Sophomore Mason Thomas averaged 7.4 points and 4 rebounds off the bench, while fellow soph. Brady Klotz added 5.3 points and 5 rebounds per game. SABETHA finished just a half-game behind Perry-Lecompton for the league title last year, going 12-2 in league play and 16-6 overall. The Bluejays graduated four starters and eight seniors off that team leaving senior Gabe Garber as the lone returning starter. He was a first-team all-leaguer who ranked second on the team in scoring at 12 points per game while also leading the Bluejays in assists with 4 a game. Only three others return with varsity experience but veteran coach Scott Burger sees plenty of promise in his newcomers and is confident senior Braden Argabright can complement Garber in the backcourt after leading the JV in scoring last year. The Bluejays only have four seniors, but a strong junior class should fill the holes and continue the Bluejays’ recent success. GIRLS After taking some lumps last year in a 6-14 season with a team of mostly sophomores and freshmen, HIAWATHA might be able to dish some out this season and a few more. The Red Hawks return all five starters with only one senior, Jaye Hrencher, in that group. Sophomore Clara Lindstrom had a big freshman season, leading the Red Hawks in scoring at 10.6 points per game on her way to first-team all-league. No other Red Hawk was over 7 points per game, so finding a consistent complement to Lindstrom will be a key for sixth-year coach Brady Jasper. It will be a much different look for HOLTON this season after long-time coach Jon Holliday retired following last season. Holliday led the Wildcats to Class 4A state titles in 1994 and 2011 and recorded 487 victories during his career. The task of filling his shoes falls to Kurt Haussler, who served as Holliday’s assistant for 16 years. Holton returns just two starters from last year’s 10-11 team, losing all-league pick and leading rebounder Lauryn Moore among others. Junior Saydee Tanking led the Wildcats in scoring as a soph. with 11.6 points per game. The Wildcats are experienced around her with seven seniors in the rotation, including returning starter Faith Haussler. If not for league rival Royal Valley, JEFFERSON WEST might have been the Big Seven team making a run at the Class 3A state title. The Tigers finished 19-4 last season, taking second in the league, but a 44-29 loss to Royal Valley in the sub-state finals
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Kansas Pregame Winter Sports Preview, Volume 2 Senior Eli Prine was one of the top 3-point shooters in the league last year, hitting 40 percent from beyond the arc. Post player Noah Woltje missed the football season to injury and is one of only two By Brent Maycock, Topeka Capital-Journal Royal Valley’s girls took the Class 3A state Wildcats in the rotation who is 6-foot-2 or taller. JEFFERSON WEST has a new coach as Matt tournament by storm in 2017-18, making a surprising run to the state championship with upsets Simmons takes over for Ryan West. He inherits a of No. 2 seed Nemaha Central and No. 3 seed team that has plenty of experience and plenty of TMP-Marian before falling 49-39 to top-seeded momentum with most of the key contributors helping the Tiger football team to one of its most successful Garden Plain in the title game. When the Panthers returned to Hutchinson last seasons in school history. West, which went just year, there was no flying under the radar. Turns out, 10-11 last year, will be without leading returning scorer and all-leaguer Josh Broxterman for at least there was no stopping them either. This time around, Royal Valley picked off the the early part of the season as he recovers from a tourney’s top three seeds, capturing the program’s lingering injury. The junior averaged 12 points and first state championship with a classic 55-52 4.1 rebounds per game last year. But there’s still overtime victory over No. 1 Cheney. Mahpiya plenty of firepower at Simmons’ disposal. Senior Irving’s 3-pointer with 27 seconds left in overtime Quinn Neuenswander averaged 10.6 poins and 3 gave the Panthers the lead and they survived assists per game last year, while fellow senior Bryce Cheney’s last-second desperation 3-pointer to Clements added 10.8 points and 6.4 rebounds per claim the first state championship in any girls sport game. The return of Joe Anderson, who missed last at Royal Valley, finishing the season with a 21-5 year with an injury, could help ease Broxterman’s loss and a total of nine Tigers who saw good record. The Big Seven represented well at the tourney minutes a year ago are back. A loss to unbeaten Maur Hill in the 3A sub-state with Nemaha Central’s girls falling just short of making it an all-league championship game with finals kept NEMAHA CENTRAL from making it a 60-48 loss to Cheney in the semifinals. The back to the state tournament, but the Thunder Thunder wound up taking fourth, finishing the still finished last year with a 16-7 overall mark. season with a 21-5 mark and as the regular season Graduation hit hard, claiming the Thunder’s topthree leading scorers from a year ago — Cole league champion. The league was so deep on the girls side that Kramer, Dalton Schmelzle and Matt Baumgartner. state champion Royal Valley finished just fourth Veteran coach Jon Thomas always finds a way in the league standings behind Nemaha Central, to put together a winner and will lean heavily on seniors Andrew Leonard and Bryce Uphaus early Jefferson West and Sabetha. Perry-Lecompton was the lone boys’ team form in the season while the newcomers find their roles. the league to make the state tournament, taking Leonard averaged 5 points per game and Uphaus third in Class 3A. The Kaws saw their bid for a state added 3.3 points per game. The bulk of the roster title end with a 62-53 loss to Beloit in the semifinals, got a late start while leading the Thunder football but bounced back to beat TMP-Marian 57-49 for team to a 2A State Championship and Thomas said there could be plenty of early lineup experiments. third. After ending a lengthy state-tournament drought Perry finished the season 22-3 and won the in 2017-18, PERRY-LECOMPTON backed it up a league title as well by a half game over Sabetha. year ago by putting together a 22-3 season with BOYS HIAWATHA made an eight-win improvement in a league title and third-place finish at state. Perry Garry Smith’s debut season as Red Hawks coach, rode last year’s strong senior class to both stategoing from 3-18 to 11-11. With four starters back, tournament berths and will have a tough time expectations are even higher this season. The Red replacing the group with four starters graduating, Hawks return their top four scorers from a year ago, including all-leaguers Colton Mallonee and Conner led by all-leaguer Tyler Brockhoff, who led the Big Anderson. The lone returning starter is 6-foot-7 Seven in scoring at 14.4 points per game. Sage senior Blake Farmer, who was a first-team allMeyer wasn’t far behind at 12.3 points per game. league pick last year after averaging 12.1 points Brockhoff also was one of the top rebounders in and 5 rebounds per game. He’ll be a force in the the league at 8.1 per game, while Michael Moreno middle surrounded by a slew of guards who saw was second in league in steals with 60. With a considerable time last year in reserve roles as senior-heavy squad and Smith’s winning pedigree, sophomores. RIVERSIDE has a new coach as Tyler Herbster Hiawatha has its sights set on ending a lengthy state-tournament drought with the program not takes over the program. He inherits a team that went just 4-16 last year and won just one league having qualified for state since 1974. Connor Bechard’s first season as head coach at game, though the Cyclones got more competitive as HOLTON resulted in a 3-18 record as the Wildcats the season went on. Three starters return with Isaac never really found their footing. Bechard hopes to Webb averaging 10 points per game last year while take a step forward in Year 2, but will do it with a also leading the league in 3-point shooting, hitting team that lacks great size and lost leading scorer 46 percent. Bradley Libel and Braden Chalfant have and rebounder and all-leaguer Zane Moylan. No been contributors since their freshmen seasons and returner averaged double-figure scoring and the the backcourt gets a nice addition in Bray Davies, Wildcats will have to rely on defense and quickness. who transferred from Troy. Many are picking ROYAL VALLEY to contend for the league title this season even though the 1312 S. Old 75 Hwy Panthers were just 8-13 last year and return just two starters. But the young talent on hand for Sabetha second-year coach Trent Oliva is the source of 785-284-2117 the optimism. 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kept the Tigers home during state-tourney week. The Tigers have some big holes to fill in order to stay in a challenger position as graduation claimed three starters, including Aaliyah Negonsott, who led the league in scoring at 19.2 points per game. Senior Heather Kahler averaged 6.9 points per game, which was second on the team, and she is a three-year starter. She’ll team with fellow senior Kiley Biltoft to give the Tigers a strong frontcourt presence, but developing guard play will key West’s success. NEMAHA CENTRAL captured its second straight league title and qualified for the 3A state tournament for the third straight year, taking fourth. The Thunder finished with a 21-5 overall record and have placed fourth at state two out of the last three years. Despite losing all-leaguer Jacy Dalinghaus and two other starters, expectations remain high for the Thunder. Senior point guard Alleigh Kramer is one of the top players in 3A and averaged 13.1 points, 5 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 3 steals per game last year. She’ll look to push the ball for early offense, but if it gets to a half-court game, the Thunder have nice size in senior Kirsten Lortscher (6-0) and junior Riley Rottinghaus (62). Lortscher and fellow senior Emma Elder each averaged 5.5 points per game. PERRY-LECOMPTON has a new coach as Jami Hodge takes over the program. The Kaws were
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By Brent Maycock, The Topeka Capital-Journal All season long, Derby towered over Class 6A girls with a presence as imposing as its 6-foot-6 star Kennedy Brown. The Panthers seemed untouchable and were overwhelming favorites to capture the state championship for the second straight year. But Washburn Rural’s girls know a thing or two about slaying giants. When Bill Annan was head coach of the Junior Blues, they pulled the unthinkable in 1999 and stunned defending champion Blue Valley North with a 63-62 overtime win. Annan’s assistant that year was Kevin Bordewick and he learned a thing or two about thriving in the underdog role from his predecessor. In charge of the Junior Blues since Annan’s departure, Bordewick added his own signature upset when Rural took out Derby with a 45-40 victory in last year’s state semifinals. Rural didn’t stop there and beat Centennial League rival Topeka High 54-42 in the championship game. Led by All-Stater and Creighton signee Carly Bachelor, the Junior Blues finished the season 23-2 and with the program’s fourth state championship overall. Rural and High split their regular-season meetings as the Trojans enjoyed one of the best years in recent history, ending a 17-year state drought. Led by freshman standout NiJaree Canady, the Trojans reached their first championship game in 37 years and finished with a 22-3 mark overall. It was a good year to be a Junior Blue as Rural’s boys team nearly made it a clean sweep of the
Class 6A championships. The Junior Blues finished the season 23-2 and pushed three-time reigning champion Blue Valley Northwest to the limit before the Huskies pulled away late for a 5341 victory in the championship game. Rural was the lone Centennial League boys’ program to qualify for state last year. Seaman’s girls returned to state in Class 5A, falling 57-41 in the first round to McPherson. BOYS A mid-season injury to sophomore standout Charles Snyder was a devastating blow for EMPORIA, robbing the Spartans of their leading scorer and rebounder for a key stretch of the season. What started as a promising campaign ended with an 11-10 mark and semifinal exit from Class 5A sub-state play. Snyder finished the season averaging 16 points and 6 rebounds per game and his 6-foot-5 frame has added some bulk this year, giving Emporia one of the top post players in the league. Senior guard Beau Baumgardner added eight points, three rebounds and two assists per game last year, but the key will be filling the holes around those two and finding a consistent outside threat. A year after capturing the Class 4A Division II state championship, HAYDEN was bounced in its postseason opener in a big way, falling 64-36 to Rose Hill. Losing the likes of Deshawn Hanika and Jett Canfield to graduation and All-Stater Zach Harvey to a transfer, the Wildcats weren’t able to find enough complements to go with Levi Braun, who averaged a league-best 20.3 points per game
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Page 41 and shot 32.4 percent from 3-point range. Braun is now gone as well, and so is second-leading scorer Jack Hutchinson, who transferred to Washburn Rural. Third-year coach Torrey Head is left with a relatively inexperienced team led by senior John Roeder and senior Noah Snyder. It was a rough debut at HIGHLAND PARK for first-year head coach Michael Williams as the Scots never really found their footing and finished with a 3-18 record. The Scots were competitive in a lot of their losses, but saw lapses at key times ultimately be their downfall. The good news for Williams is almost everyone is back and with a young team that features just one senior among its top-six returners, the prospects for laying the groundwork for future success is there. Junior CJ Powell led the Scots with 14.5 points and 7 rebounds per game, while sophomore Juan-Tario Roberts had some big moments as a freshman and finished the year averaging 13 points per game. Four other returners averaged at least four points per game and if Williams can get the Scots to buy into his defensive philosophies, a spike in the win column could occur. Having graduated four of five starters, including leading scorer and first-team all-leaguer AJ Dickerson, JUNCTION CITY will be a bit of a rebuilding mode to start the 2019-20 season for fourth-year coach Nick Perez. The Blue Jays were 10-11 last year but lost a bulk of last year’s scoring. The lone returning starter is 6-foot-4 senior guard Qua’Vez Humphreys, who enjoyed a big football season and was second on the team in scoring to Dickerson last year. Athleticism will be Junction City’s strength and Perez thinks this is the best shooting team he’s had with all five starters capable of shooting the three. Not only did MANHATTAN not return to its position of contending for the league title, the Indians slipped below the .500 mark for the first time in Benji George’s tenure. The 8-13 season saw Manhattan lose nearly half as many games as it did in George’s first four years combined. With eight returning seniors and five returning starters, Manhattan could return to contender status, particularly if the Indians can find consistent threats
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from the perimeter and Raeshon Reddick can return to his sophomore form when he was the league newcomer of the year. Chandler Marks (6foot-6), Tyce Hoover (6-4) and Owen Braxmeyer (6-1) all averaged at least seven points per game last year and are lengthy, athletic players who defend and rebound well. SEAMAN had two of the top-three scorers in the league last year in post Trey Duffey (20.1 points per game) and point guard Kobe Bonner (16.6 points per game). The Vikings had enough solid complements to go with them to fashion a 14-8 record, but the season ended short of a state berth as the Vikings were eliminated by BasehorLinwood in the 5A sub-state finals. Duffey, Bonner and starters Trent Cox and Brock Hillebert are all gone, leaving veteran coach Craig Cox with holes to fill and plenty of question marks about who will carry the team this season. A great season for TOPEKA HIGH came to a shocking end as the Trojans, seeded No. 2 in the Class 6A West postseason standings, were upset by No. 15 seed Derby with a runaway 62-26 victory. It was a sour end to an 18-3 season and ended a postseason filled with high hopes after a thirdplace finish in Class 6A in 2017-18. Veteran coach Pat Denney resigned after the season and landed at Shwanee Mission West, replaced by Eric King, who had a number of highly successful years at KC Washington. King inherits a team that got a late start with the football team’s deep run in the playoffs and won’t have returning senior Ky Thomas, who will graduate early to enroll at the University of Minnesota for football. Senior Da’Vonshai Harden led the Trojans in continued on page 45
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Kansas Pregame Winter Sports Preview, Volume 2
Madi McCLAIN Halstead, Junior
By Gallagher Martin, For Kansas Pregame Both the Larned boys and Nickerson girls made it to state last year, and are capable of reaching the postseason once again. But the Central Kansas League is deep, especially on the girls side, and should have multiple contenders by season’s end. GIRLS The CKL features a number of experienced and talented teams. Matt Richardson is entering his 15th year at Hesston, and he says this may be the most balanced the CKL has ever been. Richardson’s HESSTON Swathers are coming off a 17-4 season. With a roster of about 20, the Swathers return six lettermen, headlined by senior Elise Kaiser. A Newman University commit, Kaiser averaged just under 20 points a game, 7.6 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 2.9 steals. She was unanimous All-CKL First Team and is also a standout in volleyball and track. Hesston returns two more senior lettermen in Marisa Vogt and Lindsey Deegan. Caryn Yoder and Harley Ferralez both lettered as freshmen last season. Junior Alex Martin is an additional returning lettermen. Outside of Yoder who is 5-5, all of the returning lettermen are listed as at least 5-7. Senior Talby Duerksen is a newcomer who is listed at 6-foot. The Swathers are only tasked with replacing one senior - Rylie Schilling - but she was a leader on both ends of the court. Hesston lost in the opening round of a loaded 3A sub-state last season. The Swathers fell to Haven, who then fell to state runner-up Cheney in the substate championship. Hesston will be tested often this season. “Disregarding any team will not be an option this
season,” Richardson said. “Our schedule will be solid and help prepare us for the postseason.” Led by Oral Roberts commit Faith Paramore, HAVEN is poised to defend its CKL title. Paramore, a senior, averaged 17 points, seven rebounds, three assists, and three steals per game last season and led the Wildcats to an 18-4 record. Haven head coach Dwight Roper says Paramore can play all five positions, but lists her as a guard. Paramore was a unanimous All-CKL First Team selection. The Wildcats have a good nucleus surrounding Paramore. Senior Sarah Yutzy averaged 10 points and eight rebounds a game last season. Fellow senior Kara Matteson averaged four points and two assists. Junior Maguire Estill started and came off the bench and averaged six points, six boards and three assists last season. The Wildcats will have solid height across the board. At 5-8, Matteson is the shortest returner. Haven was one game shy of making state last year. The Wildcats fell to state runner-up Cheney in the sub-state final. Roper knows the CKL and the sub-state will be tough once again. “Our league is better top to bottom than it has been in awhile,” Roper said. “Our league will test you and expose weaknesses. Whoever survives the 3A sub-state in this area will have a legitimate shot to win it all.” NICKERSON made its second straight trip to state last year’s and finished fourth. Staying healthy will be key to Nickerson’s success this season, but the Panthers are a talented 4A team. Nickerson has two players rehabbing from ACL injuries. Senior Madison Ontjes suffered her injury in June and third-year head coach Jon McLean is hoping to have her back by January. Ontjes, a fouryear starter, averaged 11.5 points, 4.7 assists, 2.6 rebounds, and 2.6 steals per game last season. Fortunately for the Panthers, 6-2 senior Morgan Stout appears healthy and ready for the season. Stout sustained her injury in January. Through eight games she was averaging 19 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 3.3 blocks per game. Stout was a first-team all-league selection despite missing much of the season. Kieryn Ontjes averaged seven points and nearly four rebounds a game last season as a freshman. McLean said she never played like a freshman and he expects her to take a step forward this season. At 5-7, senior Aspen Apfel is one of the team’s best rebounders. With four returning starters, Nickerson has the possibility to build off last year’s 20-5 team that beat Abilene in the opening round of the state tournament.
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“We will have good size and good athleticism,” McLean said. “Team attitude, team work ethic, and team chemistry will ultimately decide how good we will be.” HALSTEAD is another contender in the CKL after finishing fourth in the league last season. The Dragons were 17-5 overall and 6-3 in league play and were part of the grueling 3A sub-state along with Cheney, Haven and Hesston. The Dragons held a halftime lead on eventual 3A runner-up Cheney in the opening round of sub-state, but couldn’t close it out in a 44-38 loss. Halstead started five sophomores last season. Now juniors, the group should be improved after spending an entire season together. Karenna Gerber led the team in points (19.5), rebounds (9.0), and blocks (3.3) per game, and was second with 2.2 steals per game. Gerber was a unanimous first-team All-CKL selection. Madi McClain was also a first-team pick after averaging 11.1 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 2.1 steals. Josie Engel was second on the team with 5.8 rebounds per game to go along with 2.1 steals. Parker Schroeder pulled down 4.2 rebounds per game, while Haley Lewis averaged three points and two assists to round out the starting five. Outside of Gerber who is listed at 6-foot, the Dragons do not have an abundance of height, but enough to hold their own. Head coach Derek Schutte has high expectations for the team this season. “This group has worked hard in the offseason to improve overall shooting and decision making,” Schutte said. Like Halstead, HILLSBORO returns five junior starters. In fact, the Trojans return their entire team, with the exception of one graduated senior, from a team that went 7-15 overall and 3-6 in the CKL last year. Teegan Werth led Hillsboro in points (11.5), assists (2.6), and steals (2.2) per game last season on her way to being named second-team all-league. Kinsey Kleiner scored just over 10 points a game last season and was named honorable mention All-CKL. Jessica Saunders led the team with 4.3 rebounds per game while also averaging six points. Tuesday Weisbeck averaged 3.1 points and four rebounds a game, while Dani Klein was second on the team with 1.4 assists per game. Although Hillsboro brings back nearly its entire team, the Trojans are still relatively young. “We will still be fairly young with only two seniors that bring back varsity experience,” head coach Nathan Hiebert said. “Keys to the year will be to improve our offensive efficiency and try to create more turnovers defensively.” PRATT is going to look different than their 14-7 season last year. Outside of seniors Dani Staats and Kyra Johnson, the Greenbacks have no returning starters or lettermen. Pratt is reeling from the graduation of five seniors. The Greenbacks featured a balanced attack
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offensively last season. At point guard, Staats averaged eight points a game. Head coach Dustin Hildebrand says Staats will be asked to do more offensively this season. “She is crafty with the ball and can get to the basket, but will also have to look to take more outside shots,” Hildebrand said. Johnson only played in a couple of games last season before missing the rest of the year with an injury. Like Staats, Johnson will need to help lead the Greenbacks offensively. “She was a great hustle player and great rebounder, especially for being an undersized post player,” Hildebrand said. Pratt will lack experience and height entering the season. “This team will not have the height that we had last year and so our offensive and defensive strategies will be different as well,” Hildebrand said. “There will probably be some bumps early on as they adjust and as we come together as a new team.” SMOKY VALLEY is in year two of the Larry Van Der Wege era. Although the Vikings went 4-16 last season, it was two more victories than the program won the previous year. The Vikings graduate three starters and return five lettermen. Smoky Valley’s two returning starters both earned honorable mention All-CKL honors last season. Junior Ellie Brumbaugh averaged 7.2 points per game and was 31 percent from beyond the arc. Junior Kerington Haxton scored 6.5 points per game and is the team’s top returning rebounder at 5.4 per game. Seniors Ashlyn Bryant and Kaylie Ryan along with junior Claire Broxterman are returning lettermen. “Last year was building the base of the program we want and now we can start to improve upon it,” Van Der Wege said. “We will need some girls without much varsity experience to step up this year but I think they have that ability.” Benjamin Smith is entering his first year with LYONS. The Lions return one of the best players in the CKL in 6-0 senior Kristina Head. Joining Head are returning senior starters Daci Stover and Liberty Belote. HOISINGTON fell in the first round of sub-state to Thomas More Prep. While the Cardinals graduated honorable mention all-league selection Maleigha Schmidt, senior Kelsi Dalton is back after earning honorable mention as well. LARNED graduated three talented seniors who earned all-league honors. The Indians will look to replace second-team all-league selection Ivory Muldrow along with honorable mention selections Katelynn Sanger and Baylea Perez. BOYS The LARNED boys reached the state tournament for the first time in 25 years last season. The Indians return four starters and six lettermen from last year’s 17-7 team, but Larned’s ability to reach th state tournament again may depend on the health of one of its star players. continued on page 85
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15.7 points, 4.5 assists, and 2.1 steals per game last season. Wiseman is one of three returning starters for the Dragons. Juniors Tim Bible and Austin Hilton each averaged 10 points a game. Bible added six rebounds and a block per game as well. Despite the graduation of first-team all-league selection Bo Gooch, the Dragons should be in good shape in Lonnie Lollar’s first year as head coach. Belle Plaine went 16-6 and fell to Kingman at substate. “Our success will be determined by how well we play together defensively consistently,” Lollar said. “Making defense a top priority every single possession.” Lollar is an experienced coach with head coaching stops at Derby, Bishop Carroll and Halstead, where he led the Dragons to a state championship in 2018. DOUGLASS will be searching for new leaders after graduating four starters and six seniors. The Bulldogs return one starter and two total lettermen from a team that finished 7-13 overall and ninth in the CPL. Keylan Jones is the only upperclassman with varsity experience. The 5-8 senior averaged just over two points a game to go along with 1.8 assists and two rebounds. “He will be counted on for leadership and for ball handling for us this year,” fifth-year head coach Laron Nordstedt said of Jones. “He is quick and can handle the ball, and we’ll look for him to be more aggressive this season.” Sophomore Brady Roberts saw minor time as a freshman. Roberts will move into a starting role and lockdown the backcourt alongside Jones. “High IQ and plays hard,” Nordtedt said of Roberts. “Will make hustle and energy plays.” CONWAY SPRINGS returns most of its team and is hoping to improve off a 7-14 season. Junior Heath Hilger is joined by four seniors in starters. Hilger was honorable mention all-league after scoring 10 points a game as a sophomore. Joshua Koester averaged eight points a game, Collin Koester and Peyton Winter each averaged just over five points a game, and Jonathan Wright scored two points a game. The Cardinals return eight lettermen and will be seeking more consistency this season. “We took a step or two forward last year, only to take a step back at times,” coach Paul Lange said. “Consistency will be big for us this year.” Despite returning three starters and five lettermen, MEDICINE LODGE will be looking for new faces to lead the team this season. Second-team All-CPL selection Garrett Burden led the team in scoring and rebounding and helped lead the Indians to the sub-state championship game despite a 9-14 record and 1-8 record in the CPL. Burden has since graduated, and now his production must be replaced by seniors Kyson Cunningham and Cason Liebst and sophomore Theron Wedel.
Austin HILTON Belle Plaine, Junior
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CENTRAL PLAINS LEAGUE
By Gallagher Martin, For Kansas Pregame The Central Plains League was dominated by the Wichita Trinity Academy boys, but it could be the Trinity girls’ time to shine this season. After all, the Trinity boys graduated nearly their entire team while the girls return one of the best players in the state in Austin Broadie. Defending 2A State Champions Garden Plain will make the Trinity girls earn a possible league championship, while Cheney nearly won 3A and returns a playmaker of their own in Kylee Scheer. The CPL is seemingly open on the boys side with Trinity facing a possible rebuild. Look out for 3A state qualifier Kingman, led by Peyton Price. Additionally, Belle Plaine returns perhaps the best player in the CPL in Eli Wiseman. BOYS WICHITA TRINITY is entering a new era. After finishing with no more than three losses the past three years, Trinity graduates nine seniors from last year’s third-place finish in 4A and turns to a new head coach in Brett Wiley, although Wiley has been with the program for five years. The Knights graduated all five starters and the most of their bench. Michael Jones and Caden Vanlandingham were first-team all-league selections Trinity will miss the most. With the graduation of perhaps the most successful senior class in program history, Wiley will turn to senior forwards Blessing Ekeshili and Cal Kelly, and junior guards Tariq Izard and Christian Williams. “Despite losing our entire starting five and every key contributor from our bench, I am excited about, and believe in, the guys we have this year,” Wiley said. “The four guys listed above all have the ability to play significant roles for our team this year.” Kyle Kriegh had a successful first year at KINGMAN last season. Kriegh guided the Eagles to an appearance in the 3A State Tournament, along with a 17-6 overall record and 9-3 record within the CPL. The Eagles return two starters, headlined by Peyton Price. The 6-4 senior earned second-team all-league honors last season. “Peyton is an outstanding athlete with a great work ethic,” Kriegh said. “He is an excellent rebounder, shot blocker, and can create on the offensive end in a variety of ways.” Junior Seth Krehbiel joins Price as a returning starter. Krehbiel is a solid two-way player and is the team’s top returning guard. “Seth typically guards the other team’s best offensive threat,” Kriegh said. “He has a nice shot, can attack the rim, and handle the ball on the perimeter.” Including the two starters, Kingman returns eight total lettermen. “We have other upperclassmen that will make important contributions and help our team excel,” Kriegh said. “Keys for us this year will be finding players that mesh and that want to battle on a daily basis in practice and games.” BELLE PLAINE returns All-CPL First Team selection Eli Wiseman. The 5-10 junior averaged
Page 43 “Kyson is a very athletic player that can play on the wing and in the paint,” head coach Josh Ybarra said. “We expect Kyson to have a great season this year.” Ybarra says he hopes to see Liebst improve his offensive production this season. “Cason is a strong and athletic forward that does the most damage on the glass and on defense,” Ybarra said. “He has the ability to score in the post and is known for his all-out hustle and work ethic.” The coaching staff is expecting Wedel to make a jump from his freshman to sophomore season this year. “He is very smooth with the ball and has the ability to knock down the outside shot, as well as get to the rim and finish,” Ybarra said. “We expect Theron to have a great season for us.” GARDEN PLAIN returns nine players who saw varsity playing time. With only one player lost to graduation, second-year head coach Antwan Seymore is looking to improve from last year’s 8-13 season. The Owls will have nice height - seniors Marek Rex and Trey Smith both earned honorable mention all-league honors and stand at 6-4 and 6-3 respectively. Senior Matt Pauly, a 5-9 guard, also earned honorable mention. Jordan Thomas (6-2), junior Arden Rex (6-5), junior Tyler Dreiling (6-5) and junior Colby Haukap (6-2) should give the Owls a good presence on the boards. “We are looking to improve upon our record from last season,” Seymore said. “Our seniors will look to provide much needed leadership. This group I believe is hungry to show that they can compete and play with the best teams.” Replacing first-team All-CPL selection Quinton Pfaff will not be easy, but three returning senior starters are up for the task for CHAPARRAL. Senior guards Mace Atkins, Jonah Wootonn, and Keegan Francis return from last year’s 10-11 squad. Wootonn is the tallest of the three at 6-3 and is an explosive jumper. The Roadrunners also return four lettermen off last year’s bench - two of whom are 6-3 sophomores. “Chaparral is returning a solid group of upperclassmen which should provide leadership and experience to the team,” coach Josh Inslee said. “A good group of freshman and sophomore boys will be asked to play varsity minutes as the year progresses.” CHENEY dropped a double-overtime heartbreaker against Wichita Collegiate at sub-state to put a damper on an otherwise successful season. The Cardinals ended the season with a 16-5 record and finished second in the CPL.
Kylie SCHEER Cheney, Junior
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Kansas Pregame Winter Sports Preview, Volume 2
Austin BROADIE Wichita Trinity, Junior
Cheney graduated a pair of all-league players but return two as well. Senior Riley Petz averaged 10 points, two rebounds, two assists, and two steals a game. Harrison Voth was a second-team all-league selection coming off the bench as a freshman. Head coach Lee Baldwin says competing for a berth at the state tournament is the goal. Defense and rebounding will be the keys. WICHITA INDEPENDENT went 2-17 last year and fell to Trinity at sub-state. Independent picked up wins against Medicine Lodge and Ell-Saline. GIRLS Defending 2A Champions GARDEN PLAIN will be a little short handed this season after senior
continued on page 84
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Kansas Pregame Winter Sports Preview, Volume 2
CRAWFORD-NEOSHO-CHEROKEE LEAGUE
By Gallagher Martin, For Kansas Pregame St. Mary’s-Colgan’s girls will continue to contend for the CNC league title, but the Panthers are less experienced than in recent years. Colubmus is the lone state qualifier from the league and could be primed to take a step. Columbus’ Karsyn Youngblood may be the best player in the league, but don’t count out Delaney Barnes and Baxter Springs either. GIRLS ST. MARY’S-COLGAN graduated three allstaters and seven seniors total. With zero seniors on this year’s roster, the Panthers will be younger than they have been in recent years. Led by 2A All-State Honorable Mentions Cathy Farmer, Aubri Piccini and Kate Radell, the Panthers went 18-4 and finished 9-2 in the CNC. The Panthers will feature a lot of new faces this season, and will rely on a pair of juniors and a sophomore. Junior guard/forward Kaitlin Crossland was a first-team all-league volleyball selection, and is one of the best softball players in 2A. Crossland was the sixth man last season and will see an increased role. Junior post player Grace Carson is a great rebounder and defender, according to head coach Abby Farabi. The ninth-year head coach also has a lot of confidence in sophomore point guard Lauren Yaghmour, who calls her a lockdown defender. “I feel that with the core girls that I have coming back and the athletes that we do have in the younger grades, we will be able to do a lot of great things this year,” Farabi said. For the second time in three years, COLUMBUS won 16 games. Last season, the Titans finished 16-8 and reached the 3A State Tournament as the No. 8 seed. Columbus ended the season of league-rivals Baxter Springs and Frontenac at sub-state. And although Columbus was bounced in the first round by Cheney, the Titans return all-state selection Karsyn Youngblood and three additional starters. Youngblood, a 5-11 senior forward, averaged 16 points and 13 rebounds. Senior Gracie Sullivan earned All-CNC HM, while junior guard Dixee Lacen and sophomore Jade Fouts are also returning starters. “Our goal is to work hard every practice and improve each day,” coach K.C. Youngblood said. “If we do this we will be just as competitive as we were last season and reach our goal of making it to the state tournament.” BAXTER SPRINGS has sights on making state for the second time in three years as the Lions return unanimous first-team All-CNC selection Delaney Barnes and three total starters. Barnes, a 6-foot senior, averaged 14 points and nine rebounds a game and went over 1,000 career points last season. Fourth-year head coach Cory White calls the four-year starter one of the top players in school history. Barnes is joined by uniors Brylee Rice and Allie Fry are both two-year starters. “These ladies have been through competition and can share perspective, are confident, and are prepared to take the next steps as players,” White said.
GIRARD hasn’t been back to the state tournament since winning it all in 2016-2017, but the Trojans were one game away from winning the CNC this past season. The Trojans lost seven seniors from last year, and will be without senior point guard Jaada Valley who injured her ACL and will be out for the season. Brittley Bailey, a 6-foot forward, is the team’s lone senior outside of Valley. But with the departure of over half of last year’s varsity, new faces will have to step up as well. “With not many upperclassmen, we will need our juniors and sophomores to step up and hold each other accountable to keep the rich tradition going we have here at Girard,” head coach Brad Herlocker said. “With all of the losses through graduation and injury we could have a rough start but I expect the girls to improve as much as any team I’ve coached by end of season.” FRONTENAC is looking to snap a streak of three straight losing seasons this year. Senior Karma Fields, a first-team All-CNC selection, is a reason for optimism. The Raiders went 8-12 and lost to Columbus in the sub-state opener. Frontenac returns nine lettermen and four starters. Junior Abby Butcher earned all-league HM, while senior Bria Ginavan and junior Reagen Hipfl are returning starters as well. “Our strength will be our depth,” head coach Scott Fields said. “I feel like we have a lot of girls that can play, and add a competitive nature to our practices.” GALENA lost eight of its last 10 games, including a 57-40 loss to league-rival Baxter Springs in the first round of sub-state. The Bulldogs were extremely young last season, starting two freshmen and two sophomores. Four of Galena’s five starters are back this season, headlined by honorable mention all-league junior Addysin Scarrow, who averaged nine points, six rebounds, and three steals a game. Junior Riley McNemar is the team’s leading rebounder at eight a game. Sophomores Raylynn Downey and Michaela Newman should be improved after starting as freshmen last year. Overcoming the loss of Mady Cox will be important for the Bulldogs. “Developing team chemistry and playing together will be key for us this season,” head coach Preston Scarrow said. RIVERTON was unable to move off zero in the win column last year. The Rams return senior Camryn Compton, who was All-CNC HM. BOYS The CNC proved to be one of the tougher leagues in Southeast Kansas last season. Girard won the league and the 3A State Championship, while St. Mary’s-Colgan was tough as nails as usual. While both programs graduated a large chunk of their teams, they could be fighting for a CNC title again this season. Baxter Springs competed for a league championship a season ago, but the graduation of Trey White may prohibit the Lions from doing so again this season. GIRARD won the CNC for the fourth time in five years. Most importantly, the Trojans were crowned champions in 3A with a 22-3 record, edging Beloit 49-45 in the title game.
The Girard senior class left its mark, but they also left a lot of production to replace this season. Replacing 3A All-State selection Caleb Muia and honorable mention pick Evan Troike will be the toughest task for the Trojans. Senior Ryder Worrell is the only returning starter. The 5-11 guard is a three-year starter and earned honorable mention all-league honors after averaging 10 points a game last season. A trio of juniors return as lettermen, but may find it hard to replace the lost firepower. “We must get consistent in all aspects of the game,” head coach Rod Wescott said. “We can make some good plays on both ends of the floor, but we must be able to put that together every trip down the floor to compete at a high level.” Although ST. MARY’S-COLGAN graduated all five starters from last year’s team that finished fourth in 2A, the standards remain the same for a program that has qualified for state 22 of the last 24 seasons. The Panthers have also won the CNC 10 of the last 20 years, but finished second behind Girard last season. Of the five starters who graduated, replacing 3A All-State First Team selection Aaron Higginbotham and honorable mention all-state selection Matthew Lomshek will be the toughest. “We will have to replace several key players, especially our leading scorer and rebounder,” head coach Wayne Cichon said. “We will be a more balanced scoring team, as we do have several boys that are capable of scoring on any given night. The boys will have to make up for what we lack in experience on the defensive end and we feel we have the kids who will be very good defenders.” COLUMBUS finished with its fifth consecutive losing season, but the Titans’ nine wins are the most during that stretch. Columbus also handed Baxter Springs its first loss after they started 7-0. The Titans could be in store for improvement with four starters returning, including first-team all-league selection senior Patrick Cassidy. The 5-11 point guard has the ability to hit from anywhere on the court and finish at the rim. Cassidy is one of four returning senior starters, and one of five seniors on varsity. Senior Grayson Walden returns as an honorable mention all-league pick, and seniors Clay Saporito and Austin Hosier are returning starters.
Page 46 “We have several great seniors; I’ll be looking towards them,” head coach Jerry Smiley said “They’ve been playing at this level for a year or two now. They know it is hard to win basketball games in this area. They’re also aware of their importance to our school’s success.” FRONTENAC had a streak of back-to-back state tournament appearances snapped last season after the Raiders went 9-11 and lost at sub-state. The Raiders return two starters: senior point guard Jake Beckmann and senior forward Hayden Pile. Look for seniors Cale Bridwell and Gunner Hensley to possibly fill in starting roles, along with a strong sophomore class that saw varsity action as freshmen. “We always look for our senior players to be the leaders and especially with this group,” head coach Ryan Varsolona said. “We have seniors that have started multiple years for us so we will lean on their experience to lead this group.” The season was a rollercoaster for GALENA. After starting 2-0, the Bulldogs responded to a five-game losing streak with a four-game winning streak. After multiple wins followed by losses and vice versa, Galena ended the season 11-11 after finishing with a winning record the last four seasons. The Bulldogs had their season ended by league-rival Baxter Springs in the semifinals of sub-state. Logan Henderson, a 6-5 senior center, and Brett Sarwinski, a 5-10 sophomore guard, return as starters, part of six returning lettermen. “The kids fought hard last year through a rough beginning of the season but they were able to turn it around and still finish .500,” coach Matt Meyr said. BAXTER SPRINGS had a wonderful season that ended on a sour note. The Lions went 17-5 and ran into eventual 3A State Champions Girard in the sub-state championship. Replacing three-sport standout Trey White will be the biggest test for Baxter Springs. White, who scored over 1,000 points, was first-team all-state. The Lions must replace six seniors from last year’s team. Senior Kyler Reece will be one of the team’s top returners, as will juniors Riley Bush and Kain McCully and senior Brant Morris. RIVERTON ended its season with a loss to 3A State Champions Girard in the regional round. The Rams graduated second-team all-league selection Carson Shockley, but do return allleague senior Bryce Johnson.
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Kansas Pregame Winter Sports Preview, Volume 2
EASTERN KANSAS LEAGUE
By Mike Lavieri, For Kansas Pregame BOYS Death, taxes and BLUE VALLEY NORTHWEST playing in the 6A state final. The Huskies were the most dominant 6A school in the 2010s and look to continue that trend in the 2020s after winning five state titles, including the past three, in eight championship games. After going 23-2 a season ago, coach Ed Fritz enters his 17th year at the helm and will have to replace Gatorade Player of the Year in the state of Kansas, and DiRenna Award winner, Christian Braun, who is now a freshman for Bill Self at Kansas. In addition, the Huskies also lost Mike Peake (University of Georgia), Matt Chapman (William Jewell University) and Jack Hungerford (football at Benedictine College). It’s next man up for Blue Valley Northwest, which returns junior Jack Chapman who averaged 11 points, 3 rebounds, and 3 assists per game and was first team all-conference and all-state. Senior Markelle Hood is back after being named to the first team all-state after averaging 12 points, 4 rebounds, and 2 assists per game. It’s a loss for Olathe West, but a gain for Fritz as junior Alston Mason moved into the district after averaging 17 points for the Owls a season ago. After being sent home in the sub-state championship by Chanute in one of the state’s most surprising upsets last year, BISHOP MIEGE has title aspirations once again. The Stags were winners of three straight 4A-I titles from 2016-18 and also has titles in 2001 and 2010. The good news is Rick Zych, who enters his 23rd year as the coach of the Stags, welcomes back sophomore Mark Mitchell (6-8), who averaged 15.2 points, 6.4 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game last season. “We have a young and talented team that will
need to come together,” Zych said. “Our schedule will also help as we will be battle tested going into sub-state and state.” The Stags went 19-3 and lost to Chanute in the sub-state finals by a point last year. ST. THOMAS AQUINAS will be the biggest threat to Blue Valley Northwest and Miege in the Eastern Kansas League as the Saints return five upperclassmen, including four seniors. Aquinas hasn’t made state since 2017, but with a veteran squad, 2020 could mark their return. Coach Jake Kupersmith begins his sophomore season after going 12-9 last year. “Three areas on offense we’ll be stressing this season include limiting turnovers, increasing our free throw attempts/percentage and scoring more off assists,” Kupersmith said. “On defense, we’ll look to increase our pressure, better defensive rebounding while holding teams to one shot, and creating more transition opportunities. The Saints return seniors Phillip Bell (6-5), Tom Downey (6-0), Isaiah Gavin (6-6), Zarian Navy (6-3) and junior Keeshawn Mason (6-8). Ryan Phifer enters his 14th season as the coach of BLUE VALLEY NORTH where the Mustangs have a mixture of returning letter-winners – Jack Sheplak (6-3), Shawn Hendershot (6-3) and Luke Adams (6-0) – along with new players moving up from junior varsity. “We should be a much more up-tempo offense and a more versatile team this season compared to the last couple of seasons,” Phifer said. “I think this team has a great deal of potential and should be able to compete at a high level.” Other players to watch for Blue Valley North include Andrew Orr (6-8) and Isaac Patterson (6-5). BLUE VALLEY WEST returns 87 percent of its scoring from last season and third-year coach Ryan Hintz is glad his best players will be seniors.
FLINT HILLS LEAGUE
By Gallagher Martin, For Kansas Pregame BOYS Mission Valley went 7-0 in the Flint Hills League to claim the championship. Mission Valley head coach Jordan Hysten believes five out of the eight teams, including his Vikings, could potentially win the league this season. According to Hysten, Osage City, Lyndon, Council Grove and Northern Heights all have a shot to win the league. Tied at 42 entering the fourth quarter, MISSION VALLEY outscored Hillsboro by two points in the sub-state championship to advance to the 2A State Tournament. The Vikings fell to Trinity Catholic in the first round, capping off a 17-6 season that also saw an undefeated Flint Hills League Championship. The Vikings lost a talented senior class, but four of the top eight players are back, including two allleague selections. Senior Jake Benortham (6-1) was an All-Flint Hills First Team selection and senior Will Blythe was an honorable mention. Additionally, junior Dayton Logan saw starting time due to injuries and was one of the team’s top reserves. Both Blythe and Logan give the Vikings good height at 6-4. Mission Valley is replacing three seniors who earned all-league honors in their careers. Head coach Jodan Hysten is confident and realistic entering the season.
“We will have the talent to play with anyone on our schedule this year and the top teams in our classification,” Hysten said. “Our success will come down to if we can learn and commit to playing the type of defense required to beat the top teams and the focus and ball security for that level as well.” There’s excitement surrounding COUNCIL GROVE. Despite an 8-14 season, the Braves finished 5-2 in the Flint Hills League, good for second. The team returns 70 percent of its scoring, 60 percent of its rebounding, and four starters. Koen Hula and Kellen Marshall had sensational freshman seasons, both earning second-team all-league. The sophomore duo is joined by junior Hadyn Bieling and senior Brodey King as returning starters. The Braves will be looking for their first league championship since 2016-2017. “This year’s conference race should be hard fought and competitive as the top of conference is awfully strong this season,” head coach Bruce Hula said. NORTHERN HEIGHTS likely has its most talented team in Jacob Lang’s fifth year with the program. The Wildcats were 11-10 overall and 3-4 in the Flint Hills League, but have two of the best players in the league in seniors Cameron Heiman and Tee Preisner.
Last year the Jaguars took a lot of good teams to the buzzer but failed to beat the top teams of the Eastern Kansas League. This year, Hintz hopes to change that. “We have added depth with a solid defensive minded junior class, and an up and coming sophomore class,” Hintz said. “As a program, we’ve been building toward this season since I took over as head coach, and we hope to make some noise in 2020. Our team will hang our hat on fantastic team defense, high skill level, and basketball IQ.” The Jaguars return six seniors and will be led by Spencer Bain (6-2), who averaged 12.3 points, 3 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1 steal. Hintz acknowledges moving him to point guard decreased his efficiency, but said he will be the best player on the court many games this season. O’mar Stanley (6-8) will anchor the defense and averaged 10.3 points, 10.1 rebounds and 1.2 blocks per game last year. Nick Swarts (6-7) had a limited role his junior year, but pairs nicely with Stanley and stretches the floor by being able to knock down the deep ball. The Jags also welcome back Greg Riddle (5-10), Jabari Brickhouse (5-11) and David Brown (6-0). ST. JAMES ACADEMY comes off a historic year where it made the state tournament for the first time in program history. Coach Stan Dohm’s club will have an uphill battle this season as the Thunder may not have a senior on the roster due to four season ending injuries prior to the start of practice. “We will be looking to get some young players experience early in the season to show improvement throughout the season to get them used to varsity basketball,” Dohm said. Junior Michael Cahill is the key returner after averaging seven points and 2.5 assists per game as a sophomore. Senior Jack Moellers, the SJA quarterback and a key piece of last year’s state tournament qualifier, suffered a knee injury in October, but hopes to return the court by January. BLUE VALLEY SOUTHWEST returns three starters from a year ago – seniors Austin Murrow (6-4), Tommy Zimmerman (6-4) and Max Defefer Heiman filled up the stat sheet last season by recording 17 points, four rebounds, five assists, and four steals per game. Preisner averaged a doubledouble last season (16 points, 11 rebounds) as well as two assists and three steals a game. Both Heiman and Preisner were named to the All-Flint HIlls First Team. Skylar Arb, a 6-4 senior, averaged six rebounds and three blocks. Sophomore Braden Hines averaged three points and three rebounds a game. The Wildcats have the potential to sneak up on the rest of the league this season. “We are looking to improve on last year’s performance. We have a lot of quality experience back from last year,” Lang said. “We don’t want to set any limits to what this team can accomplish this year, our goal is to work on improving every day and take the season one game at a time.” WEST FRANKLIN is replacing three starters and breaking in a new head coach this season. Terry Messenger is taking over a West Franklin team that finished 4-16 last season. Cade Fischer earned honorable mention allleague honors last season as a sophomore. For the Falcons to have more success this season, the 6-6 junior will likely be asked to increase his 9.2 points and five rebounds a game last season. West Franklin will also rely on senior Riley Milliken more
Page 47 (6-4). Murrow and Defefer averaged eight points per game while Zimmerman averaged six. The Timberwolves lost leading scorer Will Eldridge and Nikolas Tanner to graduation, but welcome senior KaLon Hale, who transfers from Neuqua Valley in Naperville, Illinois. Coach Dustin Leochner is hoping to post the second winning season in school history after having a strong summer. “Last year we made significant strides in playing more competitively,” Leochner said. “Seven of our losses last season were by six points or less. We will once again play one of, if not the most, difficult schedules among all 5A schools.” BLUE VALLEY returns no starters from last year’s team that finished fourth in the EKL and will rely heavily on their defense to carry them to success. Sophomore Aidan Shaw (6-7) is one of the top college prospects in the state and already holds offers from Iowa, Missouri, TCU and others. Shaw would have paired nicely with All-State senior Jonathan Jackson, but the former home school player and younger brother of Dallas Maverick Justin Jackson moved to Texas in the offseason. MILL VALLEY will try to return to its winning ways after only notching two wins last year. GIRLS After going undefeated on its way to another Class 4A title, BISHOP MIEGE will look to do it again led by the Verhulst sisters, Ashton (6-2, senior) and Payton (6-1, junior). Payton is the returning scorer after averaging 15.5 points per game. She also added 9 rebounds, 5.1 assists and 3 blocks per game. As a member of the 2019 USA Basketball Women’s U16 National Team, Payton started in all six games and averaged 14.5 points and 2.8 rebounds to help the USA to a 6-0 record and gold medal June 16-22 in Puerto Aysen, Chile, where she was named MVP of the tournament. The older, taller Ashton can ball with the best as well and committed to the University of Central Florida after averaging 11.1 points per game. Coach Terry English returns for his 44th season continued on page 86 this season after he averaged 4.6 points and 3.4 rebounds. Cameron Wise, a 6-5 junior, is expected to start at center after not playing last year. He did pick up some recruiting interest from various state football programs for his size, athleticism and performance on the gridiron. The Falcons also return senior Matt Gilkey, who missed all of last season with a knee injury. CHASE COUNTY had its season end against Berean Academy in the regional semifinals and finished the season right at .500. The Bulldogs must replace second-team all-league selection Hunter Groh. LYNDON fell in the first round of sub-state to Maranatha Christian Academy. Junior Luke Detwiler earned all-league honorable mention last season as a sophomore. OSAGE CITY lost in the first round of sub-state against state-qualifier Eureka. Osage City won the Flint Hills Shootout with a win over top-seed Mission Valley in the semifinals followed by Council Grove in the championship. Tri-sport standout athlete Trenton Plinsky will be hard to replace. Plinsky was the team’s leading scorer last season and was the only unanimous first-team all-league selection. Junior Gunnar Fort will take over the scoring continued on page 83
Kansas Pregame Winter Sports Preview, Volume 2
FRONTIER LEAGUE By Gallagher Martin, For Kansas Pregame Kansas City-Piper was well-represented on the last day of the 4A State Tournament. While the girls came one same shy of an undefeated, state-championship season, the boys dominated the 4A State Championship game in an 86-53 win over Augusta. The Bonner Springs boys won the Frontier League over Piper and finished with a 20-3 record. The Braves fell in the first round of the 5A State Tournament to Bishop Carroll, but did capture a sub-state championship over leaguerival Spring Hill. Ottawa is a threat to win the league this season, led by senior Kobe Johnson, after finishing third last year. On the girls side, the Class 4A State Tournament was full of Frontier League schools. Top-seed Kansas City-Piper defeated eight-seed Eudora in the first round, while three-seed Baldwin finished third with wins over Ulysses and Nickerson. BOYS Defending state-champions KC-PIPER finished 21-4 and capped off a dramatic statechampionship run cruising to an 86-53 win over Augusta. Piper downed Parsons by three in the opening round before downing top-seed Wichita Trinity by three as well. After back-to-back close games, Piper was rewarded with a blowout championship victory. The Pirates will miss second-team all-league standout Trey Bates as well as honorable mention all-leaguer Braijion Barnes. Bates signed to continue his basketball career at Neosho Community College. The duo helped lead Piper to its first-ever state championship in basketball. The Pirates do return senior Ty Shelley, who hit the game-winning shot in the semifinals against Trinity. Junior Tamar Bates and senior Gabe Eskina are other top returners. Bates is one of the state’s top prospects and has offers from Creighton, K-State, Missouri, Missouri State and Abilene Christian and is ranked among the top 150 prospects nationally in the class of 2021 by both Rivals and 247. BONNER SPRINGS must replace first-team AllFrontier League selections Keyon Thomas and AJ Watson as well as second-team selection Nasjon Porter. The trio was a big reason why the Braves finished as league champions and enjoyed a 20win season. Bonner Springs does return a senior duo in Rishaud Dockery and Ethan Byers. Dockery averaged 10 points a game while Byers, a 6-2 forward, will likely be asked to increase his offensive production from four points a game last season. Head coach Dan Streit, who is one win away from 100 with Bonner Springs in his eighth season, says his team goals include again competing for a league title. OTTAWA was 12-9 overall last season and went 6-2 in the league to finish third. The Cyclones return first-team All-Frontier League selection Kobe Johnson, who averaged 16.5 points, five rebounds, and three assists per game last season. Johnson, a 6-5 forward, is one of two returning first team all-conference players back this season in the Frontier League.
Seniors Jayson Brown and Cade Gollier are also back after combining to average 17 points a game last season. The Cyclones also return three additional lettermen, two of whom are seniors and all three are listed at 6-2 or taller. “Our goals remain the same: Compete for a Frontier League title and make a deep run into the state playoffs,” veteran head coach Cliff McCullough said. “With two, three-year starters and an abundance of experience we should be poised to have a special season.” Head coach Wes Book is optimistic about his SPRING HILL Broncos after finishing 12-9 and reaching the sub-state finals last season. Although Spring Hill graduates first-team AllFrontier League selection Brennen Feeback, Book likes what he has on the team. Returning starters Alex Johnson, a 6-6 senior, and senior Connor Zorn will be key leaders. Zorn tore his ACL in early July but is expected to return in January. Senior Aron Dominick is a 6-6 center that will see an increased role. Book believes he can average 10 points a game after not starting last season. Book is also high on junior point guard Cooper Jones, who could potentially be an allleague player, according to his coach. “I like the skill of our team this year. The last two years we were inside oriented and this year will be the opposite,” Book said. “We have one solid post player who will be surrounded by shooters. We will be able to spread the floor and force teams to guard on the perimeter. Our ability to make shots from the outside and defend/rebound will be a big factor in how we play.” EUDORA, 11-9 last season, will lean on a trio of returning seniors and perhaps a fourth senior who is making his Eudora debut. Sloan Hayden, a 6-5 tight end committed to Missouri State, could be an impact player for the Cardinals after transferring from Ulysses last December. He’ll join experienced seniors Tucker Shackelford, Brett Breedlove and Noah Watkins - Shackelford and Watkins are returning starters. Shackelford averaged 4.2 points and 1.6 rebounds per game last season. Watkins averaged 3.2 points and 2.2 rebounds. Breedlove came off the bench and chipped in 4.6 points and 2.1 rebounds per game. “We have several returners this year, but graduated quite a bit of production and leadership,” Kyle Deterding said. “We have players who will need to take on new roles for us this year and we are excited to see who steps into those roles.” BALDWIN went winless in the Frontier League and finished with just one win on the season. With five seniors returning, the Bulldogs are looking to take a step forward this winter. Jordan Barth is the leading returning scorer at 9.2 points a game. Matthew Garber averaged 6.5 points and 3.7 rebounds a game last season. Hunter Peacock played in all 21 games, Alex Berg played in 20 of 21 games, and Ethan Eckman played in 17 of 21 games. Head coach Paul Musselman says senior leadership and finding a team identity will be keys to success. Junior Dallas Bond is expected to be one of the
Page 48 best players in the Frontier League and will lead TONGANOXIE this season. The Chieftains are under second-year head coach Phil Jones, who went 10-12 last season. Tonganoxie hasn’t had a winning season since 2009-10, so Jones’ first year was solid relatively speaking. Bond, a 6-4 forward, will lead the way. He averaged just over 13 points a game to go along with 5.8 rebounds. He was a second-team allleague selection. Guards Elijah Tyner (5-10 senior) and Rylee Beach (5-11 junior) combined to score 14.6 points a game. Jones expects 6-3 junior Heston Robbins to make the jump from junior varsity as well and says the team goal is to finish over .500. LOUISBURG fell to eventual 4A state-qualifier Anderson County in the opening round of substate. Kohl Vogel will be a key player the Wildcats must replace after he earned honorable mention all-league honors as a senior. PAOLA was no match for Piper, losing 69-34 in the opening round of sub-state. Seth Richmond, a three-sport athlete for the Panthers, earned honorable mention all-league honors last year as a senior. Richmond is now a member of the track and field team at the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs. GIRLS Defending league champions KC-PIPER will miss All-Frontier League First Team selection Ryan Cobbins, now starting at North Dakota State, but the 4A runners-up will be in good hands when Ali Vigil returns from injury. Vigil tore her ACL during the first minute of Piper’s 60-41 loss to Bishop Miege in the state championship game and head coach Shane Stout hopes to have her back by January. Vigil is a Central Missouri-signee who averaged 13.6 points per game and is 45 points shy of 1,000 career points. Vigil joined Cobbins on the first-team all-league list. Point guard Evelyn Vazquez could be due for a big season after earning second-team all-league honors. The junior averaged 6.9 points a game. Senior Grace Banes, an Iowa-softball commit, averaged 8.8 a game, while 6-foot senior forward Ayreona Carter averaged seven points and 5.1 rebounds off the bench. Stout says athleticism and quickness will be strengths while lack of size and depth may be weaknesses. BALDWIN earned its claim as the third best team in 4A last season. Not only did the Bulldogs finish third at state, they went 21-2 with their only losses coming to Bishop Miege and KC-Piper, who finished first and second in 4A. Baldwin has now qualified for the state tournament five of the last six seasons, but the Bulldogs will be young this year. Replacing five seniors, including first-team AllFrontier League selections Macy Frost and Kayla Kurtz, will be a tough task. Baldwin returns seniors Anna Burnett and Josie Boyle. Burnett averaged just under seven points a game to go along with 4.2 rebounds. At 5-10, Boyle is the leading returner in rebounds at 5.4 per game. “How well our returners are able to step into leadership roles and players off last year’s JV team will step in to varsity roles will be the key,” head coach Bob Martin said. “We are confident they will be able to do that, but inexperience
will certainly be a factor in the early part of the season.” EUDORA tied for third in the Frontier League and should contend for a league championship again this season. The Cardinals finished 16-6 and won a sub-state championship in the process, but were blown out in the opening round of 4A state by league rival Piper, 52-35. All-Frontier League First Team selection Riley Hiebert is back for her senior year after averaging 15 points and 3.1 steals per game last season. Harper Schreiner had a breakout freshman season, averaging 9.5 points, 4.4 assists, and 3.1 steals a game and earning second-team allleague honors. Senior Reagan Hiebert averaged about 10 points and three steals a game. Jayla Pierce, a 5-10 junior, averaged five points and six rebonds. “We are very athletic with great speed,” head coach Richard Ebel said. “We need to develop depth.” SPRING HILL head coach Clay Frigon was clear when he said the goal remains the same this season despite the graduation of six seniors. Spring Hill hasn’t had a losing record since 201415 after going 13-8 last season. This season, the Cardinals will turn to eight upperclassmen to keep the streak alive. Senior Kaylen Dawson and junior Allisyn Frank are returning starters and combined for just over nine points a game. Seniors Avery Anderson and Paige Cooper are also key members of the team. “This year’s team will look different than last year’s team, however our expectations will be no different,” Frigon said. “They know what it takes to win and are dedicated to making this a successful and memorable season.” BONNER SPRINGS head coach Nick Schuster believes his team can go from 5-16 last year to above .500 this season. Schuster is entering his fourth season with the program, but has yet to accomplish a winning record. The Braves return three starters, headlined by 6-foot senior Kim Whetstone and her 12.5 points and 11.4 rebounds per game. After not earning league honors last season, Whetstone, a KU volleyball-commit, is one of the more under the radar players in the Frontier League. Senior Avery Hill (4.4 ppg., 5.3 rbg.) and sophomore Corrie Hassett (3.0 ppg., 1.6 apg.) will also be key to Bonner Spring’s success. “My No. 1 goal is to be competitive in every game we play,” Schuster said. LOUISBURG fell to Parsons in the sub-state semifinal and graduated Carson Buffington, who earned honorable mention all-league. Junior Madilyn Melton is set for a breakout year. Melton also made honorable mention and has started since her freshman season. OTTAWA finished last season 3-17 and lost to Fort Scott in a play-in sub-state game. PAOLA reached the sub-state championship game, but ran into Bishop Miege and were outscored 91-27 leaving the Panthers right at .500 on the season. TONGANOXIE struggled last season and was dominated by Piper in the opening round of sub-state. The Chieftains graduated three seniors, including honorable mention all-league selection Anna Soetaert. Of the 12 members on Tonganoxie’s varsity lineup, seven were underclassmen, including three freshmen.
GREAT WEST ACTIVITIES CONFERENCE By Brett Marshall, For Kansas Pregame BOYS Sixth-year ULYSSES head coach Chris Wagner (39-65 overall) is looking for his relatively inexperienced team to improve as the 2019-20 season unfolds. With just two starters returning from last season’s 9-12 squad, the Tigers will have their hands full in competing in the tough Great West Activities Conference where they went 6-4 a year ago to finish second. “This is a group that has not played together as much as past Ulysses teams,” Wagner said. “Once we are able to develop some chemistry, we should be able to compete well in a tough league and against a rigorous non-conference and tournament schedule.” A pair of returning starters are junior guard Aaron Galindo, 5-10, who averaged 5.5 points, 2.6 rebounds and 1 assist as a sophomore and frontcourt player Lance Walker, a 6-3 forward, averaged 5.4 points and 3 rebounds per game. “We must develop depth at the varsity level and play extremely tough defense,” Wagner said. “We should have good speed, but not much size, so transition basketball will be very important.” After leading his team to two Class 4A-Division II state titles in three years, HOLCOMB Longhorns coach Chad Novack landed in the 2018-19 season with an inexperienced and youthful squad. That resulted in an 8-13 season record and 3-7 in the difficult Great West Activities Conference. Gone from that team are three starters, including 6-6 leading rebounder Damon Kepley. Novack, who is 151-37 at Holcomb entering his ninth season at the helm, does have two starters back with a great deal of experience in senior guards Jackson Stoppel (5-10) and Kobe Hands (5-7). Senior, 5-10 guard Trey Cox, will be another player Novack will rely on as well as 5-11 junior guard Zephyn Mason. Four underclassmen are the top prospects to compete for starting slots and playing time, and that group includes 6-2 sophomore Cooper Autry, 5-9 sophomores Levi Knoll and Braxton Sizemore, and
5-8 junior Edgar Ramirez. “We have a group of kids that are willing to work really hard right now and want to be successful,” Novack said. “They have put a lot of extra time on their own to be really competitive this season. We have a lot of overall team speed and athleticism.” That lack of size will be a concern, said Novack, who is 231-101 in 15 seasons as a head coach. It was a bit of a roller-coaster 2018-19 season for the SCOTT CITY Beavers and head coach Brian Gentry, finishing 13-9 overall and 5-5 in the Great West Activities Conference. Gentry saw three starters graduate and has returning starters in 6-1 guard Hunter Yager and Jackson Lewis, but the postseason football run for the Beavers saw probable post starter Brandon Winderlin suffer a season-ending knee injury and he will be out all year. Lewis, too, played most of last season with a foot injury but is healthy now, Gentry said. “Hunter is the catalyst for our offense and he does a lot to get things going for our team,” Gentry, who enters his fourth season as head coach, said. “That could be facilitating or looking to get his own shot. He’s strong and can get to the basket with effectiveness.” Gentry will look for a new cast of players to fill in the missing gaps, but the strong tradition at Scott City is something to be counted on. “We have good-sized guards that will need to step up and defend bigger kids and we will have to rely on quickness on the defensive side of the ball,” Gentry said. Two players who were sidelined a season ago also return in Evyan Smith and Parker Gooden, both of whom Gentry said have the skills to guard several positions and will add depth. “We have several other kids that played minutes last season, but they will all see their roles increase,” Gentry said. Since assuming the head coaching duties at HUGOTON four years ago, there’s been nothing but solid seasons for the Eagles under C.J. Korf. The 2018-19 campaign was no different as the Eagles finished solidly with a 16-7 record, including
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a Great West Activities Conference championship at 9-1, only to have the season ended with a heartbreaking 69-67 loss to Larned in the Class 3A sub-state tournament. While Korf has no returning starters from that team, he does return five players who saw enough varsity action to earn letters. That group is led by 6-foot junior Sawyer Harper, who averaged 8.2 points, 3.9 rebounds and 1.7 assists in earning Holcomb, Senior honorable mention all-league honors. Ivan Valles, a 5-10 senior guard, also returns after averaging 4.8 points, 1.4 assists, 1.9 rebounds and 1.1 steals per game. Haden Daharsh, a 6-1 junior, averaged should be a decent shooting team.” Doll is also 2.4 points and 1.8 rebounds while Wyatt Angell, a hoping to get help in junior Brock Mull (5-8) and letterwinner in 2017-18, had to set out with an injury senior Andy Wood (6-0) along with sophomore all last year but is now fully recovered. continued on page 84 “Our goals remain the same,” Korf said. “We want to repeat as GWAC champions and win sub-state. To do that, we need to play unselfishly and be competing hard every day. Third-year GOODLAND head coach Mike Doll is hoping that a late-season improvement, while not reflected in wins but more competitive games, will give his Cowboys a much-needed confidence boost heading into the 2019-20 basketball season. The Full Service Financial Institution Cowboys, who were just 1-20 a year ago and sixth in the GWAC, do have five players who saw plenty of playing time a season ago. That came on the heels of a 16-7 campaign in his first season. That group includes 5-11 senior guard Henry Ulysses • 112 E. Grant • 620.356.4343 • gpcu.org Cole, who averaged 10 points, 2 rebounds and 2 assists while earning honorable mention all-league laurels. Brennan Brumbaugh, a 6-2 junior, averaged 9 points and 4 rebounds. Juniors Leyton Cure (64) and Trevor Daise (6-2) averaged 3 and 1 points, Kingman, St. John and 4 and 1 rebounds per game. Sophomore Matt Medicine Lodge whitesfoodliner.com Phillipsburg, Scott City Nemecheck, a 6-foot guard, averaged 2 points and 1 rebound. Cole, Brumbaugh and Cure all started “Know the a year ago. difference “We are hoping to build off some success toward between having a Bank and being the end of the year last year,” Doll said. “ We will part of one.” be much more experienced this year with some MEMBER FDIC good leadership. A key for us will be playing with toughness and rebounding the basketball. We Ph: 620-872-2143 • www.fnbscott.com
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Kansas Pregame Winter Sports Preview, Volume 2
Hannah LANDWEHR Bishop Carroll, Senior
By Gallagher Martin, For Kansas Pregame BOYS There is an abundance of young talent in the Greater Wichita Athletic League. Of the six AllGWAL First Team selections, four are back this season. Wichita Southeast’s Jackie Johnson Jr., Wichita East’s Daylan Jones, and Bishop Carroll’s Alex Littlejohn are juniors this season and ready to take the city league by storm. WICHITA SOUTHEAST won the GWAL in Joe Mitchell’s first year as head coach. Mitchell, the GWAL Coach of the Year, also guided the Golden Buffaloes to a 21-4 record, a 14-2 league record, and a third-place finish at the 6A State Tournament. While Mitchell deserves credit for guiding Southeast to a successful season, so does dynamic guard Jackie Johnson Jr. Johnson, now a junior, has been one of the premiere players in Wichita since his freshman season. Last year, Johnson averaged 28 points, four assists, three rebounds, and two steals a game. According to 247Sports, Johnson is the fifth ranked prospect in Kansas. Outside of Johnson, the Golden Buffaloes return two key contributors from last year’s state-tournament team. Senior Micah Jacques was a second-team all-league selection after averaging 15 points and five rebounds a game. Junior Rone Smith earned honorable mention after averaging 13 points, four rebounds, and three assists. The Golden Buffaloes have experience to replace, including first-team selection Johnny Murdock. Mitchell still has high expectations with the program considering what the team has returning. “Our goals are to win the league, the mid-season tournament, and return to the state tournament to play for a state championship,” Mitchell said. WICHITA EAST went 12-4 in the GWAL, tied for second, but ended its season in the first round of sub-state with a loss to Gardner-Edgerton. The Blue Aces return four starters who earned allleague honors last season. Daylan Jones was one of three sophomores who earned first-team all-league honors last season. Now a junior, Jones averaged over 10 points and five rebounds a game last season. The Blue Aces return three senior starters who earned honorable mention - Amos Alford Jr. (9.1 ppg, 3.8 rpg), James King (7.6 ppg, 3.2 rpg), and Norman Massey (6.3 ppg, 4.5 rpg). “Playing together offensively will be a focal point,” head coach Joe Jackson said. “When we commit to that, we can be tough to guard.” Between senior Tanner Mans and junior Alex Littlejohn, BISHOP CARROLL could be in store for their third top-four state finish in as many years. Littlejohn, a 6-4 forward, and Mans, a 6-5
forward, make up one of the most formidable frontcourts in the league. The duo helped lead Carroll to a fourth-place finish in 5A after capturing a sub-state championship over McPherson. The Golden Eagles won their first state title in program history two seasons ago. Bishop Carroll is replacing four seniors who earned all-league honors last season: Carsen Pracht, Cade Becker, Carson Lee and Gunner Lynch. However, Enrique Lankford is back for his junior season after earning honorable mention allleague honors last season. WICHITA HEIGHTS almost always finishes near the top of the GWAL, but if the Falcons are to do so this season, they will have to rely on an entirely new starting five. Heights returns no starters but does have 10 upperclassmen to rely on. Seniors Alex Norris (6-3 forward), Lamon Payne (6-0 guard), and Desmond Harrison (6-6 forward) saw varsity minutes last season. “We have confidence in their ability to become successful varsity players and continue Heights’ long standing tradition of excellence,” 25th-year head coach Joe Auer said. WICHITA NORTHWEST returns four starters, including three juniors who earned honorable mention all-league, from last year’s 7-15 team. Along with senior Eastyn Ruffin, the Grizzlies return Deandre Wilson, David Duncan, and Braydon Verbeck. All three juniors averaged at least seven pinots a game, with Wilson the leading returning scorer at 9.6 per game. All four returning starters are guards. Secondyear head coach Andy Hill knows height may be a weakness for this team. “We will be extremely small so rebounding is a concern, but we have a tough and unified group of kids who are brought-in to the direction of the program and ready to take on the task of turning things around,” Hill said. Despite the loss of Jack Barrier, KAPAUN MT. CARMEL returns significant talent and hopes to be improved from last year’ 8-13 season. Junior Blake Danitscheck, a 6-5 forward, earned honorable mention honors last season, as did junior Grant Johnson and senior Jairus Kennedy. Junior Ethan Stuhlsatz will also be a key contributor for the Crusaders. “We plan on being more competitive defensively and offensively,” head coach John Cherne III said. “This season, we plan on pushing the ball and executing offensively, while attacking the rim. Defensively, we held our opponents to 52 points per game. We will continue to improve and develop a strong defensive philosophy.” WICHITA SOUTH went 9-12 overall, but managed an 8-8 record in the GWAL, which was good for fourth. Entering his seventh year as head coach, Chuck Gunter has a 78-56 record. The Titans will rely on a senior and a sophomore for returning experience. Senior Makye Loggins averaged nine points, and three assists per game. Sophomore Abel Jones contributed five points, four rebounds, and 2.2 steals per game; Jones earned honorable mention all-league honors last season as a freshman. “Success will depend on how quick the team
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GREATER WICHITA ATHLETIC LEAGUE
chemistry comes together and every player making defense the No. 1 priority,” Gunter said. WICHITA NORTH struggled to find success in the win column last season. New faces will have to step up for North to improve this season as the program must replace honorable mention selections RJ Hunter and Jeremiah Randall. WICHITA WEST won a pair of games over North, but otherwise struggled against its league competition. The Pioneers ended the season with a loss to Hutchinson in a play-in game at sub-state. Although Cavion Williams has graduated, West is in good shape for the future with Geremiah Moore. As a freshman, Moore earned all-league honorable mention honors last season. GIRLS The City League will be tough and competitive as always, but it’s safe to say Wichita Heights looks locked and loaded for a long season. Of course, Kapaun is led by one of the most dominant plays in the state in Ella Anciaux. Along with Heights and Kapaun, Wichita South and Bishop Carroll will also be competitive in the GWAL as usual. Last season, three underclassmen earned firstteam all-league honors. WICHITA HEIGHTS had two of them. Heights went 20-3 and reached the 5A State Tournament. The Falcons lost in the first round to KC-Schlagle, but with four returning starters, Heights could be building toward something larger this season. The Falcons are loaded with talent. Junior Laniah Randle and sophomore Zyanna Walker earned first-team honors last season, while senior Taylor Jameson is a George Mason-signee. Sophomore Cayanna Stanley, senior Daysha Fanning, and senior Ashton Conley all earned honorable mention all-league honors. “Keys to success will be out-working our opponents,” head coach Ken Palmer said. KAPAUN MT. CARMEL only returns two starters, but with junior Ella Anciaux leading the way, the Crusaders will be a tough out in the GWAL. Anciaux, a 6-4 center, averaged 18.2 points and 10.2 rebounds a game. According to head coach Billy Graf, Anciaux has multiple Division I offers. Anciaux was first-team all-state and first-team allleague last season. Senior guard Ava Ayala was an all-league honorable mention selection last season. Additionally, the Crusaders return six lettermen and Graf hopes to improve on last year’s 10-11 season. “The buy-in from most of the girls in the summer and fall offseason was fantastic,” Graf said. “The girls are looking to build on their quick start to last season and maintain that intensity throughout the season this year.” BISHOP CARROLL returns three starters who went 12-4 in the GWAL and finished tied for second behind Heights. Overall, the Golden Eagles went 15-7 overall and fell to sub-state champions McPherson in the postseason. Senior Hannah Landwehr and
junior Khloe Shuckman combined to average 14.5 points and 5.3 rebounds a game. Senior Ahna Otero (2.2 ppg, 3.5 rbg) provides three returning starters for the Golden Eagles. But with only five returning lettermen, Bishop Carroll head coach Taylor Dugan knows new faces will have to step up this season. “A lot of unknowns coming into this season,” Dugan said. “We’ll find out who took the offseason seriously, because we have big offensive shoes to fill. Could be an up and down year, since we may have new faces - but also two seniors with varsity experience.” From 2013-2016, WICHITA SOUTH won four straight 6A State Championships. In 2017, South lost in the first round of state, but went 22-0 up to that point. The Titans went 22-3 and finished fourth in 2018. Under first-year head coach David Clark, South went 15-7 and lost in the sub-state championship to eventual 6A champions Washburn Rural last season. The Titans do not return any starters in Clark’s second season. Clark says the goal is a top-three finish in the league after tying for second with Carroll last season. “How quickly our youth can compete and have belief at this level of competition will be keys to success,” Clark said. WICHITA SOUTHEAST fell to Lawrence in the first round of sub-state last season. Seniors Chariah Daniels and Charity Dixon, who both earned all-league honorable mention, are key returners for the Golden Buffaloes. WICHITA EAST had its season come to an end at the hands of rival South. East will lean on second-team all-league selection Jamia Jackson, along with honorable mention senior Sharifa Love. WICHITA NORTH returns junior Noel Brown and senior Cadance Mills from the all-league honorable mention list last season. WICHITA NORTHWEST fell 45-44 to Heights in the sub-state championship game last year. The Grizzlies were incredibly young, and now that youth may turn into progress this season. Isis Sanders earned second-team all-league honors last season as a freshman. Maycee James and Caiya Stucky were both honorable mention as freshmen as well. Junior Daysha Ongunbiyi was also an honorable mention selection. Seniors Kirah Stepps and Lajada Owens will lead WICHITA WEST this season after earning honorable mention all-league honors last year. West lost to Liberal, 22-1, in the first round of substate.
Kansas Pregame Winter Sports Preview, Volume 2
HEART OF AMERICA LEAGUE By Gallagher Martin, For Kansas Pregame BOYS The Heart of America League lost some firepower with the graduation of many talented seniors. In fact, the entire All-HOA First Team was comprised of seniors last season. Hutchinson Trinity will be without Kaleb Hammeke, who helped lead the Celtics to the 2A championship game. Inman graduated its dynamic duo of Payton Froese and Mason Thiessen who led the Teutons to a third-place finish at 2A state. Berean Academy is coming off a state appearance in 1A, but graduated three allleague selections. Darren Crumrine, who is entering his 26th year at SEDGWICK, says the league should be balanced this season, but he believes Berean and Trinity are the early favorites. However, his Cardinals could be in the mix as well. Sedwick returns five players who saw significant time last season and nine lettermen total. The Cardinals have a nice blend of experience and youth. Senior Mason Lacey earned second-team all-league honors after averaging 9.5 points, 4.5 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game. Senior Kale Schroeder was honorable mention after averaging 9.4 points a game, while 6-3 senior forward Qayden Shepherd averaged just under four rebounds a game. Sophomore Nolan Crumrine averaged just under seven points a game and shot 38.5 percent from three. Sophomore Lance Hoffsommer, the football team’s standout QB, should also be a key contributor in basketball. Sedgwick finished fourth in the HOA last season. “We will have a good mix of size and quickness,” Crumrine said. “The biggest key to our season will be our buy-in on the defensive end. We must do a better job of rebounding this season. Vance Unrau is entering his 33rd season at MOUNDRIDGE. Last season, his Wildcats went 16-9 and fell to Caldwell in the sub-state finals, a team that finished fourth at 1A state. The Wildcats will need to find a new point guard after first-team all-league sharpshooter Dillon Vogts graduated, but Moundridge is still in good shape with 6-3 forward Brady Helms. The senior averaged 11.7 points and six rebounds a game last season and earned honorable mention all-league. Senior Daniel Kaufman is the team’s other returning starter, while juniors Jon Schlosser and Corbin Unruh are returning lettermen. Unrau lists one junior, three sophomores, and three freshmen who could also compete for starting time. “I think that we have some very capable underclassmen but we will be asking them to grow up in a hurry,” Unrau said. “Defense in the half court and turning it into offense will have to be a priority for us.” INMAN is replacing first-team all-league selections Payton Froese and Mason Thiessen from last year’s 22-3 team that finished third in 2A. Outside of sophomore Jace Doerksen (7 ppg.), the Teutons are replacing the majority of their scoring. Thiessen is now playing at Emporia State and Froese is at Nebraska Wesleyan. Replacing honorable mention all-league selection Jaxon Eddy, who is playing football at Bethany, will also
be tough. Look for junior Mason Carter to step into a starting role. “We really do need Jace and Mason Carter to have big years, and they are both capable,” Inman coach Brett Froese said. “I’m also really counting on Kolby Blank as a senior to be a steady influence for us. Another couple kids to watch out for are Derick Johnson and Kyler Konrade. Both of them can really shoot it.” Despite the loss of Fort Hays State signee Kaleb Hammeke, HUTCHINSON TRINITY is one of the favorites in the HOA. Hammeke was a first-team all-league selection, but his younger brother Lucas should be one of the top players in the league. The younger Hammeke, a junior, had a team-high 17 points in last year’s state championship loss. Junior Phillipe Manga, a reserve from last year’s team, had 12 points in the title game. The Celtics must also replace 6-9 center Joshua Bridgewater. Trinity went 22-4 last season and finished as the runner-up to Ness City in 2A. BEREAN ACADEMY made its first appearance at the state tournament since 2016 last season, but the Warriors failed to make it past the first round. Berean defeated Olpe in the sub-state championship before falling to Caldwell in the first round of the 1A state tournament. The Warriors must replace first-team all-league selection Kiegan Vogt, second-team all-league selection Devin Rust, and honorable mention Caleb Bisterfeldt. Look for junior Chase Wiebe, who earned second-team all-league honors, to be one of the top players in the league. WHITEWATER-REMINGTON returns three senior guards, but the Broncos must replace their top-three scorers, including top-scorer Brayden Marciano. Senior Zane Winter will likely handle the point-guard responsibilities. Senior Ty Martin is perhaps the team’s best defender, and senior Paul Fasnacht, at 5-7, is one of the team’s better rebounders. The Broncos have three reliable guards to handle the backcourt, but will be inexperienced down low. But fourth-year head coach Matt Regier says his frontcourt is ready for varsity action. “Efficient offense and shot selection will be areas of focus,” Regier said. “This team will have the ability to defend at a high level, which will help keep us competitive as players adjust to new offensive roles.” STERLING has seven returners who have starting experience and 10 returning lettermen. Led by junior Tyus Wilson and senior Brady Myers, the Black Bears are hoping to be improved from last year’ 3-18 team. Wilson, a 6-5 forward, and seven-foot high jumper, was a second-team all-league selection after averaging 13.1 points, seven rebounds, and 1.5 blocks per game last season. Wilson is joined by a three-year starter in Myers, who averaged 9.5 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 2.5 assists en route to being named to the honorable mention all-league team. Senior Logan Weigel is also a returning starter after averaging four points and seven rebounds per game. The Black Bears also have a strong sophomore class that saw significant time last year as freshmen. BENNINGTON had its season end to leaguerival Inman in the first round of sub-state. The
Bulldogs will be led by senior Tyler Stanley, who earned honorable mention all-league honors last season. Bennington must replace honorable mention all-league selection Will Oldham from a team that went 7-14 last season. Michael Lochard entered last season as the fourth head coach at ELL-SALINE in four years. Lochard is back for year two after the Cardinals won three games last season. Ell-Saline graduated just one senior, and return secondteam all-league junior Treyton Peterson. MARION is graduating three all-league performers from last year, including first-team selection Sam Zinn. GIRLS For the second season in a row and third time in four years, Sterling won the Heart of America League. The Black Bears were 9-0 in the HOA and reached the Class 2A State Championship game. With three starters returning, Sterling has a strong chance of making it three league championships in a row. However, the HOA has talent spread out. Six different teams return a first-team all-league player. Berean Academy is always solid, but must replace three starters. Moundridge is another traditionally-tough team, and the Wildcats return four starters. While both teams should finish near the top of the league, everyone is chasing Sterling in the HOA. STERLING head coach Jill Rowland is 175-76 in her 12 years with the program. In the last eight seasons, the Black Bears have finished either first or second in the league six times. In that span,
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Sterling has three state tournament appearances, including last year’s second-place finish in 2A. The Sterling run began with a dominant win over Inman in the sub-state championship, followed by wins over Jackson Heights and Trego Community in the first two rounds of state. The Black Bears came up seven points shy against Garden Plain, but return key pieces from last year’s team. Senior post player Kinzie Comley averaged 10.2 points and 4.5 rebounds last season and is one of the top players in the league. Point guard Kali Briar made the All-HOA Second Team as a freshman
Page 51 last season. In her first season of high school action, Briar averaged 8.4 points, four assists, and two steals a game. Junior Kayla Morris also earned second-team all-league honors after averaging 7.5 points and 5.5 rebounds a game. The Black Bears return six additional lettermen who will fill into starting/increased roles. “Our greatest strength is our depth; we lost three seniors but all returning varsity players contributed at the varsity level last year,” Rowland said. “This team will have the ability to run the ball offensively and are athletic enough to guard full court. “ Kourtney Kaufman was one of two sophomores, now juniors, last season who earned first-team all-league honors. Kaufman, a 5-9 forward who can shoot the 3, will lead a MOUNDRIDGE team coming off a 14-8 season. Kaufman will be surrounded by talent as well. Junior Erin Durst earned all-league honorable mention, while senior Katie Stucky and sophomore Kate Eichelberger are also returning starters. “We will miss the leadership of last year’s senior class and will need to develop that quickly,” head coach Vicky Kessler said. “The players will have to be ready to compete day in and day out due to a tough schedule.” BEREAN ACADEMY returns senior Brooke Wiebe - first-team all-league - and honorable mention all-league selection Anna Eldridge, just a sophomore. With senior Courtney Slabach and four junior lettermen back from last year’s 16-8 team the Warriors are optimistic about the season. “We return some good varsity experience and hope to compete well both in and out of league this year,” head coach Kristin Wiebe said. SEDGWICK returns three seniors and two juniors from a team that finished one win above .500. With All-HOA First Team selection senior Grace Thompson leading the way, the Cardinals could be in store for a bigger year. Thompson averaged 12.9 points and 5.6 rebounds a game last season. Seniors Patsy Zerger and Emma Rogers and juniors Taylinn Lacey and Camryn McGinn will all play key roles. Zerger is the team’s second-leading returning rebounder at 4.9 a game, while Lacey earned honorable mention all-league honors and averaged six points a game. Jason Hett is entering his first year at MARION and inherits a team that went 3-17 last year, but does return four senior starters. Replacing honorable mention all-league selection Corrina Crabb will be a priority for the Warriors. Chloe continued on page 58
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Kansas Pregame Winter Sports Preview, Volume 2
HI-PLAINS LEAGUE
By Brett Marshall, For Kansas Pregame BOYS It was a tough 2018-19 season for Lance Carter and the SUBLETTE Larks boys team, finishing with a 5-16 overall record. Lost from that team is leading scorer Izzy DeLarosa, who averaged 15.5 points and 7.8 rebounds while earning all-league first team honors. Two starters return from that team and Carter will look for senior leadership from 6-1 forward Dylan Watson (5.5 ppg., 2.8 rpg.) and 6-1 guard Carson Thornton (6.1 ppg., 3.0 rpg.). “We will have a good group of senior leaders this season that play well together,” Carter said. “We have several guys that got solid varsity experience last season. We hope to build off of that and have some success.” Among the top newcomers Carter hopes to draw on are 5-9 junior guard Brice Williamson, 6-2 senior forward Dylan Mader, 5-9 junior guard Bryan Hernandez, 5-9 senior guard Kenton Dyck, 6-1 sophomore guard Tristan Friesen, 5-8 sophomore guard Derek Dyck, 5-8 freshman guard Ace Martinez and 5-8 freshman guard Miguel Hernandez. “We do have some younger talent that we hope can come along and can fill huge roles for us,” Carter said. CIMARRON boys coach Iric Mawhirter hopes the final season for his Bluejays to compete in the HiPlains League will be a swan song success. Next year, the ‘Jays will move over to the 3A-4A Great West Activities Conference after being in the HPL for more than 25 years. Mawhirter’s last team struggled through a 5-16 campaign and will be bolstered by the return of two starters – senior guard RJ Thomas (6-2) and junior forward Seth Ridenour (6-0). Other letterwinners who figure to compete for starting slots include 5-10 senior guard Nic Pfeifer, 6-foot senior guard Payton Marshall and 5-9 senior guard Jayden Perkins. Mawhirter also expects four players to battle for playing time, including 6-foot sophomore guard Braxton Harrison, 6-1 junior forward Andrew Ridenour, 6-foot junior guard Charles Salyer and 5-10 senior guard Jaden Smith. “We learned a lot from a difficult 2018-19 season in which we lost several games by the slimmest of margins, including two tournament finals,” Mawhirter said. “We were close but struggled with
Page 53
focus and consistency at times, which will be keys for us moving forward. Our athleticism will be a big advantage. Depth will also be a strength.” There seems to be one consistent theme in the five years at LAKIN High School for boys basketball coach Nate Schmitt, and that’s the consistency his teams have displayed. The 201819 season was no exception when the Broncs posted a 14-9 overall record, 6-1 in the Hi-Plains League, and saw its season come to an end with a loss to eventual Class 2A state champion Ness City in the sub-state title game. Among his key returners are junior Dominick Daniels (11 ppg., 7 rpg., 2 apg., 2 spg.), sophomore Servando Gonzalez (9 ppg., 3 rpg., 2 spg.), senior Jaylyn Hash (5 ppg., 4 rpg.), sophomore Connor Hudson (5 ppg., 2 apg.) along with senior Willie Gilleland and junior Jace Bachman. But the big key is the transfer of all-league performer and former Wichita County standout Sonnie Altman (Sr.), who averaged 16 ppg., 9 rpg. and former Meade all-league standout junior Hunter Davis (10 ppg., 5 rpg., 4 apg., 2 spg.). “Expectations remain high for the 2019-20 season,” Schmitt said. “We return several key components from last year’s team. We will continue to pride ourselves on effort, our press, and shooting the ball consistently and confidently.” The 2018-19 season was one of the most productive in STANTON COUNTY boys’ basketball program history, but the Trojans fell short of a return trip to the state tournament when they were knocked off by eventual 2A state champion Ness City, 69-66 in the sub-state semifinals. Coach Shane Traughber, who is 35-10 in two years, saw his team go unbeaten in league play (7-0) to claim the Hi-Plains League title. If there’s a rebuilding season upcoming, then it is likely here as Traughber lost eight varsity seniors to graduation, including do-everything Creed Puyear, all-league, all-area and all-state pick. Among the top returners for the Trojans are 5-10 senior guard Gio Callejas (4.0 ppg., 2.0 apg., 2.0 spg.), 6-6 senior center Brandon Dominguez (2.9 ppg., 3.2 rpg., 1.0 bpg.) and 6-4 junior forward Cole Scott (1.9 ppg., 1.0 rpg.). Top newcomers to draw on include 6-3 senior guard Jarreth Carrasco, 5-10 sophomore guard Sam Davidson, 6-1 freshman guard Devin Dawson and 5-10 senior guard/ forward Isaiah Barrera. “We will be reloading,” Traughber said. “We will
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be very inexperienced and will need to figure out what type of team we will be as we grow together.” It would seem Bryce Simon has found that there’s truly no place like home. A former standout at SYRACUSE, Simon returned to the Bulldog community several years ago, serving as an assistant on the boys team and then several seasons guiding the Lady Bulldogs program. Now entering his second season on the boys’ bench, Simon saw his first crack at the boys program finish with a 14-7 overall record. Three seniors will figure prominently in the Bulldogs’ prospects, that group including Cody Doze, Damian Ramirez and Drake Durler. “We just want to work to get better every day and our senior leadership will be one of our keys to success,” Simon said. There will be many new experiences for the MEADE Buffaloes as they enter the 2019-20 season. The Buffaloes will be in Class 1A for the first time, and it will be the final year for them to compete in the Hi-Plains League as they will move to the Southern Plains/Iroquois Activities Association next school year. Head coach Aaron Dardis (37-28 in three seasons at MHS), will have the services of three returning starters including 6-3 junior forward Vance Shewey (11.8 ppg., 7.8 rpg.), who was all-league and honorable mention all-state in 2A. Preston Woodruff (5-6, 6.7 ppg.) and Greyson Haynes (5-11, 5.2 ppg.) return to anchor the team’s backcourt. Not only did Meade graduate all-leaguer Garrett Gillum but Hunter Davis, another all-league selection, transferred to Lakin after averaging 9.8 points and leading the team in assists. Dardis will look for five players to fill in the different roles, including 6-1 forward Grant Gillum (8.1 ppg.), 5-11 guard Jonathan Unruh (2.9 ppg., 2.1 rpg.), 6-3 junior forward Dakota Paul, 5-10 sophomore guard Torren Haynes and 5-10 sophomore forward Korben Clawson. “We want to build off last year’s HPL tournament championship and the keys will be to stay healthy, humble and hungry,” Dardis said. GIRLS Trevor Siebert is entering his seventh season at the STANTON COUNTY Lady Trojans’ helm, and he would like nothing better to make a return trip to the Class 2A state tournament after watching his team attain that goal only to fall in the state opener to Trego, 49-33. Siebert would have had the benefit of all five starters returning until junior Kenia Caro suffered
a preseason injury and will be out for the season. But he returns senior Rylie Cook (11.4 ppg., 2.3 apg.), junior Jordyn Tucker (7.6 ppg., 4.7 rpg., 2.6 apg.), junior Peyton Peterson (6.3 ppg., 3.5 apg.) and senior Chloe Chenoweth (7.1 ppg., 6.2 rpg.). “We hope to continue and build on the success that we had last year,” Siebert said. “We return a lot of experience, so we hope that this will be beneficial to us. It will be important that our underclassmen step into their roles to help out our team. The last couple of years we have been pretty solid on the defensive side. It will be important for us to develop consistent and balanced scoring.” The SUBLETTE Lady Larks were just one game away from reaching the Class 2A state tournament in 2018-19, but second-year coach Wayne Lee lost 60 percent of his scoring to graduation. But while there is a sense of rebuilding for the 2019-20 season, Lee is optimistic about the mix of his two returning starters – 5-9 senior Bekah Unruh (8.1 ppg., 4.9 rpg.) and 5-6 junior Isabella Desaire (56, G, 6.7 ppg., 3.5 rpg., 2.3 spg..) – along with a strong group of freshmen that has Lee’s adrenaline going. “These ladies have played a bunch of basketball together and they play extremely well together,” Lee said of his quartet of three freshmen and one sophomore. “They’ll give us a little size inside as well as some good guard skills.” That youth movement includes freshmen Clarysa Webber (5-8), Rachel Froese (5-7) and Ryleigh Stapleton (5-8) along with sophomore Jasmine Splechter (5-6), a summer move-in. While those youngsters will likely see action, Lee indicates the early-season projected starters also includes seniors Madeline Lee (5-6, 4.1 ppg., 5 rpg.) and Reagan Frank (5-5, 2.0 ppg., 1.2 rpg.) and junior Alex Vogts, who did not play a year ago. Another junior, 5-4 guard Jailee McVey, averaged 1.0 point and 1.2 rebounds. Lee’s first season at Sublette saw the Lady Larks finish 14-9 overall and they went 4-3 in the HiPlains League. It has been a somewhat rocky road for the LAKIN Lady Broncs in recent years, and the 201819 season was reflective of that when Vanessa Esquibel’s squad finished with a 7-15 overall record and 2-5 in the Hi-Plains League standings. But if experience counts for anything, then the upcoming 2019-20 season prospects are looking up for the Lady Broncs. A strong junior class got some playing time the last two seasons, and three of those are returning continued on page 60
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five rebounds) are also returning starters. The PHILLIPSBURG boys graduated four-year starting point guard Trey Sides, one of the top allaround players in Kansas the past four seasons. Sides has started the majority of the games as a freshman for NCAA DI Jacksonville University. The Panthers finished 9-0 and won the MCL midseason tournament for veteran coach Keith Sides, who enters his 24th year at Phillipsburg and 18th as head coach, with a career mark of 221-152. Junior guard Ty Sides, second team all-league, delivered 13 points, four assists, four rebounds and three steals a game. Senior Austin Miller had eight points and five rebounds a game. Coach Sides listed goals as regular season MCL championship and to win the league tournament for a fourth straight year. Sides said he’ll look for more inside production from Miller and Parker Dibble and also try to develop guard play around Ty Sides. The ELLIS boys enjoyed a six-win improvement to 17-6 in the first winter under coach Mark Eck. Ellis went 7-2 in the league and tied for second with Plainville. The Railers were sub-state runner-up, also to Plainville. Eck also coached for two seasons at La Crosse in the early 2000s after a standout playing career at Fort Hays State. Ellis returns the bulk of its team, including a pair of returning starters. Senior Zachary Eck averaged 16.5 points, 4.6 rebounds and two assists a game. Junior point guard Brady Frickey had 10.7 points, three rebounds and three assists a contest. Zach Eck was a first team all-league player, and Frickey was honorable mention. “Expectations are high as we are looking to build off of the success we had last year,” coach Eck said. “We have several kids with varsity experience and have a solid group of players with limited varsity experience. With that combination we hope to improve quickly and compete for a league title and go deep into the postseason.” Junior guard Daniel Eck, senior guard Landis Fischer, senior forward Jake Eck, senior guard Kade Gottschalk and sophomore point guard Tyson Jiminez are all returning players. “We should have a fairly balanced scoring team that will make us a little more difficult to defend,” coach Eck said. “Much of our success will depend on how well we are able to defend and rebound as we will not have a lot of size in the paint. We have a guard heavy team with some good shooters and hope to create some mismatches with other teams. How well our guys with limited experience adjust to
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By Conor Nicholl, For Kansas Pregame The Mid-Continent League enjoyed another banner year as one of the state’s top small school conferences. The Thomas More Prep-Marian boys battled through multiple injuries to qualify for the Class 3A state tournament as the No. 8 seed. The Monarchs defeated top-seeded Maur Hill, 73-51, in the first round and eventually finished fourth with a 14-13 record. The Plainville boys qualified for the Class 2A state tournament. The Phillipsburg boys finished 18-3, but were upset by Smoky Valley at the Hoisington sub-state. On the girls’ side, Norton won the MCL midseason tournament and eventually earned third place in 3A with a 23-3 mark. Norton reached state for the first occasion since 2008 and first time in the final four since ‘01. The Trego girls took fourth in 2A with their best finish in 42 years. The TMP girls, though, defeated three ranked teams at home, won the league’s regular season title and finished 16-6. Four of the five first team all-league girls are back with Plainville’s Aubree Dewey, WaKeeneyTrego’s Lili Shubert, Oakley’s Jordyn Lowrie and Ellis’ Grace Eck. Dewey, Shubert and Lowrie were unanimous selections. The preseason rankings had Trego’s girls fourth in 2A, with Norton’s girls seventh in 3A. Notably, one veteran league coach believes this could the deepest the MCL boys’ side has been in years. On the boys’ side, TMP was No. 10 in 3A, and Hoxie, Plainville and Ellis were fifth, sixth and eighth, respectively, in 2A. Hoxie and Russell will join the MCL as full members next year. Hoxie will play in the MCL tournament this season. BOYS The PLAINVILLE boys finished 17-7, 7-2 in league play and fell to Inman in the first round of the Class 2A state tournament. Coach Chris Drees enters his 13th season as a head coach, his seventh at Plainville. He is 157-108 overall, 91-49 with the Cardinals after a stint at Palco. Plainville returns four starters, including senior Jared Casey, one of Kansas’ best players and a first team all-state pick from the Kansas coaches. He averaged 21 points and nine rebounds a game. Sophomore Anders Dewey (three points, four rebounds per game), junior Clay Pelton (eight points, 44 percent from 3), and junior Eli Hays (six points,
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MID-CONTINENT LEAGUE
Page 55 the varsity level will be key.” Last winter, former THOMAS MORE PREPMARIAN assistant Bill Meagher replaced Joe Hertel, coach for 33 years, and promptly led TMP to their second straight state tournament. TMP has a number of returning players including senior guards Ryan Stoecklein and Brady Kreutzer and senior forwards Mason Robbins and Carson Jacobs (6-foot-6). The junior class features guards Lucas Lang, Hayden Brown, Jackson Schulte, along with forwards Garrett Pfeifer and Trenton Rome, and sophomore Bryce Seib and Jace Wentling. Schulte was second team all-league. “We have a lot of work to do this season to give ourselves a chance to be a good team,” Meagher said. “We lost four seniors to graduation but we are excited about the young guys who we are asking to step up and fill those roles. We lost three postmen from last year’s team and we need some guys to step up and give us good minutes in the post area. “We are going to have to really improve as rebounders and cut down on our turnovers if we want to make a run again this year,” he added. “We have a lot of work ahead of us but our guys are excited and hungry to get going and see where we end up this season.” HILL CITY finished 10-10 and returns coach Keith Riley for his remarkable 52nd year at the school. Riley, a Hall of Famer, is the all-time leader in boys’ basketball victories in Kansas history. The Ringnecks went 4-5 in league play and took fourth place in the league tournament. Riley stands at 702-430 overall. Hill City returns four starters. Senior Dalen Journigan averaged 9.9 points and 5.3 rebounds. Junior Kyle Richmeier had 4.4 points and three rebounds. Senior Michael Blanks finished with seven points and five rebounds a contest. Senior Jacob Lindenman recorded two points and two rebounds a contest. The quartet is all between 5-10 and six feet tall. However, Hill City lost junior Brody McDowell to a football injury, which Riley said was “a big blow.” McDowell was the team’s leading scorer and rebounder. “Our three seniors are going to have to play well for our team to have any success,” Riley said. continued on page 89
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Kansas Pregame Winter Sports Preview, Volume 2
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Kansas Pregame Winter Sports Preview, Volume 2 couple years.” REPUBLIC COUNTY is looking for a big improvment this season with six players returning with and 5-10 junior Tegan Slagle (8.7, 9.3). Ella Gotti, a starting experience from last year’s 7-13 team. 5-7 junior, averaged 5.2 points off the bench. Alexis Hansen, a 5-6 senior, averaged 12 points “We are led by a group of seniors who have and 9 rebounds a game last year and was a firstbeen playing varsity since they were freshmen,” team all-league selection. Emma Morris, who has Thompson said. “We have all the pieces to be suc- struggled with injuries in her career, was the team’s cessful - leadership, experience, great role players, second-leading scorer and was honorable mention. athleticism and the determination to turn the pro- Also back for the Lady Buffaloes are 5-8 junior gram around.” Emily Jensik, 5-5 senior Izzy Weeler, 5-6 senior SOUTHEAST OF SALINE returns three start- Sydney Lewellyn and 5-5 senior Sadee Graves. ers from a 13-9 team - sophomore guard Karsyn Third year coach Colton Grove has set goals of a Schlesener, 5-5 senior Meredith Tillberg and 5-7 se- league title and at least 14 wins this season. nior Keely Orr. Schlesener was first-team all-league “We have nine seniors and one junior who can play as a freshman. Also back are lettermen Emily a ton of minutes on any given night,” Grove said. Meares and Madison Fear, both seniors. The ELLSWORTH Bearcats will be looking to Two starters return for MINNEAPOLIS. The Lions move up the league ladder as well with three starters were 9-11 overall and finished fifth in the NCAA returning from a 5-16 team. Lakyn Tenbrink, a 6-foot race. Returning are 5-7 senior guard Zoie Shupe senior, was a first-team all-league selection last year and 5-5 senior guard Kersti Nelson. and 5-8 senior Jaide Talbott was an honorable menFour additional juniors and one sophomore also tion choice. The third returning starter is 5-6 senior return for head coach Bryan Weatherman. guard Savannah Hellebust. “Defensively, we should be pretty good,” “Expectations are to compete at the top level of the Weatherman said. “Our kids defend well and have league this season,” head coach Ken Cravens said. the speed to defend 90 feet and press when we “The girls will have to step up their games collectivewant to. Offensively, we need kids to step up and ly to compete in the league and a tough non-league score. Scoring has been a problem for us the last schedule.”
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Burkholder, Cameron White, Alfwenna Meyer, and Bethany Grimmett lead a strong senior class. “Our goal this season is to build our program with solid leadership from our upperclassmen and compete everyday to get better,” Hett said. “Our team will be successful if we come together as a unit and play for each other.” ELL-SALINE was painfully young last season, and as a result the Cardinals went 0-20. Raleigh Kramer led the team in scoring as a freshman, while sophomores Reece Ditto and Hannah Backhus led the team in steals and rebounding. Junior forward Brynna Rowley and senior guard Erin Lange also return, as does senior center Paige Vogt, who led the team in blocks last season. In her second season, coach Cary Wilson will have a group one year older, stronger and wiser. “We will be trying to build on a positive offseason in which many girls spent time coming in and working in the weight room and gym, as well as summer league,” Wilson said. “Finding consistent shooting and scoring will be critical as defense will be the team’s strength. We will also need to cut down on our turnovers as this cost us many possessions a year ago.” BENNINGTON finished with a winning record and landed three on the postseason all-league team. The Bulldogs ended their season at substate against Inman. Bennington returns all three of its all-league selections. Senior Chloe Stanley will lead the way after being named to the first team. Juniors Regan Robinson and Kyla Kind
Page 58 were honorable mentions. With a loss to Hesston in the opening round of sub-state, HUTCHINSON TRINITY ended the season below .500 with a 10-11 record. Although the Celtics graduated first-team all-league selection Olivia Shank and starter Liz Zrubek, Trinity does return first-team junior Hayley Huges and honorable mention senior Meg Friday. WHITEWATER-REMINGTON struggled in the win column last season and fell to eventual 2A State Champions Garden Plain in the sub-state quarterfinals. INMAN won 18 games and spent time at No. 1 in 2A, but ended its season in the sub-state championship against state runner-up Sterling. Inman returns three starters and five additional lettermen. Despite the loss of four seniors and two starters, the Teutons are sitting in good shape entering the season. Senior Rachel Harman, a 6-foot center, averaged 6.2 points, 5.8 rebounds, and three blocks a game on her way to earning second-team all-league honors. Senior forward Lauren Maurer joins Harman in the front court after earning honorable mention honors. Junior guard Dantlie Raney used her quickness to average 4.5 steals per game and was a second-team all-league selection. Senior guard Ashtyn Schroeder is likely to fill into a starting role after missing most of last season with a knee injury. Inman head coach Bill Maurer is excited for the upcoming season. “The strength of our team again this season will be our depth,” Maurer said. “We hope to use that depth to our advantage and maintain constant defensive pressure on our opponent.”
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Kansas Pregame Winter Sports Preview, Volume 2
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NORTH CENTRAL KANSAS LEAGUE
By Kansas Pregame Staff The Abilene-Chapman high school rivalry is one of the best in the state and things really got interesting during the 2018-19 basketball season. Abilene took care of business in the regular season, edging their arch-rivals by one game for the NCKL championship, but it was the Fighting Irish who advanced to the Class 4A state tournament in Salina and eventually finished fourth overall. On the girls’ side, much of the best talent in the NCKL will return this season. Of the 19 players selected either first-team or honorable mention all-league last year, 11 were underclassmen. BOYS Long-time coach Terry Taylor returns for his 13th season at ABILENE and 46th overall. He starts the 2019-20 season with 663 career victories and seven league titles in the last nine years. That victory total by Taylor will increase again this season as five lettermen return from last year’s 18-4 team. Travis Beetch, a 6-4 senior point guard, is back after averaging 10.2 points and 3.1 assists per game while being named first-team all-league. Kaleb Becker, a 6-4 sophomore, averaged 8.1 points and 4 rebounds a game and was named HM all-league as a freshman despite coming off the bench. A pair of 6-3 juniors - Josh Stuber and Avery Bryson - also played significant minutes off the bench for the Cowboys. “We have enough pieces to be a very solid team in Class 4A,” Taylor said. “Our challenge will be to come together as a team, develop new team leaders and improve our perimeter shooting.” CHAPMAN returns two starters from last year’s 19-6 team that knocked off Nickerson in the sub-state finals to advance to the 4A state tournament - 6-foot senior guard Noah Riegel and 6-5 senior Kel Stroud, who earned honorable mention all-league honors and is headed to the University of South Dakota to play football. Two seniors - Chane Liebau and Jake Vercher - plus sophomores Trey Adams and Eli Riegel will be counted on for major minutes. “We are athletic, have good basketball IQs and good work ethic,” head coach James Bell said.
“But, we are young. We have a lot of guys moving up who are unproven.” Expectations are high in MARYSVILLE where the Bulldogs return four starters and four additional lettermen from a team that was 12-8 overall. Last year’s junior varsity posted a 17-1 record and will add to the depth this season. Senior guard Dalton Denner returns after being named first-team all-league, while senior forward Matt Holle and junior guard Gavin Pieschl earned HM all-league honors. Also back is senior forward Koby Schroeder. “We return numerous starters and lettermen, but we have much to improve on, in terms of toughness and unity,” head coach Scott Brown said. “If we can improve in those two categories, we have the talent to have a great year.” CONCORDIA welcomes back three starters from a 7-13 team - 6-2 junior Wyatt Trost (9 ppg.), 6-3 junior Chas Carlgren (8 ppg., 5 rpg.) and senior Ivon Owen (1 ppg.). The Panthers will miss the production of fourth all-time leading scorer Dyelan Reed, now playing at Cloud County Community College after averaging 20.6 points and 8.2 rebounds per game last year as a senior. “We return quite a few players from last year’s team, but we will need to defend better than previous years and improve our 3-point percentage,” head coach Michael Roe said. WAMEGO returns two starters - 5-8 senior Taylor Vetter and 6-2 senior Brad Sackrider - for head coach Troy Hemphill, who is starting his 22nd year at the school. Vetter averaged 11.1 points and 2.1 steals per game last year and was named HM all-league. “Our keys will be defending, rebounding and sharing the ball,” said Hemphill, whose team was 7-13 last year. CLAY CENTER has a new coach in Travis Smith who was previously at Solomon. Three starters return from a 4-16 team - 5-7 senior Jaret Pfizenmaier (3 ppg.), 6-2 senior Cooper Glavan (8) and 5-10 senior Jake Ferguson (5). Isaac Lee, a 5-7 junior, averaged 6 points a game off the bench. “We have a lot of experience coming back this year,” Smith said. “Each of our seniors were major contributors and I look forward to seeing them lead our team.”
GIRLS The ABILENE girls qualified for the Class 4A state tournament last March before losing in the first round to Nickerson. Three starters return from that team, but the Cowgirls also graduated two all-state players in Hannah Willey and Sydney Burton. The Cowgirls return three starters from a team that won 20 of 23 games - senior point guard Beth Holmes (6 ppg.), junior forward Abi Lillard (5) and senior Jade Vopat (2). Three additional lettermen return as well. Holmes was named first-team all-league and Lillard was an honorable mention choice. “We expect to defend the NCKL title and compete at a high level,” said head coach Mike Liby. “We had several girls stepping up this past summer with skill work, in the weight room and agilities.” CLAY CENTER advanced to the Class 3A state tournament last year before losing in the first round to Nemaha Central. The Tigers finished second in the NCKL race and were 19-5 overall for head coach Jeff Edwards. The Tigers feature one of the top players in the league and 3A in 6-foot junior Clara Edwards, who averaged 13 points and 8 rebounds a game, while earning first-team all-league and second-team all-state honors. Also returning as a starter is 5-6 senior guard Lexi Liby (7 ppg.). In addition to Edwards and Liby, coach Edwards listed 10 additional players as key returnees. “I look for our team to be very athletic and fast this year,” Edwards said. “We are going to stress tempo on the offensive end and pressure on the defensive end.”
MARYSVILLE will be looking to improve on last year’s 14-8 record and challenge both Abilene and Clay Center for the league title. The Bulldogs return 10 lettermen, including three starters, from last year’s club. Sami Bartels, a 5-11 senior, was a first-team all-league pick last year after averaing 11.2 points and 10.3 rebounds per game. Also returning as starters are 5-11 junior Linda Franco (7.2 ppg., 4.4 rpg.) and 5-7 junior Macy Roever (6.4 ppg.). “We have a lot of experience back and are excited to see what the season brings with this group of girls,” head coach Amy Renyer said. “The keys for us are to improve our outside game, take care of the basketball, control the defensive boards, be aggressive on defense and get the ball inside.” WAMEGO could be the dark horse of the league this season with three starters and five additional lettermen returning from a 12-9 team. Aubri Alexander, a senior, averaged 8 points a game last year, while sophomore Paige Donnelly scored 7 a game. Both were named HM all-league. Also back are senior Kendra Hamman (5 ppg.) and senior Maci Beachler (6 ppg.), among others. “We are excited about the steps we took last season and look forward to building on them this year,” head coach Brian McIntosh said. “We also have a deep freshman class, which will have the opportunity to compete for varsity minutes.” CHAPMAN is another team with high hopes after last year’s 7-14 season. The Irish return all five starters, including senior guard McKenna Kirkpatrick, who earned first-team all-league continued on page 60 1166 Pony Express Hwy
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NORTHEAST KANSAS LEAGUE By Brent Maycock, The Topeka Capital-Journal The 2018-19 postseason left a little sense of unfinished business for the champions of the Northeast Kansas League. The Maur Hill-Mount Academy boys couldn’t have enjoyed any more success during the regular season. Coming off a fourth-place finish at the Class 3A state tournament and 23-3 season in 2017-18, the Ravens were even better. Maur Hill ran the table in the regular season with only two games decided by less than 10 points, wins over Jeff West and Seabury. The Ravens then survived a 3A sub-state OT scare from Hiawatha in the semifinals and beat Nemaha Central 44-28 in the championship to return to Hutchinson as the No. 1 seed in the 3A state tourney. But the magical run ended there. Eight-seeded TMP-Marian came out on fire and doused the Ravens’ hope for the program’s first state title since 2006, pulling off a 73-51 upset. As great as the 22-1 season was for the Ravens, it left a sour taste in the mouth for folks at Maur Hill. The same could be said for the league’s girls champion, Pleasant Ridge. The Rams put together one of the best seasons in school history, going 18-2 in the regular season which included a 15-1 league mark that delivered the program’s first league title in several years. But seeking the first state berth in program history, Pleasant Ridge came up short. The top seed in a loaded 3A sub-state, the Rams were upset 45-43 by Marysville in the semis, finishing with a stellar, yet somewhat unsatisfying 19-3 record. Both teams now have new coaches. In addition to Maur Hill, two other league teams qualified for state tournaments. McLouth’s boys, who finished runner-up to Maur Hill in the league race, punched their ticket to the 2A state tournament with a 58-33 rout of Republic County in the sub-state finals. Jackson Heights’ girls also qualified in 2A, knocking out league rival Atchison County 56-39 in the sub-state finals. Both teams fell in the first round at state with McLouth falling 48-41 to perennial power Colgan and Heights dropping a 66-58 decision to Sterling. Overall, it was a strong year on the girls side of the league with Pleasant Ridge, Jeff. County North, Jackson Heights and Atchison County all finishing with at least 16 victories. BOYS Troy Hoffman makes a move within the league, taking over at ATCHISON COUNTY after coaching the McLouth girls last season. He inherits a team that went 0-21 and becomes the latest face in a recent coaching carousel for the school, the program’s fourth coach in four years. He’s hoping to stabilize things and return the Tigers to the contender status they enjoyed a few seasons ago. Two starters are back to build around in senior guards Tucker Smith and Trystin Myers with Smith an honorable mention all-league pick last year. A third returning starter, senior Levi Navinskey will miss most if not all of the season with an ACL injury. Hoffman will have plenty of bodies to work with and expects contributions from his sophomores. A season sweep of Atchison County were the only victories HORTON came up with in Josh Lutz’s first season as head coach. The Chargers finished 2-18 overall, and graduated three starters, but return five players who started at some point last season as
Lutz shuffled the lineup trying to find the right mix. Seniors Braden Cowley, Quinn Gamino and Noah Isaacs all have a knack for rebounding and Trey Lockwood emerged as a freshman last year and could have a bigger impact this season. One of the top teams in the league and 2A for a number of years, JACKSON HEIGHTS slipped back to the middle of the pack last year, going 10-10 as the Cobras never found the consistency coach Chris Brown was looking for. They showed plenty of promise, splitting with state qualifier McLouth. This year could be a rebuilding one for Heights as all five starters from last year graduated. Brown thinks the Cobras could surprise people and several of the players have helped the football team to a deep postseason run. Dylan Thompson is one of the top returners at a forward spot, while Jason Bosley could become the primary scorer after seeing plenty of time as a freshman last year. No returner averaged more than 2.4 points per game. Tonya Kramer brought a new style of play to JEFFERSON NORTH last year in her first year as head coach and though she saw plenty of growth, the record didn’t indicate the progress as the Chargers finished 7-14. Losing only two players to graduation, the improvements may be reflected in the win column this season. Five players return who averaged at least 4 points per game, led by Ryan Feldkamp who averaged 9.6 ppg. as a freshman a year ago. He’ll form a solid frontcourt with junior James Kramer (5.7 ppg.) and the Chargers have a solid backcourt in senior Trent Fowler (8.8 ppg.) and junior Emmett Jobbins (6.3 ppg.). There are only two seniors in the rotation so North’s best days are still ahead. It was a dominant season for MAUR HILLMOUNT ACADEMY a year ago as the Ravens won the league by three games and didn’t have a league game closer than 14 points. Maur Hill will have a different look this season as three starters and four key contributors have graduated, including first-team all-leaguer Zach Schwinn. There’s also a new guy in charge as Brad Kunecke moves over to the boys job after coaching the Raven girls for a number of years, replacing Tim VanDyke. Maur Hill is still the league favorite with the return of seniors Abe Siebenmorgen and Jack Caudle, each of whom earned all-league honors. Caudle averaged 13.4 points per game while Siebenmorgen chipped in 12 points and 7 rebounds. Three reserves step into the vacated starting roles but the Ravens’ depth is inexperienced. McLOUTH ended a state drought of more than 50 years, qualifying for the first time since 1960. Even though the state trip ended quickly, it was a banner year for the Bulldogs, who finished 18-6 — the most wins for the program since 1955. Only one starter returns for this season, leaving veteran coach Steve Lilly with plenty of holes to fill. Senior forward Jaxson Pope was a first-team all-leaguer who averaged 13 points per game to rank second on the team behind departed brother Garrison. Last year’s sixth man, senior Tayshawn Barfield, will take on a more prominent role after averaging 5.7 ppg. last year, but beyond that duo, are question marks and inexperience. OSKALOOSA posted its highest win total in 15 years, going 11-11 last season. Matching that total could be a challenge this season as the Bears grad-
Page 61 uated six seniors that accounted for nearly 90 percent of the team’s scoring a year ago. Junior Keaton Bassett is the lone returning starter for Oskaloosa and averaged 5.1 points and 3.2 rebounds per game. Peyton Hamm and Jake Janas are the only two seniors on the team and fourth-year coach Jeremy Rockhold will have to rely on a solid sophomore class that saw some time as freshmen on the varsity level last season. Given how young PLEASANT RIDGE was last year, the Rams’ final 9-12 mark was a pretty solid showing. The Rams started three sophomores and a freshman and showed flashes with upsets of Valley Falls and Oskaloosa and giving Maur Hill its closest league game. Veteran coach Pat Battle lost just two players to graduation and returns four starters as he looks to build off last year’s foundation. The Rams will have to replace leading scorer and rebounder Jamar Reed, but junior Connor Gibson averaged 10.1 points per game while sophomore Justin Johnston added 6.3 points per game as a freshman starter. VALLEY FALLS finished third in the league and went 16-7 overall, reaching the 1A sub-state semifinals. The Dragons expect to contend for the league title this season despite graduating three starters including leading scorer and rebounder Hunter Aspinwall, who was a first-team all-leaguer. Senior Tyler Lockhart is a four-year starter for the Dragons who averaged 14 points and 8 boards last year as a complement to Aspinwall and will be the veteran coach Caleb Gatzemeyer builds around. Senior guard Diego Cervantez is the only other returning starter and one of two other seniors on the roster as the Dragons will be somewhat young. GIRLS Led by a stellar senior class, ATCHISON COUNTY enjoyed a good season that almost became a great one. The Tigers handed league champion Pleasant Ridge its only league loss, also beat 2A state qualifier Jackson Heights and knocked off sub-state top seed Jefferson County North to reach the sub-state championship game. The run ended with a loss to Heights there, but the 15-7 season had plenty of highlights that included Jaycee Ernzen climbing to third on the school’s career scoring list and Katie Beien becoming the all-time leader in assists. Both of them are now gone, along with the Tigers’ other three starters as well, leaving coach Mike Eckert with an entirely new roster. Megan Pitts is the lone returning player who saw varsity time last year. HORTON went 4-17 last year in Kertis Keehn’s first year as head coach. The Chargers will look to improve on that mark this season as all five starters return. The Chargers have good size in the starting unit with all five 5-foot-7 or taller. There’s experience there too with four of them seniors led by guard Maryanna Randall and forward Tatum Lockwood. Developing depth with be a key with a trio of freshmen expected to come off the bench. Qualifying for state last year for the first time since 1999, JACKSON HEIGHTS looks to not only get back this season but stick around after getting bounced in the first round by Sterling. With four starters back, there’s a schance that could happen. Heights boasts one of the top players in the league in senior Kylie Dohl, a four-year starter who averaged 17.3 points and 8.2 rebounds per game last year. She also led the team in assists and steals and is the catalyst behind Heights’ turnaround. Senior guards Jodi White and Abby Brey are threeyear starters with Brey averaging 9 points a game last year. Junior Amaya Marlatt added 9.2 points
Photo Courtesy Theresa Jobbins
Kansas Pregame Winter Sports Preview, Volume 2
Page 61
Josie WEISHAAR
Jefferson Co. North, Senior
per game, giving coach Dan Shupe a solid nucleus to build around. Three more seniors came off the bench last year, so there’s plenty of experience returning all around. After reaching four straight state championship games from 2011-14, JEFFERSON COUNTY NORTH hasn’t been able to find its way back to the state tournament the past five years. They’ve been close, falling in the sub-state finals three straight years before getting upset in the semifinals last year by league foe Atchison County. Needless to say the Chargers are hungry. More importantly, they’re experienced and have arguably the top player in the league in senior Josie Weishaar. A four-year starter, Weishaar averaged 16.2 points per game last year. She’s one of three returning starters and North only lost two players to graduation. Kinsey Schneider added 8.9 points and a team-high 6.3 rebounds per game last year and can play inside or out. The Chargers were an overtime loss away from sharing the league title with Pleasant Ridge last year. With veteran coach Brad Kunecke taking over the boys’ coaching job MAUR HILL-MOUNT ACADEMY turns the girls program over to Luke Noll, whose father, Steve, is the head coach at league rival Jeff North. Noll coached the past two years at Hayden and takes over a team that went just 3-16 last year and graduated five seniors. Three starters do return for the Ravens led by junior Madison Folsom (5.4 ppg.). Junior Malia Dulac is the only other returner who averaged more than two points per game as scoring was troublesome for the Ravens a year ago. Noll may have to call on a big freshman class to contribute McLOUTH has its third coach in three years as Phillipe McCree takes over for Troy Hoffman, who left for the Atchison County boys job. The Bulldogs were 9-12 a year ago, their most wins since the 2009-10 season when McLouth won 14 games. The season was highlighted by a late win over state qualifier Jackson Heights. McCree will be starting basically from scratch, however, as graduation claimed seven seniors and all-leaguer Amy Mitchell transferred. Sophomore Samantha Pope is the only returning letterwinner and averaged 2.2 points and 4 rebounds last year. Hoping to take a step forward in Andrew Kraxner’s second year as coach OSKALOOSA instead took a step backward, slipping from six wins to a 4-17 mark. Four returning starters should help the Bears go back the right direction this year with all four averaging at least 6.6 points per game led by senior Jenna Pfau (8.9 ppg.), junior Sophia Rockhold (9.3 ppg.) and junior Regan Curry (8.6 ppg.). The Bears were good on the boards last year with Pfau averaging 14.7 rebounds a game and Rockhold 6.8. Improving shot selection on offense continued on page 68
NORTHERN PLAINS LEAGUE By Gallagher Martin, For Kansas Pregame BOYS Seven of the 13 teams in the Northern Plains League finished with a record above .500. The league was headlined by Osborne, who won the NPL with a 10-0 league record and finished the season 25-1. The Bulldogs won the NPL and advanced to the state tournament for the third straight season. Key pieces have since graduated, but the cabinet is not bare for Osborne. However, it might be safe to say St. John’s BeloitTipton returns the most production after going 10-1 in the NPL last season. Every returning all-league selection from the first, second and third teams comes from Osborne and SJBT. Teams like Sylvan-Lucas and Rock Hills were on the outside looking in last year, but return a solid group of players of their own. OSBORNE had its undefeated season end in the 1A State Semifinals to St. John-Hudson, but the Bulldogs were able to send their seniors out with a 49-44 win over Caldwell in the third-place game. Osborne head coach Jamie Wolters now has a career record of 121-43 in his eight seasons at Osborne. The loss of first-team all-league selection Darnell Holloway and imposing post presence Jordan Wherry will hurt, but the Bulldogs return three startersBRUSH andARTsix• DONLEVY lettermen. Senior Steele Wolters LITHO • SUN GRAPHICS averaged 17 points and 2.5 steals a game last season on his way to being named to the All-NPL First Team and just quarterbacked the Bulldogs
to the 2019 8-Man II state title. Seniors Darrien Holloway and Vaughn Stull combined to average 11 points, six assists, seven rebounds, and four steals a game. Holloway suffered what was originally thought a potentially serious injury early in the football playoffs and reported on social media he was done for the season. Then in the semifinals against Hutch-Central Christian he surprisingly played and rushed for nearly 200 yards. Holloway is one of the top hurdlers in the state and will play an even bigger role on the basketball court this season following the graduation of his older brother second team all-leaguer Kade Miller. ST. JOHN’S BELOIT-TIPTON returns its topthree scorers from last year’s 18-4 team. St. John’s went 10-1 in the NPL, finished as regional champions, but came up short at sub-state. If the Blujays are to take the next step forward this season, they will have to get over the Osborne hump. Three of the Blujays’ four losses came at the hands of the Bulldogs. With three seniors leading the way, St. John’s will be a confident bunch heading into the season. Seniors Brady Palen and Brandon Bates both earned first-team all-league honors last season. Palen - one of the state’s top high jumpers and a high flying dunker - led the team with 15 points and 8.6 rebounds per game, while Bates, an excellent 3-point shooter, put up 14.5 points and four rebounds a game. Senior Braden Dameron, a thirdteam all-league selection, averaged 9.8 points and 3.3 rebounds a game. Junior Dalton Schmitt is a 6-8 center with a mas-
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sive frame who could see an increased role this season along with junior guards Anthony Henke and Blake Perez. “We have a lot of upperclassmen this year with a lot of experience,” coach Lance Bergmann said. “We are going to have to get tougher in order to reach our goal of competing for a state-playoff run.” Bergmann said the Blujays would also need to get healthy from some injuries suffered in football season, but was hopeful to have everyone back prior to the Christmas break. Jeff Starkey helped lead SYLVAN-LUCAS to a third-place finish in the Northern Plains League in his first season as head coach. The Mustangs finished 8-2 within the league and 15-6 overall. The Mustangs ended their season in the sub-state semifinals with a loss to Northern Valley. Sylvan-Lucas graduated second-team all-league selection JC Huehl, but returns two starters. Senior Beau Batchman, an all-state football player, returns to the basketball court after averaging eight points and 4.7 rebounds last season, but is especially good on the defensive end of the court. Junior Jonah Huehl, a 6-2 post player, will also be a key piece after averaging 9.3 points and 5.2 rebounds. The Mustangs also return five lettermen who will fight for a starting spot. “We will be young on the perimeter this year. We
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Kansas Pregame Winter Sports Preview, Volume 2
Osborne, Senior
have some good young depth on the perimeter but will take some time to find a good combination of players to contribute there,” Starkey said. “Beau and Jonah return with a lot of experience and have a chance to be really good on both ends of the floor.” In his first season at SOUTHERN CLOUD, Cody Flinn guided the Warriors to a 13-7 record and a fourth-place finish in the NPL. The Warriors welcome back just two starters this season and will miss second team all-leaguer Kaury Stout and continued atop the next page
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Page 63 and getting stops will be keys to success. Rock Hills finished last season 11-10. What LAKESIDE lacks in size, the Knights plan on making up for in speed. Lakeside graduated three starters and its top two post players from last year’s 11-10 team. The Knights return two starters and a strong sophomore class that saw varsity minutes as freshmen. Senior Carter Brown and junior Wyatt Eberle are the only two returning upperclassmen who lettered last season. Jace Schoen, Tyler Schoen, and Kylan Cunningham are all sophomores that will be counted on for lots of varsity minutes. “This will be the fastest team I will have had the opportunity to coach, which I hope will allow for more transition offense,” fifth-year head coach Drew Duskie said. “The top of our league has quality basketball teams but I feel that we can compete with everyone and hope to finish near the top this year.” PIKE VALLEY returns three starters from last year’s 7-11 squad. Entering his 36th year with the program, head coach Gary Loring says he isn’t expecting a large number of athletes out for bas-
continued on page 64 The Rock Hills Booster Club is proud to support Rock Hills athletics!
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Kansas Pregame Winter Sports Preview, Volume 2 honorable mention Blake Gumm. The Dragons return three total lettermen. Ptacek Two seniors will lead the way. Jackson Burch, a says he anticipates 10 players on the roster. 6-3 forward, averaged 2.8 points and 2.2 rebounds “Our biggest weakness is lack of numbers,” a game. Nevyn Gold, a 6-1 guard, averaged 1.8 Ptacek said. “A strength we have is it is my secpoints and 1.2 steals a game. Both seniors will be ond year as head coach so the kids know what I asked to carry a bigger offensive load this season. am looking for and can move on to our goals as “How fast our team learns how to play together a team easier. I feel we can really move far in our as a team and knowing their role on the team will league this year and make a good push in the postseason.” be key this year,” Flinn said. Junior Morgan Coleman, sophomore Gabe Rice Replacing Dereck Gillett is the biggest priority and freshman Levi Cool will be called on to play for ROCK HILLS, but fortunately he is the only big roles for the Warriors as they look to replace starter that graduated. Still, the high-flying firstteam all-league selection, now playing football at lost production. WILSON finished with a respectable 12-9 record Benedictine, was one of the top players in the NPL and a 7-5 league record last season. The Dragons last season and will be missed. will be thin on numbers and experience in head The Grizzlies return five upperclassmen who averaged at least five points a game last season. coach Trenton Ptacek’s second season. Returning for Wilson is junior center Garrett Rock Hills will need to establish depth, but the Theilen, who averaged 5.6 points and four re- Grizzlies are not low on returning experience. bounds a game. Theilen is the only returning start- Juniors Jerrod Gillett (7.5 ppg., 2.5 rpg.), Mason er for Wilson, but 6-2 junior Cooper Weinhold is big Higer (5.3 ppg., 3.5 apg.), and Davion McDonald and athletic while 5-7 senior Westin Hughes will (7.9 ppg., 3.1 apg.), along with seniors Noah likely handle the point guard duties after recording Williams (8.0 ppg., 3.5 rpg.) and Cheyenne Mohler 1.3 assists and 2.2 points a game last year as a (5.6 ppg, 6.5 rpg) are key returners. reserve. Head coach Nick Mizner says improving defense
Jaden BODEN
Thunder Ridge, Senior
John Struckhoff, Agent Phone: 785-282-3892
Kansas Pregame Winter Sports Preview, Volume 2
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NPL /FROM PG 63____________
Brady PALEN
St. John’s Beloit/Tipton, Senior
ketball. Juniors Brennan Flavin (6-2), Ethan Benne (6-2) and Daltyn Garman (5-10) will be key players for the Panthers. Loring says the team goal is to get better each day and the key to success will be staying injury free. LINCOLN is coming off a 5-15 season but returns key pieces from last year’s team. The Leopards did graduate four seniors, including honorable mention all-leaguer Drew Biggs, but fourthyear coach Joe Biggs remains optimistic. Junior Tyler Good is likely the team’s best allaround athlete and one of the state’s top 8-Man football players. According to Biggs, Good showed moments where he was the best player on the court and is often the most athletic player on the court. He continues to develop his outside shot and defensive presence and is expected to be fully recovered from an injury sustained late in the football season in time for the pre-Christmas portion of the season. Senior Zach Obermueller handles the pointguard responsibilities and continues to develop his outside shooting ability and the ability to penetrate and distribute. Juniors Landon O’Hare and Gabe Jonsson are 6-4 and 6-3 forwards who will give the Leopards a strong frontcourt presence. O’Hare is a small forward with a quality jump shot while Jonsson is a developing post presence that hustles on defense. “Keys for us this year will be to stay together as a team as we learn to be excited for each other, not ourselves,” Biggs said. “If we can do that, the pieces are there for a great year.” The CHASE Kats went 4-17 last season and only return starter Dylan Miller who averaged two points a game. Head coach Mitch Light realizes his team will go through growing pains. He maintains the goal is to improve every game. “Our goal is to win as many games as we can,” Light said. “The key will be attitude. We are young and will make mistakes. We will need to stay positive and continue to improve.” THUNDER RIDGE returns three starters after going 7-12 last season and 5-6 in the NPL. Reece Struckhoff, Riggs Reneberg, and Kyler Seaman will be looked on for leadership. Struckhoff, the team’s top returning scorer,
earned honorable mention all-league recognition and is coming off a record-breaking football season in which he led the Longhorns to a quarterfinal playoff berth. The Longhorns, only other all-league players, third teamer Brandon Grauerholz and honorable mention Landon Gering, were seniors. NATOMA went 3-15 last season. The Tigers went 1-9 in the NPL with their only win coming against Tescott. While Natoma did not experience much success in the win column, the Tigers return six lettermen who saw starting time last year. Senior Shayne Engling will be counted on for leadership, as will juniors Jayson Engling and Jayce Dickerson. Natoma features a strong sophomore class that includes Tracen Frye, Kayden Martinez, and Derek George. TESCOTT had its season end by league-rival Southern Cloud at regionals. The Trojans finished the season winless. The Trojans return senior Zach Perry, who earned honorable mention allleague honors. GIRLS Defending league-champions Thunder Ridge has a lot to replace, but the Longhorns will be in good hands with senior Brennan Kirchhoff. Like Thunder Ridge, St. John’s Beloit-Tipton will be tough as usual. The Blujays have a new coach, but return All-Northern Plains League First Team selection Lauryn Dubbert. Dubbert and Kirchhoff are the only two returners from the all-league first team. All five selections from the second team have graduated, which leaves five returners from the third team and honorable mention combined. After not fielding a team due to lack of numbers, Natoma hits the court again this season. THUNDER RIDGE ran into the Central Plainsbuzzsaw in the 1A State Semifinals, but did rebound with a 54-44 win over Waverly in the thirdplace game. The win capped off a 23-3 season that saw the Longhorns win the Northern Plains league with an unblemished 10-0 record. Senior Brennan Kirchhoff will be one of the top players in the league this season after earning first-team all-league honors. The Longhorns must replace all-league seniors Elizabeth Hardacre and Mariah Stauffer, but return honorable mention allleague senior Jaen Boden. ST. JOHN’S BELOIT-TIPTON is breaking in a new coach after finishing 19-3 and falling in the sub-state championship to state runner-up Hanover. Fortunately for head coach Leah Bergmann, she has junior Lauryn Dubbert at her disposal. Dubbert earned first-team all-league honors last season. She was the only sophomore who earned any all-league honors and one of two underclassmen. Dubbert is joined by two returning senior starters in Erica Brummer and Emily Eilert. Replacing first-team all-league selection Kara Eilert will be important. Bergmann will take a dayby-day approach in her first year with the Blujays. “Working together as a team and striving to be better each day, practice, and games will be keys to success,” Bergmann said. LAKESIDE finished one game above .500 at 1110 last season. The Knights were 6-4 in the NPL, but ended their season with a loss to Osborne at regionals. Lakeside must replace all-league selections Megan LaRocque and Adrianna Bergmann. Seniors Grace Grady and Avery Berkley will be counted on for leadership. Grady averaged 6.5
Page 64 points per game while Berkley averaged 5.6 rebounds a game. Head coach Travis Eberle says the goals are to win the NPL and make the state tournament. “We will need to capitalize on our defense and rebounds,” Eberle said. “Minimize turnovers and be confident in our shooting.” Three of PIKE VALLEY’s four wins came within the Northern Plains League. The Panthers went 4-17 last season but managed to finish ninth out of 14 teams. Seth McGregor is entering his first year as Pike Valley head coach. He inherits a program that is full of talented seniors, including McKenna Reeves and Jessica Jensen. Reeves averaged 12 points a game last season while Jensen averaged 11 points and nine rebounds. Seniors Cajsa Carlgren and Macy Rickard combined to averaged six points and six rebounds. Junior Riley Jacobson is also a returning starter. McGregor anticipates a roster of 14 players. “This year we have a great group of girls. We are focusing on daily improvement, setting and achieving team goals, and really working the fundamentals,” McGregor said. SOUTHERN CLOUD must replace its leading scorer in Kaitlyn Morris from last year’s 12-8 team. The Warriors were 4-4 within the NPL. Junior Shea McMillian should assume the role of leading scorer after being second on the team at nine points a game. Junior Athina Liby is the team’s other returning starter after averaging 3.4 points a game. The Warriors graduated five seniors who played at least 18 of 20 games. Junior Hana Cool played in 18 games and will likely fill into a starting role this season. LINCOLN returns three starters and four lettermen. The Leopards went 9-13 last season and fell to Southern Cloud at regionals, but the team includes several of the contributors to winningest volleyball season in the last 20 years. Senior Carson Walter will be counted on for leadership and is one of the top returning players in the league. Walter averaged 10.1 points and 9.1 rebounds per game on her way to earning thirdteam all-league honors. Tana Hayworth (5-10, F) and Dawson O’Bannon (5-5, G) both started last year as freshmen, combining to average 5.4 points and 7.9 rebounds a game. Junior Jaycee Vath, a two-time cross country state champion, averaged 2.2 points and 1.3 rebounds. O’Bannon and Vath will be key in the backcourt. “The key to our season will be our guard play. We must take care of the ball better this year and we need to find some people to hit some 3-point shots consistently to help open things up in the lane for our posts,” coach Steve Crist said. “I am confident we will play hard. We just have to learn to play smarter as we play hard.” Three junior guards will look to turn ROCK HILLS around this season. The Grizzlies went 1-16 last season and 0-9 in the NPL, but with three solid returning starters, head coach Jamie Harvey has a “good feeling” about this year. Rock Hills will likely be balanced offensively. Jauclyn Lemke averaged 8.5 points and 4.8 rebounds a game last season. Eve Meyers wasn’t too far behind at 8.2 points while also averaging 5.6 rebounds. Karrigan Dunstan averaged 6.1 points and 3.2 rebounds. “We have a good group of freshmen coming up. Our upperclassmen should be stronger and better,” Harvey said, who said confidence could be a
weakness. WILSON’s Macy Hanzlick was the only freshman to earn all-league honors last season. Hanzlick averaged 9.8 points a game and was voted to the All-NPL Third Team. The Dragons will also rely on junior Bryna Hill, who averaged four points a game. “We are a young team and it will take time to get where we need to be,” head coach Bob Power said. “We need to be a strong defensive team.” Shawn Pecenka is entering his 21st year of coaching where he has established a career record of 173-150. He is entering his first year coaching back at TESCOTT where he previously served as head boys coach. He inherits a team that finished 3-14 last season and 1-9 in the NPL. The Trojans graduated honorable mention allleague selection Karsyn Lee along with two other starters. Seniors Montana Peterson and Danni Ehlers will be counted on for leadership, especially with a new head coach. “How well the team adapts and picks up new offensive and defensive philosophies will be keys to success,” Pecenka said. OSBORNE ran into the buzzsaw that is Central Plains at regionals. The Bulldogs finished the season 11-11 overall and 5-4 in the NPL. Osborne must replace standout-athlete Afftin Conway who earned second-team all-league honors. Senior Rhyann Brown returns after being named to the All-NPL Third Team. Brown averaged 5.5 points, 5.4 rebounds, and two steals a game. The Bulldogs also return seniors Tierra Conway, who averaged 6.2 points a game, and Zoe Girard, who averaged 3.4 points a game. Sophomore Ava Stull averaged 5.4 points and 4.5 rebounds last season as a freshman. Osborne welcomes new head coach Trina Lutters after Kayla Corbett departed after two years leading the Bulldogs. SYLVAN-LUCAS lost Hannah Wolting and Lexi Neel to Bethany College. Neel earned second-team all-league honors. The Mustangs also graduated Aundrea Haberer, who was voted an All-NPL Honorable Mention. The Lady ‘Stangs were 8-1 in the NPL and finished third behind Osborne and St. John’s. Graduation claimed eight Mustangs who saw significant minutes last season. Senior Sasha Albert returns as the team’s leading scorer at 1.3 ppg. CHASE went 5-16 overall, but four of those wins came within the Northern Plains League. Replacing Jasmine Weatherman and her 9.1 points and 9.9 rebounds a game will not be easy, nor will replacing Maggie Schneider’s 9.9 ppg. Senior Taylor Lattimer could be in for a big season after averaging 9.3 points and 5.6 rebounds. Junior Lindsey Winkelman is also a returning starter. “We will be very short on experience and size this year,” head coach Brent Clark said. “I know this year’s team will play very hard. We also will have three freshmen that will step up and give us some good minutes.” NATOMA is back in action after not playing last year due to a lack of numbers. Head coach Cody Dunlap enters his fourth year with the program. Expectations are unclear for the Tigers, but Dunlap wants to build unity. “Our goals are to improve each and every week, both on and off the court,” Dunlap said. “Bonding together and working for the betterment of the team will be keys to success.”
NORTHWEST KANSAS LEAGUE
By Conor Nicholl, For Kansas Pregame The NWKL saw teams end their seasons in substate championship games last year, notably the Wallace County boys and Atwood-Rawlins County girls. Both teams lost to undefeated Central Plains squads that went onto win the state tournament. In the preseason coaches poll, Hoxie boys are ranked fifth in 2A. St. Francis is tenth in 1A. The league, though, returns a significant amount of its top players from last season. Four of the five first team all-league girls were juniors last winter: Hoxie’s Addi Campbell and Macy Schamberger, Atwood’s Kristen Beckman and Oberlin’s Alyssa Van Vleet. As well, three of the five second teamers return, all are seniors: Dighton’s Ella Roberts, St. Francis’ Karly Bandel and Oberlin’s Anna Carter. Additionally, Wallace County senior Haylee Hennick and St. Francis junior Emma Johnson are back after earning third team all-league honors. BOYS HOXIE finished 18-3 and will be in the NWKL for the final time this winter. The Indians are transitioning to the Mid-Continent League and will play in the MCL tournament this winter. The Indians went 7-0 in league play and won the league tournament last winter. Jake Moss, entering his sixth year, is 80-33. Six-foot-10, 300 pound junior Harlan Obioha had 14.7 points, 9.5 rebounds, 1.9 blocks and 1.5 assists. He was second team all-league. Sophomore Ashton Dowell had three points, 2.1 rebounds and 2.4 assists a contest. “Our goals will be to compete at a very high level and give maximum effort every day in practice and games,” Moss said. “If we do this, a lot of our inexperience will be negated with our energy. Our keys will be playing as a team on both sides of the ball. Our team defense needs to take the intensity up another notch as that has been an issue we have been working towards improving. We will have to have a lot of younger players with inexperience rise to the challenge and be ready to play right away.” Coach Larry O’Connor led SHARON SPRINGSWALLACE COUNTY to a 23-3 mark, 7-1 in league play and second in the midseason league tournament. WC finished as sub-state runner-up to eventual state champion Central Plains. Six-foot-2 senior Cody Seader is the only returning starter after averaging 14.8 points and 8.9 rebounds a contest. The Wildcats had a 10-win improvement last
winter. O’Connor is 2-1 in state games since ‘14 with the Wildcats and also won a pair of titles with Brewster. “Team goals are to get better every practice and every game and by tournament time hope to make some noise,” O’Connor said. “We lost seven very talented seniors last year, and will depend on a lot of young inexperienced players to step up. “Young guys getting better everyday, staying healthy, continue to play Wildcat style of basketball and if our young kids can develop over the season by tournament time we should be a nice ball club.” ST. FRANCIS, with veteran coach Cory Busse, finished 15-7, and lost to Wallace County in the substate title game. SF’s Jesse Baxter was bothered by back problems entering sub-state, and Connor Keller, a key ball handler, missed the WC loss for family reasons. Baxter is back this year as a junior. ATWOOD-RAWLINS COUNTY second-year coach Levi Poindexter led the Buffs to a 13-9 record, 5-3 in league play. The Buffs return one starter in 6-foot-4 senior forward Iean Hamel with 3.1 points and 3.4 rebounds. “Taking it one game at a time,” Poindexter said of the team’s goals and keys. “With being such a young team we can’t look too far ahead and we have to learn from our mistakes on the court. Our defense will be a major key to us winning games. With having a young team our shooting will be spotty, but our defense can make up for that.” QUINTER coach John Crist is in 31st year overall, 27th with the Bulldogs. Quinter finished 7-16 overall, 2-5 in league play. Crist stands at 395-205 at Quinter, and 414-228 overall. Quinter will have a very young team with 14 of 16 players either freshmen or sophomores. The Bulldogs will have just one junior and one senior with Kasen Ostmeyer. He averaged six points, 4.3 rebounds and 2.3 assists a contest. Six-foot-3 sophomore forward Jaden Boone averaged 9.4 points, 6.9 rebounds and 1.6 assists last season. “Needless to say there will be growing pains as we learn new roles and have some younger kids adjust to the varsity level,” coach Crist said. “We will be a small team so we will have to use our quickness to our advantage by trying to push the pace of games. Hopefully we will improve as the season moves along and with the experience that we gain during the season we will be a much improved team once post season comes around.” TRIBUNE-GREELEY COUNTY finished 8-14,
Page 65 W. Hwy 36
St. Francis 785-332-2601
Dine-in or Carryout 2-5 in league play. Fourth-year coach Josh Gooch is 26-40 with the Jackrabbits, and 96-75 in 11 years overall. Greeley County returns just one starter, senior Fabel Yanez. He delivered 1.7 points, 2.2 rebounds and 2.1 assists a contest. “Our goals this season are to place in the top 4 at the league tourney and to win at least 10 games,” Gooch said. “We’ve got a young group of kids this year, 9 newcomers (7 freshmen) join 4 returning players from last year’s team.” OBERLIN-DECATUR COMMUNITY finished 4-17 last year. GIRLS RAWLINS COUNTY finished 17-8 and lost to sixtime defending champion Central Plains in the substate championship game. Coach Deone Horinek is in his first year as head girls’ coach. The Buffs shared the league title. Senior Kristen Beckman is back after she delivered 10.4 points and 1.8 steals to lead the squad, along with 5.9 rebounds and two assists a contest. “Adjusting to a new style of basketball and a new coach,” Horinek said of his team’s keys. “Gaining depth from younger players will be vital.” ST. FRANCIS was 14-8, 6-1 in league play. SF was part of a three-way tie for the league title and earned second place in the league tournament. Coach ShayLinn Zweygardt is 47-40 entering her fifth year. Senior Karley Bandel averaged 8.7 points, 3.3 assists, 4.5 rebounds and 2.3 steals a contest last year is a junior. Senior Hannah Zimbal delivered 5.5 points and 4.1 rebounds a game. Emma Johnson delivered eight points and four rebounds a contest. HOXIE finished 12-8, 5-2 in league. Senior point guard Addi Campbell is a standout in volleyball and basketball. She averaged 11.8 points, 4.2 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 4.3 steals a contest and played for Wheat State Elite in the summer. DIGHTON is expected to be a team on the rise after a 13-11 record, 4-3 in league. Dighton advanced to the sub-state semifinals. Coach Amy Felker led the Hornets to a six-win improvement and was 241-124 in her career in 17 seasons at Dighton but departed to teach in Scott City. Coach Joni Bollinger now takes over. Last year, Dighton had 12 players listed on the roster, though had just eight available. Senior Ella Roberts is a four-year starter. She
REISS SEEDS Val Reiss 785-821-1010
Photo by Everett Royer, KSportsimages.com
Kansas Pregame Winter Sports Preview, Volume 2
Addi Campbell
Hoxie, Senior
averaged 12.5 points and eight rebounds a contest. She has 858 career points. Sophomore Traci Cramer averaged 6.2 points as a freshman. DECATUR COMMUNITY (11-11) is led by Brandon Gehring, in his seventh year as the Red Devils’ head coach. Senior Alyssa Van Vleet finished with 15.4 points per game and 4.7 rebounds a contest. Six-foot-1 senior Anna Carter averaged 13.1 points and 9.3 rebounds a contest. Seniors Erin May and Amy Wentz are also returning starters. Gehring said the goal is to qualify for the state tournament. “Our success will based on an improvement on the defensive end, and continuing to build on creating a culture of winning and positive attitudes,” Gehring said. QUINTER (10-13) also reached sub-state a year ago after it won the 1A-DII state title in 2018. The Bulldogs graduated four of their top-five scorers. Junior Kayler Getz averaged eight points and eight rebounds a contest for coach Matt Havlas. WALLACE COUNTY (5-14) and GREELEY COUNTY (5-16) rounded out the league. Brad Willems is in his first year as head coach at Wallace County after also taking over the football program following the depature of Kevin Ayers to Little River. The Wildcats return four starters: senior Lakin Perry, senior Haylee Hennick, senior Aubrey Kuhlman and junior Jessie Carmen. “Good defense without fouling, taking care of the ball and continue to work on our shot,” coach Willems said of team keys.
Kendra Salyers-Barnes Phone: 785-675-3661 Hwy 36
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Kansas Pregame Winter Sports Preview, Volume 2
Demi AAMOLD
Photo by Mike Beckman
Wellsville, Senior
Andrew BERCKEFELDT Photo by Mike Beckman
Santa Fe Trail, Senior
Courtney STONE Santa Fe Trail, Junior
By Gallagher Martin, For Kansas Pregame The Wellsville girls continued to be the cream of the crop in the Pioneer League. Wellsville is likely the favorite to win its fourth straight league title on the girls side. The Santa Fe Trail boys enjoyed one of their better seasons in recent memory last season, but fell short of making the state tournament. BOYS CARBONDALE-SANTA FE TRAIL won the league last season with a 9-3 record. The Chargers were 18-4 overall and fell at sub-state to Silver Lake. It was the only loss outside of league for the Chargers. Santa Fe Trail started the season 16-0 before losing four of its last six games. What the Chargers lost to graduation this offseason will be hard to replace. John Long averaged 30 points a game and earned first-team All-Pioneer League honors. Gabe Dunnaway will be just as difficult to replace as he left the program as the school-record holder in blocked shots. As juniors, the duo helped Santa Fe Trail to a 14-8 record, which was the first winning season 20102011. Led by Long, Santa Fe Trail is beginning to experience success it has not seen in a while.
Sustaining that success is the goal this season. The Chargers return two starters: junior Maddox Decker and senior Andrew Berckefeldt. Both were key members of last year’s team. Decker averaged 11 points, seven rebounds, and four steals a game while Berckefeldt averaged eight points, six rebounds, and seven assists per game and is also coming off a strong career as the quarterback of the Charger football team. “We will be much more balanced offensively and much deeper defensively this season which we anticipate will allow us to play at an even faster tempo than our fans have grown accustomed to watching,” head coach Thatcher Decker said. IOLA ended the season with four straight losses including a season-ending loss to Independence in the first round of sub-state. Returning for the Mustangs is a pair of senior guards. Cal Leonard earned second-team AllPioneer League honors after averaging 14 points a game. Calvin Delich brought down 4.7 rebounds and dished out 3.3 assists per game. Iola returns five lettermen - two seniors and three juniors. Junior Landon Carson is expected to fill into a starting role after averaging three points and two steals a game. “I think our team chemistry on the court is going to be better than it has in years,” head coach Luke Bycroft said. “This group of boys knows how to play together and how to help each other be successful.” OSAWATOMIE graduated eight seniors from last year’s 10-11 team, including second-team allleague selection Brilynn Stults. Eight seniors will be hard to replace. Fortunately, Osawatomie returns two starters in seniors Boyd Cole and Colby Jones. The Trojans also return sixth man Thaid Timblin. “We will be looking for several players off our JV team last year to step up and get their first experience at varsity basketball,” head coach Chris Pitts said. “We are looking forward to being competitive in our league and then seeing where we will play and have an opportunity to join a 3A sub-state this year.” BURLINGTON must replace three talented seniors who earned all-league honors. Jace Watkins was a first-team selection, while Tegan Hess and Brannon Nordstedt made the second team. Burlington ended its season in the sub-state championship with a loss to Eureka. GARNETT-ANDERSON COUNTY knocked off Tonganoxie in the sub-state championship to advance to the 4A State Tournament. The Bulldogs fell to Chapman in the first round, 62-38, and finished the season with a 17-6 record. Anderson County graduated three talented seniors, two of whom were first-team all-league selections: Kass Allnutt and Carson Powelson. Justin Rockers was a second-team selection. LaCYGNE-PRAIRIE VIEW did not enjoy much success in the win column last season. The Buffaloes will rely on seniors Dilan Schweer, Brock Heide, and Isaac Partida. Juniors Otis Jacobs, Gradey Gregg, and Vincent Anderton will also be key. WELLSVILLE had a solid team last season, but could not advance past the first round of substate. The Eagles ran into Perry-Lecompton, who finished 22-3 and claimed third in 3A. Wellsville must replace first-team All-Pioneer League selection Jackson Dwyer and secondteam selection Zach Vance. Dwyer averaged over
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21 points and seven rebounds a game and was a three-year contributor. GIRLS Everyone in the Pioneer League is looking up to three-time defending league champions WELLSVILLE. With the talent Wellsville returns, the Eagles will be heavy favorites to make it four in a row. Wellsville went 12-0 in league and finished the season 18-4 behind the dynamic duo of Demi Aamold and Madie McCoy. The Eagles had the unfortunate pleasure of running into 3A State Champions Royal Valley at sub-state, but otherwise enjoyed a successful season. Aamold averaged just under 19 points a game to go along with 3.5 assists and 2.5 steals. McCoy averaged 11.7 points and 4.4 rebounds a game. Both were named to the first-team allleague list. Aubrey Ball makes it three returning senior starters. Ball averaged 6.3 points and 3.9 rebounds per game. “Expectations are high this year with the talent we have returning,” head coach Brock Campbell said. “The biggest key to our team’s success will be how well our seniors play this year. All three have a lot of varsity experience and have experience playing in big games. We will need some underclassmen to step and give us some depth off the bench this season as well.” Expectations are also high for OSAGE CITY. The junior duo of Hayden Serna and Taylin Kirkpatrick will likely terrorize the Pioneer League for the next two seasons. Both Serna and Kirkpatrick averaged over 13 points a game last season for the Indians. Kirkpatrick had a team-high eight rebounds per game as well. Osage City went 10-10 last year but still finished third in the league. The Indians return five lettermen from last season. Head coach Chris Kirkpatrick says he will have 10-12 upperclassmen fighting for varsity time. “We will have a lot of varsity experience coming back,” Kirkpatrick said. “They are a group that will work hard. We will have more leadership than in past years.” SANTA FE TRAIL graduated just one senior from last year’s 5-16 team. Mackenzie Guyle, who led the team in scoring and 3-point shooting, is the lone graduated senior from last year. A pair of seniors and a pair of juniors return as starters. Junior Courtney Stone led the team with 10 points a game last season. Seniors Marrit Mead and McKenzie Jacobs and junior Roslyn Sisson
PIONEER LEAGUE
combined to average 10 a game. Jaycee Long, a sophomore guard, is expected to fight for a starting spot after missing all of last year with an ACL injury. “We have struggled taking care of the ball in the past,” head coach Denver Ramsey said. “If we can remedy that I feel we have a good chance to win some games this season. “We want to have a winning record, finish top three in league, and host a first-round sub-state game.” BURLINGTON lost a three-point game in the sub-state championship to Eureka at the end of its season. This season, the Wildcats are replacing first-team All-Pioneer selections Ashlynn Doebele and Kristen Young. ANDERSON COUNTY is a Pioneer League team possibly on the rise. Anderson County finished 10-11 overall and fell in the first round of sub-state to Chanute. The Bulldogs enter Amy Disbrow’s third year as head coach with two starters returning. Junior guard Rayna Jasper averaged 11.7 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 3.4 rebounds a game. Junior forward Cali Foltz averaged 10.6 points and 5.5 rebounds a game. Both juniors were second-team all league selections. “Continuing to build on the strengths of returning starters and growing our depth are our goals,” Disbrow said. Building fundamentals in our upcoming athletes as well.” IOLA graduated five seniors, including secondteam all-league selection Madisyn Holloway. However, the Mustangs return five seniors: Elysia Kunkler, Kelsey Morrison, Rachel Bycroft, Gaby Lampe and Ella Taylor. Iola fell to state-qualifier Eduora in the first round of sub-state. Outside of a 48-46 win over Osawatomie, PRAIRIE VIEW did not enjoy much success. Prairie View graduated its best player in secondteam all-league selection Grace Aust. The Buffaloes will rely on seniors Abby Kellerman, Ashlyn Kirkpatrick and Kaitlyn Davis. OSAWATOMIE fell to Labette County in the opening round of sub-state. The Trojans must replace five seniors from a team that finished below .500, headlined by Lindsay Shippy. Seniors Sydney Booe and Ashlyn Kaempfe will be counted on for leadership. The Trojans feature a strong junior class that includes Emma Seidl, Madison Ballou, Meadow Stull and Allie Lagasse.
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Kansas Pregame Winter Sports Preview, Volume 2 averaged five points and four rebounds a game. “Our strength will be our speed and athletic ability. I like our team’s toughness. We don’t have a big guy in the middle, so we will look to play more five minutes remaining. Closing out games will be of a position-less offensive game,” Jeffers said. “I a top priority for an Oxford team that returns three think once we figure out our roles and guys develop starters from last year’s 2-18 team. confidence in scoring we will be tough to guard.” Senior Andrew Hills will lead the way after CEDAR VALE/DEXTER joined Caldwell and averaging 10.3 points and 8.8 rebounds a game Sedan as league champions. The Spartans were last season. Seniors Ty Carter and Anthony Schulte 20-4 overall and bring back four starters and seven will also provide experience and leadership. Green lettermen. Cedar Vale/Dexter fell in the semifinal at says this year’s freshman class is at a whopping sub-state to Olpe. 11 players, some of whom will see varsity time Cedar Vale/Dexter returns six of their top seven immediately. players from last year. Seniors Devin Catlin, “The incoming freshmen have played a lot of Clayton Henderson and Arik Artherton are all basketball and have had some success,” Green three-year starters. Catlin averaged a team-high 15 said. “The biggest thing with them will be learning a points, while Henderson and Artherton combined high school system on offense and defense. Right to average 17 points a game. Junior Cole Criss, now, they are light years ahead offensively then a two-year starter, averaged six points and three they are on the defensive end.” rebounds last season. ARGONIA head coach Bob Almanza has been “We need to get better offensively overall,” head with the program for 14 years. Despite going 2-17 coach K.B. Criss said. “We struggled last year on last season, Almanza still has a career record the offensive end at times. We need to do a better above .500 at 98-94. job of taking care of the ball against pressure and The Red Raiders return two starters and four maximize our possessions. Also, we are going to lettermen, all of whom are juniors. Noah Phillips have to focus on rebounding from all five positions and Brayden Pierce return as starters, while as we don’t have a player over 6-2 in the starting Cooper Topinka and Judd Griffith will likely fill into lineup.” starting roles. WEST ELK finished below .500 at 8-12, but “We will take pride in our defense and effort, performed better in the league and finished fourth hopefully outworking some opponents,” Almanza with a 5-3 record. The Patriots lost three of their top said. “We do have some building blocks in place, five scorers due to graduation, but return a capable as we return a junior class with a lot of experience. scorer in Devin Loudermilk, the younger brother of We won’t have a big team, so we will need to University of Wisconsin starting defensive lineman control the pace of the games.” Isaiahh Loudermilk, a former Kansas Pregame GIRLS football coverboy. West Elk went undefeated in the South Central The younger Loudermilk, a 6-3 junior, averaged Border League and won a sub-state championship 12.3 points and 6.1 rebounds a game last season. in the process. The Wildcats will have competition Due to injuries, eight different Patriots started at atop the challenging SCBL this season with least one game last season. Seniors Caleb Walker, Argonia, South Haven, Udall, and Flinthills among Nic Moreno, and Curtis Ware, and junior Rocky others expected to be contend for the league Hanks, were all contributors on last year’s team crown. as well. Four-year starter Megan McClendon will be “If we can stay healthy and adjust to our new tasked with leading defending league champions roles, we should be able to compete,” head coach WEST ELK this season. The Patriots went 18-5 Dave Miller said. “If not, we will struggle to find last season, including an 8-0 record in the SCBL, wins.” and qualified for the 2A State Tournament. West UDALL finished 13-9 and failed to advance past Elk fell to state champions Garden Plain in the first regionals, but with senior Brayden Sadler leading round. the way, the Eagles have high hopes this season. McClendon averaged 12.4 points and 3.7 Sadler averaged 24.4 points and 6.4 rebounds rebounds at point guard. Senior Ashley Cookson a game last season. Senior Trevor Whiteman and junior Dakota Wiseman are also returning (6.5 points, 5.2 rebounds) and sophomore Austin starters. King (7.0 points, 4.6 rebounds) are also returning Head coach Dave Miller know replacing 6-1 starters for the Eagles. Macy McClendon, now at the University of Central SOUTH HAVEN head coach Robert Weber Oklahoma, along with two other multi-year starters says “expectations are high” this season despite returning only two starters. But the Cardinals return eight lettermen, and Weber believes his team will /FROM PG 61___________ be balanced in scoring. and overall defense will be the key this season. Junior Cooper Wolf and sophomore Tucker An overtime win over Jeff North in the season finaLocke return as starters. Slade Wiley and Taylor le gave PLEASANT RIDGE the outright league title Mclain are the seniors. last year and capped a stellar regular season. The “We will have some very tough decisions to make Rams finished short of their goal of the program’s as far as personnel, starting lineups, etc,” Weber first state tournament berth, but the 19-3 season said. “Some of the boys are very interchangeable was still one of the best in school history. Steve but also bring their own unique strengths to the Watkins replaces Mike Koontz as coach this seafloor. That should make for some very competitive son and will have to replace a dynamic duo in guard practices as there will be some excellent battles for Lindsey Heim and post Julie Miller, who combined playing time at certain spots.” four more than 30 points per game last year. OXFORD head coach Kyle Green’s team lost The Rams will still be strong in the post with the 10 games by eight points or less last season, six return of senior Kaija Nutsch, who averaged 11 of which the Wildcats were leading in with under points and 9 rebounds per game. Fellow senior
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Courtesy Photo
SOUTH CENTRAL BORDER LEAGUE
Andrew HILLS Photo by Everett Royer, KSportsimages.com
Oxford, Senior
Dru VOLAVKA Caldwell, Junior
By Gallagher Martin, For Kansas Pregame BOYS Three teams finished as tri-league South Central Border Champions. Caldwell, Sedan and Cedar Vale/Dexter all went 8-1 in the SCBL to claim a league title. Caldwell and Cedar Vale/Dexter both enjoyed 20-win seasons, while Caldwell advanced all the way to the Class 1A State Semifinals. All three teams should be in the hunt for the SCBL title again this season. Udall, who returns the top scorer in the league, will be tough as well. CALDWELL won the South Central Border League Tournament and tied for the regular season championship as well, finishing 8-1 in the league and 24-4 overall. The Bluejays won their opening round game at the Class 1A State Tournament, holding Berean Academy to 27 points, but finished fourth with losses to Central Plains and Osborne. Caldwell graduated three of its top players from last year’s team. Junior Dru Volavka (8.8 points, 2.0 steals), and seniors Caleb Noyes (5.7 points, 2.2 steals) and Christian Ward (3.1 points), will carry important roles on the team. Fifth-year head coach Jason Marlin has a 7821 record with Caldwell. He says the goals this year are to compete for a league and sub-state championship. “Defense will be a major key to our success this year, we pride ourselves on playing great defense and letting it turn into easy offense,” Marlin said. SEDAN had its fifth consecutive winning season and tied for the league championship. The Blue Devils were not able to advance past regionals, but with the return of sophomore Dameion Hatten, Sedan has reason for optimism for the next few seasons. Last season as a freshman, Hatten averaged nearly 16 points a game to go along with 8.3 rebounds. Head coach Lance Jeffers says Hatten is as dedicated to basketball as anybody he’s coached at Sedan. Hatten is joined by three-year starter Tatye Halderman. Halderman, a senior,
NEKL
will be challenging. “We will have some adjustments early, but if we play to our abilities and gel as at team we should be successful,” Miller said. “The key will be how we work together.” FLINTHILLS rebounded from an 8-14 season in 2017-2018 with a 12-10 record last season. The Mustangs return four senior starters in Sarah Hinnen, Sarah Sorum, Janea Totty, and Lyndee Martin. Additionally, Flinthills returns eight total lettermen. Outside the four seniors, the roster consists of four juniors, three sophomores, and five freshmen. “We have a lot of experience and look to improve on our record from last year,” head coach Monty Melugin said. SOUTH HAVEN fell to Caldwell in the opening round of regionals, but enjoyed a 15-7 season. Three Cardinals averaged double digit points per game with two of those players returning. Junior Brittney Byers averaged over 17 points a game. Macey Pond averaged 10 points a game as a freshman last season. Byers is one of the top scorers in the league, while Pond has three years left to build off an impressive freshman season. CALDWELL graduated a strong senior class and returns just one player. Senior Abi Schmidt, who averaged five points and four rebounds a game, will be the leader for the Bluejays. Third-year head coach Jason McVeigh says the progression of younger players will be the team’s key to success. After winning the league in 2018, SEDAN dropped to 10-13 overall and 4-5 in the SCBL. The Blue Devils return four starters and hope to win their second league championship in three years. Caitlin Williams had a strong sophomore season in which she averaged 13.5 points and 5.2 rebounds a game last year. Williams was a second-team all league selection and could be one of the top players in the league for the next two seasons to come. Landrea Sears earned allleague honorable mention honors as a freshman last season, posting 9.0 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 3.4 steals a game. Senior Madelyn Signer and junior Madison Meyer are also returning starters. Sedan will be low on numbers, but will certainly have quality players. If the Blue Devils can develop depth, they will be a tough out each night. “Last year, we had to switch our style of play because we couldn’t sub out our guards,” head coach Lance Jeffers said. “ I’m hoping this year we can build some depth that will allow us to play more girls and go back to a faster pace.”
Caitlyn Herbig is the only other returning starter and Watkins will employ a different tempo to fit his personnel this season. Losing four-year starter Reagan Kirkwood is a huge blow for VALLEY FALLS, which went just 10-11 last year after being a state contender for the past several seasons. Kirkwood was a four-year starter and all-league performer who averaged 22.3 points per game last season, tops in the league. She’s one of three starters who graduated, leaving second-year coach Jordan Hale with maybe the youngest team in the league. Juniors Brooklyn Correll and Kenzie Nellis return as starters, but after sophomore Makayla Yates, the rest of the roster consists of freshmen who will be asked to make the jump from junior high to varsity.
By Brett Marshall, For Kansas Pregame BOYS Veteran SOUTH GRAY boys coach Mark Applegate seemingly had another state-tourney team in the fold during the 2018-19 season, losing only one game during the regular season. The Rebels, the No. 1 seed in the Class 1A sub-state, though, were upset by Macksville in the title game, 71-58, preventing Applegate from another state tourney appearance. The Rebels had won the Class 1A-DI title in 2018 and were runners-up in that division in 2017. Finishing 23-2 would be satisfying to most, but Applegate has guided the program to four state titles (1997, 2007-08, 2018) and now has 677 career wins against just 218 losses (.756 percentage), so missing the state tournament was a disappointment. The Rebels graduated a solid group of players, and will rely on returning starters, a pair of juniors, in 6-3 Aaron Skidmore (12.0 ppg., 5.0 rpg.) and 6-1 Ethan Salmans (6.0 ppg., 3.0 rpg.). “We failed to qualify for state last year and we want to do that this year,” Applegate said. “Our young players will have to step up and perform.” It was a solid 2018-19 campaign for the HODGEMAN COUNTY Longhorns and coach Levi Salmans. The ‘Horns posted a 14-9 season mark and placed third in the SPIAA. Three starters return for the fourth-year head coach, including 6-3 junior Isaac Salmans, 5-10 senior Eli Salmans and 5-10 junior Conner Ruff. “We want to be our best at the end (of season),” Salmans said. “Taking care of the ball and hitting some shots will be keys to our success.” The 2018-19 season proved every bit of a challenge to the INGALLS Bulldogs and coach Travis Leverett. The ‘Dogs finished 4-16 overall and just 1-10 in the SPIAA. Having paid their dues with youth, this year’s Bulldogs return four starters, including the 1-2 scoring punch of 5-10 senior Timothy Gillen (17.0 ppg., 6.0 rpg., 2.1 apg.) and 6-0 junior Tate Davis (16.0 ppg., 5.0 rpg., 4.5 apg.). They will be joined by returning starters senior Nick Beavers (5.0 ppg., 7.5 rpg., 1.0 apg.) and 6-1 sophomore Braydon Irsik (4.0 ppg., 5.0 rpg., 2.0 apg.). Also counted on will be 5-9 senior guard Easton Irsik, who missed last season to injury. Expected to challenge for playing time are 6-3 sophomore Tyson Bleumer, 5-10 senior Cristian Cohn and 5-9 senior Devin Doll. The ASHLAND Bluejays enjoyed another strong season under the tutelage of coach Garth Gardiner who is 46-22 at the Bluejay helm and is 176-77 overall in his 12 years as a head coach. The Bluejays posted a 16-6 overall record, going 7-4 in the SPIAA. What had been expected to be a solid nucleus was reduced during the football season when twotime all-state selection Greysen Gardiner tore his ACL and will be out for the year. Coach Gardiner’s only returner will be Brennan Grady, who averaged 10.5 points and 3.1 rebounds a season ago. “We have only 11 young men out for basketball, the smallest number since I started coaching,” coach Gardiner said. “We have some very capable young men who know how to win, and my goal is to get the most out of them that I can, and most importantly, have fun.” Other players with varsity experience include
Cade Brown, Kash McPhail, Gage Branson and Braton Kay. Depth in the SPIAA is nothing new, and the KIOWA COUNTY Mavericks would appear to be another example as the Mavs finished 13-9 a year ago with a veteran lineup. Coach Matt Hoffman enters his third season at KC, and will count on returning starters Cooper Zenger (Sr., 12.3 ppg.) and Brandon Boyles (Sr., 12.1 ppg.). Others expected to contribute include junior Luke Ballard, and seniors Seth Linfefeller and Gage McDonald, all of whom saw varsity action last season. Hoffman also pins his hopes on contributions from Connor Pore, Jordan Smith, James Brack, Caydan Pore and Colby Tedder. “We are looking to be competitive in a very competitive league,” Hoffman said. BUCKLIN’s Red Aces were among the teams in the SPIAA last season who struggled against top-notch competition night-in and night-out. The Aces finished 4-16 under coach Derek Bevan and were just 2-9 in the league chase. Now heading into his second season at the helm, Bevan says experience will provide the team with a chance for improvement. Five returning players saw starting duty at one time or another last year. That group includes 6-2 post Gabe Ellis (5.2 ppg., 6.6 rpg.), 6-3 forward Zabien Green (5.8 ppg., 2.8 rpg.), 6-2 forward Josh Stout (7.3 ppg., 3.9 rpg.), 5-9 guard Scott Price (6.0 ppg., 2.0 apg.) and 5-8 guard Nathan Bowman (3.3 ppg., 1.2 rpg.). Incoming 6-4 post Colton Stein should make an impact, but Bevan will miss Ridge Estes, lost to injury, and Talon Estes, who opted not to go out ahead of his acceptance to West Point where he will high jump for the Army Black Knights. “We should be a fairly quick team and will look to use that on defense,” Bevan said. “One of our goals is to really focus on shot selection and maximize our offensive efficiency.” For the past 10 seasons, Ty Josefiak sat on the bench next to the PAWNEE HEIGHTS head coach. Now it is his turn to guide the Tigers after a 12-10 record in 2018-19. For the Tigers to remain competitive, Josefiak will need strong efforts from a pair of seniors – 6-1 Harrison VanMeter and 6-2 Shawn Peterson. “One of our goals is becoming a better defensive team,” Josefiak said. “We need to get consistent play out of our upperclassmen and our younger players getting up to speed. We have some good young players that will need to contribute early for us.” The MINNEOLA Wildcats posted a 12-11 record in 2018-19 under fourth-year coach James Tematt, but that mark could very well go upward this season with the return of four starters. Leading the pack is 5-9 senior Tuck Lang, who will be among the top players returning in the SPIAA after averaging 21.5 points, 5.7 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.6 steals as a junior. He will be joined by returners Bryton Lantz (5-10, Sr., 7.5 ppg., 3.8 apg., 5.0 rpg., 2.5 spg.), Collin Berger (6-6, Sr., 5.0 ppg., 8.0 rpg., 1.7 bpg.) and 5-10 sophomore Brayton Dewell (6.0 ppg., 5.0 rpg., 1.8 apg.). “We want to get better every week and to be playing in March,” Temaat said. “Keys will be playing good defense and playing unselfish basketball.” Despite going 19-5, finishing second in the tough
SPIAA with a 10-1 record, and winning the midseason league tournament, the SOUTH CENTRAL Timberwolves came up shy of advancing to the state tournament in Class 1A. That will be the primary goal of third-year coach Roe Macias, who has guided the program to a 35-13 record in his two seasons. Perhaps more so than any other SPIAA team, the Timberwolves will be among the most experienced with all five starters back. The top performer for that group is 6-4 guard Owen Alexander (19.8 ppg., 8.4 rpg., 2.0 spg., 2.0 bpg.). Another 6-4 inside player, Xavier Frazier, averaged 12.7 points, 5.5 rebounds and 3.0 blocks. The three remaining returning starters include 6-2 Chayde Snyder (9.0 ppg., 5.1 rpg., 2.3 spg.), Gage Girk (5-11, 3.0 ppg., 2.1 spg., 5.2 apg.) and 5-11 Jared Moore (2.9 ppg., 3.3 rpg.). “Continue to improve and to make the first state appearance for boys basketball in school history,” Macias said of the team goals. “We just want to continue to work hard no matter what our record says.” Over his decade of coaching the SPEARVILLE Royal Lancers, Christopher Sohm has seen his share of success, but his team struggled to a 9-12 record a season ago. Sohm’s teams have gone 114-96 during his 10-year tenure. Like many other schools in the SPIAA, Sohm will return a strong nucleus of players who competed a year ago. Carson Rich, 5-9 senior, is the top scorer back after averaging 12.2 points, 2.3 assists and 5.4 rebounds. Joshua Cox, 5-11 sophomore, averaged 6.6 points, 4.7 rebounds while Logan Hubbell, 6-5 sophomore, contributed 2.4 points and 2.7 rebounds. Kolten Bennett, 5-10 soph., averaged 4.5 points and 2.3 rebounds with 5-10 senior Isaac Mettling chipping in with 1.2 points and 1.0 rebounds. “We will be working to improve each and every day in practice so we are able to compete at a high, consistent basis on Game Night,” Sohm said. “We will need to great improve our ability to rebound the basketball.” GIRLS In recent memory, the SPEARVILLE Lady Royal Lancers have enjoyed numerous successful seasons and the 2018-19 basketball campaign was no exception. Coach Andrew Kempke, who enters his fifth season with a 64-26 record, guided his girls team to a 19-5 record and a 10-1 mark in the SPIAA. There is no shortage of experience and talent for the Lancers as they return three starters, all with impressive credentials. A pair of 5-11 seniors – Ehlaina Hartman (16.5 ppg., 6.7 rpg., 2.4 apg., 2.6 spg.) and Brianne Ede (9.2 ppg., 6.8 rpg.) provide the frontcourt talent while junior guard Alissa Heskamp (5-7, 14.9 ppg., 4.6 rpg., 3.4 apg., 3.4 spg.) and Mackenzie Foos, a senior, who averaged 3.8 points, will anchor the backcourt. “We must strive to get better every day, no matter the situation,” Kempke said. Matching the 2018-19 season might be a tall order for SOUTH CENTRAL Lady Timberwolves coach Tim Rietzke. After all, the Lady ‘Wolves swept through the SPIAA with an 11-0 mark and also won the mid-season league tournament, and followed that up with a trip to the Class 1A state tourney where they lost an opening round game to Thunder Ridge, finishing 23-3 for the season.
Xavier FRAZIER South Central, Senior
Photo by Karen Janzt
SOUTHERN PLAINS-IROQUOIS ACTIVITIES ASSOCIATION
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Kansas Pregame Winter Sports Preview, Volume 2
Christy WIEBE South Gray, Senior
Rietzke, who has coached both girls and boys teams in his career, enters the 2019-20 campaign with a 749-436 record and will begin his 42nd year on the bench. Only two starters return for Rietzke and they are both sophomores – 5-8 Hadley Lohrding (3.1 ppg., 2.4 rpg., 1.0 spg.) and 5-6 Sierra Jellison (5.4 ppg., 3.2 rpg., 2.1 spg.). “Bringing the younger players along, staying healthy and learning about the rigors of being consistently competitive at the varsity level,” Rietke said of the keys to the team’s success. In the 2018-19 season the INGALLS Lady Bulldogs proved to be a strong challenge to the best of teams in the SPIAA. With a youthful, but talented lineup, coach Terra Simon’s squad posted a solid 16-8 won-loss record. She returns four starters from that squad, led by junior guard Regan Ast (12.0 ppg., 4.3 rpg., 3.3 apg.) while earning second-team all-SPIAA honors. She is joined by junior guard Julina Wall (3.0 ppg., 3.2 rpg.) and forwards Britleyn Beach (Sr., 8.7 ppg., 8.8 rpg., honorable mention) and junior Alexa Lightner (7.0 ppg., 6.0 rpg.). During his second season guiding the SOUTH GRAY Lady Rebels, head coach Paul Clancy took his team to the Class 1A state tournament, only to be the first victim of record-breaking state champion Central Plains in a quarterfinal matchup. The Lady Rebs, though, finished 21-5, and took fourth in the SPIAA with an 8-3 mark. The good news is that Clancy welcomes back five players who had starting experience. The best among that group is 5-10 senior Christy Wiebe, who averaged 12.4 ppg., 4 rpg., 2.7 apg., 2.2 spg., and was chosen to SPIAA second team and also honorable mention 1A all-state. Two other seniors are among the cast of veterans, including 5-7 Emma Jantz (6.0 ppg., 2.5 rpg., 3.7 apg., 3.2 spg., honorable mention all-league), and Trudy Martens (6-0, 3.6 ppg., 2.9 rpg., 1.3 apg., 1.0 bpg.). Two juniors also started portions of last season and they include 5-8 Megan Tarn (7.6 ppg., 2.0 rpg., 2.7 apg., 2.6spg) and 6-0 post/forward Debbie continued on page 83
Kansas Pregame Winter Sports Preview, Volume 2
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SUNFLOWER LEAGUE By Mike Lavieri, For Kansas Pregame GIRLS Half of the teams in the Class 6A state tournament came from the Sunflower League and yet they only won one game in the tournament. With a majority of teams returning three or more starters, the Sunflower League should be competitive once again. With four starters returning, OLATHE SOUTH will be poised for another state run after missing out in 2018-19. The Falcons return leading scorer Dani Winslow, who averaged 13.2 points per game and 6.8 rebounds. Also returning are Sophie Reed, Avery Halliday and Raegan Halliday (2.7 assists per game, 2.2 steals per game). Led by Georgia Tech-commit LeLe Love, OLATHE NORTH will be one of the favorites to compete for the league title after going 10-2 in Sunflower League play a year ago. Love was named to the All-Sunflower League First Team after averaging 14.4 points per game. In addition, the Eagles return starters Sania Copeland (10.1 ppg.) and Ashlyn Alloway. They will have to try and replace the production of Le’Yanna McGinnis, who graduated and averaged 12 points and 10.2 rebounds per game. After winning the Sunflower League with an 11-1 record last year, OLATHE EAST will have to replace the production of Makenna Winemiller – 13.5 points, 2.8 assists and 2 steals per game – however, the good news for the Hawks is Molly Kaemmer returns. Kaemmer averaged 11.7 points and 9.6 rebounds. The Hawks also return starter Savanna Perez. Despite losing SFL player of the year Sarah Beth Gueldner, OLATHE NORTHWEST will try to get back to state with starters Liz Thomas, Riley Wade and Mary Reiber returning. They have big shoes to fill after Gueldner led the league with 21.6 ppg. SHAWNEE MISSION WEST will be in the conversation atop the Sunflower League with Kierra Prim (14.2 points, 6.7 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 2.1 steals per game), Taedyn Gray (8.5 rebounds per game) and Ashlyn Henrie (2.6 steals per game) returning for a Lady Viking team that finished 6-6 in conference and 10-10 in the regular season. Since Lauren Lawrence took over the SHAWNEE MISSION EAST program in 2014, the Lady Lancers have improved every year and last season finished sixth in the Sunflower League with a 6-6 record. They will have to replace the 11.1 points per game averaged by Jordan Yowell, however, they return four starters including Illinois volleyball-commit Sarah Bingham and Reese Althouse, Kathleen Stanley and Camryn Gossick, who averaged 6.9 rebounds per game. Just like Shawnee Mission East, FREE STATE returns four starters from a team that went 10-10 during the regular season. Leading scorer and rebounder Shannon Clarke (12.7 points and 7 rebounds per game) and distributor Caely Kesten (11 points and 3.7 assists per game) return along with Haley Hippe (5 rebounds per game) and Evy Harrell. On the other side of town, LAWRENCE will need to retool after losing all its starters to graduation, with four of the five playing collegiate athletics at
the D1 level. Chisom Ajekwu, who averaged 16.3 points and led the SFL with 10.5 rebounds per game is playing basketball at KU. Hannah Stewart, 3.7 assists per game, is running cross country and track at K-State; Evann Seratte is running track at KU and Sammy Williams, who averaged 8.7 rebounds per game, is rowing at Oklahoma. The Lady Lions also lose Leslie Ostronic, who was second on the team with 2.5 assists per game. “We lost one of the most successful senior classes in the last 20 years at Lawrence High,” said coach Jeff Dickson. The Class of 2019 enjoyed four straight winning seasons, which hadn’t happened at Lawrence since
the 1990 and the Lady Lions have reached five straight substate championship games. If they want to make it six years in a row, Lawrence will have to rely on Ozi Ajekwu (4 points and 4 rebounds per game), Chisom’s sister, who Dickson says has a chance to be one of the best players in the state. Lawrence returns experienced guards Sophie DeWitt and Ella Stewart and underclassmen Layla Harjo, Amaya Marshall, Serenity Keo and Hailey Ramirez, who Dickson expects big things from. “We will have to grow up fast in a stacked Sunflower League and we open the season against potentially the best team in the state in Topeka High,” Dickson said. “We will take some lumps, but we know if we stick together and play Lady Lion basketball, we will be a team to be reckoned with by February and March.”
THREE RIVERS LEAGUE
By Gallagher Martin, For Kansas Pregame GIRLS The Three Rivers League belonged to the St. Paul girls for the sixth straight season. St. Paul has also reached the state tournament three times during that stretch, including a second-place finish in 1A, DI in 2018. The Indians missed the state tournament last season, but have high hopes on a league and sub-state championship this season. The six-time league champions were the preseason picks to win the league once again. As for challengers, Uniontown went 11-10 last season and returns two first-team all-league selections. Southeast, who finished 10-1 in the league last season, must replace four seniors. St. Paul is the favorite, but others will give the Indians their best shot. ST. PAUL ran the table in the Three Rivers League last season, going 11-0, and won their sixth straight league championship. St. Paul had a little less success outside of the league, finishing 16-5 overall and falling to Argonia at sub-state. The Indians graduated just one senior, and return six players who regularly saw minutes. Senior Katie Coomes leads the way after the all-league selection averaged 12.6 points and 6.7 rebounds a game. Emily Hutcherson (8.5 points, 4.1 rebounds) and Taylor Wiatrak (7.2 points, 2.7 steals) join Coomes as returning senior starters. St. Paul also features a strong sophomore class with Claire Bradshaw, Elise Doherty, and Emerald Struthers returning. Coach Doug Tuck is entering his 30th season with the Indians and has compiled a 580-127 record. Tuck says he expects his team to be more consistent in practice and in games this season. “Defensively, we need to continue to work on our fundamentals and be stronger rebounding,” Tuck said. “Offensively, we need to cut down on our turnovers and take better shots.” UNIONTOWN went 4-17 in 2017-2018 and finished a game above .500 last year. With the production the Eagles return this season, Not only does Uniontown have the potential to improve from 11-10, but a league and sub-state championship are not too far fetched. Uniontown returns junior Karleigh Schoenberger and sophomore Danielle Howard who both earned all-league honors last season. The duo are two of eight lettermen returning. Schoenberger averaged 16.4 points and five rebounds a game last season. Howard averaged 12.2 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 4.1 assists as a freshman point guard. Out of the 30
all-league selections in the Three Rivers League, Howard was the only freshman who made the list. Senior Breleigh Harris, junior Sammie Hampton, and sophomore Gwenyth Fry were key members of last year’s team. The Eagles fell to West Elk in triple overtime to open the first round of sub-state. “We are fortunate that we will return three key players from last year’s team and a handful of girls that have been waiting patiently for their opportunity to make an impact,” head coach Dustin Miller said. “We definitely have the potential to make it to the sub-state championship game and qualify for our state tournament if we put in the work.” CHEROKEE-SOUTHEAST went 10-1 in the Three Rivers League last year and finished second behind St. Paul. The Lancers ended the season with a 15-7 record and a loss to West Elk in the sub-state semifinals. Southeast is tasked with replacing four starters, including three who earned all-league. Junior Railey Robertson is one of the top returning players in the league. Robertson was a first-team All-Three Rivers League selection after averaging 10 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 3.6 steals a game last season. Robertson is one of five seniors and six upperclassmen who will lead the way, although Robertson is the most experienced. “All of our seniors have a lot of varsity experience in multiple sports so that helps and there is something about knowing it’s the last year to play together that tends to bring out a sense of urgency,” head coach Derek Sanders said. COLONY-CREST finished 8-12 overall and 6-5 within the league. The Lancers return two starters and will be young this season, but senior Rylee Beckmon and junior Aubree Holloran will be vital to Crest’s success. Beckmon averaged four steals a game to go along with six points, three rebounds, and two assists. Holloran averaged a near double-double for the season at nine points and nine boards a game. The duo will be counted on to lead a young team. “Getting these young girls to have confidence in their abilities is going to be key to our upcoming season,” head coach Megan Mason said. Brandon Sigmon served the last two seasons as the ARMA-NORTHEAST girls assistant coach, and now will take over as head coach of the boys. The Vikings went 4-17 last season and return six lettermen this season. Senior Haley Claffey and junior Rachel Fox are both all-league returners.
Similar to Lawrence, SHAWNEE MISSION NORTHWEST graduated five seniors from last year’s state team, however, the Lady Cougars return Kennedy Taylor, who average 10.5 points and 9.3 rebounds as a sophomore. “We will be led by our lone senior, Mollie Elfrink and juniors, Kylie Dunn and Kennedy Taylor,” coach Tyler Stewart said. “With a bunch of talented underclassmen, we feel like we have a chance to make another state run.” Dunn averaged 4.2 points, while sophomore Tamara Harris-Webster also returns after averaging 5 points and 3.8 rebounds per game. After serving as an assistant at Shawnee Mission North for a number of years before taking a head coaching job at Schlagle, coach Mark Western returns to the Sunflower League as the head coach of SHAWNEE MISSION SOUTH.
Claffey averaged 12 points a game while Fox was not too far behind at 10 a game. BUFFALO-ALTOONA MIDWAY went winless last season and graduated two seniors, including all-league selection Michala Kinzle. The Jets will be young and will rely on junior Natalie Davis, sophomore Bailey Graham, sophomore Summer Tarlton and sophomore Mariah Stackhouse. CHETOPA went 10-11 and nearly finished above .500 for the first time in head coach Jaunc Bradshaw’s eight years with the program. Senior Samantha Blundell, one of the top volleyball players in 1A, earned honorable mention all-league, as did junior Brali Conard. Senior Torrie Albertson is also another key player for the Green Hornets. MORAN-MARMATON VALLEY lost in the first round of regionals. The Wildcats return the bulk of their team and are hoping for more success this season. Senior Bailey Griffith was an all-league honorable mention selection. Kaylee Becker is a three-year starter at point guard. Junior MyKayla Ard is a returning post player, and sophomore Aly Ard is another important piece to the Marmaton Valley puzzle. OSWEGO finished a game above .500 both overall and in the Three Rivers League. The Indians return three starters, including one of the top players in the league in senior Shanler McNickle. After transferring from Labette-County a season ago, McNickle averaged 16 points and eight rebounds a game for Oswego last season and earned secondteam all league honors. Senior forward Abby Long returns, as does senior guard Shailan Phillips. Despite being picked seventh in the preseason poll, Oswego definitely has the pieces to prove some people wrong this year. Senior Madelynn Collins is the lone returning starter for YATES CENTER. Collins was an honorable mention all-league selection after averaging 11 points and six rebounds a game. BOYS Yates Center won the Three Rivers league for the third season in a row, but with no returning starters the Wildcats were picked to finish sixth in the league this season. St. Paul was tabbed as the preseason favorites, while Northeast, Southeast, JayhawkLinn and Colony-Crest round out the top five. St. Paul senior Adam Albertini and Northeast senior Matt Cashero return as All-Three Rivers League First Team selections. With Yates Center possibly facing a rebuild, the rest of the league smells blood
Kansas Pregame Winter Sports Preview, Volume 2
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The Lady Raiders will be led by Lacy Whitcomb (12.7 points, 2.5 steals and 2.4 assists per game) along with Natalie Payne and Liz Crawford. “My expectations are to grow from the tough schedule and put ourselves in a position to play at the state tournament,” Western said. “In Kansas you have 20 practice games followed by a fivegame season. This group picked things up quickly over the summer and has the ability to play some really good ball by February. Shawnee Mission South opens the season with Blue Valley North before playing in the Liberty North (Mo.) tournament. OLATHE WEST should take a step forward in 2019-20 as the Owls return the league-leader in assists and steals in Mackenzie Hart (4.4 assists and 3.4 steals per game) along with Bailey Collar, who should compete for the scoring title after averaging 15.5 last year.
The Owls also return starter Michelle Anderson. GARNDER-EDGERTON returns Mia Vallery (6.4 points and 4.6 rebounds per game), Sofia Semon (6 points, 2.6 rebounds and 1.1 steals per game) and Kaelin Platt (3.3 points and 1.5 rebounds). Joe Leiker enters his second year as the head coach is hoping to continue to grow the program at every level and compete in the Sunflower League. “We need to reduce turnovers and opponent points in transition,” Leiker said of what will be the keys to success. “Also winning the rebound battle and getting to the free throw line.” After a winless 2018-19, SHAWNEE MISSION NORTH should be improved with Summer Weineke, Madison Koller and Allie Dowd returning. BOYS Similar to the girls, the Sunflower League boys had four representatives at the state tournament – Lawrence, Shawnee Mission South, Olathe North
and Free State. The defending Sunflower League champions, LAWRENCE, return nine letter winners, but only one starter in Zeke Mayo from a team that went to the state tournament for the fifth straight year. Mayo was third on the team in scoring with 14 points per game behind Clarence King (17 points) and Trey Quartlebaum (16 points), both of whom graduated. The Chesty Lions also lose Brett Chapple, who led the team with 8 rebounds a game. “We feel like we have a quality group who can play well together, count on each other, and put the team before themselves,” coach Mike Lewis said. “We also really like our juniors and sophomores. They know how to compete and make each other better.” The Chesty Lions also bring back Mayson Quartlebaum (7 points per game) a Kennesaw State-signee. FREE STATE is looking to go back to Wichita
for the fourth straight year and will be led by DK Middleton, a 6-3 senior who averaged 13 points, 4 rebound and 2 assists per game. The Firebirds are looking for a second and third scorer and it could be Moze Downing (6 points and 4 assists per game) and Alyus Wisdom (5 points per game) who also return for Sam Stroh, who went 15-7 last year, his fifth at Free State. Toure Grimes takes over at OLATHE EAST, where the Hawks return Kamari Armstrong, who averaged 9.5 points and 3 rebounds per game for a team that finished 13-9 and fell one game short of the state tournament. SHAWNEE MISSION SOUTH lost all its starters from last year’s team, which finished fourth at state. “We are young, and we need to understand what it takes to play at the varsity level night in and night out,” coach Brett McFall said.
and will have their eyes on a league title. YATES CENTER continued their reign atop the Three Rivers League after winning their third consecutive league championship last season. The Wildcats went 18-3 last season but fell to St. Mary’s Colgan, 40-32, in the sub-state championship. With no returning starters, the Wildcats are not a shoe-in to win their fourth consecutive league championship. Yates Center does have returning experience from last year’s bench. According to Robert Magobet of the Parsons Sun, returning lettermen for the Wildcats this season are senior guard Reece Solander (6-0), junior guard Easton Reynolds (6-1), senior guard Connor Griffith (5-10), senior forward Caden Graham (5-11), senior guard Cade DeWitt (5-10), senior center Tytan Smoot (6-2), senior center Trent Burton and senior guard Jaymond Rice Replacing Hayden Hermreck will be a tough task facing COLONY-CREST. The three-time first-team all league selection is currently playing at Allen Community College. Gone is Hermreck and his 18 points a game. Jacob Holloran has also graduated after averaging 10 points a game and earning honorable mention all-league. Colony-Crest returns three starters, led by Zach Beckmon. The 6-2 senior earned honorable mention all-league honors after scoring nearly 12 points a game. Beckmon is joined by junior Tyson Hermreck and sophomore Ethan Prasko as returning starters. The Lancers have finished below .500 the last three seasons. Head coach Travis Hermreck says the goal is to snap that streak this season. “While we won’t be individually as talented as last year, collectively we will have more depth,” Hermreck said. “We will be able to play faster and extend our defenses - something we haven’t been able to do for a few years.” ST. PAUL is the preseason pick to win the Three Rivers League. The Indians return six seniors, including leading-scorer Adam Albertini. Albertini runs the point guard position and was an AllThree Rivers League First Team Selection. Kaleb Lemmons was an all-league honorable mention. Chandler Bradshaw and Easton Dent also return as starters. St. Paul went 12-9 overall and finished fourth in the league with a 6-2 record. The Indians won their regional tournament and fell to Moundridge in overtime in the sub-state semifinals.
BUFFALO-ALTOONA MIDWAY won three games last season to snap a losing streak that spanned multiple seasons. Clement Huffman was a big reason for the turnaround, but has graduated after earning honorable mention all-league honors. Senior Caden Carter, also an all-league honorable mention, hopes to lead the Jets this season. Jeff Almond is entering his second year as head coach of Altoona-Midway. CHETOPA has its third head coach in three years. Rick Aldridge was hired in the summer as the school’s football and boys basketball coach. The Green Hornets will lean on senior Ty Albertson for leadership as he is the team’s only returning starter. Chetopa went 5-15 last season and returns six lettermen this year. After MARMATON VALLEY went 2-18 last season, first-year head coach Gavin Cole will look to lay a solid foundation this season. The Wildcats return two seniors in Ty Scharff and Bo Knavel. The rest of the lineup will be filled out by a strong sophomore class, along with newcomers. Marmaton Valley will be young, and replacing allleague selection Caiden Elliott will be difficult. First-year head coach Karl Wicker will look to keep the momentum going for NORTHEAST. The Vikings improved their win total by 12 games last season and finished 10-1 to win the Three Rivers League along with Yates Center. Senior Matt Cashero made the all-league first team last season. Cashero will be a four-year starter by the end of his career. The Vikings also return senior starter Jazper McCauley. OSWEGO returns seven lettermen from last season’s 5-12 team. Greg Lambkins enters his first season as head coach with the Indians. Junior Isaac Elliott earned honorable mention allleague honors last season and will lead the way. Point guard Jace Wilson will be a key contributor on the perimeter, while Lance Teal can play the 2 or 3 positions. The Indians will have competition for the final starting spots, but will be more experienced than last season. Despite going 10-11 last season, CHEROKEESOUTHEAST went 8-3 in the Three Rivers League. The Lancers return three starters and eight lettermen from last year’s team. The Lancers have a tall order replacing first-team all league selection Tanner Craddock. Hayden Wilson, a 6-6 forward, was an all-league selection last season. Southeast also returns starters Reece Jacobs and Jace Coltrane.
KCAL /FROM PG 54____________
According to head coach Josh Gray, the goals this season are to win the league and qualify for the 5A State Tournament. In his first season as head coach, Geo Lyons helped lead SCHLAGLE to a league championship. The Stallions finished 8-2 in the KCAL and tied with Washington and Harmon. Overall, Schlagle went 12-9 and lost to Pittsburg in the sub-state championship. Schlagle will miss first-team all-league selection Jaylin Richardson, who is enrolling early at KU to continue his football career with the Jayhawks. The Stallions do return three starters. Senior Kendall Brewer will lead the way after earning all-league honorable mention honors. Junior London Taylor and sophomore Tyrese Cannon will also be key pieces. “The Stallions’ keys to success this year will be defensive pressure and scoring in transition,” Lyons said. Despite a 7-12 record last season, KCWYANDOTTE has some talented returners this year that could lead to an improved season. Calvin Thomas had a strong freshman season that saw the 6-6 forward average 16 points and six rebounds a game. Torry Moore is a talented 6-foot senior who averaged 12.5 points and five rebounds a game. Junior guard Norman Robinson averaged 10 points a game, while sophomore guard Lazel Evans averaged 5.5 points, four assists, and 3.2 steals. Senior forward Anwar Crockett averaged 6.7 points and 4.3 rebounds. ATCHISON returns four starters and nine lettermen from last year’s 5-15 team. The Redmen went winless in the KCAL but hope returning experience will lead to more success this season. Seniors Garyeon Simpson and Christian Arnold are both two-year starters. Juniors Xavier Cushinberry and Xavier Hernandez both received their first taste of varsity action last season. Cushinberry earned first-team all-league honors. Another pair of juniors, Patrick Denton and Omarion Daniels, have had varsity experience since their freshman seasons and will likely fight for a starting spot. Senior Cameron Johnson is the team’s tallest player at 6-3. KC-SUMNER has its work cut out in order to improve from last year’ 4-17 season. The Sabres return two starters who will lead the way. Kyun Jackson, a 6-2 junior, averaged 10 points a game. Senior Dominic Lee averaged eight points a game. “Our team goals are to improve on our record from last year, and compete and surprise opposing teams,” head coach Albert Collins Jr. said. “Blocking out and rebounding will be keys to success.”
compete for a league championship again this season. Washington should be especially dangerous with an abundance of upperclass talent, led by senior Alton Easley. All eyes will be on KC-JC HARMON this season after the Hawks finished 19-4 and qualified for the 6A State Tournament. Harmon may be even better this season because of returning starters and the addition of senior Walzel Evans from Wyandotte. Evans was the 2017-2018 KCAL Player of the Year as a sophomore. Last season, Evans averaged 18 points a game. On most teams in the state, Evans would assume the role as leading scorer. However, Evans will be joined in the backcourt by junior Lonell Lane who is one of the best guards in the league and in 6A. Lane averaged 21.9 points a game last season including a 47-point outburst in the semifinals of the Baldwin Invitational. Between Lane and Evans, Harmon will have one of the better frontcourts in the state. Mark Carson and Chauncey Keys patrol the front court. The junior duo combined to average 17.3 points and 13 rebounds a game. Harmon went 8-2 in the KCAL last season and tied for first with Washington and Schlagle. It was the first league title for Harmon since 1989. “Our guard play is going to be very good. We plan on playing an uptempo style and we want to extend our defense to the full court as much as we can,” head coach David Gonzales said. “We don’t have a lot of size. All of our post players are anywhere from 6-1 to 6-3 but they are very athletic and can play effectively facing the basket. We will not be very deep. We will probably only play seven to maybe eight guys in our rotation.” Harmon looks like the preseason favorite in the KCAL, but don’t tell that to KC-WASHINGTON. The Wildcats are loaded with senior talent and are coming off a share of the league championship with Harmon and Schlagle. Washington was one win away from qualifying for the state tournament, but fell to St. James Academy in the sub-state championship. Seniors Alton Easley and Tywan Muturi make up an experienced backcourt. Easley is the team’s top scorer at 16.3 points a game, while adding 4 assists and 3 steals. Muturi average 9.4 points and 3 assists. In the frontcourt, 6-4 senior De’Vaughn Brown averaged 9.2 points and 6.3 rebounds. Six-foot-three junior Nate Johnson averaged 11.8 points and 6.4 rebounds.
Kansas Pregame Winter Sports Preview, Volume 2
TRI-VALLEY LEAGUE
By Gallagher Martin, For Kansas Pregame BOYS Caney Valley captured its second consecutive league championship last season, and nearly pulled off a major upset in the sub-state championship. But the Bullpups fell short against eventual state champions Girard, and had to settle for sub-state runner up. Erie was the biggest challenger to Caney Valley last season, but the Red Devils graduated most of their production heading into this season. Cherryvale returns the majority of its roster and could be in store for a big season after going 11-10 last season. CANEY VALLEY nearly prevented 3A State Champions Girard from reaching state, but the Bullpups could not hold a double-digit lead in the fourth quarter and fell to Girard in the sub-state championship. According to Brian Thomas of the Parson Sun, Caney Valley qualified for the state tournament for the first time in 53 years two years ago. So the Bullpups were a win away from backto-back appearances. It was not all bad for Caney Valley. The Bullpups won the Tri-Valley League for the second straight season. After starting 1-4, the Bullpups finished 15-6. Caney Valley will likely be the favorite in the league again with senior guard Camdyn Melchiori leading the way. Melchiori averaged 19 points, seven rebounds, and four assists a game. Also returning for the Bullpups are senior forward Trey Richey, senior forward Jace Kaminska, and junior guard Jace Scott. Caney Valley returns seven total. ERIE finished second in the Tri-Valley League with a 6-1 league record and a 14-7 overall record. The Red Devils ended their season in the sub-state semifinals with a loss to Burlington. Senior point guard Matthew Vail averaged 10.9
points and 4.6 rebounds on his way to earning allleague honors. Junior Tyler Pasquarelli is also a returning starter who averaged 7.1 points and 4.4 rebounds last season. Eighth-year head coach Nick Pfeifer says the goal is for his team to be playing their best basketball at the end of the season. “I believe the keys to our success this season will be our ability to defend,” Pfeifer said. “While this is always an emphasis in our program, it will be especially important this season as our league and schedule contain a number of talented teams and individuals.” HUMBOLDT fell to Yates Center in overtime in the sub-state semifinals, ending the season with a 11-10 record. The Cubs graduated seven lettermen and four starters. However, the four lettermen who return are all seniors. Connor Haviland, a football standout, earned honorable mention honors. Isiah Coronado, Josh Hull, and Taylor Lassman will also add leadership. Head coach David Taylor knows his team will be young, and is hoping the new players can slow the game down early in the season. “There was a lot of new faces at the varsity level, and playing at the speed it is required to be successful can be a challenge,” Taylor said. “We will also have that challenge this year.” CHERRYVALE had one of its best seasons in recent memory in 2017-2018. The Chargers graduated a large senior class from that team and went into last season with no seniors. Cherryvale went 11-10 for back-to-back winning seasons and is now a year older and more experienced. The Chargers return all 11 lettermen and all five starters. Senior Gavin Hooper was a All-Tri-Valley League First Team selection after averaging
By Brent Maycock, The Topeka Capital-Journal Hanover carried the banner for the Twin Valley League in 2018-19. Not only did the Wildcats sweep the regular-season championships (the girls sharing the title with Frankfort), but they also wound up being the only league school to qualify for a state tournament. Hanover’s girls made the most of their Class 1A state tournament appearance. The Wildcats opened the tournament with a 45-40 upset of undefeated Olpe and then completed the sweep of the Lyon County League’s top teams by rolling Waverly 61-32 in the semifinals. The run ended there as Hanover ran into the state’s premier small-school program, Central Plains, in the championship game. Though the Wildcats were game, they couldn’t deny the Oilers their fifth straight state championship, falling 50-34 in the championship game. Hanover’s boys seemed prime to make a run at another state title, going into the state tournament with a glossy 24-1 record. But perennial power St. John sent the Wildcats packing in the first round with a 53-48 victory. Outside of Hanover, it was a somewhat disappointing postseason for the league. Only two other teams — the Frankfort girls and Blue ValleyRandolph boys — managed to even reach a substate championship game with the Rams boys suffering a heart-breaking 55-53 loss to Lebo to deny
them their first state berth since Randolph qualified in 1946. The 2019-20 season could be a year of atonement for the league, which traditionally sends multiple challengers to the state tournament. BOYS Close games were the ultimate downfall for AXTELL last year as the Eagles finished 9-12 overall and went 2-8 in games where they were within six points or less going into the fourth quarter. If the Eagles can flip that script this year, they can challenge for the league title and more. There’s plenty of experience on hand as Axtell returns four starters, including four-year starters Quinn and Derek Buessing. Quinn Buessing was one of the top players in the league and 1A last year, averaging 17 points and 6 rebounds per game. Axtell will be guard-oriented with freshman Owen Strathman (64) the only true size on the team. The Eagles got a late start with most of the team helping the football team to a state runner-up finish. After posting its best league finish in several years with a tie for second place, BLUE VALLEYRANDOLPH came oh so close to ending its 70-plus year state tournament drought. The Rams dropped a heartbreaking 55-53 decision to Lebo in the substate finals. The Rams graduated all-leaguers Lane Peter and Cole Montgomery, but return enough experience to stay in the hunt for the league title. Seniors Brody Barr and Bryson Brockman are
TWIN VALLEY LEAGUE
Page 72 nearly 17 points a game. Junior Landon Bennett was second on the team in scoring at 10 a game. Seniors Zaine Lantz and Wyatt Raida, along with juniors Devin Sawyer, Landon Bennett, Kolbyn Hooper, and sophomore Briggs Adkinson all saw significant time last season. “I think we have solid depth and will be able to get up and down the court,” coach Aaron Rehmert said. For the third year in a row and fourth time in five years, FREDONIA lost in the first round of substate. The Yellowjackets went 3-18 last season, which was a three-game improvement from the prior season. Fredonia graduated two lettermen and one starter from last year’s team. Junior Layne Mayeske will lead the way, coming off a sophomore season in which he averaged 12.4 points and 5.1 rebounds a game, earning honorable mention all-league honors. Seniors Connor O’Neal and Cooper Odell each averaged seven points and two assists a game. Senior Grayson Coulter averaged 4.6 rebounds and junior Ian Houchin averaged 4.5 points a game. Head coach Dee Barnett is hoping the last two seasons of being extremely young will pay off this season. “The last two years have been rough due to youth and inexperience and it created quite a bit of adversity for us,” Barnett said. “But, if we use it correctly, it could buy us a ticket to some great success this season.” GIRLS The Tri-Valley League Champions reached the 3A State Tournament, but Eureka ran into eventual state champions Royal Valley in the first round. The Tornadoes lost some firepower from last year’s team, and will be a bit younger this season. EUREKA went 7-0 in the Tri-Valley league and reached the 3A State Tournament. The Tornadoes fell to eventual state champions Royal Valley in the first round, but enjoyed a 20-win season and a league championship. Eureka is much younger this season. Junior
Chazni Ptacek (12.8 points, three steals) and senior Emilee Escareno (eight points, four steals) will be key players for the Tornadoes. Head coach Shelly Hoyt has amassed a 40-8 record in her two full seasons with the Tornadoes and enjoyed great success in her tenure at Hoxie prior to one season at Madison and then Eureka. “This is a good group of young ladies that will work hard together,” Hoyt said. “Our younger players are going to have to grow up in a hurry.” NEODESHA returns four starters from last year’s 4-15 squad. The Bluestreaks were eighth in the Tri-Valley League and finished with a 1-6 league record. Junior Amy Smith was an honorable mention allleague selection. Blaine Cole, Madison Grogan, and Chaynee Johnson are also returning starters. “Our goal is to become more consistent and compete for the top in our league,” head coach Justin Pierce said. “The biggest key will be our ability to work together as a team and to push one another in practice to get better every day.” CANEY VALLEY had an up and down season last year, and ultimately finished 10-10 with a 4-3 league record. The Bullpups return two starters this season in senior forward Jaleigh Webster and sophomore guard Kamryn Kaminska. Four total lettermen return for Caney Valley this season. ERIE finished below .500 last season and lost at sub-state. Returning for the Red Devils are seniors Molly LaForge and Grace Harmon. Erie also returns juniors Maddie Kramer, Heaven Ellis, and Skylar Clevenger. Sophomores Riley Brant and Sarah Stark will also step into larger roles this season. Seniors Winter Snyder and Emma Johnson will provide leadership for HUMBOLDT this season. The Cubs will be without all-league first team selections Aricah McCall and Maggie Johnson due to graduation. Humboldt will be inexperienced this season, but the Cubs hope to improve from last year’s 10-6 season.
four-year starters with Barr running the point and leading the Rams in blocks and rebounds last year. Brockman should emerge as the go-to scorer and senior Tucker Bylkas, who transferred in last year, could be a nice complement. With a roster blessed with great size, CENTRALIA played to its strengths last year and pounded teams inside to the tune of a 15-9 record and third-place finish at the league tournament and fifth in the regular-season standings. After graduation claimed the Panthers bigs, including leading scorer Daegan Steinlage, Centralia will look to push the tempo a little more this season to take advantage of its athleticism. Senior Kamble Haverkamp is a three-year starter who averaged 10.8 points and 5 assists per game as a first-team all-league selection. He runs the show, much like he did during football in leading Centralia to the 1A state championship. Fellow senior Colby Arnold added 9.4 points per game and can defend all five spots on the floor. CLIFTON-CLYDE posted a 14-8 overall record, going 7-1 outside the league and 7-7 within league play. The Eagles should be primed for a move back up the league standings with four starters returning led by junior Aiden Rudolph. The 6-foot-1 guard averaged a team-high 13.9 points per game as a sophomore and was a first-team all-league selection. Junior Wyatt Lance, the team’s lone true size at 6-foot-5, added 7.1 points and 5.5 rebounds per game, while senior Slater Lawson added 5.6 points
per game and fellow senior Gunner Coffman came off the bench for 8.4 points per game. Rudolph also led the Eagles in rebounds (6.6 per game), assists (3.9 per game) and steals (1.8 per game) as a stat-stuffing standout. Coming off four straight seasons of 14-plus victories, DONIPHAN WEST couldn’t fill the numerous holes left by graduation and slipped to 3-17 last season. Veteran coach David Johnson returns to the Mustangs’ helm to try to get things turned back around. West only lost one senior off last year’s roster and has none on this year’s roster so it still could be a year of growing pains. Juniors Fletcher Penny, Kaleb Ridout and Lafe Blevins will be called upon to lead the way though Blevins will miss part of the season with an injury. FRANKFORT endured an up and down season last year, showing flashes of being among the best in the league as the Wildcats started the season 7-2 before winning just four of its final 12 games to end the season 11-10. Frankfort graduated three starters, but returns a strong core that is young overall with just two seniors. Senior Garret Dalinghaus averaged 10.3 points per game and was second-team all-league last year, while Gavin Cornelison added 8 points per game. Sixth-year coach Nick Anderson will rely heavily on sophomores to fill around the senior duo.
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Kansas Pregame Winter Sports Preview, Volume 2 HANOVER started the season with a 63-56 loss to Seabury and ended it with a 53-48 loss to St. John in the first round of the Class 1A state tournament. In between, the Wildcats won 24 straight games, sweeping the league regular-season and tournament titles. The state triup was the 15th in the last 24 years for the program. To make it a sweet 16, veteran coach Kim Lohse, who won his 500th career game last year, has a complete rebuild job on his hands. Hanover graduated 10 seniors off last year’s team and returns only three players with varsity experience, most of it in mop-up time. The good news for Lohse is the Hanover JV team went 16-2 and the new faces have shown they can carry on the winning tradition in football. Senior Taegan Schwartz is the most experienced of the returners, seeing time on varsity the past two years. He’s one of only three seniors on the roster. Even though LINN went just 3-16 in Dalton Haist’s first year, he was encouraged by the season, seeing improvement as his team worked through inexperience and adversity. Haist hopes that pays off with more victories this season and with the Bulldogs returning all five starters and all but two players off last year’s team, it should be a better season. Scoring was problematic for Linn at times last year and no player came close to averaging double figures for the season with Trent Beier’s 7.9 scoring average leading the team. Tyler Ohlde was right behind at 7 points per game and he also led the team with 6 rebounds a contest. A young ONAGA team struggled mightily last year as the Buffaloes won just one game. First-year coach Chase Sperber has the same challenge on his hands this year as he takes over a program that has no seniors and likely will start three sophomores and also have a freshman in the mix. The Buffaloes have decent size with four players in the rotation 6-foot-2 or taller and Sperber hopes the youthful exuberance can be a plus. Assistant for the past two seasons, Jonathan Rodvelt takes over as head coach at TROY, becoming the program’s third head coach in three years. The Trojans were just 6-13 last year and graduated three starters. A fourth starter, returning senior Kipp Jasper, suffered an injury late in football and likely is out for the season after averaging 8.8 points and 5.4 rebounds per game last year. That puts a lot on the shoulder of the lone returning starter, senior Tate Smith, who averaged 11.3 points and 5.4 rebounds per game last year. A better showing defensively will also be key as the Trojans allowed 60 points per game a year ago. Expectations are high for VALLEY HEIGHTS this season after a 13-9 record last year. The Mustangs essentially return everyone from a year ago, including all five starters. Heights finished fourth in the league last year but finished strong, winning
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nine of its last 12 games. Senior Trey Martin and junior Cameron Beardsley were second-team allleague selections and form a strong 1-2 punch. The Mustangs are still somewhat young with just two seniors among the key returners, but the junior class is strong and athletic. Some lingering health issues from football could hinder the Mustangs early, but Heights should be a team to be reckoned with by season’s end. WASHINGTON COUNTY tied for second in the league standings last year and finished with 16-7 mark. An early postseason exit soured the season a little bit, but also should make the Tigers hungry for the 2018-19 season. They’ll have to replace firstteam all-leaguer Wyatt Bentz, but return all-leaguer Drew Buhrman, who was one of the team’s top scorers as a sophomore. Washington started last year 6-0. WETMORE saw a three-win improvement in Mark Martin’s first year as head coach, going 8-14. The Cardinals also won their first-round regional game and the taste of success has carried over through the offseason. Four starters are back but there’s not a lot of depth with three freshmen expected to play big roles off the bench. Kael McQueen is a two-year starter who averaged 9.7 points per game last year, while Braden Henry added 7.5 points per game. Martin said both need to be in double figures on a consistent basis for the Cardinals to take another step this season, particularly with the team’s overall lack of size (one player taller than six foot). GIRLS Having to replace the bulk of the squad that produced a fourth-place finish at the Class 1A Division II state tournament in 2017-18, AXTELL took a while to get going last year. The Eagles finished the season with a fairly respectable 7-14 mark, somewhat stung by a six-game losing streak to end the season. Axtell only graduated three players off last year’s team so the Eagles should be able to hit the ground running this season. The strength is in the backcourt where senior Kinsey Feldkamp is a two-year starter and the leading returning scorer at 6.2 points per game. The key will be rebuilding the frontcourt where the departed players accounted for most of the minutes and sophomores will be asked to step up. A potential sleeper team to jump up and contend for the league title this year could very well be BLUE VALLEY-RANDOLPH. The Rams were just 12-11 overall and 5-7 in league play last year, but return a dynamic duo in seniors Brooklyn Zoeller and Allie Cassel. Zoeller averaged 16.2 points, 5.2 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 steals per game, while Cassel added 13.2 points and 10.1 rebounds a contest. Both
are three-year starters who were all-leaguers last year. Two other starters return in sophomores Breanna Young and Abby Cassel and if that duo can increase their production and the Rams can develop some depth, they could be a team to watch. CENTRALIA tied for second in the league a year ago behind co-champs Hanover and Frankfort and nearly knocked off Frankfort in the sub-state semifinals, losing by three. Veteran coach Roger Holthaus has plenty of holes to fill to keep the Panthers in the hunt for league and sub-state titles this season as only one starter returns and graduation claimed standout Madison Lueger. Senior guard Morgan Kramer was a first-team all-league pick who averaged 12 points and 3 steals per game last year, but she’s the only starter back. A disappointing postseason showing soured an otherwise solid year for CLIFTON-CLYDE, which went 14-9 overall and took fourth in the league standings. The Eagles should be in the mix for the league title this season after losing just one player to graduation. Four starters return led by all-leaguer Jaysie Bowser, who averaged 11.5 points per game. She’ll run the point and key the Eagles’ defensive pressure. Senior Payton Girard (5.2 points per game) and junior Mallory Callihan (8 points, 7.4 rebounds per game) will provide a solid inside presence to go with Bowser. DONIPHAN WEST advanced to the sub-state semifinals before falling to eventual state runner-up Hanover. The Mustangs finished the season 1312 overall, but have much higher expectations for this season with everyone back from a year ago. Four-year starter Makinley Smith averaged 16.5 points and 7 rebounds per game and is one of the top players in the league. She’s got a strong complement in Myah Olson, who averaged 11.1 points per game and Heidi Leach added 8.3 points and 4 rebounds per game. Olson and Leach had a strong junior class and fourth-year coach Perry Smith has a handful of sophomores and freshmen who will also contribute. FRANKFORT suffered only three losses last year, two to eventual state runner-up Hanover and the other to Rural Vista in the sub-state finals that denied the Wildcats a trip to the Class 1A state tournament. The Wildcats finished 22-3 overall and tied for the league title with Hanover with an 11-1 league mark. Frankfort only lost two players, but they were big losses in four-year starters including Kansas State signee Emilee Ebert. There’s plenty of firepower back for the Wildcats to make another run at the league title and state berth, however. Kennen Brandt averaged 11 points and 6 rebounds per game as a complement to Ebert. Junior Mariah
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Broxterman added eight points and 4 rebounds per game and Alli Tommer had 7 points and 4 rebounds per contest. Led by standout Macy Doebele, HANOVER went 24-4, swept the league regular season and tournament titles and finished runner-up at the Class 1A state tournament, knocking off undefeated Olpe in the first round and falling to five-time champion Central Plains in the finals. Replacing Doebele will be incredibly tough as she led the team in scoring for all four years and was a two-time first-team All1A selection. The Wildcats return four-year starter Tianna Lohse and a handful of other players from last year’s squad. Trevor Kuhlman takes over as head coach at LINN and inherits a team that went just 4-15 last season. The Bulldogs return four starters and lost just one player off last year’s team. Sophomore Kyrah Moore averaged 7 points per game, while Liz Bott added 6.3 points per game. A pair of freshmen could contribute and the Bulldogs have good size in junior Faith Beikman (6-0) and freshman Ella Thallman (5-11). Ryan Noel moves from the boys to girls head coaching job at ONAGA, looking to revive the Buffaloes’ program. Onaga was 0-21 last year with a young team that had just one senior. Returning all but Katelyn VanDonge, the Buffaloes should be able to pick up a couple victories this season. Scoring was a major issue for the Buffaloes last year as they hit the 30-point mark just twice all year and never scored more than 33 points in a game. Kady Figge’s 5.8 points per game led the team and only two other returning players averaged more than 3 points per game. Noel does have good numbers to work with 14 out and a solid freshman class may contribute immediately. After fighting the numbers game for a couple seasons, TROY has seen a spike this season to close to 20 players out. Nearly two-thirds of them are either freshmen or sophomores, however, leaving veteran coach Derek Jasper with a young team on his hands. He does return three senior starters from last year’s 3-17 squad with Macy Norris the leading returning scorer at 7 points per game. A trio of sophomores who saw plenty of minutes as freshmen also return led by Avery Euler, who averaged 6 points per game. The Trojans don’t have much size with no returner taller than 5-foot-6. Many are picking VALLEY HEIGHTS as the team to beat in the league this year and for good reason. The Mustangs overcame some early growing pains to go 18-5 last year, including a 10-2 mark in league play. Only two players graduated and six players return that started at some point a year ago, including a trio of sophomores who stepped right in as freshmen and contributed. Sophomore post Emma
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Kansas Pregame Winter Sports Preview, Volume 2 By Gallagher Martin, For Kansas Pregame GIRLS The UKC will be loaded with talent this season. Four of the six All-UKC First Team selections return this season, including two De Soto Wildcats and last year’s Player of the Year Aleshia Jones of Leavenworth. The Pioneers went undefeated in the league last season but will be replacing three all-league seniors. Teams like Basehor-Linwood, Shawnee Heights and KC Turner return the majority of their production. League-champions LEAVENWORTH went 10-0 in the UKC and dropped a heartbreaker to Olathe East in the sub-state title game, 43-41 in overtime. The Pioneers went 15-7 overall and graduated a talented senior class. McKenzie Brown was a firstteam selection to the All-UKC team, while Alyche Brown and Micquasha Riddle were all-league as well. Fortunately, Leavenworth returns the reigning United Kanas Conference Player of the Year in junior Aleshia Jones. While Jones will lead the way, Leavenworth will be counting on new faces to step up this season. DE SOTO also came a win away from reaching the state tournament, but fell to Topeka-Seaman in the sub-state championship. The Wildcats finished 16-6 overall, and only suffered two losses to Leavenworth in the league. De Soto looks strong on paper entering the season. The Wildcats return two All-UKC First Team selections in seniors Mackenzie Shupe and LaMyah Ricks. Shupe averaged a team-high 16.6 points and 3.6 steals a game. Ricks averaged nearly nine points and three steals a game. The Wildcats also return senior Emily Fuhr (3.0 points, 5.6 rebonds) and junior Katelynn Ostronic (eight points, six rebounds). “Our goal is to grow throughout the season so we are playing our best basketball at the end of February and early March,” head coach Ryan Robie said. “Also to compete for a conference championship.” LANSING ran into eventual state champions St. Thomas Aquinas in the sub-state championship. The Lions went 10-12 last season and finished third in the UKC with a 5-5 record. Lansing graduated a strong senior class that featured three on the all-league team, including first-team selection Gerenda Smith. The Lions return three players who saw starting time, but will have to replace their top scorers and rebounders. Returning senior Jailynn Brooks averaged 6.5 points, while senior Sam Caldwell and junior Caitlin
Bishop each averaged about 4.5 points a game. “If kids step into bigger roles and accept those roles we could be pretty solid,” head coach KC Simmons said. In head coach Bob Wells’ 18th year as head coach, SHAWNEE HEIGHTS returns four starters and nine lettermen from last year’s 9-12 team. Senior Ali Fulks leads the way for the T-Birds. Fulks, a first-team all-league selection last season, averaged 12 points a game. Senior Kam Wells, a second-team selection, averaged 10.5 points, while junior Adysen Burghart, an honorable mention, averaged 8.5 points a game. “The Lady T-Birds return an experienced lineup that has gone through the growing pains of being a young team,” Wells said. “It is time for the girls to step up and use the experience they have gained the past couple of years.” BASEHOR-LINWOOD went 3-7 in the UKC last season, but the Bobcats will not be an easy out for anyone in the league this season. Nearly the entire team is back from last year, including five starters and 10 lettermen. Senior guard Riley Tinder is a four-year starter and averaged eight points and seven rebounds last season. Junior forward Isabel Sibert led the team in scoring at 12 points a game and earned secondteam all league honors. Junior Addison Penegar made a school-record 46 3s last season, and junior point guard Adell Gore broke the school record for steals in a season. Lucy Lally, a 6-0 senior forward, averaged a double-double last season in 15 games. With all the experience the Bobcats return, Basehor-Linwood could be improved from last year’s 8-13 team. “We were very competitive last year but disappointed with our record,” head coach Jason Tatkenhorst said. “We return a lot and hope to win some big games this year and play in very important games as well.” KANSAS CITY-TURNER went winless last season, but does return honorable mention allleague seniors Aaliyah Garcia and Emily Beery. BOYS Basehor-Linwood was the class of the United Kansas Conference last season. Not only did the Bobcats cruise through the league schedule with a 10-0 record, Basehor-Linwood finished as the 5A State Runner Up behind Andover Central. The league as a whole graduated many talented seniors, including all six from the UKC First Team. BASEHOR-LINWOOD went 21-3 last season
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Romeiser and most are three- or four-year starters. Junior Alyssa Kern had a big sophomore season, averaging a team-high 12.9 points per game, while fellow junior Camryn Boykin added 8.9 ppg. Senior Grace Otott chipped in 7.5 ppg. and if all three can up their production a little bit, Washington County could climb into contender status. Despite having only eight players at its disposal last season, WETMORE put together a solid 10-11 season. The Cardinals did that without a senior on the roster and played four freshmen overall. That should make the prospects for this year a little brighter. Sophomore Kenzie Strathman led the team in scoring as a freshman at 10.4 ppg. and in rebounding as well with 12.2 boards a contest. Juniors Alyssa Bloom and Reagan Osterhaus added 8.6 and 7.3 ppg., respectively, with Osterhaus also grabbing 7.2 boards a game. Cutting down on turnovers will be key to making strides as Wetmore averaged 25 turnovers a game last season.
Yungeberg was one of the top frontcourt players in the league as a freshman, averaging 10 points and 7.5 rebounds per game. That ranked only behind returning senior Sam Vermetten, who led the team in both categories with 11 points and 7.7 rebounds per game. Four other returners averaged at least 4.3 points per game and the Mustangs have good length across the board. The late-season surge fell short of a state berth with a sub-state semifinal loss to Jackson Heights, but the Mustangs swept the league titles in volleyball in the fall and finished fourth at the 2A state tournament with the bulk of the squad looking to duplicate or better that showing in basketball. WASHINGTON COUNTY went just 8-13 overall and 5-7 in league play last year, but don’t be surprised if the Tigers improve on those records. Everyone is back for seventh-year coach Scott
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UNITED KANSAS CONFERENCE
and finished as the 5A State Runner Up. Although the Bobcats fell to Andover Central in the championship, Basehor-Linwood gave its fans plenty to cheer for throughout the year. On top of going 10-0 in the UKC, Basehor-Linwood was a part of one of the best games in Kansas last season during the 5A State Semifinals. Down by 13 entering the fourth quarter, Basehor-Linwood outscored defending state champions Bishop Carroll 30-16 to escape with a 69-68 win. The Bobcats must return two first-team all-league selections in Jacob Coleman and Nolan Ford. Kobe Sifford was all-league and has graduated as well, but second-team all-league senior Connor Younger is back and will lead a Bobcats squad that will be more inexperienced this season. Younger averaged 13.3 points a game. Fellow senior Cory Davilla scored 6.3 points and had 4.3 rebounds a game. Davilla is a 6-7, 240 forward with a 32 inch vertical. Sophomore guards Trevor McBride and Jordan Brown are expected to be starters this season. Head coach Mike McBride, who is entering his 16th year with the program, has compiled a 253-88 record. Despite the graduation of a loaded senior class, McBride maintains the same goals. “We will take a couple of hits this year as we build chemistry, but as always, we are looking for a trip to state and we will see where we end up,” McBride said. SHAWNEE HEIGHTS tied for second place in the UKC with a 6-4 league record. Replacing Tyce Brown, who is now an outfielder for the Xavier baseball team, will be a top priority. The T-Birds
return senior Marquis Barksdale, who earned second-team all league honors, and junior Harvey Davis - an honorable mention last season. LEAVENWORTH graduated the dynamic duo of D’Monte Gaw and Jarrett Hensley, who were both named to the All-UKC First Team. Senior Reece Williams was a second-team all-league selection and will be counted on for leadership and production. LANSING went 8-13 last season and lost to St. James at sub-state. The Lions return three starters, but the two starters from last year that graduated earned all-league. Senior Alex Mack and juniors Jake Jackson and Peyton Basler are returning starters. Jason Jones is entering his second year as head coach with Lansing. He says tough and unselfish play will be keys to success. Junior Nate Barnhart will lead DE SOTO this season. Barnhart is a rare player in Kansas. At 6-11, Barnhart has the ability to knock down 3s, but he’s also a force down low on defense. An allleague honorable mention last season, Barnhart averaged 15.5 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 2.7 blocks a game last season. Senior Luke Millman (4.8 points, 5.4 rebounds) and junior Jackson Miller (3.5 points, 1.5 steals) are also returning starters. “Keys to success this season are defense, getting Nate good shots, and others making open shots,” head coach Matt Rice said. KANSAS CITY TURNER went winless last season and graduated its only all-league player in Reneaux Jackson.
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Kansas Pregame Winter Sports Preview, Volume 2
WESTERN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE
By Brett Marshall, For Kansas Pregame LIBERAL BOYS The Liberal Redskins boys had their share of roller-coaster rides during the 2018-19 season, finishing with a 10-11 overall record while managing just one win against seven losses in the Western Athletic Conference. Head coach Ryan Petty, though, will have the benefit of four returning starters despite the absence of graduated leading scorer Jordan Mendoza (11.3 ppg.). His group of experienced players includes four seniors – 6-foot guard/forwards Hunter and Lee Hatcher, 5-8 guard Syris Dunlap, one of the more versatile athletes in the WAC, along with 6-3 guard/forward Braxton Hyde. Alex Lopez, a 5-8 junior guard, also played varsity ball a year ago. Petty, who is 18-24 in his two seasons, says the team suffered a major setback when his tallest player, Israel Avalos, suffered a season-ending injury in football that will cost him the basketball campaign. “Losing Israel will mean that we will be a lot smaller than we already were,” Petty said. “We will really have to rebound well and shoot the basketball well to win games. But we will be as experienced as we have been in the last three years.” LIBERAL GIRLS Liberal coach Carter Kruger enters his fifth season at the helm of the Lady Redskins with a glossy 73-18 record. A year ago, with a mostly underclasS roster, the Lady Redskins went unbeaten during the regular season, swept their two-game sub-state tourney and headed to the Class 6A state tourney as the No. 1 overall seed. That all came crashing down in the quarterfinal opening round as they fell to No. 8 seed Olathe Northwest, 57-46, to see the dream season end. But, Kruger returns four starters, including a pair of all-state honorable mention selections in 5-9 senior guard Katie Horyna and 6-foot senior forward Machia Mullens. Horyna, who has signed to play at Abilene Christian next year, averaged 14.3 points, 4 rebounds and was a 41 percent shooter from 3-point range. Mullens, who can shoot from deep as well as in the paint, led the team with 15 points per game while pulling down 7.2 rebounds and blocking 2.4 shots. She signed to play at the University of Missouri-Kansas City next season. “We’re led by an excellent senior class and are bolstered by depth in our sophomore and junior classes,” Kruger said. “I expect us to make another run at the 6A state tournament, but our focus will have to remain on getting better every day and allow this group to gel and play our best basketball in March.” His other two returning starters include 5-10 junior Aubrey Warden (6.1ppg, 5.4rpg) and 5-9 senior guard Audrey Gilmore (3.9ppg, 2.9rpg), regarded as the team’s best defender. Kruger’s underclass group that he is counting on
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includes 5-8 junior guard Reece Hay, 5-8 sophomore guard Bree Horyna, 5-9 junior guard Halle Payton, 5-7 sophomore guard Ashley Carrillo and 5-10 senior forward Reagan Watt. “We need our newcomers to step into a larger role in terms of minutes played in the perimeter positions,” Kruger said. “We need them to improve offensively against top-level defenses.” GARDEN CITY BOYS The 2018-19 Garden City Buffaloes boys basketball season was one of the most successful in school history, with the team finishing 17-5 and just losing a close battle at Lawrence High in the Class 6A sub-state championship game. Head coach Jacy Holloway, the former Moundridge High and Iowa State standout, lost 10 seniors from that squad and expected two returning starting guards to form the nucleus of this year’s team. Even before preseason practice got under way, the Buffs and Holloway lost their top returning scorer in 5-9 senior point guard Carlos Acosta (12.4 ppg) to a knee injury suffered during the football season. It will likely sideline him the entire season. That leaves Azavier Williams (5-11, Sr.) as the only returning starter after averaging 8.4 points, 2.4 rebounds and 1.5 assists his junior campaign after he had transferred in from Chicago. Holloway’s varsity roster will be comprised of a group of players, mostly underclassmen, who played junior varsity, freshman or eighth grade ball a year ago. “Speed, athleticism and perimeter play will be key areas of strength for us,” Holloway said. “We will have a lot of guards playing at the same time, and a lot of guys who shoot the three well.” Among other candidates to see action are Isaac Flores (5-8, Jr.), Tae Rosales (5-10, So.), Aaron Guevara (6-2, So.) and Carson Tanner (6-4, Sr.). The youth movement could also see others inserted into the lineup as the season progresses and that group includes Isaiah Reyes (5-8, Jr.), Luke Tolbert (5-9, So.), Cooper Ramsey (6-3, So.) and Caleb Wiese (6-4, Fr.). “We might have two sophomores and a freshman on the floor at the same time,” Holloway said of his youthful group. “Our lack of size and uncertainty with post play, and a lack of experienced depth will be things we need to see improve.” So a season after winning the WAC (7-1) and making a run at a state tourney berth, this will be one of Holloway’s youngest teams as he begins his 10th season (106-92). GARDEN CITY GIRLS The 2018-19 Lady Buffaloes doubled their previous two season win total by finishing 12-10 after going 6-16 and 6-15 under then new coach Matt Pfeifer. Pfeifer’s team improved dramatically a year ago, still with many underclassmen seeing starting duty or reserve duty as the team lost to then unbeaten Liberal in the Class 6A sub-state championship game. While there is no one big scorer/rebounder returning, Pfeifer does welcome back three returning starters in 5-9 junior forward Julie Calzonetti (7.7 ppg., 5.8 rpg.), 5-10 junior forward Keyhana Turner (6.5 ppg., 5.2 rpg., 3.3 apg.) and 5-4 senior guard Felicity Rodriguez (5.6 ppg., 2.3 apg.). Calzonetti and Turner have been playing varsity since their
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freshman seasons. Pfeifer hopes to see more points with his experienced players, after seeing his team average 42.8 points off 34 percent field goal shooting. The Buffs did average 10.6 assists and 11.1 steals per game. One of Pfeifer’s top reserves a year ago is also back in 5-11 junior post Symone Simmons, a lefthander who averaged 4.5 ppg. and 3.4 rpg. off the bench. Newcomers who could impact the Buffs include 5-4 senior guard Nateara Beasley, (3 ppg., 1 spg.), 5-9 senior forward transfer Alli Meng and 5-6 freshman guard Amaya Gallegos. “We have a lot of returning varsity experience and our team will be competitive and a fun group to coach,” said Pfeifer, a nearby Holcomb High graduate. “We are looking to build on some success from last year and translate it into a higher finisher in the WAC. The league is as solid from top to bottom as it has been and Liberal will be one of the better teams in the state.” HAYS BOYS Size, depth and experience. Those will be the trademarks of the Hays High Indians as they begin a new era in boys basketball with coach Alex Hutchins, who guided the HHS Lady Indians the season before. Hutchins was named to take the reins of the boys program following the departure of veteran coach Rick Keltner, who was on the bench there for more than three decades. The Indians finished 9-12 overall and 4-4 in the Western Athletic Conference and lost in the substate semifinals of Class 5A to Salina Central. The size comes in the form of senior Dylan Ruder (6-8), and juniors Trey Adams (6-7) and Dalyn Schwarz (6-6), all of whom saw varsity action a year ago in limited roles. Ruder averaged 3.1 points and 3.9 rebounds while Adams’ line read 5.9 points, 4.2 rebounds and 1.7 blocks. Schwarz scored at a 5.2 points a game clip and hauled in 4.4 rebounds. The top returning scorer for Hutchins, a former Scott City standout, is 6-1 junior guard TJ Nunnery, who averaged 9 points, 1.2 assists and 2 steals per game. But there are others for Hutchins to decide on for starters and playing time. That group includes
Page 75 6-1 senior Brock Lummus, 5-8 junior guard Jason Krannawitter (3.4 points), and 6-foot sophomore guard Carson Kieffer. “We graduated two of our top three scorers and rebounders, but return a lot of varsity depth,” Hutchins said. “Our returning players will be depended upon for much more production and leadership. We are expecting major contributions from some players with very limited varsity experience.” Trying to figure out starters and rotations will be among Hutchins’ challenges. “Decisions on starting lineups and rotations should be difficult as we have a big group of players bunched up competing for spots. We’ll be looking for some to step up and take charge both on and off the court,” Hutchins said. HAYS GIRLS A year ago, the Hays High Lady Indians fashioned a 14-8 season record and a 6-2 record in the Western Athletic Conference and saw their postseason hopes dashed in the sub-state finals, falling to Goddard in Class 5A action. The Indians were coached by former Scott City player Alex Hutchins, who learned his trade under Scott City’s five-time state champion coach Glenn O’Neil, and has since transitioned to the HHS boys head coaching job. In his place, is Kyle Porter, who guided his previous team, Royal Valley, to a Class 3A state runner-up and championship finish the last two seasons. He brings a wealth of success to the HHS program and he will have a solid core of returners on which to build. “We have a unique blend of varsity experience and quality underclassmen,” Porter said in his preseason observations. “We have athleticism and the ability to score in a number of ways.” Three players return as starters and all are seniors playing in their third varsity season. Leading the pack is 5-5 guard Brooke Denning, a second-team all-WAC selection and 5A all-state honorable mention after averaging 8.8 points and 2.2 rebounds while shooting a blistering 93 percent from the free throw line. Combo player Tasiah Nunnery, a 5-9 player who can switch between guard and forward, average
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Kansas Pregame Winter Sports Preview, Volume 2 sub-state title game. Weskan (17-4) was the other girls’ squad with a winning mark at 17-4. BOYS NORTHERN VALLEY (21-3) graduated its topJoining Mackley as returning starters are juniors three scorers and five of the top-six. Senior Fabian Mac Purvis and Zach Schemm, both who averaged Loya had 8.3 points and 4.5 rebounds a contest. about six points a game last season. Schemm TRIPLAINS-BREWSTER (12-8) graduated its made 24 3-pointers and shot 34 percent from top-two and three of its top-four scorers. Sophomore beyond the arc. Joey Myers delivered 9.8 points and 2.1 rebounds “Jace Mackley is one of the best players in a game last year while senior Weston Schmidt (6- our area, but expect both Mac Purvis and Zach 1) grabbed 4.3 rebounds and 4.4 steals per game. Schemm to significantly increase their scoring in “This year our team goals will focus more on 2020,” Reiss said. improving our young guys and developing into Bird City-Cheylin finished at 5-16, while Rexforda very competitive and tough team by the end of Golden Plains (4-17), Western Plains/Healy (3-18) the year,” said seventh year head coach Michael and Palco (2-16) round out the league. Collett. CHEYLIN should be much improved after it WHEATLAND-GRINNELL (10-11) returns its top- returned 78 percent of its offense. Junior Andrew three scorers. Junior Trevor Zarybnicky delivered Schields had 14 points and 5.5 rebounds a game. 12.2 points and 5.6 rebounds a game. Senior Kyler Junior Colton McCarty delivered 13 points, 5.2 Haffner delivered 11.9 points, 4.6 rebounds, 4.5 points, 3.2 steals and 2.1 assists per contest. assists and 3.5 steals a contest. Sophomore Trey All five returning starters are juniors with Tyler Vincent finished with 5.5 points, and 1.8 rebounds. Sabatka, Alex Dart and Joe Melton joining Schileds WESKAN and LOGAN were both 9-12. Weskan and McCarty. senior Jace Mackley is back after 10.7 points per PALCO’s entire team featured seven players game and honorable mention all-state recognition. - six freshmen and one sophomore - in ‘18-19. Logan seniors Nate Cruz and Trey Kats are back Sophomore Connor Knipp had 12.1 points and after combining for 13.3 points and 7.3 rebounds a 9.7 rebounds. Sophomore Jadin Newell delivered contest. 9.6 points, 3.9 rebounds and 2.5 steals per game. Second year Weskan head coach Val Reiss said Junior Micah Thompson was at 8.9 points, 7.1 speed and shooting will be team strengths but said rebounds, 2.9 assists and 2.1 steals. rebounding will need to improve. GOLDEN PLAINS’ Harley Weese should be one
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Jace MACKLEY Weskan, Senior
By Conor Nicholl, For Kansas Pregame The biggest change in the Western Kansas Liberty League comes with the Almena-Northern Valley boys. NV won the Class 1A, Division II championship two years ago. Last winter, Class 1A consolidated back into one class. Northern Valley finished 21-3 and lost in the sub-state championship game to Osborne. Coach Chuck Fessenden retired after 43 years with Northern Valley. He was the head coach for football, boys’ basketball and track at the time of retirement. The WKLL features many of the state’s smallest 20 schools. The only other boys’ team with a winning record last season was Triplains-Brewster at 12-8. On the girls’ side, Rexford-Golden Plains (23-1) was undefeated until a loss to Thunder Ridge in the
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WHEAT STATE LEAGUE By Gallagher Martin, For Kansas Pregame GIRLS The Wheat State League was clearly led by Rural Vista, but second-place Little River was only a game behind in the standings despite the Heat going undefeated in the regular season. Rural Vista was a big winner over Little River in their only meeting last December and defeated every team in the league by double digits. The Heat lose some punch from last year’s 1A state-qualifying team, but will be one of the favorites in the WSL again. However, keep an eye out for Little River and Canton-Galva, who finished second and third in the league last season. Centre-Lost Springs also returns one of the best players in the league in senior Kelsey Hett after going 11-9 last season. RURAL VISTA completed a perfect regular season that saw the Heat win the Wheat State League. The loss of two starters, including firstteam all-league selection Lauren Campuzano, is big, but reigning WSL Coach of the Year Kane Hensley is confident he will find new faces. Campuzano helped lead Rural Vista to three straight state tournament appearances. Last year’s first-round exit was hard to swallow, considering the Heat entered state with a 23-0 record. This season, the Heat turn to seniors Hannah Riedy and Holly Brockmeier for leadership and production. Riedy averaged 10 points and 5.5
points per game last season and was voted to the all-league first team. Brockmeier averaged seven points, eight rebounds, and 2.5 steals a game and earned honorable mention honors. Junior Chancy Johnson averaged 4.1 points and 2.7 rebounds and is a returning starter. “We lost some key pieces to graduation, but have returners that are capable of filling their shoes,” Hensley said. “Holly and Hannah have started since their freshman years. Overall we may be more athletic than we have in the past and will have to rely heavily on our defense.” LITTLE RIVER must replace Kaylie Zimmerman and her 12 points per game but returns seven seniors. First-team all-league selection Emma McBride will lead an experienced Little River team that finished 8-1 in the WSL last season. McBride is one of three returning senior starters; Morgan Konen and Jaylie Bergkamp are the others. Lily Boughfman also started last year as a freshman. Little River enjoyed success within the league and finished 15-7 overall. However, Little River did not make the state tournament last season which will be the goal this year. “We should be pretty balanced in scoring as we have several guards that can score and great post presence,” head coach Trey Look said. “We will need to work together, control the game and limit our turnovers for us to take that next step.”
CANTON-GALVA surprised many when the Eagles finished third in the WSL under first-year head coach Shelby Hoppes. With four returning starters, Canton-Galva will not sneak up on anyone in the league this season. Tia Moddelmog is the team’s top athlete. She’s a three-time state qualifier in track and field and also a powerlifting champion. Last year as a junior, Moddelmog averaged 13 points, seven rebounds, and four assists a game. She is joined by seniors Jayci Mastre (6 ppg., 8 rpg.) and Braylee Doughman (4 ppg., 5 rpg.) in the starting lineup. If Moddelmog is not the top returning player in the Wheat State League, it may be junior Alexa Bell, who averaged 17 points and four assists per game last season. Moddelmog and Bell are both returning firstteam all-league selections. “We return a lot of experience and will have senior leadership for the 2019-2020 season,” Hoppes said. “I think we should be able to compete for a league championship and hopefully make a postseason run.” HERINGTON finished just above .500 at 1110 last season. Replacing first-team all-league selection McKenzie Shippy will be a large task for the Railers. Herington returns sophomore starters Tristyn Kremeier Halle Rutschman along with junior Carrie Roe, the latter earned honorable mention
of the top players in the league this season. WESTERN PLAINS returns four starters for first year coach Jeff Jones. Tim Hair (6-1, Jr.) 7.9 ppg., 6.4 rpg., Jayme Flax (6-0, Jr.) 3.2 ppg., 4.4 rpg., Moises Gomez (5-10, Sr.) 8.4 ppg. and Jan Nava (5-9, Jr.) 8.2 ppg. Jones called “developing a competitive culture and developing a defensive identity” team keys. GIRLS GOLDEN PLAINS (23-1) head coach Parker Christensen has won 348 games in his career with the Bulldogs. GP graduated standout point guard KayCee Miller who had 10.6 points, five rebounds, 3.9 assists and 3.5 steals a game. However, her sister, Kassie, a sophomore, returns after 9.9 points, 3.8 steals and 2.8 rebounds a game. Additionally, GP has the junior Stoll twins – Ashley and Brooke. Ashley delivered 8.7 points and 6.3 rebounds a contest. Brooke Stoll has 8.3 points and 1.5 assists. Senior Mabel Lugo, whom GP assistant coach Steve Shaw called a “blue collar player” last winter, has had a nine career that included 6.7 points, eight rebounds, 2.1 steals and 1.6 assists a contest last year. Much of the team also contributed to an excellent volleyball season that saw the Bulldogs go 31-6 and spend most of the season near the top of the 1A continued on page 90
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Ph: 800.272.1411 Photo by Cheyenne Bailey, Rural Vista Yearbook
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WESTERN KANSAS LIBERTY LEAGUE
Holly BROCKMEIER Rural Vista, Senior
all-league honors. Two seniors, a junior, and two sophomores return as lettermen. “We will be young with good experience,” head coach Troy Heitfield said. “Returning starters contributed to much of the offense. We have girls that can shoot the ball. Need to work on man defense.” In his 11th year as head coach at CENTRELOST SPRINGS, head coach Alan Stahlecker returns four starters from an 11-9 team. Of the four returning starters, senior Kelsey Hett is one of the top returning players in the WSL and in 1A. Hett averaged 17 points, eight rebounds, 3.1 assissts, and 2.6 steals per game last season. Juniors Alyssa Espinoza and Samantha Espinoza combined to average 15 points and 11 rebounds. Junior Cailey Barney is also a returning starter. Alyssa Espinoza was an honorable mention allleague selection. continued atop the next page
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Gavin CARTER
Washburn Rural, Senior
By Mike Lavieri, For Kansas Pregame Heading into the 2019-20 season, three of the top four finishers in 6A from a year ago are atop the preseason rankings, but it isn’t defending 6A champion Derby who is on top. GARDEN CITY, which finished third at state last year, begins this season ranked No. 1 and for good reason. The Buffaloes, which went 17-0 in duals in 2018-19, return three individual state champions in seniors Silas Pineda, Jacob Holt and Refugio Chairez. Pineda moves up from 113 pounds to 126, Holt from 132 to 138 and Chairez remains at 285. Holt is the only one of the trio to be ranked No. 1 in his weight. Both Pineda and Chairez are second. Garden City returns five additional state qualifiers including two-time state placer Diago Hernandez (No. 1 individually in 120), Eric Dominguez (No. 4 in 145), Josh Janas (No. 2 in 152) Jared Arrelano (No. 5 in 160) and Alex Rodriguez (No. 3 in 182). The goal is simple: win state. It’s something the Buffaloes did three straight years from 2013 to 2016. “Buying in to a Team First mentality is paramount to any success a team has,” eighth year head coach Carlos Prieto said. “No one remembers whether or not you win a league title or beat a certain opponent/team but they do remember how you finished at state.” Freshmen Dakota Smith (106) and Ryan Heiman (113) begin the season ranked sixth and fourth, respectively, in their weight classes. Second-ranked WASHBURN RURAL returns nine state qualifiers from a year ago and is led by the No. 1 ranked wrestler at 113 pounds, Bishop Murray and the No. 1 ranked wrestler at 195 pounds, Gavin Carter, who committed to ArkansasLittle Rock in June. Murray was perfect through the season, league and regionals, dropped his only match in the quarterfinals and avenged that loss in the 106-pound third-place match. Carter is seeking to return to the top of the podium where he was as a sophomore after placing third at 182 last year. Coach Damon Parker said if “everyone gets to the correct weights and we stay relatively injury free, we should have a pretty salty lineup.” Last year, Austin Fager (160) was ranked No. 2 in the state when he was hurt at League. He checks in No. 3 in the state. The Junior Blues also return Andrew Davis (No. 4 in 285), who didn’t wrestle in 2018, but finished fifth at 220 in 2017. Rural also returns Jacob Tangpricha (No. 3 at 106), Caleb Douglas (120), Bowan Murray (listed at 126, but currently No. 5 in 132), Gavin Collins (132), Nick Vincent (138), John Vincent (No. 6 in 145), Cole Wells (No. 6 in 152) and David Huckstep (No. 4 in 220). Wells finished sixth at state at 145 last year while Huckstep drops down from 285 where he was fifth. Last year’s state champion DERBY has a lot of work to do if it wants to repeat. The Panthers lose
Kansas Pregame Winter Sports Preview, Volume 2 Kobe Grijalva at 138 pounds, Cooper Ross at to 170 where he’s ranked first. The Red Demons 145, who finished fourth at state, 152-pound state also return state qualifiers Danny Rojas (No. 6 at champion Crew Squires, Oklahoma State commits 126), Marcelino Otero (No. 4 at 152) and Armando 170-pound third-place finisher Cade Lindsey and Monreal. However, they lose 120-pound champion 182-pound champion Triston Wills, 195-pound third- Couy Weil and 285-pound third place finisher Evan place finisher Bryce Westmoreland and 285-pound Darville to graduation. Last year’s runner-up, MANHATTAN, which was fourth-place finisher Ronnie Washington. The good news for Bill Ross is he returns six state only three points behind Derby for first, loses a ton of production in the heavier classes, but returns a lot qualifiers including five state placers. “We are young and need to grow up super quick if of young talent in the lighter weights. While the Indians lose 160-pound champion we want to compete with the big boys,” Ross said. “We are excited about our young kids and need Bubba Wilson, runners-up Quincy Saddler (170) and Christian Schlepp (220), 182-pound thirdgreat senior leadership to help these guys out.” Ross is talking about seniors Cody Woods (No. place-finisher Stephen White and 138-pound 1 at 106), Xavier Sisco (No. 4 at 132), Bryce Wells fourth-place finisher Jacob Mitchell, they return (No. 2 at 138), Taidon Wills (No. 2 at 182) and Tyler Easton Taylor (No. 4 at 126), Tate Sauder (No. 6 at 132), Blaisen Bammes (No. 3 at 138), Island-Jones Allen (No. 3 at 220). Wells and Cason Lindsey (No. 1 at 145) were twins Darius (No. 6 at 160) and Daron (No. 2 at runners-up a year ago in their respective weight 170), and Damian Ililio (No. 3 at 285). Taylor took third at 113 a year ago, Sauder classes, while Woods, Sisco and Wills finished finished sixth at 120, Bammes placed fifth at 132, fourth. MILL VALLEY opens the year ranked fourth and Daron Island-Jones finished fourth at 152 and Ililio is led by Army-commit Zach Keal, who begins the took sixth at 285. The Indians also return state qualifier Tucker year ranked No. 1 in 132 after finishing third at state at 120 pounds. His brother Austin moves up from Brunner, who wrestled at 126 last year. WICHITA WEST brings back five state qualifiers 135 to 145 and begins the year ranked third. Austin will join Washburn Rural’s Carter and Olathe North’s including Quentin Saunders, who as a freshman Keegan Slyter at Arkansas-Little Rock. Austin won the 170-pound title and will look to repeat this year at 182 where he begins the season ranked finished fourth at state a year ago. In addition to the Keal brothers, the Jaguars return No. 1. Germany Washington, who took sixth at 106, 220-pound champion Ethan Kremer, who moves up to 285 and will begin as the No. 1 ranked wrestler begins the year ranked fifth at 120. Two-time state ahead of defending champion Refugio Chairez of qualifier Samuel Rushin is ranked No. 5 at 170 Garden City. Kremer and Zach are both Fargo All- while state-qualifier Mario Perez begins the year fifth at 220. Wichita West also brings back state Americans. “We will have great leadership and experience in qualifier Jerome Ragin, who will wrestle at 195. Pioneers coach Kenny Taylor said the key to the room,” coach Travis Keal said. “The key will be success is staying healthy and giving 100 percent for each individual to progress daily.” Mill Valley also returns two-time state qualifier in every time they step on the mat. Rounding out the preseason top 10 is HAYSVILLE senior Tyler Green (No. 4 at 195) and juniors Brodie Scott (No. 2 at 170), Carson Dulitz (No. 6 at 138) CAMPUS, which finished fifth at state and begins the year with Nathan Bowen (No. 1 at 152) and and Kolten Jegen, who will wrestle at 220. Freshman Eddie Hogard begins the year fifth at Dylan Sheler (No. 2 at 120) ranked individually. Bowen and Sheler both finished second at 138 106. After a slip in 2018 after winning the title in 2017, and 106, respectively. The Colts will have to replace runners-up Kale OLATHE NORTH begins the year fifth led by Arkansas-Little Rock commit Keegan Slyter, who McCraken (113), Luke Bowen (152) and Brycen begins the year No. 1 at 126 pounds. Slyter is Schroeder (195), sixth-place finisher Garin Williams (220) and Jacob Beehler (285), but they bring back looking to repeat as the 126-pound champion. The Eagles return Joe Triscornia (No. 3 at 120), state qualifiers Elissio Martinez and Derek Sheler. KC HARMON begins the year with three wrestlers Gunner Murphy (No. 4 at 138), Landon Wilkes (No. ranked individually and should be the favorite to win 5 at 152) and Brandon Pena (No. 5 at 285). While they lose McCoy Stoker, who finished fourth the Kansas City-Atchison League Championship. Seniors Mark Hernandez (No. 4 at 106), Kevin at 170 pounds, the Eagles welcome promising freshman Cael Alderman, who begins the year Rosales (No. 6 at 1130 and Salvadore Aleman (No. 3 at 195) will lead the way after losing Isaac French ranked No. 2 at 106 pounds. In keeping with the Sunflower League, OLATHE (145) and Marco Gomez (182) to graduation. Jackson Stroud is the lone state qualifier returning SOUTH checks in at No. 6 with six individuals ranked in the preseason rankings after a 10th place for WICHITA NORTH after he placed fifth at 220. He comes in ranked second to begin the year. showing at state. Coach Quinton Burgess likes the direction his The Falcons return state-placers Ben Bluel (fifth at 126), who finished fifth at state at 126, Dallas program his heading as he enters his third season. “I am very encouraged with the upperclassmen Koelzer (No. 2 at 132), who finished third in the same class, Bobby Thomas moves up to 152 and we have going into this season,” Burgess said. is ranked third after finishing sixth at 138. They ”This is the first time since I have been here that we also return state qualifiers Tyler Johnson (third at have had our lineup dominated by upperclassmen, 113), Mateo Palma, Jonah Hall, Gavin Brown (No. which should help us to be more competitive this 2 at 160), Zach Leskovac, Jarek Braden and Alec season.” Salvador Ornelas at 285 has been hindered with Younggren (No. 6 at 220). DODGE CITY will be led by Damian Mendez (No. some injuries the last couple years but is a two2 at 113) after winning the 106-pound title in 2018 time USAWKS state qualifier and could have an and Garret Edwards (No. 2 at 145), who won the outstanding year. Kale Mann’s BLUE VALLEY squad has some 138-pound title. Jashon Taylor took fifth at 160 and moves up nice pieces for a team that finished 11th at state.
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“We will need our experienced wrestlers to take another step forward,” Mann said. “As underclassmen they have shown flashes of their ability, that needs to be the consistent performance level. We will have a few weight classes with wrestlers that have not competed at the varsity level. They will need to make the adjustment and become consistent performers in the line-up.” The Tigers are led by Trevor Lister (No. 1 at 220), who took third a year ago. They also return two-time state qualifiers Caleb Burleigh (No. 6 at 120) and Luke Hyland (145), state-qualifier Evan Taylor (No. 6 at 285) as well as Bryce Goswick (152) and Alex Daniels (195). Mann is hoping for 10 state qualifiers, a top six finish at state and to finish third at every tournament this season. GARDNER-EDGERTON will be strong in the heavier weight classes as the Trailblazers return Logan McDonald (No. 5 at 145), three-time state qualifier AJ Rodriguez (No. 4 at 160), Caden Rodriguez (No. 6 at 182) and Gus Davis (No. 2 at 195), who finished fifth at 182 a year ago in Missouri. Coach Tyler Cordts also returns state-qualifiers Dean Marshall (106), Lucas Anderson (120), Collin Smith (126) and Gerald Picardo (285). “The keys to success will be hard work, battling through adversity and giving 100 percent effort 100 percent of the time,” Cordts said. SHAWNEE MISSION NORTHWEST returns one senior and zero state qualifiers, but Howard Newcomb’s Cougars are positioned for future success with 11 freshmen or sophomores. Billy Scarlett at 170 is the lone senior with Tyler Munsayakham at 113 and Melvin Horner-Luettel at 195 the other upperclassmen. “It is going to be a challenging season with one senior and a couple of juniors in the lineup this season,” Newcomb said. “Good news for the future is a lot of freshman and sophomores will be getting plenty of varsity experience.” JUNCTION CITY first-year coach Tyler Gonzales is hoping to improve on last year’s results with three state qualifiers returning in Zane Thornton (126), CJ Neuman (145) and Sadiki Smith (182). Gonzales also brings back Hayden Diestelkamp (120), Andrew Petrusky (132), Gavin Lujan (152), James Hancock (160), Arturo Chavez (220) and Jonathan Dennard (285). SHAWNEE MISISON EAST’s Charles Kallemeier (106) is the lone returning state qualifier for the Lancers, which also returns Brady Frankhauser and Jerald Young. Tom Peterman is hoping his SHAWNEE MISSION NORTH team has a fuller roster after he finished last year with six wrestlers and only four were healthy. Three-time state qualifier Alex Williams (285), twotime state qualifiers Aidan Randal (126) and Justus Hulse (138) return along with Cruz Ibarra. The goals for OLATHE WEST in year three is simple: Win a team tournament championship, qualify more than five for state, have its first individual state medalist. Guy Hosford (190) is a two-time state qualifier and gives third-year coach Tyler Rodden maybe his best chance for a medalist. Cole Newport (120) also returns. WICHITA SOUTH will lean on Malachi Karibo (No. 1 at 160) along with Zach Trenkamp (No. 5 at 113). Karibo fell in the 160-pound title fight last year.
Kansas Pregame Winter Sports Preview, Volume 2
last year to the medalist level,” new head coach Aaron Dirks said. Dirks replaces Hall of Fame coach Jon Lippelmann who retired after 34 years as the Beavers’ head coach and 38 with the progam overall, according to Adam Kadavy of WesternKansasNews.com. PRATT won the Central Kansas League and a regional championship last season. The Greenbacks were fourth in 4A. Junior Devon Weber went 45-0 last season and won the 106 state championship. Weber opens the season ranked first in 113. Sophomore Dalton Weber is preseason ranked sixth at 106, junior Kaiser Pelland is preseason ranked sixth at 120, sophomore Koda Dipman is preseason ranked fifth at 132, and senior Hunter Huber is preseason ranked fifth at 195. Huber, Luis Garcia-Pedroza at 160, and Dylan Cox at 138 are the only three seniors projected in the starting lineup. Pratt will be young and talented this season. “Team’s keys to success are focusing on wrestling, no distractions, hard work, individually and team-oriented mindset,” head coach Tate Thompson said. “Relentless pursuit of excellence.” CHANUTE opened the season ranked No. 1 in 4A and with the returning production the Blue Comets have it’s easy to see why. Sophomore Trent Clements at 106 and senior Brady McDonald at 152 open the season as the top-ranked wrestler in their respective classification. Clements was the state runner-up at 106 while McDonald finished fourth at 145 last season. Sophomore Kolton Misener was third at 113 and opens the season ranked second in the same class. Senior Logan McDonald is a three-time state qualifier and finished sixth at 132 last season. Senior Parker Winder is also a three-time state qualifier and opens the season ranked third at 160. In total, Chanute returns eight state qualifiers. “We have a great senior class and I want to enjoy every minute of the season,” head coach Andy Albright said. FRONTENAC returns four state qualifiers from last year’s fifth-place 4A finish. Senior Wil Jameson is a three-time state qualifier and went 23-5 last season. Jameson opens the season ranked fourth at 152.
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Junior Dylan Ensch finished fourth at 195 and opens the season as the top-ranked wrestler in 182. Sophomore Dawson Lapping (138) and senior Kaleb Kroenke (195) are also returning state qualifiers. Kroenke opens the season ranked sixth at 195. “Should be a fun season. We have a few young wrestlers that are talented and some talent returning,” Keith Aikin said. “We just need to capitalize on the opportunities presented.” Defending state champion Hector Serratos leads ANDALE this season. The Indians open the year ranked third behind defending state champions Marysville and Chanute. Serratos went 31-8 last season as a sophomore and won the 120 state championship. Serratos is one of six returning state qualifiers for Andale this season. Senior Dawson Chavez, a two-time state qualifier, won 41 matches last season and finished fifth at 145. Chavez opens the season ranked sec-
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ond at 152. Junior Caleb Pavlacka opens the season ranked third at 113 and senior Eli Aouad opens the season fifth at 160. ABILENE has as much prestige in wrestling as any team in the state. The Cowboys most recently won a state championship in 2017, but open the season ranked eighth after finishing 16th out of 54 teams at 4A State last season. Abilene returns five state qualifiers, but also graduates seven seniors and exactly half their lineup. Will Stroda has qualified for state his first three years, and opens his senior season as the second-ranked wrestler at 120. Stroda was state runner-up at 113 last year. Other returning state qualifiers include Kaleb Stroda, Jackson Randles, Colby Mohr and Adam Henely. Stroda opens the season ranked fourth at 113, Randles is ranked fifth at 145, and Henely is ranked fourth at 285. Abilene won the North Central Kansas League last season, but will have competition from defending state champions Marysville. “We look to be contenders again and will fight in the races for league, regional and state championships,” head coach James Stout said. BURLINGTON finished second in the Pioneer League, had a 19-5 dual record, and a ninth-place finish at state. The Wildcats return four wrestlers who have qualified for state, headlined by senior Cael Johnson. Johnson finished third as a sophomore at 145, then last year was the state runner-up at 152. For continued on page 92
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By Gallagher Martin, For Kansas Pregame *At press time the wrestling classifications were not final. Teams like Colby and Scott City, among others, could still change classifications from a season ago. Kansas Pregame has opted to include teams in these previews in the classification they competed in last season. Despite not having a single individual state champion, MARYSVILLE won 4A last season by 12.5 points over Winfield. The Bulldogs return six state qualifiers and nine starters and are hungry for a repeat. Marysville features a strong senior class this season. Seniors Garron Champoux (195) and Storm Slupianek (170) were both state runners-up last season. Champoux opens the season preseason ranked first at 195. Senior Joey Bockin finished fourth in 2017 and was a qualifier last season and opens the season ranked sixth at 138. Senior Jonny Crome was fourth last season and enters the season ranked second at 145. Seniors Isaac Novotny and Noah Ackerman each took fifth; Novotny is preseason ranked fourth at 126 while Ackerman currently sits at No. 2 at 160. One downside for a stacked Marysville team is senior Atreyau Hornbeak, who placed at state in 2018 but was injured last season, will not be going out for wrestling this season. Still, Marysville returns success and experience and should be a strong contender at state once again. “We are very excited about the upcoming season. We have an incredible group of seniors that were a huge part of the championship team last year,” head coach Cole Fredrickson said. “They are back with another year of experience and they are hungry to win individual titles.” SCOTT CITY brings back nine starters including five state qualifiers and two-time champion Justus McDaniel (145). The Beavers finished third in 4A last season with 92 points. The Beavers also bring back Zach Rohrbough (126), Brandon Roberts (120), Dylan Fulton (132), Kaden Wren (138), Noah Kliesen (160), Cale Goodman (182), Jeff Nix (220) and Gabe Bowers (285). Wren finished second in 2018 and 2019 and is preseason ranked No. 1 in 138. “Keys to our success will be getting a handful of guys that were at the state qualifier level
The Marysville Bulldogs won the 4A State Title last year without having an individual champion. Pictured, back row (L-R): Jacob Snellings, Noah Ackerman, Jonny Crome, Matt Lindhorst, Garron Champoux, Derek Roever and Storm Slupianek. Front row: Isaac Novotny, Coach Cole Fredrickson and Ethan Crownover. Pictured on the cover, in addition to the wrestlers pictured here, Joey Bockin and Elise Rose. (Photos and poster by Suzanne Mooradian Photography)
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Kansas Pregame Winter Sports Preview, Volume 2
Anjelina SERRANO Garden City, Junior
Elise ROSE
Marysville, Junior
Haley SCHAFER McPherson, Senior
Jewella COKELEY Douglass, Sophomore
By Conor Nicholl, For Kansas Pregame Wrestling has changed Nickerson’s Nichole Moore’s life. “When I was younger, I got bullied, and I wasn’t a very athletic kid,” she said. “So my dad was like, ‘Put her in wrestling, and it will help her.’ And it helped me a lot. It made me a lot more confident in myself, so it didn’t bother me what people said anymore.” Moore is one of several nationally ranked Kansas wrestlers and is among the more recognizable names in the sport. For the last several years, though, Moore had to wrestle against primarily boys in the high school season. She came close to qualifying for boys’ state and won more than 30 matches against boys last winter. She, Paola’s Jordyn Knecht, Onaga’s Morgan Mayginnes, Junction City’s Elisa Robinson and since graduated McPherson wrestler Mya Kretzer are among many Kansas girls who have enjoyed the athletic and lifelong benefits of wrestling and helped pave the way for change. They, too, though, have had to often compete against boys. “It’s helped me to become like a better person, like you have to be patient, you have to be calm,” Mayginnes said. Mya’s father, McPherson coach Doug Kretzer, has also played a huge role in the growth of Kansas girls wrestling. For the last three years, McPherson has had an unofficial girls’ state meet. Every year, the competition significantly grew with more wrestlers. At the April board of directors meeting, the Kansas High School Activities Association approved girls’ wrestling as a sanctioned sport with a 63-2 vote. Once Kansas approved, that made 15 states that have girls’ wrestling as an officially sanctioned sport, including Missouri and Colorado. It is the 23rd championship sport in Kansas. “It’s really exciting. It’s brought a lot of other girls out, so now our team has grown,” Moore said. “It has multiplied in size.” “It’s actually really cool seeing it, because I started when there was little to no girls, like anywhere, and so like now seeing how many girls there, it’s ridiculous,” Knecht said. “It’s crazy, and it’s nice because now that it is sanctioned, there’s more opportunities for girls that want to wrestle that they will be able to wrestle. Because a lot of girls don’t like to wrestle, because they are thinking, ‘Oh, I have to wrestle guys, but now they get to wrestle girls, they get the option.” The first-ever preseason girls’ rankings listed Fort Scott, followed by McPherson, Labette County, Caney Valley, and Great Bend in the top five of the team rankings. Paola stands sixth, with Osawatomie, Nickerson, Rose Hill and Onaga in the top-10. “I have built a crazy amount of friends from this, the friendships are awesome,” Knecht said. “I have had a whole new view on life. It’s taught me determination, I am very strong-headed now, and once I am set to something, I am going to do it. Resilience, I have had to lose a match, and then go right back to another.” Osawatomie senior Amanda Newcomb stands first at 101 pounds. She was second to Moore at
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GIRLS WRESTLING McPherson last winter. Moore is first at 109. Rose Hill senior Anayka Besco leads at 116. Knecht is first at 123, followed by Marysville junior Elise Rose, Jefferson West senior Montana Grahem, and McPherson senior Kayleigh Marbut in a deep class. Great Bend sophomore Bre Ridgeway is first at 130. Garden City junior Anjelina Serrano (pictured top left) is fourth. K.C. Piper junior Sara Lake leads at 136, also a deep class that includes second-ranked Burlingame junior Gianna Culbert, and McPherson senior Hayley Schafer in third. Labette County senior Abbie Jones is ranked first at 143. Mayginnes paces 155, while Douglass sophomore Jewella Coakley is first at 170. Robinson leads at 191, and Caney Valley senior Grace Pinkerton is first at 235. Nationally, Robinson is ranked first, according to Flo Wrestling. Moore stands second nationally at 112. Mayginnes is eighth at 152. Shawnee Heights sophomore Maranda Bell is No. 20 at 200. Other teams have added wrestlers, too. Burlingame’s Culbert has been first at state and third at state. Trinaty Eastman has taken first and third at state in the B bracket, and Grace Mundy, third at state in B bracket. All three are juniors.
Chase County will have seven girls, none of them seniors. Junior 109-pounder Alexis Herron is the only junior. Erie senior Katy Rounds will compete at 155. Eureka has three girls: AaLeiOnna Cox, Sierra Miller, Lexie Criman. Hoxie has two girls: sophomore 136-pounder Marissa Porsch and senior 153-pounder Ashlyn Kaus. Lakin freshman Josiah Ortiz is at 101, and Isabell Ortiz was fourth at state at 106 and will be compete at 109. She is currently ranked second at 109 behind Moore. “My two girls are very hard working and expect them both to have very productive seasons,” coach Jim Christiansen said. Oakley has two freshmen: 101-pounder Citori Bosserman and 109-pounder Mikyah Cain. Stafford has Maddison McKloskey, a junior 136-pounder, placed sixth at girls’ state. Junior 109-pounder Daisy Rayburn placed third at girls’ state. McKloskey is ranked third at 143. WaKeeney-Trego has junior Sydney Boyle took fourth at state in ‘18 and ‘19. She is ranked sixth at 136. The first all-classes state meet will be held Feb. 27 at Salina’s Tony’s Pizza Events Center. The regional wrestling assignments were not released as of Dec. 4.
BASKETBALL: OTHERS
*These four teams are either non-league affiliated or were the only one within a small league to submit questionnaires. BISHOP SEABURY boys opened the 2A season ranked No. 1. Seabury finished 16-5 last year and lost to eventual champion Ness City, 63-61, in overtime in the first round. Ness City hit two buzzer-beaters. Head coach Jonathan Raney enters his third year with a 27-15 mark. Raney was a player and served on the coaching staff at Fort Hays State, and was also the head men’s basketball coach at Labette County. Seabury returns three starters. Six-foot-2 junior Zach Bloch was first team all-state by the Kansas Coaches. He averaged 19.1 points, 4.5 rebounds, 4.2 assists and three steals a game. Junior Stavian Jones was all-state honorable mention by the Wichita Eagle. He delivered 11.7 points, 3.5 assists, 3.2 rebounds and 2.3 steals a contest. Sixfoot-5 senior Luke Hornberger had 7.5 points, 6.9 rebounds and 1.3 blocks a contest. Senior Cobe Green sat out most of last season with a medical hardship. Sophomore Joao Carlos (Juju) Ramirez is 6-7 and collected 6.4 points and 3.8 rebounds a contest. Seabury will play just two pre-Christmas games. Raney said staying healthy and developing depth as the season progresses are the team’s keys. “Look for Joao Carlos (Juju) Ramirez to have a break out season for Seabury,” Raney said. “The 6-7 sophomore came off the bench as a freshman but will look to increase his role after a strong offseason. The Seahawks also welcome back allstate senior guard Cobe Green who missed all but two games last season with a medical hardship. Green is a strong perimeter defender and athletic wing that can finish at the basket for Seabury.”
KC CHRISTIAN finished 9-12. Josh Poteet is in his first year as head coach after eight years as an assistant and seven years as athletic director. KC Christian graduates nine seniors. “Our players will have to step into lead varsity roles very quickly,” Poteet said. “We need to be able to develop team chemistry quickly and every person will have to do their role for us to be successful. We will need to be a great defensive team and be able to hold teams to 12 or less points a quarter.” LEOTI-WICHITA COUNTY finished 15-7 with coach Haydon Parks, entering his seventh year at the school. Junior guard Kayde Rietzke averaged 13 points, three rebounds and three assists a contest. Senior guard Gabriel Hernandez had 11 points, three rebounds and three assists a contest. “Get better each week, have a lot of new Varsity players to improve week to week,” Parks said of the team’s goals and keys. “Our key to success this season will be defense and spreading the eoor on offense utilizing our quickness and athleticism.” MOSCOW girls, led by Stu and Melissa Moore, finished 6-16, though did post a 4-0 record in the Santa Fe Trail League to win the league title. Moore is 21-46 as Moscow’s coach. Moscow returns three starters: seniors Yamilet Rojo and Stacey Enns, and junior Paola Gomez. Rojo has 7.1 points and seven rebounds a game. Enns is at three points, 4.2 rebounds a game. Gomez has 8.1 points and 2.8 rebounds a game. “With three returning starters and several newcomers vying for playing time, this season should be exciting and successful,” coach Moore said. “The seniors will have to fill the leadership void due to the graduation of Morgan Lahey.”
SPIAA/from page 69 Peters (7.1 ppg., 3.5 rpg., 1.6 bpg.). Other key returners who saw action include 5-7 senior Sarah Tarn, 5-7 junior Jaden Nagle and 5-5 junior Sierra Ingram. “We played great defense in 2018-19 and we hope to build on that this season,” Clancy said. The KIOWA COUNTY Lady Mavericks went 13-9 last year under coach Thomas Derstein, who is 7038 in his previous five seasons. That performance also included a third-place finish in the mid-season league tourney. Derstein returns two starters off that crew, including 5-10 senior Sabrina Thomas and 5-8 senior Kellie Rhodes. “We need to take pride in the way we work, prepare and play,” Derstein said. “We must play strong defense and limit turnovers to be successful.” The HODGEMAN COUNTY Lady Longhorns will have a new head coach this season in Trent Bright, but he’s not new to the school, having previously coached teams to a 74-80 career mark. A 10-12 season record, including 4-7 in the SPIAA, left the Lady ‘Horns in the middle of the pack, but Bright will have the benefit of five returning starters that includes Sam Pelton, Colette Pelton, Grace Shiew, Kiley Bryant and Kaylee James. “We will have to value possessions and take away possessions from other teams,” Bright said. “We aren’t a big team, so we will have to use quickness.” Veteran SATANTA girls coach Janie Lutz is pinning her hopes for an improved season on a quick lineup, headed by 5-4 senior Ava Howie, who averaged 11.9 points, 3.0 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 2.0 steals for the Lady Indians, who went 6-15 overall and 2-9 in the SPIAA. Their season ended in
the regional semis with a loss to Minneola. A pair of juniors return as starters, too, including 5-7 forward Sicely Jackson (4.0 ppg., 3.7 rpg., 1.2 spg.) and 5-5 Maddison Jaso (3.7 ppg., 3.3 rpg., 1.1 spg.). Others who saw action last year who return include 5-7 senior Jasmin Salamanca, 5-4 senior Edith Delacruz, 5-6 junior Ella Burrows and 5-5 junior Anahi Miramontes. “We will be quick with some size inside,” Lutz said. “We should be competitive with several players having experience at the varsity level.”
averaged four points a game, while senior Aleah Hines and junior Kaley Boyce are returning guards with starting experience. The Lady Cats finished 15-7 last season and fell to Wabaunasee, third in 2A, in the sub-state championship. Head coach Lanny Massey isn’t shying away from expectations. “We should be able to put up a strong defense of our league crown from last year,” Massey said. “We will need to build on last year’s success and have a few girls expand on their roles from last year. We have some younger girls that we need to grow into the players I think they can be.” OSAGE CITY returns two of the best players in the league and will challenge for a league championship after going 10-10 overall and finishing third in the Flint Hills League last season. Taylin Kirkpatrick was a unanimous First-Team All-League selection last season as a sophomore after she averaged 13.5 points and eight rebounds a game. At 5-7, she is the team’s leading returning rebounder and second tallest returner. She does not do all the scoring herself, however. Junior Hayden Serna averaged 13.8 points a game and 2.4 rebounds. She was a second-team all-league selection. Senior Jordan Sage, along with juniors Dani Kems and Sara Davis, also return with experience. Osage City head coach Chris Kirkpatrick says he has a large number of upperclassmen fighting for varsity minutes. “This is a group that will work hard,” Kirkpatrick said. “A competitive group. We will have more leadership than in year’s past.” COUNCIL GROVE had a rare losing season last year under head coach Jason Shelangouski, but he says expectations are higher this season for a team that ended their season in the first round of
sub-state. This season, Council Grove returns two of the top players in the league in seniors Shyanne Allen and Abbi Good. Allen, a first-team all-league selection, and Good, a member of the second team, are joined by juniors Keeley Honas and Daleyna King, and sophomores Paisli Butler and Liz Armstrong as returning starters. Despite the graduation of five seniors, Shelangouski is optimistic that his team will be competitive in a tough league after a third place finish in the Flint Hills League last season. “The conference should be very competitive, as I feel that everyone has improved, or they each return a lot,” Shelangouski said. LYNDON returns four starters, including All-Flint Hills First Team selection Brooke Addleman. The 5-11 senior will be counted on to lead the team in scoring and rebounding, but the Tigers have a nice supporting cast around Adleman. Senior Sydney Gross, junior Abby Criqui, and sophomore Maci Ramey return as starters from last year’s 7-15 team. The Tigers also return four additional lettermen. Lyndon is seeking its first trip to the state tournament since 2006. “We bring back a combination of veteran and young talent,” head coach Toby Baker said. “I think the girls are excited about the upcoming season and will be ready to go.” MISSION VALLEY head coach Andrew Gower is expecting a “huge” improvement from year one to year two. In his first season as head coach, Gower went 8-11 and the Vikings went 3-4 in the Flint Hills League. With seven lettermen returning, including junior guard Megan Deters, the Vikings could be due for an improved season. Deters was a second-team all-league selection
after averaging 10.4 points, 5.3 rebounds, 3.3 assists, and 3.0 steals a game. Junior Tatiana Halupa and seniors Hope Martin and Emma Gustin return as starters. Gustin is the tallest returning letterman at 6-foot. “The strength of our team will be our speed, perimeter scoring and man-to-man defense” Gower said. “Our weakness will be our interior scoring and our consistency.” CENTRAL HEIGHTS was painfully young last season and limped to a 2-19 record. The Vikings have now weathered the storm and are ready to take a step forward this season. Senior Abby Brown averaged 10 points a game last season and was named to the all-league second team. Sophomores Lily Meyer, Taryn Compton and Cameron Peel were all thrown into the fire last season and asked to start as freshmen. Junior Mary Roehl averaged seven points a game last season and is another key contributor. In total, Central Heights returns its top eight players. “We had stretches last year where we struggled to score so we are trying to find ways to get better looks at the basket,” head coach Doug North said. “We will also need to get after it on the defensive end to help in that regard as well.” CHASE COUNTY fell to Waverly in the first round of sub-state. Waverly would go on to finish fourth at the state tournament. The Bulldogs went 18-3 last season, but replicating that success will be difficult without unanimous first-team all-league selection Maya Eidman. Chase County does return senior Makenzie Higgs, who was a second-team all-league selection. Senior Brooke Flory will lead WEST FRANKLIN this season. Flory earned honorable mention allleague honors last season for the Falcons.
FHL/from page 47 responsibilities after earning first-team all-league honors last season as well. CENTRAL HEIGHTS finished last season with a 15-6 record and near the top of the Flint Hills League. The Vikings must replace their top-two leading scorers. Bryce Sommer earned second-team all-league honors after averaging 10.2 points and 6.5 assists a game. Matt Cubit was honorable mention and led the team with 10.6 ppg. Senior Alex Cannady is the team’s top returning scorer at 7.4 ppg. GIRLS Three players were unanimous selections to the All-Flint Hills First Team last season. Two of them are back, including Northern Heights senior Khylee Massey and Osage City junior Taylin Kirkpatrick. Massey will look to lead Northern Heights to consecutive Flint Hills League Championships. The Lady Cats ran into a tough Wabaunsee team at sub-state, and have their eyes set on the state tournament this season. Led by Kirkpatrick, Osage City will be aiming for a league championship and a possible state berth. Expectations are high for defending leaguechampions NORTHERN HEIGHTS. Not only do the Lady Cats return all-state senior Khylee Massey, there’s a strong supporting cast around Massey with experience. The Lady Cats will miss the graduation of two honorable mention all-league selections, but return five upperclassmen who have starting experience in their careers. Massey was one of three unanimous first-team all-league selections. The 6-foot forward averaged 16 points and 7.2 rebounds a game last year. Junior Caleigh Smart gives the Lady Cats a strong secondary presence in the front court. The secondteam all-league selection averaged 8.5 points and 6.4 rebounds. Junior forward Emma Barnett
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Photo by Everett Royer, KSportsimages.com
Kansas Pregame Winter Sports Preview, Volume 2 AVCTL-II/from page 38 MAIZE SOUTH Hackerott said. “I believe this will be an interesting Mavericks, who posted an unbeaten regular year for us. We have three returning starters, but no season record (20-0) on the court before having to one else with significant varsity experience.” ANDOVER CENTRAL has the potential to be one forfeit the first five games of the season because of an ineligible player. The player was allowed to play of the state’s top teams in 5A. The Jaguars were following an appeal, with the Mavericks receiving 13-8 last year and three underclassmen earned notification 20 minutes prior to their start of the sub- all-league honors for head coach Stana Jefferson’s team - 5-10 freshman Brittany Harshaw (first team), state championship game with Salina Central. The Mavs ended up qualifying for the Class 5A 5-5 sophomore Bailey Wilborn (second team) state tournament, but instead of the top seed and a and 5-8 sophomore Jaden Newfarmer (honorable 22-0 record, they faced eventual state champion St. mention). ANDOVER has a first-year coach in Seth Thomas Aquinas in the first round and suffered their Anderson, who inherits a team that returns four only loss on the court during the 2018-19 season. The Mavs return two starters, including one of the starters from a 9-12 squad - 6-0 senior Emma league’s top players in 5-10 senior Katie Wagner, Cunningham (HM all-league), 5-3 senior Allison who averaged 15.4 points and 8.7 rebounds a Day, 5-7 junior Mallory Woolston and 5-11 junior game. Wagner was named first-team all-state Kate Ralston. EISENHOWER also has a first-year coach in and all-league. Also back is 5-10 senior Macy McCormack (5.0 ppg., 3.1 rpg.). Riley Kennedy, Matt Brumley, who has two returning starters from a 5-5 junior, is a two-year letterman and 5-6 a 9-12 team - 5-7 junior guard Kennedy Nicholson sophomore Alexa Davidson was the first player off (second-team all-league) and 5-8 junior forward Payton Ryan. The Tigers have nine more player the bench last year. The GODDARD Lions were also a 5A state returning who played varsity minutes. “I feel we have the pieces in place to be a very qualifier last year, finishing the season with a 20-3 record after losing a two-point decision to Blue competitive team in our league as well as in 5A,” Valley Southwest in the first round. Kade Hackerott, Brumley said. VALLEY CENTER looks to improve dramatically a 5-10 senior, is back for the Lions after being named the league’s MVP as a junior. She will be on last year’s 2-19 record with three starters joined by 5-6 junior Brooke Sullivan (second team returning - 5-11 senior forward Kassie Kinniburgh all-league) and 5-8 senior Anahi Nunez (HM all- (11.0 ppg., 6.0 rpg.) and senior guards Riley league). Hackerott will play basketball at Central Ranzau (3.0 ppg.) and Kylee Dawson (2.0 ppg.). Missouri next year and Sullivan has signed to play Kinniburgh was a second-team all-league selection. ARKANSAS CITY was 3-18 a year ago. Espy soccer at Kansas State. “We are going to need some inexperienced Daniels (5-5 junior) and Braylee Ruyle (5-6 junior) players to step up for us,” head coach Kevin were named honorable mention all-league.
Sabrina THOMAS Kiowa County, Senior
Kansas Pregame Winter Sports Preview, Volume 2
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CPL/from page 45
“We will have a new identity this season due to graduation, but we had a good summer,” Rogers said. “We have to carry over the good things from summer and keep building.” ELLINWOOD has a nice mixture of returning seniors and talented underclassmen. The Eagles are expecting to be improved from last year’s 6-15 team. Senior David Hammeke is expected to be one of the best players in the league this season. The 6-2 forward earned second-team All-CPL honors after averaging 13 points and seven rebounds per game last season. Hammeke is one of four returning senior starters for Ellinwood. Luke Wondra, a 6-2 forward, averaged six points and three rebonds. Tyler Knop is also a 6-2 forward who averaged four points and two rebounds. Kyler Doll is the team’s top returning guard; he averaged five points and three assists last season. Head coach Derek Joiner says the keys to success will be how his returning senior starters can gel with newcomers. “Can we be the same good defensive team
we were a year ago with some added scoring punch?” Joiner said. “We expect to have multiple freshmen contribute with our experienced upperclassmen.” MACKSVILLE lost a lot of punch from last year’s 19-7 team that reached the 1A state tournament. The Mustangs fell to Central Plains in the first round of state and finished fourth in the Central Prairie League. All-CPL First Team selection Karson Waters and third-team selection Kody Mead will be difficult to replace. The Mustangs return six lettermen and two starters who will try to fill those shoes. Seniors Simon Acosta and Harley Blaske will be counted on for leadership, but will both likely to need to increase their offensive production. Blaske averaged 3.7 points a game while Acosta averaged two points. Head coach Jeff Kuckelman expects freshmen Alexis Barron and Ryan Kuckelman to crack the starting lineup. Kuckelman is 6-5. Junior Cleven Huggins, who saw varsity time off the bench last season, is also 6-5. “Some of our upperclassmen were a big part of our run to the state tournament last season
so we are hoping that they can lead our youth and give them a chance to mature and get better throughout the season,” Kuckelman said. LA CROSSE returns all five starters and has set goals to make the state tournament after finishing 4-17 last season. Kyle Schmidt is entering his second season with the program. The Leopards return four seniors and one junior who saw starting time last season. Senior Hunter Morgan was an honorable mention AllCPL guard last season. He averaged 14 points, three assists, and two steals per game. Seniors Blake Herrman and Keldon Day are capable scorers, each averaging seven points a game last season. Herrman also averaged five assists and Day averaged six rebounds per game. Senior Kaden Depperschmidt averaged six points, three rebounds, and three assists, while junior Blake Pierce is the team’s second-leading returning scorer at 10 a game. “We have set a team goal of winning regionals and sub-state,” Schmidt said. “We also want to shoot the ball better from the free-throw line and improve our team defense and not get out-rebounded this year.”
OTIS-BISON is replacing two seniors who earned All-CPL honors last season. The Cougars went 11-10 last season and finished seventh in the league. Jayce Kohls is the only Cougar with returning experience. The 6-1 junior averaged seven points and three rebounds per game last year. Head coach Curtis Little says his team’s goals are to compete in the league. “Having a lot of new guys buy in on defense and hitting shots will be our keys to success,” Little said. VICTORIA went 7-14 in Colin Schmidtberger’s first year as head coach. The Knights are replacing two seniors who earned All-CPL honors. Victoria returns one starter - senior Kirk Huser - who averaged 4.4 points and 3.6 rebounds per game last season. Schmidtberger says his team’s goals are to compete in every game and play as a team. KINSLEY struggled last season and failed to advance past the first round of regionals. The Coyotes only landed one player on the all-league team - guard Bryce Herrmann - who has graduated.
CKL/from page 42 Senior Mason Perez was first-team All-CKL and honorable mention allstate. The 6-2 guard suffered a serious injury during football season though, but was hopeful he would return this basketball season. The potential loss of Perez is huge, but not insurmountable. Senior Chance Sanger led the team with 15 points a game on his way to first-team All-CKL status. Sanger also had six rebounds and two steals a game, which helped him earn second-team all-state by the Topeka Capital-Journal. The Indians are very guard oriented. Seniors Brock Skelton and Trent Fletcher are 5-11 and 5-9 respectively, and averaged a combined 16.8 points and 6.4 rebounds a game. At 6-2, Perez is the team’s tallest returning starter. If Larned is without Perez, Sanger assumes that title at 6-1. Junior Dillan Smith, a 6-2 forward, is a returning lettermen. “Returning four starters and our sixth man off our state-qualifying team from last season has created a lot of excitement in our community,” head coach Jerrod Smith said. “We are loaded with athletic guards who can get up and down the floor. I expect us to play a controlled, fast-paced game.” NICKERSON won the CKL last season and lost in the sub-state championship by one point to Chapman. The Panthers return four starters from last year’s 14-8 team and figure to be in the running for a repeat league championship. Nickerson must replace unanimous first-team All-CKL selection Hunter Jones, now a decathlete for the Pittsburg State track team. At 6-9, senior Connor MacDonald is a walking double-double. Last season, MacDonald averaged 12.9 points and 10.1 rebounds a game. Without Jones, MacDonald may see his offensive production increase. Perhaps most impressively, MacDonald averaged 5.3 blocks per game. The Panthers boast good height throughout their lineup. Senior Logan Broomfield-Tate is 6-3, while juniors Christian Peterson (6-1) and Matt Crossman (6-3) keep all the returning starters over the 6-foot mark. “We were one point away from the 4A state tournament last year,” head coach Curt Field said.
“The goal is to get there this season.” HILLSBORO head coach Darrel Knoll will have his work cut out for him in his 32nd year with the Trojans. Knoll has an overall coaching record of 524-198 at Hillsboro. Last season, the Trojans went 16-7 and finished third in the CKL. Hillsboro only returns one starter - Caleb Potucek. Last season as a junior, Potucek averaged 6.8 points, 3.0 rebounds and 2.5 assists a game. Sophomore Matthew Potucek will also be a key contributor for the Trojans. Replacing a pair of first-team all-league selections in Darian Ratzlaff and Wes Shaw will be vital for the Trojans to have success this season. “We return two players who have significant experience, so developing depth and chemistry as well as being fundamentally sound will be key to our success,” Knoll said. HAVEN tied with Hillsboro for third place in the CKL last season. The Wildcats return two starters and six lettermen from last year’s 14-7 team. Haven dropped a 55-50 loss to Wichita Collegiate in the second round of sub-state. Senior Wyatt Carmichael will lead the Wildcats this season. Carmichael earned second-team All-CKL honors after averaging 12.5 points and five rebounds a game. Fellow senior Clay Schmucker scored 6.2 points per game. Five juniors and one senior return as lettermen and will fight for the three starting positions available. Haven has high expectations this season. “I’m looking for a few younger players to step up as well,” head coach Lonnie Paramore said. “We should have good depth and have competitive practices. This group has set some lofty goals that can be obtained if they continue to push each other.” A pair of 6-2 juniors will look to lead HESSTON to an improved league record. The Swathers finished with a solid 13-8 record last season, but were just 3-6 in the CKL. Both Jackson Humphreys and Ben Bollinger were named honorable mention in the CKL. Humphreys averaged 5.3 points per game and 3.3 rebounds while Bollinger scored 6.2 points and 6.5 rebounds per game.
The Swathers are young, but they still have aspirations of making the state tournament. “We are young so we hope to get our young guys a lot of game experience,” head coach Greg Raleigh said. “We hope to finish at the top of our league and also be playing in the sub-state finals for a chance to compete at state.” No team in the CKL returns as much as LYONS. With all five starters and 10 total lettermen back, Lyons is hoping to improve from a 5-16 season that included an 0-9 record in the CKL. Three seniors and two juniors make up the starting lineup. Senior Connor Minix and junior Trey McClure were both honorable mention AllCKL. Both guards averaged 10.2 points per game last season; Minix led the team with 3.8 rebounds a game and McClure led the team with four assists a game. The Lions will have to overcome a lack of height. Senior Aaron Gomez, senior Alejandro Pena and junior Rey Alamos are all listed at 5-11 or shorter. However, Lyons does return sophomore Dawson Stover who is listed at 6-4, along with three additional returning lettermen listed at 6-2. “Our guys had a good summer league in McPherson, winning the smaller varsity division with a 9-1 record,” head coach Brian Friess said. “We also played four MAYB tournaments (about 25 games). We believe we can ‘turn the corner’ and win a few more games this season.” A potential darkhorse in the CKL, HOISINGTON features a dynamic duo in juniors Mason Haxton and Drew Nicholson. Nicholson has led Hoisington in scoring the past two seasons. At 6-5, Nicholson is hard to contain considering he can play the guard or forward position. The second-team All-CKL selection averaged 16.5 points and 6.4 rebounds a game last season. Haxton wasn’t too far behind Nicholson’s offensive production last season, averaging 14.3 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 3.0 assists per game. His efforts earned him a spot on the All-CKL First Team. Nicholson and Haxton are AAU teammates over the summer. Everyone in the area knows these two are legit, but Hoisington will need a supporting
cast in order to compete. Senior guard Avery Brewer started in every game last season. Brewer averaged a modest 3.3 points per game, but he has the ability to shoot and will be needed to score more this season. In total, Hoisington returns 10 lettermen. Outside of Nicholson, the Cardinals do not have a returning lettermen taller than 6-0 who averaged over a point a game. “With the maturity and experience that our team has gained over the course of last season and the summer, we look to make big strides moving into the upcoming season,” head coach Kyle Haxton said. “These young men compete and will be expected to have one of the best seasons Hoisington has had in quite some time.” After back-to-back third-place finishes in the CKL, SMOKY VALLEY dropped to seventh in the league last season. The Vikings graduated all five starters. Where Smoky Valley finishes in the CKL this season will be determined by new faces. However, the Vikings can rely on four seniors, including Cade Schneider who earned honorable mention all-league status coming off the bench. Schneider, a 6-3 guard, averaged 8.3 points and 2.4 rebounds a game last season. Schneider will be joined in the backcourt by Trey Kennedy. Matt Lucas and Johann Raucholz will be relied on in the frontcourt. “Our goals for this season are to be competitive in every game, finish in the top four at the Sterling Invitational, and win sub-state,” head coach Doug Schneider said. Despite featuring three all-league selections, including first-team selection Braden Gerber, HALSTEAD, the 3A champions in 2018, could not get past the first round of sub-state last season. Gerber, second-team selection Andrew O’Brien, and honorable mention Lane Pitts have all graduated, meaning the Dragons will turn to new faces this season. PRATT lost in the first round of sub-state to Chapman, who eventually won the sub-state and finished fourth in 4A. The Greenbacks are looking to replace Brett Winsor, who earned honorable mention all-league honors.
Kansas Pregame Winter Sports Preview, Volume 2 will get some respect this year, hopefully.” In the Spotlight/from page 21 planning to Palen posted a team-high 14.3 points and compete at the meet. However, the week of girls’ state also coincided with the Central Kan- 3.6 assists a contest and was Beloit’s only player in double figures. He posted a sterling sas League boys’ tournament. Girls’ state was 2/1 assist to turnover ratio. Additionally, Palen Saturday, the CKL the day before on Friday. is a strong shooter with 51 made 3-pointers on Moore was sick Monday and Tuesday, and 37 percent, along with 78 percent from the free then Nickerson didn’t have school Wednesthrow line. day because of weather. Moore practiced “I think my best skills are being a leader on Thursday, and then elected Friday to compete the team, being able to make your shot if I at girls’ state instead of CKL because of the need to, or being able to pass it up to a big limited practice time. Moore, ranked eighth nationally at the time of girls’ state, finished 5-0 man,” he said. Beloit returns its core three seniors of Palen, in McPherson and rolled to the title. Carson Cox and Hudson Gray. Cox averaged “I love seeing the other girls,” Moore said. 7.9 points per game, and Gray had 4.2 points “It’s awesome. I compete with all of them in with three bounds. the offseason at nationals and stuff, and I love “We have been brothers since Day 1,” Palen getting to see them during the high school said. “I can remember our parents complaining season when I can.” about how much we were with each other.” It marked her first matches against girls Wyatt Pedigo, Hoisington all winter. She won her matches by fall in 1 Hoisington senior Wyatt Pedigo said he “was minute, 12 seconds, 1:45 and 1:50. Her fourth always confident,” even earlier in his career. As match came by a 12-2 decision and fifth by a freshman, he finished 33-9 and was a state forfeit. qualifier at 170 pounds on a team that finished “She is a competitor,” Nickerson coach Nick second in Class 3-2-1A. Flowers said after Moore’s state performance. “I had a great 2016 class to lead me, show “She has the drive and the heart, that it doesn’t matter who steps across from her, she is going me basically how it’s done,” he said. The next year, Pedigo picked up his first to give it everything she has every single match. It’s 100 percent no matter what, doesn’t state championship with a 38-3 mark and state title at 182 pounds. Last year, Pedigo was the matter if it’s No. 1 in the state, boy or any girl.” heavy favorite at 195 pounds and finished Moore, who finished last season fourth in 39-1. He and Hoxie 160-pound senior Dayton the national rankings, opened second in the preseason poll at 112 pounds, according to Flo Porsch were the only 3-2-1A champions to pin their way through the bracket. Wrestling. Porsch, a four-time state champion who is Moore has qualified for the USA national now at Northern Iowa, and Pedigo led the team and will compete in Estonia in March. classification with 30 state points. Moore is planning to wrestle at Baker Univer“The next year sophomore year, it was a little sity, which signed McPherson standout Mya bit of a struggle, lost a lot of seniors, had to Kretzer last winter. Moore wants to become kind of step up a little more, and stepping up a lawyer and liked Baker’s law program. It’s also possible Baker could became the regional my sophomore year really helped out my junior year, becoming a leader,” he said. wrestling training center. The confidence helps Pedigo to stay calm “Between everything, it just felt like it was the and composed before matches, including right place for me,” she said. state. Pedigo doesn’t really get nervous. In his Vincent Palen, Beloit four state matches, he won by fall in 1 minute, When he was younger, Vincent Palen 2 seconds, 1:26, 5:44 and 1:39 in the final traveled everywhere with his father, Rodney, a versus Colby’s Hagan Booi. well-known basketball official. The pair’s trips Pedigo credited multiple coaches with his included Nebraska and Hays. development, including veteran Cardinal head “We went to Hays so many times I know that coach Dan Schmidt and assistant Zach Sandplace with my eyes closed,” Vincent said. ers, a military veteran. Sanders wrestled at Currently, Rodney is the North Central AcOttawa after he was a two-time state wrestling tivities Association league commissioner and participant for the Cardinals. officiates college games, including MIAA and “He’s really good, he’s really strong, really Jayhawk League conference junior college. quick,” Pedigo said. “He was in the Army.” He is mainly gone Saturdays, that way he can Pedigo has also benefited from Joshua Ball watch Vincent play basketball. and Riley Philbern, who each took fifth at 170 He has seen his son emerge as a first team and 285 pounds, respectively. Philbern is likely all-state selection after he led Beloit to the Class 3A state championship game, where the to miss all or most of wrestling this winter after Trojans finished 24-2 and lost to Girard, 49-45. a knee injury from football. “It’s really nice, having a lighter guy that is “It was just wild,” Palen said. “I have never quicker that can get me in different situations been in anything that big, so it was a great and having a heavier guy that can hold me experience for me, and even better the whole back with his strength,” Pedigo said. town of Beloit cheered us on down there.” Pedigo has enjoyed great success on the Palen called the state title game his best gridiron, too. He recorded back-to-back 2,000memory. Beloit is 0-6 all-time in state champiyard rushing seasons and led Hoisington to onship appearances with recent showings in two straight state semifinal berths, tying for ‘02 and ‘14, according to state historian Carol the best finishes in school history. Pedigo is Swenson. the Cardinals’ all-time leading rusher and has “Everyone doubting us last year, and then committed to play football at University of making it to the state championship,” Palen North Dakota. Pedigo met the ND coaches at a said. “It didn’t come out like we wanted it. It was good to turn the haters down, and then we camp in Wisconsin.
“Just kind of shifted toward football more,” Pedigo said. Elisa Robinson, Junction City Junction City senior Elisa Robinson has been one of the top girls’ wrestlers in the country for many years. “I like competing, and winning and dominating,” she said. She finished last winter No. 1 nationally by Flo Wrestling. This year, Robinson is one of four top-ranked girls’ wrestlers who returned. She is No. 1 at 180 pounds. “It feels great,” Robinson said. “I also feel targeted sometimes, but just keep working hard and striving.” Unlike many of the top girls’ wrestlers, Robinson is a dynamic athlete in other sports. “It’s really fun, just trying to get myself conditioned,” she said. She is a multi-year starter as the Bluejay goalkeeper in soccer. Robinson played football her first three seasons for Junction City, a Class 6A traditional power under longtime coach Randall Zimmerman. “It was tough, but just got to get through it, and I never gave up, and just strive through it,” she said. “It helped me build up strength. It helped me become a leader, to help others when they are struggling, and discipline.” Robinson started in wrestling because of her father, Kenneth, and her twin brother, Ellias. Robinson, who has looked at Baker for college wrestling, has traveled throughout the country to Colorado, Oklahoma, Texas, Indiana, Iowa and North Dakota, among other places. She captured Kansas unofficial girls’ state titles at 160 in 2017, 170 in 2018 and 182 last year. In ‘19, she won the first place match by fall in 40 seconds and was 6-0 against girls. Robinson was the ‘19 USA Wrestling Junior Folkstyle Nationals champion, and took second nationally at the ‘19 Junior Women’s Freestyle Nationals. ”It’s just a lifestyle for me,” she said. Ashton and Payton Verhulst, Bishop Miege Bishop Miege 6-foot-2 senior Ashton Verhulst averaged 11.3 points, six rebounds and four assists a contest last winter. Her sister, Payton, a junior, is 6-1 and delivered 15.5 points, nine rebounds, five assists and three blocks. In addition to their time at Miege, the pair has long played on the same teams growing up and in the summer. Ashton has committed to the University of Central Florida. Payton, a preseason All-American by USA Today, holds dozens of Division I offers and played on the USA Women’s U16 national team last summer. “She’s like my best friend,” Ashton said. “We have done everything together.” Last winter, they helped Miege win the Class 4A state championship with a 24-0 mark. The Stags, known for their pressing style, won all three state games by at least 19 points. Coach Terry English stands at 867-165 with 21 state titles in 43 years with the Stags. Miege is ranked No. 25 in the preseason USA Today poll, the same position it ended last winter. “If you see us before the games, it’s really prevalent to see that, we just get along well, and we get each other,” Payton said. The Verhulst’s talent and chemistry is formed by a strong basketball family tree that stretches
Page 87 back more than more than 45 years. Their maternal grandfather, Jim Baker, helped lay the foundation for girls’ basketball in Kansas as the Buhler coach. In 1972, he started at Buhler and won the first girls’ state title the following year. They eventually won 44 straight games with titles in ‘76-77. Baker’s daughter, Robin, went to Duke and started 70 games. Robin married David Verhulst, who was a post player at Rockhurst University. They have six children. The couple has different personalities, and Robin, with a fierce competitive drive, often critiqued the girls after games and worked with them on skills. “She definitely showed up to every game, was our biggest cheerleader,” Payton said. Robin is the program director for Next Level Eclipse basketball, an elite club in the Kansas City area. David, known for his calmness, is the head coach for an 14-under NLE program. “They are just different in good ways,” Payton said. “I think that’s why they go together well. They are both very competitive.” As well, Payton and Ashton benefited from their older brothers, Quinton and Dalton, currently Emporia State students. Both played one year of NAIA college basketball. “I don’t think we would be near as mentally or physically tough as we are now, if we didn’t have them, especially mentally,” Payton said. “Constantly pushing us to compete and get better,” Ashton added. Ashton had originally committed to Kansas State, but then elected to re-open her recruitment. She committed to UCF on Sept 19, and signed with the Knights in November. “Right when I went there, I knew,” Ashton said. “It was the place for me.” After last basketball season, Payton again tried out for Team USA. Tryouts started with 152 players from 36 states. She had tried out the year prior, but was one of the younger players. This time, she earned one of 12 selections for the USA Women’s U-16 national team that went to Chile. “Realistically, I didn’t know what to expect,” she said. Team USA went undefeated, and Payton was a team captain and tournament MVP. It marked her first time out of the country. In addition to basketball, she enjoyed the life experiences of the trip. “It’s only now starting to hit me that over the summer, I went and played with that team and all those girls, it’s really crazy,” she said. “...“I wouldn’t trade that chance for anything.” Payton, who English considers the best player he has ever coached, has whittled her list to nine teams via a Sept. 8 Twitter post: Missouri, Tennessee, Louisville, Connecticut, Notre Dame, Arizona State, Oregon, Oregon State and Stanford. She and her parents have created a plan. Payton will try to take the rest of her unofficial visits during the next several months. She will try to narrow the list to three to five schools after state basketball and plans to commit before summer. “So I can relax and have fun and play with my friends,” she said. First, though, the Verhulsts will play their final high school basketball season together. Miege’s press has featured Payton, known for continued on page 88 length, athleticism
Photo by Whitney Parks
Kansas Pregame Winter Sports Preview, Volume 2
Hayden MILLS
Photo by Dan Loving
Blue Valley Southwest, Sophomore
Devin GOMEZ Courtesy Photo
Maize, Senior
Ochoa (No. 6 at 126), 5A/from page 79 Caleb Copeland (152) and Brandon Jeffries (170) SHAWNEE HEIGHTS returns three state qualifiers in Brock Ferguson (No. 5 at 113), Zach Gonzales (No. 6 at 160) and Caden Walker (unranked at 145). Coach Chad Parks said the key to success will be to work hard, have fun, and improve daily in three areas: “Mentally, Physically and Spiritually.” PITTSBURG has nowhere to go but up after finishing last at state. However, the Purple Dragons return state qualifiers Blayne Anderson (132), Jesse Stover (170), Zane Decker (195) and Caleb Redd (220) while welcoming two-time Arkansas state qualifier Kadeyn Dixon (145). The goals for Pittsburg include a top three finish in the league, top 10 at regionals and top 20 at state. KC WASHINGTON returns Kamarae Williamson (106), Xavier Lewis (120), Jordan Thompson (132) and Blake Mullikin (160). SUMNER is a young team, with only two seniors. “For most of our squad, this will be their first or at best second year of wrestling,” coach Adam Beatty said. “This year will be about helping them continue to develop and start pushing matches in our direction.” The Sabres non-freshmen are B.J. Keith (120), Kaeten Robbins (126), Prince Orji (145), Andrew Bristow (152), Joel Sanchez (160), Michael Shultz (170), Erick Jaquez (182) and Tolulope Adejo (220).
high. We want to be top three in our league which I believe is achievable. We want to make it out of our regional tournament and contend in our substate. It’s a lot more difficult now being a smaller school with 1A being combined again, but I believe we are up to that challenge. I’m excited to see what this team can do this year, and I’m looking forward to another fun year coaching this group.” The PALCO girls had just one senior in ‘18-19 and had 84 percent of its scoring from non-seniors. Senior Riley Wells finished with eight points, 3.9 rebounds, 2.5 steals and 1.9 assists per contest. Senior Shaylee Benoit had 7.5 points, eight rebounds and 2.5 steals a game. Sophomores Kristen Marcotte and Cadey Pieper also return to the starting lineup after recording 5.5 and 1.7 points per game respectively. Marcotte also grabbed 2.6 rebounds per game and 3.1 steals while Pieper added 3.1 rebounds a contest. Third year coach Bryant Eichman has set goals to win at least 10 games and win “at least one or two playoff games.” BIRD CITY-CHEYLIN (11-11) returns senior Grace Sabatka with 13.4 points, 7.8 rebounds and 2.4 steals a contest. ALMENA-NORTHERN VALLEY was 3-17, and TRIPLAINS-BREWSTER was 2-13.
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St. Thomas Aquinas, Senior WAC/from page 75 6.2 points and 4.4 rebounds while shooting 74 percent from the charity stripe. Isabel Robben, a 5-8 guard, averaged 4 points, 4.2 rebounds and 3.6 assists while also being one of the team’s best defenders. Three underclassmen will give Porter some depth, led by junior Brooklyn Schaffer, a 5-5 guard. A pair of sophomores round out that trio in 5-11 guard/forward Aleyia Ruder and 5-9 guard/forward Taleia McRae. “All three of them have different skills and I think they will certainly improve as the season progresses,” Porter said. “I’m excited about the roster we have and want to elevate the standard here from good to great.” GREAT BEND BOYS The Great Bend Panthers were able to compete in the Western Athletic Conference, placing second behind champion Garden City while getting wins against Hays, Dodge City and Liberal but could muster only a 9-13 overall record. Fourth-year coach Tim Brooks, who is 20-45 at GBHS and 145-165 in 15 seasons, will return four starters from that squad that had moments of strong play but also moments of faltering. That is likely to change with the return of Alex Schremmer, a 5-10 senior sharp-shooting guard, who averaged 14.4 points and 4 assists per game. Brooks also will look to senior Dalton Miller, one of
Page 90 WKLL/from page 76 rankings before being knocked from the sub-state semifinals by Victoria. WHEATLAND-GRINNELL (10-12) posted its first under .500 record since 2009-10. From ‘1415 to ‘16-17, the Thunderhawks won a combined 58 games. However, W-G could improve this year after it received 73 percent of its scoring from nonseniors. This year, senior Jessi Berbneck is back after she delivered 10.3 points, 3.6 rebounds, three assists and 2.6 steals a game. Senior Morgan Zimmerman had 7.8 points, 4.1 rebounds and 2.3 steals a contest. Palco and Logan were both 7-13. LOGAN’s girls had no seniors last winter. Returning senior Camyrn Greving led with 10 points, 7.4 rebounds and three steals a contest. Senior Harlee Voss finished with 8.3 points, 3.9 rebounds and 2.2 steals a contest. Senior Kelcee Braun delivered 6.9 points, 4.3 rebounds and 2.3 steals per contest. Junior Khloe Braun (5-9, 8.2 ppg., 3.9 rpg., 2.2 spg.) and senior Tori Jenner (5-6, 1 ppg., .8 rpg.) also return to the starting lineup. “We have a lot of experience in our starting lineup and some sophomores that played quite a bit as freshman,” fifth year coach Logan Waters said. “With that said, our goals for this season are pretty
the school’s best athletes, after the 5-11 guard averaged 8 points and 2 steals a year ago. Alex Olivas, a 6-1 senior, averaged 7 points his junior campaign. Peyton Duvall, a 6-3 senior, is the other returner. “Our first goal is to win the WAC,” Brooks said. “Defending the paint will be a big key to our success this season.” GREAT BEND GIRLS It was baptism by fire for the Great Bend Lady Panthers in 2018-19 as coach Carrie Minton’s squad struggled through a 1-20 season, something rare for the highly-successful Minton. That baptismal season, though, may prove to be beneficial to the 2019-20 edition as Minton welcomes back nine players who saw some starting action a year ago. The ringleader of the group is 5-5 junior guard Sydnee Unruh, who averaged 10.1 points, 3.2 rebounds and 1.8 assists while earning second-team all-Western Athletic Conference honors. Four seniors will provide veteran leadership for Minton, a group that includes 5-8 guard Alyssa Herter (2.8 ppg., 3.8 rpg.), 5-7 guard Jenna Mauler (6.3 ppg., 3.5 rpg.), 5-8 guard Jaclynn Schroeder (3.8 ppg., 2.6 rpg.) and 5-9 forward Shailey Clark (3.7 ppg., 5.2 rpg.). A big junior class joins Unruh including 5-8 forward Ashlynn Harbaugh (2.2 ppg., 2.7 rpg.), 5-6 guard Halle Latham (3.5 ppg., 1.8 rpg., 1.2 apg.)
and 5-9 forward Candice Smith (6.2 ppg., 4.2 rpg.). Sophomore forward Taryn Warren (5-8, 2.8 ppg., 3.0 rpg.) also saw spot starting duty as a freshman. DODGE CITY BOYS Head coach Tony Starnes begins his third season at the Red Demon helm following a 2018-19 campaign in which his team was on the proverbial roller-coaster, finishing 12-10 overall and 4-4 in the Western Athletic Conference. The Demons handed league champion Garden City its only WAC loss, 53-50, on the Buffaloes’ home floor and then only lost by one to their rival at home. But the postseason was short-lived with a loss to Haysville-Campus. Starnes’ upcoming season will have to be done without 2018-19 WAC Player of the Year, Noah Stowers, who graduated, along with second-team all-league pick Adrian Mendoza. He will have the services of second-team all-WAC frontcourt player John Johnson as the uptempo Demons look to create defensive problems for their opponents. DODGE CITY GIRLS The Dodge City girls competed strongly in the 2018-19 season, winning and losing some closely-contested games, but managed to finish with a 9-13 season record while going 3-5 in the Western Athletic Conference. The good news is that eighth-year coach Kelley
Snodgrass returns all five of her starters from that squad. Her two top players in her lineup after strong seasons a year ago include all-league guard Kisa Unruh, who will be a junior, along with senior Chidera Okoro, a second-team all-league honoree. Unruh averaged 13.9 points, 4.9 rebounds and 1.7 assists while Okoro chipped in at 7.2 points, 4.8 rebounds and 1.5 steals. The three other returning starters include junior Lauren Gleason (2.8 ppg., 3.4 rpg., 3.5 apg.), and sophomores Camree Johnson (7.5 ppg., 6.2 rpg.) and Amaya Perez (2.7 ppg., 3.0 rpg.). Bench strength will come from returning letter winners juniors Breanna Gutierrez and Alisia Solis, along with sophomore Kya Edwards. “We expect leadership from Chidera Okoro and our other starters Kisa Unruh and Lauren Gleason,” Snodgrass said. “We have a very strong sophomore class with a great deal of varsity experience. We had a few injuries last year, but are excited to get those players back at full strength. We are excited about our depth and about the youth in our program as well.” The Red Demons 2018-19 season was ended by powerhouse Manhattan, in the Class 6A sub-state tournament.
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swimming & diving championships Feb. 6-8 | midland university
indoor track & field championships Feb. 21-22 | heskett center | wichita state university
Courtesy Photo
Kansas Pregame Winter Sports Preview, Volume 2
Cael JOHNSON
Photo by Barb Prater
Burlington, Senior
Hunter HUBER
Photo by Sophie Osborn
Pratt, Senior
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4A/from page 80 his senior year, Johnson enters the season ranked first at 160. Senior T.T. Totty, senior Keegan Kuhlmann, and junior Caedon Berkenmeier return as state qualifiers. “We are excited about the possibilities that the 2020 season holds for the Wildcats,” head coach Doug Vander Linden said. “We need to work on our depth in the upper weights and get our underclassmen bought into the program. We are also excited about our first season of girls wrestling in Kansas.” BUHLER is traditionally tough, but the Crusaders will be young and inexperienced this season. Buhler returns six from its lineup last season that went 2-5 in duals, and welcomes sophomore transfer Devon Mayfield from Hays at 106. Sophomore Sam Elliott will lead the way after finishing sixth at 138 last year. Elliott enters the season as the thirdranked wrestler at 152. “We will be a very young team this season,” head coach Mike Juby said. “Our focus will be on improving throughout the season with the goal of a solid performance at regionals.” ROSE HILL will be led by senior David Leck, who enters the season as the top-ranked wrestler at 170; Leck was third at 160 last season. Sophomore Keegan Beavers qualified for state as a freshman and is ranked sixth at 132, and senior Cole Daughatee is also a state qualifier and opens the season ranked fifth at 182. Braden Tatum is the lone freshman preseason ranked at 106. Rose Hill won AVCTL Division IV last season and hopes to do the same again this season. “Keys to success will be previous non-state qualifiers having successful seasons,” head coach Darian Eshelman said. PAOLA’s Preston Martin will attempt to win his fourth state championship this season at 132. Martin went 46-3 last season and won the 126 class. Seniors Noah Bowden and Mikey Stribling are also returning state qualifiers for Paola. “Our key to success is being disciplined wrestlers who are willing to work hard,” head coach Darvin Willard said. “We need to be able to wrestle well in all phases (top, neutral, bottom). If we can do those things we will have a successful season.” Junior Chadwick Stahl of MULVANE enters the season as the No. 1 ranked wrestler at 120. Stahl
Kolton MISENER, Trent CLEMENTS, Kedric EMLING
Chanute
went 37-5 last season and finished as the state runner-up at 120 after dropping a hard-fought 7-5 decision in the state championship match. Junior Hunter Scott, who went 24-4 last season, enters the season as the third-ranked heavyweight. “If we get the right wrestlers in the right weights, work hard, come together as a team and believe we can be successful, we will be,” head coach Rick Langerot said. KANSAS CITY-PIPER opens the season ranked 10th and should be tough with seven state qualifiers returning. Junior Anthony Ferguson finished fourth at 152 and opens the season ranked second at 170. Junior Derek Duffett is ranked fifth at 120 and junior Branden Martin is ranked fourth at 182. Seniors Tyson Lanter and Sean Stewart, and juniors LaJames White and CJ Vas are also state qualifiers. SANTA FE TRAIL has a stud in junior Christian Rowe, who went 43-4 and finished third at 120 last season. This year, Rowe opens the season ranked third at 126. Senior Zach Jeanneret qualified for state last season at 152, while senior heavyweight Evan Dean finished sixth at state in 2017. “We are excited to get the season going,” head coach Regan Erickson said. “We have very solid senior and state experience, which hopefully leads to a successful season. We have a few JV kids that had solid seasons last year and will fill roles on the varsity this year.” Junior Coby Burchett will lead FORT SCOTT this season. Burchett fell to Paola’s Preston Martin in the 126 championship and opens the season ranked second behind Martin at 132. Jacob Stinnett had a successful freshman season, going 37-13 and finishing fifth at state at 132. Junior Malachi Vann is a two-time state qualifier and will wrestle at 145/152, and senior Silas Taylor is a state qualifier at 138 last season. “We want to be in great shape, win every position, and always look to score,” head coach Alvin Metcalf said. “Focus on the process and not the outcome. If we do that, good things will happen.” Zach Lucas enters his first year as head coach at CHAPMAN. Lucas has a trustworthy wrestler in junior Zach Ferris, who finished as the state runner-up at 220 last season. Ferris opens the season ranked second at 220 behind Tonganoxie’s Connor Searcy. Senior Jacob Doolittle and junior Ryan Hengemuhle were starters last year, but did not qualify for state. “Senior leadership will be key to our success this year,” Lucas said. “We have a great group of seniors that have seen success and will work to build each and every team member up. Their tenacity and attention to detail will set the bar for every practice.” OTTAWA has a young, yet talented, team this season. Sophomore Collin Creach won his thirdplace match at state by a 3-2 decision at 126, and opens the season ranked third at 138. Sophomore Robert Crooks, and juniors Richard Blevins and Kael Lane, all qualified for the state tournament last season. “We will need someone to step up and be a team leader so that we can develop as a young team and set the tone for a great group,” head coach Dalton Weidl said. LOUISBURG returns three state qualifiers
and five starters from last season. Junior Cade Holtzen has qualified for state his first two years and finished sixth at 113 as a freshman. Holtzen is preseason ranked fifth at 126 to open the season. Junior Ryan Owens qualified last season at 120, and sophomore Brandon Doles won a regional championship at 145 last season as a freshman. “We will need to be able to field a full squad to meet our dual goals, so that means we have to hit the hallways to recruit numbers,” head coach Bobby Bovaird said. “Last year was an anomaly with extraordinarily low numbers for the program, but I feel that we’re on track to repair that problem.” Ryan Wrigley enters his first year as head coach of BISHOP MIEGE. While the Stags return eight starters, Bishop Miege has no returning starters and just one returning senior. “Our keys to success will be first and foremost our conditioning, followed by mastering our skills on our feet and finally escaping from the bottom,” Wrigley said. “We are going to be young and we need to learn to be the aggressor in our matches and force our style of wrestling.” CLAY CENTER brings back 11 lettermen, five starters, and four state qualifiers and should be a tough out in the competitive North Central Kansas League. Senior Rhett Koppes has two top-five state finishes in his career, most recently a fifth-place finish at 106 last season. Koppes is ranked third at 106 to start the season. Junior Parker Tholstrup is a twotime state qualifier and is preseason ranked third at 132. Junior heavyweight Logan McDonald is ranked fifth at 285, and sophomore Garett Kalivoda qualified for state at 113 last season. “Overall I feel that we have a competitive tournament and dual roster. We should have limited open weight classes and will be adding some quality depth to our roster,” head coach Brandon Pigorsch said. “Staying healthy will be a key to our individual and team success. I am really looking forward to seeing our leaders help mold a talented group of incoming freshmen.” TONGANOXIE returns state champion Conner Searcy, who went 28-2 at 195 last season. Searcy, a senior, is the top-ranked wrestler at 220 entering the season. Sophomore Grayson Sontag will also compete for a state championship this season after finishing third last season at 106. Sontag went 44-5 last season and opens this year ranked third at 120. “The key this season will be to keep working hard and improve daily,” head coach Brett Delich said. “We will have a few returners but will need some young guys to step up and fill a varsity role to complete the team.” AUGUSTA went 6-3 in duals last season and returns two state qualifiers. Senior Jaden Laing is expected to wrestle at 132, and junior Collin Jackson is expected to wrestle at 126. Additionally, Augusta returns nine starters from last season. “We are really young with only three Seniors on the team. Our goal is simply to get better every day,” head coach Brandon Terry said. “We have several talented incoming freshmen that can make an impact if we can get them spread out and adjusted to high school wrestling. Our numbers are strong and some of our kids have put in good time this summer.” Senior Brady White opens the season ranked sixth at 285 continued atop the next page
Kansas Pregame Winter Sports Preview, Volume 2 for COFFEYVILLE. The Golden Tornadoes have a large junior class that will be instrumental to the team this season. “This group has a big group of juniors that have always been right on the bubble of breaking into that next level and our focus will be on building a team around them,” head coach Spencer McGlothin said. CONCORDIA junior Hunter Schroder finished fourth at 160 last season, and opens the season ranked second at 182. Senior Jordan Anguish at 113 and junior Sajen Kemling at 106 are also returning state qualifiers. Keyan Miller went 23-12 last season as a freshman but did not qualify for state. Concordia returns 12 starters from last year. “We are very excited for the upcoming season,” head coach Josh Brown said. “We have a lot of returning varsity wrestlers that we anticipate will make a big difference in our lineup this year. With the addition of some solid underclassman we look to really capitalize on the wrestlers we have in our room.” Three-time state qualifier Jason Hecht will lead HESSTON this season. Hecht qualified at state at 132 last season and is expected to move up to 138 this season. The Swathers return 11 wrestlers who lettered last season - six juniors and five seniors. “The key is to get quality mat time and success early in the season,” head coach Doug Broadfoot said. “If we can manage to earn early season success, we hope that will translate into success as we get in to the bigger tournaments at the end of the season.” Evan Flatt returns as the lone state qualifier for LABETTE COUNTY. Flatt is a two-time state qualifier and is expected to wrestle at 126. Labette County was 7-5 in duals last season. “We want to turn the corner this season and take the next step forward after having dual success the last three seasons,” head coach Jason Storm said. NICKERSON went 6-1 in duals, returns five starters, and returns three state qualifiers. Senior Jarin Gomez won 40 matches last season and opens the season ranked sixth at 170. Senior Gage Cooper and junior Dylan Schnieder each won at least 30 matches and qualified for state as well. “The team will have to battle for bonus points and to finish the tough tournaments,” head coach Nick Flowers said. “Grinding five full matches each tournament gets tough, but always aim to be the hammer.” Second-year head coach Rod Hambleton is hoping PARSONS can get their numbers up before the season. The Vikings return state-qualifier Jaden Malson at 138, but not much else.
Page 93
“Our team has kids that only have 1-2 years experience and mostly none at all,” Hambleton said. “How quickly they pick up on the basics and progress on the mat will be our keys to success.” Hayden Robb had a wonderful freshman season for PERRY-LECOMPTON and qualified for the state tournament at 220. Robb opens the season ranked sixth at 220. Braden Woodson and Grant Roush are also state qualifiers, while Thad Metcalfe is a two-time state qualifier. Perry-Lecompton has quality wrestlers, but might lack quantity. “The key to success is building depth in our wrestling room,” head coach David Roberts said. “We have had limited numbers the past few seasons, we hope to get more competition in the room to help push our best wrestlers even further.” SMOKY VALLEY returns five starters, led by senior Dax Hopp. Hopp went 38-11 last season at 170 and placed sixth at state. Junior Tanner Luttig is the other returning Viking who finished with a winning record, going 27-11 at 182 last season. “Numbers are lower so we are looking to fill weight classes,” head coach Ben Elliott said. “Our main goal will be to compete hard and get better every week. We return one state placer, so another big goal is to get some more kids to Salina or Hays in February.” HOLTON, a traditionally strong program under coach Cully Jackson, stood at fifth in the preseason rankings and features four wrestlers ranked in the top six of their respective weight classes: Jake Barnes (106), Kolby Roush (138), Taygen Fletcher (145) and Konnor Tannahill (195). WINFIELD entered the season ranked seventh and had four wrestlers preseason ranked in the top six: Braden Ledford (126), Chance Price (138), Steele Morin (170) and Zach Phillips (220). WELLINGTON junior Kenny Fehrman is ranked third at 220 after finishing third last year as a sophomore. ULYSSES had two wrestlers preseason ranked, and at opposite ends of the spectrum. Junior Quentin Pauda entered the season ranked second at 106 pounds while senior Ayston Perez entered the season as the top-ranked heavyweight wrestler in 4A. PRAIRIE VIEW has two ranked wrestlers led by senior Hunter Boone, a key member of the Buffs stellar football season this fall and a fifth place finisher at 170 last year. This season he is ranked third at 195. Senior Chanz Gerleman is ranked fourth at 220 after qualifying for state a season ago.
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3-2-1A/from page 81 Lough and Reynolds were third place at regional, and Isaiah Wasson was fourth at 220. Rhodes has goals to win league, regional and state tournament and has the team key as hard work. ELLSWORTH senior Tyler Walford is ranked fifth at 285 at wrestled tough matches with Republic County’s Eyann Zimmerman last season. He was 31-5 entering the state tournament and went 1-2 losing to Panzer in the second round and then Chaparral’s Jaden Eslinger. He pinned eventual state runner-up Zimmerman en route to winning the 285-pound class at the North Central Activities Association league tournament. With Zimmerman, Johnson and Walford the 285-pound class the NCAA is stacked. Returning senior Morgan Kelley also qualified for state at 145 but went 0-2. He is joined by several other returning seniors with varsity experience. ERIE’s Will Weber has served as the Red Devils’ coach for five years. Erie returns three weights, all sophomores: Drayton Kennedy (113), Nate Thompson (120) and Quinten Heady (126). All three were state qualifiers. EUREKA coach Mike Davison led the Tornadoes to the first team athletic state championship in school history. Eureka graduated state titlists, and twins, Kolby and Kendall Beitz. Junior Connor Hughes, sophomore Brody Harrison (145), junior Brennan Lowe (152), junior Brent Escareno (160), and sophomore Garrison Spoonts (170) return. Hughes (25-15) was a state qualifier, while Lowe is a two-time state qualifier and defending state champion. Escareno (40-5) is a two-time state qualifier and defending state runner-up. Spoonts is a state qualifier. “Our team goals are to continue to grow as a unit, and build off of last year’s success,” Davison said. “We want to win league, hopefully in both the boys and girls divisions, and represent our school well at the state tournaments. We need to pride ourselves on our work ethic, and try and have as much fun as possible along the way.” ELL-SALINE’s Norm Jennings is in his first year as a high school head coach after three seasons at middle school. Senior 285-pounder Noah Hopkins (16-15) leads five returners, four boys and one girl. Jennings said remaining healthy is the team’s key. “Increase the number of state qualifiers,” Jennings said of team goals. “Continue to build a competitive team and increase the number of participants. Build a solid foundation for our girls’ team. Enjoy the season as a family!” GARDEN PLAIN coach Joe Gassmann is in his fourth year at the school. GP returns eight wrestlers: Logan Albers (106), Jeremiah Nowak (113), Chance Fortune (126), Elliot Helten (138), Gabe Gordon (145), Teagen Doerr (152), Jeb Nowak (160), and Tranden Daerr (170). Nowak and Daerr are both returning state qualifiers. FREDONIA first-year head coach Brent Trujillo has four returners. Senior Matt Weilert is a two-time state qualifier who was sixth in ‘18 and third last year. Weilert was 36-8 last year. Junior Bo Tindle (19-21) is at 152 and sophomore Taron Ward (1714) is at 160. Junior Buddy Claibourn is a returning state qualifier with a 26-10 mark at 170. “We want to have our upperclassmen continue to build on their success, while mentoring our younger kids,” Trujillo said of the team’s keys and goals. “With strong showings from our upperclassmen and good development from a talented group of underclassmen, we expect to be competitive wherever we go. Wrestling to our ability, developing
our talent, and being disciplined on and off the mat.” GOODLAND coach Joe Sramek is in his 14th year at the school. The Cowboys went 8-13 in duals and took 11th at regional. Sophomore D.J. Knox (106) went 37-12 and was state runner-up. Junior 126-pounder Brody Kaup (14-15) was a state qualifier. Senior 195-pounder Dawson Holub went 28-20 and was a state qualifer. “We will be a young team and our key to success will be our attitude and willingness to improve everyday as the season progresses,” Sramek said. HALSTEAD’s Chris Wilson is in his sixth season at the school, fourth as head coach. The Dragons have sophomore Patrick Mueller (138), junior Ivan Gutierrez (145), junior Carter Hiebert (152), junior Kaden Hill (160), junior Kaden Lopez (195) and Cole Herman (285). Hiebert is a returning state qualifier with a 24-16 record, and Herman was hurt last year. Freshmen Skyler Geer (126) and Kaleb Wise (182) are expected to be key wrestlers. “I thought that last year our team, which consisted of mostly freshmen/sophomores competed well against older kids in varsity matches,” Wilson said. “With more experience now, I look for our juniors to step up as leaders and have a big year. We have a solid group of juniors that have wrestled together since junior high that push each other and continue to get better.” HILLSBORO coach Scott O’Hare is in 17th year as head coach and has a career record of 102-92. The Trojans went 3-5 in dual competition, took seventh in league and ninth at regionals. Junior Jordan Bachman (34-10) was fourth at state at 138 pounds. Sophomore Tristan Rathbone (24-19) was a state qualifier at 145. Lone senior Andre Patton went 24-16 at 160 at Canton-Galva, which co-ops with Hillsboro. Hillsboro will have just one senior and returns seven of eight varsity wrestlers. “I am anticipating that this team will be very coachable and willing to work hard to improve,” O’Hare said. “We need to get great leadership from our senior and experienced junior group.” HOISINGTON’s Dan Schmidt is in his 23rd season as head coach the school. The Cardinals went 5-0 in duals, took second at regionals and ninth at state. Hoisington returns state champion Wyatt Pedigo at 182 pounds, along with 13 of its 14 regional participants, and all five state qualifiers. “We also will return a state qualifier from the year before that was injured the last meet of the season, and was unable to wrestle in the postseason,” coach Schmidt said. “We thought that he would have been a state placer if not for injury.” HOXIE coach Mike Porsch is in his 14th year as head coach. The Indians graduated four-time champion Dayton Porsch, now at Northern Iowa, from a team that finished in third place at state. Senior Dylan Weimer will likely compete at 138 after he was the defending state champion at 132. Sophomore Drew Bell will wrestle at 126 after he was fourth at state at 120. Junior Aidan Baalman was fourth at 145 and will compete at 152. Andrew Foote (160), Donovan Baluch (182), Kaden Sekevac (220) and Brandon Baker (285) are returning wrestlers. “Our returners need to pick up where they left off, and our incoming freshmen need to make the adjustment to high school wrestling fairly quickly to be in position to peak in February,” coach Porsch said. HORTON is in its second year having wrestling after a seven-year hiatus. LAKIN coach Jim Christiansen in his third year as head coach. continued atop next page
Kansas Pregame Winter Sports Preview, Volume 2 3-2-1A/from page 93 However, senior Hadley wrestlers for the season. This winter, Schields is ranked fourth at 106, Panzer, a Kansas State football commit, will miss the year because of a football injury after a 39-0 season Unterseher fifth at 126, Vacura is fifth at 160, and 2019 state championship at 285 pounds. Senior Amlong second at 170, and Wiltfong third at 195. “I felt we really matured as individuals and in 182-pounder Kayden Christiansen was 27-9. Junior Kade Lovelady (160), senior Jonathan Ortiz (138), wrestling skills last season,” Johnson said. “Several of our kids really stepped up to the next level when and senior Nathan Reimer (113) are back. The cooperative of LINCOLN-SYLVAN-LUCAS the team needed them. At the start of the season, we has one senior, Jerry Marinhagen, after two-time were not even ranked in the top-10, and justifiably state qualifier Chantz Vath opted not to wrestle for so. With another year of experience under our belts, his senior season. S-L has a pair of juniors with and we look to improve on last season’s state finish.” OBERLIN-DECATUR COMMUNITY’s Shane Marshall Hurlbut and Tra Barrientes, the latter a twoBird is in his 14th overall season with the program, time state qualifier at 220 pounds. MISSION VALLEY has coach Josh Parker, in his third as head coach. Oberlin has freshman Josh sixth year at the school, second as head coach. Juenemann (106), and eight returning weights: Senior Shelby Kesler is a three-time state placer sophomore Corbin Wessel (113), sophomore and was third place at 126. Junior 285-pounder Reece Grafel (120), sophomore Brecking Sauvage Nolan Parker (30-10) was a state qualifier in ‘19. (126), senior Colton Ketterl (132), junior Alex Eskew Sophomore Jon Grame (19-13) was also a state (138), senior Dawson Kempt (145), senior Bryson Metcalf (152), and junior Gavon Uhelin (160) are qualifier. Chas Hauck in his fifth year as head coach at back. Grafel went 28-7 and was fourth place at 106, MINNEAPOLIS after a successful season that while Sauvage, Ketterl, and Eskew were all state included three tournament titles and a second place qualifiers. Kempt was injured in ‘19. Uhelin went showing at league. Minneapolis has sophomore 20-8 and fifth place at 160. ONAGA third-year coach Chris Niehues has Gage Carlson (113), junior Adam Reed (182), junior Keyon Baccus (195), Dayton Randall (126), Chase sophomores Kaid Schwant (140) and Riyln Anderson (160) and Brody Murk (152). Carlson is a Mayginnes (182), along with four seniors: Trenton returning state qualifier with a 27-15 record, while Cott (170), Kameron Henneberg (195), Tommy Randall is a two-time state qualifier, and Anderson is Kaberline (220) and Vincent Lara (285). Coach Niehues said the team would like to “get a few state also a state qualifier. Former OAKLEY standout Levi Younkin is in qualifiers.” “Leadership is hopefully a strong spot for us this his first year as the Plainsmen head coach. Junior 138-pounder Eric Cain (26-15) is a returning state year with a group of seniors,” Neihues said. PHILLIPSBURG has a pair of key returners who qualifier. Senior 145-pounder Aidan Stephenson is 27-10 and a two-time state qualifier. Younkin has a will either wrestle at 132 or 138. Jacob Sisson was 29-6 and second place at 126. Aaron Lenker goal to have a top-10 finish at state. “To have fun and enjoy the sport, hard work, finished 23-8 and was a state qualifier. Rylan Hayes, and have great fundamentals,” Younkin said of the at 285, finished 21-15 and was a state qualifier. “Returning a two-time state finalist back in Jacob team’s keys. NORTON coach Bill Johnson is starting his 31st Sisson along with Aaron Lenker (state medalist and year with a 244-65 dual record. The Bluejays took qualifier) and Rylan Hays (state qualifier),” coach third place at regionals and fourth place at state. Andy Kenney noted. “Also, returning six wrestlers Norton has nine returning starters. Sophomore with varsity experience, (we’re) looking for this 106-pounder Darius Shields was 32-14 and sixth at year’s team to make big strides on the varsity stage. state. Senior Camdyn Unterseher went 27-10 and We need to improve every day in the wrestling room is a three-time state qualifier. Senior 160-pounder with the little things and focus on one match at a time Brandon Vacura finished 31-10 and was sixth to reach the state competition.” PLAINVILLE coach Ryan Becker returns three at state. Senior Cole Amlong finished 28-7 and strong wrestlers with sophomores Ben Hansen finished second and fifth at state. At 195, Judson Wiltfong (30-12) is a state qualifier. and Jesse Mackey, both state qualifiers, and senior Junior 182-pounder Gavin Sproul (24-16) and Jordan Finnesy, a defending state champion. RILEY COUNTY first-year coach Jared senior 182-pounder Alex Auker (13-7) are both two-year varsity letterwinners. Norton graduated Weatherhead returns junior 106-pounder Tyler Fief just two seniors from what coach Johnson called “a (23-19), junior 113-pounder J.R. Thelwell (27-17), major rebuilding year.” Norton also suspended two junior 126-pounder Grayden Jackson (30-20) and NO ONE
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senior 170-pounder Deon Barnes (26-14). They are all state qualifiers, while Jackson is a two-time state qualifier and took sixth place at 126 pounds last winter. Weatherhead has goals to win regionals and a top-five team at state. “Being in the best shape possible and being aggressive on the mat,” Weatherhead said of the team’s keys. RIVERSIDE coach Tom Resler in his ninth year at the school. The Cyclones were 8-4 in duals and finished fifth at regionals. Beau Horn, who will wrestle at 138, finished 34-6 and was state runnerup. Luke Horn, at 152, went 35-7 and finished fifth. Quenton Barron, at 170, was 17-12 and a state qualifier. “The Horn twins both have a chance to win state,” Resler said. Chris Schaefer is in 20th year at the school, second season as head coach for SILVER LAKE. Senior 182-pounder Dawson Schwarz, senior 195-pounder Gideon Remer, sophomore 126-pounder Justin Rakestraw, and junior Kai Allen. Schwarz and Rakestraw are both returning state qualifiers and Remer is a three-time state qualifier. Allen is a two-time state qualifier, and won the state championship at 126 pounds. Schaefer’s goals are to win regionals, win league and finish in the top-three at state. He said “good leadership” is the team’s key. RUSSELL second-year coach Dan Weigel, a former Plainville state champion, has four returning wrestlers: senior 120-pounder Stephan Baldwin, and sophomores Jacob Windholz, Jesse Whitmer and 285-pounder Max Self. Baldwin is a returning state qualifer. “The goal for the Russell Broncos’ 2019-20 season is to help these young student athletes, build character through the discipline of wrestling,” Weigel said. SMITH CENTER coach Brock Hutchinson is in his 21st year as head coach. SC finished first at league, first at regionals and fifth at state. Senior Jaden Atwood, who suffered an injury at the end of football season that likely ended his high school wrestling career, went 38-10 at 138 pounds. He was fifth at state in ‘18, and third in ‘19. Senior Jacob Conrad finished 31-20 at 152, and was a state qualifier in ‘18 and fifth in ‘19. Senior Colton Shoemaker went 37-5 at 113, and was a state qualifier in ‘17, fifth in ‘18 and third in ‘19. Senior Brell Spiess went 32-20 at 182 and qualified for state at 182 and finished sixth in ‘19. “We have a great opportunity to do well with the returnees that we have coming back mixed with a few wrestlers that are young, but have some kids’
Page 94 club experience,” Hutchinson said. “Usually with the younger athletes it takes half the season to adjust to high school wrestling. We are looking forward to the upcoming year and hopefully we can stay healthy.” STOCKTON junior 120-pounder Markeis Spiller (12-10) took fourth place at state. Senior 132-pounder Trenton Howell was a state qualifier went 13-17. TMP junior 126-pounder Kooper Hudsonpillar is the Monarchs’ only returning wrestler with a winning record after a 10-8 mark. Third year coach Austin Tatro also welcomes back Matthew Vahling (132), Matthew Hess (145), Matthew Gottschalk (152), Jace Lang (160), Weston Pfeifer (170), Jeffrey Heiman (182) and Marcus Lagree (285) with varsity experience, but none posted more than five wins last season and three went winless. Tatro’s goals include having multiple state qualifiers and competing for a top five finish in the Mid-Continent League. Individually he wants each of his wrestlers to compete late into each match and “Work to get to the third period.” UNIONTOWN returns three wrestlers: sophomore 152-pound Bryce Eck, senior 160-pound Colt Eck, junior 170-pounder Zach Franklin. WAKEENEY-TREGO has three returning wrestlers, senior 160-pounder Colby Burkhart (33-10), senior 220-pounder Dillon Dunn (30-10) and senior 285-pounder Parker Opat (36-10). Dunn is a two-time state qualifier and finished sixth at 220. Opat was fourth at 285 last season. WHITEWATER-REMINGTON coach Casey Gobel is in his fifth year for a team that took fourth at regionals. Junior Wyatt Wright (33-14) was a state qualifier at 120 pounds, while junior 152-pounder Owen Thiel (23-21) and junior 160-pounder Hagen Taylor (23-13) were also state qualifiers. “We will have a young team that will be exciting to watch,” Gobel said. “Our juniors made big strides last year, and we will build on that.”
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