Month: April 2021

Groundbreaking held for new bank building on Leavenworth Road

Security Bank officers, Unified Government Commissioners Gayle Townsend and Jane Philbrook, with Lou Braswell, executive director of the Leavenworth Road Association, participated in the groundbreaking for a new Security Bank facility at 55th and Leavenworth Road, Kansas City, Kansas. (Photo by Deniese Davis, treasurer and co-director of Leavenworth Road Association)

by Lou Braswell, Leavenworth Road Association

The groundbreaking for a new Security Bank facility was held at noon Thursday, April 22, at 55th and Leavenworth Road, Kansas City, Kansas.

Formerly the site of a car wash, the location is between a Church’s chicken and a new gas station on Leavenworth Road.

It will replace the bank building at the shopping center at 60th and Leavenworth Road. The bank has been at Sunset Plaza – Westgate Center for decades.

Expected opening of the new building is in fall 2021.

On hand for the groundbreaking were Security Bank officers and Unified Government commissioners, with the Leavenworth Road Association.

Kansas City NWSL plays first home match of season tonight

Kansas City NWSL, a professional women’s soccer team, will play its first home match of the season tonight at Children’s Mercy Park in Kansas City, Kansas.

KC plays Houston Dash in the match, will start at 7:30 p.m. Monday, April 26.

After two weeks on the road, the team will get its first chance to play in front of a Kansas City crowd.

“We are so excited to get out in front of the home crowd,” head coach Huw Williams said. “Fans here have embraced this team and these players. Hopefully we can put together a performance worthy of them.”

Between the two teams, there are five players who hail from the Greater Kansas City area. Kansas City NWSL’s defender Sydney Miramontez hails from Lenexa, Kansas, and forward Jaycie Johnson is from Lake Winnebago, Missouri. Houston midfielder Haley Hanson is from Overland Park. Dash forwards Shea Groom and Maegan Rosa (Kelly) are from Liberty, Missouri, and Kansas City, Missouri, and both also played for FC Kansas City. In addition, Dash Midfielder Katie Mewis was the first draft pick for FC Kansas City in 2013.

Mariana Larroquette, Kansas City’s first international signing, could get her first start in the NWSL on Monday. The Argentine national entered the game late in last week’s draw against Chicago. She has a reputation for being creative on the ball with a nose for the goal.

Houston Dash forward Shea Groom is making her first return to Kansas City since 2017. A star at Liberty High School, Groom has a deep history in the Greater Kansas City market, and with Kansas City head coach Huw Williams. Williams coached her in youth soccer and drafted her when he was general manager of FC Kansas City.

The first 3,000 fans inside Children’s Mercy Park will receive a free teal-colored towel.

Blue Devils’ win streak ends at 11 in split with Neosho

by Alan Hoskins, KCKCC sports information

Despite an 11-game winning streak ended in a split with Neosho County Saturday, Kansas City Kansas Community College still holds its destiny in its hands.

The Blue Devils have two four-game series remaining in the Jayhawk Conference, both against their biggest challengers in the race for a home playoff berth. Third in the Jayhawk at 14-8, the Blue Devils take on fifth place Allen County (10-10) this coming week and then close the following week against fourth place Coffeyville (13-11). Johnson County (21-3) and Cowley (19-3) lead the league.

Neosho ended KCKCC’s 11-game win streak 7-5 after the Blue Devils rode an 11-run fourth inning to a 12-4 win in the opening game. The split left the Blue Devils 21-13 heading into a non-conference game at Pittsburg State junior varsity Monday at 5 p.m. Allen County comes in Thursday before the four-game set ends Saturday in Iola.

The Blue Devils trailed 3-0 in the fourth inning of the first game when they lashed out eight hits and scored 11 runs. Singles by Raymond Paniagua and Brendyn Bard, Palmer Hutchison’s 2-run triple and a double by Caleb Troutt tied the game and the Blue Devils added seven more runs on singles by Jaylon Johnson, Cole Dawson and Caleb Adams and a 2-run double by Troutt. Paniagua tripled in the final run in the sixth.

Sebastian Velez (2-1) got the win, allowing six hits and three runs in four innings. Chase Terrell gave up one hit and one run in two innings; Steven Santiago finished up allowing two hits and two runs.

Brendyn Bard and Palmer Hutchison had six of the Blue Devils’ seven hits in the 7-5 nightcap. Bard had two doubles and a triple and Hutchison drove in five runs with his 12th home run of the season, two singles and a sacrifice fly.

Tyler Kapraun gave up only one hit, a home run by Ivan Witt, the first four innings only to have Neosho score two runs in the sixth, seventh and eighth innings. Kapraun allowed three runs on five hits, striking out four in 5.2 innings before Eli Tormes was touched for five hits and four runs in two innings.

The Blue Devils have added two non-conference games, both against Baker University junior varsity May 3 and 4. KCKCC will be the host of the May 3 game; date and location of the second game is yet to be determined.