'Never give up': Four Topeka-area basketball teams win sub-state championships

TOPEKA — It was a dark time for Hayden basketball in the month of January and early portion of February. They had lost 11 straights games and they could not secure a win. That stretch of play did not define the Wildcats and they proved that this week during the sub-state tournament.

As the no. 6 seed, Hayden (8-14) had to go on the road and defeat Bishop Ward in the first round on Monday. They followed it with an 18 point win against Perry-Lecompton on Thursday.

On Saturday, Hayden went toe-to-toe against no. 1 Sabetha (19-4) in the sub-state championship game. The Wildcats outlasted the Bluejays 71-67 in an instant classic double-overtime game.

“I give all of the credit to these guys, they stuck with it when it would have been really easy not to,” Hayden head coach Trey Brown said. “They have just come together at the right time.”

The Wildcats led 30-18 at halftime, but Sabetha never went away. The Bluejays started to chip away at Hayden’s lead in the second half. Sabetha started to work the ball inside as their defense shut down the Wildcats.

Hayden trailed by three points in the final 25 seconds of the game. Hayden’s Dom Ridley buried a big time triple to tie it at 47, which ultimately led to overtime.

In overtime, Sabetha controlled the pace and the scoreboard as they led 58-56 with 6.8 seconds remaining. Hayden inbounded the ball from the sideline to senior Carter Charvat. He pivoted at the high post and drove to the hoop. He lifted a shot at the backboard and it sunk as time expired to send the game to double overtime. Charvat finished with nine points, seven of them coming in the overtime periods.

“The play was for someone else and if it’s not there, don’t force it and go make a play,” Charvat said. “A new first year head coach getting us to state. It’s exciting for him and for the rest of us.”

In double overtime, Hayden went back to the basics and put pressure on the Bluejays. Instead of settling for jump shots, Hayden went into the paint and they succeeded. Jacob Deister scored seven points in double overtime. Cooper Colboch added four points to lift Hayden to victory as the gymnasium exploded for the Wildcats.

It has been a difficult season through the losses, but Hayden has never given in, Colboch shared following the win. While the losses have hurt, injuries have cursed the Wildcats roster, too.

Colboch revealed that he broke his wrist in Monday’s win against Bishop Ward. He has been playing through the pain for his teammates and the school. The senior was emotional with tears as he shared how important this win was for him and the team.

“This season has just been so hard for us. A lot of things have gone on behind the scenes that a lot of people don’t know about,” Colboch said. “We have such a great community at Hayden and great coaches. We really feel like we deserve this, it feels so good.”

It's been a season of ups and downs for the Wildcats, but on Saturday when they raised the sub-state championship trophy, the Wildcats had their biggest triumph.

The Wildcats are going to next week’s state tournament for the first time since 2022. For first year Hayden head coach, Brown has learned a life-time of lessons from his roster that will carry into the state tournament and beyond.

“Never give up,” Brown said. “Even when times are tough, trust in the work that you have done and trust in God’s plan. Whenever your moment is called, be ready for it.”

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Hayden girls take sub-state over Jefferson West

Lauren Sandstrom simply shared that watching the boys team win in double overtime only motived her team to come away with the win. Hayden did just that in emphatic fashion as they rolled Jefferson West 69-31 in the sub-state title game on Saturday.

It took the Wildcats a few possessions to settle in as the faithful from Meriden provided noise for Jefferson West. Hayden led by just five points at the end of the first quarter in a very competitive eight minutes. In the second quarter, the Wildcats started to come alive.

They pounded the paint with their height and strength. Hayden closed the second quarter on an 18-4 run to lead 36-20. Head coach Carvel Reynoldson explained that his team finds momentum when they dominate the paint.

“We are better when we are going through the post and we get paint touches. Going through the post is what we need to do,” the head coach said. “I am just really proud of the team.”

In the second half, the Wildcats avoided contested 3-pointers. They fed their star forward Lauren Sandstrom. The senior and Rockhurst signee scored a game-high 27 points. Her touch around the rim was relentless. She also nailed open jump shots to keep Jefferson West honest.

“This game means a lot, it’s our ticket to state and every basket counted,” Sandstrom said. “I am looking to drive more and shoot more. At the beginning of the season, I was focused on getting my teammates open, but I realized that I can shoot too.

Sandstrom never pressed in the sub-state win. She was cool and collected with the ball. Many times she could have taken a heat check jumper, but she made smart passes to Meier and junior Amelia Ramsey. Meier and Ramsey both scored 11 points each in the game as they dominated the paint, too.

As the sub-state trophy was awarded, the Wildcats jumped around at mid-court in celebration. They are returning to the state tournament in back-to-back years. Avery Grunert, a senior, shared that the Wildcats tough schedule in the Centennial League has helped them play in a calm manner during this sub-state tournament. The Wildcats feel comfortable in these pressure packed moments that will only increase when the state tournament begins.

“Having to play in such big crowds all year has really helped us,” Grunert said. “It was good tonight to allow the crowd to be in and then we pulled away and they got really quiet. It was fun to see our crowd get excited.”

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Seaman cruises to state tournament

It’s exhausting watching Seaman girls play basketball. It’s non-stop effort as each possession feels like a fast-break. The Vikings sprinted past Basehor-Linwood 68-33 in their sub-state championship game on Saturday.

“It’s a good feeling, it’s not one that you’ll forget,” senior Taylin Stallbaumer said following the win.

The Vikings opened the game on fire as the gymnasium was bouncing for their home team. All five of Seaman’s starters scored within the first five minutes of the game. The ball was rotating well and Seaman’s inside-out game was efficient.

“We played terrific offensively. This time of the year, you hear a lot of ‘survive and advance,’ I get why coaches say it and the fans say it. But, I challenge the girls to change their mindset,” Seaman head coach Matt Tinsley said. “We want to think of it as, ‘thrive and advance.’”

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For the past few weeks, Seaman has been hampered by injuries and this game was their first at full strength. Maddie Gragg, Jaida Stallbaumer and Anna Becker all missed time as the regular season came to a close, but they did not miss a beat in the win over Basehor-Linwood. Gragg finished with a game-high 16 points.

“It felt good to finally have our mojo back as we enter state,” Taylin Stallbaumer said. “I think our confidence as a team has changed. Last year, we came into the state tournament with it being our first time. We were pretty nervous, but this year, we know the kind of team that we are and we know we can get it done.”

Seaman heads back to the state tournament after losing in the first round of the tournament to St. James Academy last year. This season they are more experience and better prepared to make their mark as they contend for the state title.

“They buy in because they know what it takes to win,” Tinsley said about his experienced team. “You win it all on the defensive end through hustle plays and loose balls, we take pride in that. That is a staple of our program. I am just really proud of the girls.”

Silver Lake takes down St. Marys

The Eagles also punched their ticket to the state tournament. Silver Lake defeated St. Marys 62-32 in the sub-state championship game which was hosted by Riley County.

The no. 1 seed and undefeated Silver Lake (22-0) battled with St. Marys early on in the game as they led by just four points, but the Eagles started to find a groove. It started on the defensive end as they outscored the Bears 16-7 in the second quarter.

In the second half, Makenzie McDaniel started to catch fire as she ended with a game-high 22 points. The Emporia State signee scored 20 of her points in the second to help Silver Lake win the sub-state title game.

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Saturday's sub-state championship results

Boys

Wichita Heights 47, Washburn Rural 31

Hayden 71 (2OT), Sabetha 67

Girls

Seaman 68, Basehor-Linwood 33

De Soto 67, Shawnee Heights 42

Silver Lake 62, St. Marys 32

Hayden 69, Jefferson West 31

Liam Keating covers high school sports for The Topeka Capital-Journal. Send stats or information to him at Lkeating@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: How four Topeka-area basketball teams won their sub-state title