Christian Ulsaker becomes top Bulldog at McPherson basketball in Kansas

Playing at a high school rich in basketball tradition, McPherson standout Christian Ulsaker surpassed the one Bullpup that stood in the way of his quest for the top rung on the school's career scoring charts Saturday.

Ulsaker scored 26 of his game-high 33 points in the first half of an 80-54 win over Goddard, slipping by Jordan Fithian's career scoring mark of 1,287 points in the process. As of Saturday, Ulsaker had scored 1,297 points in his career.

"When you consider the players that have played at McPherson High, it is a tremendous achievement," McPherson coach Kurt Kinnamon told the McPherson Sentinel. "I am quite certain he would trade that record right now for a state championship."

Actually, Ulsaker may get his cake and get to eat it too. McPherson is 14-1 so far this season with its only loss being an 81-73 setback to Kansas Class 6A state basketball favorite Heights (Wichita).



So far this season, Ulsaker is averaging 23.5 points a game as well as 8.2 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 2.8 steals and 1.4 blocks per outing.

MATTHEWS GIVES VERBAL TO TCU
Earlier this month TCU gave McPherson quarterback Tyler Matthews a verbal offer. Saturday the 6-foot-3-inch, 193-pound junior responded with a verbal commitment to play football for the Horned Frogs at the school's "Junior Day."

Matthews transferred to McPherson from Goddard following his sophomore season and led the Bullpups to a 9-2 mark last fall and into the second round of the Kansas Class 5A state football playoffs before falling to runner-up Wichita Bishop Carroll 30-22.

Last fall Matthews completed 160 of 215 passes for 2,658 yards and 30 touchdowns with three interceptions.

"He's got a strong arm, he throws accurately and makes good decisions," McPherson coach Tom Young told the McPherson Sentinel. "He's improved a heck of a lot since he got here. He needs to work on the physical things, getting faster and stronger. I think he'll be a great player."

BONTZ, LITTLE PUT IT ON THE LINE IN CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH
Sporting identical 31-0 records going into the Rose Hill Invitational 145-pound championship match last Saturday, Central (Andover) wrestler Alex Bontz and Bradley Little of Derby put on an epic battle.



Tied at 1-1 following regulation, the two powerhouse wrestlers battled to a third overtime before Bontz came out on top after Little had been deemed the champion. With 10 seconds remaining in the third overtime period, it appeared that Little had taken down Bontz for the win.

But the referee then decided that Little had not successfully pulled off the takedown allowing Bontz to move to 32-0 on the year.

"It wasn't bad to lose to him," Little told the Derby Informer of the 2-1 loss to one of the nation's top wrestlers. "He was a great wrestler to take away your undefeated season. We were both putting it on the line. It was just a good match. It's just a bonus if you can go undefeated. Even if just having one loss, if I end up like that, it's still going to be nice. State's what I'm looking forward to."

36-YEAR SWIMMING RECORD GOES DOWN
After sitting atop the Cougar record board for 36 years, the South (Salina) 200-meter medley relay record was unable to stand the test of time one more time. Phillip Steele, Bryce Kampfe, Luke Trimmell and Mason Darnell swam the event in a Cougar school record one minute, 41.42 seconds at Saturday's Ark Valley Chisholm Trail League meet in the school's pool.

A trio of individual school marks also highlighted the day's events allowing the Cougars (264 team points) to capture third place behind Maize (300) and Derby (269). Steele reached the top rung of the Salina South 50 and 100-yard freestyles, while Kampfe took hold of the Cougars' top 100 backstroke clocking of all time.

"I think that relay sparked everything today," Steele told the Salina Journal. "Everybody was cutting time and it was a great swim for us."



Continue reading{PAGEBREAK}LAST WEEK'S PREMIER PERFORMANCES
BOYS
Conner Frankamp of Wichita North scored 36 points in a 63-57 loss to Wichita Bishop Carroll … Douglass' Jared Holthaus ripped the cords for 31 points in a 77-69 loss to Cheney … Michael Propst of Udall scorched the nets for 37 points and pulled down 11 rebounds in a 54-28 win over Elk Valley … Kansas City-Washington's TraVaughn White scored 33 points in a 74-67 win over Kansas City-Schlagle … Semi Ojeleye of Ottawa ripped the cords for 32 points in a 65-45 win over Spring Hill … Scott's Ron Baker scorched the nets for 26 points and was credited with four assists, five blocked shots, 11 rebounds and five steals in a 73-48 win over Hugoton.

GIRLS
Hillary Chvatal of Rawlins County scored 32 points and reeled in 19 rebounds in a 46-38 win over Norton and then turned around and scored 32 points and pulled in 24 rebounds in a 57-45 loss to Hoxie … Quivira Heights' Kinsey Phelan ripped the cords for 28 points and was credited with six assists and seven steals in a 52-47 win over Macksville … Jessa Molina of Wichita South scored 29 points and was credited with three assists, nine rebounds and a pair of steals in a 57-42 win over Wichita North … Brand Hebrew Academy's Mikayla Davis scorched the nets for 35 points in a 55-39 win over Afrikan Centered … Kelsey Keith of Hill City ripped the cords for 26 points and was credited with four assists and a couple of rebounds in a 70-65 loss to Smith Center … Kansas City-Wyandotte's Royce Shields scored 27 points and was credited with four assists, three rebounds and three steals in a 60-38 win over Kansas City-Washington.

KANSAS BOYS BASKETBALL RANKINGS
TOP 10
1. Wichita Heights (16-0)
2. McPherson (14-1)
3. Blue Valley Northwest (Overland Park) (14-1)
4. South (Olathe) (13-2)
5. Kansas City-Washington (13-1)
6. Northwest (Olathe) (13-3)
7. East (Olathe) (14-2)
8. Harmon (Kansas City) (10-4)
9. Washburn Rural (Topeka) (12-3)
10. Basehor-Linwood (14-1)

CLASS 6A
1. Wichita Heights (16-0)
2. Blue Valley Northwest (14-1)
3. Olathe South (13-2)
4. Olathe Northwest (13-3)
5. Olathe East (14-2)
6. Topeka Washburn Rural (12-3)
7. Topeka (13-3)
8. Blue Valley North (Overland Park) (12-4)
9. Dodge City (13-2)
10. East (Wichita) (11-4)

CLASS 5A
1. McPherson (14-1)
2. Kansas City-Washington (13-1)
3. Harmon (Kansas City) (10-4)
4. Central (Andover) (11-4)
5. Highland Park (Topeka) (12-4)
6. Lansing (12-3)
7. Central (Salina) (11-4)
8. South (Salina) (10-5)
9. Carroll (Wichita) (11-7)
10. Gardner-Edgerton (11-5)

CLASS 4A
1. Basehor-Linwood (14-1)
2. Sumner Academy (Kansas City) (14-2)
3. Holton (14-2)
4. Trinity Academy (Wichita) (13-3)
5. Circle (Towanda) (14-2)
6. Ottawa (12-3)
7. Hayden (Topeka) (9-5)
8. Hesston (13-3)
9. Parsons (13-2)
10. Abilene (13-3)



CLASS 3A
1. Scott (Scott City) (15-1)
2. Collegiate (Wichita) (14-2)
3. Atchison County (Effingham) (15-0)
4. Minneapolis (15-1)
5. Hoisington (15-1)
6. Beloit (13-2)
7. Trinity (Hutchinson) (12-3)
8. Central Heights (Richmond) (14-2)
9. Sterling (12-3)
10. Riley County (Riley) (12-4)

CLASS 2A
1. St. Mary's-Colgan (Pittsburg) (13-1)
2. Berean Academy (Elbing) (15-1)
3. Syracuse (14-1)
4. Plainville (16-1)
5. Herington (13-2)
6. Washington County (Washington) (13-3)
7. Meade (12-3)
8. Oswego (12-2)
9. Ness City (15-2)
10. Sublette (11-4)

CLASS 1A-1
1. South Gray (Montezuma) (16-0)
2. Hanover (16-1)
3. Lakeside (Downs) (14-1)
4. Ashland (16-1)
5. Macksville (15-1)
6. Pretty Prairie (13-1)
7. Stockton (13-1)
8. Quinter (13-3)
9. South Haven (14-2)
10. Waverly (12-3)

CLASS 1A-2
1. Wilson (14-1)
2. Hope (13-2)
3. Greeley County (Tribune) (14-3)
4. Weskan (12-4)
5. Fowler (11-4)
6. Chase (10-5)
7. Caldwell (11-4)
8. South Barber (Kiowa) (12-4)
9. Golden Plains (Rexford) (11-6)
10. Elwood (10-5)

KANSAS GIRLS BASKETBALL RANKINGS
TOP 10
1. South (Olathe) (16-0)
2. Heights (Wichita) (16-0)
3. Aquinas (Overland Park) (16-0)
4. West (Shawnee Mission) (13-2)
5. Northwest (Olathe) (13-2)
6. South (Salina) (14-1)
7. Cheney (16-0)
8. McPherson (13-2)
9. Washburn Rural (Topeka) (11-4)
10. Holton (16-0)

CLASS 6A
1. Olathe South (16-0)
2. Wichita Heights (16-0)
3. Shawnee Mission West (13-2)
4. Olathe Northwest (13-2)
5. Topeka Washburn Rural (11-4)
6. East (Olathe) (11-4)
7. Maize (11-3)
8. Dodge City (11-4)
9. Goddard (11-5)
10. Northwest (Wichita) (13-3)



CLASS 5A
1. St. Thomas Aquinas (16-0)
2. Salina South (14-1)
3. McPherson (13-2)
4. Newton (13-2)
5. Bishop Miege (Shawnee Mission) (13-3)
6. Blue Valley (Randolph) (12-4)
7. Shawnee Heights (Tecumseh) (12-4)
8. Carroll (Wichita) (12-4)
9. Andover (11-4)
10. Mill Valley (Shawnee) (14-2)

CLASS 4A
1. Cheney (16-0)
2. Holton (16-0)
3. Colby (15-1)
4. Spring Hill (14-1)
5. Girard (12-2)
6. Haven (13-3)
7. Ottawa (12-3)
8. Abilene (12-4)
9. Hayden (Topeka) (11-4)
10. Hesston (12-4)

CLASS 3A
1. Jefferson County North (Winchester) (16-0)
2. Smith Center (14-1)
3. Southwestern Heights (Kismet) (13-2)
4. Atchison County (Effingham) (13-2)
5. Southeast of Saline (Gypsum) (14-1)
6. Eureka (12-2)
7. Remington (Whitewater) (14-1)
8. Osage City (14-2)
9. Holcomb (13-3)
10. Riley County (Riley) (14-2)

CLASS 2A
1. Washington County (Washington) (16-0)
2. Cimarron (14-1)
3. Berean Academy (Elbing) (13-2)
4. Hill City (12-3)
5. Moundridge (12-3)
6. Oakley (11-5)
7. Oskaloosa (12-3)
8. Ell-Saline (Brookville) (10-5)
9. St. Mary's-Colgan (Pittsburg) (8-7)
10. Oxford (11-3)

CLASS 1A-1
1. Olpe (16-0)
2. St. John (12-2)
3. Hoxie (15-1)
4. Little River (14-1)
5. South Central (Coldwater) (14-2)
6. Claflin (13-3)
7. B & B (Baileyville) (14-3)
8. Cedar Vale (15-3)
9. Sylvan-Lucas (Sylvan Grove) (12-4)
10. Spearville (13-3)

CLASS 1A-2
1. Argonia (15-0)
2. Central Christian (Hutchinson) (15-1)
3. St. John's (Beloit) (15-1)
4. Thunder Ridge (Kensington) (13-3)
5. Wilson (11-4)
6. South Barber (Kiowa) (11-5)
7. Quivira Heights (Bushton) (10-6)
8. Norwich (12-4)
9. Natoma (10-6)
10. Greeley County (Tribune) (10-6)