Wichita Eagle: High Schools

Bob Lutz: The City League's best (Top 10)

Bob — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 14:05 CST

I was interested yesterday when some former City League basketball players got on Facebook and debated my Top 50 list of CL players I’ve seen since the early-1960s. That, after all, is what this is all about – friendly debate.

As I’ve said from the beginning, some really good players are being left off this list. Being that it’s a list, it A baby-faced Antoine Carr developed into one of the greatest basketball players in City League history during his time at Heights from 1976-79. is imperfect. Your opinion is as valid as mine. Well, not quite, but you get the point.

Anyway, we’ve now arrived at my Top 10. You can easily guess most of the players who will be mentioned here today. I don’t think there are any huge surprises. In fact, it’s the order of the Top 10 that will, hopefully, interest you most. And picking that order has been a challenge.

Fans play a big part in making high school games fun

Joanna Chadwick — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 07:31 CST

Chris Leon has never played a sport for Maize High.

Yet he has a 2011 Class 6A baseball championship ring, a letter jacket and football jersey with his name on the back.

Leon is the Eagles’ No. 1 fan.

Bob Lutz: Northwest’s Nicholson is always proving himself worthy

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 14:05 CST

By the time people finish talking about Perry Ellis and Conner Frankamp, they’re out of breath.

So how would you like to be the third best basketball player in the City League this season? It’s a league in which Ellis and Frankamp are stealing the spotlight, leaving just a sliver for everyone else.

That’s where you can find Northwest senior guard Craig Nicholson. He’s the guy mostly in the dark, trying to make a name for himself in a season that is cementing the legendary status of Ellis and Frankamp.

Wichita Heights' Perry Ellis selected as McDonald’s All-American

Joanna Chadwick — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 14:05 CST

Heights senior Perry Ellis was named a McDonald’s All-American on Thursday and will be one of 24 seniors playing in the annual all-star game March 28 at Chicago’s United Center.

“This was one of my goals coming in, to show that hard work really pays off,” Ellis said. “I’m just really blessed to be selected. I just thank God for giving me the ability to do all this. I’ve been working real hard, too. Hard work really pushed me through this.”

Ellis, who averages 26.1 points and 9.7 rebounds, set the City League scoring record this season, breaking the record set by Kapaun Mount Carmel’s Greg Dreiling in 1981. Ellis is a three-time All-State selection, a three-time Kansas Gatorade Player of the Year and a three-time Class 6A champion.

The City League's best (11-20)

Bob — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 14:05 CST

As I’ve been telling you all week, this list is my list. Nobody else’s. And it is not meant to be a definitive list of the City League’s top players.

It’s a list of the best players I have seen in my 50 years of watching City League hoops. Now, mind you, I started going to games when I Former Wichita East basketball standout had a brief NBA career with the Detroit Pistons. was 7. How much does a kid that age really take in? It’s a fair question.

That said, some of my earliest memories of sports involve basketball. One of the guys who falls in the 11-20 range, who you’ll read about shortly, played in the first high school basketball game I remember seeing.

Bob Lutz: The City League's best (21-30)

Bob — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 14:05 CST

OK, now it’s getting serious. My personal list of Top 50 City League players that I’ve seen (and I started going to City League games with my dad in 1962 when I was barely more than a toddler), is down to the final 30.

Can you feel the tension? Yeah, neither can I. Former Wichita North forward Brandon Polk played two seasons at Butler. He is No. 28 on my list of Top 50 City League basketball players. But I can feel something, and it’s most likely fun. Putting this list together, a list that is sure to be flawed in the eyes of some of its beholders, has been a trip down Memory Lane for me. A little aside here: When I’m in a strange city, I always make an attempt to find a street named Memory Lane. It’s strange to be on a Memory Lane in a strange city where you have no memories.

OK, back to the basketball list. I fell in love with City League basketball when I was a kid growing up in Derby. The Panthers didn’t have many great teams during my youth, so when I wanted to see the best players I came into Wichita, most of the time with my sports-junkie father, Ray. It was a bonding experience for father and son, but also a supreme basketball experience for both of us.

Read a transcript of today's live chat with high school sports reporter Joanna Chadwick

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 14:13 CST

Read a transcript of today's live chat with high school sports reporter Joanna Chadwick

Northwest remains on track for first-place showdown

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 10:30 CST

Tonight’s high school basketball games (Feb. 7)

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 06:50 CST

Basketball

Tonight’s Schedule

City League

VarsityKansas Big Show (Feb. 6)

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 18:46 CST

Derby wrestling coach Bill Ross joins Joanna Chadwick for this week's Big Show.

Conner Frankamp scores 47 in North's win

Sat, 04 Feb 2012 07:46 CST

Friday's Kansas high school basketball scores (Feb. 3)

Sat, 04 Feb 2012 07:44 CST

Perry Ellis has a place in City League basketball history

JOANNA CHADWICK — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 15:02 CST

Read a transcript of today's live chat with high school sports reporter Joanna Chadwick

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 14:16 CST

Read a transcript of today's live chat with high school sports reporter Joanna Chadwick

VarsityKansas Big Show (Jan. 30)

Mon, 30 Jan 2012 16:13 CST

Randy McVay, swimming coach at Independent and Collegiate schools, joins Joanna Chadwick for the Big Show.

Mulvane tournament: Wellington shoots past Southeast

Fri, 27 Jan 2012 07:50 CST

Thursday’s Kansas high school girls basketball scores (Jan. 26)

Fri, 27 Jan 2012 07:50 CST

Read a transcript of today's live chat with high school sports reporter Joanna Chadwick

Wed, 25 Jan 2012 14:06 CST

Read a transcript of today's live chat with high school sports reporter Joanna Chadwick

Tuesday's Kansas high school basketball scores, box scores (Jan. 24)

Wed, 25 Jan 2012 09:46 CST

Andover Central improves to 13-0

Wed, 25 Jan 2012 09:45 CST

VarsityKansas Big Show (Jan. 23)

Mon, 23 Jan 2012 19:25 CST

Joanna Chadwick chats with Maize High girls coach Jerrod Handy on the Big Show.

Aces reveling in success

MIKE KESSINGER — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 17:38 CST

As the East High boys swim team has grown into a City League power, coach Joe Hutchinson notices one thing more than anything else — his team continues to have fun.

It’s a trait Hutchinson watches grow year after year. With that, the Blue Aces’ have transformed that kind of continuity not just into the best program in the league, but toward the top of the state. East has won three straight City League titles, and are the overwhelming pick to win it this year.

"We have a lot of swimmers doing very well," Hutchinson said. "The big difference for us is how well the kids get along.

Heights pops East for Dodge City crown

Taylor Eldridge — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 08:48 CST

For the last eight days, Saturday night was all East’s Jalen Love could think about.

After losing by 10 points to the Heights boys basketball team last Friday, Love and his teammates have been begging for a sequel in the finals of the Tournament of Champions.

Love got his wish, as childhood friends from east Wichita decided the 69th annual championship of the Tournament of Champions 160 miles away from home in Dodge City’s United Wireless Arena.

Friday's Kansas high school basketball scores (Jan. 20)

Sat, 21 Jan 2012 08:30 CST

Wichita Heights, East power past opponents into Dodge City championship

TAYLOR ELDRIDGE — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 08:29 CST

Thursday’s high school basketball scores, Friday’s schedule

Fri, 20 Jan 2012 07:44 CST

Bob Lutz: Frankamp takes his show on the road

Fri, 20 Jan 2012 07:21 CST

Conner Frankamp didn’t concern himself much with his first appearance in the McPherson Tournament on Thursday afternoon or his opportunity to play at the legendary Roundhouse, where so many great Kansas high school stars have played during the past 48 years.

“I didn’t think about that much,” said Frankamp, North’s junior guard who joined the highest of the high profile players to play in McPherson’s long-running tournament. “I just tried to focus on winning today.”

But it didn’t work out. With quite a few McPherson/KU basketball fans in the stands for the early game of the day, one that tipped at 3 p.m., Frankamp’s North team lost to Blue Valley West 48-42. Those who were there solely to see Frankamp, a 6-foot-1 junior guard who were treated to a close game, but not a necessarily exciting game.

Bob Lutz: Sunrise takes different approach to basketball

Thu, 19 Jan 2012 09:44 CST

There is a high school basketball team in Wichita that has a player comparable to Perry Ellis in national stature, and I’m not talking about North and Conner Frankamp.

The player I’m talking about is Buddy Hield and I’ll give you $10 if you know who he is or where he plays.

While Ellis’ career at Heights has been heavily chronicled, Hield plays in relative anonymity just a couple of miles from Heights at Sunrise Christian Academy in Bel Aire, where he averages 22 points for the nation’s 10th-ranked academy basketball team, as rated by MaxPreps.com.

Read a transcript of today's live chat with high school sports reporter Joanna Chadwick

Wed, 18 Jan 2012 14:09 CST

Read a transcript of today's live chat with high school sports reporter Joanna Chadwick

Lynch keeps Heights moving

Joanna Chadwick — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 10:10 CST

Midway through the fourth quarter at Heights Tuesday night, an official called timeout and Heights girls coach Kip Pulliam motioned junior Jada Lynch over to him. Confusion was etched on her face as the players and coaches on the bench chuckled while Pulliam informed her she had blood filling her mouth.

Lynch had taken two blows to the face and was bleeding above her lip, and didn’t realize it.

But when you play like Lynch does — all out all the time, scrapping for loose balls, banging inside for rebounds — there’s no time to stop for blood.

VarsityKansas Big Show (Jan. 17)

Tue, 17 Jan 2012 17:29 CST

Heights comes alive in second half

TAYLOR ELDRIDGE — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 08:12 CST

It’s difficult to imagine a place where 6-foot-8 Perry Ellis can blend in, let alone on a basketball court where the Heights senior has earned a scholarship next season to the University of Kansas.

But his presence went largely unnoticed through the first half of Friday night’s game against East, as Ellis accounted for a single made basket and rebound.

“I told Perry at halftime, ‘You disappeared,’” Heights coach Joe Auer said. “You cannot be a four-year starter and excuse yourself from five minutes, which he did.”

Friday's Kansas high school basketball scores (Jan. 13)

Sat, 14 Jan 2012 08:13 CST

Kapaun freshmen learn from experience

Fri, 13 Jan 2012 08:30 CST

The trepidation Katie Andersen felt her first season playing on the Kapaun Mount Carmel basketball team was expected. She was the lone freshman starter with four senior starters.

“I was really petrified,” said Andersen, now a senior. “It was really tough at first.… I didn’t have any playing time and then I slowly built up. I took a junior’s (starting) spot, and I think there was a lot of, I don’t want to say there was bad blood. It’s just, you know how it usually is. A junior will be jealous of a freshman taking time.”

Andersen’s experience is not abnormal, but she wasn’t about to treat any young athlete in a similar fashion. So when it appeared, even before the season, that freshman Sam Bachrodt would be a starting guard alongside Andersen, one of the first to embrace her was Andersen.

Getting to know Will Schultz

Fri, 13 Jan 2012 08:39 CST

Will Schultz

South junior

Schultz is a rarity because he competes in both diving and swimming events, which means he’s got double practice times each day. He won his first five meets in diving and swims on all three relay teams.

Newton finds early success on mat

Thu, 12 Jan 2012 09:41 CST

In his preseason outlook, Newton wrestling coach Jude Wilson said his primary goal was to be competitive in league and improve on the Railers’ tournament team and individual placings. They were fourth in league and 10th at state a year ago.

He might have to adjust those goals a bit.

Newton has captured three consecutive tournaments and looks to add a fourth at home beginning Friday. Even though the first three tourneys — at Douglass, Bishop Carroll and last Saturday at Augusta — featured tough fields, Wilson said the competition will be ramped up for their Tournament of Champions.

Perry Ellis passes Aubrey Sherrod in City League scoring, setting Heights' school record

Jeffrey Lutz — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 15:02 CST

Fonda Ellis was among the first to know that her son, Perry, had passed Aubrey Sherrod for the career scoring record at Heights and for second in City League basketball history. True to his personality, Perry Ellis was one of the last to find out.

Ellis scored 30 points in Heights’ 63-49 win over South on Tuesday night. Ellis has scored 1,754 points, 15 more than Sherrod (1978-81) and 209 behind Greg Dreiling, the league’s career leader who scored 1,963 for Kapaun Mount Carmel from 1977-81.

Fonda Ellis knew the day was coming, and she tracked her son’s points during Tuesday’s game. She knew Perry’s three-point play with 2:30 to go in the second quarter gave him the school record, but that knowledge was for personal satisfaction only.

Tuesday’s Kansas high school basketball scores (Jan. 10)

Wed, 11 Jan 2012 11:45 CST

Perry Ellis passes Aubrey Sherrod for Heights' scoring record

JEFFREY LUTZ — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 11:35 CST

Read a transcript of today's live chat with high schools sports reporter Joanna Chadwick

Wed, 11 Jan 2012 14:16 CST

VarsityKansas chat (Jan. 11)

Read a transcript of today's live chat with high schools sports reporter Joanna Chadwick

Varsity Kansas Big Show (Jan. 9)

Tue, 10 Jan 2012 10:46 CST

Northwest wrestling coach Eric Prichard joins Joanna Chadwick for the Big Show.

Today's high school basketball games (Jan. 10)

Tue, 10 Jan 2012 07:26 CST

Basketball

Tonight’s Area Schedule

Girls at 6 p.m., boys 7:30

Heights boys survive Northwest scare

JOANNA CHADWICK — Sun, 08 Jan 2012 08:30 CST

Heights' boys team had no offensive rebounds at halftime of its game with Northwest at Koch Arena on Saturday night, and Falcons coach Joe Auer was not pleased.

"We had zero offensive rebounds at halftime. Zero," Auer said. "They had eight. We told the kids, 'Statistically, we cannot perform at a lower level than we did in the first half. And yet, there's hardly any separation.

"For whatever reason, we looked flat. We just looked like we were tired. We really tried to convince them at halftime that it was all wrapped up in that statistic. You are not going to beat anybody, let alone somebody of high quality, 0-8."

Southeast tops unbeaten Derby

JOANNA CHADWICK — Sun, 08 Jan 2012 08:32 CST

Southeast's boys made less than a third of their shots Saturday and still came out with a win, beating Derby 59-56 at Koch Arena for the Panthers' first loss.

"We played a very good team," Southeast coach Carl Taylor said. "They don't make very many mistakes, they execute very well and they can shoot the ball."

Taylor credited his team's decision to play together.

Heights' defense stifles Northwest girls

JOANNA CHADWICK — Sun, 08 Jan 2012 08:32 CST

Fifteen first-half turnovers would destroy most team's chances of winning a game.

Not the Heights girls.

The Falcons defeated Northwest 73-25 at Koch Arena on Saturday night, forcing 24 first-half turnovers, to overcome their own mistakes.

Kapaun boys hand East its first loss

JOANNA CHADWICK — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 18:35 CST

East junior Larry Dennis opened Saturday's basketball game with Kapaun Mount Carmel by driving inside for a basket. Then he made another inside basket. By the midpoint of the first period, Dennis had nine of East's 11 points and three rebounds.

Yet the score was tied.

Kapaun stayed right with East, ran with East, drove inside on East. It was Kapaun that pushed the pace. It was Kapaun that played, as East coach Ron Allen called it, a near-perfect game.

Andale takes down Collegiate boys

JOANNA CHADWICK — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 08:15 CST

ANDALE — There was a mini celebration at halfcourt by the Andale boys following Collegiate junior Riley Kemmer's errant three-pointer to end Friday's game, a 44-41 Andale victory.

Andale coach Jeff Buchanan broke up the celebration, hurrying his team into shaking hands with Collegiate, but the Indians (5-1, 4-0) had every right to revel in the victory over previously unbeaten Collegiate.

Not only did the win put Andale in first in Ark Valley-Chisholm Trail Division IV, the Indians played well.

Patient Augusta works around Mulvane

CORBIN MIHELIC — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 00:05 CST

AUGUSTA — On a few offensive possessions, Augusta held onto the ball for so long that the Orioles probably would have received multiple shot-clock violations before even attempting a shot—if a shot clock existed in high school basketball.

Throughout Friday's 57-46 win over Mulvane, the Orioles were forced to patiently pass around the Wildcats' zone defense for up to a minute at a time before an open look at the rim.

"We want to push the floor and try to get an easy layup, but if not we just back it out and take out time," forward Alex Clausing said. "We didn't want to try to force it in there too much."

Frankamp's 47 subdues South

JEFFREY LUTZ — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 08:15 CST

Conner Frankamp often creates the illusion that he's reached a higher level of energy in the fourth quarter or basketball games. Frankamp is playing at a different level, but he's only maintaining his energy as that of his opponents dwindles.

Frankamp got a little more time to prove his endurance on Friday. After scoring 10 points in the fourth, including two free throws to tie the score with 6.4 seconds to go, Frankamp added nine in overtime, leading the Redskins to a 61-56 win over South at Koch Arena.

Frankamp totaled 47 points, missing his career high by five and delivering his second 40-point game of the week. His 89-point week vaulted the junior into 19th place on the City League's career scoring list with 1,090 points.

Carroll boys hold off West's final try

JEFFREY LUTZ — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 08:15 CST

Four-tenths of a second were taken off the clock before the West basketball team took its last possession against Bishop Carroll on Friday, and that's about how late Arnez Jones was in taking the final shot.

Jones' three-pointer from the corner bounced off the rim, giving Carroll a 37-36 win at Koch Arena, but the reduced time in being able to orchestrate a final play added to a troubling trend for West coach Phil Daignault.

"It just seems like the breaks always go the other way," Daignault said. "It just seems like breaks don't go our way. I don't know, maybe I'm just not a lucky guy."