CAPTION: The Buhler High School girls basketball celebrate their Class 4A sub-state championship Saturday night at the Jim Baker Fieldhouse in Buhler. CREDIT BUHLER HIGH SCHOOL VIS SPORTS IN KANSAS
By John Mesh
The Buhler High School girls basketball team, which defeated Towanda-Circle 35-30 in the sub-state championship game, are the No. 5 seed at the Kansas Class 4A girls state tournament.
Buhler will play No. 4 seed Labette County at 4 p.m. Thursday in the first round of the Class 4A state tournament at Salina’s Tony Pizza Events Center.
The Buhler Crusader girls, coached by John Darrow, are making their 17th state tournament appearance and the first since 2020.
Both teams have 18-4 records.
The Buhler-Labette County winner will play the winner of the first-round matchup between No. 1 Wellington (21-1) vs. Andale (15-7), which starts at 2 p.m. Thursday, in the semifinals on Friday.
The bottom bracket first-round matchups for Thursday are No. 2 Topeka Hayden (20-2) vs. Clay Center Community High School (17-5) at 6 p.m., followed by No. 3 Eudora (20-2) vs. Shawnee Mission Bishop Miege (17-4) at 8 p.m.
In Class 4A state boys first-round games Wednesday at Salina: No. 1 Ottawa (22-0) plays No. Atchison, 2 p.m.; No. 4 McPherson (18-4) vs. No. 5 Baldwin (18-4, 4 p.m.; No. 2 Rock Creek (20-2) vs. No. 7 Abilene (16-8); and No. 3 Andale (19-3) vs. No. 6 Pratt (17-5), 8 p.m.
In other state tournament matchups:
• The Hutchinson Central Christian Cougar boys basketball team (13-10) is the No. 7 seed at the Kansas Class 1A Division II state boys tournament and will play No. 2 Axtell (22-1) in a first-round game at 6 p.m. Thursday at the Colby Event Center.
In the semifinals Friday, the Central Christian-Axtell winner will play the winner of the 8 p.m. first-round matchup between No. 3 Dighton (20-3) vs. No. 6 Lebo (13-9).
In other first-round state boys games Thursday, No. 1 Cunningham (23-0, the defending state champions) will play No. 8 Bucklin (13-11) at 2 p.m., followed by No. 4 Elyria Christian (18-4) vs. No. 5 Hanover (16-6) at 4 p.m.
• The Halstead girls (22-1) are the No. 2 seed at the Kansas Class 3A state tournament at the Hutchinson Sports Arena. Hesston (23-0) is the No. 1 seed.
Halstead will play a first-round game at 2 p.m. Wednesday against No. 7 Neodesha (18-3), followed by No. 3 Osage City (22-1) vs. Coby (21-2) at 4 p.m., Hesston vs. No. 8 Holcomb (18-5) at 6 p.m. and No. 4 Silver Lake (21-2) vs. No. 5 Girard (21-2) at 8 p.m.
Silver Lake is the defending Kansas Class 3A girls state champion.
• In first-round boys matchups Thursday at the 3A state tournament in Hutchinson, No. 1 Galena (22-0) plays Bishop Ward (16-7) at 2 p.m., followed by No. 4 Hesston (21-2) vs. No. 5 Burlington (20-3) at 4 p.m., No. 2 Lakin (22-1) vs. No. 7 Silver Lake (18-5), 6 p.m., and No. 3 Cheney (22-1) vs. No. 6 Goodland (20-3) at 8 p.m.
• The Sterling boys (20-3) are the No. 2 seed at the Kansas 3A state boys’ tournament at Kansas State University’s Bramlage Coliseum in Manhattan.
The Black Bears will play No. 7 Chase County (14-9) in a first-round game at 6 p.m. Wednesday.
In other first-round 2A boys games, No. 1-seed Moundridge (23-0) plays No. 8 St. Mary’s Colgan (13-10), at 2 p.m., followed by No. 4 Valley Falls (19-4) vs. No. 5 Syracuse (18-4) at 4 p.m. and No. 3 Ell-Saline (20-3) vs. No. 6 Rossville (16-7) at 8 p.m.
• The Inman girls (19-3) are the No. 5 seed at the Class 2A state girls’ tournament in Manhattan and will play No. 4 Phillipsburg (20-3) at 4 p.m. Thursday.
In other Class 2A first-round girls games Thursday, No. 1 Moundridge (21-2) plays Hays-Thomas More Prep-Marian (15-9) at 2 p.m., No. 2 St. Mary’s Colgan (21-2) plays No. 7 Valley Heights (16-8) at 6 p.m. and No. 3 Chase County (20-3) plays No. 8 Doniphan West (17-5) at 8 p.m.
• The Little River girls basketball team (21-0) is the No. 1 seed at the Class 1A Division I state girls tournament at Dodge City’s United Wireless Arena and will play No. 8 Colony-Crest in a first-round game at 6 p.m. Wednesday.
Other first-round games are No. 2 Centralia (23-0) vs. No. 7 St. John-Hudson (18-5) at 2 p.m., followed by No. 3 Troy (21-1) vs. No. 6 Central Plains (19-3) at 4 p.m. and No. 4 South Gray (21-2) vs. No. 5 Quinter (20-3) at 8 p.m.
• The Little River boys (15-7) are the No. 8 seed at the Kansas Class 1A Division I state boys’ tournament at Dodge City and will play No. 8 Olpe (21-2) in a first-round game at 2 p.m. Thursday,
In other first-round matchups, No. 4 Central Plains (18-4) plays No. 5 Frankfort (18-8) at 4 p.m., No. 2 South Central (21-2) plays No. 7 Clifton-Clyde (17-8) at 6 p.m. and No. 3 South Gray (19-4) plays No. 6 Quinter (17-6) at 8 p.m.
• The South Haven girls (21-1), from Sumner County, are the No. 1 seed in the Kansas Class 1A Division II state girls basketball tournament and will play No. 8 Linn (16-6) at 2 p.m. Wednesday in a first-round game at the Colby Event Center.
In other first-round games at the Class 1A DII girls state tournament, No. 4 Bucklin (20-3) plays No. 5 Attica (20-3) at 4 p.m., No. 2 Lebo (20-2) plays Hodgeman County (18-5) at 6 p.m. and No. 3 Hanover (20-2) plays Wallace County (18-4) at 8 p.m.
• Class 5A boys state tournament first-round games Thursday in Emporia: No. 1 Highland Park (22-0) vs. No. 8 Andover Central (14-8), 2 p.m.; No. 4 Shawnee Heights (19-3) vs. Kansas City Piper (19-3), 4 p.m.; No. 2 Kapaun-Mount Carmel (19-3) vs. No. 7 Topeka West (14-8), 6 p.m.; No. 3 Andover (19-3) vs. No. 6 Bonner Springs (18-4), 8 p.m.
• Class 5A girls state tournament first-round games Wednesday in Emporia: No. 1 Hays High (22-0) vs. No. 8 St. Thomas Aquinas (15-7), 2 p.m.; No. 4 Spring Hill (19-3) vs. No. 5 Maize South (19-3), 4 p.m.; No. 2 Topeka Seaman (22-0) vs. No. 7 Kansas City Piper (18-4), 6 p.m.; No. 3 Andover (21-1) vs. No. 6 St. James Academy (18-4), 8 p.m.
• Class 6A boys state tournament first-round games Wednesday in Wichita: No. 1 Shawnee Mission South (21-1) vs. No. 8 Maize (16-6), 2 p.m.; No. 4 Shawnee Mission Northwest (19-3) vs. No. 5 Mill Valley (18-4), 4 p.m.; No. 2 Derby (21-1) vs. No. 7 Olathe North (16-6), 6 p.m.; No. 3 Wichita Heights (20-2) vs. No. 6 Washburn Rural (18-4), 8 p.m.
• Class 6A girls state tournament first-round games Thursday in Wichita: No. 1 Derby (19-3) vs. No. 8 Wichita East(16-6), 2 p.m.; No. 4 Olathe South (18-4) vs. No. 5 Olathe North (17-5), 4 p.m.; No. 2 Wichita Heights (19-3) vs. No. 7 Olathe West (16-6), 6 p.m.; No. 3 Blue Valley North (16-6) vs. No. 6 Washburn Rural (16-6), 8 p.m.
Region VI quarterfinals Tuesday: Hutchinson women host Colby, Blue Dragon men host Butler
The first round of the Region VI men’s and women’s basketball tournaments are underway with eight games complete, setting up eight quarterfinal games to be played on Tuesday, March 11.
The No. 2-seeded Hutchinson Community College women, the defending NJCAA Division I champions, will host No. 10 Colby CC at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday at the Hutchinson Sports Arena.
The Colby women defeated No. 7-seed Cloud County 56-55 in a first-round game Saturday.
The No. 4-seeded Hutchinson CC men will host No. 5 Butler CC at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday at the Hutchinson Sports Arena.
The Butler CC men’s team defeated No. 12 Pratt 95-78 in a first-round game on Saturday.
Region VI Women’s First Round (Saturday, March 8)
No. 5 Cowley 99, No. 12 Independence 58
No. 8 Barton 66, No. 9 Garden City 58
No. 10 Colby 56, No. 7 Cloud County 55
No. 6 Seward County 81, No. 11 Pratt 49
Region VI Men’s First Round (Saturday, March 8)
No. 11 Cloud County 85, No. 6 Colby 83
No. 5 Butler 95, No. 12 Pratt 78
No. 7 Garden City 88, No. 10 Independence 86 (OT)
No. 9 Dodge City 96, No. 8 Fort Hays Tech NW 82
Region VI Women’s Second Round (Tuesday, March 11)
Games played at higher seeds
No. 1 Dodge City vs. No. 8 Barton, 7 p.m.
No. 2 Hutchinson vs. No. 10 Colby, 5:30 p.m.
No. 3 Coffeyville vs. No. 6 Seward County, 5:30 p.m.
No. 4 Butler vs. No. 5 Cowley, 5:30 p.m.
Region VI Men’s Second Round (Tuesday, March 11)
Games played at higher seeds
No. 1 Cowley vs. No. 9 Dodge City, 7 p.m.
No. 2 Coffeyville vs. No. 7 Garden City, 7:30 p.m.
No. 3 Barton vs. No. 11 Cloud County, 7 p.m.
No. 4 Hutchinson vs. No. 5 Butler, 7:30 p.m.
Hutch High/Barton alum Myles Thompson helps SIUE earn first NCAA Men’s Tournament berth
Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville secured the first spot in the men’s 2025 NCAA Tournament, locking up the Ohio Valley Conference’s automatic bid with a 69-48 win over Southeast Missouri State in the OVC conference tournament final Saturday night.
Hutchinson High School alumnus Myles Thompson, who was the Most Valuable Player in Barton Community College’s NJCAA Division I title run last year, scored 9 points and grabbed 7 rebounds for the SIUE Cougars.
It will be SIUE’s first trip to the NCAA Division I tournament in program history. The Cougars last played in the NCAA Division II tournament in 2006. SIUE made the jump to NCAA Division I in 2008.
SIUE’s Ray’Sean Taylor, a fifth-year guard and the OVC player of the year, led the Cougars with 20 points, becoming the program’s all-time leading scorer (1,952 points).
Taylor tied, then broke, the record on two free throws with 3:02 to play. He also grabbed 7 rebounds and dished off 4 assists.
Ring Malith finished with 12 points, while Brian Taylor II added 10 for SIU Edwardsville. Malith was Thompson’s teammate at Barton CC.
Rob Martin put up 18 points for Southeast Missouri State and Brendan Terry had 16.
Thompson, Malith, Taylor, Martin and Little Rock’s Mwani Wilkinson were named to the OVC All-Tournament Team.
SIUE is projected to be a No. 16 seed and play in the First Four in Dayton, Ohio.
HutchCC track coach Robert Spies named Central Region Coach of the Year
After leading one of the best indoor seasons in program history this season, Hutchinson Community College track and field head coach Robert Spies was named the NJCAA Central Region Coach of the Year on Saturday at the NJCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships in Lubbock, Texas.
Spies led the Blue Dragon men to the program’s first Region 6 and Jayhawk West indoor team championship in program history.
The fifth-year head coach also led the Blue Dragon women to a third-place Region 6 finish and Jayhawk West third-place finish – both of those placings were the best in indoor women’s history.
The Blue Dragon men won the Region 6 team championship with 109 team points, winning by 16 points.
The Blue Dragons also captured their first Jayhawk West indoor team championship in program history with 158 points, winning by 46 points.
The Blue Dragon women broke two school records in the 2025 indoor season.
Hutchinson CC softball team rallies twice to sweep Labette
For the second and third time this week, the Hutchinson Community College softball team put together late-inning rallies for wins and earned a doubleheader sweep of the Labette Cardinals on Sunday at Fun Valley.
Trailing Game 1 by two runs in the fifth inning, Kaibryn Kruger tied the game with an infield single and later scored the go-ahead run on a wild pitch as the Blue Dragons came back to win 10-9.
Then trailing 3-2 in the bottom of the sixth, freshman Addi Lutz – the hero of Hutchinson’s 7-6, nine-inning win over No. 14 Butler on Thursday – launched a go-ahead three-run home run and the Dragons rallied for an 8-3 win in Game 2.
The Blue Dragons have now won 7 of the last 8 games and have an 11-5 record.
Hutchinson returns to Jayhawk Conference play against Seward County in a home doubleheader at 2 p.m. Wednesday at Fun Valley.
Way to go Crusader girls!