SPORTS: Bonner Springs Braves wrestling results from Lee's Summit Invitational

By NICK SLOAN, nick@kansascitykansan.com

BONNER SPRINGS, KAN. ---- The Bonner Springs Braves recently competed in the Lee's Summit Invitational Wrestling Tournament.

Below are the full results from each wrestler who competed at the event.

SPORTS: 2014 Kaw Valley League names all-league football teams (OFFENSE)

KANSAS CITY, KAN. ----- The coaches in the Kaw Valley League have honored several football players from this year's football season.

The all league teams were announced this week.

Leading the way were the Piper Pirates with 13 members selected. Other athletes from Turner High School, Bishop Ward and Bonner Springs were honored.

The full list:

FIRST TEAM

QUARTERBACK

• Logan Koch, Mill Valley

RUNNING BACK

• Marcell Holmes, Bonner Springs
• Travon Jones, Piper

INTERIOR LINEMAN

• Caleb White, Basehor-Linwood
• Scott Hattok, Lansing
• Evan Applegate, Mill Valley
• Ben Hecht, Mill Valley
• Justyn Leslie, Tonganoxie

TIGHT END

• Shawn Pahls, Piper

WIDE RECEIVERS

• Christian Jegen, Mill Valley
• Jared Sommers, Tonganoxie

_____

SECOND TEAM

QUARTERBACK

• Krystian Abbott, Lansing

RUNNING BACK

• Sterling Owens, Piper
• Colton Beebe, Piper

INTERIOR LINEMEN

• Andrew Ramirez, Bishop Ward
• Jacob Wylie, Bonner Springs
• Chase Battes, Mill Valley
• Tyler Shurley, Mill Valley
• Collin Beebe, Piper

TIGHT END

• Zach Deverill, Mill Valley

WIDE RECEIVER

• Jonah Freese, Bonner Springs
• Kenneth Banks, Lansing

______

HONORABLE MENTION

QUARTERBACK

• Connor Byers, Bonner Springs

RUNNING BACK

• Cole Henley, Bishop Ward
• Dewaun Wilkes, Lansing
• Darnell Miller, Turner

INTERIOR LINEMAN

• Jacob Freese, Bonner Springs
• Aaron Hawes, Piper
• Ben Clark, Tonganoxie

TIGHT END

• Greg Deveau, Tonganoxie

WIDE RECEIVER

• Jake Jones, Piper

SPORTS: 2014 Kaw Valley League All-League Volleyball team announced

KANSAS CITY, KAN. ---- The Kaw Valley League announced its all-league volleyball team.

Several athletes from Wyandotte County made the team.

ALL-LEAGUE

• Abbey Mellies, Basehor-Linwood
• Jaime Weible, Basehor-Linwood
• Madi Osterhaus, Basehor-Linwood
• Julianne Jackson, Bonner Springs
• Mikaela Bennett, Bonner Springs
• Kyle Farris, Lansing
• Steve Sherard, Lansing
• Lacey Angello, Lansing
• Catherine Kaifes, Mill Valley
• Alicia Pickett, Mill Valley
• Kennedy Wallace, Piper
• Jadyn Anderson, Piper
• Emily Hummelgaard, Tonganoxie
• Alissia Nevarez, Turner

HONORABLE MENTION

• Courtney Norris, Basehor-Linwood
• Courtney Robinson, Basehor-Linwood
• Hope Garcia, Bishop Ward
• Nadia Rios, Bishop Ward
• Caitlin Reed, Bonner Springs
• JoLee Ritchhard, Lansing
• Regan Johnson, Piper
• Lauren Jackson, Tonganoxie

Vote for Bonner Springs in KCTV 5's High School Team of the Week!

KANSAS CITY, KAN. --- The Bonner Springs Braves football team is up for the KCTV 5 High School Team of the Week.

Click the link to support a local Wyandotte County High School!

Bang! Bang! Pirates hammer Bonner Springs with pressure, offense

By NICK SLOAN, NJSloan212@gmail.com

A quick note to the Kaw Valley League - you better wake up and prepare for the Piper Pirates boys basketball team.

In a rematch from a close affair in the Panthers Invitational Classic in Paola, Kan., Piper saved the drama for another night as the Pirates crushed Bonner Springs 67-43 on the road.

Piper used pressure defense and smooth transition basketball on offense to pull away from the Braves, winning its sixth-straight game after beginning the year with a close loss to Mill Valley.

Once again, another player stepped up to lead the Pirates in scoring. Vince Eskina scored 13 first half points as the Pirates opened up a cushion early in the second quarter.

After a tight opening six minutes of the game - one that saw the Pirates lead 11-9 - Piper put some distance between Bonner Springs with an 11-3 run to close out the quarter, taking a 22-12 advantage.

Eskina scored five of those points during the run. A three-point play from point guard Calvin Johnson Jr., helped Piper open a six-point lead - the closest Bonner Springs would be the rest of the way.

"I would say (our balance) came from our hard work in the summer," said head coach Steve Wallace, who's guided the Pirates to six wins after the team finished just 2-19 last season. "Our guys are good at realizing who's hot during the game and they find them."

39 IS FINE: Younger torches Bonner Springs as Bobcats hammer Braves by 17

By NICK SLOAN, NJSloan212@gmail.com

Coming up one point shy of a 40-point game is about the only area Basehor-Linwood junior guard Chase Younger came up short in during Tuesday's 65-48 win against rival Bonner Springs.

Younger torched the nets (and the Braves) for 39 points, as the Bobcats improved to 2-1 on the season and demonstrated why they shouldn't be written off for the 2012-13 season.

Younger's offense explosion began early in the game. After Bonner Springs jumped out to a quick lead, Younger scored Basehor's first 12 points in the game to give the Bobcats a lead they would not relinquish.

"He just willed us to the win tonight," said Mike McBride, head coach of the Basehor-Linwood Bobcats. "He's a tough player to stop. He's just a complete player - he has a great pull-up shot."

Younger did damage from all over the court Tuesday.

WELCOME BACK, PIPER BASKETBALL: Pirates win first tournament title since 2007

By NICK SLOAN, NJSloan212@gmail.com

For the first time since George W. Bush was president, the Piper Pirates have a regular season tournament championship to celebrate.

Piper defeated Bonner Springs 64-61 in the final of the 2012 Panthers Invitational Tournament in Paola, Kan.

As he has all season long, guard Luke Long was the story for the Pirates offense.

Long had a game-high 21 points, including three three-pointers on six attempts. Long came into the game averaging just over 14 points a night. Long was also warm from inside the arc - missing just two shots inside the three-point line.

The junior received help from another junior - Dominique Jennings. Jennings, who had a double-double against the Harmon Hawks in the opening round game, wrapped up his solid tournament with 10 points. Senior point guard Calvin Johnson added 10 points of his own.

Piper trailed 16-12 after one quarter, but gained a 34-31 halftime lead after scoring 22 points in the second quarter.

On the Bonner Springs side of things, Austen Twombley scored 15 points in the game - leading the Braves in scoring. Jordan Jackson had a season-high 12 points, with Logan Terrell and Zshavon Dotson adding eight points a piece.

It's the first tournament championship for Piper since 2007, when David Hall served as the head coach of the Pirates varsity program.

After a rough first-year for second-year head coach Steve Wallace, it's clear the Pirates ship is turning around in boys basketball. Finishing seventh in essentially the same tournament last season that was held in Eudora, Piper won just three games the entire 2011-12 season.

Four games into the 2012-13 season, Piper's matched that win total.

Piper leaves Paola with a 3-1 record, the only loss coming to an undefeated 5A squad at Mill Valley High School. Bonner Springs drops its first game of the season.

It's On: Two Wyandotte County tournament titles guaranteed as Piper, Bonner Springs move to final games

By NICK SLOAN, NJSloan212@gmail.com

By the end of the week, at least two of Wyandotte County's basketball programs will be celebrating a guaranteed tournament championship.

The Bonner Springs boys and Piper girls basketball teams will do battle with each other this week in two separate tournament championship games.

On the girls side, Bonner Springs defeated Paola 62-53, while the Piper girls team easily handled Highland Park 54-19. Bonner Springs hammered Turner in the opening round, while the Pirates defeated St. James Academy.

With the boys, Piper used another second half rally to overcome a tough shooting performance in the first half to knock off the host school at the Paola Invitational.

The Pirates won 66-56 after scoring just four points in the first quarter as a team.

Bonner Springs, meanwhile, used stiff defense to knock off Eudora 46-32. The Cardinals scored just 11 points in the first three quarters of the game.

The girls final will be held Thursday night at Eudora, while the boys final will be held Friday night at Paola.

For more high school sports, check out KCK Preps at www.kckpreps.com!

THRILLER! Goal-line stand in OT clinches win for Pirates against Bonner Springs

By NICK SLOAN, NJSloan212@gmail.com

Following Friday night's Piper-Bonner Springs game, Pirates head coach Chris Brindle and his coaching staff were winded and exhausted.

And they coached the winning team.

In what will go down as one of the best games in recent Wyandotte County football history, Piper defeated Bonner Springs 29-23 in overtime in a game that featured more swings than a baseball game.

"It was so emotional," Brindle said after the victory. "It was a super-charged game and we both played extremely hard. The kids took some big blows all night long."

Emotions were high early and often in the game.

Piper return specialist and running back Paul Jones returned the opening kickoff 88-yards for a touchdown to put Piper up 7-0.

Following the touchdown, the Pirates self-destructed, helping the Braves get back in the game.

Piper was called for three 15-yard penalties on one drive alone as Braves quarterback Jordan Jackson capped it off with a touchdown from five yards out.

The touchdown came a few plays after his 53-yard touchdown rush was wiped off the board by a holding call.

A look at the Bonner Springs-Piper showdown

EDITOR'S NOTE: KCK Preps will be doing a live broadcast of the Piper-Bonner Springs game. To get the community excited about one of the most important games in recent Wyandotte County football history, here's a preview of the game. 


By NICK SLOAN, NJSloan212@gmail.com

It's a little rare for a game involving two Wyandotte County football teams to matter so much.

While the county has made gains in football recently, this area can still be considered a basketball city.

Friday night, you have a game between two teams that deserve to be ranked in any Kansas City metro football poll.

Both Bonner Springs and Piper are off to great starts, with Bonner Springs coming in undefeated and Piper coming in a rock solid 2-1.

What are the keys to Friday night's showdown? I'm glad you asked!