Kansas: Capital City Close Calls

By Dean Backes
MaxPreps.com

Topeka basketball powers Hayden and Highland Park were pushed to the limit last weekend before overcoming ranked foes to win tournament championships and remain atop the polls in Classes 4A and 5A, respectively.

Topeka Hayden found themselves trailing 41-40 to Class 3A’s then third-ranked Sabetha with five seconds remaining at the Burlington Invitational following Jerry Chase’s 3-pointer.

But Jeff Reid saved the day when he banked home the winning basket at the buzzer to give the Wildcats a 42-41 win.



“After they made their shot, I knew it was going to me,” Reid told the Topeka Capital Journal following the Wildcat’s 32nd straight victory, including Hayden’s third straight Burlington crown. “I was to come off two picks, catch the ball and go to the hole and either get fouled or make the shot.

“I wanted that shot and I’m glad they put the ball in my hands.”

Highland Park had a little easier time during a 66-53 win over Class 6A’s then fourth-ranked Wichita East at the Topeka Invitational Tournament.

Early in the fourth quarter the Aces knotted the score at 45-45, on consecutive baskets. But a 5-point run gave the Scots, winners of 23 straight games, the breathing room they needed before pulling away for their tenth consecutive tournament championship dating back to 2007.

Sabetha fell to the fourth spot in the latest Class 3A rankings following the 1-point loss to the Wildcats, while Wichita East dropped to sixth in the latest 6A poll.

Wichita Collegiate upends Wichita Trinity in three overtimes



Blake Jablonski set a Wichita Collegiate school record with 10 3-pointers in a 30-point performance during Saturday’s triple overtime win over Wichita Trinity in the championship contest of the Bluestem Classic.

But it was Wichita Collegiate teammate Andrew Hourani who took home the top hero billing for the second consecutive game after drilling the game winning 3-pointer with 3.6-seconds remaining in the third overtime of the 59-56 win.

Wichita Collegiate held the ball at the end of regulation and the first two overtimes before finishing the deal on Hourani’s second successful shot of the game.

Wichita Trinity drops to fifth in the latest 4A poll after entering the Wichita Collegiate game ranked third. Collegiate took advantage of a pair of losses by former Class 3A No. 1 Holcomb to move up one rung to the No. 1 spot in the latest poll.

Below is a look at the latest Kansas boys and girls basketball rankings.

Kansas Boys Basketball Rankings



Class 6A
1. Wichita Southeast (11-1) 2
2. Wichita Heights (11-1) 1
3. Shawnee Mission Northwest (10-2) 3
4. Olathe East (9-2) 5
5. Olathe South (9-2) 7
6. Wichita East (8-3) 4
7. Leavenworth (8-3) 6
8. Derby (8-2) 9
9. Junction City (8-3) 8
10. Goddard (8-3) –

Class 5A
1. Topeka Highland Park (12-0) 1
2. Bishop Miege (11-0) 2
3. McPherson (11-0) 3
4. Liberal (9-2) 7
5. Hays (8-4) 4
6. Kansas City–Harmon (9-3) 8
7. Lansing (9-2) 5
8. Great Bend (8-4) 6
9. Andover Central (8-4) –
10. Salina Central (7-4) –

Class 4A
1. Topeka–Hayden (11-0) 1
2. Hesston (12-0) 2
3. Sumner Academy (11-1) 4
4. Andover (10-1) 5
5. Wichita Trinity Academy (10-1) 3
6. Girard (10-1) 6
7. Basehor–Linwood (8-2) 10
8. Altamont–Labette County (10-1) 7
9. St. James Academy (9-3) 9
10. De Soto (8-3) –

Class 3A
1. Wichita Collegiate (12-0) 2
2. Hutchinson Trinity (11-0) 4
3. Galena (12-0) 5
4. Sabetha (9-1) 3
5. Sedgwick (12-1) 6
6. Kansas City Christian (10-1) 7
7. Holcomb (9-2) 1
8. Southwestern Heights (9-2) 9
9. Osage City (11-2) 10
10. Effingham–Atchison County (8-3) –

Class 2A
1. Olpe (10-0) 2
2. WaKeeney–Trego (13-1) 4
3. Republic County (11-1) 1
4. Syracuse (10-1) 5
5. Meade (10-2) 7
6. Berean Academy (11-2) 9
7. West Elk (9-2) –
8. Salina Sacred Heart (9-3) 3
9. Oxford (8-3) 6
10. Nemaha Valley (8-3) 8

Class 1A
1. Colony–Crest (13-0) 1
2. Hanover (11-0) 2
3. Quinter (12-0) 3
4. South Gray (10-1) 4
5. Kensington–Thunder Ridge (12-0) 5
6. Beloit–St. John’s (12-0) –  
7. Centralia (9-2) 9
8. Baileyville B&B (10-3) –
9. Macksville (11-2) 6
10. Blue Valley–Randolph (10-2) –



Kansas Girls Basketball Rankings

Class 6A
1. Washburn Rural (10-0) 1
2. Wichita Heights (12-1) 2
3. Olathe South (9-2) 3
4. Blue Valley (7-3) 6
5. Shawnee Mission West (9-2) 5
6. Goddard (7-3) 4
7. Shawnee Mission East (8-4) 8
8. Olathe East (7-2) 10
9. Junction City (7-3) –
10. Blue Valley North (8-4) –

Class 5A
1. Wichita Bishop Carroll (10-0) 1
2. Liberal (8-0) 3
3. Salina South (8-1) 5
4. Shawnee Heights (8-2) 6
5. Wichita Kapaun Mount Carmel (8-2) 7
6. St. Thomas Aquinas (9-2) 4
7. Bishop Miege (10-2) 2
8. Andover Central (8-2) 8
9. Great Bend (8-2) 10
10. Gardner–Edgerton (8-3) –

Class 4A
1. Holton (11-0) 2
2. Paola (12-0) 3
3. Concordia (10-0) 4
4. Rose Hill (9-1) 1
5. Cheney (9-1) 5
6. Buhler (8-1) 8
7. Haven (8-1) 10
8. Andover (10-1) –
9. Ottawa (11-2) 7
10. Basehor-Linwood (8-2) 6

Class 3A
1. Wichita Collegiate (9-0) 1
2. Rock Creek (9-0) 2
3. Thomas More Prep Marian (12-0) 3
4. Norton Community (9-1) 5
5. Jefferson County North (8-0) 6
6. Southwestern Heights (11-0) 7
7. Jayhawk–Linn (11-0) 8
8. Cherryvale (10-1) 4
9. Beloit (8-2) 9
10. Osage City (11-2) 10

Class 2A
1. Moundridge (10-0) 1
2. Pittsburg–Colgan (9-1) 3
3. Lebo (9-2) 4
4. Olpe (9-1) 5
5. Cedar Vale–Dexter (10-1) 6
6. Clifton–Clyde (9-2) 8
7. Salina–Sacred Heart (9-1) 2  
8. St. Marys (8-2) 7
9. Osborne (8-4) 9
10. Sublette (7-4) 10



Class 1A
1. South Gray (11-1) 1
2. South Barber (9-1) 2
3. Frankfort (9-0) 3
4. Centralia (10-1) 4
5. Hoxie (12-1) 5
6. Argonia (12-0) 6
7. Claflin (10-1) 7
8. Dighton (10-2) 9
9. Quivira Heights (10-1) 10
10. Pretty Prairie (9-2) –