By Joanna Chadwick
Class 6A
Boys
Championship: SM Northwest 63, Olathe North 56 — With 1:41 remaining, Cam Love scored to get Olathe North within 57-54. SM Northwest scored six of the final eight points to defend its title. SMNW was led by Ethan Taylor’s 19 points, 15 rebounds and six assists. Keaton Wagler had 17 points and hit 9 of 9 from the line, finishing with 10 rebounds. Van Collins scored 10 points. Love led Olathe North with 16 points, Derrick Cooper had 14 points, six rebounds, three threes, and Jaalan Watson scored 10.
Third place: Maize 57, Wichita Heights 52 — Heights went on a 10-0 run, taking a 46-43 lead with 7:11 remaining, but Maize took the lead for good on an Alan Hanna dunk with 2:44 remaining. Hanna scored a game-high 24 points and had four blocks, two steals. Charles Sharpe and Hanna each shot 3 of 6 from three, and Sharpe finished with 13 points. Alec Grill had seven rebounds. Heights, in coach Joe Auer’s final game, was led by Chase Robinson, who made 6 of 7 shots and had 12 points. K’Mari Holt scored 10, and Amalachi Wilkins had 11 rebounds, four blocks and three steals.
Girls
Championship: BV North 65, Derby 39 — BV North’s Jaliya Davis scored a game-high 22 points and had eight rebounds, five assists. Aubrey Shaw scored 17 points and had 12 rebounds.Derby’s Macayla Askew scored a team-high 14 points and had eight rebounds. Aysia Fox had seven rebounds and three steals.
Third place: Wichita Heights 50, Olathe North 47 — Olathe North took a 31-20 lead early in the third quarter — Asia Lee scored 17 points in the first half. But Heights went on a 13-0 run, led by eight straight points from SaMiyah Ellis. Traiiing 47-39, Olathe North got four free throws from Lee as part of a 6-0 run to get within two. Lee scored inside to get within 48-47, but Heights held on at the end. Ellis finished with 18 points, three threes and three steals. Zarianna Walker scored 11 on 5-of-7 shooting and had six rebounds, and Kennadi Jackson had 10 points, five assists. Kamyra Barber had eight rebounds, four assists. Lee finished with a game-high 29 points for Olathe North, hitting four threes and she was 9 of 10 from the line.
Class 5A
Boys
Championship: Kapaun 58, Highland Park 55 OT — Kapaun defended its title as it handed Highland Park its first loss with the overtime win. Kapaun’s Rocco Keller and Corbin Johnson both scored 15 points. Blaise Dalian and Corey Daniels each had 11 points. Dalian and Johnson had 10 rebounds apiece, and Keller had nine. Highland Park’s Ja’Corey Robinson scored 26 points and had 12 rebounds, Mikey Williams scored 11 with six rebounds.
Third place: KC Piper 69, Andover 57 — KC Piper was led by Phillip Moore (17 points, seven rebounds, four assists, four steals), Alamar Brooks (13 points), Derrick Jackson (12 points, five assists) and Lantz Walton (11 points). Andover’s Josh Kim scored 26 points, including three threes. Walker McClellan had 10 points, 10 rebounds.
Girls
Championship: St. Thomas Aquinas 68, Topeka Seaman 61 — Alex Crouse led Aquinas with 26 points, hitting 10 of 11 free throws. Sofia Calovich scored 18, and Laila Boylan had 10 points, six rebounds, four steals. Topeka Seaman’s Anna Becker scored 28 points, hitting 4 of 7 from three, and Maddie Gragg scored 18 with six rebounds. Kinley Wilhelm had eight rebounds, Becker had five assists.
Third place: Andover 74, Spring Hill 55 — Andover’s Bella Bouddhara hit 3 of 6 from three and had a game-high 22 points. Aliyah Green had 12 points, 15 rebounds, three blocks. Asia’H Sullivan had six steals. Spring Hill’s Isla Herman and Sydney Buscher each scored 19 points, and Buscher had 13 rebounds.
Class 4A
Boys
Championship: McPherson 53, Rock Creek 44 — Jett Pyle and Gabe Pyle each scored 13 to lead McPherson. Ashton Malm had 10 points, seven assists. Jett Pyle had eight rebounds, Gabe Pyle six. Elijah Bell led Rock Creek with 15 points and 10 rebounds. Coley Burguess scored 11 and Gavin Rosa 10.
Third place: Ottawa 61, Andale 36 — It was tied 14-all after the first quarter, but Ottawa outscored Andale 47-22 over the final three periods. Ottawa was led by Jace Mourning (24 points), Aiden McCullough (15 points) and Cole McGrath (12 points). Andale’s Austin Baalman scored 13 and had six rebounds.
Girls
Championship: Wellington 53, Bishop Miege 48 — Wellington never trailed in earning the title. Wellington’s Val Norwood scored 20, and Britt Zeka had 15 points. Miege was led by Jayla McClinton had 18 points, Kirston Verhulst 14 points and Mary Grant 11. McClinton had 14 rebounds.
Third place: Topeka Hayden 57, Buhler 23 — Topeka Hayden was led by Millie Ramsey’s 20 points and Norma Greco’s 11. Ramsey hit 7 of 10 from the field and had eight rebounds. Hailey Schmidtlein had six assists. Buhler’s Natalya Krafels had four steals.
Class 3A
Boys
Championship: Hesston 51, Goodland 46 — Hesston’s Reed Friesen scored 21 points and had six rebounds. Tyler Unruh had 16 points, Daniel Lumbreras six rebounds, and Gavin Larson had four assists. Goodland’s Brady Brumbaugh had 23 points, six rebounds, and Linkon Cure had nine rebounds.
Third place: Silver Lake 63, Galena 51 — Silver Lake’s Dayne Johnson scored 16 and had 14 rebounds. Deondra Razzano had 13 points, Jared Johnson 11. Brody Deiter had seven assists. Galena’s Jackson Perry had 15 points, six rebounds and Kinken Kimberling 14 points.
Girls
Championship: Halstead 48, Silver Lake 45 — Halstead trailed by 13 in the third quarter. Jordy Schroeder scored 16 points, and teammate Addisen Wells had six rebounds and five assists, five steals. Kailyn Hanni led Silver Lake with 19 points, seven reobunds, and Karys Deiter had 13 points, six rebounds.
Third place: Hesston 56, Colby 50 — Hesston Kendal Brueggen scored 21, with four steals. Kaycee Mason had 14 points, Abby Proctor 11. Colby was led by Logan Nolan and Shaylee Holzmeister, who each had 11 points, and Alisabeth Barton, who scored 10 and had five assists.
Class 2A
Boys
Championship: Sterling 56, Moundridge 42 — Sterling hands Moundridge its first loss of the season and ends its two-year run as champs. Sterling had three players in double figures — Blake Smith and Boston Ekart each had 15 points, and Jacob Lewis had 10. Ekart had seven rebounds. Moundridge’s Bear Moddelmog scored 14 points, Heath Churchill had eight rebounds and Henry Hecox had six.
Third place: Ell-Saline 109, Valley Falls 74 — Ell-Saline had five in double figures — Brogan Rowley (34 points on 15-of-18 shooting, including 4 of 6 from three), Garrison Zerger (19 points, six rebounds, four assists), Reese Krone (15 points, seven rebounds), Kas Kramer (13 points, five assists) and Trey Williams (12 points, six rebounds). Rowley also had four assists and five steals. Valley Falls had four in double figures — Hayden Kearney (16 points on 7-of-10 shooting), Damian Cervantez (14 points, four threes), Collin Kearney (12 points, six rebounds, four assists), Trenten Vanhoutan (10 points).
Girls
Championship: Moundridge 62, Doniphan West 51 — Moundridge was led by Hattie Hecox, who scored 19 points, and Cammi Unruh, who had 13. Hecox hit 3 of 4 from three. Macy Kaminkow had eight rebounds. Doniphan West’s Courtney Johnson had 21 points on 9-of-13 shooting. Katie Johnson scored 11 with eight rebounds.
Third place: Inman 60, Pittsburg Colgan 57 — Inman’s Suttyn Harris scored 18 points, and Morgan Forese had 14. Harris also had 10 rebounds and Taylor Froese four assists. Colgan’s Jakayla Davis scored 25, hitting 13 of 14 free throws, and Lauren O’Brien had 17 points.
Class 1A-I
Boys
Championship: Olpe 47, South Central 34 — Dexton Hoelting scored 24 points, hitting 12 of 12 from the line, and had six rebounds as Olpe won the title. Brecken McGuire had 13 points, Ko’Rel Robinson had seven rebounds. South Central’s Jack Herd scored 16 points and had six rebounds. Jase Rutherford and Eli Girk each had six rebounds.
Third place: South Gray 66, Central Plains 56 — Gavin Wahl scored a team-high 17 points, making all seven free throw attempts, and Sam Moore scored 14, hitting all eight free throws. Wahl had seven rebounds, Moore seven assists. Central Plains was led by Brodie Crites’ 22 points, and Aiden Hekele scored 15, Camden Stiles 14. Stiles made four threes, Rylan Sienson nine rebounds, Crites six assists, Hekele four assists.
Girls
Championship: Centralia 50, Little River 43 — Centralia remains unbeate as it hands Little River its only loss. Oen Deters scored 29 points, hit 10 of 14 free throws and had seven rebounds, four assists. Little River’s Arika Feldman scored 15 and had 11 rebounds.
Third place: Troy 50, Quinter 36 — Troy’s Harper Whetstine made 6 of 13 shots and 1 1of 14 from the line, finishing with a game-high 25 points and five assists. Alyson Grable had 11 points, seven rebounds, and Allison Franken had 11 rebounds.. Quinter’s Bryn Gillespie scored 18 points and hit three threes.
Class 1A-II
Boys
Championship: Axtell 57, Cunningham 39 — Axtell, which handed Cunningham it’s lone loss, was led by Brandon Schmelzle (15 points, 11 rebounds, six assists, four steals), Logan Sandmann (12 points, 12 rebounds), and Eli Broxterman (12 points). Cunningham’s Will Wegerer had 20 points, and Dagim Reed had seven rebounds, five steals.
Third place: Elyria Christian 59, Dighton 57 — Elyria Christian’s Ty Romero hit 5 of 9 from three and scored a game-high 26 points. Gavin Robertson had 15 points, Andrew Huxman seven rebounds and LandonSchneider six rebounds. Daniel Cramer led Dighton with 18 points, hitting 4 of 7 from three, and Payton Redburn had 13 points, three thres, Boston Shimer 12 points. George VonLeonrod had eight rebounds.
Girls
Championship: Hanover 46, Linn 35 — Anna Jueneman led Hanover with 24 points, and Drew Bruna had 10 rebounds. Baileigh Peters scored 19, hitting 4 of 7 from three, to lead Linn.
Third place: Lebo 61, Attica 47 — Siara Crouch scored 26 and Saige Hadley 17 for Lebo. Attica’s Zoie Redgate had 20.