TOPEKA — Picture a dream start for a road team.

Benji George didn’t hesitate.

For the Manhattan High swimmers, the hard part starts now.

Immediately after falling in an away dual to Junction City Thursday, Manhattan High’s wrestling team hit the road again, taking part in the 57th annual Newton Tournament of Champions on Friday and Saturday in Newton.

Manhattan High’s boys swimming and diving team didn’t get off to a hot start to its Friday meet.

JUNCTION CITY — In a first for the Manhattan High and Junction City High, coaches with the surname Gonzales led both teams — Robert for the Indians and Tyler, his son, for the Blue Jays.

As the morning became afternoon on Jan. 10, Tara Young opened Twitter.

Behind the efforts of senior Autymn Schreiner, Wabaunsee had no problems against Silver Lake on Tuesday.

Over the wrestling offseason, Manhattan High coach Robert Gonzales received a call from his son, Tyler.

EMPORIA — The hot start had dissipated and the turnovers had surfaced and all of a sudden, the Manhattan High boys found themselves locked in a close game again.

EMPORIA — Manhattan High and Emporia were midway through the fourth quarter Tuesday night when Spartan guard Rayanna Breshears caught a pass behind the arc on the right side.

Colbert Hills Golf Course is doing its part to help the environment. And those efforts earned course superintendent Matthew Gourlay some recognition.

Four quarters weren’t enough to decide Tuesday night’s top-10 tilt between No. 5 Riley County and No. 7 Rock Creek.

The Manhattan High girls trimmed a 17-point deficit to five, but couldn’t come all the way back in a 53-41 loss to Washburn Rural Tuesday night.

To Manhattan High coach Benji George, two issues stand out the most from his group’s 54-47 loss to Washburn Rural Tuesday night.

FRANKFORT — About four minutes remained between Frankfort and Hanover Friday night when, an hour removed from racing to a 21-3 lead and having their way on nearly all fronts, the hosts looked up.

FRANKFORT — The Frankfort girls hardly could have started worse Friday night against Hanover.

Nick Anderson, Frankfort High’s head football coach, asked more of Garret Dalinghaus every year. That was pressure, but Dalinghaus was ready before the expectations were mentioned to him.

A burger and ice cream. Daniel Harkin could eat those things during the season, but it got in the way of his physical goals. So he waited until he’d accomplished those goals to indulge.

The message was puzzling for the Wabaunsee volleyball team back in August. Players couldn’t tell if Tracy Capoun, the Chargers’ head coach, was throwing shade by keeping the 2018 state tournament bracket up in the entryway of the team locker room.

Susan Steinfort knew how good Sam Vermetten was at volleyball for a while. Vermetten, a senior, was coached by Steinfort for her entire Valley Heights High career but also in middle school. That’s when Steinfort first knew.

The Manhattan High boys basketball team continues to climb in the Kansas Basketball Coaches Association (KBCA) rankings.

The Manhattan High wrestling team, led by head coach Robert Gonzales, competed in the 13th annual Flatwater Fracas in Grand Island, Neb., over the weekend with mixed results. The Indians have participated in the event since every year its inception in 2006.

ALMA — The cafeteria at Wabaunsee High School was buzzing Friday night. Friends chatted over pizza, sitting at those standard circular tables. Others played board games. Feet away, through a set of open doors, local high schoolers shot around on the basketball court.

ALMA — If you took in the first half of the Wabaunsee girls’ 40-37 win over Rock Creek Friday night, you might not have been blown away by either side.

TOPEKA — Thursday night’s practice didn’t go so well for Manhattan High’s varsity boys basketball team. It’s wasn’t anything of concern to Indians coach Benji George though. It was finals week, and juggling exams with preparing for a game against Hayden Friday night was difficult; George und…

TOPEKA — Scott Mall looked to the referee on his right and signaled for a timeout with a little over two minutes left in the fourth quarter.

Manhattan High’s Sam Shields officially is headed to Kansas State to play football. The Wildcats are blueshirting him. This means Shields’ scholarship will start when he begins practicing with the team during the 2020 preseason next fall. He will count as part of the Wildcats’ 2021 signing class.

At halftime of Tuesday’s game at Manhattan, Junction City head coach Nick Perez was all smiles.

It’s not that Junction City lost that bothered Tim Testa. The Blue Jays didn’t come particularly close in that regard. Manhattan High’s varsity girls team had no problems dispatching Junction City, cruising to a 51-17 win at home Tuesday.

The Rock Creek High girls and boys basketball teams earned wins Tuesday night against visiting St. Marys.

RILEY — Even into the final minutes Tuesday night, Riley County never could pull away from Clay Center.

FRANKFORT — On a chilly December night in northeast Kansas, Frankfort and Valley Heights varsity girls’ basketball teams engaged in a back-and-forth battle. At the end, the Mustangs walked away with a hard-fought 46-41 win on the road over the Wildcats.

RILEY — The Riley County girls had no problem scoring early on against Clay Center Tuesday night. That wasn’t the issue.

FRANKFORT — The Valley Heights’ boys basketball team entered Tuesday’s contest against Frankfort looking for Win No. 1 this season.The Mustangs then went out and did just that, toppling the Wildcats 60-56 on the road.

Tony Ingram got a text message from a buddy early last week. All it read was “congratulations”.

Scott Mall’s message to his Manhattan High girls basketball team before it hosted Junction City Tuesday night was quite simple.

Two members of the Manhattan High basketball program made trips around the court in the high school gym Tuesday night. One walked the court before the Indians defeated Junction City 59-49, and one after.

Manhattan High boys soccer star Hunter French has a college destination. The senior, who holds the school record for career goals (67), announced on Twitter Saturday that he will be attending Baker University to continue his soccer career.

The boys and girls Hoop Holler N’ Shoot contest crowned its champions last week. Four local girls and boys shot seven free throws each at halftime of the Kansas State men’s basketball game Wednesday to decide the winner of the 1,000-plus students who participated.

Jeramiah Eustaquio stood with his back toward the wrestling mat, his head hovered over a trash can with piles of paper towels covered in his blood crumpled up at the bottom. He was starting to feel light headed, nursing a nose-bleed. Eustaquio was on his fourth visit to the Manhattan High wr…

COUNCIL GROVE — Rock Creek coach Adam Plummer hardly sugarcoated it: His team looked tired in its 23-18 road win over Council Grove Friday night.