February 2020 – Welcome to Wyandotte Daily!

Faith news

To send in items for the Faith News, email information to [email protected]. Please include your name and contact information.

A benefit pancake breakfast in honor of a heroic crossing guard is planned from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. Sunday, March 15, at Christ the King Catholic Church, Davern Hall, 53rd and Leavenworth Road, Kansas City, Kansas. The funds raised at the Knights of Columbus pancake breakfast will go to a scholarship fund at Christ the King School in memory of Bob Nill, a crossing guard who was killed while on duty in a traffic accident Feb. 18. He is credited with saving the lives of two schoolchildren. His family also recently set up a GoFundMe account to help with the scholarship fund at https://www.gofundme.com/f/BobNillKCKMemorial?utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook&utm_campaign=p_nacp%20share-sheet&rcid=d6bc83dc65f0414893f5ebaa6920877a&fbclid=IwAR3Y8ApZKYJaco7CJf7zweWfUWcaESPDFUJSMhCASW6k3CMSg2fdn3YtxZ4.

Church Women United will meet on Friday, March 6, at St. Andrew Baptist Church, 5300 Parallel Parkway, Kansas City, Kansas. A social time at 9:30 a.m. will be followed by the meeting at 10 a.m.

The Keeler Women’s Center, 759 Vermont Ave., Kansas City, Kansas, will hold “Scripture Study and Reflection,” facilitated by Heather Neds, from 9:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. Wednesdays. There will be a Lenten retreat, “Making a Difference from Where You Are,” scheduled from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Wednesday, March 4. Mary Kat Witacre will lead the retreat. A light supper will be provided. No children will be at the retreat. Register for the program at 913-689-9375 or register at www.keelerwomenscenter.org. The Keeler Center is a ministry of the Benedictine Sisters.

Open Door Baptist Church, 3033 N. 103rd Terrace, Kansas City, Kansas, will hold a worship service at 10:30 a.m. Sunday, March 1. Sunday school will be at 9 a.m. March 1.

St. Mary-St. Anthony Catholic Church, 615 N. 7th St., Kansas City, Kansas, will hold a Lenten reflection at 8 a.m. Friday, March 6. It is sponsored by the Strawberry Hill Altar Societies. After Mass, there will be a continental breakfast. The session begins at 9 a.m. Reservations may be made to 913-897-4833. A freewill offering will be accepted. The day of reflection is open to men and women.

Stony Point Christian Church, 149 S. 78th St., Kansas City, Kansas, will hold a worship service at 10:15 a.m. Sunday, March 1. Sunday school will be at 9 a.m. March 1.

St. Patrick Catholic Church, 94th and State Avenue, will have fish dinners from 4 to 7 p.m. on Fridays in the church’s parish center, 9400 State Ave. Adult meals are $10 and kids meals are $6.

Members of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 1300 N. 18th St., Kansas City, Kansas, will observe the second Sunday in the Lenten season at 10 a.m. March 8; the second in the Lenten study series entitled “Walk in Love” will follow at 11:30 a.m. Members of the parish will meet at the church at 10 a.m. Wednesday, March 11, to prepare for the annual children’s Easter egg hunt at 10 a.m. Saturday, April 4.

Wyandotte United Methodist Church, 7901 Oakland Ave., Kansas City, Kansas, will hold worship services at 8:30 a.m. and 11 a.m. on Sunday, March 1. Sunday school will be at 9:45 a.m. March 1, with the youth group meeting at 1:30 p.m. A taco salad supper sponsored by the United Methodist Women is planned from 4:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, March 14. Proceeds will benefit the missions.

Send Faith News items to [email protected]. Please include your contact information. If there is inclement weather, check with the sponsoring organization to see if the event will still be held. These events are listed by alphabetical order of the faith group.

Sophs Byrd, Hoppock lead KCKCC to opening playoff win

Sophomore Brodi Byrd tied the KCKCC record for 3-point goals in a career with this first quarter shot, then established a new all-time record with her 129th career trey in the second quarter in the Blue Devils’ 95-54 win over Hesston Friday. (KCKCC photo by Alan Hoskins)

Blue Devil sophomore Caroline Hoppock went into the air for two of her game-high 26 points in a 95-54 win over Hesston Friday. Six of Hoppock’s field goals were 3-pointers. (KCKCC photo by Alan Hoskins)

Jada Mayberry needed an acrobatic move to get this shot in KCKCC’s 95-54 win over Hesston Friday. Teammate Mercer Roberts looked on. Mayberry scored a career-high 18 points. (KCKCC photo by Alan Hoskins)

by Alan Hoskins, KCKCC

The two returning members of Kansas City Kansas Community College’s 2019 national championship team made sure the Lady Blue Devils’ reign would not end on their own court Friday.

Caroline Hoppock and Brodi Byrd combined for 42 points to lead KCKCC to a 95-54 opening round Region VI playoff win. The win sends the No. 4 seeded Blue Devils (25-6) to No. 1 Labette (23-4) in Parsons Tuesday at 5:30 p.m.

Byrd scored 16 points including three 3-point goals that set a new record of 129 treys in her 2-year career while Hoppock knocked down six threes in eight attempts and led all scorers with 26 points. Byrd also had four rebounds, four assists and three steals while Hoppock was 10-of-13 from the field and led the Blue Devils in rebounding with seven.

Byrd wasted no time in tying the record of 128 threes shared by Camryn Swanson and Sierra Roberts by draining a pair with her first two shots just 1:37 into the game. The record came with 4:45 left in the second quarter.

“Coach called the play for me,” said Byrd, who flipped three fingers in the direction of the KCKCC bench to indicate a 3-point shot.

“Yes I did,” coach Joe McKinstry said about the record breaker.

“She made two in the first couple of minutes but then missed about four in a row. So I said let’s get this over and called a play for a 3-point attempt from the circle,” he said.

The two quick threes couldn’t have been a better start.

“I felt a lot better after that,” said Byrd, who was well aware of her record pursuit. “My parents have been counting down all year.”

Hoppock’s six 3-pointers put her in a tie for sixth on the all-time list for most threes in a game, an all-time record she shares after making eight last season.

“Very happy they went out with a win, for sure,” McKinstry said. “Brodi broke the record and Caroline was six for eight from three; great accomplishments for their last night in this gym.”

Freshman Jada Mayberry was the only other Blue Devils in double figures with a career-high 18 points and four rebounds. Aliyah Myers added nine points, Adoreya Williams seven and Destiny Zamudio, Tiaira Earnest and Kamryn Estell six each. Earnest also had five rebounds.

Offensively, the Blue Devils had an impressive 25 assists on 32 field goals with Zamudio, Earnest, Mayberry and Adoreya Williams adding three each to Byrd’s four.

“That’s one thing this team has been good at from day one, sharing the ball and looking for each other,” McKinstry said.

Defensively, the Blue Devils had a season-high 23 steals in forcing 34 Hesston turnovers.

“Without full court pressing and trapping, we did a real good job of putting the pressure on them and being active,” McKinstry said.

Tuesday’s meeting with Labette Tuesday will be the third this season. The Jayhawk Conference champion Cardinals won the conference opener at home 79-63, then edged the Blue Devils 66-62 at KCKCC.

“We did what we were supposed to do tonight and I’m proud of that,” McKinstry said. “But we have to clean some things up if we’re going to get a win on Tuesday.”

Pirates head to post-season with 19-1 record

by Brian Turrel

The Piper Pirates head into post-season play with a full head of steam, knocking off the Eudora Cardinals 62-41 Friday evening at the Piper fieldhouse. The Pirates finished the season ranked first in Class 4A, and will attempt to duplicate last year’s championship run.

Piper’s multiple scoring options were more than enough to sink Eudora. Tamar Bates showed his ability to blow past defenders or to pull up and hit an outside shot. Gabe Eskina and Ty Shelley provided outlets on the wing, while Christian Arndt battled down low, controlling the boards on both ends.

Bates led the scoring with 21 points, picking up 12 in Piper’s 19-point second quarter. That scoring burst gave Piper a 29-16 halftime margin and made clear the outcome of the game wasn’t in doubt. Jaron Briggs scored 11, hitting three 3-pointers.

Piper celebrated its senior players in a ceremony before the game. Seniors Ty Shelley, Gabe Eskina, Christian Arndt, Scott Lindblad, Parker Bryant were honored, along with team manager Jack Robinson.

The Pirates earned the Frontier League title with a perfect record in conference games. The only blemish in the 19-1 season was a narrow loss to 5A contenders Basehor-Linwood on Jan. 25.

Piper will tip off the sub-state playoffs on Wednesday, March 4, by playing host to the 5-15 Atchison Redmen. The game is scheduled to start at 7 p.m.