The Kansas City Kansan - Sports

T-Bones sign former Cubs prospect

Thu, 11 Mar 2010 19:03:40 +0000

The Kansas City T-Bones and manager Tim Doherty have signed pitcher Erik Hamren to a contract for the 2010 season.

Hamren, 23, began his professional career in the Chicago Cubs organization after being selected in the 37th round of the 2008 amateur draft.

An outfielder in high school, Hamren began the conversion to pitcher with the University of the Pacific in 2007. He continued the transition in the Cubs system, appearing in 51 games while throwing 74 and two-thirds innings over the past two seasons.

“Eric is a converted outfielder that is still learning how to pitch,” said Doherty. “He is a young rookie with a big arm and has spent the offseason working on his mechanics, and should be a good option for us this season.”

Hamren spent the entire 2009 season with Class A Peoria of the Midwest League.

The T-Bones begin their 2010 campaign against the RailCats in Gary, IN on May 20 and will host the RedHawks in their home opener on May 28. Season ticket packages and mini plans are available now by calling 913-328-5618.

For information on group outings, call 913-328-5623. Single game tickets for the exhibition and regular season will go on sale later this month. Visit www.tbonesbaseball.com to stay up-to-date throughout the year.

Sumner Academy begins run tonight

Nick Sloan — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 17:25:33 +0000

The Sumner Academy Sabres will take on Topeka-Hayden tonight at around 8:15 p.m. in Salina, Kan.

Here are directions to the arena in Salina where Sumner will be playing.

It's the first round of the 4A State Basketball Tournament. Last year, Topeka-Hayden ended Sumner's season, winning by nine points.

View Larger Map

Clock strikes midnight for Washington

Nick Sloan — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 06:06:25 +0000

The Washington Wildcats were at state for the first time since 1988.

They'll have to wait at least one more season for the state's first basketball championship.

The Wildcats were defeated by McPherson 81-56 this evening in Topeka, Kan.

McPherson's Christian Ulsaker (pictured right) scored a 5A state-tournament-record 38 points against Washington. Tra'Vaughn White (pictured left) was held to his second lowest point total this season with 16 points.

"We didn't play like we knew we could," said Eric King, head coach of the Wildcats. "Getting here was a great accomplishment, but we expect more as a program."

With McPherson's game plan on defense focused on stopping White, it was Washington's seniors that kept the Wildcats in it for a while.

After falling behind 20-11, it was Deandre Clark who led the Wildcats on a quick run to bring the score within 20-19. Clark converted two consecutive three-point plays during the quick 8-0 run.

But it was Ulsaker who struck back in earnest, scoring 11 straight points for McPherson as they regained a double digit lead. Myles Hibler did the best he could to prevent a larger gap, scoring eight points in the quarter for Washington.

However, Washington's defense allowed 31 points in the second quarter, allowing their now 22-1 opponents to build a 45-28 lead.

"They were well coached and they play well together," King said. "You can see why they are 22-1."

Washington had one more minor comeback left in them.

After McPherson built a 25-point lead early in the fourth quarter, the Wildcats trimmed the lead down to 13 twice.

White and Clark led the way, scoring Washington's first 12 points of the quarter.

Ulsaker, however, had other thoughts. A three-point play expanded McPherson's lead back to 16.

Clark scored 13 points in his final game for Washington. Meanwhile, fellow seniors Deandre Campbell added eight and Thomas McCray also had eight.

"Those three seniors brought great leadership to us this season," King said. "They are home-grown, Washington kids. They are great students athletes."

Washington finishes 13-10 on the season.

The Wildcats put Kansas City, Kan., on quite a run, first knocking off a 17-3 Harmon team, upsetting a Lansing team that appeared in state on the road and then defeating the three-time defending 5A state champs in Highland Park.

PHOTO GALLERY: Washington, Sumner and Harmon freshmen finish well at KC Christian Tournament

Nick Sloan — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 05:45:13 +0000

The Washington Wildcats freshman team won the Kansas City Christian Freshman Tournament recently.

The Wildcats defeated the Sumner Academy freshman team in the final round of the tournament.

Meanwhile, the Harmon Hawks freshman team finished in third place in the tournament. All three teams finished with winning records overall.

Here are some photos from the final day of the tournament.

T-Bones sign outfielder for season

Nick Sloan — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 17:09:23 +0000

Courtesy of the Kansas City T-Bones

The Kansas City T-Bones and manager Tim Doherty have signed outfielder Brian Joynt to a contract for the 2010 season.

Joynt, 24, joins the T-Bones after three seasons in the San Diego Padres organization. He was originally selected by the Padres in the 50th round of the 2004 amateur draft, but did not sign.

The Padres selected him again in the 29th round of the 2007 draft and placed him with their rookie-level affiliate in the Arizona League. Joynt advanced as high as Double-A San Antonio while with the Padres, spending 65 games with the Missions last season.

“Brian is a versatile outfielder that could see some time at third base,” said Doherty. “He has shown some power and could hit anywhere from third to sixth in our lineup. He’s a hard-nosed player that will run through a wall for you.”

Joynt’s best season came in the California League with the Padres high-A affiliate Lake Elsinore in 2008. In 76 games, Joynt hit .304/.382/.548 with 13 home runs and 67 RBI.

The T-Bones begin their 2010 campaign against the RailCats in Gary, IN on May 20 and will host the RedHawks in their home opener on May 28.

Season ticket packages and mini plans are available now by calling 913-328-5618. For information on group outings, call 913-328-5623.

Single game tickets for the exhibition and regular season will go on sale later this month. Visit www.tbonesbaseball.com to stay up-to-date throughout the year.

KCKCC to hold basketball clinics

Nick Sloan — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 16:10:58 +0000

Basketball clinics for both boys and girls in the third through sixth grades will be held at Kansas City Kansas Community College Monday, March 29, and Wednesday, March 31.

Instruction will be provided by the KCKCC women’s coaching and members of the Blue Devil team. All areas of instruction will be provided in the clinics, which will be held from 4-6 p.m. in the KCKCC Field House on the campus at 7250 State Avenue.

Cost is $10 per session and boys and girls can pre-register by contacting assistant coach Alicia Roth at 913-288-7461 or aroth@kckcc.edu.

Top 10 KCKL Storylines (So Far)

Nick Sloan — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 09:14:11 +0000

10. Dominance of Washington freshman team: Every few years or so, there are some classes in Wyandotte County that are special. The freshman group at Washington High School has an opportunity to go down as one of the best in recent years. The talent is very deep and just about every piece to the puzzle is there. They defeated fellow Wyandotte County rivals by double figures on a consistent basis. Having seen them in action, this group has a swagger to it as well. They'll be tough as nails to play against the next three years.

9. Harmon snaps Sumner's KCKL streak: The Harmon Hawks handed the Sumner Academy Sabres their first loss in Kansas City, Kan., League play in three years. Entering the game, Sumner had won 23 consecutive games against KCK rivals. Harmon snapped the streak. Sumner since then has rebounded.

8. Close losses haunt Wyandotte: The Wyandotte Bulldogs finished the season 7-14 this year. It could have been a winning season for Wyandotte, but the Bulldogs lost six games by five points or less. A few possessions here or three could have changed the entire season.

7. Injuries do in Schlagle again: With Rozell Nunn coming off a season-ending injury last year, he started the season a bit rusty, but ended with a bang. But during the season, the Stallions lost LaRay Young, the team's third leading scorer and one of the more talented sophomores in Wyandotte County. His loss hit the Stallions hard.

6. Harmon season ends in heartbreak: The Harmon Hawks had a five-point lead late in the fourth quarter and a four-point lead late in the first overtime period in their sub-state final loss to Gardner-Edgerton. However, the Hawks could not quite put the game away and fell short of Topeka, Kan. Harmon finished the season 18-4.

5. Tra'Vaughn White soars: Entering the season, a group of seniors were expected to be the stars of Wyandotte County (see #3 on this list). A younger star threw his name into the hat as the best player in Kansas City, Kan. Washington Wildcats junior guard Tra'Vaughn White was simply sensational this year. Just a junior, White put the entire school on his back and punched a ticket to the 5A state tournament this week in Topeka. White had eight games this season where he scored at least 29 points and he's second in the state in scoring. He averages about 6 assists and 5 rebounds a game.

4. Harmon basketball celebrates best season in 20 years: Disappointing sub-state loss aside, the Harmon Hawks had their best season in 20 years. The Hawks appeared in the school's first ever Hy-Vee Shootout, had a McDonald's All-American in De'Ontae Hooks, won two tournaments during the regular season in Eudora and Coffeyville, snapped Sumner's streak, had its best KCKL record in 20 years and won 13-straight games during the season. Along with Hooks, seniors James Davenport, Exavier Bass-Brooks, Ron Stallings and John Zeno led the team. Junior Jauan Wilson is expected to pick things up quite a bit next year. After two losing seasons to begin his career at Harmon, head coach Heath Cooper appears to have things rolling at Harmon.

3. KCK's best senior class in a long time: Kansas City, Kan., had its best group of seniors in a while. Sumner Academy's Reese Holliday, along with White, is the most clutch player in the city and his performances against Basehor-Linwood and St. James Academy show that. Holliday has been to state three straight seasons. Wyandotte's Trinity Hall is the city's (not KCK – the entire metro area) most underrated player and has a solid, complete game. Harmon's senior class, led by Hooks and Davenport, transformed a program. Hooks was one of the league's best overall players. Sumner's Davonte Chaney turned in another solid year. Schlagle's Darius Hill had a nice senior season to end his Stallion career.

2. Sumner Academy makes third straight state tournament: Sumner Academy won a third consecutive sub-state title this year. Holliday put on one of the most epic performances of any Kansas City area player this season, scoring 27 points and pulling in 16 rebounds against Basehor-Linwood. The Sabres won a thriller in overtime against St. James Academy the night before playing Basehor-Linwood. While this team may not have the style points as last year's team, the 19-4 Sabres are still really, really good and might be better in this sense: this team's on a mission. Winning sub-state wasn' t a big deal for them this year. The trophy presentation was one of the shortest I've seen. Sumner should be considered the favorite at this week's tournament in Salina, Kan. I like their chances a lot.

1. Washington becomes KCK's Cinderella: Not to disrespect the other schools, but Washington's postseason run has been dramatic and unexpected. While White has certainly led the team, others have stepped up. Kalen Allen's a dangerous three-point shooter, Myles Hibler is maturing into one of the better inside players in the league and senior starters Deandre Campbell and Deandre Clark were very key in the team's victory at Highland Park. The Wildcats went through Lansing, a team they lost to in last year's sub-state final. And they then knocked off the three-time defending state champion Highland Park team. Washington's run is one of the best stories in recent KCK hoops history. Having visited the school earlier this week, there is a buzz to it because of the basketball team's success.

Today's Poll: Would you consider moving your child to another school district if extracurricular activities were cut?

Nick Sloan — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 08:33:46 +0000

Sabres get rematch with Hayden; Wildcats to get McPherson in the first round

Nick Sloan — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 18:19:25 +0000

The Sumner Academy Sabres will have an opportunity to exact a measure of revenge at this week's state tournament.

Sumner Academy, 19-4, draws the 18-5 Topeka-Hayden team who knocked them out of the 4A state tournament last year.

The game is set for 8:15 p.m. Thursday night in Salina, Kan. The game is the 4-5 seed matchup, with the winner playing the Pratt-Circle winner. The Pratt team is 21-2 and is the overall number one seed.

Many consider the winner of this game as the favorite to win the entire tournament.

Meanwhile, the Wildcats draw a tough opponent as well in Wednesday night's 5A state opener.

The Wildcats, who will enter the tournament with a 13-9 record and the seventh seed, will square off against McPherson, who enters the game 21-1.

The game's tip is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. The winner takes on the victor of the Andover-Topeka West game. Topeka, Kan., is the site of the 5A state tournament.

One good thing about being the seventh seed in the tournament is the Wildcats are in the opposite bracket of Bishop Miege, who is 22-0.

PHOTOS: A great week for Washington High School

Nick Sloan — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 16:44:35 +0000

It's tough to complain if you are a follower of athletics at Washington High School.

The Wildcats struck gold twice last week, first winning the 2010 Kansas Boys Bowling title in Wichita, Kan.

The bowling title was the school's first state championship of any kind in its history.

A few days later, the Washington Wildcats boys basketball team knocked off the three-time defending 5A state champions from Highland Park to advance to the state tournament.

Above is the team photo of the Washington bowling team celebrating with their trophy. The bottom photo is of the boys basketball team. Both photos are courtesy of Nancy Browne from Washington High School.