Senior Mariyah Noel ended the first half with a last-second basket and earned a trip to the free throw line. (Photo copyright 2022 by Brian Turrel)
by Brian Turrel
The Bonner Springs Lady Braves lost 45-33 to Shawnee Heights Tuesday evening in Bonner Springs.
The home team got out to an early 6-3 lead with inside baskets from Mariyah Noel and Wren VanCleave, but the Lady Thunderbirds rallied to pull ahead 8-6. A Corrie Hassett three-pointer put Bonner Springs back in front briefly before Shawnee Heights took the lead for good.
The Lady Braves trailed 12-9 at the end of the first quarter, but their shooting touch failed them in the second. Bonner Springs hit just two baskets from the field, including a buzzer-beater from Noel, who also drew a foul and converted the free throw to narrow the gap to 23-15 at halftime.
Shawnee Heights had eight players score in the game, and the Lady Thunderbirds’ balanced offense steadily expanded their lead in the second half. Both teams were hampered by ball-handling turnovers and foul trouble in the tightly refereed contest.
Hassett led all scorers with 13 points, hitting 3 three-point shots and 4-of-4 from the free throw line. Noel and VanCleave each added 7.
The Lady Braves’ season record now stands at 3-3. Their next game will be at home on Friday against Paola, tipping off at 6 p.m.
Sophomore Wren VanCleave turned the corner to get to the basket past the Shawnee Heights defense. (Photo copyright 2022 by Brian Turrel)
Senior Corrie Hassett was 4-of-4 from the free throw line. (Photo copyright 2022 by Brian Turrel)
The Bonner Springs cheerleaders performed stunts during a break in the action. (Photo copyright 2022 by Brian Turrel)
Video technician Nathan Anderson helped produce the livestream of the game. (Photo copyright 2022 by Brian Turrel)
Sophomore Wren VanCleave’s short range jumper was blocked by Shawnee Heights senior Zoe Oczko. (Photo copyright 2022 by Brian Turrel)
Senior Mariyah Noel was fouled as she went up for a shot. (Photo copyright 2022 by Brian Turrel)
Sophomore Pirsten Leslie protected the ball as she drove into the lane. (Photo copyright 2022 by Brian Turrel)
Senior Corrie Hassett made a back-handed pass to the corner. (Photo copyright 2022 by Brian Turrel)
Olivia Stean wrestled Olathe Northwest’s Val Galligan in a 170-pound match at the Ladycat Classic tournament at Basehor-Linwood High School. Stean won the match by fall in 1 minute, 4 seconds on her way to winning the tournament. (Photo copyright 2021 by Brian Turrel)
by Brian Turrel
Twenty-nine high school girls’ wrestling teams, including Bonner Springs, Turner, and Harmon, competed in the 4th Annual Ladycat Classic tournament, held on Saturday at Basehor-Linwood High School.
Olivia Stean of Bonner Springs won the 170-pound class, going 5-0 including four falls and a forfeit. She defeated Mandy Wilson of Basehor-Linwood in the championship match. Stean is still undefeated this season at 15-0.
Arianna Ortiz of Turner won the 101-pound class, going 4-0. Ortiz won her three preliminary matches by fall. She defeated Washburn Rural’s Kristen Rezac in the final by technical fall, ahead 16-0 when the match was stopped in the third round.
Stean and Ortiz are both ranked number one in Kansas in their weight classes by the Kansas Wrestling Coaches Association. Stean was ranked 8th in the country in the 180-pound class in USA Wrestling’s pre-season rankings.
Jenna Knight of Bonner Springs went 4-1 and took 5th place of 16 wrestlers in the 120-pound class. Knight is now 12-3 for the season.
Freshman Kamahni Jackson of Harmon placed 9th in the 132-pound class. She went 3-2 in the tournament with three wins by fall, and she has compiled a 7-4 record so far this year.
Arianna Ortiz wrestled Fort Scott’s Ryelee Cagle in a 101-pound match. Ortiz won the match by fall in the third round. (Photo copyright 2021 by Brian Turrel)
Kamahni Jackson wrestled Gardner-Edgerton’s Alyssa Rutherford in a 132-pound match. Jackson won the match by fall in the first round. (Photo copyright 2021 by Brian Turrel)
Jenna Knight wrestled Emporia’s Katina Keosybounheuang in a 120-pound match. Knight won the match by fall in the first round. (Photo copyright 2021 by Brian Turrel)
Emmalee Foya wrestled Baldwin’s Rein Goebel in the 132-pound C bracket. Goya won by fall in the second round. (Photo copyright 2021 by Brian Turrel)
Tyler Wild wrestled Basehor-Linwood’s Meriska Henderson in a 235-pound match. Wild won the match by fall in the first round. (Photo copyright 2021 by Brian Turrel)
Kaylee Killion wrestled Dodge City’s Ayden Ruiz in the 120-pound C bracket. Ruiz won the match on a 3-2 decision. (Photo copyright 2021 by Brian Turrel)
Turner’s Daisy Chavez wrestled Spring Hill’s Campbell Mermis in a 155-pound match. Mermis won the match by fall in the second round. (Photo copyright 2021 by Brian Turrel)
Senior Trent Stimac avoided the De Soto defense on a shot in the lane. Stimac had 8 points and 8 rebounds in the 56-49 loss to the Wildcats. (Photo copyright 2021 by Brian Turrel)
by Brian Turrel
The Bonner Springs Braves made one comeback but couldn’t find a second one, losing 56-49 on the road to the De Soto Wildcats Thursday evening.
The Braves were up 24-20 at halftime thanks to a balanced attack that saw six players get on the board in the second quarter.
Out of the break, the teams briefly traded the lead, but then the Wildcats blasted out to a 35-26 lead with four minutes still remaining in the third quarter.
Bonner Springs coach Dan Streit called a timeout to regroup his team, and the Braves responded with an 11-3 burst that brought them back within 38-37 going into the fourth quarter.
De Soto found another surge in the fourth quarter that Bonner couldn’t answer. Taking advantage of the referees’ sudden strictness in policing the game, the Wildcats hit 8 of 11 free throws on their way to briefly building a 10-point cushion before the Braves hit a late three-pointer.
Jayce Smith led Bonner Springs in scoring, picking up 14 hard-fought points in and around the lane. Tavian Cruse added 11 points, hitting 2 of 5 3-point attempts. Trent Stimac led the team with 8 rebounds, including 4 offensive rebounds.
Bonner Springs doesn’t play again until the new year, as host of Shawnee Heights on Jan. 4, tipping off at 7:30 p.m.
Senior Jayce Smith sized up a shot in the low post. (Photo copyright 2021 by Brian Turrel)
Junior Tavian Cruse launched a 3-pointer over 6-foot, 8-inch De Soto junior Greyson Chappel. (Photo copyright 2021 by Brian Turrel)
Senior Trent Stimac blocked a shot from De Soto junior Blake Hicks. (Photo copyright 2021 by Brian Turrel)
The Bonner Springs cheerleaders performed stunts during a break in the action. (Photo copyright 2021 by Brian Turrel)
Junior Cameron Doss was defended by De Soto junior Blake Hicks. (Photo copyright 2021 by Brian Turrel)
Sophomore Kalen Streit hauled down a rebound. (Photo copyright 2021 by Brian Turrel)
Quick thinking by senior Jayden Young earned a tie-up on a defensive rebound. (Photo copyright 2021 by Brian Turrel)
Junior Cameron Doss had his shot blocked by De Soto senior Cole James. (Photo copyright 2021 by Brian Turrel)
The Bonner Springs cheerleaders got in the spirit with a Christmas sweater theme. (Photo copyright 2021 by Brian Turrel)
Senior Jayce Smith muscled up a shot in the lane. (Photo copyright 2021 by Brian Turrel)
Trent Stimac leaped to secure an offensive rebound over De Soto sophomore David Cobin. (Photo copyright 2021 by Brian Turrel)
