Courtesy kpreps.com

EL DORADO, Kan. – Just when it seemed like the East All-Stars had done just enough to capture a third consecutive win in the Kansas Shrine Bowl, the West found a way.

The West All-Stars claimed a dramatic 22-21 victory when Zach Helbing (Mulvane) and Tanner Orand (Goddard-Eisenhower) combined to tackle East QB Brandon Mlekus (Frontenac) in the end zone for a safety. Mlekus scrambled to get out of the end zone after trying to recover from an errant snap.

The victory gives the West a 27-16-1 all-time advantage in the series.

On a night headlined by turnovers and sloppy play, the East had multiple opportunities to make a 21-20 lead stand up.

The East was handed a golden opportunity to extend its one-point lead in the fourth quarter when the West mishandled a punt giving the East a first-and-goal. But a 15-yard chop-block penalty moved the East back, and eventually a fourth-down pass fell incomplete in the end zone.

The West took over with less than three minutes to go, trailing 21-20, and without a timeout.

On their first play, West QB Jacob Murray (Great Bend) heaved a long pass downfield that looked to be intercepted by Emporia’s Bryce Crouch, but Crouch couldn’t hold on for his second interception of the game. The next play, Murray hit Kaden Davis (Ellsworth) on a long catch-and-run to the East 30.

The West appeared to be poised to get even closer. Murray hit Dylan Foos (Dighton) on a short pass with room to run, but he was stripped by Nick Bulleigh (St. Thomas Aquinas) and the East recovered essentially sealing the game.

Or so we thought.

The East was called for two unsportsmanlike penalties after the play, moving the ball back half-the-distance, twice, inside their own 5-yard line and setting up the decisive defensive play.

The West almost forced a safety on the first snap, but the East was ruled to have advanced the ball just over the goaline and inside the 1-yard line. On second play, the snap sailed wide left of Mlekus.

Trailing by a touchdown at halftime, the East scored on their first offensive play of the third quarter as J.J. Letcher (KC Piper) raced 73 yards untouched on a jet sweep to tie the game at 14.

The East took a 21-14 lead later on a Mlekus touchdown run. But the West responded shortly after as Zach Esau (Hesston) hit Foos on a short touchdown pass. The two-point conversion failed leaving the East lead at one point.

The West seemingly dominated a turnover-plagued first half until the final minute when Dalton Cowan (Topeka Seaman) hit Cuttar Huss (Troy) on an 18-yard touchdown pass to pull within 14-7. The two teams combined for seven first-half turnovers (5 for the West).

The West built a 14-0 lead on a 40-yard touchdown pass from Murray to Davis, and a 1-yard run by Esau.

The MVPs of the 44th annual Shrine Bowl were Lechter from the East and Helbing from the West.

Buhler scored six runs in the third inning on their way to a 14-4 win over the Hays Eagles Senior American Legion Wednesday in Buhler.

Buhler took advantage of four walks and four singles allowed by Eagles starter Grant Coffman as they scored six runs in the third inning to take a 6-0 lead.

Coffman would cut the deficit to just two runs on a grand slam in the fifth inning but that was all the offense the Eagles cut muster in the loss.

Coffman suffered the loss on the mound allowing six runs, five earned, while walking five in two and two thirds innings.

Palmer Hutchison was 3-for-4 with a run scored.

The Eagles are 17-8 on the season and their next action is Friday in the Wild West Fest tournament.

The Hays Monarchs American Legion split a doubleheader at Hoisington Monday.

Game 1: Hays 7, Hoisington 8
In the first game the Monarchs scored three first inning runs on a pair of run scoring singles but Hoisington answered right back scoring six runs in their half of the first.

The Monarchs tied the game at six in the third inning on back-to-back run scoring singles and a Tate Garcia sacrifice fly.

A Gavin Schumacher sacrifice fly gave the Monarchs a 7-6 lead in the fifth inning but Hoisington rallied for two runs in the bottom of the seventh for the 8-7 win.

Hoisington started the inning with three straight walks and scored the tying run on a wild pitch and then scored the game winner on a passed ball.

Carlos Schwindt got the loss for Hays. He allowed two runs and walked three all without recording an out the in the seventh inning. Cole Zimmerman was two-for-three with two RBI’s.

Game 2: Hays 10, Hoisington 4
In the second game the Monarchs scored nine runs over the first three innings and had a 9-3 through three.

Hays’ big inning came in the fifth when they scored five runs and took advantage of two walks, a hit-by-pitch, an error that scored two runs and an Adam Gottschalk two-run double putting the Monarchs up 9-0 through two and a half innings.

Chase Zimmerman was two-for-four with four RBI’s and Trenton Mayo struckout four over three and a third innings of relief to earn the win.

The Monarchs are 10-4 and will begin play Friday at the Wild West Fest Tournament in Hays.

After winning three straight games to start the Jim Clanton Memorial Baseball Tournament in Garden City, the Hays Eagles Senior American Legion went 1-1 on Sunday.

Game 1: Hays 11, Lamar 4
In game one the Monarchs scored eight runs in the third inning an 11-4 win over Lamar.

Lamar took an early 3-0 lead scoring a run in the first and two more in the top of the third before the Eagles rallied for win.

Hays started the inning with a pair of walks and then Palmer Hutchison doubled home a pair of runs to cut the gap to 3-2. Then with the bases loaded Nick Fisher delivered on a run scoring single and Jace Armstrong followed up with a two-run triple putting Hays up 7-3. Dawson Harman tacked on another run on a RBI single giving Hays and 8-3 lead after three.

Hays added two more in the fourth on back-to-back hit-by-pitches with the bases loaded and one in the fifth as they go on to an 11-4 win.

Tyrone Wynn allowed four runs, two earned over six innings and earned the win. Hutchison, Fisher and Armstrong each drove in two runs.

Game 2: Finney County 4, Hays 0
In the second game the Eagles managed just two hits and committed four errors in a 4-0 loss to Finney County.

Finney County jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning taking advantage of three hits and two Eagles errors.

The Eagles threatened in the second and fourth innings, getting two runners on base but were unable to produce any runs in the 4-0 loss.

Trey Riggs suffered the loss for Hays. He allowed four runs, three earned, and walked five over six innings.

Hays is now 17-7 on the season and will travel to Buhler on Wednesday.

Norton quarterback Jace Ruder has announced on Twitter that he will continue his football career at the University of North Carolina.

The 6-3, 205 pounder tweeted Monday that he has verbally committed to the Tar Heels.

Ruder had originally committed to Tulsa before Christmas, however he changed his mind after receiving other multiple offers.

As a junior, Ruder completed over 50-percent of his passes for 1,598 yards and 14 touchdowns and eight interceptions. He also rushed for 746 yards and 16 touchdowns and won the 300 meter hurdles at the state track meet last month.

TMP Marian senior Alison Helget was named to the 3A All-State Team this week by the Kansas Softball Coaches Association.

Helget was a second team selection as a utility player. She finished the season batting .402 with 5 home runs and 27 RBIs. Helget was also 8-5 as a pitcher with a 2.37 ERA and 94 strikeouts.

Helget helped the Monarchs to back-to-back state appearances losing to Rossville in the first round this season.

She was a second team All- State selection as an infielder last season.

Ellis Senior Brittany Bollig was a first-team selection as a utility player in class 2-1A. Bollig finished the year hitting .658 with 6 home runs, 27 RBI’s and 28 runs scored.

Sam Crawford was also named to the first-team in the outfield. The junior finished with a .545 batting average with 27 runs scored and 22 stolen bases.

The Plainville Cardinals boys track and field team placed in 15 events and brought home four titles over the weekend as they won the 2A State Track and Field Title at the Kansas State Track and Field Championship in Wichita.

Hayden Friend earned a pair of individual gold medals winning both the 2A boys 100 meters (11.10) and 200 meters (22.61).

Friend was also a member of the boys 4X100 meter relay that brought home the gold with a time of 3:28.64. Chase Cellmer, Ryan Buresh and Samuel Kaup were also member of that relay team.

The Ellis boys finished second in the 4X100 relay with a time of 43.99-seconds. The relay team is made up of; Trey Hudson, Joseph Eck, Logan Shaw and Auntonio Jones.

Zachary Pierson claimed the gold medal in the 2A boys shot put with a throw of 157-feet 08-inches.

Plainville finished with 88 team points and Smith Center was third with 67.

The Plainville girls finished 16th as a team and placed four in the top eight.

The Ellis girls were ninth as a team and had seven top eight finishers.

In Class 1A, Victoria finished ninth in the boys race. Collin Kisner win the 1A boys 400 meters with a time of 50.83. Kisner placed second in the 200 meter and third in the 100 meter.

The Victoria girls placed 13th. Kali Weber placed second in both the 1A girls 100 and 200 meters.

The TMP-Marian girls track team had three individuals place in four events and one relay team place in the top eight at the weekend’s Kansas Track and Field meet in Wichita.

Julia Werth was the top finisher for the Monarchs finishing second in the 3A girls 800 meters. Werth finished with a time of 2:26.15.

The Monarchs girls 4X800 meter relay team also finished second with a time of 10:18.54. The team is made up of; Kiara Urban, Julia Werth, Alison Schibi and Emily Schippers.

Kendra Werth placed fifth in the 3A girls 300 meter hurdles (48.04-seconds) and seventh in the 100 meter hurdles (15.93).

In the 3A girls triple jump Paris Wolf placed seventh with a jump of 35-feet, 1.25-inches.

Savannah Yost also qualified for the State Track and Field meet finishing 14th in the 3A girls high jump.

The Monarch girls finished 11th.

The TMP boys had just one finisher in the top eight. Hayden Lowe finished in a tie for sixth in the 3A boys high jump. He cleared a height of 6-feet on his second attempt.

The Monarchs 4X800 meter relay finished 13th.

TMP boys finished 45th.