Nora Mitchell: 1A State Power Lifting Chmp

 

Rossville High Wrestlers Of The Year

                                             

                                                         

Delores Hesse Passes Away

 Delores Hesse passed away on March 19, 2026. She was born on February 26, 1932.

 In March of 1951, she married William Hesse who preceded her, and together they shared a life rooted in love and faith for over 70 years. A woman of few words, she was stoic and selfless. She and Bill devoted much of their lives serving the church and community. She loved to cook and spend time with family and friends. Her proudest joy was her family. 

She is survived by her son Ron and his wife Sharlene and their children Trisha, Michelle, and Jason. Her daughter Rhonda Taylor and her husband Rusty and son Dustin and his wife Jessica. Plus five great-grandchildren.

Private family services and burial will be in the Rossville Cemetery. Memorial contributions may be made to the Rossville Christian Church and may be sent in care of Piper Funeral Home 714 Maple Street, St. Marys, Kansas 66536.

All Big East Girls Basketball Team

 From TopSports.news

Class 3A state champion Silver Lake and 2A state qualifier Rossville earned four of the five first-team spots on the All-Big East League girls basketball team.

Silver Lake, which captured its second 3A state title in three seasons Saturday in Hutchinson, put senior Kailyn Hanni and sophomore Karys Deiter on the All-Big East first team while Rossville, which dropped a tight 2A quarterfinal game to No. 1 seed Ellinwood, is represented by senior Rylee Dick and junior Nora Burdiek.

Kailyn Hanni, Silver Lake

Karys Deiter, Silver Lake

Nora Burdiek, Rossville

Rylee Dick, Rossville

Silver Lake junior Savanah Wende was a first-team all-league selection.

ALL-BIG EAST LEAGUE GIRLS BASKETBALL

First team

Nora Burdiek, jr., Rossville; Karys Deiter, so., Silver Lake; Rylee Dick, sr., Rossville; Kailyn Hanni, sr., Silver Lake; Kylie Nelson, jr., Hiawatha.

Second team

Macie Corcoran, jr., Perry-Lecompton; Emma Hermesch, jr., Nemaha Central; Audrey Holle, so., Riley County; Brenlee Koontz, fr., Jefferson West; KiWe Miller, so., Royal Valley.

Third team

Emmie Dean, so., Jefferson West; Addi Gutsch, fr., Riley County; Panno Wahwassuck, jr., Royal Valley; Savanah Wende, jr., Silver Lake; Michaela Williams, so., Hiawatha.

Honorable mention

Jadelynn Brees, jr., St. Marys; Rebekah Lassey, jr., Holton; Kennedy McKee, so., Nemaha Central; 

Gregory Thomas Toenjes Passss Away (updated)

Gregory Thomas Toenjes passed away unexpectedly of natural causes in his home in rural Kansas on March 11th, 2026. He was 38 years old.

Born on April 7th, 1987 in Winchester, KS, he was the 11th of 12 children born to the late Thomas and Teresa (Brighoff) Toenjes. He grew up on a small farm near St. Marys, KS and loved spending time outside with his siblings, playing, swimming in the pond, building forts, exploring, calligraphy, artwork and more.

He graduated from Our Lady of Victory Catholic homeschool in 2006, and then worked hard at a variety of construction jobs. He did beautiful tile work and was very particular about everything he did, always trying to achieve the best possible end results.

Gregory never married and never had any children of his own, but he loved his nieces and nephews very much and could often be seen holding the little ones, or throwing them up in the air, and spending time with the older ones, either in serious conversation or doing fun activities, such as fishing, fireworks or games. He loved his in-laws as if they were his own siblings.

Some of his favorite things to do included fishing, hunting, hiking, camping, shooting, fireworks, dirt bikes, reading, smoking cigars, and spending quality time with his brothers and brothers-in-law. He was good with animals, and especially loved dogs. He dreamed of one day having chickens of his own. He was very enthusiastic about the things he liked, and loved to talk to others about them.

Gregory was a very good and warm-hearted man, big, tall, and very handsome, and was loved by many, especially his family. It made him so happy whenever family would give him food gifts, especially any kind of meat, homemade chocolate cake, cookies and pretzels, and the olive bread that his Godmother would make for him almost every birthday.

He was always ready to lend a helping hand to those in need, often volunteering, whether it was to lay a brick hearth or laminate flooring, help build a patio or structure, move someone to a new home, or just move something heavy, babysit, process meat, and much more. He spent many hours sitting with his father during his father's final years and days, which was a wonderful blessing for them both.

In August 2025, he moved in with Kateri and Don into their basement apartment. He was elated to be living out in the country again, and spent lots of his free time fishing, walking the property and relaxing by campfires. He lived there until the time of his death, and was very grateful to them for letting him do this, as was the rest of the family.

Everyone will miss his big bear hugs, his loving nicknames for them, and his affectionate teasing and sarcasm. They all knew he loved them very much, both because he said it and because he showed it in so many ways.

He was preceded in death by both of his parents, Thomas and Teresa Toenjes.

Survivors include his beloved siblings: Matthew Toenjes of Topeka, KS, Kateri (Don) Pomeleo of St. Marys, KS, Henry (Hollie) of St. Marys, KS, Rebecca (Gary) Penrod of Delia, KS, Joseph (Angeline) Toenjes of Paxico, KS, Mary Jane (Gerald) Robinson of Topeka, KS, Christopher (Andrea) Toenjes of Kunheim, France, Louis (Alisha) Toenjes of Erie, CO, Gerard (Celine) Toenjes of Bunbury, Western Australia, Joan (Israel) Armenta of Maple Hill, KS, Cecilia (Pedro) Zavala of Maple Hill, KS; 58 nieces and nephews; and many aunts, uncles and cousins.

You will be missed very much, Gregory! But we are truly grateful for having had you as part of our lives. We love you! May your soul rest in peace.

The family will receive friends at Piper Funeral Home from 3:00 - 5:00 PM on Sunday, March 22; a rosary at the funeral home will be offered for Greg at 5:00 PM. A sung requiem Mass will be offered at 10am on Monday, March 23 at St. John Vianney Catholic Church, 14611B Waterman Crossing Rd in Maple Hill, KS. Burial following the Mass will take place in Holy Cross Cemetery, Emmett, KS

2026 Baseball Roster

Canann Mitchell 12 
Cameron Miller 12 
Jakoby McDonnell 12
Conner Bush 12
Cael Horgan 11
Kelton Lacock 11
Remi Droegemeier 11
Cale Horak 10
Jordan Martinek 10
Derick Benke 10
Brodyn Price 10
Seth Roy 10
Cooper Meyer 10
Lakin Gentry 10
Cole Graves 9
Carter Hansen 9
Gavin Sumner 9
Creighton Van Vleck 9

Head Coach: Kenny Swart

Gregory Toenjes Passes Away

Gregory Thomas Toenjes, 38, of St. Marys, passed away unexpectedly of natural causes on Wednesday, March 11, 2026 at his home near St. Marys.A full obituary is pending and will be published shortly.The family will receive friends at Piper Funeral Home from 3:00 - 5:00 PM on Sunday, March 22; a rosary at the funeral home will be recited at 5:00

RHS Boys Golf Roster

2026 Boys Golf Roster

Jack Donovan 12 
Jackson Feldhausen 10
10 Austin Dorhman 10
Tripp Eastbrook 10
Creed Wood 10
Dalen Dick 10
Jayse Moore 10 

Head Coach: Noah Cross

Dawgs Fall To Ellinwood At State

 WICHITA – For the second straight season, Rossville once again found itself with an opportunity to advance within only two victories of a state title. 

Senior Jakoby McDonnell led Rossville with 14 points in Wednesday's Class 2A quarterfinal loss to Berean Academy. [File photo/TSN]

Unfortunately for the Bulldawgs, the 2026 season ended in the same place it did in 2025.

Rossville’s 17-8 season concluded in the Class 2A boys state quarterfinals once again on Wednesday as Berean Academy took home a 55-38 victory at Friends University. 

As a team, the Bulldawgs shot 40 percent from the field, but their offense struggled to reach the levels it had during the regular season.

Berean (23-2) zeroed in on Rossville senior standout Jack Donovan, allowing him little space and even fewer scoring opportunities. All in all, the Warriors held Donovan scoreless on only eight shot attempts throughout the quarterfinal contest.   

“It’s hard to beat a good team that talk and they did both, kudos to them,” Rossville coach Brandon McDonnell said. “We didn’t make an adjustment on our side and we kind of got flustered. Once you get flustered, it’s human nature; it’s kind of hard to dig yourself out of a hole.” 

The defensive slugfest got going immediately, as the Bulldawgs and Warriors refused to give up an inch of space. However, thanks to a last-second shot at the buzzer from Wyatt Friesen, the Warriors took a 9-7 lead into the second quarter. 

Turnovers became a nagging problem for Rossville over the next eight-minute period. Carelessness and the Warriors’ relentless defense culminated in seven giveaways by the Bulldawgs, directly leading to seven points from those turnovers. They finished the half with nine giveaways and ended the game with 11 total. 

McDonnell said the turnover issues were as much a credit to the Warriors’ defense as they were to careless ball security from the Bulldawgs.  

“This is state, the butterflies are different, the thought process is different, the environment is different,” McDonnell said. “When you mix all that together, you're going to have some slippage. And our problem is that we had too much of the slippage, and then they converted off of it.”   

And Rossville’s struggles on the offensive side were no better, ending the second quarter with only five points with a 22.2 shooting percentage. However, Berean couldn’t take full advantage as it dealt with its own offensive struggles, but still took a 20-12 advantage into the locker room.

Even though both teams shot under 30 percent in the first half, the Warriors had far more offensive opportunities, outshooting the Bulldawgs by 10 attempts.  

Out of halftime, both teams found a better offensive rhythm. Rossville finished the third quarter with a much improved 67.7% mark from the floor, but Berean wasn’t far behind, shooting over 50%.

In addition, the Warriors inflicted greater damage thanks to multiple made 3s and seven made free throws. That extended their lead to double-digits with a 35-24 advantage with one quarter to go. 

Over the final eight minutes, the Bulldawgs struggled to find a way back into the affair. The Warriors kept them at a distance and closed things out to advance to Friday night’s semifinals. 

Jakoby McDonnell led the Bulldawgs with 14 points to go along with three rebounds and assists. Cameron Miller also finished in double figures with 10 points.

Baseball Starts March 23

 

Baseball @ Chapman Jamboree

Monday, March 23·3:30 – 8:30pm

Chapman High School, 400 W 4th St, Chapman, KS 67431, USA

Boys Basketball To State

 

Rossville boys earn return trip to Class 2A state tournament with 60-49 win over KCC

 Created: 07 March 2026

By TODD FERTIG

TopSports.news

The Rossville boys earned a second straight trip to the state tournament by blitzing Kansas City Christian with defense and pace Saturday, winning the sub-state final at Mission Valley, 60-49.

Rossville senior Jakoby McDonnell hoists the Class 2A sub-state trophy after Saturday's 60-49 win over Kansas City Christian. [Photo by Todd Fertig]

Rossville boys basketball poses for a team picture after earning a second straight trip to the Class 2A state tournament Saturday night. [Photo by Todd Fertig/TSN]

A few seasons ago, Rossville couldn’t have been much further from a tournament team. Now this Bulldawg team will be the seventh seed in the Class 2A field, drawing a match with Berean Academy at 7:30 p.m. next Wednesday in Emporia.

Rossville coach Brandon McDonnell said getting back to state will quiet the doubters.

“There’s a stigma that this might have been a fluke last year,” McDonnell said. “You gotta repeat it in order for it not to be that fluke. Ok, so be it. We’re not afraid of that competition.

“I want the boys to know that 10 years ago, we weren’t even in this conversation. We were in the conversation three years ago. And people didn’t expect that. Then, the year after that, we won it. Well, don’t make it a fluke. Go get it again. And now we’re here.”

The Bulldawgs came out with a fullcourt press that the Panthers did not figure out until late in the third period. The strategy helped produce a 32-8 run that spanned nearly all of the second period and more than half the third period. The Panthers led 10-8 early in the second period, but when the onslaught ended, they trailed 40-18.

McDonnell said he spent time watching film of Kansas City Christian. But he admitted the press wasn’t a product of the scouting report.

“That wasn’t the film part of it,” McDonnell said. “It was that we were getting bored, sitting back waiting for things to develop and then we get antsy and then start to do something like foul when we don’t need to. So, I said to get that antsy-ness out, let’s go ahead and get into our press, let’s accelerate our feet, accelerate our hands, accelerate our minds. Let’s see if we can get something out of it. And lo and behold, we had three stops right off the jump and they had to call a timeout.

“Usually I don’t keep them in (the press) for that long, but it was working. And I don’t fix it if it’s not broke. So, we stayed in it, and it worked out for us in the end.”

McDonnell’s son, Jakoby McDonnell, said the pressure counteracted the Panthers’ plan to slow the pace.

“They were trying to walk the ball up the court and slow us down,” the coach’s son said. “We’re more of a fast-paced team. We feed off each other’s energy. If one of us is getting steals, getting touches, we’ll all feed off of him.”

Jakoby McDonnell spearheaded the press and earned several fastbreak opportunities off turnovers. Late in the game, he also drew a number of fouls from the desperate Panther defense. In the second half, he deposited nine free throws to hold off a Kansas City Christian comeback bid. The point guard finished with 21 points to lead the Bulldawgs.

“For this particular (game), my son’s a senior,” Coach McDonnell said.” It was marvelous seeing him play and see what he does well and see him get tired and see him still trying to navigate. As a dad, that was phenomenal.

“As a coach, seeing every single one of (the Bulldawgs) going out there and knowing what the goal was…this is my family away from my family. So, seeing them play and take home what’s rightfully theirs, it’s amazing.”

Jack Donovan added 15 points, followed by Cameron Miller’s 13 and Connor Bush’s eight for the Bulldawgs.

The sub-state finals at Mission Valley were played without a shot clock. Once Rossville built a 21-point lead in the fourth period, one would have expected the Bulldawgs to slow things down and spread the floor to milk the clock. But that wasn’t the route they chose.

“One thing that we knew was gonna be a little nerve-wracking was no shot clock,” Coach McDonnell said.” Slowing down the pace is something that we don’t like to do, but we have to make adjustments. There are times when they don’t listen to me. But I’ve never tried to take them away from creativity. Sometimes they see a seam and they want to go. And I’ve got to deal with what comes along with that.

“But you know, at the end of the day, we just want to be the best version of ourselves. And when we come out on the ‘W’ side, that’s always a good thing.”

Jakoby McDonnell said the returners from last year state tournament team will benefit from the experience.

“Definitely don’t underestimate the competition. (The opponent) is there to do the same thing that you’re there to do, bring home a state title. So just go out there and give it your all,” the coach’s son said. “This feels great. Even though we lost a few key pieces coming into this year, we still had the hard work and dedication to everything to repeat and go back.”

Maggie Sanders Signs To Play For Barton Juco

  Maggie Sanders will play softball next year at Barton Co. Juco

State 2A Boy's BB Tournament Bracket

 [2] Berean Academy (22-2)

Wed, 3/11 @ Friends University - 4:00 PM

[7] Rossville HS (17-7)

2A State Girl's Basketball Tournament Bracket

[1] Ellinwood HS (25-1)

Tue, 3/10 @ Tony's Pizza Event Center - 2:00 PM

[8] Rossville HS (15-10)