State Champions Apparel

STATE CHAMPIONSHIP apparel can be purchased online through DECEMBER 13th: http://www.reliantapparel.com/index.php?route=product/category&path=90_107_176

Horak Leads All-State Team

By brent.maycock@cjonline.com

At 5-foot-10, 180 pounds, Rossville’s Tucker Horak doesn’t create even the slightest blip on football recruiting websites, his dimensions far from ideal for those in the market for a Division I quarterback.

So you won’t find his name listed among Kansas’ top prospects on Rivals.com or any other service. Same goes for fellow quarterback Brady Rust of Derby, who boasts the same exact measurements. Or Lawrence tailback JD Woods, who checks in at 5-7, 175.

Even hulking linemen Kaelin Key (6-0, 265) of Miege and Noah Johnson (6-2, 275) of Carroll don’t quite fit the specifications college recruiters desire when scouring the nation for talent.

But what the yardstick doesn’t measure are the qualities that have made all five standouts members of The Topeka Capital-Journal’s 2015 All-State Top 11.

“It is what it is, but sometimes you need to look past the yardstick, the scales and even the stopwatch,” said Lawrence coach Dirk Wedd, who’s seen both sides of the recruiting focus with the Lions also boasting a Top 11 pick in lineman Amani Bledsoe — the No. 1 prospect in Kansas.

“You just need to see who wins, who wills their team to win and who’s a player. Sometimes on Saturday afternoon, that would win a game or two for you.”

One only needs to look at the final Saturday afternoon of the football season to find out just how true that statement can ring, at least in the case of Horak and Rust.

In the Class 3A state title game, Rossville trailed Wichita Collegiate 19-7 entering the fourth quarter — its bid for a second straight state title in serious danger. But in the span of less than a minute, Horak ran for a touchdown and then returned a fumble 65 yards for the game-winning score as the Bulldawgs pulled out a 20-19 victory.

The herculean effort capped a season unlike any other in Kansas history as Horak became the first player in state history to rush and throw for more than 2,000 yards in the same season. His final numbers were simply staggering: 2,859 yards and 47 touchdowns rushing and 2,070 yards and 30 touchdowns passing.

“It’s a cliche, but you can’t measure heart,” Rossville coach Derick Hammes said. “In general, that’s a good description of this group and it’s an excellent description of Tucker because he was just incredible for us. I’ve never coached anybody that had the ability like he could to make a play for his team. He was something special.”

If not for Horak’s monster season, Rust very well may have been the buzz capturing an entire state. After Derby lost standout tailback Garrett Xanders for the season, Rust put the Panther offense on his back and led them to the 6A state title, rushing for 309 yards in the championship game on an ice-covered field.

His season was no less spectacular with 2,118 yards and 24 touchdowns rushing and 1,728 yards and 33 touchdowns passing.

“When it comes to a great high school quarterback, I think his stats just speak for themselves,” Derby coach Brandon Clark said. “To get recruited these days, you need to be 6-3, 6-4. But he’ll be a great quarterback for some system. Every once in awhile, some of those quarterbacks get a chance and really show that size doesn’t matter, and hopefully these guys get a chance.”

Huge senior seasons and careers haven’t led recruiters to beat down the doors of fellow Top 11 picks Christian Jegen of Mill Valley, Dawson Downing and Key of Miege, Woods or Jace McDown of Columbus, even though they come closer to passing the “eye test” with their physiques.

Jegen (6-2, 200) accumulated more than 2,000 combined rushing and receiving yards from his receiver position for the 5A state champions, while Downing (6-0, 215) and Key led Miege to its second straight 4A title with Downing rushing for 1,904 yards and 42 touchdowns and Key making 31 tackles for loss.

McDown (6-0, 215) merely led Kansas in rushing until the final week of the season, amassing 2,667 yards and 38 touchdowns while also racking up 125 tackles. Woods (5-7, 175) merely broke Lawrence’s single-season and career rushing records, finishing with 1,928 yards and 38 touchdowns as a senior.

The Top 11 does have its share of Division I star power as well, beginning with Bledsoe (6-5, 272) who ranks as the No. 6 defensive end prospect in the nation and has more than 30 Division I offers.

Olathe North’s Isaiah Simmons (6-4, 210) is a three-star prospect who stood out on both sides of the ball for the Eagles, making 92 tackles from his free safety spot while also adding 994 yards and 16 touchdowns receiving. Free State’s Bryce Torneden (5-10, 175) has committed to FCS multi-time national champion North Dakota State and had 84 tackles and more than 2,450 yards of total offense.

The coach of the year is Mill Valley’s Joel Applebee, who led the Jaguars to their first state title with a 35-14 win over Carroll in the 5A championship game to cap a 12-1 season.

Capital Journal All State Team

Amani Bledsoe, Lawrence OT-DT 6-5 272 Sr.
Dawson Downing, Miege RB 6-0 210 Sr.
Tucker Horak, Rossville QB-DB 5-10 180 Sr.

Christian Jegen, Mill Valley WR-FS 6-2 200 Sr.

Noah Johnson, Carroll OT 6-2 275 Sr.

Kaelin Key, Miege DT 6-0 265 Sr.

Jace McDown, Columbus RB-LB 6-0 215 Sr.

Brady Rust, Derby QB 5-10 180 Sr.

Isaiah Simmons, Olathe North FS-WR 6-4 210 Sr

Bryce Torneden, Free State QB-DB 5-10 175 Sr.

JD Woods, Lawrence RB 57 175 Sr.

Coach of the year — Joel Applebee, Mill Valley

CHRIS NEAL/THE CAPITAL-JOURNAL-The Topeka Capital-Journal's 2015 All-State Top 11, front row from left: Dawson Downing, Miege; J.D. Woods, Lawrence High; Tucker Horak, Rossville; Brady Rust, Derby; Jace McDown, Columbus; Bryce Torneden, Lawrence Free State. Back row from left: Noah Johnson, Carroll; Kaelin Key, Miege; Coach Joel Applebee, Mill Valley; Christian Jegen, Mill Valley; Isaiah Simmons, Olathe North; Amani Bledsoe, Lawrence High.

Wamego Boys Win 66-45

WAMEGO 66, ROSSVILLE 45

Rossville 12 10 10 13   =   45

Wamego 19 16 14 17   =   66

Rossville scoring:

Schumacher     9         0-0  18
Roduner           3          1-3   7
Dyche               2 (2)     0-0   6
Hammes           2          0-0   4
Mason               2          0-0   4
Anderson          1 (1)     0-2   3
Horak                1          0-2   2
Morris                0          1-2   1
Totals              20 (3)     2-9 45.

RHS Girls Win In OT

ROSSVILLE 53, WAMEGO 48 (OT)

Rossville 10 10 13  8 12   =   53

Wamego   6 13 12 10  7   =   48

Rossville  scoring:

Hill                 9 (2)    4-6   24
Nitsch            6 (5)    4-8   21
Day               1          2-2     4
Conley           1         2-4     4
Totals           17 (7) 12-20  53.

2015 Homecoming Video

    Here is an excellent video of the 2015 Homecoming Ceremonies at the football field before the game.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V-ifp4tNwcs

Czechland Polka Band At Hall

    Here is video of the The Czechland Polka Band at the Bohemian Hall, Rossville, KS 10-17-15.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uIzEYIhzoNs

Willard Bridge Might Get Aid

From the Capital-Journal:

U.S. Rep. Lynn Jenkins says legislation approved Thursday by the House possibly would provide aid for replacement of the Willard Bridge and other projects in Kansas.

The legislation also would need to pass the Senate, which adopted its own highway program earlier this year.

Shawnee County commissioners last month approved a $24.7 million budget to replace the bridge with some uncertainty about where funding will come from.

Jenkins, a Topeka Republican, said the Surface Transportation Reauthorization and Reform Act of 2015 would provide “necessary certainty” for planning while “our economy continues to struggle.”

If the House bill were to survive Senate scrutiny, the measure “sets aside funds specifically targeted to help improve local and rural infrastructure,” Jenkins said. “These funds potentially could aid the construction efforts across Kansas, like the Willard Bridge.”

Kylee Sims Business Is Successful

From the Capital Journal:

Rossville  resident Kylee Sims launched her business with a simple goal — figure out a way to work from home, so when her young children started school, she would have a reasonable income.

She started while her children were still home, figuring it would take a few years to make the business viable.

Instead, in a short amount of time, her Etsy business, DragonfliesNDahlias, grew to where she was losing sleep to meet orders.

“It’s just grown right out from under me. It is such a blessing. I love it,” Sims said.

Artists often refer to “happy accidents,” and for Sims, the accident was tapping into a booming market. She had seen jewelry on Etsy made from handwriting samples, and for Christmas last year, she wanted to order one for her mother to commemorate Sims’ maternal grandmother, who had died earlier in the year.

Sims wanted the necklace to say “love you so much mom,” in handwriting she had taken from a card her grandmother sent her mother.

But the Etsy artist making the handwriting necklace was so backed up with orders, she couldn’t get it done until January. So while she waited for the original gift, Sims created a single-use stencil of the words and transferred them to wood, and then painted the gift for her mother.

When her mother opened the emotional and heart-warming gift, Sims’ brother was stunned.

“My brother saw it Christmas morning, and he was like ‘Shut up. What are you doing?’ ” she said.

Her brother insisted she open an Etsy store making the special pieces of artwork that transferred everything from signatures to entire letters onto wood.

So often, the stories that accompany the customized artwork leave her “blubbering,” Sims admitted. There was the girl whose father died in June, a month before her parents’ 45th wedding anniversary. Her father sent his daughter to purchase an anniversary card when he knew that he was dying, and the daughter had the words on the card transferred by Sims into artwork.

“So what he wrote in that card about her being the best thing that ever happened to him and making his life whole, she got that after he was dead,” Sims said. “It feels so freaking important. His words were so beautiful. You can imagine what a heart-wrenching moment that must have been, for her to open that card on their anniversary.

“This customer wanted her mom to enjoy those words — and what they represent — every day. It truly is an honor to do this work. I pray over each piece — for the family they will impact, for healing, for peace. I am eternally grateful for this opportunity.”

Almost every story is like that.

At a Kansas City art fair, Sims met a couple who looked around her booth and left, and when they came back, she gave them her spiel about the handwriting signs.

“Both of them just kind of stopped and stared at each other,” she said. “The man looked at me and said ‘We both lost our spouses to cancer in the last 10 years or so.’ ”

With tears in his eyes, the man told Sims about a perfect note his late wife wrote to their son that he would like put on a sign.

“I got to write a note straight to (the son) to let him know what it was and who I was and how much his parents loved him,” she said.

Sims becomes a part of many family celebrations through her business. On a board for a wedding, she copied the signatures of eight grandparents who had passed away, but whom the family wanted to remember during the celebration. She has taken signatures from property deeds and sticky notes left on the mirror.

“I love what I do so much that when I have spare time, it’s what I want to do,” Sims said. “I probably don’t spend as much time catching up with my girlfriends.

“I run a business online, and we don’t even have Internet,” she added, laughing.

Sims does much of her Etsy work on her phone, but occasionally drives from her rural home into Rossville to use the Internet at the library.

Her husband, Jeff, often will come to remind her that it is time to stop for the night — although shortening her hours doesn’t look likely as she already is swamped with holiday orders.

“I feel very passionately about these pieces. … I feel like these sentiments are too important to be boxed up in the attic or tucked away in a book on a shelf,” she said. “We should enjoy the words our loved ones leave us every day — they help make us who we are.”

Wrestling Schedule

Dec.

5           @ Mission Valley Tournament
11-12    @ Eudora Invitational
18         Kaw Valley Duals at St. Marys

Jan.

8-9        Rossville Double Duals
15-16    Bobcat Classic at Basehor-Linwood High School in Basehor
22-23    @ Holton Tournament

Feb

4            @ Burlington Double Duals
6            @ Silver Lake Tournament
12          Mid-East League at Rock Creek
19-20     3A Sub-State at location to be announced.
26-27     3A State at Gross Coleseum in Hays

Girl's Basketball Schedule

Dec.

4      @ Wamego
8      Chapman @ Fighting Irish Classic at Chapman
11    Sacred Heart @ Fighting Irish Classic
12    El Dorado @ Fighting Irish Classic
18    Vs Frankford
21    Vs Perry Lecompton

Jan. 

5      @ Silver Lake
8      Vs Riley Co.
12    Vs Rock Creek
15    Vs St. Marys
26-30    Jeff Co. North Tournament

Feb.

2      @ St Marys
5      @ Wabaunsee
9      @ Osage City
12    Vs Silver Lake
16    Vs Wabaunsee
19    @ Riley County
25    @ Rock Creek
29- Mar 6    Sub-State
Mar 9 - 12   State

Boy's Basketball Schedule

Dec.

4      @ Wamego
8      Chapman @ Fighting Irish Classic at Chapman
11    Sacred Heart @ Fighting Irish Classic
12    El Dorado @ Fighting Irish Classic
18    Vs Frankford
21    Vs Perry Lecompton

Jan. 

5      @ Silver Lake
8      Vs Riley Co.
12    Vs Rock Creek
15    Vs St. Marys
19-23    Valley Falls Tournament

Feb.

2      @ St Marys
5      @ Wabaunsee
9      @ Osage City
12    Vs Silver Lake
16    Vs Wabaunsee
19    @ Riley County
25    @ Rock Creek
29- Mar 6    Sub-State
Mar 9 - 12   State

RHS Overcomes Ice

From  cjonline.com

The weather conditions for Saturday’s Class 3A state championship game in Hutchinson were downright awful.

The field conditions were arguably even worse with Gowan Stadium’s turf covered in more than an inch of ice that quickly evolved into a slick and slushy mess.

Hardly the optimal conditions for two of the state’s top offenses to show their true colors.

Yet in that rainy, icy, chilly mess, Rossville managed to put its true self forward. All season long, Bulldawg coach Derick Hammes has preached about the completeness of his team and against Wichita Collegiate the point was driven home.

“It was a great effort by everybody,” Hammes said after Rossville rallied with 13 fourth-quarter points to nip Collegiate 20-19 and secure a second straight undefeated 3A state championship. “It was one of those days where the field conditions didn’t allow either one of us to play the game the way we wanted to play. More than anything, because of the field conditions, it was a battle, a game of will. Not that they didn’t want it, but our kids wanted it bad and came up with the plays down the end to get it done.”

Even with its high-powered offense slowed by not only treacherous field conditions but a Collegiate defense bent on containing Bulldawg record-setting quarterback Tucker Horak, both still had their moments. Rossville opened the game with a 65-yard scoring drive, capped by a 5-yard run from Horak, and down 19-7 late in the third quarter, mounted an 11-play, 62-yard drive which Horak finished with an 8-yard scoring run on the first play of the fourth quarter.

The state’s all-time leader in total offense, Horak rushed for 150 yards on 24 carries but only had five runs of 10 yards or more after coming into the game averaging 15.4 yards per carry. His longest run of the game was 41 yards, which moved Rossville into field goal range late in the first half, but the Dawgs were unable to convert.

“They were doing some really good things on defense, making it tough on our line,” said Horak, who also only threw for 29 yards, finishing with 179 total yards and coming up 73 yards shy of reaching 5,000 yards of total offense this season. “They were really squeezing their D-ends and that made it tough on us today. We practiced that all week and adjusted to it, so other people had to make plays and they stepped up when they needed to.”

After Horak’s second touchdown run made it 19-14, it was Rossville’s defense that truly stepped up. Despite yielding touchdowns to Collegiate on both of its third-quarter possessions and giving up an 18-yard run on the Spartans’ first play of the fourth quarter to Spartan quarterback Austin Waddell, who had a great day with 278 yards of total offense, the Bulldawgs buckled down when they had to.

Two plays after Waddell’s run, Rossville stacked up standout Spartan back Nathan Burgoyne in the backfield and Horak stripped the ball and took it 65 yards for the game-winning score.

The Bulldawgs then forced a three-and-out, but still had to come up with one last stop when the Rossville offense couldn’t deliver a final dagger.

In the final 7:42, Collegiate methodically moved the ball down the field, converting a third-and-9 on a Rossville pass interference and a fourth-and-1 near midfield. A pair of throwback screens that had simply killed Rossville in the third quarter — a 60-yarder from Waddell to Burgoyne produced their go-ahead score and a 36-yarder from Waddell to John Egan set up their final touchdown — moved it deep into Rossville territory, a 25-yarder to Burgoyne set Collegiate up at the Bulldawg 16 with 29 seconds left.

After two straight incompletions, including a drop by Collegiate inside the 10, and a false start, the Bulldawgs had to dodge one last bullet. Horak and Jacob Bradshaw ensured they did, both in position for a game-clinching interception with Bradshaw hauling it in.

“Both of us definitely had explosive offenses this year,” Bradshaw said. “For it to come down to defense, it’s just will for us. We had to fight back the entire game and it was just huge plays by us that got it done.”

It marked the second straight year Rossville rallied in the fourth quarter for the state title, last year coming from 14-7 down with 7:15 left to edge Scott City 21-14.

Offense, defense, even special teams — Augusto Nascimento’s PAT kick that just squeaked over the crossbar after Rossville’s second touchdown proved to be the difference — Rossville delivered whatever was necessary to pull off back-to-back titles.

“Before the game, that was one of the things that we laid out, that it would be a game of sudden changes,” Hammes said. “We just had a belief we were going to do it. ... Things were looking a little bit bleak for us, but it was poise and determination of the kids that got us through it.”

Video From 3A Title Game

Video of the 3A title game can be seen at:
http://ksnt.com/2015/11/28/rossville-beats-collegiate-20-19-wins-back-to-back-state-titles/

Rossville 3A State Champs

From the Hutchinson News:

Tied 7-7 with Wichita Collegiate at halftime, Rossville senior quarterback and safety Tucker Horak channeled his inner Joe Namath to his coach and teammates in the locker room and made a guarantee.

The Bulldawgs’ engine told coach Derick Hammes to relax before he addressed the team and there was nothing to worry about. He reminded the team that they haven’t exactly clicked and played their best in first halves throughout the season. He said he guaranteed a win despite the fact the team that had been blowing everybody out throughout the season was in a battle on an icy field with freezing rain dropping down throughout the game Saturday at Gowans Stadium.

Horak maintained this stance when the Spartans jumped ahead 19-7 in the third quarter.

“I walked over on the sidelines and I told our right tackle that we are going to score twice and we’re going to win this thing,” Horak said.

Horak did exactly that. He scored an offensive and defensive touchdown in a 56-second span during the first 1:01 of the fourth quarter to give the Bulldawgs a lead which they never relinquished in a 20-19 victory.

The Bulldawgs’ 28th consecutive win that clinched the program’s second-straight title wasn’t easy and the miserable conditions took the teams out of their comfort zones. But Hammes said his team showed the heart of true champions.

“This was one of those games that field conditions didn’t probably allow either one of us to maybe play the game we wanted to play,” Hammes said. “I think probably more than anything because of the conditions it was just a battle. It was a game of will. Not that they didn’t want it but our kids wanted it bad. They came up with the plays down at the end of it.”

The Spartans took the lead in the third quarter when quarterback Austin Waddell hit running back Nathan Burgoyne on a screen pass. Burgoyne broke a tackle and busted loose for a 60-yard score to give the Spartans a 13-7 lead with 7:55 left. Around five minutes later, Waddell completed another screen pass to fullback John Egan for 36 yards on third and 18 down to the Bulldawg 2-yard line. Waddell eventually scored on a 1-yard plunge to give the Spartans a 19-7 edge.

The Bulldawgs didn’t fret and Horak orchestrated a 62-yard, 11-play scoring drive and scored on an 8-yard touchdown run on the first play of the fourth quarter to bring Rossville to within 19-14.

The Spartans quickly advanced to the Rossville 32-yard line, but then Horak came up big on the defensive side of the ball. Horak caused Burgoyne to cough up the ball at the 35-yard line. Horak recovered and took it 65 yards for a touchdown.

“I saw he was trying to do a little too much and hung it out a little bit,” Horak said. “I guess I just did what I could and made a play.”

Collegiate coach Mike Gehrer said it was a huge blow for the Spartans and he was overall pleased with how the Spartans played in the sloppy conditions.

“That’s who he (Horak) is,” Gehrer said. “He’s a been a big player. My hats off to him. He’s their all-everything and he proved it again.”

The Spartans tried one last time to get the win and drove down to the Rossville 16-yard line with under 30 seconds left. But Rossville came up with the stop it needed in the red zone and junior cornerback Jacob Bradshaw clinched the win with an interception in the end zone as time expired.

Horak, who rushed and passed for over 2,000 yards this season and nearly combined for 5,000 yards of total offense, was held relatively in check most of the game by the Spartans’ defense. He said the way Collegiate squeezed their defensive ends gave the Bulldawg offense fits as he finished with 150 yards rushing and 29 yards through the air. But he said the whole Rossville squad stepped up and did just enough to secure another state championship.

“We made some adjustments to it and other people had to make plays,” Horak said. “That’s what they did. They stepped up when they needed to.”

Key stat: Rossville won despite the fact Wichita Collegiate out gained the Bulldawgs 342-256 yards and won the possession battle 28:33 to 19:27.

Turning point: With just under 11 minutes left, Rossville safety Tucker Horak forced and recovered a fumble and returned it 65-yards for a touchdown to give the Bulldogs a 20-19 lead they never relinquished.

Players of game: Horak finished with 150 yards rushing and two touchdowns on 24 carries while also scoring the game-winning touchdown on defense. For the Spartans, Waddell passed for 177 yards and two touchdowns while also adding 101 yards and a score on the ground. Nathan Burgoyne caught four passes for 96 yards and a touchdown for the Spartans.

He said it: “We weren’t relaxing,” Collegiate coach Mike Gehrer said when his team took a 19-7 lead late in the third quarter. “We wanted to get the ball back. We wanted to go march down and score one more time. Then we would have been more relaxed at that point. We knew that you don’t play a team like that that scores so many points and have so many weapons.”

Up next: Rossville (14-0) enters the offseason as state champion while Wichita Collegiate finishes its season at 13-1.