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)
Bonner Springs sophomore Olivia Stean dragged Leavenworth’s Kennedie Miller to the mat in championship match of the 170-pound class at the Leavenworth Inaugural Girls Challenger tournament. Stean won the match by fall in the first round and went 4-0 in the tournament. (Photo copyright 2021 by Brian Turrel)
by Brian Turrel
The Bonner Springs girls’ wrestling team competed Saturday in the Leavenworth Inaugural Girls Challenger tournament. The team took 3rd place of 17 teams competing in the tournament.
Since KSHSAA voted in 2019 to sanction girls’ wrestling, Bonner Springs has rapidly built up its program.
Longtime youth club coach Dale Taylor is now the head coach of the Lady Braves team and has already recruited a roster with wrestlers in 10 of 12 weight classes. Taylor has a mix of successful club team veterans and rookies getting their first experience with competitive wrestling.
Nationally ranked sophomore Olivia Stean took 1st place in the 170-pound weight class in impressive style, winning all four of her matches by fall (that is, pinning her opponent) and averaging less than 36 seconds to do it.
Multi-sport athlete Jenna Knight placed 2nd in the 120-pound weight class. Kylie Enriquez placed 3rd in the 109-pound class. Sisters Haylie and Chloie Knapp took 3rd place in the 132- and 155-pound classes.
The Bonner Springs girls will face off in a dual meet against Manhattan on Thursday in Bonner Springs.
Turner High School also entered the meet, with a limited roster. Arianna Ortiz took 2nd place in the 101-pound class, and Daisy Chavez placed 7th in the 155-pound class. Turner placed 12th in the team competition.
Turner’s Arianna Ortiz defeated Raymore-Peculiar’s Courtney Stevens by fall in the first round of their 101-pound match. (Photo copyright 2021 by Brian Turrel)
The referee signalled Jenna Knight’s win over Olathe South’s Meriel Brady. Knight won by fall in the first round. (Photo copyright 2021 by Brian Turrel)
Bonner Springs sophomore Chloie Knapp wrestled St. Joseph Lafayette’s Mati Womeldorff. Knapp won by decision 6-0. (Photo copyright 2021 by Brian Turrel)
Olivia Stean posed with her mom Laura after the awards ceremony. (Photo copyright 2021 by Brian Turrel)
Turner’s Arianna Ortiz, left, posed with 101-pound class winner Isa-Bella Mendoza of St. Joseph-Lafayette. (Photo copyright 2021 by Brian Turrel)
Turner’s Daisy Chavez wrestled against Leavenworth’s Jacqueline Goodman. Goodman won the match by fall in the first round. (Photo copyright 2021 by Brian Turrel)
Bonner Springs junior Jaycee Millison tried to pin Kendall Reid of Washburn Rural. Reid won the match by major decision (14-2). (Photo copyright 2021 by Brian Turrel)
Jaycee Millison got some encouragement from coach Dale Taylor after a match. (Photo copyright 2021 by Brian Turrel)
Bonner Springs senior Haylie Knapp threw Lawrence Free State’s Ryan Turk in their 132-pound match. Knapp won by fall in the first round. (Photo copyright 2021 by Brian Turrel)
Bonner Springs junior Gina Acevedo defeated Mission Valley’s Jenna Grame by fall in the third round of their 191-pound match. (Photo copyright 2021 by Brian Turrel)
Bonner Springs freshman Kylie Enriquez dropped Raymore-Peculiar’s Ashland Kudron. Kudron won the match on a 9-7 decision. (Photo copyright 2021 by Brian Turrel)
The Piper cheerleading team performed in the KSHSAA Spirit Gameday competition. The team finished fifth in Class 5A. (Photo copyright 2021 by Brian Turrel)
by Brian Turrel
Piper and Bonner Springs high schools competed in the KSHSAA Spirit Gameday class 5A cheer competition on Saturday in Topeka. The event is the state-level competition for cheerleading.
Teams competed in preliminary rounds performing a fight song, band chant and crowd cheer. The top six teams after preliminaries advanced to the finals where they performed a game situation cheer and an open routine.
After preliminaries, Piper sat in fifth place, and made it through to the final round, while Bonner Springs was in ninth place.
Piper also finished fifth in the final round and the squad received medals for its performance. Blue Valley Southwest was the winner in Class 5A.
Piper’s dance team finished third in the dance competition held on Friday.
With football season complete, the Bonner Springs and Piper cheerleading squads are preparing for basketball season starting in the first week of December.
The Bonner Springs cheerleading team performed in the KSHSAA Spirit Gameday competition. (Photo copyright 2021 by Brian Turrel)
The Piper cheerleading team performed in the KSHSAA Spirit Gameday competition. (Photo copyright 2021 by Brian Turrel)The Bonner Springs cheerleading team performed in the KSHSAA Spirit Gameday competition. (Photo copyright 2021 by Brian Turrel)The Piper cheerleading team performed in the KSHSAA Spirit Gameday competition. (Photo copyright 2021 by Brian Turrel)The Bonner Springs cheerleading team performed in the KSHSAA Spirit Gameday competition. (Photo copyright 2021 by Brian Turrel)The Piper cheerleading team received its fifth place medals. (Photo copyright 2021 by Brian Turrel)The Bonner Springs cheerleading team performed in the KSHSAA Spirit Gameday competition. (Photo copyright 2021 by Brian Turrel)Head coach Morgan Kolenda and the team reacted with joy when they were announced as finalists. (Photo copyright 2021 by Brian Turrel)The Bonner Springs cheerleading team performed in the KSHSAA Spirit Gameday competition. (Photo copyright 2021 by Brian Turrel)
