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Three Shawnee County teams played for third place in the basketball state tournament on Friday, March 13. Seaman and Topeka West boys met in the Class 5A consolation trophy, while Silver Lake boys took on Hesston.
Here’s everything that happened to these three Shawnee County teams.
It certainly was not the game that either Topeka West or Seaman wanted to play in at Koch Arena in Wichita. But, one team had to come out on top and Seaman’s late run was the difference.
The Vikings took down Topeka West 66-50 thanks to a 24-5 run in the fourth quarter. Throughout the season, head coach Craig Cox has talked about playing with pride. In a game that they could’ve sleep walked through, his players competed for the name across their chests.
“I’m just really proud of how we stepped up,” Cox said. “Those seniors are going to remember this for the rest of their lives.”
Seaman never trailed in the game. The Vikings were on the mark from behind the 3-point line. Landon Wiltz scored a game-high 23 points on 8-for-14 shooting. Griffin Zuniga added 16 points on 6-for-13 shooting, too.
“We started spreading it out,” Wiltz said. “The shots were there for the whole game. Late in the game, we just started dishing it more. It all slowed down and we were just open.”
This is the just the third time in school history that Seaman was able to hoist a state trophy. The previous two teams came in 1941 when the Vikings earned fourth-place and when Seaman won the 2022 state title. Although the third-place trophy isn’t what they wanted, it’s not lost on the team in the grand scheme of things.
“It feels great. This program, everything that it has done for me, it’s a great accomplishment. I wish we could’ve done more,” Zuniga said. “Anything that he’s (Cox) has done for me, he’s done from the bottom of his heart. He’s really believed in me and my game.”
This was Cox’s final game patrolling the sidelines. He is retiring from coaching and teaching. It’s been a fantastic run for Cox, who also coached at Shawnee Heights and Washburn Rural. It was a special day for Cox, as he was able to represent the school that he loves one more time.
“My only fear was ending with two losses,” Cox smiled. “I’m just thrilled that we got the W.”
Topeka West’s state tournament run was not what they envisioned. It was still a stellar season highlighted by winning the United Kansas Conference title and the Topeka Invitational Tournament.
“I’m just glad these seniors took a chance on me, stayed with me after (Rick) Bloomquist left,” head coach Christian Ulsaker said. “I’m just blessed that they were able to go to state two years in a row. It means a lot to me that those boys were able to do all of those things.”
Prince Lassiter led Topeka West with 15 points on 6-for-13 shooting in the loss. Lassiter played some of his best basketball of the season during this state tournament run. The junior’s future is really bright on the hardwood and on the gridiron.
“He can play football or basketball in college, I firmly believe that,” Ulsaker said. “On top of that, I’ve got a good nucleus coming back. It will be fun to see.”
After a triple overtime marathon defeat a day earlier, Hesston had to suffer through the Class 3A third-place game. With fresher legs, Silver Lake dominated the Hesston Swathers earning a 61-45 win to claim the third-place trophy in back-to-back seasons.
Silver Lake was ahead from the early part of the game and never let up. Silver Lake’s 9-0 run in the third quarter was key in them coming out on top. The Eagles led for 26 minutes of the game controlling the tempo throughout the contest in Hutchinson.
It was the final game for Silver Lake senior Dayne Johnson, who put on another show for the fans. The all-time scorer in program history ended with a game-high 29 points on 10-for-15 shooting. He also grabbed six rebounds and had three assists in the outing.
This is Silver Lake’s second state trophy since 2018, a testament to head coach Shannon Krueger’s success in just his third year at the helm of his alma mater.
Liam Keating covers high school sports for The Topeka Capital-Journal. Send stats or information to him at Lkeating@gannett.com
This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: Seaman, Silver Lake boys basketball earn 3rd at state tournament
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Here’s everything that happened to these three Shawnee County teams.
Seaman boys secure 3rd over Topeka West in Class 5A
It certainly was not the game that either Topeka West or Seaman wanted to play in at Koch Arena in Wichita. But, one team had to come out on top and Seaman’s late run was the difference.
The Vikings took down Topeka West 66-50 thanks to a 24-5 run in the fourth quarter. Throughout the season, head coach Craig Cox has talked about playing with pride. In a game that they could’ve sleep walked through, his players competed for the name across their chests.
“I’m just really proud of how we stepped up,” Cox said. “Those seniors are going to remember this for the rest of their lives.”
Seaman never trailed in the game. The Vikings were on the mark from behind the 3-point line. Landon Wiltz scored a game-high 23 points on 8-for-14 shooting. Griffin Zuniga added 16 points on 6-for-13 shooting, too.
“We started spreading it out,” Wiltz said. “The shots were there for the whole game. Late in the game, we just started dishing it more. It all slowed down and we were just open.”
This is the just the third time in school history that Seaman was able to hoist a state trophy. The previous two teams came in 1941 when the Vikings earned fourth-place and when Seaman won the 2022 state title. Although the third-place trophy isn’t what they wanted, it’s not lost on the team in the grand scheme of things.
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“It feels great. This program, everything that it has done for me, it’s a great accomplishment. I wish we could’ve done more,” Zuniga said. “Anything that he’s (Cox) has done for me, he’s done from the bottom of his heart. He’s really believed in me and my game.”
This was Cox’s final game patrolling the sidelines. He is retiring from coaching and teaching. It’s been a fantastic run for Cox, who also coached at Shawnee Heights and Washburn Rural. It was a special day for Cox, as he was able to represent the school that he loves one more time.
“My only fear was ending with two losses,” Cox smiled. “I’m just thrilled that we got the W.”
Topeka West’s state tournament run was not what they envisioned. It was still a stellar season highlighted by winning the United Kansas Conference title and the Topeka Invitational Tournament.
You must be registered for see images
“I’m just glad these seniors took a chance on me, stayed with me after (Rick) Bloomquist left,” head coach Christian Ulsaker said. “I’m just blessed that they were able to go to state two years in a row. It means a lot to me that those boys were able to do all of those things.”
Prince Lassiter led Topeka West with 15 points on 6-for-13 shooting in the loss. Lassiter played some of his best basketball of the season during this state tournament run. The junior’s future is really bright on the hardwood and on the gridiron.
“He can play football or basketball in college, I firmly believe that,” Ulsaker said. “On top of that, I’ve got a good nucleus coming back. It will be fun to see.”
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Silver Lake boys finish 3rd for second straight season
After a triple overtime marathon defeat a day earlier, Hesston had to suffer through the Class 3A third-place game. With fresher legs, Silver Lake dominated the Hesston Swathers earning a 61-45 win to claim the third-place trophy in back-to-back seasons.
Silver Lake was ahead from the early part of the game and never let up. Silver Lake’s 9-0 run in the third quarter was key in them coming out on top. The Eagles led for 26 minutes of the game controlling the tempo throughout the contest in Hutchinson.
It was the final game for Silver Lake senior Dayne Johnson, who put on another show for the fans. The all-time scorer in program history ended with a game-high 29 points on 10-for-15 shooting. He also grabbed six rebounds and had three assists in the outing.
This is Silver Lake’s second state trophy since 2018, a testament to head coach Shannon Krueger’s success in just his third year at the helm of his alma mater.
Liam Keating covers high school sports for The Topeka Capital-Journal. Send stats or information to him at Lkeating@gannett.com
This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: Seaman, Silver Lake boys basketball earn 3rd at state tournament
Continue reading...
