Sports

Lady Redskins fall in OT heartbreaker

EARL WATT

• Leader & Times

The Lady Redskins had to dig out of a hole twice but could not dig out a third time in a 68-57 Sub-State championship loss to Wichita East Saturday in The Big House.

The Aces took a 19-12 lead after the first quarter and pushed that to 21-12 early in the second quarter.

But the Lady Redskins pushed the ball inside the lane to Maliyah Mullens, and Shamari Lewis cut to the basket, and with 5:21 to go the Lady Redskins cut the lead to 23-18. But the Aces put together another run and after an Ace three, Liberal trailed 32-33.

Kappelmann earns KJCCC Pitcher of the Week award

Special to the Leader & Times

A 14-strikeout, seven-inning no-hitter thrown by Seward County freshman Brooks Kappelmann led to Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference West Division Baseball Pitcher of the Week honors.

Kappelmann was electric on the mound in his only start of the week, tossing a seven-inning no-hitter with 14 strikeouts. In five appearances this season, Kappelmann is 2-0 with 37 strikeouts in 26.0 innings pitched, with his total strikeouts leading the KJCCC and ranking 12th nationally.

Chavez takes home Most Outstanding Wrestler Award

Special to the Leader & Times

Liberal Wrestling Club traveled to Colorado to compete at the Eads Junior Olympic Tournament Saturday, March 1.

The tournament awarded two outstanding wrestler awards, an older age group and a younger age group. Receiving the older age group award was Liberal’s, Iovani Chavez.

Liberal Wrestling Club has never attended this tournament. They did not have a girls division so the girls were mixed in with the boys but that did not stop Liberal’s wrestlers.

Lady Redskins win 8th straight playoff opener

EARL WATT

• Leader & Times

For the eighth straight season, the Lady Redskins have opened the Class 6A playoffs with a win. The No. 4 seed Lady Redskins knocked off No. 13 Haysville Campus 72-24 to advance to the Sub-State championship.

Kylie Rhine drained an early three to start a scoring frenzy that included eight threes for the Lady Redskins on the night.

Zoey Torres landed a three later in the first quarter that gave the Lady Redskins a 19-2 lead, and sophomore Madysen Hammond ended the quarter with back-to-back threes that gave the Lady Redskins a 29-6 lead.

Redskin season ends with first round playoff loss to Heights

EARL WATT

• Leader & Times

Upsets happen in postseason play, including No. 1 Great Bend losing to No. 16 Goddard Eisenhower in the first round of the Class 5A playoffs. But expecting the Redskins to pull off an upset over No. 2 Wichita Heights proved to be too big of a hill to climb, and the Redskins fell 72-25.

Liberal struggled throughout the first season under Brandt Rogers who is trying to build a winning culture for Liberal High School basketball.

That task proved to be a tough hill to climb after several previous losing seasons and seeing some players unwilling to stick with the program for the entire season.