Silver Lake Inv. Boys Golf

 Rossville finishd third of the eight teams compting.  Jack Donovan finished in secon place with a 70 stroke total in the April 27 event.  Ausin Dohrman tied for 16th with a 95.  Daleen Dick and Jackson Feldmausan tied for 19th with a 96 each.

Nemaha Central Inv. Golf Tournament

 Rossville finished 8th of fourteen teams in the Nemaha Central Invitational Golf Tourney on April 21.  Jack  Donovan led the Dawgs with a 7th place 77 .  Austin Dohrman tied for 28th wirh an 87.

Rossville Gets New Basketball Coach

 Rossville Jr/Sr High School is excited to announce the hiring of Joshua Gomez as the new Head Boys Basketball Coach.

Coach Gomez brings a strong background in education and athletics, having served as a Physical Education teacher and basketball coach in the Seaman School District since 2015. Most recently Coach Gomez was a key member of the Vikings Basketball program as Boys Varsity Assistant to Head Coach Craig Cox.

Coach Gomez helped guide the program to significant success, finishing third in the 2026 5A State Championships. His experience, commitment to student athletes, and understanding of building a competitive program make him an excellent fit to lead Dawgs Basketball.

“I’m very thankful for the opportunity to lead this program and look forward to building on the success that’s already been established. I can’t wait to meet the players and get to work. We understand the expectations are high, and we’re excited to not only meet them, but exceed them. Thank you to the Rossville community for this opportunity.” - Coach Gomez

Rossville and Sabetha Split Twinbill

 The Rossville High Baseball team split with Sabetha on April 20,  winning 13-5 and losing 5-4.

Lady Dawgs Roll Over Sabettha

 The Rossville Softball Team won two games against Sabeths on April 20.  The scores were 15-0 and 16-1.he Lady Dawsgs are 11-5 fo he season 

Joan Marie Sebring Passes Away

 Joan Marie Sebring, beloved mother, grandmother, and a devoted member of her community, passed away peacefully at Stormont-Vail Hospital in Topeka on Monday, April 20, 2026, at the age of 91.

Baseball Team Wins Two Over Royal Calley

 Rossville picked up two easy wins over Royal Valley, 20-2 and 20-0.  The Dawgs are 9-3 overall.

RHS Softball Team Splits With Onaga

 The Lasy Dawgs split a twinbill with Onga, losing the first 7-6 but coming back for a 6-5 Victory in the night-cap

RHS Gets Two Wins Over St. Mary's Academy

The Rossville Baseball Swamped the St. Marys Academy 11-1 and 16-1

Betty Jean Mahkuk Passes Away

 Betty Jean Mahkuk Rice, 86, passed away on Tuesday, March 10, 2026 at the Rossville Healthcare and Rehabilitation Center.

She was born April 4, 1939 at Mayetta, the daughter of Pete Matchie and Lucille Mahkuk.

Betty was a member of the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation and the Native American Church.

She married Orville Rice in 1957. They were divorced and he preceded her in death.

Betty had first worked as a Licensed Practical Nurse. After she earned her Bachelor's Degree in Social Work from Washburn University, she worked in social services for Four Tribes of Kansas, then Prairie Band Potawatomi Social Services.

She was also preceded in death by two sons, Kevin Rice and Brad Rice, a daughter, Sylvia Johnson, an adopted daughter, Marilyn LaCour, four brothers, Denny Delge, Michael Delge, Pat Mahkuk and Walter Delge, Jr., and three sisters, Ilona Delge, Myra Matchie and Edwina Dickinson.

Survivors include a son, Chris Rice (Kristina), Nedrow, NY, two adopted sons, Wayne Jesseppe and Shon Jesseppe (Carol), all of Horton, a daughter, Shirley Mitchell (Tom), Oskaloosa, two brothers, Roland Matchie, Holton and Fred Mahkuk, Wisconsin, six sisters, Margaret Mahkuc, Mayetta, Eileen Delge and Marilyn Delge, both of Lawrence, Ione Childers, Perry, and Tutti Kerns and Hedy Noland, both of Holton, ten grandchildren, fifteen great grandchildren, two great-great grandchildren, and a host of many other grandchildren that she had a special relationship with.

Supper and wake services will be Sunday evening, March 15th at the Nozhackum Hall. Burial will be Monday afternoon in Mahkuk Cemetery. Calling hours for Betty will be from Noon until 3:00 p.m. on Sunday at the Chapel Oaks Funeral Home in Hoyt.

Hayden and Rossville Split Twinbill.

 

Hayden, Rossville battle to split in softball twinbill

By TODD FERTIG

TopSports.news

The Rossville and Hayden softball teams relied on big offensive innings in a doubleheader split at Rossville Thursday.

The Wildcats took their first loss of the season, a 10-4 decision, in the opening game of the twinbill. Rossville jumped on top with four runs in the top of the first inning, then put together a six-run fifth to ward off a Hayden comeback.

Rossville's Falyn Clurman went the distance for the pitching win in the Bulldawgs' 10-4 first-game win over Hayden. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]

Emberly Connell connected for a home run in Thursday's Hayden softball split with Rossville. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]

Hayden returned the favor in the nightcap, putting up three runs in the second inning and five more in the sixth frame on the way to an 8-2 victory. The Rossville loss was just its second against eight wins on the year.

In the opening game, Rossville pitcher Falyn Clurman worked around a three-run third inning to record the win. The Wildcats’ big blow was a home run by Emberly Connell, but Clurman scattered eight hits in going the distance. She said she was proud of the way her team responded when Hayden rallied in the third.

“We’re learning that mistakes will come,” the sophomore said. “You’ve got to let them go and move on to the next play. Next at bat. Next ball, just move on from mistakes. If we stick with them, that’s when we get down.”

Clurman dueled Class 3A Silver Lake Monday and defeated Class 4A Hayden on Thursday. She said the competition is helping the Bulldawgs grow as a team.

“It builds my confidence to know I can go out there against any team,” Clurman said of competing with bigger schools. “We only lost one player from last year so when we come to practice, we don’t have to go over fundamentals. We can go straight into our plays and everything. I feel good about this team and think we can go far.”

Maura Valdivia picked up the pitching win and had a double in Hayden's 8-2 Game 2 softball win over Rossville. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]

Rossville's Kenna Perine had a triple and a double in Rossville's doubleheader softball split with Hayden. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]

In the second game, Hayden was protecting a 3-2 lead in the top of the sixth inning when the Wildcat bats took over. Five runs gave Hayden an 8-2 cushion that pitcher Maura Valdivia didn’t relinquish. The junior allowed just six hits and one earned run.

“The best thing she does is she just gets ahead while missing the meat of the plate,” Hayden coach Carvel Reynoldson said of Valdivia. “She’s living on the corners but she’s still throwing strikes. I thought our defense in the second game was much better.

“(Rossville has) got some really good hitters, especially at the top of the order. In the first game, we had a lot of ‘tweener’ plays that we could have made and didn’t, and that led to big innings. Blakely (Walter, Hayden’s starting pitcher in the first game) threw better than what she got.”

RHS and Clay Center Baseball

The Rossville baseball team dueled with Clay Center on April 9.  RHS won the first game,9-4 but lost the other half of the double header  3-1

Lady Dawgs Lose 2 Games To SFT

 The Rossville Lady Dawgs lost both ends of an April 7  double header against Santa Fe Trail.  The Rossville bats stayed silent  as  scores of 8-0 and 13-3. brought the season total to 7-3.

Big East Pre-League Meet (Nemaha Central) HS

 Big East Track and Field, Tue, Apr 7, 2026
 Thunder Track and Field, KS 
Top Six Schools in Boys and Girls

 Varsity Boys 

18 / 18 Events Completed

1. Sabetha 202
2. Jefferson West 109
3. Nemaha Central 89
4. Rossville 54
5. Hiawatha 52
6. Perry-Lecompton 42 

 Varsity Girls 

18 / 18 Events Completed 

1. Nemaha Central 194
2. Hiawatha 118
3. Sabetha 90
4. Perry-Lecompton 71
5. Rossville 58
6. Jefferson West 14

Top Sports News Covers RHS-SL Game

 By TODD FERTIG

TopSports.news

A wild ending to the second game of a doubleheader between the Silver Lake and Rossville softball teams produced a split at Rossville Monday night between the two rivals.

After Silver Lake won the opening contest 8-3, Rossville appeared to be in control throughout the second game but struggled to put the feisty Eagles away in the final inning.

Rossville scored six runs on seven hits in the bottom of the sixth inning to build what appeared to be an insurmountable 12-3 lead. But the Eagles refused to go quietly, scoring seven runs before the Bulldawgs were able to close out the 12-10 victory.

Rossville softball, celebrating a run during Monday's home doubleheader with Silver Lake, earned a split with a 12-10 second-game win. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN] 

Silver Lake rapped out eight hits in the top of the seventh and cut the deficit to just two runs. With runners on first and third, they appeared poised to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. But a smash deep into the outfield was snared by the Rossville fielder for the second out of the inning. Once the ball was in the infield, a throw to third base produced the final out on the Eagle runner who left the base on contact.

“I’m just glad we were able to hang on to get the win,” said Rossville coach John Nitsch following the nightcap. “The main thing is just to keep on fighting. I’m glad we scored enough the inning before to give us that cushion.

“The difference between this year and last year was we’d let games like that get away from us. But this year we’re able to fight back and get it.”

Rossville withstood four Silver Lake home runs and a triple in the second game by stringing together long rallies in the second and sixth innings. The Bulldawgs compiled 17 hits in the late game, all but one of which were singles.

The opening game loss to Silver Lake was Rossville’s first defeat of the season. The nightcap made the Bulldawgs 7-1 on the season.

“My biggest thing was I didn’t like how we competed in the first game,” said Nitsch, who recorded his 100th career victory earlier in the season. “We’ve got to show up to compete every pitch, every play, not extend innings by not making plays.”

Senior pitcher Riley Mohler picked up an 8-3 complete game first-game victory as Silver Lake and Rossville split Monday's doubleheader. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]

Silver Lake got a complete-game victory in the opener from pitcher Riley Mohler. The senior helped herself out with two big plays in the sixth inning, neither coming from her pitching arm.

Knotted at 3-3 in the top of the sixth, the pitcher stepped to the plate with runners on second and third. She cracked a drive to the opposite field that banged against the right field fence, plating both runners to take the lead.

“I personally love hitting. I know pitching is a big thing for me. I’ve been pitching for as long as I can remember,” Mohler said. “But once I sit in that box and I can hit, it really changes the game because I can affect the score and who wins.”

Then, in the bottom of the sixth, with a runner on first, she stabbed a line drive back through the box and doubled up the Rossville runner who strayed from the bag.

“Sometimes I hate being called ‘just a pitcher.’ I like being able to be seen as able to do other things, too,” Mohler said. “When I’m able to make a double play or a throw to first, or a big hit, that’s a big opportunity for me.”

The Eagles, Class 3A state runners-up the past two seasons, took their second loss of the year against eight victories.

Rossvile Golf Team 5th at So Lyons Co. Inv.

The Rosville Golf Team finished 5th of 15 teams. Jack Donovan tied for First with a 79 or a 76--depending on which version is correct). Feldhausen was tied for 23rd with a 94

 Rossville Players

Jack Donovan     37 39 76
J. Feldhausen     46 48 94
Dalen Dick          47 49 96
Austin Dohrman 46 52 98
Creed Wood       52 55 107
Jayse Moore       71 64 135

Dawgs Get Two Wins Over Silver Lake

 On April 6, the Rossville varsity baseball team grabbed two wins from Silver Lake,: 7-2 and 10-2.  The Dawgs are 6-2 in the Big East and Overall.

Lady Dawgs and SL Eagles Split

The April 6 doubleheader between the Lady Dawgs and Silver Lake were split with Silver Lake winning 8-3 and Rossville winning the other game 12-10.

Rossville softball  is 7-1 in both the Big East and Overall.

Lady Dawgs Get Two Wins Over Royal Valley

The  Rossville softball team extended their win streak to 6 with two wins over Royal Valley by scores of 14-2 and 10-6.

Boys Golf Team 8th at Royal Valley

The RHS Boys Golf Team finished 8th of 11 teams at the Royal Valley Invitational. on Mar.30.

Jack Donovan led the team with an 83. for 7th place.  Jackson Feldhausen tied for 13th with a 91.

Rosasville SoftballTeam Off To 4-0 Start

 The Rossville sofball team stands at 4-0 i  Big East Standings with wins ofer  Jeff West of  15-9  and  5-2.  

This week they have notched victories over Riley Count 14-4 and 13-1

Rossville Baseball

The baseball team lost their first two games to Jeff  Westby scores of 10-2 an 10-1.  But they tuned things around during their two game series wih Rily County this week winning 20-0 and 18-2  

Wabaunsee Inv. Track and Field

 Rossville finished 8th out of 14 teams 

Top Sports News Players To Watch

CAEL HORGAN, Rossville 

A junior, Horgan was a first-team All-Big East pick last spring after helping Rossville advance to the Class 2A-1A state tournament in 2025.

Cameron Miller, Rossville

CAMERON MILLER, Rossville

Miller, a senior pitcher, earned TSN All-Shawnee County and All-Big-East League first-team honors last season for the Bulldawgs. 

CANAAN MITCHELL, Rossville 

Mitchell, a senior infielder, was a first-team All-Shawnee County pick last season after helping Rossville earn a spot in the Class 2A-1A state tournament and was a second-team All-Big East League selection. Mitchell was a second-team All-2A-1A pick by the Kansas Association of Baseball Coaches.  

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.”