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Lady Pirates win hoops match with Sumner

Piper junior Sage Grann went up for a layup. Grann scored 17 points in the Lady Pirates 57-27 win over Sumner Academy. (Photo copyright 2022 by Brian Turrel)

by Brian Turrel

The Piper Lady Pirates won a cross-town match against the Sumner Academy Lady Sabres 57-27 Friday evening at Sumner.

Piper’s active defense made it difficult for the Lady Sabres to get the ball inside and helped the visitors take an early 6-0 lead, but Sumner took advantage of free throws and a timely three-point shot from Ariana Rivera to pull ahead 10-9 by the end of the first quarter.

Sumner kept the game knotted midway through the second quarter, using full court pressure to slow the Piper offense. As Piper broke the press, a burst of fast-break scoring wore down the home team as halftime approached.

Rivera hit two three-pointers in the second quarter to keep things close, but the Lady Pirates went to the break with a 25-18 advantage.

The third quarter showed much more of the same as Piper controlled the tempo and extended the lead. The Lady Pirates distributed the scoring, racking up 19 points in the quarter with no player scoring more than four.

Sage Grann led Piper with 17 points, and Lauren Marron and Anneliese Lockwood added nine points each. Grann was especially effective on the offensive glass, getting several points on putbacks.

Rivera ended the game with 18 of Sumner’s 27 points, along with five steals. Kylie McCleary pulled down 11 rebounds in the contest.

The win gives Piper a 2-1 record heading into United Kansas Conference play next week. The Lady Pirates will take on Topeka’s Seaman Lady Vikings at home on Tuesday starting at 5:45 p.m.

The Lady Sabres, just off a 59-9 drubbing of Kansas City’s Northeast High School, dropped to 2-1. The team will open Meadowlark Conference play against Washington at home on Tuesday. The game will tip off at 5:30 p.m.

Sumner junior Ariana Rivera drove around a Piper defender. (Photo copyright 2022 by Brian Turrel)

Sumner senior Kylie McCleary put back an offensive rebound. (Photo copyright 2022 by Brian Turrel)

The Piper cheerleaders practiced a stunt during halftime. (Photo copyright 2022 by Brian Turrel)

Piper freshman Anneliese Lockwood put up a shot from the block. (Photo copyright 2022 by Brian Turrel)

Sumner junior Ariana Rivera took a short jumper from the baseline. (Photo copyright 2022 by Brian Turrel)

Piper junior Lauren Marron launched a three-point shot. (Photo copyright 2022 by Brian Turrel)

In between quarters, the Sumner cheerleaders showed off a stunt called “The Bird.” (Photo copyright 2022 by Brian Turrel)

Piper sophomore Abbie Roth flipped up a shot as she sailed out of bounds. (Photo copyright 2022 by Brian Turrel)

Piper sophomore Avary Vallejo took a three-point shot. (Photo copyright 2022 by Brian Turrel)

Sabres fail to slay Dragons, finish season 7-3

Senior lineman Nathan Rios blocked and recovered a punt in the third quarter of Sumner Academy’s 28-0 loss to Pittsburg in the 5A KSHSAA playoffs. (Photo copyright 2022 by Brian Turrel)

by Brian Turrel

The Sumner Academy Sabres concluded the 2022 season with a 28-0 5A regional playoff loss to the Pittsburg Dragons. A bone-chilling rain soaked players and fans, with a gusty wind and temperatures at 40 degrees and under at game time.

The Dragons dominated from the opening drive, marching confidently down the field with big gains from running back Wyatt Rink for an early touchdown.

Sabres speedy running back Antonio Harrison, averaging over 200 yards per game coming into the contest, was stymied by the Pittsburg defense, which clogged the middle and prevented Sumner’s offensive line from sealing the edge. Harrison was more often than not met in the backfield by Dragons’ defenders.

The visitors repeated their drive twice more in the first half, opening up a 20-0 lead, but Sumner’s defense denied a fourth score at the end of the second quarter, making tackles for short yardage and running out the clock.

Sumner got a great punt to back Pittsburg up on its second half opening drive, and a bad snap and defensive stop forced the Dragons to punt.

Sabres senior Nathan Rios made the play of the game on the Dragons’ fourth down, busting through the line to block the punt. Rios recovered the loose ball on the Pittsburg 9-yard line to set up Sumner’s best scoring chance of the game, but the offense was not able to convert the opportunity to points.

Pittsburg scored again in the fourth quarter, with a two-point conversion to give a 28-0 final margin.

Sumner Academy finishes the season with a 7-3 record. The Sabres finished third in the Meadowlark League at 4-2, behind Atchison (6-0) and Highland Park (5-1).

In the 4A playoffs, the Piper Pirates beat previously undefeated Chanute 48-47 in a double overtime thriller. The Pirates were down by 14 with five minutes left in regulation, but a perfectly executed onside kick from Zane Busick gave his team the opportunity for a late comeback.

The Pirates, now 7-3, are scheduled to play the sectional championship game at Bishop Miege next Friday.

In the 3A playoffs, Bishop Ward was blanked 56-0 on the road by the Holton Wildcats. The Cyclones finish the season at 7-3.

Senior running back Antonio Harrison carried the ball. (Photo copyright 2022 by Brian Turrel)

Senior tight end Javeare Akande made a block to open a hole for junior running back Deavon McWashington. (Photo copyright 2022 by Brian Turrel)

Senior quarterback Camron Johnson was caught in the backfield. (Photo copyright 2022 by Brian Turrel)

The Sumner offensive line set up for a snap. (Photo copyright 2022 by Brian Turrel)

Junior Marco Contreras broke a tackle and made good yardage on a kick return. (Photo copyright 2022 by Brian Turrel)

The Sumner cheerleaders did their best to stay dry in the soaking rain. (Photo copyright 2022 by Brian Turrel)

Lady Sabres all heart at volleyball sub-state

The Sumner Academy volleyball team celebrated after scoring late in the second set of the sub-state final against Lansing. The Lady Sabres lost the final but made a big impression with their gutsy second-set performance. (Photo copyright 2022 by Brian Turrel)

by Brian Turrel

The Sumner Lady Sabres volleyball team lost in the 5A sub-state finals to defending state champions Lansing, but officials, coaches and fans came away from the game impressed with the Sumner spirit.

The Lady Lions romped through the final’s first set, powering to a 25-8 advantage and looking for an easy second set to send them on their way to the state tournament. What they got from Sumner was something completely different.

The Lady Sabres opened up an early second-set lead with never-say-die defense from libero Sui Par and high-flying kills from hitters Anabelle Cacho and Kylie McCleary. When the Sumner lead reached 8-4, Lansing called a timeout to pull the team together.

The break got the Lady Lions back on track, and they pulled even at 9-9, with their powerful outside hitters getting into the action. Sumner head coach Caylie Yessa called a timeout, and her team responded with another run, powered by a service streak from sophomore setter Keneth Rodriguez-Acosta, Sumner’s leader in aces.

The Lady Sabres pulled away to a 16-11 lead, forcing another Lansing timeout. The Lady Lions began to chip away at the lead and pulled even at 20. Sumner kept fighting for every last point, even denying Lansing’s match point service at 24-21, but Lansing closed out the set and match at 25-22.

After the game, Yessa praised the leadership of her senior class.

“We have four seniors on the team,” said the coach, “and Anabelle [Cacho] and Kylie [McCleary] are our outsides. They worked their four years being on our program, and they really came together and pulled the team together as co-captains and led our team to a conference championship and our first win at sub-state.”

Sumner defeated familiar foe Washington in the first round of sub-state competition, winning in two sets (25-11, 25-15), while Lansing had a similarly easy time against Basehor-Linwood (25-10, 25-14) in its first-round game.

The Sumner Lady Sabres finished the season with a 23-11 record, earning the Meadowlark Conference championship with a perfect 12-0 conference record.