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California Trail girls win city tourney

California Trail Junior High’s ninth-grade girls basketball squad capped a perfect season by winning the Olathe City League Basketball Tournament on Dec. 18. The Bulldogs beat Prairie Trail Junior High 40-27 in the championship.

It was the second straight title for California Trail, which finished the season 16-0.

The Bulldogs are: Back row (left to right) Alyssa Palmer, Lindsey Lyman, Lindsay Bruner, Anna Emley, Kaitlin Stein, coach Travis Waters, Kylie Gafford, and Blair Lewis; middle row (left to right) Kacey Eis, Rachel McGhee, Courtney Rusch and Whitney Ashlock; and front row (left to right) Jessica Frerichs, Molly Murphy, Emily Janssen, Hannah Rauckman and Megan Kearns.

OYB announces manager’s meeting

Olathe Youth Baseball will conduct its January Manager’s Meeting for all 2009 returning and new team managers from 7 to 9 p.m. Jan. 14 at Oregon Trail Junior High.

For more information, contact OYB General Manager Mick Murphy at 393-9891.

North boys drop second straight

Despite 40 points from senior Gary Watts, Olathe North’s boys basketball team dropped its second straight game 90-78 on Tuesday at Blue Valley.

The Eagles, who led 52-48 at halftime, won four consecutive games to start the season. Junior Tre Walker added a double-double with 18 points and 10 rebounds, while senior Doug Peete scored six and grabbed seven boards despite limited action due to foul trouble.

Watts also had nine rebounds and five assists.

North wrestling easily dispatches SME

On the strength of pins by Michael Wurtz (112), Eric Grant (152), Jake Carroll (215) and Mike Smart (285), Olathe North’s wrestling team crushed visiting Shawnee Mission East 47-24 on Wednesday night.

Josh Neal (125) and David Blazevic (171) added major decisions for the Eagles, who also got wins from Zach Perrin (119), Andrew Butler (135) and Mark Butler (145).

East’s Williams nominated for national award

Olathe East cornerback Derahn Williams has been nominated as an Old Spice Red Zone Player of the Year.

He is now eligible to be selected as the National Red Zone Player of the Year and featured in USA Today. Red Zone awards recognize players “who are able to elevate their play and step up when the heat is really on.”

Williams led the Sunflower League with nine interceptions this season including one for a touchdown.

MNU hoops sweeps Graceland

Senior JoNel Henning scored 16 points and senior Taylor Ford added a double-double with 11 points and 13 rebounds as the MidAmerica Nazarene University women rallied from a halftime deficit Thursday and beat Graceland University 63-52 at Bell Family Arena inside the Cook Center.

Junior Bethany Rexroth added 11 with seven rebounds, while freshman Amy Green grabbed eight boards and had three steals. Freshman Brooke Young added seven boards and a game-high four assists, and junior Bethany “Cotton” Schwab also had four assists.

In the men’s game, the Pioneers roughed up the Yellowjackets 76-49 behind senior Danny Hawkins, who scored 22 and grabbed 20 rebounds.

Senior Austin Boots scored 12 points on four 3-pointers and added four assists, while senior Cal Kiburz scored 10 with a game-best eight assists. Junior Brenton Bell chipped in six assists.

MNU grad joins USA Football

Joe Owens, a graduate of Shawnee Mission West and MidAmerica Nazarene University, has been hired as regional manager for USA Football, the sport’s governing body at the youth and amateur levels.

Owens, who resides in Cincinnati, will oversee coaching schools and conduct football league administrator meetings as well as help promote USA Football’s Certified Coaching Education Program throughout the eight-state Central region.

Youth basketball tournaments

Mid-America Youth Basketball will be hosting tournaments for 3rd through 8th grade boys and girls at various sites in Kansas starting January 24. All tournaments have a $150 entry fee and guarantee three games.

Wichita and Salina will be the sites for tournaments on Jan. 24 and 25. Lindsborg, Kingman and Liberal will be the sites for tournaments on Jan. 31 through Feb. 1. The registration deadline is Jan. 9 for the Wichita, Salina and Liberal tournaments and Jan. 16 for the Lindsborg and Kingman tournaments.

To register call (316) 284-0354 or go online to www.mayb.com.

MNU men fall to Warner

The MidAmerica Nazarene University men’s basketball team lost to Warner University 80-77 in overtime Sunday.

Cal Kiburz led the Pioneers with 20 points. Danny Hawkins came close to a triple-double, finishing with 16 points, 13 rebounds and 8 assists. Austin Boots hit six 3-pointers for 18 points and Brenton Bell and Ben Swinger scored nine apiece.

The MNU men fell to 6-4.

Jr. High boys basketball results

The California Trail Junior High freshmen boys basketball teams swept Chisholm Trail Junior High in two close games Wednesday. The California Trail “A” team defeated Chisholm Trail 58-46 and the “B” team won 36-30.

The Chisholm Trail eighth-grade “A” team moved to 2-0 Thursday with a 39-19 victory against Prairie Trail Junior High, while Chisholm’s eighth-grade “B” team lost to Prairie Trail 39-8.

ONW grapplers win post-break warm-up

The Olathe Northwest wrestling team defeated Washington 46-24 Wednesday in the Ravens’ first action since winter break.

Connor Middleton won by major decision and Francisco Mora and Dylan Murrison both won by decision. Northwest lost the other four matches by fall, but still came out on top on the scoreboard because Washington had seven open weight classes.

East girls push pace in win over BV West

The Olathe East girls basketball team shattered their season-high in scoring by defeating Blue Valley West 84-69 Tuesday in a fast-paced home game.

Chelsea Harris led the run-and-gun attack, finishing with 20 points and six assists. Cassie Bruner had 19 points and 10 rebounds and Brittney Kalinoski also pulled in 10 boards for the Hawks, who improved to 4-2.

Olathe well represented in wrestling rankings The latest poll by the Kansas Wrestling Coaches Association has Olathe North ranked sixth in Class 6A and Olathe South entering the ranking at No. 9.

Goddard is the top-ranked team in the poll, which was released Sunday. In addition to the two ranked teams, twelve local wrestlers also found themselves among the individual rankings.

Five city wrestlers — the Falcons' Chaz Lawrence (125), the Eagles' Lucas Vincent (285) and a trio of Olathe East wrestlers, David Lalo (160), Ryan Revoir (189) and Jake Woten (215) — are ranked second in 6A.

South's Zac Dremel and North teammates Eric Grant (152) and David Blazevic (171) are ranked No. 3, while Olathe Northwest's Conner Middleton (145) is ranked fourth just ahead of South's Trip Hiller, who is fifth at 145.

Eagles 119-pounder Josh Neal also is ranked fifth, while teammate Jake Carroll (215) is ranked sixth.

— The Olathe News staff