Friday, September 01, 2006
Aggressive Cats to host Atchison
The Capital-Journal
Hayden boys basketball coach Chris Hansen wants his team to play an aggressive, in-your-face type of defense this season.
That style was evident in Tuesday night's 68-57 season-opening victory over Sabetha, with the Bluejays turning the ball over 24 times while shooting just 36 percent from the field.
Hansen will be looking for a similar performance tonight in a 7:15 non-league game against Atchison at the Bueltel Activities Center. But the Hayden coach could do without the foul trouble that his Wildcats had to fight their way through Tuesday night.
In the first half of that game, Hayden put the Bluejays in the double bonus before the first quarter had ended, with Sabetha parading to the free throw line en route to a 32-28 lead. In the second half, Hayden was able to cut down on its personals, rallying for the non-league victory.
John Hoytal was the only Wildcat to foul out of the game, although three other Wildcats finished with four fouls.
"The mentality that we want is to go out and get after people, and I thought most of the game we did that," Hansen said. "We're going to get some fouls with the kind of defense we play, but they have to be the right kind.
"It's a fine line and we were a little better in the second half, but we've got to improve on that."
Offensively, Hayden turned the ball over just nine times and got 21 points from junior guard Jerad Head and 10 apiece off the bench from Michael Everett and Taylor Hill. Joe Hennes contributed nine rebounds for the Wildcats.
"We responded well to some adversity in the first half, all the foul trouble, and we counted at halftime 15 misses from six feet and in," Hansen said. "We were getting exactly the shots that we wanted and we made a lot more of them the second half."
Hayden will be facing an Atchison team that is 1-1 after a 58-53 loss to Maur Hill on Saturday night. The Redmen opened the year with a 60-31 rout of Effingham last Thursday.
Hayden will also be in action Saturday, traveling to Concordia for a girls-boys doubleheader.
Other city games
BV NORTH (1-1) at WASHBURN RURAL (0-1)
Washburn Rural will be trying to bounce back from a 72-36 season- opening loss to Lawrence-Free State, the Junior Blues' first game under new head coach Jim Dinkel. Gabe Wiechman led Rural with 11 points. The Junior Blues will be facing a Blue Valley North team that returned two starters and two other lettermen from a 10-11 team. Blue Valley North dropped its opener to Olathe East but bounced back to beat KC-Harmon on Tuesday. Game time: 7:15 p.m.
SANTA FE TRAIL (2-0) at SHAWNEE HEIGHTS (1-0)
Santa Fe Trail was 10-11 a year ago but is off to a 2-0 start this season, including a 76-48 win over Holton on Tuesday night. Trail had four players score in double figures, led by Luke Fulton with 17 points. Jeremiah Rice added 13 points, Craig Bourne 11 and Brian Mott 10 points for the Chargers. Heights was off Tuesday after opening with a 52-48 win over Topeka High last Friday. Junior Jesse Schmidt paced the T-Birds with 16 points, while Gary Woodland added 10 points. Shawnee Heights also will be in action Saturday, traveling to Marysville. Game time: 7:15 p.m.
SM NORTHWEST (1-0) at SEAMAN (1-1)
Seaman is coming off a big 64-42 non-league victory at Topeka West, with four Vikings scoring in double figures. Tanner Shaw led the way with 16 points, backed by Dustin Bates with 14 points, Matt Tinsley with 12 and Jeff Martens with 11 points. SM Northwest made a big turnaround last season under former Hayden coach Ben Meseke, posting a 13-9 record. Meseke returns four players with starting experience, including 6-7 Matt Riechl, who missed last season while battling leukemia. Northwest opened the season with a 56-36 win over KC-Washington. Game time: 7:15 p.m.
TOPEKA HIGH (0-2) at MANHATTAN (2-1)
Topeka High is coming off a 57-42 loss to Lawrence-Free State Saturday night after a 52-48 loss to Shawnee Heights on Friday. Tyrone Robinson had a big game in a losing cause for the Trojans against Free State, scoring 14 points and grabbing 10 rebounds. Manhattan went 2-1 under new coach Ray Kujawa in last weekend's Hays Shootout, taking third place with a 63-49 win over Kearney, Neb., on Saturday. Josh Barth scored 13 points and Gilbert Riddick added 11 for the Indians in Saturday's win. Game time: 7:45 p.m.
GIRLS: Manhattan went 3-0 and captured the championship in the Hays Shootout last weekend. The Indians captured the title with a 55- 27 rout of Hays on Saturday. Ineke Ingram scored 14 points and Molly Lindquist and Erin Kennedy added 12 points apiece in the Indians' win over Hays. Topeka High has been off since dropping a 56-38 decision to Shawnee Heights in its opener last Thursday. Anjanae Wilson paced the Trojans with 10 points against the T-Birds. Game time: 6 p.m.
SALINA SOUTH (2-0) at TOPEKA WEST (0-2)
Salina South is top-ranked in Class 5A after knocking off defending 5A champion McPherson in its season opener. The Cougars improved to 2-0 with a 59-45 win over Wichita North on Tuesday. South is led by 6-7 senior Ryan Shriver, who signed early with Western Illinois, and 6-2 junior D'Andre McGrew. Topeka West is 0-2 after a 64-42 loss to Seaman on Tuesday. Huston Estell led the Chargers with 14 points, while Luke Dwyer, the leading scorer in the city of Topeka last season, added 10 points. Game time: 7:30 p.m.
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