By TYLER HENRY Salina Post contributor

With just five games remaining in their regular season, including four more league games, the Southeast of Saline girl’s basketball team will return to the Purple Palace on Tuesday evening for round two of the Trojan War with Beloit.

Southeast comes into this contest at 13-2 and 5-1 in league play while Beloit enters at 4-11.

The Lady Trojans in purple are fresh off a wild week that saw two late fourth-quarter comebacks to earn narrow victories over Sacred Heart and Chapman in the dying minutes.

“It’s always good to have those experiences and now we’ve been there if we get into a position like that again this season,” SES head coach Shauna Smith said. “We’ve learned from that and it was great that we ended up winning but we went back and watched a lot of film to see how we can avoid getting into that situation again.”

Despite dropping a game to Minneapolis earlier this year, the Lady Trojans can still take yet another outright league title if they can win out in their final four NCAA games, making this a big one for SES.

While Southeast’s defense has been there for them all season long, the Lady Trojans will look to push for their peak offensively in the coming weeks, ahead of a loaded sub-state to cap off February.

“We have to get back to where we were offensively,” Smith said. “We’re not attacking the basket and we’re trying to live and die shooting the three. We need to get back to the rim and get back to doing the things we know we can do.”

This game will be a rematch of a 59-29 win for SES earlier this season, but both teams have undergone significant improvements since that December matchup, which should make this one much closer.

“We shot lights out early from three and really opened the first game up but we know that they’re going to guard us differently this time,” she said. “We expect them to get out and pressure us and I’m hoping this is a game where our offense can get going again.”

While Beloit has improved from a talent standpoint, the Lady Trojans are also much deeper than they were in 2022, and a new post-rotation could challenge SES inside.

“We played them in the third game of the season and they were basically starting over again with kids who hadn’t seen time,” Smith said. “They’ve gotten way better and deeper. Their post-play has improved with a deep rotation and they hit the offensive boards hard.”

To collect their sixth-straight victory and keep their league destiny well within their own hands, Southeast will once again have to contend with the always-dangerous Peyton Remus, while maintaining efficiency on offense.

“Their point guard runs their team so we have to keep her in check and make them earn their points,” Smith said. “Ultimately we just have to attack their basket, the Chapman game opened up when we did that and we have to continue that tonight.”

Tip-off between the two Lady Trojans’ is scheduled for 6:00 at Southeast of Saline High School with the boy’s game to follow at 7:30.

As always, both games can be heard on KINA (910 AM or 107.5 FM) or streamed with live audio and video on the Salina Post.

By TYLER HENRY Salina Post contributor<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1599179528888.png" alt="Coverage of Lady Trojan hoops is presented by Salina Ortho: Quality orthopedic care when you need it!" />
 <figcaption>Coverage of Lady Trojan hoops is presented by Salina Ortho: Quality orthopedic care when you need it!</figcaption>
 </figure>With just five games remaining in their regular season, including four more league games, the Southeast of Saline girl’s basketball team will return to the Purple Palace on Tuesday evening for round two of the Trojan War with Beloit.Southeast comes into this contest at 13-2 and 5-1 in league play while Beloit enters at 4-11.The Lady Trojans in purple are fresh off a wild week that saw two late fourth-quarter comebacks to earn narrow victories over Sacred Heart and Chapman in the dying minutes.“It’s always good to have those experiences and now we’ve been there if we get into a position like that again this season,” SES head coach Shauna Smith said. “We’ve learned from that and it was great that we ended up winning but we went back and watched a lot of film to see how we can avoid getting into that situation again.”Despite dropping a game to Minneapolis earlier this year, the Lady Trojans can still take yet another outright league title if they can win out in their final four NCAA games, making this a big one for SES.While Southeast’s defense has been there for them all season long, the Lady Trojans will look to push for their peak offensively in the coming weeks, ahead of a loaded sub-state to cap off February.“We have to get back to where we were offensively,” Smith said. “We’re not attacking the basket and we’re trying to live and die shooting the three. We need to get back to the rim and get back to doing the things we know we can do.”This game will be a rematch of a 59-29 win for SES earlier this season, but both teams have undergone significant improvements since that December matchup, which should make this one much closer.“We shot lights out early from three and really opened the first game up but we know that they’re going to guard us differently this time,” she said. “We expect them to get out and pressure us and I’m hoping this is a game where our offense can get going again.”While Beloit has improved from a talent standpoint, the Lady Trojans are also much deeper than they were in 2022, and a new post-rotation could challenge SES inside.“We played them in the third game of the season and they were basically starting over again with kids who hadn’t seen time,” Smith said. “They’ve gotten way better and deeper. Their post-play has improved with a deep rotation and they hit the offensive boards hard.”To collect their sixth-straight victory and keep their league destiny well within their own hands, Southeast will once again have to contend with the always-dangerous Peyton Remus, while maintaining efficiency on offense.“Their point guard runs their team so we have to keep her in check and make them earn their points,” Smith said. “Ultimately we just have to attack their basket, the Chapman game opened up when we did that and we have to continue that tonight.”Tip-off between the two Lady Trojans’ is scheduled for 6:00 at Southeast of Saline High School with the boy’s game to follow at 7:30.As always, both games can be heard on KINA (910 AM or 107.5 FM) or streamed with live audio and video on the Salina Post.

Lady Trojans return home seeking sweep over Beloit

As the Southeast of Saline boy’s basketball team heads into the final three weeks of their regular season, the business of collecting another league title takes center stage, as they welcome in Beloit for round two of this year’s Trojan War.

Southeast comes into this contest ranked as the #2 team in Class 3A at 14-1, while Beloit enters at 11-4, having won 11 of their last 12 games.

The first time these two met on Beloit’s home floor this game wasn’t even a contest in a 68-46 decimation of the Trojans in orange, but both sides will be gearing up for a much different matchup this time around as Beloit’s season has done a full about-face.

“It’s hard to compare Beloit then to Beloit now,” SES head coach Bryson Flax said. “They’re playing at a really high level, they’re rebounding the ball well and they have four guys who are averaging close to double figures. They’re harder to guard and overall they’re playing with a lot of confidence.”

While Beloit looked out of sorts on both ends of the floor during a stretch that saw them start their season 0-3, the Trojans have become a force to be reckoned with, discovering more and more about themselves with every passing game.

“They’ve settled into an identity as a zone team and they play their bigs together,” Flax said. “They’ll spread you out and play high-low to clear the baseline. They post extremely hard, they’re efficient around the rim and if you overhelp they can knock down shots on the outside.”

Offensively, Bryce Beisner and Wyatt Broeckelman continue to create mismatches on both ends of the floor for opponents, but are no longer the only focal points of this Beloit team.

“Broeckelman on the outside and Beisner on the inside haven’t changed but Quinn Eilert is playing really well all around the stat line,” he said. “They’re not turning the ball over and Noah Gerstner is shooting the three-ball really well which opens up the paint.”

With all of this new firepower, SES is approaching this game as if they were playing an entirely different opponent, and will be ready for a real battle on Tuesday night.

“It’s fantastic for us to have another tough opponent like this down the stretch,” Flax said. “It’s not just a quality opponent but one that we have a chance to see in sub-state. They look like a whole new team compared to who we saw in that first game, we’re expecting a dogfight.”

Tip-off between the two Trojans’ is scheduled for 7:30 at Southeast of Saline High School following the girl’s game at 6:00.

As always, both games can be heard on KINA (910 AM or 107.5 FM) or streamed with live audio and video on the Salina Post.

By TYLER HENRY Salina Post contributor<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1599179528888.png" alt="Coverage of SES hoops is presented by Salina Ortho: Quality orthopedic care when you need it!" />
 <figcaption>Coverage of SES hoops is presented by Salina Ortho: Quality orthopedic care when you need it!</figcaption>
 </figure>As the Southeast of Saline boy’s basketball team heads into the final three weeks of their regular season, the business of collecting another league title takes center stage, as they welcome in Beloit for round two of this year’s Trojan War.Southeast comes into this contest ranked as the #2 team in Class 3A at 14-1, while Beloit enters at 11-4, having won 11 of their last 12 games.The first time these two met on Beloit’s home floor this game wasn’t even a contest in a 68-46 decimation of the Trojans in orange, but both sides will be gearing up for a much different matchup this time around as Beloit’s season has done a full about-face.“It’s hard to compare Beloit then to Beloit now,” SES head coach Bryson Flax said. “They’re playing at a really high level, they’re rebounding the ball well and they have four guys who are averaging close to double figures. They’re harder to guard and overall they’re playing with a lot of confidence.”While Beloit looked out of sorts on both ends of the floor during a stretch that saw them start their season 0-3, the Trojans have become a force to be reckoned with, discovering more and more about themselves with every passing game.“They’ve settled into an identity as a zone team and they play their bigs together,” Flax said. “They’ll spread you out and play high-low to clear the baseline. They post extremely hard, they’re efficient around the rim and if you overhelp they can knock down shots on the outside.”Offensively, Bryce Beisner and Wyatt Broeckelman continue to create mismatches on both ends of the floor for opponents, but are no longer the only focal points of this Beloit team.“Broeckelman on the outside and Beisner on the inside haven’t changed but Quinn Eilert is playing really well all around the stat line,” he said. “They’re not turning the ball over and Noah Gerstner is shooting the three-ball really well which opens up the paint.”With all of this new firepower, SES is approaching this game as if they were playing an entirely different opponent, and will be ready for a real battle on Tuesday night.“It’s fantastic for us to have another tough opponent like this down the stretch,” Flax said. “It’s not just a quality opponent but one that we have a chance to see in sub-state. They look like a whole new team compared to who we saw in that first game, we’re expecting a dogfight.”Tip-off between the two Trojans’ is scheduled for 7:30 at Southeast of Saline High School following the girl’s game at 6:00. As always, both games can be heard on KINA (910 AM or 107.5 FM) or streamed with live audio and video on the Salina Post.

2nd-Ranked SES hosts surging Beloit in rematch of Trojan War

By LESLIE EIKLEBERRY Salina Post

With the Kansas City Chiefs taking on the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LVII on Sunday, a number of area schools are participating in Chiefs or Super Bowl spirit weeks.

You can listen to the game at 5:30 p.m. Sunday on KINA (910 AM and 107.5 FM) and 99KG (99.9 FM).

According to spirit week postings on Facebook, most schools were having some sort of Patrick Mahomes theme for today that included wearing headbands, mohawks, or hats. For instance, the Abilene PK-5 Schools celebrated Headband Day during which students could wear "a Mahomes headband or rock a mohawk!"  

Bearcubs in USD #327 Ellsworth/Kanopolis/Geneseo took a different tack on Monday with "Dreaming of a KC Chiefs WIN!" during which students could wear pajamas.

At Southeast of Saline Elementary School, students on Monday celebrated Red &amp; Gold Day during which they wore red and gold to support the Chiefs.

Most of the spirit weeks also have a variation of Red Friday.

Other themed days throughout the week include the following.

The Kelce Brothers Bowl - twin day Tuesday, Blue Ridge Elementary School in Chapman USD 473

Touchdown Tuesday - Let's show off our best touchdown dance, Eisenhower Elementary School in McPherson

We're Going to Arizona - Wear your warm weather Tourist gear Tuesday, Solomon USD 393

Win Like Andy Wednesday (Wear Hawaiian gear, dress like your favorite player or cheerleader.), Centre K-12 School in Lost Springs

Wake up and Win Wednesday - Wear PJs, Enterprise Elementary School

Touchdown Thursday - Wear your favorite PJs so you are rested for all the touchdowns the Chiefs will score, Ell-Saline Elementary School

Throw it Back Thursday - Fight for your right to party! Wear '80s clothes or your favorite rock band t-shirt, middle school students in USD 327 Ellsworth/Kanopolis/Geneseo

Additionally, Abilene PK-5 Schools have challenged families to read together for 30 minutes every night during the spirit week.

The Bearcubs in USD 327 Ellsworth/Kanopolis/Geneseo also have an extra day in their spirit week. Monday (Feb. 13) is We're PROUD of our Chiefs! Day during which students can wear Chiefs athletic gear.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/2/1675723287270.jpeg" alt="Students at&nbsp;Centre K-12 School in Lost Springs celebrate Mahomes Monday. Photo courtesy <a href="https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100033974811393">Centre K-12 School Facebook page</a>" />
 <figcaption>Students at&nbsp;Centre K-12 School in Lost Springs celebrate Mahomes Monday. Photo courtesy <a href="https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100033974811393">Centre K-12 School Facebook page</a></figcaption>
 </figure>By LESLIE EIKLEBERRY Salina PostWith the Kansas City Chiefs taking on the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LVII on Sunday, a number of area schools are participating in Chiefs or Super Bowl spirit weeks.You can listen to the game at 5:30 p.m. Sunday on KINA (910 AM and 107.5 FM) and 99KG (99.9 FM).According to spirit week postings on Facebook, most schools were having some sort of Patrick Mahomes theme for today that included wearing headbands, mohawks, or hats. For instance, the Abilene PK-5 Schools celebrated Headband Day during which students could wear "a Mahomes headband or rock a mohawk!" Bearcubs in USD #327 Ellsworth/Kanopolis/Geneseo took a different tack on Monday with "Dreaming of a KC Chiefs WIN!" during which students could wear pajamas.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/2/1675723481674.jpeg" alt="Fourth graders at Southeast of Saline Elementary School celebrate Red &amp; Gold Day. Photo courtesy S<a href="https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063546372357">outheast of Saline Elementary Facebook page</a>" />
 <figcaption>Fourth graders at Southeast of Saline Elementary School celebrate Red &amp; Gold Day. Photo courtesy S<a href="https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063546372357">outheast of Saline Elementary Facebook page</a></figcaption>
 </figure>At Southeast of Saline Elementary School, students on Monday celebrated Red &amp; Gold Day during which they wore red and gold to support the Chiefs.Most of the spirit weeks also have a variation of Red Friday.Other themed days throughout the week include the following.The Kelce Brothers Bowl - twin day Tuesday, Blue Ridge Elementary School in Chapman USD 473Touchdown Tuesday - Let's show off our best touchdown dance, Eisenhower Elementary School in McPhersonWe're Going to Arizona - Wear your warm weather Tourist gear Tuesday, Solomon USD 393Win Like Andy Wednesday (Wear Hawaiian gear, dress like your favorite player or cheerleader.), Centre K-12 School in Lost SpringsWake up and Win Wednesday - Wear PJs, Enterprise Elementary SchoolTouchdown Thursday - Wear your favorite PJs so you are rested for all the touchdowns the Chiefs will score, Ell-Saline Elementary SchoolThrow it Back Thursday - Fight for your right to party! Wear '80s clothes or your favorite rock band t-shirt, middle school students in USD 327 Ellsworth/Kanopolis/GeneseoAdditionally, Abilene PK-5 Schools have challenged families to read together for 30 minutes every night during the spirit week.The Bearcubs in USD 327 Ellsworth/Kanopolis/Geneseo also have an extra day in their spirit week. Monday (Feb. 13) is We're PROUD of our Chiefs! Day during which students can wear Chiefs athletic gear.

Area students celebrate Chiefs, Super Bowl with spirit weeks

With a little over half the season already in the books, the Chapman girl’s basketball team will look to close out the 2022-23 campaign strong, looking to earn a winning season for the first time in three years.

The Lady Irish look much improved from their 8-13 squad a season ago, and have already equaled that win total, entering the back stretch of February at 8-7.

“We’ve taken a step beyond what we did last year and we came out really playing well after Christmas break,” Chapman head coach Michael Wahlmeier said. “That loss to Abilene really fueled us. Even in our few losses here we’ve been playing well we just haven’t had the shots go down.”

The Irish got off to a high-flying start, winning seven of their first ten to kick off the season, including a four-game winning streak to open 2023.

“We’ve really grown in our confidence,” Wahlmeier said. “I think at the beginning of the season we had some of that but winning some games early helped with that and it only grew from there.”

For this year’s Lady Irish, Maya Kirkpatrick, Ava Locke, and Keira Jones make up a big three that have been hard on opposing defenses, combining to score 33 points and grab 18 boards per game. “Maya is shooting the ball really well and we’ve had some games where she’s really put us on her shoulders down the stretch,” he said. “That leadership is something we really need. Kira has also been big this year on both ends of the floor guarding our opponent's best post player and Ava has been knocking down threes at a very high level so far.”

Chapman has cooled off a bit since their hot start, falling in four of their last five games, but has gone toe to toe with several ranked opponents in that stretch, falling most recently to #9 Southeast of Saline on Friday.

“I don’t think we’re playing our best yet but we’re trending upwards and that’s a positive,” he said. “We’ll continue to add more sets this week to show people things that they maybe haven’t seen yet.”

The ranked gauntlet will continue in the coming weeks as the Lady Irish prepare to square off with #4 Wamego and #9 Rock Creek, but hopes remain high that Chapman can continue to build momentum and pick up some more big wins ahead of the sub-state tournament at the end of February. “We set our goal at 11 wins to guarantee ourselves a winning season,” Wahlmeier said. “We’re not quite there yet and we know that this is the grueling part of our schedule. We have a few more to get and when we do we’ll set the bar a little higher. Some renewed focus is needed after three close losses but we’ve done a great job in practice here recently.”

Chapman will be back in action on Tuesday evening when the Lady Irish travel to Wamego for the aforementioned matchup with the #4 Lady Raiders. For continuing coverage of Lady Irish hoops all season long, stay tuned to the Salina Post.

By TYLER HENRY Salina Post contributor<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1599179528888.png" alt="Coverage of Lady Irish hoops is presented by Salina Ortho: Quality orthopedic care when you need it!" />
 <figcaption>Coverage of Lady Irish hoops is presented by Salina Ortho: Quality orthopedic care when you need it!</figcaption>
 </figure>With a little over half the season already in the books, the Chapman girl’s basketball team will look to close out the 2022-23 campaign strong, looking to earn a winning season for the first time in three years.The Lady Irish look much improved from their 8-13 squad a season ago, and have already equaled that win total, entering the back stretch of February at 8-7.“We’ve taken a step beyond what we did last year and we came out really playing well after Christmas break,” Chapman head coach Michael Wahlmeier said. “That loss to Abilene really fueled us. Even in our few losses here we’ve been playing well we just haven’t had the shots go down.”The Irish got off to a high-flying start, winning seven of their first ten to kick off the season, including a four-game winning streak to open 2023.“We’ve really grown in our confidence,” Wahlmeier said. “I think at the beginning of the season we had some of that but winning some games early helped with that and it only grew from there.”For this year’s Lady Irish, Maya Kirkpatrick, Ava Locke, and Keira Jones make up a big three that have been hard on opposing defenses, combining to score 33 points and grab 18 boards per game. “Maya is shooting the ball really well and we’ve had some games where she’s really put us on her shoulders down the stretch,” he said. “That leadership is something we really need. Kira has also been big this year on both ends of the floor guarding our opponent's best post player and Ava has been knocking down threes at a very high level so far.”Chapman has cooled off a bit since their hot start, falling in four of their last five games, but has gone toe to toe with several ranked opponents in that stretch, falling most recently to #9 Southeast of Saline on Friday.“I don’t think we’re playing our best yet but we’re trending upwards and that’s a positive,” he said. “We’ll continue to add more sets this week to show people things that they maybe haven’t seen yet.”The ranked gauntlet will continue in the coming weeks as the Lady Irish prepare to square off with #4 Wamego and #9 Rock Creek, but hopes remain high that Chapman can continue to build momentum and pick up some more big wins ahead of the sub-state tournament at the end of February. “We set our goal at 11 wins to guarantee ourselves a winning season,” Wahlmeier said. “We’re not quite there yet and we know that this is the grueling part of our schedule. We have a few more to get and when we do we’ll set the bar a little higher. Some renewed focus is needed after three close losses but we’ve done a great job in practice here recently.”Chapman will be back in action on Tuesday evening when the Lady Irish travel to Wamego for the aforementioned matchup with the #4 Lady Raiders. For continuing coverage of Lady Irish hoops all season long, stay tuned to the Salina Post.

2022-23 Midseason Report: Chapman girls basketball

On the road against the Fighting Irish on Friday, the Southeast of Saline boys’ basketball team kept the good times rolling, decimating Chapman 66-42 to improve to 14-1 on the year.

Despite facing a gauntlet of a schedule the Trojans have now outscored their opponents by 23 points on average, with nine blowout wins of 20 or more.

For a team with just four wins coming into this contest, the Irish showed real fight early and even held a 9-8 lead in the first quarter before Southeast closed on an 8-0 run to regain momentum and start to pull away.

“They came out with a lot of energy and confidence and they were able to do some really good things,” SES head coach Bryson Flax said. “It took us a little bit of time to settle into our offense but once we made those adjustments we got rolling a little bit.”

Chapman put a heavy emphasis on trying to take away Eli Sawyers and Nakari Morrical-Palmer holding them to just 10 and 6, but allowing Southeast’s depth to shine as the Trojans were led in scoring by Kayson Lilley (14) and Drake Augustine (10).

“When they’re putting so much emphasis on two of our players and leaving the middle of the floor open guys like Kayson, Caden, and Drake can really let it rip and Eli and Nakari made good decisions to set those guys up.”

Once again, the Trojans put on a show in transition, forcing Chapman into 19 turnovers while coughing the ball up just seven times themselves.

Despite playing at a high pace, SES has averaged under seven turnovers as a unit in their last four games, and has been excellent in turnover differential all season.

“We’re doing a nice job of taking care of the basketball and we’re not giving teams many extra opportunities,” Flax said. “We’re trying to preach forcing teams one shot and out and our guys are doing a nice job of not turning it over.”

Next up for the Trojans will be a game at the Purple Palace where SES will look to remain undefeated in league play, hosting Beloit on Tuesday.

By TYLER HENRY Salina Post contributor<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1599179528888.png" alt="Coverage of SES hoops is presented by Salina Ortho: Quality orthopedic care when you need it!" />
 <figcaption>Coverage of SES hoops is presented by Salina Ortho: Quality orthopedic care when you need it!</figcaption>
 </figure>On the road against the Fighting Irish on Friday, the Southeast of Saline boys’ basketball team kept the good times rolling, decimating Chapman 66-42 to improve to 14-1 on the year.Despite facing a gauntlet of a schedule the Trojans have now outscored their opponents by 23 points on average, with nine blowout wins of 20 or more.For a team with just four wins coming into this contest, the Irish showed real fight early and even held a 9-8 lead in the first quarter before Southeast closed on an 8-0 run to regain momentum and start to pull away.“They came out with a lot of energy and confidence and they were able to do some really good things,” SES head coach Bryson Flax said. “It took us a little bit of time to settle into our offense but once we made those adjustments we got rolling a little bit.”Chapman put a heavy emphasis on trying to take away Eli Sawyers and Nakari Morrical-Palmer holding them to just 10 and 6, but allowing Southeast’s depth to shine as the Trojans were led in scoring by Kayson Lilley (14) and Drake Augustine (10).“When they’re putting so much emphasis on two of our players and leaving the middle of the floor open guys like Kayson, Caden, and Drake can really let it rip and Eli and Nakari made good decisions to set those guys up.”Once again, the Trojans put on a show in transition, forcing Chapman into 19 turnovers while coughing the ball up just seven times themselves.Despite playing at a high pace, SES has averaged under seven turnovers as a unit in their last four games, and has been excellent in turnover differential all season.“We’re doing a nice job of taking care of the basketball and we’re not giving teams many extra opportunities,” Flax said. “We’re trying to preach forcing teams one shot and out and our guys are doing a nice job of not turning it over.”Next up for the Trojans will be a game at the Purple Palace where SES will look to remain undefeated in league play, hosting Beloit on Tuesday.

Trojans flex depth in road win over Chapman

After a wild fourth-quarter comeback allowed them to storm back and defeat Sacred Heart on Tuesday, the Southeast of Saline girls’ basketball team found themselves down again, this time by nine with just 4:00 to play in Chapman.

Against all odds, the Lady Trojans pulled off the unthinkable, closing out the contest on a 10-1 run to squeak out of town with a 43-42 victory at the buzzer.

Southeast came out shooting well to begin this game, knocking down four trays in the opening quarter to take a 16-6 lead at the break.

From there, Chapman began using their size to take control of the game, quickly wrestling back the Lady Trojan advantage and trailing by just a point at the half.

“When we came into this game we knew they were going to be very athletic,” SES head coach Shauna Smith said. “We knew not to focus on their record. Their size makes them a tough matchup, and they brought it tonight.”

The two sides remained even through the third quarter, but the Lady Irish owned the first four minutes of the final frame, and held a 41-33 lead with just four minutes remaining.

Despite not scoring a single point in the first 32 minutes of the game, Maddie Harris took over down the stretch, scoring all seven of her points in quick succession to help SES chop down the Chapman lead.

With just 2.3 seconds to play, the hot-shooting Harris got a touch on the perimeter and fired away, burying the game-winner to send the Lady Trojans to 13-2 on the season.

“We know that if we’re down in a big game we can come back and win because we’ve done it before,” Smith said. “We’ve learned a lot from these games. There are teams that never experience those things that tend to struggle, and we’re better for it.”&nbsp;

Two Lady Trojans notched double figures before the night was through, with Reagan Goetz dropping 11 and Brielle Ptacek tacking on ten.

Chapman's dynamic duo in the paint also scored double digits, with Ava Locke leading all scorers with 14 points, while Maya Kirkpatrick posted 12 in the loss.

Next up, Southeast of Saline will return home looking to sweep Beloit, in the second edition of this year’s Trojan War.

By TYLER HENRY Salina Post contributor<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1599179528888.png" alt="Coverage of Lady Trojan basketball is presented by Salina Ortho: Quality orthopedic care when you need it!" />
 <figcaption>Coverage of Lady Trojan basketball is presented by Salina Ortho: Quality orthopedic care when you need it!</figcaption>
 </figure>After a wild fourth-quarter comeback allowed them to storm back and defeat Sacred Heart on Tuesday, the Southeast of Saline girls’ basketball team found themselves down again, this time by nine with just 4:00 to play in Chapman.Against all odds, the Lady Trojans pulled off the unthinkable, closing out the contest on a 10-1 run to squeak out of town with a 43-42 victory at the buzzer.Southeast came out shooting well to begin this game, knocking down four trays in the opening quarter to take a 16-6 lead at the break.From there, Chapman began using their size to take control of the game, quickly wrestling back the Lady Trojan advantage and trailing by just a point at the half.“When we came into this game we knew they were going to be very athletic,” SES head coach Shauna Smith said. “We knew not to focus on their record. Their size makes them a tough matchup, and they brought it tonight.”The two sides remained even through the third quarter, but the Lady Irish owned the first four minutes of the final frame, and held a 41-33 lead with just four minutes remaining.Despite not scoring a single point in the first 32 minutes of the game, Maddie Harris took over down the stretch, scoring all seven of her points in quick succession to help SES chop down the Chapman lead.With just 2.3 seconds to play, the hot-shooting Harris got a touch on the perimeter and fired away, burying the game-winner to send the Lady Trojans to 13-2 on the season.“We know that if we’re down in a big game we can come back and win because we’ve done it before,” Smith said. “We’ve learned a lot from these games. There are teams that never experience those things that tend to struggle, and we’re better for it.”&nbsp;Two Lady Trojans notched double figures before the night was through, with Reagan Goetz dropping 11 and Brielle Ptacek tacking on ten.Chapman's dynamic duo in the paint also scored double digits, with Ava Locke leading all scorers with 14 points, while Maya Kirkpatrick posted 12 in the loss.Next up, Southeast of Saline will return home looking to sweep Beloit, in the second edition of this year’s Trojan War.

Hot-shooting Harris buries late triple to push Lady Trojans past Chapman

Andover Central 34, Goddard-Eisenhower 25

Cornerstone Family 49, Shawnee Mission Christian 36

Flint Hills Christian 35, Central Christian 32

Glasco/Miltonvale-Southern Cloud 36, Chase 35

Heritage Christian 76, Bishop Seabury Academy 14

Jefferson North 45, Maur Hill - Mount Academy 15

Kansas Deaf 56, Minnesota Academy for the Deaf, Minn. 13

Northern Valley 42, Wheatland-Grinnell 29

Pretty Prairie 42, Hutchinson Central Christian 39

Rawlins County 47, Dundy County-Stratton, Neb. 20

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESSGIRLS PREP BASKETBALLAndale 45, Augusta 28Anderson County 43, Girard 36Andover 40, Valley Center 22Andover Central 34, Goddard-Eisenhower 25Ashland 43, Otis-Bison 26Bennington 40, Sedgwick 39Blue Valley 51, BV West 45Bluestem 46, Erie 32Central Plains 50, St. John 33Chanute 55, Iola 41Chase County 44, Hartford 33Cheney 65, Chaparral 30Clearwater 51, Winfield 21Clifton-Clyde 47, Doniphan West 43, OTCornerstone Family 49, Shawnee Mission Christian 36Derby 60, Salina Central 30Flint Hills Christian 35, Central Christian 32Fort Scott 56, Parsons 40Frankfort 55, Centralia 41Frontenac 55, Riverton 41Galena 53, Baxter Springs 26Garden City 64, Guymon, Okla. 57Garden Plain 30, Conway Springs 21Glasco/Miltonvale-Southern Cloud 36, Chase 35Goddard 44, Arkansas City 41Goessel 53, Wakefield 33Halstead 55, Larned 37Hanover 52, Republic County 18Haven 65, Lyons 32Heritage Christian 76, Bishop Seabury Academy 14Hiawatha 46, Perry-Lecompton 24Highland Park 66, KC Wyandotte 37Hillsboro 42, Hesston 36, OTHugoton 47, Colby 31Hutchinson 33, Salina South 20Ingalls 36, Dighton 26Inman 57, Moundridge 49Jefferson North 45, Maur Hill - Mount Academy 15KC Piper 49, Lansing 33Kansas Deaf 56, Minnesota Academy for the Deaf, Minn. 13Kapaun Mount Carmel 78, Wichita West 35Kiowa County 50, Satanta 20Lakeside 60, Rock Hills 46Lawrence 46, SM West 40Lebo 60, West Franklin 15Liberal 43, Great Bend 38Linn 53, Troy 35Little River 57, Centre 9Louisburg 50, Ottawa 35Lyndon 52, Olpe 48Macksville 61, Victoria 22Maize South 52, Maize 25McPherson 69, Wichita Collegiate 17Meade 48, Sublette 26Minneapolis 42, Salina Sacred Heart 36Mission Valley 49, Northeast-Arma 35Nemaha Central 44, Holton 24Ness City 46, La Crosse 36Northern Valley 42, Wheatland-Grinnell 29Norton 57, Plainville 22Norwich 64, Cunningham 20Olathe East 45, Mill Valley 26Olathe South 44, Olathe Northwest 42Olathe West 79, Lawrence Free State 9Onaga 44, BV Randolph 31Osborne 81, Natoma 48Phillipsburg 67, Hill City 20Pike Valley 42, Lincoln 39Pratt 37, Hoisington 29Pretty Prairie 42, Hutchinson Central Christian 39Quinter 51, St. Francis 38Rawlins County 47, Dundy County-Stratton, Neb. 20Reno County 40, Yates Center 22Rock Creek 27, Riley County 24Rossville 74, Wabaunsee 48Rural Vista 43, Solomon 24SM East 56, Olathe North 41Sabetha 53, Royal Valley 45Santa Fe Trail 45, Prairie View 27Scott City 53, Ulysses 36Shawnee Heights 62, Leavenworth 43Silver Lake 65, St. Mary's 60Smith Center 43, Hays-TMP-Marian 38Smoky Valley 67, Nickerson 38Southeast Saline 43, Chapman 42St. John's Beloit-Tipton 61, Wilson 33St. Paul 53, Jayhawk Linn 27Stanton County 43, Southwestern Hts. 37Sterling 65, Marion 50Syracuse 56, Elkhart 51Thunder Ridge 54, Sylvan-Lucas 50Topeka 62, Junction City, Ore. 25Topeka Hayden 57, Manhattan 41Topeka Seaman 43, DeSoto 35Topeka West 58, KC Turner 28Veritas Christian 43, Baldwin 30Wamego 62, Eudora 29Washburn Rural 45, Emporia 39Washington County 76, Wetmore 23Wellington 59, Circle 37Wellsville 45, Osawatomie 31Western Plains 39, Logan/Palco 37Wichita Bishop Carroll 59, Wichita Northwest 32Wichita Independent 70, Kingman 18Wichita Life Prep 62, Wichita Home School 34Wichita Sunrise 73, Wasatch Academy, Utah 61Wichita Trinity 65, Douglass 40BOYS PREP BASKETBALLAndover 70, Valley Center 35Andover Central 59, Goddard-Eisenhower 46Arkansas City 76, Goddard 68, 2OTAshland 39, Otis-Bison 31Attica 60, Fairfield 43Augusta 31, Andale 29Axtell 60, Valley Heights 34BV North 62, St. James Academy 57BV Northwest 50, Lee's Summit North, Mo. 30BV Randolph 58, Onaga 49Bishop Seabury Academy 76, Heritage Christian 68Blue Valley 50, BV West 36Bonner Springs 82, Tonganoxie 58Brewster 60, Wheatland-Grinnell 52Bucklin 59, Hodgeman County 51Caldwell 67, Flinthills 42Central Heights 80, KC Christian 66Central Plains 59, St. John 52Centralia 63, Frankfort 43Chanute 55, Iola 41Chaparral 55, Cheney 52Chase County 57, Hartford 46Circle 66, Wellington 35Clifton-Clyde 52, Doniphan West 35DeSoto 68, Topeka Seaman 39Derby 60, Salina Central 45Dighton 50, Ingalls 38Dundy County-Stratton, Neb. 78, Rawlins County 55Ell-Saline 47, Berean Academy 44Eudora 46, Wamego 33Fort Scott 56, Parsons 40Galena 66, Baxter Springs 34Garden City 57, Guymon, Okla. 42Girard 52, Anderson County 27Goessel 53, Wakefield 15Great Bend 72, Liberal 42Halstead 37, Larned 34Hanover 53, Republic County 40Hays 56, Dodge City 33Hays-TMP-Marian 63, Smith Center 41Hesston 46, Hillsboro 37Highland Park 66, KC Wyandotte 37Hill City 53, Phillipsburg 43Holton 50, Nemaha Central 49, OTHugoton 60, Colby 43Humboldt 69, Caney Valley 39Hutchinson 66, Salina South 40Independence 40, Labette County 35Jayhawk Linn 47, St. Paul 35Jefferson North 37, Maur Hill - Mount Academy 32, OTJunction City, Ore. 52, Topeka 46KC Piper 70, Lansing 34Kapaun Mount Carmel 78, Wichita West 35Kinsley 51, Spearville 48La Crosse 51, Ness City 40Lakeside 59, Rock Hills 50Lebo 64, West Franklin 52Logan/Palco 59, Cheylin 47Lyndon 52, Olpe 48Macksville 62, Victoria 31Maize South 62, Maize 50Marysville 56, Abilene 51McPherson 68, Wichita Collegiate 52Meade 75, Sublette 60Mill Valley 60, Olathe East 46Minneola 60, Moscow 27Moundridge 53, Inman 46Nickerson 64, Smoky Valley 36Northeast-Arma 57, Altoona-Midway 47Northern Valley 70, Weskan 36Norton 59, Plainville 41Norwich 48, Cunningham 43Olathe South 51, Olathe Northwest 40Olathe West 75, Lawrence Free State 73Osborne 79, Natoma 16Ottawa 50, Louisburg 46Oxford 60, West Elk 56Perry-Lecompton 57, Hiawatha 42Pike Valley 61, Lincoln 58Pleasant Ridge 37, McLouth 26Pratt 56, Hoisington 47Quinter 61, St. Francis 13Riverton 70, Frontenac 58Rock Creek 68, Riley County 58Russell 87, Oakley 66SM East 56, Olathe North 41SM Northwest 44, SM South 42SM West 74, Lawrence 63Sabetha 70, Royal Valley 45Salina Sacred Heart 50, Minneapolis 37Santa Fe Trail 69, Prairie View 36Scott City 71, Ulysses 55South Gray 68, Pawnee Heights 32Southeast 69, Crest 37Southeast Saline 66, Chapman 42St. John's Beloit-Tipton 57, Wilson 38St. Mary's 74, Silver Lake 67St. Thomas Aquinas 62, Rockhurst, Mo. 52St. Xavier 52, Topeka 46Sterling 68, Marion 47Syracuse 83, Elkhart 81, OTThunder Ridge 55, Sylvan-Lucas 52Topeka Hayden 51, Manhattan 48Topeka West 85, KC Turner 56Trego 49, Ellis 15Troy 58, Linn 46Uniontown 38, Oswego 32Wabaunsee 47, Rossville 33Washburn Rural 50, Emporia 42, OTWashington County 60, Wetmore 52Wichita Bishop Carroll 61, Wichita Northwest 36Wichita Campus 76, Newton 49Wichita Heights 55, Wichita East 27Wichita Independent 71, Kingman 65Wichita Sunrise 73, Wasatch Academy, Utah 61Wichita Trinity 55, Douglass 18Some high school basketball scores provided by <a href="http://Scorestream.com">Scorestream.com</a>.

Friday prep basketball scores

As we officially enter the home stretch of the high school hoops season, the Fighting Irish and Trojans will meet in Chapman on Friday night, looking to kick off the month of February with a big win.

Southeast of Saline comes into this contest at 13-1, ranked as the #2 team in Class 3A while Chapman enters at 4-10 but fresh off back-to-back wins at home against Holton and at Clay Center.

“I think overall we’re starting to play better together as a team,” Irish head coach Drew Gruver said. “The guys are starting to accept their roles and work to fulfill those as best as possible. I think we are starting to operate and think as one unit with no selfish motives and it’s amazing how much can be accomplished when nobody cares who gets the credit.”

In these last two games, Chapman’s offense has begun to peak, with the Irish posting a season-high 66 points in their win at Clay Center on Tuesday.

“Chapman is shooting the ball a little better and that obviously helps,” SES head coach Bryson Flax said. “They’re able to knock down some shots that they need to hit and they're also starting to figure things out defensively.”

In order to continue that success, the Irish will have to overcome a team that few have had an answer for this season in Southeast, who have themselves, been playing at a very high offensive clip as of late.&nbsp;

“They are very good at all aspects of the game,” Gruver said. “They have good players that can defend, pass, dribble, and shoot, and their size and athleticism make them tough. Sawyers and Morrical-palmer are guys that we have to keep in check.”

Meanwhile, to keep the good times rolling in the new year, the Trojan focus this week has been on handling their business once again, without the fear of a potential trap game.

“I don’t worry about us overlooking anybody because we have a very mature group that’s been through this before,” Flax said. “We’ve played teams with really good records and followed it up with teams who haven’t looked as good and we haven’t really fallen off. This game is about fine-tuning ourselves and finding ways to get better and trusting that the result will take care of itself.”

Ultimately, the game on the glass will play a big role in this one, as the Irish can ill-afford to give the Trojans extra looks around the basket if they want to pull off the upset at home.”

“We have to get stops on the defensive end,” Gruver said. “Boxing out and rebounding will be big for us as well. We have to keep them out of the paint and not let them score easy baskets inside. Offensively we have to value the ball and handle their defensive pressure. We need to be patient on the offensive end and continue to play together and take great shots for us to have a chance to win.”

Those keys apply to Southeast in this game as well, as they will once again have some size to contend with on the other end.

“They have a big kid inside that they like to give post touches to so they can work inside out,” Flax said. “Defensively we’ve seen them play quite a bit of man and a little zone. They’re improving as a whole and that’s what you want to do this time of year, they also play better at home and we know they’ll be ready for us.”

Tip-off between the Trojans and Irish is set for 7:30 pm at Chapman High School, following the girls’ game at 6:00.

Both games can be heard on KINA (910 AM or 107.5 FM) or streamed live on the Salina Post with both audio and video.

By TYLER HENRY Salina Post contributor<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1599179528888.png" alt="Coverage of SES and Chapman hoops is presented by Salina Ortho: Quality orthopedic care when you need it!" />
 <figcaption>Coverage of SES and Chapman hoops is presented by Salina Ortho: Quality orthopedic care when you need it!</figcaption>
 </figure>As we officially enter the home stretch of the high school hoops season, the Fighting Irish and Trojans will meet in Chapman on Friday night, looking to kick off the month of February with a big win.Southeast of Saline comes into this contest at 13-1, ranked as the #2 team in Class 3A while Chapman enters at 4-10 but fresh off back-to-back wins at home against Holton and at Clay Center.“I think overall we’re starting to play better together as a team,” Irish head coach Drew Gruver said. “The guys are starting to accept their roles and work to fulfill those as best as possible. I think we are starting to operate and think as one unit with no selfish motives and it’s amazing how much can be accomplished when nobody cares who gets the credit.”In these last two games, Chapman’s offense has begun to peak, with the Irish posting a season-high 66 points in their win at Clay Center on Tuesday.“Chapman is shooting the ball a little better and that obviously helps,” SES head coach Bryson Flax said. “They’re able to knock down some shots that they need to hit and they're also starting to figure things out defensively.”In order to continue that success, the Irish will have to overcome a team that few have had an answer for this season in Southeast, who have themselves, been playing at a very high offensive clip as of late.&nbsp;“They are very good at all aspects of the game,” Gruver said. “They have good players that can defend, pass, dribble, and shoot, and their size and athleticism make them tough. Sawyers and Morrical-palmer are guys that we have to keep in check.”Meanwhile, to keep the good times rolling in the new year, the Trojan focus this week has been on handling their business once again, without the fear of a potential trap game.“I don’t worry about us overlooking anybody because we have a very mature group that’s been through this before,” Flax said. “We’ve played teams with really good records and followed it up with teams who haven’t looked as good and we haven’t really fallen off. This game is about fine-tuning ourselves and finding ways to get better and trusting that the result will take care of itself.”Ultimately, the game on the glass will play a big role in this one, as the Irish can ill-afford to give the Trojans extra looks around the basket if they want to pull off the upset at home.”“We have to get stops on the defensive end,” Gruver said. “Boxing out and rebounding will be big for us as well. We have to keep them out of the paint and not let them score easy baskets inside. Offensively we have to value the ball and handle their defensive pressure. We need to be patient on the offensive end and continue to play together and take great shots for us to have a chance to win.”Those keys apply to Southeast in this game as well, as they will once again have some size to contend with on the other end.“They have a big kid inside that they like to give post touches to so they can work inside out,” Flax said. “Defensively we’ve seen them play quite a bit of man and a little zone. They’re improving as a whole and that’s what you want to do this time of year, they also play better at home and we know they’ll be ready for us.”Tip-off between the Trojans and Irish is set for 7:30 pm at Chapman High School, following the girls’ game at 6:00.Both games can be heard on KINA (910 AM or 107.5 FM) or streamed live on the Salina Post with both audio and video.

2nd-ranked Trojans travel to Chapman to face surging Irish

The Southeast of Saline Trojans are traveling to Chapman to take on the Irish tonight. If you can't make it to the games, we have you covered!

The girls play at 6 p.m. Friday and the boys at approximately 7:30 p.m.

You can listen to the basketball games on KINA (910 AM or 107.5 FM). Devin Hanney has the call. You also can watch a live stream of the games right here on Salina Post, thanks to Salina Surgical Hospital!

Click the QR code or the link below to watch the games Friday.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/2/1675394084746.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>The Southeast of Saline Trojans are traveling to Chapman to take on the Irish tonight. If you can't make it to the games, we have you covered!The girls play at 6 p.m. Friday and the boys at approximately 7:30 p.m.You can listen to the basketball games on KINA (910 AM or 107.5 FM). Devin Hanney has the call. You also can watch a live stream of the games right here on Salina Post, thanks to Salina Surgical Hospital!Click the QR code or the link below to watch the games Friday.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/2/1675394287589.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure><div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/xKvoest7qb4" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>Video by Bryan Dennett

🎥Watch live as Southeast of Saline takes on Chapman tonight!

With two months of the high school basketball season in the books, the Southeast of Saline and Chapman girls’ basketball teams will square off on Friday to kick off the final leg of their 2022-23 campaigns.

The Lady Trojans will enter this contest at 12-2, ranked as the #9 team in Class 3A, while the resurgent and home-standing Lady Irish come in at 8-6.

A season ago, these two met in a 68-26 home victory for Southeast, but the Lady Trojans know that this year’s Chapman team is much improved from the one they saw in early 2022.

“Chapman was pretty young last year but they’re all a year older and more experienced,” SES head coach Shauna Smith said. “They have some real size with two girls who are way bigger than we are. They play inside out a little bit and they really get after it so we have to play under control and not give up easy baskets in the lane.”

A similar respect has been afforded to Southeast from the Chapman side of the matchup, as the Lady Irish prepare for what should be a real battle on their home floor.

“They play hard, they’re very well coached and they shoot the ball well,” Chapman head coach Michael Wahlmeier said. “Last year they lit us up early and we didn’t respond very well so we’ve got to be ready to go from the tip, we have to be ready to defend and we have to be able to score ourselves. We don’t want to get into a track meet with them but you can’t expect to hold them to just a few points.”

Both teams have developed a reputation for wanting to push the pace this season, and each will have to lock in mentally to ensure that they don’t speed themselves up beyond the point of comfort.

“They want to get out and run and they have some really athletic kids,” Smith said. “We like to run too but we have to remember that we don’t have to shoot the ball after one or two passes and we have to make teams guard us for longer.”

One of the biggest keys for the Lady Irish will come in how they handle the Southeast press, something that has allowed the Lady Trojans to score easy buckets in bunches this season.

“Controlling the tempo is huge,” Wahlmeier said. “We like to run too but not like they do. We want to slow them down as much as possible but still be in the rhythm that we like to play in. Transition defense will be important, we need to make sure we’re sprinting back and it has to be the whole team.”

To lock down a second five-game winning streak this season, SES will once again have to contend with the renowned post play of Maya Kirkpatrick and Keira Jones, who have done an excellent job of keeping opponents off the glass this season.

“We’ve gotten better with every game at understanding how we need to defend to keep teams that have us outsized off balance,” Smith said. “Everyone has a different role but overall we’ve done a really nice job.”

On the other side of this matchup, Chapman will need to play at their peak to avoid their first three-game skid of the campaign and to eliminate a top-ten 3A opponent.

“We need to take care of the basketball and make sure we’re not giving them second chances,” Wahlmeier said. “Rebounding is also huge for us and we have to make sure we’re doing that to limit their scoring opportunities.”&nbsp;

Tip-off between the Lady Irish and Trojans is set for 6:00 at Chapman high school, with the boys’ game to follow at 7:30.

Both games can be heard on KINA (910 AM or 107.5 FM) courtesy of Eagle Radio, or streamed with live audio and video on the Salina Post.

By TYLER HENRY Salina Post contributor<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1599179528888.png" alt="Coverage of SES and Chapman hoops is presented by Salina Ortho: Quality orthopedic care when you need it!" />
 <figcaption>Coverage of SES and Chapman hoops is presented by Salina Ortho: Quality orthopedic care when you need it!</figcaption>
 </figure>With two months of the high school basketball season in the books, the Southeast of Saline and Chapman girls’ basketball teams will square off on Friday to kick off the final leg of their 2022-23 campaigns.The Lady Trojans will enter this contest at 12-2, ranked as the #9 team in Class 3A, while the resurgent and home-standing Lady Irish come in at 8-6.A season ago, these two met in a 68-26 home victory for Southeast, but the Lady Trojans know that this year’s Chapman team is much improved from the one they saw in early 2022.“Chapman was pretty young last year but they’re all a year older and more experienced,” SES head coach Shauna Smith said. “They have some real size with two girls who are way bigger than we are. They play inside out a little bit and they really get after it so we have to play under control and not give up easy baskets in the lane.”A similar respect has been afforded to Southeast from the Chapman side of the matchup, as the Lady Irish prepare for what should be a real battle on their home floor.“They play hard, they’re very well coached and they shoot the ball well,” Chapman head coach Michael Wahlmeier said. “Last year they lit us up early and we didn’t respond very well so we’ve got to be ready to go from the tip, we have to be ready to defend and we have to be able to score ourselves. We don’t want to get into a track meet with them but you can’t expect to hold them to just a few points.”Both teams have developed a reputation for wanting to push the pace this season, and each will have to lock in mentally to ensure that they don’t speed themselves up beyond the point of comfort.“They want to get out and run and they have some really athletic kids,” Smith said. “We like to run too but we have to remember that we don’t have to shoot the ball after one or two passes and we have to make teams guard us for longer.”One of the biggest keys for the Lady Irish will come in how they handle the Southeast press, something that has allowed the Lady Trojans to score easy buckets in bunches this season.“Controlling the tempo is huge,” Wahlmeier said. “We like to run too but not like they do. We want to slow them down as much as possible but still be in the rhythm that we like to play in. Transition defense will be important, we need to make sure we’re sprinting back and it has to be the whole team.”To lock down a second five-game winning streak this season, SES will once again have to contend with the renowned post play of Maya Kirkpatrick and Keira Jones, who have done an excellent job of keeping opponents off the glass this season.“We’ve gotten better with every game at understanding how we need to defend to keep teams that have us outsized off balance,” Smith said. “Everyone has a different role but overall we’ve done a really nice job.”On the other side of this matchup, Chapman will need to play at their peak to avoid their first three-game skid of the campaign and to eliminate a top-ten 3A opponent.“We need to take care of the basketball and make sure we’re not giving them second chances,” Wahlmeier said. “Rebounding is also huge for us and we have to make sure we’re doing that to limit their scoring opportunities.”&nbsp;Tip-off between the Lady Irish and Trojans is set for 6:00 at Chapman high school, with the boys’ game to follow at 7:30.Both games can be heard on KINA (910 AM or 107.5 FM) courtesy of Eagle Radio, or streamed with live audio and video on the Salina Post.

Chapman hosts #9 Lady Trojans in all-area showdown

HAYS - Wednesday is National Signing Day as Fort Hays State head football coach&nbsp;<a href="http://fhsuathletics.com/coaches.aspx?rc=432">Chris Brown</a>&nbsp;and the Tiger football coaching staff announce signings for the 2023 season. The next Tiger Football recruiting class will be sending in their National Letters of Intent (NLI) throughout the day. Updated at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday Nijel Akpom, 6-4, 360, OL, Irving, Texas / MacArthur HS MacArthur HS: Named school's Lineman of the Year twice. Landen Allen, 6-0, 200, LB, Salina, Kan. / Southeast of Saline HS Southeast of Saline HS: KFCA 2A All-State selection in 2022...All-state selection by Wichita Eagle on defense and Sports in Kansas on offense in 2022...All-league selection on defense in 2021 and 2022 and on offense in 2022...Two-time all-state and all-league selection in baseball. Keamonie Archie, 6-3, 180, DB, Hays, Kan. / Hays HS Lawson Bailey, 6-0, 190, RB, Scott City, Kan. / Scott Community HS Scott Community HS: All-state honorable mention selection on offense...All-league first team on offense and second team on defense...All-state and all-league selection in baseball...All-league selection in basketball. Tayshaun Balmir, 5-9, 195, RB, Dade City, Fla. / Pasco HS Pasco HS: All-conference first team selection…Conference Offensive Player of the Year…Broke his school's single-season rushing yards record…Had over 1,900 yards with 23 touchdowns. Donovan Beckom, 5-11, 180, DB, Los Angeles, Calif. / Cathedral HS Cathedral HS: All-league first team selection...Named team's MVP on defense...Had seven interceptions. Neville Brown, 6-4, 310, OL, Orlando, Fla. / Evans HS Evans HS: All-Metro Third Team selection...Named to academic honor roll. Avery Coleman, 6-5, 255, OL, Tyler, Texas / Tyler HS Tyler HS: All-district first team selection. Keyshawn Dooley, 5-9, 165, WR, Colorado Springs, Colo. / Vista Ridge HS Vista Ridge HS: All-state second team selection...Had 130 receptions for over 2,000 yards with 25 touchdowns during his prep career...Two-time all-conference selection, including first-team honors as a senior...State qualifier in track and field. Kameron Graham, 6-4, 225, DE, Orlando, Fla. / Boone HS Boone HS: All-conference first team selection during junior and senior years...Recorded 62 tackles, eight sacks, and 22 tackles for loss. Kyreese Groen, 6-1, 160, WR, Hays, Kan. / Hays HS Amel Hadzisabic, 5-11, 175, K, Amarillo, Texas / Randall HS Randall HS: First-team all-district kicker…Ranked among the Top 30 kickers nationally by a kicker rating service…Made 90 percent of his field goal attempts…Team defensive MVP in soccer…Second-team all-district defender in soccer. Kade Harris, 5-11, 180, S, Hays, Kan. / TMP-Marian HS TMP-Marian HS: Four-time All-MCL League selection, including four times on defensive, four times as a return specialist, and three times on offense…Sports in Kansas 2A Defensive Player of the Year finalist in both 2020 and 2022 and Offensive Player of the Year finalist in 2021…All-state selection by the Wichita Eagle and Topeka Capital Journal…Owns career rushing record and scoring record at TMP-Marian…All-state selection in basketball. Mason Hernandez, 5-10, 180, RB, Goodland, Kan. / Goodland HS Goodland HS: All-state honorable mention selection...All-league selection at running back. Chance Kerr, 6-0, 205, LB, Dodge City, Kan. / Dodge City HS Dodge City HS: All-conference selection as both a linebacker and running back...Served as team captain...Received KSHSAA Citizenship Award. Kaden Lonard, 6-5, 300, OL, Lawrence, Kan. / Free State HS Free State HS: Two-time all-state and two-time all-league selection. Elijah Lynn, 6-6, 240, DT, Phoenix, Ariz. / Moon Valley HS Moon Valley HS: All-region first team selection...Named Lineman of the Year...Sectional champion in wrestling and twice earned Most Outstanding Wrestler honors at tournaments. Braxton McDaniel, 6-4, 310, OL, Silver Lake, Kan. / Silver Lake HS Silver Lake HS: All-county and all-league selection as an offensive lineman...All-league academic selection all four years. Mason McGavran, 6-0, 215, QB/ATH, Olathe, Kan. / Olathe West HS Olathe West HS: All-Sunflower League selection at quarterback...Helped Olathe West to a regional championship in 2022...All-state first team selection in Kansas Class 6A...Sports in Kansas Player of the Year finalist...Threw for over 5,900 yards in his prep career with 72 touchdowns...As a senior threw for over 1,400 yards and rushed for over 1,300 yards. Kreighton Modrow, 5-10, 170, WR, Salina, Kan. / Salina South HS Salina South HS: All-league selection...Served as team captain. Jacob Orozco, 6-3, 215, LB, Los Angeles, Calif. / Salesian HS Taderian Partee, 6-4, 240, DT, Blytheville, Ark. / Gosnell HS TreVian Pierce, 6-0, 155, DB, Parsons, Kan. / Parsons HS Parsons HS: Two-year starter at cornerback...Named team's Most Improved Defensive Player in 2021...Helped lead Parsons to a playoff win in 2021. Jaheim Reed, 6-4, 300, OL, Orlando, Fla. / Olympia HS Olympia HS: Selected to play in the Orlando Cure Classic all-star game...Served as a team captain. Jamai Rutherford, 6-3, 180, WR, Tampa, Fla. / Tampa Catholic HS Tampa Catholic HS: All-district selection...Recorded 22 catches for 380 yards and five touchdowns as a senior. Bryce Salmans, 6-1, 225, DE, Hays, Kan. / Hays HS Hays HS: Two-time all-state selection...Three-time all-league selection...2022 WAC Defensive Player of the Year...Selected to compete in the 2023 Kansas Shrine Bowl...State qualifier in track and field for both throwing and running events. Guyteau Salvador, 6-4, 220, DE, Miami, Fla. / Dr. Krop HS Dr. Krop HS: All-Dade County Second Team selection...Selected to Dade vs. Broward All-Star Game...Recorded 15.5 sacks, 30 tackles for loss, and 70 solo tackles. Omar Shah, 5-10, 220, LB, Salt Lake City, Utah / East HS Jakobe Smith, 6-0, 180, DB, Marion, Ark. / Marion HS Marion HS: All-conference selection...Earned the Marion Patriot Award...Recorded over 50 tackles and had four interceptions. Wyatt Spexarth, 6-3, 175, QB, Andale, Kan. / Andale HS Andale HS: All-state honorable mention in Kansas Class 3A...Never lost a game in high school with 51 straight wins...Helped Andale to four Class 3A state titles from 2019 to 2022...All-league selection...All-state and all-league selection in basketball and all-league selection in baseball. Gavin Stanford, 6-2, 180, S, Sarasota, Fla. / Booker HS Booker HS: Recorded five interceptions, including two returned for touchdowns, along with 13 pass breakups and 35 tackles. Reid Tedford, 6-7, 225, QB, Crawford, Texas / Midway HS Midway HS: As a senior, recorded 1,995 passing yards with 13 touchdowns and four rushing touchdowns...Served as team captain. Lamaj Travis, 6-0, 195, RB, Fresno, Calif. / Clovis East HS Clovis East HS:&nbsp;Rushed for 1,081 yards as a senior with 16 touchdowns. Jackson Turnbull, 6-5, 230, DE, Pittsburg, Kan. / Pittsburg HS Pittsburg HS: All-state honorable mention selection in Kansas Class 5A as a junior and senior...Helped team to a regional championship as a senior...Two-time all-state selection in baseball...All-state honorable mention selection in basketball. Carter Waldo, 6-0, 200, LB, Marion, Ark. / Marion HS Marion HS: All-state selection as a senior...Served as team captain...Recorded 54 tackles during senior year...Member of track and field team that holds the school record in the 4x200 meters. Keron Watson, 6-4, 220, TE, Tucson, Ariz. / Cienega HS Cienega HS: Had 555 receiving yards with eight touchdowns...Recorded 48 tackles on defense. Caleb Wiese, 6-3, 200, DB, Garden City, Kan. / Garden City HS Garden City HS: Five-time all-conference selection between football, basketball, and baseball...All-state selection...Recorded over 200 tackles in his prep career with six interceptions. Joshua Willhite, 6-1, 215, TE, Broken Arrow, Okla. / Broken Arrow HS Broken Arrow HS: Recorded 40 receptions throughout his prep career with six touchdowns. Marquis Williams, 6-1, 160, WR, Wichita, Kan. / Sunrise Christian Academy Sunrise Christian Academy: Two-time all-state selection both on offense and defense. Transfers Carson Arndt, 6-0, 170, K, Wichita, Kan. / Butler (Kan.) CC Blake Batarse, 6-0, 185, WR, Simi Valley, Calif. / Moorpark College Arundel Briggs, 6-2, 310, OL, Waxahachie, Texas / Prairie View A&amp;M Manuel Chavez, 6-1, 230, LB, Leoti, Kan. / Garden City (Kan.) CC Sean Delaughter, 5-9, 160, WR, Miami, Fla. / Upper Iowa University Travis Dixon, 5-10, 220, RB, Hollywood, Fla. / Garden City (Kan.) CC Seth Falley, 6-4, 295, OL, Haysville, Kan. / Middle Tennessee State Sloan Hayden, 6-4, 240, TE, Ulysses, Kan. / Hutchinson (Kan.) CC Jayden Horace, 6-1, 170, WR, Tampa, Fla. / Allen University Donnell Johnson III, 6-2, 310, DL, Fort Lauderdale, Fla. / Florida International University John Thomas Jones, 6-3, 240, TE, Devers, Texas / Butler (Kan.) CC Solomon MacFoy, 5-11, 175, DB, Tyler, Texas / Midwestern State University Hosia Stokes, 5-9, 175, WR, Adelanto, Calif. / Victor Valley College Benyon Williams, 5-9, 175, DB, Tampa, Fla. / North Carolina Wesleyan&nbsp;&nbsp;

FHSU AthleticsHAYS - Wednesday is National Signing Day as Fort Hays State head football coach&nbsp;<a href="http://fhsuathletics.com/coaches.aspx?rc=432">Chris Brown</a>&nbsp;and the Tiger football coaching staff announce signings for the 2023 season. The next Tiger Football recruiting class will be sending in their National Letters of Intent (NLI) throughout the day. Updated at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday Nijel Akpom, 6-4, 360, OL, Irving, Texas / MacArthur HS MacArthur HS: Named school's Lineman of the Year twice. Landen Allen, 6-0, 200, LB, Salina, Kan. / Southeast of Saline HS Southeast of Saline HS: KFCA 2A All-State selection in 2022...All-state selection by Wichita Eagle on defense and Sports in Kansas on offense in 2022...All-league selection on defense in 2021 and 2022 and on offense in 2022...Two-time all-state and all-league selection in baseball. Keamonie Archie, 6-3, 180, DB, Hays, Kan. / Hays HS Lawson Bailey, 6-0, 190, RB, Scott City, Kan. / Scott Community HS Scott Community HS: All-state honorable mention selection on offense...All-league first team on offense and second team on defense...All-state and all-league selection in baseball...All-league selection in basketball. Tayshaun Balmir, 5-9, 195, RB, Dade City, Fla. / Pasco HS Pasco HS: All-conference first team selection…Conference Offensive Player of the Year…Broke his school's single-season rushing yards record…Had over 1,900 yards with 23 touchdowns. Donovan Beckom, 5-11, 180, DB, Los Angeles, Calif. / Cathedral HS Cathedral HS: All-league first team selection...Named team's MVP on defense...Had seven interceptions. Neville Brown, 6-4, 310, OL, Orlando, Fla. / Evans HS Evans HS: All-Metro Third Team selection...Named to academic honor roll. Avery Coleman, 6-5, 255, OL, Tyler, Texas / Tyler HS Tyler HS: All-district first team selection. Keyshawn Dooley, 5-9, 165, WR, Colorado Springs, Colo. / Vista Ridge HS Vista Ridge HS: All-state second team selection...Had 130 receptions for over 2,000 yards with 25 touchdowns during his prep career...Two-time all-conference selection, including first-team honors as a senior...State qualifier in track and field. Kameron Graham, 6-4, 225, DE, Orlando, Fla. / Boone HS Boone HS: All-conference first team selection during junior and senior years...Recorded 62 tackles, eight sacks, and 22 tackles for loss. Kyreese Groen, 6-1, 160, WR, Hays, Kan. / Hays HS Amel Hadzisabic, 5-11, 175, K, Amarillo, Texas / Randall HS Randall HS: First-team all-district kicker…Ranked among the Top 30 kickers nationally by a kicker rating service…Made 90 percent of his field goal attempts…Team defensive MVP in soccer…Second-team all-district defender in soccer. Kade Harris, 5-11, 180, S, Hays, Kan. / TMP-Marian HS TMP-Marian HS: Four-time All-MCL League selection, including four times on defensive, four times as a return specialist, and three times on offense…Sports in Kansas 2A Defensive Player of the Year finalist in both 2020 and 2022 and Offensive Player of the Year finalist in 2021…All-state selection by the Wichita Eagle and Topeka Capital Journal…Owns career rushing record and scoring record at TMP-Marian…All-state selection in basketball. Mason Hernandez, 5-10, 180, RB, Goodland, Kan. / Goodland HS Goodland HS: All-state honorable mention selection...All-league selection at running back. Chance Kerr, 6-0, 205, LB, Dodge City, Kan. / Dodge City HS Dodge City HS: All-conference selection as both a linebacker and running back...Served as team captain...Received KSHSAA Citizenship Award. Kaden Lonard, 6-5, 300, OL, Lawrence, Kan. / Free State HS Free State HS: Two-time all-state and two-time all-league selection. Elijah Lynn, 6-6, 240, DT, Phoenix, Ariz. / Moon Valley HS Moon Valley HS: All-region first team selection...Named Lineman of the Year...Sectional champion in wrestling and twice earned Most Outstanding Wrestler honors at tournaments. Braxton McDaniel, 6-4, 310, OL, Silver Lake, Kan. / Silver Lake HS Silver Lake HS: All-county and all-league selection as an offensive lineman...All-league academic selection all four years. Mason McGavran, 6-0, 215, QB/ATH, Olathe, Kan. / Olathe West HS Olathe West HS: All-Sunflower League selection at quarterback...Helped Olathe West to a regional championship in 2022...All-state first team selection in Kansas Class 6A...Sports in Kansas Player of the Year finalist...Threw for over 5,900 yards in his prep career with 72 touchdowns...As a senior threw for over 1,400 yards and rushed for over 1,300 yards. Kreighton Modrow, 5-10, 170, WR, Salina, Kan. / Salina South HS Salina South HS: All-league selection...Served as team captain. Jacob Orozco, 6-3, 215, LB, Los Angeles, Calif. / Salesian HS Taderian Partee, 6-4, 240, DT, Blytheville, Ark. / Gosnell HS TreVian Pierce, 6-0, 155, DB, Parsons, Kan. / Parsons HS Parsons HS: Two-year starter at cornerback...Named team's Most Improved Defensive Player in 2021...Helped lead Parsons to a playoff win in 2021. Jaheim Reed, 6-4, 300, OL, Orlando, Fla. / Olympia HS Olympia HS: Selected to play in the Orlando Cure Classic all-star game...Served as a team captain. Jamai Rutherford, 6-3, 180, WR, Tampa, Fla. / Tampa Catholic HS Tampa Catholic HS: All-district selection...Recorded 22 catches for 380 yards and five touchdowns as a senior. Bryce Salmans, 6-1, 225, DE, Hays, Kan. / Hays HS Hays HS: Two-time all-state selection...Three-time all-league selection...2022 WAC Defensive Player of the Year...Selected to compete in the 2023 Kansas Shrine Bowl...State qualifier in track and field for both throwing and running events. Guyteau Salvador, 6-4, 220, DE, Miami, Fla. / Dr. Krop HS Dr. Krop HS: All-Dade County Second Team selection...Selected to Dade vs. Broward All-Star Game...Recorded 15.5 sacks, 30 tackles for loss, and 70 solo tackles. Omar Shah, 5-10, 220, LB, Salt Lake City, Utah / East HS Jakobe Smith, 6-0, 180, DB, Marion, Ark. / Marion HS Marion HS: All-conference selection...Earned the Marion Patriot Award...Recorded over 50 tackles and had four interceptions. Wyatt Spexarth, 6-3, 175, QB, Andale, Kan. / Andale HS Andale HS: All-state honorable mention in Kansas Class 3A...Never lost a game in high school with 51 straight wins...Helped Andale to four Class 3A state titles from 2019 to 2022...All-league selection...All-state and all-league selection in basketball and all-league selection in baseball. Gavin Stanford, 6-2, 180, S, Sarasota, Fla. / Booker HS Booker HS: Recorded five interceptions, including two returned for touchdowns, along with 13 pass breakups and 35 tackles. Reid Tedford, 6-7, 225, QB, Crawford, Texas / Midway HS Midway HS: As a senior, recorded 1,995 passing yards with 13 touchdowns and four rushing touchdowns...Served as team captain. Lamaj Travis, 6-0, 195, RB, Fresno, Calif. / Clovis East HS Clovis East HS:&nbsp;Rushed for 1,081 yards as a senior with 16 touchdowns. Jackson Turnbull, 6-5, 230, DE, Pittsburg, Kan. / Pittsburg HS Pittsburg HS: All-state honorable mention selection in Kansas Class 5A as a junior and senior...Helped team to a regional championship as a senior...Two-time all-state selection in baseball...All-state honorable mention selection in basketball. Carter Waldo, 6-0, 200, LB, Marion, Ark. / Marion HS Marion HS: All-state selection as a senior...Served as team captain...Recorded 54 tackles during senior year...Member of track and field team that holds the school record in the 4x200 meters. Keron Watson, 6-4, 220, TE, Tucson, Ariz. / Cienega HS Cienega HS: Had 555 receiving yards with eight touchdowns...Recorded 48 tackles on defense. Caleb Wiese, 6-3, 200, DB, Garden City, Kan. / Garden City HS Garden City HS: Five-time all-conference selection between football, basketball, and baseball...All-state selection...Recorded over 200 tackles in his prep career with six interceptions. Joshua Willhite, 6-1, 215, TE, Broken Arrow, Okla. / Broken Arrow HS Broken Arrow HS: Recorded 40 receptions throughout his prep career with six touchdowns. Marquis Williams, 6-1, 160, WR, Wichita, Kan. / Sunrise Christian Academy Sunrise Christian Academy: Two-time all-state selection both on offense and defense. Transfers Carson Arndt, 6-0, 170, K, Wichita, Kan. / Butler (Kan.) CC Blake Batarse, 6-0, 185, WR, Simi Valley, Calif. / Moorpark College Arundel Briggs, 6-2, 310, OL, Waxahachie, Texas / Prairie View A&amp;M Manuel Chavez, 6-1, 230, LB, Leoti, Kan. / Garden City (Kan.) CC Sean Delaughter, 5-9, 160, WR, Miami, Fla. / Upper Iowa University Travis Dixon, 5-10, 220, RB, Hollywood, Fla. / Garden City (Kan.) CC Seth Falley, 6-4, 295, OL, Haysville, Kan. / Middle Tennessee State Sloan Hayden, 6-4, 240, TE, Ulysses, Kan. / Hutchinson (Kan.) CC Jayden Horace, 6-1, 170, WR, Tampa, Fla. / Allen University Donnell Johnson III, 6-2, 310, DL, Fort Lauderdale, Fla. / Florida International University John Thomas Jones, 6-3, 240, TE, Devers, Texas / Butler (Kan.) CC Solomon MacFoy, 5-11, 175, DB, Tyler, Texas / Midwestern State University Hosia Stokes, 5-9, 175, WR, Adelanto, Calif. / Victor Valley College Benyon Williams, 5-9, 175, DB, Tampa, Fla. / North Carolina Wesleyan&nbsp;&nbsp;

Local students among FHSU football signees on National Signing Day

After running a gauntlet to open their season, the Sacred Heart girl's basketball team has righted the ship, winning four of their last five to enter the final month of their season at 6-8.

That newfound success has brought a sense of calm and confidence to a team that didn’t always look this composed against some of the top teams in the state in December and early January.

“Our growth mentally has been good and we have a lot more fight than we did,” Lady Knight’s head coach Carl Hines said. “We can give up a ten-point run and be confident that we’re going to go on one of our own to stay in the game. Defensively we’re improving and offensively we have a lot more chemistry.”

Much of that success has come as the Lady Knights have taken better care of the basketball, drastically reducing their turnovers since the first eight games of their season.

“Our turnovers have been cut almost in half since the early part of the year where we were averaging almost 20 a game and the girls understand what we want to do on offense,” Hines said. “We’re taking better shots even if we’re not always making those but getting those good looks has been a big improvement.”

Offensively, the Lady Knights have once again been led by Katie Weiss, who averages 12 points per game, but have also gotten a big boost from a small but rapidly improving freshman class, including Skylar Douglas, who has found a spot in the starting five leading the team in assists.

As the team begins to put the pieces together down the home stretch of the season, Sacred Heart has had the freedom to think bigger in terms of what they hope to accomplish this year, but remains focused on tightening up the little things to ensure they hit their peak at the right time.

“I would say we’re playing our best basketball here as of late,” he said. “We’re definitely in a better place than we were when we started which is where you want to be and we’re starting to gain confidence and toughness from a difficult schedule. We’re starting to get to our peak but I’d rather get there in late February than now.”

For the time being, the Lady Knight’s attention remains on the toughest stretch of their league schedule, after falling to Southeast of Saline on Tuesday.

“Our focus is still on our league and we want to finish as high as we can but it’s a gauntlet this year,” Hines said. “Minneapolis has had our number but we get them on Friday and then we go to Ellsworth so those are two really important games. We want to be a really tough out at sub-state and the goal every year is to get to Bramlage so we’ll see if we can’t peak in February and make a run.”

That Minneapolis matchup will be held on the Lady Knight’s home floor on Friday, February 3rd, as Sacred Heart looks to get back in the hunt for an NCAA title and knock off one of the top teams in the league on the way.

For continuing coverage of Lady Knights basketball all season long stay tuned to the Salina Post.

By TYLER HENRY Salina Post contributor<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1599179528888.png" alt="Coverage of Sacred Heart girl's basketball is presented by Salina Ortho: Quality orthopedic care when you need it!" />
 <figcaption>Coverage of Sacred Heart girl's basketball is presented by Salina Ortho: Quality orthopedic care when you need it!</figcaption>
 </figure>After running a gauntlet to open their season, the Sacred Heart girl's basketball team has righted the ship, winning four of their last five to enter the final month of their season at 6-8.That newfound success has brought a sense of calm and confidence to a team that didn’t always look this composed against some of the top teams in the state in December and early January.“Our growth mentally has been good and we have a lot more fight than we did,” Lady Knight’s head coach Carl Hines said. “We can give up a ten-point run and be confident that we’re going to go on one of our own to stay in the game. Defensively we’re improving and offensively we have a lot more chemistry.”Much of that success has come as the Lady Knights have taken better care of the basketball, drastically reducing their turnovers since the first eight games of their season.“Our turnovers have been cut almost in half since the early part of the year where we were averaging almost 20 a game and the girls understand what we want to do on offense,” Hines said. “We’re taking better shots even if we’re not always making those but getting those good looks has been a big improvement.”Offensively, the Lady Knights have once again been led by Katie Weiss, who averages 12 points per game, but have also gotten a big boost from a small but rapidly improving freshman class, including Skylar Douglas, who has found a spot in the starting five leading the team in assists.As the team begins to put the pieces together down the home stretch of the season, Sacred Heart has had the freedom to think bigger in terms of what they hope to accomplish this year, but remains focused on tightening up the little things to ensure they hit their peak at the right time.“I would say we’re playing our best basketball here as of late,” he said. “We’re definitely in a better place than we were when we started which is where you want to be and we’re starting to gain confidence and toughness from a difficult schedule. We’re starting to get to our peak but I’d rather get there in late February than now.”For the time being, the Lady Knight’s attention remains on the toughest stretch of their league schedule, after falling to Southeast of Saline on Tuesday.“Our focus is still on our league and we want to finish as high as we can but it’s a gauntlet this year,” Hines said. “Minneapolis has had our number but we get them on Friday and then we go to Ellsworth so those are two really important games. We want to be a really tough out at sub-state and the goal every year is to get to Bramlage so we’ll see if we can’t peak in February and make a run.”That Minneapolis matchup will be held on the Lady Knight’s home floor on Friday, February 3rd, as Sacred Heart looks to get back in the hunt for an NCAA title and knock off one of the top teams in the league on the way.For continuing coverage of Lady Knights basketball all season long stay tuned to the Salina Post.

2022-23 Midseason Report: Sacred Heart girls basketball

After struggling with Sacred Heart for the better part of a decade, the Southeast of Saline boys’ basketball team has finally turned the tide on their biggest rival, winning their fourth straight over the Knights on Tuesday by a final score of 66-48.

With this win, the Trojans move to 13-1 on the season and 6-0 in league play while the Knights fall to 8-6.

Despite the final line reflecting an 18-point blowout win, Sacred Heart actually held a two-point lead at halftime of this game, and did an excellent job of controlling the pace for the first 16 minutes.

“We weren’t very good defensively in the half court and we were getting beat down the floor,” SES head coach Bryson Flax said. “I thought we would come out with a little more juice than that and I didn’t like how we came out of practice yesterday. We have a lot of guys who can make plays so you would hope that eventually one would make a play and eventually they did.”

In the second half, Southeast turned up the heat defensively, forcing 12 of their 18 turnovers and shifting the momentum back into their favor in transition, with effort plays aplenty, specifically from Caden Isaacson.

“Caden is playing with a lot of confidence offensively and he’s playing really good defense as well,” Flax said. “He gives us a lot of confidence and a lot of effort and when he plays like that it’s hard to take him off the floor.”

It was also a big game for Nakari Morrical-Palmer, who set a new season high and tied his career-high with a 21-point performance, swiping boards left and right in the second half.

“Nakari is playing well and he’s so hard to match up with,” Flax said. “He has some size to him, he’s bouncy and it’s difficult for a lot of guys to guard him. He’s been good but he’s been efficient as well and he’s so athletic on the glass.”

Two other Trojans tallied double digits by the final whistle in big efforts from Kayson Lilley (12) and Eli Sawyers (11), on a night where seven different players found the scoring column.

Next up, SES will turn its attention to a struggling Chapman program on the road as the Trojans look to continue picking up steam in the final month of their regular season.

By TYLER HENRY Salina Post contributor<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1599179528888.png" alt="Coverage of SES hoops is presented by Salina Ortho: Quality orthopedic care when you need it!" />
 <figcaption>Coverage of SES hoops is presented by Salina Ortho: Quality orthopedic care when you need it!</figcaption>
 </figure>After struggling with Sacred Heart for the better part of a decade, the Southeast of Saline boys’ basketball team has finally turned the tide on their biggest rival, winning their fourth straight over the Knights on Tuesday by a final score of 66-48.With this win, the Trojans move to 13-1 on the season and 6-0 in league play while the Knights fall to 8-6.Despite the final line reflecting an 18-point blowout win, Sacred Heart actually held a two-point lead at halftime of this game, and did an excellent job of controlling the pace for the first 16 minutes.“We weren’t very good defensively in the half court and we were getting beat down the floor,” SES head coach Bryson Flax said. “I thought we would come out with a little more juice than that and I didn’t like how we came out of practice yesterday. We have a lot of guys who can make plays so you would hope that eventually one would make a play and eventually they did.”In the second half, Southeast turned up the heat defensively, forcing 12 of their 18 turnovers and shifting the momentum back into their favor in transition, with effort plays aplenty, specifically from Caden Isaacson.“Caden is playing with a lot of confidence offensively and he’s playing really good defense as well,” Flax said. “He gives us a lot of confidence and a lot of effort and when he plays like that it’s hard to take him off the floor.”It was also a big game for Nakari Morrical-Palmer, who set a new season high and tied his career-high with a 21-point performance, swiping boards left and right in the second half.“Nakari is playing well and he’s so hard to match up with,” Flax said. “He has some size to him, he’s bouncy and it’s difficult for a lot of guys to guard him. He’s been good but he’s been efficient as well and he’s so athletic on the glass.”Two other Trojans tallied double digits by the final whistle in big efforts from Kayson Lilley (12) and Eli Sawyers (11), on a night where seven different players found the scoring column.Next up, SES will turn its attention to a struggling Chapman program on the road as the Trojans look to continue picking up steam in the final month of their regular season.

Big second half allows #2 Trojans to breeze past Sacred Heart

Against their biggest rival, on their home floor, with their league destiny still in their control, the Southeast of Saline girl’s basketball team was in big trouble on Tuesday evening, down double digits late to Sacred Heart.

With their backs to the wall, the Lady Trojans put together a furious fourth-quarter comeback to knock off the Knights 48-44, and improve to 12-2 on the season, and 5-1 in league play.

Both teams came to play defensively in a first quarter that saw just nine total points scored, and at the halftime break, SES was in the driver's seat, up 19-14.

Out of the intermission, the Lady Trojans struck first, but Sacred Heart immediately erased all of their progress with an impressive 11-0 run, seizing control of the game with four third-quarter threes to go up 34-28.

Things didn’t get much better for Southeast early in the fourth, where they found themselves down by as many as 11, and down by eight with under 2:30 left to play.

“We really gutted it out and when we were down late,” SES head coach Shauna Smith said. “We knew we had fouls to give and we really got up and got on them. We were able to get some steals and we knew there wasn’t an eight-point play, we were going to have to work our way back in.”

Brielle Ptacek started the Southeast run with a tray, and Maddie Harris immediately matched that with a three of her own off a steal before picking a Lady Knight’s pocket to set up another Trojan bucket inside.

In a flash, SES was right back in the game, and when they needed her most Harris nailed two more triples to help her team secure the tie, and then the lead down the stretch.

“We did a good job of talking to each other and that’s not something we were doing in the third quarter,” Smith said. “The ball was sticking on one side and we looked like five individuals but we were able to open the game up once we fixed that.”

Sacred Heart attempted to rally but the damage was done, and SES put the game away at the free throw line, securing the season sweep and another big league win.

With five made three-pointers, Maddie Harris tied a career-high, leading all scorers with 17 points, her offensive acumen matched only by her lockdown defense on the night.

“Maddie can do this every night when she wants to and she did all of those things late,” she said. “In the third quarter, we needed to make them play more defense and Maddie really ran the team on both ends and set us up to win late.”

Harris wasn’t the only Lady Trojan in double figures as Lexi Jacobson tacked on ten more in a game that saw just five players score for Southeast.

SES will turn its attention to one of just two remaining non-league matchups on Friday where the Lady Trojans will travel to Chapman to battle the Lady Irish.

“Chapman is very athletic,” Smith said. “We’ve seen some film on them and they’re really capable of doing some good things with a second-year head coach.”

By TYLER HENRY Salina Post contributor<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1599179528888.png" alt="Coverage of Lady Trojan hoops is presented by Salina Ortho: Quality orthopedic care when you need it!" />
 <figcaption>Coverage of Lady Trojan hoops is presented by Salina Ortho: Quality orthopedic care when you need it!</figcaption>
 </figure>Against their biggest rival, on their home floor, with their league destiny still in their control, the Southeast of Saline girl’s basketball team was in big trouble on Tuesday evening, down double digits late to Sacred Heart.With their backs to the wall, the Lady Trojans put together a furious fourth-quarter comeback to knock off the Knights 48-44, and improve to 12-2 on the season, and 5-1 in league play.Both teams came to play defensively in a first quarter that saw just nine total points scored, and at the halftime break, SES was in the driver's seat, up 19-14.Out of the intermission, the Lady Trojans struck first, but Sacred Heart immediately erased all of their progress with an impressive 11-0 run, seizing control of the game with four third-quarter threes to go up 34-28.Things didn’t get much better for Southeast early in the fourth, where they found themselves down by as many as 11, and down by eight with under 2:30 left to play.“We really gutted it out and when we were down late,” SES head coach Shauna Smith said. “We knew we had fouls to give and we really got up and got on them. We were able to get some steals and we knew there wasn’t an eight-point play, we were going to have to work our way back in.”Brielle Ptacek started the Southeast run with a tray, and Maddie Harris immediately matched that with a three of her own off a steal before picking a Lady Knight’s pocket to set up another Trojan bucket inside.In a flash, SES was right back in the game, and when they needed her most Harris nailed two more triples to help her team secure the tie, and then the lead down the stretch.“We did a good job of talking to each other and that’s not something we were doing in the third quarter,” Smith said. “The ball was sticking on one side and we looked like five individuals but we were able to open the game up once we fixed that.”Sacred Heart attempted to rally but the damage was done, and SES put the game away at the free throw line, securing the season sweep and another big league win.With five made three-pointers, Maddie Harris tied a career-high, leading all scorers with 17 points, her offensive acumen matched only by her lockdown defense on the night.“Maddie can do this every night when she wants to and she did all of those things late,” she said. “In the third quarter, we needed to make them play more defense and Maddie really ran the team on both ends and set us up to win late.”Harris wasn’t the only Lady Trojan in double figures as Lexi Jacobson tacked on ten more in a game that saw just five players score for Southeast.SES will turn its attention to one of just two remaining non-league matchups on Friday where the Lady Trojans will travel to Chapman to battle the Lady Irish.“Chapman is very athletic,” Smith said. “We’ve seen some film on them and they’re really capable of doing some good things with a second-year head coach.”

Furious fourth-quarter comeback elevates #9 SES over Lady Knights

On Tuesday, the Kansas Basketball Coaches Association released their week seven rankings for all seven classes of boys' basketball across the state of Kansas.

6A Boys 1. Wichita Heights 2. Blue Valley North 3. Olathe West 4. Olathe North 5. Garden City 6. Blue Valley Northwest 7. Lawrence 8. Lawrence Free State 9. Derby 10. Mill Valley

5A Boys 1. Highland Park 2. Hutchinson 3. Kapaun Mt. Carmel 4. St. James Academy 5. Maize South 6. Andover Central 7. Andover 8. DeSoto 9. Topeka West 10. KC Piper

4A Boys 1. Atchison 2. Bishop Miege 3. McPherson 4. Eudora 5. Towanda-Circle 6. Hugoton 7. Wellington 8. Baldwin 9. Abilene 10. Augusta

3A Boys 1. Sabetha 2. Southeast of Saline 3. Haven 4. Hesston 5. Galena 6. Wichita Collegiate 7. Bishop Ward 8. Marysville 9. Colby 10. Humboldt

2A Boys 1. Wichita Independent 2. Hays-Thomas More Prep 3. Ellinwood 4. Lyndon 5. Inman 6. Moundridge 7. Bennington 8. Hill City 9. Sterling 10. Remington

1A-Div 1-Boys 1. Olpe 2. Clifton-Clyde 3. Macksville 4. Wichita Classical School 5. Randolph-Blue Valley 6. Centralia 7. Burlingame 8. Osborne 9. Norwich 10. Elyria Christian

1A-Div 2-Boys 1. Greeley County 2. Northern Valley 3. Pawnee Heights 4. Axtell 5. Hanover 6. Lebo 7. Cheylin 8. Stafford 9. Cunningham 10. South Central

On Tuesday, the Kansas Basketball Coaches Association released their week seven rankings for all seven classes of boys' basketball across the state of Kansas.You can find the full rankings below6A Boys 1. Wichita Heights 2. Blue Valley North 3. Olathe West 4. Olathe North 5. Garden City 6. Blue Valley Northwest 7. Lawrence 8. Lawrence Free State 9. Derby 10. Mill Valley5A Boys 1. Highland Park 2. Hutchinson 3. Kapaun Mt. Carmel 4. St. James Academy 5. Maize South 6. Andover Central 7. Andover 8. DeSoto 9. Topeka West 10. KC Piper4A Boys 1. Atchison 2. Bishop Miege 3. McPherson 4. Eudora 5. Towanda-Circle 6. Hugoton 7. Wellington 8. Baldwin 9. Abilene 10. Augusta3A Boys 1. Sabetha 2. Southeast of Saline 3. Haven 4. Hesston 5. Galena 6. Wichita Collegiate 7. Bishop Ward 8. Marysville 9. Colby 10. Humboldt2A Boys 1. Wichita Independent 2. Hays-Thomas More Prep 3. Ellinwood 4. Lyndon 5. Inman 6. Moundridge 7. Bennington 8. Hill City 9. Sterling 10. Remington 1A-Div 1-Boys 1. Olpe 2. Clifton-Clyde 3. Macksville 4. Wichita Classical School 5. Randolph-Blue Valley 6. Centralia 7. Burlingame 8. Osborne 9. Norwich 10. Elyria Christian 1A-Div 2-Boys 1. Greeley County 2. Northern Valley 3. Pawnee Heights 4. Axtell 5. Hanover 6. Lebo 7. Cheylin 8. Stafford 9. Cunningham 10. South Central

KBCA boy's basketball rankings: Week seven

Golden Plains 75, Western Plains-Healy 12

Northeast Christian Homeschool 44, Topeka Heritage Christian 12

Northern Valley 64, Triplains-Brewster 24

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESSGIRLS PREP BASKETBALLAndale 46, Winfield 26Andover Central 46, Valley Center 20Argonia 37, Burden Central 30Ashland 42, Pawnee Heights 30Beloit 42, Republic County 33Bennington 46, Hutchinson Trinity 43Berean Academy 37, Inman 18Bluestem 44, Caney Valley 27Bonner Springs 59, Leavenworth 26Buhler 55, Rose Hill 33Canton-Galva 46, Herington 42Central Plains 67, Otis-Bison 22Cimarron 51, Sublette 20Circle 54, El Dorado 22Colby 38, Norton 37Columbus 39, Riverton 38Concordia 46, Clifton-Clyde 45Deerfield 44, Walsh, Colo. 36Derby 66, Maize 15Dodge City 47, Garden City 45Doniphan West 76, Axtell 33Ellinwood 44, Victoria 35Elyria Christian 31, Wakefield 13Eureka 54, Humboldt 18Flinthills 49, Cedar Vale/Dexter Co-op 9Garden Plain 51, Cheney 27Goddard 43, Wichita Campus 9Goddard-Eisenhower 49, Andover 46Goessel 59, Centre 23Golden Plains 75, Western Plains-Healy 12Goodland 68, Burlington, Colo. 44Halstead 46, Pratt 29Hanover 52, Valley Heights 44Hartford 45, Wichita Classical 40Hays 46, Scott City 32Hays-TMP-Marian 47, Trego 41Heritage Christian 46, Tonganoxie 36Highland Park 65, KC Washington 23Hillsboro 39, Haven 32Hodgeman County 62, South Gray 47Holton 51, Royal Valley 44Hutchinson 45, Newton 21Kingman 56, Conway Springs 47Lawrence 61, Olathe West 58Liberal 57, Hooker, Okla. 47Lincoln 59, Chase 34Little River 82, Solomon 22Lyndon 40, Wabaunsee 38Macksville 45, La Crosse 43Madison/Hamilton 50, Mission Valley 42Maize South 36, Salina South 24Nickerson 45, Larned 39Northeast Christian Homeschool 44, Topeka Heritage Christian 12Northeast-Arma 61, Jayhawk Linn 30Northern Valley 64, Triplains-Brewster 24Norwich 50, Hutchinson Central Christian 35Oberlin-Decatur 44, Dighton 23Onaga 54, Wetmore 11Osborne 57, Glasco/Miltonvale-Southern Cloud 22Ottawa 60, Pittsburg 42Prairie View 53, Wellsville 21Rawlins County 53, Hitchcock County, Neb. 24Remington 57, Sterling 39Riley County 48, Marysville 18Rural Vista 59, Peabody-Burns 18Russell 49, Plainville 41, OTSM East 43, Gardner-Edgerton 42SM South 40, Olathe North 24Salina Central 41, Arkansas City 33Santa Fe Trail 61, Iola 21Sedgwick 51, Marion 37Silver Lake 68, Osage City 40Smith Center 57, Hoxie 55Southeast 42, Chetopa 10Southeast Saline 48, Salina Sacred Heart 44Spearville 43, Kiowa County 37Sylvan-Lucas 44, Rock Hills 29Topeka Seaman 56, KC Piper 43Veritas Christian 46, Bishop Seabury Academy 15Waverly 53, West Franklin 22Wellington 56, Augusta 22Weskan 43, Logan/Palco 33Wichita Bishop Carroll 70, Wichita East 33Wichita Home School 60, Central Christian 23Wichita Northwest 59, Wichita North 47Wichita South 67, Kapaun Mount Carmel 53Wichita Trinity 55, Belle Plaine, Minn. 33BOYS PREP BASKETBALLAndale 76, Winfield 52Andover 60, Goddard-Eisenhower 30Andover Central 79, Valley Center 46Arkansas City 54, Salina Central 48Augusta 57, Wellington 51Axtell 44, Doniphan West 21BV Northwest 61, Junction City 49Basehor-Linwood 37, Shawnee Heights 33Beloit 66, Republic County 31Buhler 66, Rose Hill 48Burden Central 60, Argonia 43Burlington 64, Anderson County 46Central Heights 70, Uniontown 38Central Plains 39, Otis-Bison 10Cheney 69, Garden Plain 48Cheylin 63, Golden Plains 22Clifton-Clyde 46, Concordia 42Colby 51, Norton 42Cunningham 71, Fairfield 55Deerfield 44, Walsh, Colo. 36Derby 67, Maize 59Ellinwood 65, Victoria 34Ellis 50, Stockton 24Garden City 66, Dodge City 37Goessel 54, Centre 34Goodland 70, Burlington 60Haven 66, Hillsboro 37Hays 51, Scott City 38Heritage Christian 56, Tonganoxie 41Hesston 53, Hoisington 37Highland Park 76, KC Washington 42Hill City 76, Ness City 50Hooker, Okla. 55, Liberal 43Hoxie 42, Smith Center 27Hugoton 68, Holcomb 62Hutchinson 63, Newton 37Inman 54, Berean Academy 32KC Piper 73, Topeka Seaman 60Kapaun Mount Carmel 56, Wichita South 48Kingman 49, Conway Springs 35Kiowa County 60, Spearville 56Larned 49, Nickerson 35Lincoln 59, Chase 21Logan/Palco 58, Western Plains-Healy 28Lyndon 63, Wabaunsee 51Macksville 69, La Crosse 37Maize South 71, Salina South 48Marysville 54, Riley County 34Moundridge 62, Ell-Saline 48Northern Valley 74, Triplains-Brewster 42Norwich 55, Hutchinson Central Christian 27Osage City 55, Silver Lake 36Osborne 56, Glasco/Miltonvale-Southern Cloud 50Pawnee Heights 66, Ashland 50Pittsburg 57, Ottawa 44Pittsburg Colgan 58, Baxter Springs 34Pratt 59, Halstead 55Rockhurst, Mo. 62, St. James Academy 47Royal Valley 62, Holton 45Russell 68, Plainville 56Santa Fe Trail 61, Iola 21Southeast 70, Chetopa 24Southeast Saline 66, Salina Sacred Heart 48St. John's Beloit-Tipton 57, Thunder Ridge 50St. Mary's 64, Rossville 56Stafford 64, Pratt Skyline 61Stanton County 51, Elkhart 46Sterling 58, Remington 39Sylvan-Lucas 48, Rock Hills 28Topeka West 73, Lansing 44Troy 47, Centralia 43Washburn Rural 65, Blue Valley 60Wellsville 56, Prairie View 22Weskan 43, Logan/Palco 33Wetmore 50, Onaga 46, 2OTWichita Bishop Carroll 70, Wichita East 33Wichita Collegiate 65, Mulvane 44Wichita Home School 60, Central Christian 23Wichita Northwest 77, Wichita North 56Some high school basketball scores provided by <a href="http://Scorestream.com">Scorestream.com</a>.