By Dustin Armbruster

Alexa Brull hadn’t given much consideration to playing college soccer last year.  2014 has come with an increase of playing and an increase of confidence.  Along with those two things came an increase of college offers.  Monday, Brull signed with Pratt Community College.  Along with having family in the Pratt area, Brull said the opportunity to play college soccer close to home helped make her decision.  Brull is currently part of an 8-2 soccer team that has won six matches in a row and is 5-0 in the Western Athletic Conference.  Hays is at Great Bend Monday evening to resume league play.

 

By DUSTIN ARMBRUSTER

Game 1:  Hays 11, Colby 0 (5 inn.)
Hays scored four runs in the first inning, five in the second and two in the third as the Indian’s softball team cruised to a 11-0 run rule win in five innings.  Colby threatened to score in the first inning on a single, walk and hit batter, but couldn’t push a run across when Hannah Hearld struck out the final two batters of the first inning.

Hays put eight batters to the plate in each the first and second inning scoring a total of nine runs on eight hits including a Kaylie Schoendaller three-run home run to cap the scoring in the second inning.  Hearld struck out nine picking up her sixth win of the season.

Game 2: Hays 7, Colby 3
Just like in game one Colby threatened to score in the first inning, but this time was able to push a run across on a throwing error taking a 1-0 lead after the top of the first.  The damage in the first inning though was held in check thanks to when Haley Wells cut down a runner trying to steal second to start the game.  Hays hit three singles in the bottom of the first, but left the bases loaded.

After the Indians allowed the one run, Hays retired the next 13 batters.  Hays was able to tie the game in the bottom of the second inning on a RBI single by Wells, scoring Julie Balzer who led the inning off with a single.  The Indians took the first lead of game number two when Madison Prough led off the bottom of the fourth inning with her first career home run to left center field.  Hays took a 3-1 lead when Haley wells drove in Balzer again this time on a ground out.

Colby had one last push in them and was able to tie the game at three scoring two runs on three singles in the top of the sixth inning.  Tied 3-3 going to the bottom of the sixth, Hays scored their first four runners of the inning on back to back doubles by Kylie Brown and Nicole Dinkel.  Wells followed those two hits up with an RBI single.  Albany Schaffer topped off the scoring with a two run homer, her second of the season grabbing a 7-3 lead.

Colby got a single to open the seventh inning, but first baseman Kylie Brown caught a pop up bunt on a diving effort forcing a double play at first to help squelch any come back..

Hearld gets the win and improves to 7-1 on the year.

Hays moves to 7-1 on the season and will play Pratt on Thursday in a make up double header.  Colby falls to 8-2.

 

 

 

By DUSTIN ARMBRUSTER

Twelve months ago, then junior Jordan Windholz had already missed the second half of the basketball season, the state basketball tournament and was missing the track season due to a knee injury.  Needless to say college basketball wasn’t on Jordan’s radar.  Tuesday in the Hays High cafeteria, Windholz signed his letter of intent to play basketball for Barton Community College next season.

Windholz played in 66 games over his four years at Hays High, but wasn’t a full time starter until his senior season.  He ranks 19th all-time scoring with 618 points and made 101 three pointers in his career.  Windholz was second on the team in steals (47) this season and finished his career with 92, first in three pointers made (55), second in scoring (13.6/game).

Windholz was part of the 2014 senior class that one just six games as sophomores, fourteen as juniors, and then a school record twenty-three as seniors.

 

 

 

 

By DUSTIN ARMBRUSTER
Hays Post

23 – Most wins in school history.

23 – Most consecutive wins in school history.

3 – 3rd season with 20 or more wins in school history.  22 wins in 1943-44.  21 wins in 1995-96.

175 – assists by Kyler Niernberger are the most in a single season breaking Brian Woods record.

7.0 – assists per game ranks Niernberger second for a single season.

284 – career assists by Niernberger ranks 4th all-time.

180 – career assists by Lane Clark ranks 12th all-time.

451 – number of assists during the season for Hays High as a team.

117 – career steals by Lane Clark ranks 8th all-time.

50 – steals this season by Clark ranks 15th for a single season.

4 – number of players with 40 or more steals.  First time the feat has happened in school history.  The previous high was three in 1977.  Lane Clark finished with 50, Jordan Windholz 47, Kyler Niernberger 43, and Isaiah Nunnery 42.

436 – points by Lane Clark ranks 38th in a career.

597 – points by Jordan Windholz ranks 21st in a career.

825 – points by Brady Werth ranks 9th currently as a junior.

418 – rebounds by Werth ranks 8th currently in a career.

41% – three point percentage shot by Kade Parker ranks in a tie for 8th for a single season.

40% – three point percentage shot by Lane Clark ranks in a tie for 11th for a single season.

39% – three point percentage shot by Jordan Windholz ranks in a tie for 12th for a single season.

Career games played: Lane Clark 76, Kade Parker 71, Kyler Niernberger 67, Jordan Windholz 66.

By DUSTIN ARMBRUSTER
Hays Post

Hays 48 – Salina Central 46
The Hays High Indians new they would be in for a fight with Salina Central in the first round of the state tournament on Wednesday night.  The finish would turn out just like their first meeting on February 11th.

Just as in the first meeting, Salina Central jumped out to an early lead using a barrage of three pointers to grab a 9-6 advantage.  Hays scored the next seven points to go up 13-9, a lead the Indians would hold over the Mustangs through the first half.  Central did tie the game at 13 with their first basket of the second quarter, but the Indians responded with an 11-2 run capped by a Jordan Windholz three, his third of the first half.  The nine point advantage at 24-15 would prove to the the Indians biggest lead of the game.  Central scored five straight to get with in four when Clayton Riedel hit a jumper with three second remaining before half for the 26-20 lead heading into the locker rooms.

Salina Central opened the second half on their biggest run of the game scoring seven straight, going up 27-26.  Hays scored just eight, third quarter points.  Three of those points came as the third quarter expired when Kyler Niernberger first three pointer of the season.

Trailing 35-34 into the fourth quarter, the Indians fell behind by as many as six on three different occasions.  The last of which came at 46-40 with under 3:30 remaining in the game.  Hays would yield no more points as Windholz sandwiched two more threes around a Mustang turnover to tie the game at 46 with 1:50 remaining.  Central intended to run down the final 1:50 and take a potential game winning shot.  Isaiah Nunnery though never let the Mustangs settle in and his defensive pressure allowed Lane Clark to steal the ball from behind a Central player.  Clark was fouled on the steal with 18.2 seconds remaining.  Clark calmly stepped to the free throw line and knocked down both ends of a one and one, giving Hays a 48-46 lead.  Then it was time for the defense to shine once more.  Central took the clock down to 4.9 seconds before calling a time out, and the Indians defensive pressure forced a three pointer from six feet beyond the arc that fell harmlessly away for the Hays High victory.

Windholz, was the only Indians in double figures,  leading all scoring with 16 on five three pointers and one of two from the free throw line.

Hays shot 43% from the field and made 7 of 17 3’s.  Salina Central shot 71% in the second half and 18 of 38 in the game for 47%.  The Mustangs were 8 of 16 beyond the arc.

Hays moves on to the semi-finals were they will face off against 22-1 Topeka Highland Park.  Tip off is scheduled for 8:15.

Rest of the 5A tournament and schedule:

#1 Lansing 68 – #8 St. Thomas Aquinas 57
#5 Wichita Heights (19-4) 72 – #4 Goddard Eisenhower (21-2) 56
#3 Topeka Highland Park (22-1) 73 – #4 Kansas City Washington (17-6) 47

Friday Semi-finals will feature Lansing v Wichita Heights at 4:45pm and Hays v Topeka Highland Park at 8:15pm

By Dustin Armbruster

Eagle Radio will have coverage of the following state basketball tournaments:

Wednesday – March 12th

5A – Hays High Indians – 96.9 KFIX.  6:30 Tip-Off.  Available with video on Hays Post as well.

2A – Ellis Lady Railers – 99.5 KHAZ.  8:15 Tip-Off.

Thursday – March 13th

2A – Plainville Cardinals – 99.5 KHAZ.  8:15 Tip-Off.

1A Div. 1 – Victoria Lady Knights – 101.9 The Bull.  3:00 Tip-Off.
                 Osborne Lady Bulldogs – 101.9 The Bull. 8:15 Tip-Off.

1A Div. 2 – Wilson Lady Dragons – Mix 103 – 103.3.  4:45 Tip-Off.
                 Dighton Lady Hornets – Mix 103 – 103.3.  8:15 Tip-Off.

Broadcast times of the semi-finals and finals are dependent of the first round results.

By Dustin Armbruster

The question Hays High senior Preston Weigel has been asked more than any over the past several months is “What’s Next?” or at least some variation of that.  Weigel starred on the Indian’s football team the past two seasons garnering first team honors in the WAC in 2013 and also was named to the 2014 Shrine Bowl.  Weigel of course was unbeatable on the wrestling mat over the past two years.  The three time state champion lost just four matches in four years, three his freshman year and one his sophomore season.  One of the three losses his freshman year was in the state championship match, keeping Weigel from achieving a rare four state titles.

So what is next?  Football or wrestling and at what school?  That is still up in the air according to Weigel (you can hear for yourself below).  For now Preston plans on training for the nationals and has a few tournaments he plans on wrestling in the coming months.