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COMMEMORATIVE TOURNAMENT EDITION 2020 MHS Boys Take 5th Place Hesston, Elyria Christian Win Tournament Titles

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MID-KANSAS SPORTS MAGAZINE 3 INDEX From the Editor's Desk… Steve Sell’s Column ....................3 Not since 2014 had both McPherson High basketball teams been shut MAC Day 3.................................. 4 MAC Day 2.................................. 6 out of the winner’s circle in the McPherson Invitational and Mid America MAC Day 1 ................................ 8 Classic, respectively. MAC Honors ............................ 10 MAC Stats Pack ...................... 11 Given how successful the Bullpup teams have been this year, it shows MIT Day 3 .......................... 12, 13 the depth of the fields of both tournaments. MIT Day 2 ................................ 14 MIT Day 1 ................................. 16 The Bullpup boys’ title hopes ended early with a first-round loss to MIT Honors .............................. 18 MIT Stats Pack......................... 19 Class 6A power Blue Valley. It was well known going into the game the Area Winners .......................... 20 Tigers would be as strong of a first-round team as MHS has played in – Credits — recent memory. It was only the third time in 37 years the Bullpups had Steve Sell • The Mid Kansas Sports Magazine was written been defeated in the first round. and edited by Midkansasonline.com Sports Editor Steve Sell, along with additional editing Blue Valley came out raining 3-pointers early, hitting 6 of 10 in the first from KBBE Sports Director Jim Joyner. half to build a 30-22 lead. • Photos of the McPherson Invitational and Mid But the Bullpups wouldn’t be the Bullpups without mounting a comeback. Behind the play of America Classic were provided by contributing photographer Kendall Shaw. Hesston and Elyria Jayton Alexander, they would not only catch Blue Valley, but pass it. Christian provided area photos. The Tigers, though, regrouped and went on an 8-0 run that the Bullpups could never recover • The publication was designed and printed by from in a 64-58 loss. McPherson Business Solutions. Thanks to Kim Schafer and Todd Huddle for hard work. I’ve always said there’s tremendous pressure on the Bullpups in the first round of the tourna- ment. They are counted on to win, as it assures the tournament of being a success both financial- • The Mid Kansas Sports Magazine is a publication of Davies Communications -- Diane ly and from an interest standpoint. I don’t care what anyone says, that’s a lot to put on 16-, 17- and Jerry Davies, owners. and 18-year-olds. Midkansasonline.com And sure enough, attendance and interest fell off the final two nights as the Bullpups wound up STEVE SELL, Sports Editor playing in the sunshine circuit the final two games. Covering McPherson Sports for 41 Years The Bullpups, though, played sharp to come back and get two wins for fifth place. They could have hung their heads, but instead came out and played with great enthusiasm the final two games. Remember, every game matters now. Teams in Class 5A are now seeded and the Bullpups desperately want to host a first-round game (who will ever forget the Newton game last year?). And there’s still the possibility of hosting two games, though that’s considered a long shot. As for the tournament itself, Bishop Carroll had as impressive of a three-game run as I can remember. Its semifinal win over MHS-conqueror Blue Valley was as textbook as any game in a long time. The precision and skill with which the Golden Eagles played reminded me of some past champion Bullpup teams. Even as good as Carroll was, Lawrence Free State gave it a mighty push in the finals. It came down to the end with Free State going for a game-tying 3-pointer, but instead turned it over that led to a Carroll runout and basket at the end for a final five-point victory, 44-39. I thought the boys’ tournament had six really good teams, as Junction City was no bargain for MHS in the fifth-place game. The Bullpups wound up playing three, athletic and skilled 6A teams and that should help them come postseason time. The Mid America Classic played out just as I expected. Going in I pretty much expected a McPherson-Shawnee Mission Northwest final since the teams had entered undefeated and ranked highly, the Bullpups No. 1 in Class 5A and Northwest No. 3 in 6A. The Bullpups replaced the basketball with a relay baton in the first two rounds, averaging 80 points a game with skillful shooting and a defense that set up easy baskets. Northwest, meanwhile, was involved in a pair of defensive struggles, which is the style played in the Sunflower League. In the finals, the Bullpups surprisingly came out shaky as they were hit with a 14-2 punch to open the game. But they worked their way back into it and eventually took the lead. But Northwest took away MHS’ perimeter game and superstar Cougar center Kennedy Taylor was the best player in the tournament as she led the way both in scoring and rebounding. Even coach Tyler Stewart said she turned it up a gear and said if Taylor plays like that, his team will be tough to beat. McPherson’s Grace Pyle was second in the tournament in scoring and rebounding as she had three big games. It was good experience for the Bullpups, who know if they get into the state tournament that 5A favorite Aquinas is a similar team to Northwest. They can take away a lot from the loss and use it moving forward.

4 MID-KANSAS SPORTS MAGAZINE Bullpup Girls Handed First Loss In Classic Title Game All those points came so easy for the No. 1- bank shots. ranked (5A) McPherson High girls in the first Pyle had a terrific game in defeat with 16 two nights of the Mid America Classic. points and 14 rebounds and Cassie Cooks bat- But in the finals, they were matched against tled for 8 points and 8 rebounds. undefeated and No. 3-ranked (6A) Shawnee “We know we can play with anybody, we knew Mission Northwest and its sure-fire 6-2 All-State that before tonight,” Strathman said. “This team center Kennedy Taylor, who took away shots in (Northwest) is a mirror image of the type of team the paint as she was like a human flyswatter. that we’re going to have to beat to get to where Defense does indeed win championships as we want to go and that’s Aquinas. They’re the the Cougars slowed down the high-flying team to beat in 5A just based on their past histo- Bullpups 44-37 for their second Classic cham- ry, of course. They have a great big girl inside pionship and ending MHS’ two-year reign at the and really, really solid guards that defend you top. like crazy. So that’s what we take from it.” “I knew they would be so solid defensively in Northwest coach Tyler Stewart, who played the halfcourt that it was going to be tough for four years for Roger Trimmell at McPherson us to score for some stretches,” said MHS College, was thrilled with his team. coach Chris Strathman, whose team was held “We knew it was going to be a battle, we knew to 12 of 48 from the field and limited to 15 3- it was going to be 32 minutes,” he said. “It wasn’t point attempts, making 4. going to be a big lead either way. We knew it The Cougars nearly ran the Bullpups out of was going to be one possession at a time. their own home in the first quarter, speeding to McPherson, you know they’re tough, they’re real- a 14-2 lead in the first 6 minutes as they took ly tough in the Roundhouse.” away MHS’ No. 1 weapon, the 3-point shot. Taylor’s play obviously was a deciding factor. Slowly but surely, the Bullpups worked their “She put it in another gear this weekend,” way back into it behind Grace Pyle, who shook Stewart said. “Rebounding, posting, running the off two early fouls and some time on the bench floor – it’s gear that when she gets to, we’re real- as she scored 8 straight points and MHS was ly, really hard to beat.” able to pull within 22-19 by the half. McPherson’s Cassie Cooks shoots over THIRD PLACE GOES TO OLATHE SOUTH -- “We were really nervous to start the game as Shawnee Mission Northwest’s Kennedy Olathe South took out a lot of offensive frustra- you could tell,” Strathman said. “Some tion on Wellington in the third-place game of the telegraphed passes, some shots that were way Taylor in Mid America Classic championship Mid America Classic. off. Once we settled in, we made the nice, big game action. After scoring just 37 points a game through the run to come back and obviously it was a great first two nights, the Falcons unloaded for 46 first- game by halftime and it was for the rest of the time through.” half points, including 6 3-pointers, and cruised to a 65-36 victory. MHS finally took its first lead at 23-22 on 4 straight points by Pyle and it was It was the first time in South’s seven trips to the tournament that it wasn’t in game on. At the very end of the quarter, though, Northwest’s Mollie Elfrink the finals. It had won five championships and finished second in the other year. scored on an old-fashioned 3-point play and the Cougars led 27-23 going into South scored 29 points in the first quarter as it threatened the record of 32 the final quarter. set by the Bullpups the night before. The Falcons went on to lead 46-17 at the Saige Grampass, the 3-point shooting champion earlier in the day in the skills half, though they couldn’t shut down Ali Zeka, who had 11 points in the first 16 competition, drained a trey to start the fourth quarter to push the lead to 30-23 minutes for Wellington. and try as they might, the Bullpups could never get any more big runs against The Falcons had a decided height advantage as they made 12 of 24 shots in the stout Northwest defense. the paint in the first half, augmenting the long-distance shooting. And then there was Taylor. Missouri State commit Dani Winslow found her form with 20 first-half points She completed her three-game domination with 21 points and 18 rebounds and finished with 26. Sophie Reed added 12. as the Bullpups didn’t have the size to keep her away from the basket and she Zeka was the lone Crusader in double figures with 15. showed great touch. SHAWNEE MISSION SOUTH PLACES FIFTH -- Shawnee Mission South Strathman said that for the most part, he thought his team defended her entered the Mid America Classic with two wins on the season. about as well as it could as there was no defense for a couple of straight-on It left with four.

MID-KANSAS SPORTS MAGAZINE 5 McPherson High welcomed back Emma McPherson’s Lakyn Schieferecke had a good Ruddle to full-time duty in the Mid America Mid America Classic, including her defense of Classic as she had missed the first nine games her free throw championship in the skills com- of the year with an injury. petition. The Raiders, after losing their first game to Shawnee Mission Northwest on ment, jumped on the Tigers for a 17-6 first-quarter lead and never looked Thursday, bounced back with two victories to take fifth place, including a final- back. night 46-40 triumph over Wichita Northwest as they held off a late Grizzlie rally. Aloera Ostermann buried 5 3-pointers and scored 19 points for Manhattan, Shawnee Mission South led 40-30 midway through the fourth quarter, but which had 10 players in all score. It also had 7 3-pointers in the contest and Northwest got as close as 41-38 before the Raiders hung on. had a 43-31 advantage in rebounds. Wichita Northwest played its starting five for the first 31:49 as the first sub Hayden Riley led Ulysses with 13 points. came in with 11 seconds left in the game due to a disqualification for five fouls. Lily Kovalcik led the Raiders with 11 points, while Lacy Whitcomb and Natalie Payne tallied 10 apiece. The Raiders made 8 3-pointers in the contest. Isis Sanders led Northwest with 16. MANHATTAN ERUPTS TO TAKE SEVENTH -- After two games of the Mid America Classic where the Manhattan Indians’ offense was stuck in neutral, they put it into overdrive in the seventh-place game. The Indians, who had averaged 29 points in losses on Thursday and Friday, scored 30 in the first half alone against Ulysses and went on for a 61-35 victory. Manhattan, which had never played in the seventh-place game of this tourna- McPHERSON QUICK LUBE CARLTON SPENCER, CPIA 201 West Kansas Ave • McPherson, KS 67460 (620) 241-5656 SHEETS ADAMS [email protected] “Service is our profession” REALTORS Good Luck Pups RESIDENTIAL • COMMERCIAL • RURAL from Harlin Meat Company 1605 N. Main • McPherson 620-241-3648 www.sheets-adams.com

6 MID-KANSAS SPORTS MAGAZINE Bullpups On Fire In Semifinal Win Over Wellington It was Wellington’s Ali Strathman said the title Zeka against McPherson game matchup. “Shawnee High in the first half of the Mission Northwest is physi- Mid America Classic semifi- cal. The big girl inside (6-2 nal at the Roundhouse. Kennedy Taylor) is just a Zeka scored 6 points in specimen. She’s just solid the half – which is on par for and really good…that’s our her 11-point season aver- first priority, to slow her age. down. But, you help too Unfortunately, all the other much inside and they have Crusaders didn’t score as some girls who can knock they were a combined 0 of some shots down, too. So 15. they are a very well-bal- Meanwhile, the Bullpups anced team, very well- put on a 3-point shooting coached team that I know clinic, knocking down 9 of they’ll be very prepared for 20 in 16 minutes – including what we do. It’s going to be 5 straight in a stretch of just a grind. There will probably 1:25 in the second quarter – be some stretches where it as they raced to a stunning will be tough for us to 40-6 halftime lead. score.” The Bullpups wound up Zeka had a nice game for completing a 67-29 devasta- Wellington with 13 points tion to move on to the finals. and 7 rebounds. As good as the Bullpups SHAWNEE MISSION were offensively, it was their NORTHWEST PULLS defense – their season-long AWAY – It was just another calling card – that ignited night in the Sunflower the offense as they were League. able to get steals and open Except the matchup took looks. place in the semifinals of the “I thought that it (the pres- McPherson’s Grace Pyle had a tremendous Mid America Mid America Classic. sure) was very disruptive to Classic, finishing No. 2 in both scoring and rebounding. It was the second meeting what they wanted to do,” of the year between unde- MHS coach Chris Strathman said. “To hold them to 6 points feated Shawnee Mission Northwest and Olathe South, with in the first half is really good. Wellington had what, 58 last Northwest having won the first meeting by 3. night? To hold that team to 6 in the first half was good The Classic semifinal was another low-scoring, in-your-face defense for us.” defensive battle. Grace Pyle had a stunning stat line with 19 points, 14 rebounds, 5 assists, 4 blocks and 3 steals. Cassie Cooks and 2088 E. South Front St. reserve Ella Schmid added 10 points apiece as nine of the 12 McPherson, KS 67460 Bullpups scored. MHS finished 24 of 61 after slowing down a bit in the sec- 620-241-6054 ond half and went just 1 of 8 from 3 after their first-half blitz. dacusauto.com “It should be a great night, a great night of basketball,” Proudly Supporting the Bullpups www.stockra.com Kevin Nelson, District Manager for 60+ Years Cell: (620) 245-7236 1-800-937-3558 HEDLUND ELECTRIC, INC. Email: [email protected] 1201 S. Main • McPherson www.bigiron.com 620-241-3757

MID-KANSAS SPORTS MAGAZINE 7 But the outcome came down to the fact that Northwest had Franklin pulled down 10 rebounds apiece. Kennedy Taylor and South did not. Hayden Riley topped the Tigers with 8 points and Haile Taylor, a 6-2 junior, had a monster game with her second Nagel ruled the backboards with 12 rebounds. double-double in 24 hours with 22 points and 14 rebounds SHAWNEE MISSION SOUTH SURPRISES MANHATTAN -- as the undefeated Tigers rolled to a 55-35 victory. Shawnee Mission South and Manhattan didn’t score a lot of Northwest, after leading just 9-7 after a quarter, opened up points in the first round of the Mid America Classic. some breathing space behind Taylor, who poured in 11 points and 8 points in the half as the Tigers ended up with a They continued to follow suit in the consolation round as it 21-11 lead. Northwest’s defense limited the Falcons to just 5 turned into an intense-and-spirited game where scoring points of 26 from the field, including 1 of 10 by Division I, Missouri was like pulling teeth. State signee Dani Winslow. In what could be described as an upset, the Raiders held off After a quiet third quarter where she didn’t score but her the Indians 33-30 in a defensive slugfest. Shawnee Mission teammates added to the lead, Taylor was unstoppable in the South had entered the game with just a 2-9 record and was final quarter as she scored 7 points in the first 2 minutes. the No. 7 seed. Olathe South simply couldn’t put the ball in the basket, fin- The two 6A schools locked in defensively in the first half, ishing the night 14 of 54. with Shawnee Mission South lurching ahead 15-14 at the half on a pair of free throws by Lily Kovalcik with 0.3 seconds left. Ericka Ojeda aided Taylor with 10 points. Winslow and T’yonne Duncan scored 8 apiece for the Falcons. The teams never were separated by more than a basket or two as both struggled to put the ball in the basket. NORTHWEST BREEZES BY ULYSSES -- The first half of the second consolation game of the Mid America Classic Emma Thurston led Shawnee Mission South with 11 points. between Wichita Northwest and Ulysses was a tale of two The Raiders were successful despite making just 13 of 45 from quarters. the field and 2 of 18 from 3-point. The Grizzlies nearly ran the Tigers out of the Roundhouse Manhattan was led by Taylor Claussen and Zanaa Cordis in the first quarter, scoring 19 of the period’s 20 points to with 8 points apiece. The Indians, too, struggled from the field lead by 18. by making 13 of 39 and turned it over 22 times. In a total turnaround, Ulysses doubled Northwest 14-7 in the second quarter to at least make it a competitive game going into the second half. Northwest re-established itself in the third quarter with 19 points to blow the game open as it moved into Saturday’s fifth-place game with a 56-30 victory. Isis Sanders filled it up with 22 points to lead Northwest. Daysha Ongunbiyi added 14, while Maycee James and Taria Brown’s Shoe Fit Co. 118 N. Main St McPherson, KS 67460 Ian Miller Manager/Owner T:(620)241-3963 F: (620)241-2932

8 MID-KANSAS SPORTS MAGAZINE Bullpups Score 92 In Classic Opener, Break Two Records Predictably, when an its with turnovers because undefeated top seed takes we only had 2 at half, but we on a one-win No. 8 seed, the ended up with 10. I told them outcome can be decided that would be the first num- early. ber I’d look at and we didn’t For McPherson High’s girls quite get single digits like I in the first round of the Mid wanted to. I thought our girls America Classic, their game really pushed the basketball.” with Ulysses basically was Grace Pyle had a double- decided in the first 2 min- double with 22 points and 10 utes. rebounds without playing the MHS scored the first 8 fourth quarter as the starting points and unleashed a tidal five retired for the evening. wave of baskets in the peri- Kassidy Beam also lit it up od for a 32-7 lead. The 32 for 22 points, while Ruddle points were a Classic record made it two double-figure for points in a quarter in this, games in as many tries since the 25th year of the tourna- her return with 12. ment. Haile Nagel led Ulysses The second quarter was with 9. much of the same as an WELLINGTON Emma Ruddle 3-pointer at ADVANCES TO SEMIFI- the buzzer capped a 53-15 NALS -- After the first two half, the most points MHS games of the Mid America has scored in a half this Classic where the 3-point year. shot was an afterthought, all And you guessed it, the 53 that changed in the third points also were a Classic game when Wellington and record for points in a half. Wichita Northwest camped All-in-all, a few-complaint out from beyond the arc. night. McPherson’s Kassidy Beam scored 22 points in the Mid The Crusaders chucked it “We did have some great America Classic opener against Ulysses. up 19 times from 3 just in the first half and the Grizzlies looks that just didn’t go,” said MHS coach Chris Strathman, who noted his team was attempted 15, with Wellington massaging a narrow 27-25 lead only 10 of 30 from 3-point but it basically took wide-open at the break. Five different players made a 3 for the halftime shots. “I thought we played with great energy, great focus the leader. whole night. I challenged them at halftime to stay in single dig- The Crusaders’ 3-point shooting barrage keyed them in the 2401 E. Northview Rd. McPherson, KS 67460 Office: 620-241-3553 1-800-364-4020 Fax: 620-241-3572

MID-KANSAS SPORTS MAGAZINE 9 third quarter as they made another 5 and they went on to advance Lauren Labertew provided McPherson High to the semifinals with a 58-52 victory in a matchup of teams that with some clutch minutes off the bench in the entered the night at 5-5. Mid America Classic. For the game, Wellington was a staggering 12 of 30 from 3-point quarters, giving up a combined 10 points over the next two as due to its lack of size it lived off the trey. Southeast really strug- quarters. gled from the arc, making just 4 of 26. Manhattan simply couldn’t dent the Falcons’ defense as Shiney Hughes and Ali Zeka led Wellington with 11 and 10 any comeback attempt was thwarted. points, respectively. Seven Crusaders made at least one 3-pointer. Missouri State commit Dani Winslow was the difference Isis Sanders and Daysha Ongunbiyi tallied 14 points apiece to as she dominated at both ends of the court with a double- lead the Grizzlies, and Taria Franklin chipped in with 11. Franklin double to lead the Falcons, 10 points and 15 rebounds. also yanked down 14 rebounds and Maycee James snatched 11. The Falcons overcame a 12-of-28 performance at the foul line for the victory. SHAWNEE MISSION NORTHWEST TAKES CARE OF RIVAL - - Northwest got the best of South in the battle of Shawnee Mission Zanaa Cordis led Manhattan with 8 points. that took place in the first round of the Mid America Classic. Two schools about 10 miles apart traveled 3 hours to do battle and it was all Shawnee Mission Northwest as Class 6A’s No. 3- ranked team suffocated the Raiders in the first half to lead 19-7, which keynoted a 41-21 victory, its 12th straight to open the sea- son. Northwest star junior 6-2 Kennedy Taylor was dominant in the first half with 9 points and 6 rebounds, and went on to finish with 18 points and 13 rebounds. Shawnee Mission South made a late basket to finish the half 2 of 16 from the field. It wound up 8 of 42, with Lacy Whitcomb lead- ing the way with 8 points. Northwest finished with a flourish in the fourth quarter to blow the lead out to comfortable status. OLATHE SOUTH SURVIVES MANHATTAN -- When you think of Olathe South and Manhattan in the Mid America Classic, cham- pionships come to mind. Not a first-round matchup. The two Class 6A powers played for the first time ever in the first round and with programs of their ilk, you just knew it would be a highly competitive game. After a 17-17 halftime deadlock – due in part to Olathe South making just 3 of 13 at the foul line – the five-time champion Falcons tightened the vise defensively in the second half for a 39- 28 victory in a game contested mainly in the paint as 3-point bas- kets were virtually extinct. Manhattan actually started well, leading 11-6 late in the first quarter, but South lassoed the Indians’ offense over the next two Serving Central Kansas 524 S. 81 BYPASS, McPHERSON • 800-925-2021 • www.redigasonline.com

10 MID-KANSAS SPORTS MAGAZINE Mid America Class All-Tournament selections, as voted on Taylor, Two Bullpups by the tournament coaches, included, from the left, Ali Headline All-Classic Team Zeka of Wellington, Kennedy Taylor of Shawnee Mission Northwest, Grace Pyle of McPherson and Kassidy Beam Shawnee Mission Northwest’s Kennedy Taylor headlined the Mid of McPherson. America Classic All-Tournament Team announced after the comple- tion of play on Saturday. She was joined by McPherson’s Grace Pyle and Kassidy Beam, Olathe South’s Dani Winslow and Wellington’s Ali Zeka. McPherson High’s Lakyn Schieferecke defended her champi- onship in the Mid America Classic free throw contest earlier in the day. The Bullpup senior made 32 of 35 to win the prize. Teammate Emma Ruddle finished second after winning a shootoff from Olathe South’s Raegan Halliday after both made 31 in regula- tion. Shawnee Mission Northwest’s Saige Grampass was the 3-point winner by making 19 and then she won a shootout from Olathe South’s Reagan Ponzer. McPherson’s Grace Pyle was third with 15. The Ulysses Tigers won the John Watkins Sportsmanship Award. MAC SCORING AND REBOUNDING LEADERS SCORING LEADERS REBOUNDING LEADERS Kennedy Taylor, Shawnee Mission Northwest, 61 Kennedy Taylor, Shawnee Mission Northwest, 45 Grace Pyle, McPherson, 57 Grace Pyle, McPherson, 38 Isis Sanders, Wichita Northwest, 51 Dani Winslow, Olathe South, 35 Dani Winslow, Olathe South, 44 Taria Franklin, Wichita Northwest, 31 Ali Zeka, Wellington, 38 Maycee James, Wichita Northwest, 27 Daysha Ongunbiyi, Wichita Northwest, 34 Zanaa Cordis, Manhattan, 25 Kassidy Beam, McPherson, 32 Haile Nagel, Ulysses, 23 Aleora Ostermann, Manhattan, 31 Cassie Cooks, McPherson, 19 Taria Franklin, Wichita Northwest, 28 Ali Zeka, Wellington, 14 Cassie Cooks, McPherson, 26 Tamara Harris-Webster, Shawnee Mission Northwest, 14 Shiney Hughes, Wellington, 14 Natalie Payne, Shawnee Mission South, 14 Mandy Truitt, Olathe South, 14 Open Mon-Thurs. COMPLETE DENTAL CARE 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. FOR ALL AGES 221 S. Ash St. • McPherson, KS 67460 • (620) 241-8303 Fax: 620-241-3455 Email: [email protected]

MID-KANSAS SPORTS MAGAZINE 11 MAC Classic Box Scores • THURSDAY’S GAMES • • FRIDAY’S GAMES • • SATURDAY’S GAMES • Olathe South 39, Manhattan 28 Shawnee Mission South 33, Manhattan 30 Manhattan 61, Ulysses 30, 7th-place game Shawnee Mission Northwest 41, Shawnee Mission South 21 Wichita Northwest 56, Ulysses 30 Shawnee Mission South 46, Wichita Northwest 40, 5th-place game Wellington 58, Wichita Northwest 52 Shawnee Mission Northwest 41, Olathe South 21 Olathe South 65, Wellington 36, 3rd-place game McPherson 92, Ulysses 28 McPherson 67, Wellington 29 Shawnee Mission Northwest 44, McPherson 37, 1st-place game • THURSDAY'S BOXES • Olathe South (39) – Reed 0-7, 4-6, 4; Truitt 3-8, 1-4, 7; R. Halladay 3-6, 2-6, 8; A. Halladay 2-2, 1-2, 6; Winslow 3-12, 4-8, 10; Crigger 1-2, 0-0, 2; Ponzer 0-1, 0-0, 0; Knappenberger 1-3, 0-0, 2; Duncan 0-2, 0-2, 0. Totals – 13-43, 12-28, 39. 3-pointers – A. Halladay 1. Manhattan (28) – Weixelman 1-5, 2-2, 5; Claussen 1-4, 0-0, 2; A. Ostermann 1-6, 2-2, 5; Martinez 0-4, 0-2, 0; Cordis 3-6, 2-2, 8; Yates 1-6, 2-2, 4; E. Ostermann 0- 2, 0-0, 0; Knopp 1-3, 0-0, 2; Dixon 1-1, 0-0, 2. Totals – 9-37, 8-10, 28. 3-pointers – Weixelman 1, A. Ostermann 1. ------ Shawnee Mission Northwest (41) – Grampass 2-5, 0-0, 5; Dunn 2-2, 0-0, 6; Elfrink 1-6, 0-0, 3; Harris-Webster 1-6, 5-6, 7; Taylor 7-14, 4-6, 18; Mackiewicz 1-6, 0-0, 2; Peck 0-1, 0-0, 0; Ojeda 0-6, 0-0, 0. Totals – 14-42, 9-12, 41. 3-pointers – Dunn 2, Grampass 1, Elfrink 1. Shawnee Mission South (21) – Whitcomb 3-8, 2-2, 8; Payne 1-9, 0-0, 2; Kovalick 1-1, 0-0, 2; Thurston 1-10, 0-0, 3; Clark 0-2, 1-2, 1; Crawford 0-2, 0-0; 0; Cooper 0- 4, 0-0, 0; Washington 0-0, 1-2, 1; Byers 0-1, 0-0, 0; Bermond 0-1, 0-0, 0; Gunningle 1-3, 0-0, 2; Moody 1-1, 0-0, 2. Totals – 8-42, 4-7, 21. 3-pointers – Thurston 1. ------ Wellington (58) – Myk. French 3-7, 0-0, 9; Reichenbeger 2-3, 0-1, 6; Hughes 4-7, 0-4, 11; Zeka 4-10, 1-2, 10; Gerten 1-4, 0-0, 3; Jones 1-2, 0-0, 3; Myr. French 3-7, 1-3, 8; Clift 2-6, 2-2, 6; Nance 1-1, 0-0, 2. Totals – 21-47, 4-12, 58. 3-pointers – Myk. French 3, Hughes 3, Reichenberger 2, Zeka 1, Gerten 1, Jones 1, Myr. French 1. Wichita Northwest (52) – James 3-6, 1-2, 8; Sanders 4-22, 4-5, 14; Ongunbiyi 4-12, 5-8, 14; Franklin 5-6, 1-2, 11; Hatton 2-8, 0-0, 4; Shelby 0-0, 1-2, 1; Kilpatrick 0- 1, 0-0, 0. Totals – 18-55, 12-19, 52. 3-pointers – Sanders 2, James 1, Ongunbiyi 1. ------ McPherson (92) – Beam 7-13, 5-7, 22; Ruddle 5-12, 0-1, 12; Schieferecke 3-6, 2-2, 9; Pyle 10-17, 0-0, 22; Cooks 4-6, 0-0, 8; Labertew 1-3, 2-2, 4; Pearcy 0-0, 0-0, 0; Schmid 2-6, 3-3, 8; Howard 0-0, 0-0, 0; Smith 0-0, 1-2, 1; Dukes 1-2, 0-0, 3; Pelzel 1-4, 1-2, 3. Totals – 34-69, 14-19, 92. 3-pointers – Beam 3, Ruddle 2, Pyle 2, Schieferecke 1, Dukes 1. Ulysses (28) – Rojas 0-5, 0-0, 0; C. Garcia 1-13, 1-2, 3; Riley 1-3, 1-3, 3; Nagel 3-7, 1-1, 9; Baeza 1-2, 0-0, 3; Bahl 0-4, 0-2, 0; D. Garcia 0-4, 0-0, 0; Kenny 1-5, 0-0, 2; Lerma 4-7, 0-0, 8; Ballesteros 0-1, 0-0, 0. Totals – 11-52, 3-8, 28. 3-pointers – Nagel 2, Baeza 1. ------ • FRIDAY'S BOXES • Shawnee Mission South (33) – Whitcomb 3-6, 0-3, 6; Payne 3-13, 2-2, 8; Kovalick 0-5, 2-2, 2; Thurston 4-10, 1-2, 11; Clark 0-1, 0-0, 0; Crawford 1-5, 0-1, 2; Cooper 1-1, 0-0, 2; Byers 0-2, 0-1, 0; Gunningle 1-2, 0-0, 2. Totals – 13-45, 5-11, 33. 3-pointers – Thurston 2. Manhattan (30) – Weixelman 0-4, 0-0, 0; Claussen 4-8, 0-0, 8; A. Ostermann 2-7, 2-2, 7; Martinez 2-4, 1-2, 5; Cordis 4-9, 0-0, 8; Yates 0-4, 0-3, 0; Knopp 1-2, 0-0, 2; Awbrey 0-1, 0-0, 0. Totals – 13-39, 3-7, 30. 3-pointers – A. Ostermann 1. ----- Wichita Northwest (56) – James 1-5, 1-2, 3; Sanders 10-23, 1-1, 21; Ongunbiyi 5-19, 1-2, 14; Franklin 4-4, 0-0, 8; Hatton 2-7, 0-0, 6; Baker 1-1, 0-0, 2; Wilson 0-1, 0- 0, 0; Shelby 0-0, 0-2, 0; Molina 1-1, 0-0, 2. Totals – 24-61, 3-7, 56. 3-pointers – Ongunbiyi 3, Hatton 2. Ulysses (30) – Rojas 1-4, 0-0, 2; C. Garcia 3-12, 0-0, 6; Riley 2-3, 3-4, 8; Mangel 2-7, 1-6, 5; Baeza 1-4, 0-0, 3; Bahl 1-2, 0-0, 2; D. Garcia 0-2, 0-0, 0; Kenny 1-3, 0- 0, 2; Lerma 1-11, 0-0, 2. Totals – 12-48, 4-10, 30. 3-pointers – Riley 1, Baeza 1. ----- Shawnee Mission Northwest (55) – Grampass 1-4, 0-0, 3; Dunn 0-7, 1-2, 1; Elfrink 2-8, 4-6, 9; Harris-Webster 1-4, 0-0, 2; Taylor 9-16, 4-5, 22; Mackiewicz 4-7, 0-3, 8; Ojeda 2-3, 4-4, 10. Totals – 19-49, 13-20, 55. 3-pointers – Ojeda 2, Grampass 1, Elfrink 1. Olathe South (35) – Reed 0-4, 1-2, 1; Truitt 1-8, 0-0, 2; R. Halladay 3-3, 0-0, 6; Winslow 4-17, 0-0, 8; Duncan 3-13, 2-2, 8; Ponzer 1-3, 0-0, 3; A Halladay 1-3, 2-2, 5; Webb 0-1, 0-0, 0; Knappenberger 1-2, 0-0, 2. Totals – 14-54, 5-6, 35. 3-pointers – Ponzer 1, A. Halladay 1. ------ McPherson (67) – Beam 2-10, 0-0, 6; Ruddle 2-7, 1-2, 7; Schieferecke 3-7, 1-2, 7; Pyle 7-14, 1-1, 19; Cooks 4-8, 2-2, 10; Labertew 0-1, 3-4, 3; Pearcy 0-0, 0-0, 0; Schmid 4-7, 0-0, 10; Howard 0-0, 0-0, 0; Smith 0-2, 0-0, 0; Dukes 1-1, 0-0, 2; Pelzel 1-3, 1-2, 3. Totals – 24-61, 9-13, 67. 3-pointers – Pyle 4, Beam 2, Ruddle 2, Schmid 2. Wellington (29) – Myk. French 0-6, 0-0, 0; Reichenberger 0-1, 0-0, 0; Hughes 3-11, 0-0, 9; Zeka 4-19, 3-6, 13; Gerten 2-6, 1-2, 5; Henning 0-0, 2-2, 2; Myr. French 0- 4, 0-0, 0; Clift 0-1, 0-0, 0. Totals – 9-50, 6-10, 29. 3-pointers – Hughes 3, Zeka 1. ------ • SATURDAY’S BOXES • Manhattan (61) – Weixelman 2-8, 2-2, 7; Claussen 3-5, 0-0, 6; A. Ostermann 6-12, 2-2, 19; Martinez 1-1, 0-0, 2; Cordis 4-8, 0-0, 8; Yates 2-8, 2-2, 6; E. Ostermann 0-3, 0-0, 0; Bahr 1-2, 1-1, 4; Knopp 1-5, 3-4, 5; Awbrey 1-3, 0-0, 2; Stevenson-Clark 0-3, 0-0, 0; Dixon 1-4, 0-0, 2. Totals – 22-62, 10-11, 61. 3-pointers – A. Ostermann 5, Weixelman 1, Bahr 1. Ulysses (35) – Rojas 1-4, 0-0, 2; C. Garcia 0-6, 1-2, 1; Riley 5-10, 1-1, 13; Nagel 2-7, 3-7, 7; Baeza 2-5, 0-0, 5; Bahl 0-0, 1-3, 1; Eddie 0-1, 0-0, 0; Kenny 0-1, 0-0, 0; Lerma 3- 8, 0-1, 6; Ballesteros 0-1, 0-0, 0. Totals – 13-43, 6-14, 35. 3-pointers – Riley 2, Baeza 1. ------ Shawnee Mission South (46) – Whitcomb 2-7, 4-7, 10; Payne 3-13, 3-4, 10; Kovalcik 3-5, 2-2, 11; Thurston 0-5, 0-1, 0; Clark 1-1, 1-2, 3; Crawford 3-4, 0-0, 8; Byers 0-1, 0-0, 0; Gunnigle 2-3, 0-0, 4. Totals – 14-39, 10-16, 46. 3-pointers – Kovalcik 3, Whitcomb 3, Crawford 2, Payne 1. Wichita Northwest (40) – James 3-8, 0-0, 7; Sanders 6-14, 4-6, 16; Ongunbiyi 2-9, 0-0, 6; Franklin 3-4, 3-3, 9; Hatton 0-2, 0-0, 0; Baker 0-0, 2-3, 2. Totals – 14-37, 9-12, 40. 3- pointers – Ongunbiyi 2, James 1. ------ Olathe South (65) – Reed 5-12, 0-0, 12; Truitt 4-6, 0-0, 8; R. Halladay 2-6, 4-6, 9; A. Halladay 1-8, 0-0, 3; Winslow 11-20, 2-7, 26; Crigger 0-2, 0-0, 0; Ponzer 1-3, 0-0, 3; Webb 0-1, 1-2, 1; Knappenberger 1-6, 0-0, 2; Duncan 0-3, 1-2, 1. Totals – 25-67, 8-17, 65. 3-pointers – Reed 2, Winslow 2, R. Halladay 1, A. Holladay 1, Ponzer 1. Wellington (36) – Henning 2-8, 0-0, 5; Zeka 4-20, 7-9, 15; Gerten 1-9, 3-5, 5; Nance 0-1, 2-2, 2; Jones 0-2, 0-0, 0; Clift 2-5, 1-2, 7; Helus 1-1, 0-0, 2. Totals – 10-46, 13-18, 36. 3-pointers – Clift 2, Henning 1. ------ McPherson (37) – Beam 1-11, 2-2, 4; Ruddle 3-12, 0-0, 6; Schieferecke 1-7, 0-0, 3; Pyle 4-8, 5-9, 16; Cooks 3-9, 2-3, 8; Labertew 0-0, 0-0, 0; Schmid 0-1, 0-0, 0; Howard 0-0, 0-0, 0. Totals – 12-48, 9-14, 37. 3-pointers – Pyle 3, Schieferecke 1. Shawnee Mission Northwest (44) –Grampass 2-7, 1-2, 6; Dunn 0-2, 1-4, 1; Elfrink 4-12, 1-2, 9; Harris-Webster 2-7, 2-2, 6; Taylor 8-13, 5-9, 21; Mauch 0-0, 0-0, 0; Mackiewicz 0-4, 0-0, 0; Ojeda 0-4, 0-0, 0. Totals – 16-50, 10-19, 44. 3-pointers – Grampass 1, Harris-Webster 1.

12 MID-KANSAS SPORTS MAGAZINE Carroll Captures First McPherson Invitational Championship On Friday, it was that a state champion Bishop Carroll’s offense needs. And they played that was jaw-dropping the entire second half as it put on a virtual without outstanding big clinic to dismantle Blue man Tanner Mans, who Valley in the semifinals. suffered an apparent Saturday, it was the concussion in the first defense’s turn. half and never returned. Especially when it “So many different kids mattered most. stepped up and made As Lawrence Free big shots and big plays State was trying for a defensively,” Domnick game-tying 3-point said. “It was what, 39 attempt in the closing points they scored? All seconds of the champi- year long we’ve kept onship game of the almost every team under McPherson Invitational, their scoring average. Carroll reserve Preston When we’re moving on Rottinghaus came up offense, sometimes it with a deflection that led really looks good out to an Alex Littlejohn there.” steal, and he pitched it Class 5A’s No. 1- ahead to Carter Reid for ranked team suffocated the game-clinching Free State in the first half layup in the final to construct a 10-point seconds for a 44-39 lead, 22-12, but the victory. Firebirds – who still It was Carroll’s first- trailed by 7 going into the ever Invitational champi- Bishop Carroll’s Luke Larkin splits the Lawrence Free State final period – doggedly onship. worked their way back Golden Eagle coach defense in championship game action. into it and pulled within Mike Domnick, whose 40-39 with 1:56 to go. team is still motivated by losing in state semifinals last Littlejohn then scored to put the Golden Eagles back year and having never won a City League title which it up 3, 42-39, with 1:29 to go and the Firebirds elected to has a great chance to do, thought his team’s defense was the key. play for the final shot. After a jump ball -- with the pos- “That’s the way it’s been the last two or three years, session still with Free State -- with 11 seconds left, the the kids have bought in,” he said. “Of course when you Golden Eagles came up with their defensive gem. play in the City League, that prepares us so much for all All-Tournament selection Enrique Lankford led Carroll the things we’re going to see all year long. Those with 15 points, while tourney MVP Littlejohn had 10 athletes we come up against and the dribble-drives we points and 10 rebounds. Andrew Piper and Ethan see all the time, it really helps us prepare for any other Lincoln led Free State with 8 apiece and DK Middleton, type of team we face.” who had been in the running for MVP with Littlejohn, It was an impressive tournament run for the undefeat- was shut down by the strafing Carroll defense as he was ed Golden Eagles, who have everything in their tool box held to 3 points, all free throws.

MID-KANSAS SPORTS MAGAZINE 13 Bullpups Take 5th After First-Round Loss McPherson High’s boys and Junction City were on pace to make McPherson Invitational history for all the wrong reasons. For a while, it appeared the all-time tourney record for least combined points in a game was going to be threatened in Saturday’s fifth-place game as MHS did its part by missing its first 11 shots from the floor and scored only 4 points in the first 7 minutes. But during that same time, the Bluejays also scored only 4. The Bullpups finally came out of their slumber, but Junction City didn’t, as MHS eventually pulled away for a 44-31 victory over the athletic Class 6A school. MHS was able to win its final two games of the tournament and every victory nis important as it wants to get on a roll to earn a first-round Class 5A home playoff game. The record for least combined points is 64 in 1968 by Great Bend and Hutchinson and after three quarters the teams combined for just 47 as the Bullpups used a big third quarter to go up 28- 19 after leading only 17-15 at the half. MHS, though, closed with a flourish with a 14- point fourth quarter and the ignominious record was safe. “I thought we did a good job in whichever one (defense) we were in,” MHS coach Kurt Kinnamon said. “I told (assistant) coach (Dustan) McPherson’s Cooper Courtney drives hard to the basket against Kanitz before the game, ‘I said this may be one of those games where we play two possessions Wichita North. Courtney was very consistent throughout the three of man-to-man and then we go to our point zone games. or our 1-3-1.’ When we went to our point zone, I was a little worried because it’s not something field. that we practice a lot. We reviewed it a little bit this morning Derby, though, pulled away in the second half and relied on its (during walk through). My only complaint is that they had basically one guy that we needed to get cover on the perimeter 3-point shooting, making 10 of 22 for the game. Nick Bonner was on fire with 27 points to lead the Panthers and and that was No. 4, the hotel man Howard Johnson. We lost just missed a double-double with 9 rebounds. Tre Washington him a couple of times and let him go 5 of 12 from 3.” had his best game of the tournament with 13 points and Jacob The Bullpups did a great job of taking care of the basketball Karak tallied 12. against Junction’s length, committing just 7 turnovers as they played a cerebral game. Derby helped itself at the line making 14 of 16. The MHS defense was suffocating as take away Johnson, the Sophomore star Aidan Shaw led the Tigers with 19 points and Bluejays struggled mightily as he finished with 17 of 31 points. 11 rebounds, while Miles Blandi tallied 16 and Hayden Young fur- Cody Stufflebean led MHS with 12 points. While the Bullpups nished 10. The Tigers also relied on the 3-pointer by making 11, but needed 28 attempts. were just 15 of 36 from the field, they sizzled at the line by WICHITA NORTH SNARES SEVENTH -- Somebody had to going 13 of 16. win for the first time this season in the seventh-place game on “It was an even harder game to play in today,” Kinnamon Saturday. said. “Just because of the time (3:15) and the atmosphere. But And that team was Wichita North, as it held off a late Topeka I thought our kids did a good job of generating some enthusi- asm, creating some turnovers.” Seaman charge for a 64-60 decision. The Redskins had entered Sam Pyle gave the Bullpups a lift off the bench with 7 points, the game 0-11 on the season. North came out smoking at the start to lead by 9, but Seaman – going 3 of 3 from the field, scoring 7 points and pulling down 3 which led Junction City by 20 points after a quarter on Friday only rebounds. to lose – this time was the comebackee as it pulled within 30-27 In other consolation games: DERBY TAKES THIRD PLACE -- Third-place games in any by the halftime break. Emmanuel Gonzalez delivered 12 points in the half to vault the tournament are the most difficult to play. Redskins to their lead. Both teams are still feeling the sting of not making the cham- North moved the advantage to 10 through three quarters, 48- pionship game and the outcome often comes down to which team gets over the disappointment the quickest. 38. But the Vikings mounted a comeback, whittling the lead to 57- On Saturday in the McPherson Invitational, Derby showed 55. that it had put its loss on Friday to Lawrence Free State behind At that point, Gonzalez scored the game’s next 5 points and the it as it won a racehorse-paced game from Blue Valley, 70-61. Redskins were able to hold on. It capped a big game for The Panthers, the No. 2 seed, looked to be in championship- Gonzalez, who led the winners with 27 points. Marvin Ruffin added 12 for the Redskins and Omarion Trezvant game-like form in the first quarter, sprinting to a 20-8 lead. But Blue Valley’s doldrums wore off in the second quarter as added 10. Dagen Brewer was tops for Seaman with 15 and Micah it pushed back against the Panthers to pull within 32-26 at the Kobuszewski added 14. half and Derby led even though it made just 12 of 31 from the

14 MID-KANSAS SPORTS MAGAZINE Bullpups Bounced Back In Consolation Round After an exhaustive MHS, despite all the first-round loss to shuffling in the lineup, Blue Valley in the first committed only 12 round of the turnovers and made McPherson 22 of 44 from the field, Invitational on 8 of 15 from 3. Thursday, McPherson “I thought they all High coach Kurt played well,” Kinnamon vowed he Kinnamon said. “I would make better thought Sam (Pyle) did use of his bench in a lot of nice things. Friday’s consolation Sam goes 4 of 4 from round against Wichita the line (as part of his North. 8 points) … I was And did the really pleased to see reserves ever Darriene Gibbs go to respond. the line and go 4 of Captained by Eli 4… I was really happy Pyle’s 16 first-half for him to get them points including 5 in… Jayden Dukes 3-pointers, the had some good reserves outscored moments. That’s really the entire North team good. That’s the most in the first half and he’s played.” keyed a 67-48 Omarion Trezvant Bullpup success. led North with 13, also For the game, Pyle off the bench. scored a career-high FREE STATE 23 points and the PULLS AWAY FROM bench as a whole Hayes Schmid was rock-solid for McPherson High during the DERBY -- Lawrence contributed 37. McPherson Invitational. Free State has had its Pyle knocked down fill of Derby on the 5 of 6 from beyond the arc in the first half and Adam football field as for a while it seemed the Panthers ended Elliott also canned a the Firebirds’ season every year in the playoffs. 3-pointer as MHS was 6 of 11 from beyond the arc to But on the basketball court, that’s another matter. mount a 32-15 halftime lead. Free State ended Derby’s season last year in the sub- Defensively, MHS strafed North into a 6-of-19 effort state and on Friday, the Firebirds again got the better overall in that first half. the Panthers in the semifinals of the McPherson The Bullpups pushed it out to as many as 25 in the Invitational, 67-51. second half and the bench dominated the clock in the After Derby led 35-31 at the half as it stroked 6 of 10 fourth quarter. from beyond the arc, the Firebirds ran off a 17-7 third- “I thought we played well offensively,” Kinnamon said. quarter pop to take a 48-42 lead and they only insulated “Obviously when you have somebody get hot like Eli did, their lead in the fourth quarter behind DK Middleton. it makes things easier…he really heated up and got on a Middleton finished with 22 points, 10 rebounds and 4 roll.” assists. Andrew Piper and Olin Yoder scored 12 apiece

MID-KANSAS SPORTS MAGAZINE 15 Page 14 Continued . . . and Miles Branch came that handed McPherson off the bench for 11. a rare opening-game Free State was 21 of loss. Other than Miles 38 from the field, 19 of Blandi, who scored 16 28 inside the arc. points, it was an Derby, which shot 13 offensive night to forget. of 23 in the first half, was JUNCTION CITY just 5 of 20 in the second MAKES MONSTER half. Amari Thomas COMEBACK -- Topeka came off the bench to Seaman looked more lead the Panthers with like an 8-0 team rather 11. than an 0-8 team in CARROLL PUTS ON Game 1 of Friday’s CLINIC IN SEMIFINAL McPherson Invitational VICTORY -- The late, – at least for a half. great McPherson High The Vikings came out basketball coach Jay firing against a Junction Frazier, who had such an City team they had lost influence on the to by 14 points earlier formation of the this season, making 10 McPherson Invitational of 14 shots to blaze to a and preached staggering 24-4 lead fundamentals, would after the first quarter. have been a big fan of It was still 36-20 at Bishop Carroll on Friday. the half and Seaman Class 5A’s No. appeared to be in 1-ranked team put on a control as it finished 15 clinic against Blue Valley Seth Madron soars through the air to drop in this basket after of 24 from the field. as its textbook execution an inbounds lob pass. Then came the was the hallmark of a second half. 75-46 victory to advance the Eagles to the Junction City came alive on the defensive end and, championship game. poof, the lead began to melt like snow on a 60-degree Carroll was 32 of 57 from the field and 18 baskets day. came off assists. It turned the ball over a minuscule 8 The Bluejays came all the way back and even grabbed times as it was simply flawless. a 56-55 lead, only to see Seaman gather itself and get An early 11-0 run gave the Golden Eagles the the game into overtime after a 58-58 deadlock. necessary capital to live off of. They were up 15-7 after a Junction City then fell behind 62-58, but its defense quarter and moved it out to 34-19 at half behind Alex keyed a surge and it wound up with a 67-62 victory by Littlejohn, who displayed his full arsenal in the paint for scoring the final 9 points of the game, keeping Seaman 12 points and the Golden Eagles shot 52 percent while winless on the year as it was a gut-punch after its turning it over only 4 times. brilliant start. It only got worse in the second half. Much worse. Chaz Ruffin led Junction with 19 points, whle Qua’vez Littlejohn led Carroll with 20 points, 13 rebounds and 6 Humphreys and Darrin Battiste furnished 13 apiece. assists. Kaeden Bonner made 5 3-pointers on his way to 18 Tanner Mans added 16 points, Enrique Lankford points to top Seaman, while Reid Cowan and Dagen added 13 and Brenyn St. Vrain added 10. Brewer supplied 11 and 10, respectively. The Tigers simply weren’t the same team as the one

16 MID-KANSAS SPORTS MAGAZINE Bullpups Suffer Rare First-Round Invitational Loss The Blue Valley Tigers downs and I think guys get probably were miffed tired. We didn’t sub much when they learned they tonight and those are all were the No. 5 seed in the excuses and not very good McPherson Invitational. ones. Bottom line is Blue They certainly came into Valley is really good. When Thursday’s opening-round you have a Division I big kid game with something to (Aidan Shaw) who’s a hard prove and they came out cover on the perimeter for on fire against the home- you, and they drive it and standing Bullpups, burying make you help. They do a 6 of 10 shots from beyond really good job of that.” the arc in the first half, Hayes Schmid hit a 3-ball while their length to start the fourth quarter to harassed MHS into just 2 give MHS a 42-41 lead, but of 9 from 3 and contested the Tigers, after spending a every shot at the rim to lot of time behind the arc, take a 30-22 lead. decided to take it to the But the Tigers nearly hoop and went on an 8-0 became yet another victim run to grab a 51-44 lead. of the “McPherson Magic,” The Bullpups got as close as the Bullpups roared as 57-54, but the Tigers back to take the lead in would not be denied as the second half. instead of trying to protect However, the Tigers’ they lead, they attacked to length and ability to beat score 7 points in the closing MHS down the floor led to minutes to put the finishing a huge fourth-quarter touches on an impressive finish as they pulled off a victory. 64-58 victory, though it Alexander, despite again can hardly be considered Jayton Alexander had a superb game for McPherson playing on a badly an upset as Blue Valley is resprained ankle, scored 19 High in defeat with a career-high 19 points against Blue points, while Schmid scored extremely talented. “They are really good off Valley. 13 and Cody Stufflebean the bounce and they shoot added 12. it (well),” said MHS coach Kurt Kinnamon, who is now Miles Blandi led a balanced Tiger offense with 14 22-3 in first-round games. “They have a lot of perimeter points, Shaw added 13, and Hayden Young and reserve shooters. That’s difficult. The game was lost in the first Dorian Stephens tallied 10 apiece. half when we couldn’t figure out who our man was. It’s Blue Valley lit it up for 26 of 46 for 57 percent and that simple. The No. 1 thing I have written still on the knocked down 8 of 16 from 3, while the Bullpups were white board right there is ‘get back.’ I guess I should 22 of 51 and just 6 of 22. have said get back and find your man.” “We play tomorrow… we can’t hang our heads,” The Tigers knocked down 3 straight 3s early on to Kinnamon said. “That’s a hard game to play in, but I grab a 9-point lead and MHS could never get it down to thought our kids showed a lot of toughness tonight and a single-possession game in the half as it went into the we just couldn’t quite get it done against a good team.” locker room trailing by 8. CARROLL IMPRESSIVE IN OPENER -- There were But the Bullpups came out spirited to start the second no surprises on Thursday when Bishop Carroll and half, ripping off a Jayton Alexander-fueled 15-3 run as he Wichita North met in the third game of the McPherson scored 8 in that spurt. MHS, though, scored only 2 Invitational. points in the final 4 minutes as the Tigers regained their After all, the teams had just played on Tuesday in a footing to lead 41-39 after three quarters. City League game. And they had played in the season “I’m really proud of just how hard we fought,” opener. Kinnamon said. “We came out and got right back in it, So given that the Golden Eagles had won both and fought and fought and fought. We had some break-

MID-KANSAS SPORTS MAGAZINE 17 Page 16 Continued . . . matchups by a com- scored 8 in the first 3 ½ bined 83 points, it was minutes of the third quar- no surprise they com- ter, while the Firebird pleted the trifecta with a defense was permitting 70-43 just three baskets as it victory over the winless turned up the heat. Redskins. The Bluejays were Carroll scored the first held to 6 of 23 in the 7 points and the out- second half. come was pretty much a Middleton had a nice no-brainer as the line with 12 points, 8 Golden Eagles rebounds and 5 assists displayed exquisite for the Firebirds. Olin execution at both ends Yoder made 3 of 4 from of the court. beyond the arc and They came out white- finished with 11 points hot to start the game while Miles Branch with 17 points in the first added 10. Free State 4 minutes, but then was highly efficient by flattened out the rest of making 17 of 31 floor quarter and didn’t score shots, 6 of 10 from 3. – and still led by 9. They Tedder added only 2 pushed the lead to points to his first-half 32-18 by half even total and led the Bluejays though they shot only with 16 points Qua’vez 41 percent, but held Humphreys added 10. North to 28 percent. DERBY MAKES 15 3- The Golden Eagles POINTERS IN OPENER gradually pulled away in -- It may have been the second half as their talent differential was McPherson High coach Kurt Kinnamon talks with Seth snowing outside, but Madron and Cody Stufflebean during game action. Madron Derby was raining 3- evident. Alex Littlejohn and and Stufflebean have led the Bullpups in scoring this season. pointers inside. Enrique Lankford shared The Panthers, the scoring honors for McPherson Invitational’s Carroll with 18 points apiece. The Golden Eagles ripped No. 2 seed, came out on fire from beyond the arc it up at the foul line by making 24 of 27. against Topeka Seaman’s zone defense in first-round Emmanuel Gonzalez led North with 13. action on Thursday, making 6 of 10 3-pointers in the first FREE STATE OUTLASTS JUNCTION CITY -- The quarter alone – including 4 of 4 by Nick Bonner --and freaky athleticism of Lawrence Free State and Junction finished the half 8 of 17, as they led 41-22. Derby continued its 3-point assault in the second half City was on full display during the second game of and went on for a 77-58 victory. Thursday’s McPherson Invitational. The Panthers finished the game a blistering 15 of 31 The two 6A schools played above the rim and every from the Land of 3 as they played fast and relaxed and possession was like trying to take a bone from a starving in rhythm. dog as both teams got into the others’ grill with suffocat- ing pressure. Seaman actually shot 50 percent in the first half, but turned it over 10 times against Derby’s doubling and After a 25-25 first-half standoff – achieved when long-armed defense. The Panthers never allowed a Junction City’s Terrence Tedder nailed a 3-pointer from serious Seaman run in the second half and won the midcourt to finish the half with 14 points – Free State’s game going away. DK Middleton and the Firebird defense went to work. Bonner drained 6 of 8 on 3-pointers and finished with A 16-7 third quarter, with 8 of the points 20 points to lead the Panthers. Isaac Ray added 13 and supplied by Middleton, provided the impetus to a 53-38 Jacob Karsak furnished 12. Firebird victory as in all, they allowed only 13 second- half points. Kaeden Bonner led Seaman with 13 points and Micah Kobuszewski added 12. Despite losing by 19, Seaman Middleton had scored just 2 points in the first half, but did shoot 20 of 36 from the field and 7 of 15 from 3.

18 MID-KANSAS SPORTS MAGAZINE Littlejohn Named Tourney MVP; Stufflebean On All- Tourney Team Those present when the McPherson Invitational All-Tournament Bishop Carroll’s Alex Littlejohn was named Team was announced included Tanner Mans of Carroll, Alex MVP of the 56th annual McPherson Littlejohn (MVP) of Carroll, Enrique Lankford of Carroll, Cody Invitational after his Golden Eagles won their Stufflebean of McPherson, Olin Yoder of Free State, Nick Bonner of first-ever championship. Derby and DK Middleton of Free State. Not present were Aidan Shaw and Miles Blandi of Blue Valley and Kaeden Bonner of Topeka He was joined on the All-Tournament team Seaman. by teammates Enrique Lankford and Tanner Mans. Also on the team was McPherson High’s Cody Stufflebean. Rounding out the team were Olin Yoder and DK Middleton of runner-up Lawrence Free State, Aidan Shaw and Miles Blandi of Blue Valley, Qua’vez Humphreys of Junction City, Kaeden Bonner of Topeka Seaman and Nick Bonner of Derby. MIT SCORING AND REBOUNDING LEADERS SCORING LEADERS REBOUNDING LEADERS Nick Bonner, Derby, 55 Alex Littlejohn, Carroll, 32 Alex Littlejohn, Carroll, 48 DK Middleton, Free State, 21 Miles Blandi, Blue Valley, 46 Aidan Shaw, Blue Valley, 19 Enrique Lankford, Carroll, 46 Nick Bonner, Derby, 18 Emmanuel Gonzalez, Wichita North, 43 Miles Blandi, Blue Valley, 17 Kaeden Bonner, Topeka Seaman, 40 Chris Dixon, Junction City, 17 Aidan Shaw, Blue Valley, 38 Cooper Courtney, McPherson, 16 DK Middleton, Free State, 37 Drayton Foster, Topeka Seaman, 15 Micah Kobuszewski, Topeka Seaman, 37 Emmanuel Gonzalez, Wichita North, 15 Dagen Brewer, Topeka Seaman, 34 Tanner Mans, Carroll, 15

MID-KANSAS SPORTS MAGAZINE 19 McPherson Invitational Box Scores • THURSDAY’S GAMES • • FRIDAY’S GAMES • • SATURDAY’S GAMES • Derby 77, Topeka Seaman 58 Junction City 67, Topeka Seaman 62, OT Wichita North 64, Topeka Seaman 60, 7th- place game Lawrence Free State 53, Junction City 38 McPherson 67, Wichita North 48 McPherson 44, Topeka Seaman 31, 5th-place game Bishop Carroll 70, Wichita North 43 Lawrence Free State 67, Derby 51 Derby 70, Blue Valley 61, 3rd-place game Blue Valley 64, McPherson 58 Bishop Carroll 75, Blue Valley 46 Bishop Carroll 44, Lawrence Free State 39, 1st-place game • THURSDAY'S BOXES • Derby (77) – Bonner 7-9, 0-2, 20; Karsak 4-5, 3-3, 12; Washington 1-3, 0-0, 3; L. Clemons 2-3, 0-0, 6; Ray 5-8, 1-1, 13; J. Clemons 2-5, 0-0, 4; Chadwick 2-4, 0-0, 5; Araujo 1-4, 0-0, 2; Adler 3-5, 0-0, 8; Wash 0-1, 0-0, 0; Barger 1-3, 0-0, 2; Thomas 1-5, 0-0, 2. Totals – 29-55, 4-6, 77. 3-pointers – Bonner 6, L. Clemons 2, Adler 2, Ray 2, Karsak 1, Chadwick 1, Washington 1. Seaman (58) – Brewer 3-7, 3-5, 9; Bonner 4-9, 1-1, 13; Patterson 4-4, 0-0, 8; Kobuszewski 5-6, 0-0, 12; Foster 1-3, 2-4, 4; Finley 1-3, 0-0, 3; Cowan 2-4, 0-0, 4; Zeferjahn 0-0, 5-9, 5. Totals – 20-36, 11-19, 58. 3-pointers – Bonner 4, Kobuszewski 2, Finley 1. ------ Free State (53) – Downing 0-2, 2-2, 2; Lincoln 1-3, 0-0, 3; Middleton 3-7, 5-6, 12; Piper 2-2, 2-4, 6; Yoder 3-4, 2-3, 11; Daniels 2-4, 0-0, 5; Hawkins 2-2, 0-0, 4; Branch 4-7, 2-2, 10. Totals – 17-31, 13-17, 53. 3-pointers – Yoder 3, Lincoln 1, Middleton 1, Daniels 1. Junction City (38) – Dixon 2-6, 0-0, 5; Tedder 6-14, 0-0, 16; Johnson 2-8, 0-1, 4; Humphreys 5-9, 0-0, 10; Battiste 0-1, 0-0, 0; Ruffin 1-7, 1-2, 3. Totals – 16-45, 1- 3, 38. 3-pointers – Tedder 4, Dixon 1. ------ Carroll (70) – St. Vrain 3-5, 2-2, 9; Reid 2-6, 0-0, 5; Mans 1-4, 4-4, 6; Littlejohn 6-9, 6-7, 18; Lankford 5-13, 6-6, 18; Bullinger 1-3, 0-0, 2; Nguyen 0-2, 0-0, 0; Larkins 2-3, 1-2, 5; Biby 0-1, 0-0, 0; Powell 0-1, 0-0, 0; Rottinghaus 1-1, 5-6, 7. Totals – 21-48, 24-27, 70. 3-pointers – Lankford 2, St. Vrain 1, Reid 1. Wichita North (43) – Carter 2-6, 0-0, 5; Diaz 1-11, 1-4, 3; Underwood 0-4, 3-4, 3; Gonzalez 5-8, 3-4, 13; Blackburn 1-3, 0-0, 3; Ruffin 2-4, 0-0, 4; Trezvant 0-6, 2-2, 2; Lawrie 2-4, 0-0, 4; Todd 2-3, 0-0, 6; Manns 0-1, 0-0, 0. Totals – 15-50, 9-14, 43. 3-pointers – Todd 2, Carter 1, Blackburn 1. ------ MHS (58) – Stufflebean 5-8, 2-4, 12; Schmid 4-10, 2-2, 13; Madron 2-8, 3-4, 7; Courtney 1-4, 0-2, 2; Alexander 8-16, 1-3, 19; E. Pyle 1-3, 0-0, 3; S. Pyle 1-2, 0-0, 2. Totals – 22-51, 8-15, 58. 3-pointers – Schmid 3, Alexander 2, E. Pyle 1. Blue Valley (64) – Young 4-10, 0-1, 10; Demo 2-5, 1-2, 6; Blandi 5-11, 2-2, 14; Wippermann 3-4, 0-0, 7; Shaw 5-8, 1-2, 13; Peimann 1-1, 0-0, 2; Hill 1-1, 0-0, 2; Stephens 5-6, 0-1, 10. Totals – 26-46, 4-9, 64. 3-pointers – Young 2, Blandi 2, Shaw 2, Demo 1, Wippermann 1. ------ • FRIDAY'S BOXES • Junction City (67) – Dixon 3-7, 2-3, 9; Tedder 2-7, 2-2, 6; Johnson 1-8, 1-2, 3; Humphreys 5-7, 3-4, 13; Battiste 5-10, 0-1, 13; Smith 2-4, 0-0, 4; George 0-1, 0-0, 0; Ruffin 6-11, 7-9, 19. Totals – 24-55, 15-21, 67. 3-pointers – Battiste 3, Dixon 1. Seaman (62) – Brewer 4-7, 0-2, 10; Bonner 6-12, 1-2, 18; Patterson 3-4, 1-3, 7; Kobuszewski 4-9, 0-0, 9; Foster 1-4, 0-0, 2; Finley 0-1, 0-0, 0; Cowan 3-6, 5-7 11; Zeferjahn 2-3, 1-2, 5. Totals – 23-46, 8-16, 62. 3-pointers – Bonner 5, Brewer 2, Kobuszweski 1. ------ MHS (67) – Stufflebean 3-5, 3-6, 9; Schmid 3-4, 0-0, 7; Madron 2-8, 0-0, 4; Courtney 3-7, 1-2, 7; Alexander 0-3, 0-0, 0; Elliott 1-2, 0-0, 3; E. Pyle 7-10, 3-4, 23; Dukes 1-1, 0-2, 2; Buckbee 0-0, 0-0, 0; Keane 0-0, 0-0, 0; S. Pyle 2-3, 4-4, 8; Gibbs 0-1, 4-4, 4. Totals – 22-44, 15-22, 67. 3-pointers – E. Pyle 6, Schmid 1, Elliott 1. Wichita North (48) – Ruffin 2-6, 1-2, 6; Carter 2-5, 1-5, 5; Underwood 1-6, 2-4, 5; Lawrie 2-8, 4-4, 9; Gonzalez 1-4, 1-2, 3; Trezvant 5-9, 0-0, 13; Diaz 3-10, 1-2, 7; Blackburn 0-1, 0-0, 0. Totals – 16-49, 10-19, 48. 3-pointers – Trezvant 3, Ruffin 1, Underwood 1, Lawrie 1. ------- Free State (67) – Downing 3-4, 0-1, 6; Lincoln 0-3, 0-0, 0; Middleton 9-14, 4-7, 22; Piper 4-4, 4-5, 12; Yoder 3-3, 4-5, 12, Daniels 0-1, 0-0, 0; Durland 0-3, 4-4, 4; Wisdom 0-0, 0-2, 0; Branch 2-6, 7-7, 11. Totals – 21-38, 23-31, 67. 3-pointers – Yoder 1. Derby (51) – Bonner 4-8, 0-1, 8; Karsak 2-4, 0-0, 6; Washington 1-5, 4-4, 6; Ray 2-8, 0-0, 6; J. Clemons 1-5, 0-0, 3; Chadwick 1-1, 0-0, 2; Araujo 0-2, 0-0, 0; Adler 2-3, 0-2, 5; Barger 2-2, 0-0, 4; Thomas 3-5, 3-4, 11. Totals – 18-43, 7-11, 51. 3-pointers – Karsak 2, Ray 2, Thomas 2, J. Clemons 1, Adler 1. ------ Carroll (75) – Bullinger 0-1, 0-2, 0; Reid 2-5, 0-0, 5; Mans 6-9, 2-2, 16; Littlejohn 10-18, 0-0, 20; Lankford 5-11, 1-1, 13; St. Vrain 5-5, 0-0, 10; Larkin 2-4, 2-2, 7, Biby 1-2, 0-0, 2; Rottinghaus 1-2, 0-0, 2. Totals – 32-57, 5-7, 75. 3-pointers – Mans 2, Lankford 2, Reid 1, Larkin 1. Blue Valley (46) – Young 5-12, 0-0, 11; Demo 1-1, 1-1, 3; Blandi 6-13, 0-0, 16; Wippermann 1-4, 0-0, 3; Shaw 2-13, 2-2, 6; Hill 1-5, 2-3, 4; Stephens 1-5, 1-2, 3. Totals – 17-53, 6-8, 46. 3-pointers – Blandi 4, Young 1, Wippermann 1. ------ • SATURDAY’S BOXES • Wichita North (64) – Ruffin 5-11, 0-0, 12; Carter 1-2, 1-2, 4; Underwood 1-3, 0-2, 3; Lawrie 2-6, 2-5, 6; Gonzalez 10-12, 7-9, 27; Trezvant 4-10, 0-0, 10; Diaz 1-6, 0-0, 2. Totals – 24-50, 10-18, 64. 3-pointers – Ruffin 2, Trezvant 2, Carter 1, Underwood 1. Topeka Seaman (60) – Brewer 6-13, 0-0, 15; Bonner 3-8, 0-0, 0; Patterson 2-3, 0-0, 4; Kobuszewski 5-8, 1-2, 14; Foster 3-6, 2-2, 8; Cowan 3-8, 2-3, 8; Zeferjahn 1-3, 0-3, 2. Totals – 23-49, 5-10, 60. 3-pointers – Brewer 3, Bonner 3, Kobuszewski 3. ------ MHS (44) – Stufflebean 5-10, 2-3, 12; Schmid 1-7, 2-2, 4; Madron 2-5, 5-5, 9; Courtney 2-4, 0-0, 4; Alexander 2-4, 3-5, 8; Elliott 0-0, 0-0, 0; E. Pyle 0-3, 0-0, 0; Dukes 0-0, 0-0, 0; S. Pyle 3-3, 1-1, 7. Totals – 15-36, 13-16. 3-pointers – Alexander 1. Junction City (31) – Dixon 1-6, 1-1, 3; Tedder 0-6, 2-2, 2; Johnson 6-13, 0-0, 17; Humphreys 1-2, 0-0, 2; Battiste 1-5, 0-0, 2; Ruffin 2-2, 1-2, 5. Totals – 11-34, 4-5, 31. 3- pointers – Johnson 5. ------ Derby (70) – Bonner 10-16, 4-5, 27; Karsak 3-6, 3-4, 12; Washington 4-9, 5-5, 13; L. Clemons 1-4, 0-0, 2; Ray 2-6, 2-2, 8; J. Clemons 0-3, 0-0, 0; Chadwick 2-4, 0-0, 5; Arajuo 0-3, 0-0, 0; Adler 1-2, 0-0, 3. Totals – 23-53, 14-16, 70. 3-pointers – Bonner 3, Karsak 3, Ray 2, Chadwick 1, Adler 1. Blue Valley (61) – Young 4-8, 0-0, 10; Demo 1-3, 1-2, 3; Blandi 6-11, 0-0, 16; Wippermann 2-3, 0-0, 4; Shaw 7-16, 1-3, 19; Hill 2-3, 0-0, 5; Stephens 2-4, 0-0, 4. Totals – 24- 48, 2-5 61. 3-pointers – Blandi 4, Shaw 4, Young 2, Hill 1. ------ Carroll (44) – St. Vrain 1-3, 0-0, 2; Larkin 2-5, 1-2, 7; Mans 0-0, 2-2, 2; Littlejohn 5-10, 0-0, 10; Lankford 6-10, 0-0, 15; Bullinger 1-2, 0-0, 2; Reid 2-4, 0-0, 4; Powell 0-2, 1-2, 1; Rottinghaus 0-0, 0-0, 0. Totals – 17-36, 4-6, 44. 3-pointers – Lankford 3, Larkin 2, Bullinger 1. Free State (39) – Downing 0-3, 1-3, 1; Lincoln 3-8, 0-0, 8; Middleton 0-5, 3-8, 3; Piper 3-6, 2-2, 8; Yoder 2-6, 0-0, 6; Daniels 1-2, 0-0, 3; Hawkins 1-1, 0-0, 3; Branch 3-7, 1- 1, 7. Totals – 13-38, 7-14, 39. 3-pointers – Lincoln 2, Yoder 2, Daniels 1, Hawkins 1.

20 MID-KANSAS SPORTS MAGAZINE TOURNEY CHAMPS The Elyria Christian School boys won three in a row in the Centre Cougar Classic to come away with the championship. ECS defeated Solomon 46-33 in the title game. The Hesston boys captured the championship of the Hillsboro Trojan Classic with three straight wins. The Swathers knocked off Holcomb 61-50 in the finals in a showdown of state-ranked teams.

MID-KANSAS SPORTS MAGAZINE 21 McPherson’s Seth Madron is cheered on by Bullpup Nation as the student section was out in force during tournament week.

22 MID-KANSAS SPORTS MAGAZINE BULLPUP BOOSTERS Good Luck ‘Pups From Harlin Meat Company – Dave and Doug Harlin Elliott Insurance Headquarters Hair Care – Vail Henningsen So Proud Of You Ryder, Sailor, Kendall and Kelby – Papa and Grandma JAR Performance Automotive Karla Knackie’s Meats and Sweets Nooks and Crannies Good Luck Bullpups From A McPherson High Grad -- Brian Long Phil Walters, OD The Cook’s Nook Boys and Girls ‘Pups, Let’s Get 2 More Hoop Banners! – Randy Vaughn Shelter Insurance-Josh Alexander Stewart’s Sports and Awards Have A Great Season Bullpups -- Clint Smith Stockham Family Funeral Home Tim Cheatham Construction Good luck Bullpups from Great Plains Family Medicine and the Herrera Turkey Creek Golf Course Family. Ellene McKean Real Estate Go Bullpups from Culligan of McPherson. From Tracy, Kim, Lacey, Doug, Jason, Travis and Bobby. 401 N. Oak, McPherson, phone 620-241-4282. Good Luck Bullpups From Captivate Salon. Adventure Awaits Travel – Brad and Mary Johnson Central States CS Computers E. Tom Pyle and Associates (Tom and Penny) E. Tom Pyle and Associates, PA (Tom and Penny) and Knackie’s Meats and Sweets are ardent supporters of Elyria Christian School athletics this year. These Canton-Galva supporters will be behind their team 100 percent this fall Auto House-Galva 56 Family Restaurant Canton Meat Locker American Energies Corporation Rundstrom-Lauer These Smoky Valley supporters will be rooting the Vikings on to another great season Don Bengtson Farm Bureau Financial Services Scott’s Hometown Foods Go Vikings! Dala Property Management - Dan Proctor & Marty Showalter These proud supporters of Inman athletics wish the Teutons the best of luck this fall 365 Sports Complex Prairie Bank of Inman Inman Harvest Cafe R. Conrad Wagler Bankers Knackies Meats and Sweets Life & Casualty These Moundridge supporters will staunchly support their teams this year Partners in Family Care Pine Village Raleigh Insurance supports all 119 S Main Street Little River athletic teams this season. Lindsborg, Kansas (785) 227-8762

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