Kapaun boys advance in state basketball with defense spearheaded by Porter
Jude Porter didn’t score a point Tuesday night at Koch Arena.
For the Kapaun Mt. Carmel boys basketball team, that didn’t matter.
The senior guard still managed to leave his fingerprints all over the game, spearheading the kind of smothering defensive effort that has become the foundation for a 43-game winning streak. Behind another suffocating performance on that end, Kapaun rolled past Shawnee Heights 53-38 in the Class 5A quarterfinals.
Top-seeded Kapaun improved to 26-0 and moved one win away from its fourth straight appearance in the state finals. The Crusaders will face No. 5 seed Topeka Seaman (22-4) at 6 p.m. Thursday in the semifinals at Koch Arena.
“I know my role when I get in there is to bring the energy,” Porter said. “So whenever I get tired, I think about how I dedicated my heart to this task. It just makes me want to go even harder. I just want to help my team win.”
Defense once again drove everything.
Kapaun entered the game allowing just 38.4 points per game and having held 15 opponents under 40 points this season. In three postseason wins, the Crusaders are allowing an average of 34 points.
Shawnee Heights became the latest team to get worn down. The Thunderbirds shot just 34% from the field and committed 15 turnovers against Kapaun’s connected, disciplined defense.
“We still had a few miscues, but overall, I thought we did play pretty good defense,” Kapaun coach Steve Eck said.
At the head of it all was Porter, the senior guard who has embraced his role as Kapaun’s energy source and defensive tone-setter. He has hounded ball-handlers, disrupted actions and made life miserable on the perimeter all season long for opponents.
“He’s like crazy on defense,” Kapaun teammate Rocco Keller said. “He’s like one of the fastest guys in the state, so he can keep up with anybody. I’m just glad that he’s on my team. I’m happy that I don’t have to deal with that.”
Porter said Kapaun’s defensive consistency is no accident.
“Coach Eck is the absolute best,” Porter said. “I love being coached by him. He teaches us so much about discipline and that really helps us win so much.
“We don’t really have any breakdowns on defense. That’s because of the way that we practice. We do drills all of the time that translate to the game.”
Kapaun’s offense had plenty of leeway because the defense is so good. The Crusaders got another big night from their two offensive stars, both of whom are also key pieces on the defensive end.
Keller finished with 16 points, 11 rebounds and five assists while working the middle of Shawnee Heights’ zone and Blaise Dalian matched him with 16 points on 7-of-12 shooting. Freshman Braylon Jones had 10 points and seven rebounds off the bench, while Jordan Maingu, Cole Rapp, Ryan Cary, Jackson Gosch and Reid Stuhlsatz have also helped with Kapaun’s team defense.
“We’re a family, on and off the court, and that shows up for us in every game,” Keller said. “At practice, coach Eck always tells us that if we keep working hard on defense, that’s going to win us games. The main thing for every game is our defense. We work on it all of the time.”
Maize South falls short in 5A quarterfinals
Maize South’s season came to an end in the 5A quarterfinals after the Mavericks couldn’t keep pace with Topeka Seaman in the second half of a 57-46 loss at Koch Arena.
The first half was a back-and-forth battle, but Seaman found another gear after the break behind a game-high 24 points from Kaevon Bonner. After falling behind by 11 points early in the fourth quarter, Maize South never could mount the run it needed to seriously threaten the lead.
The loss closed the book on a strong 21-5 season for the Mavericks, who won the AV-CTL Division I title in one of the area’s most competitive races and reached the state tournament for the third time in the last four years.
Jalen Batiste led Maize South with 19 points, including four 3s, and added four assists. Cy Stucky chipped in 10 points, while Paxton Scott handed out four assists.
Wichita Collegiate, Hesston both advance to the 3A state semifinals
Senior guard A.J. Batiste put on a scoring show in Wichita, erupting for 42 points to power Collegiate to a 106-60 win over Wellsville in the Class 3A quarterfinals.
The Spartans cracked 100 points for the third time this season and advanced to the state semifinals for the first time since 2020. Collegiate improved to 25-1 with the rout, as Sebastian Hines-Turner added 18 points and Shad Issa and Maddox Drumright chipped in 11 apiece. The Spartans will face No. 5 seed Silver Lake (21-6) at 6 p.m. Thursday at Hutchinson Sports Arena.
Defending champion Hesston joined Collegiate in the semifinals with a 60-25 blowout over No. 7 seed Scott City in another 3A quarterfinal in Wichita. Drew Bartell scored a team-high 18 points, while Tyler Unruh added 13 points and Kason Landes had nine rebounds.
The Swathers, who have won the 3A state title in four of the last five years, improved to 25-2 and moved one step closer to another championship run. Hesston will play No. 3 seed Burlington (23-4) in the 8 p.m. semifinal Thursday at Hutchinson Sports Arena.
Norwich notches first state win in more than three decades
Norwich delivered a historic breakthrough Wednesday in Wichita, knocking off Rural Vista 49-35 for the program’s first state tournament win since 1994. Lucas Adams led the way with a game-high 19 points, while Jayden Benge had 18 points and six steals.
The third-seeded Eagles improved to 23-4 and advanced to an 8 p.m. Thursday semifinal in the Class 1A Div. I tournament against No. 2 seed Beloit St. John’s-Tipton at United Wireless Arena in Dodge City.
The other two area teams in the 1A Div. I bracket were eliminated, as No. 8 seed Canton-Galba fell to top-seeded Central Plains, 57-34, while No. 7 seed Flinthills lost 62-41 to second-seeded Beloit St. John’s-Tipton.
Despite the loss, it was still a memorable postseason run for Flinthills, which was making its first state tournament appearance since 1986 and only the second in program history. The Mustangs finished the season 17-9, led by a game-high 23 points from Jake Hunter.
Cunningham advances to 1A Div. II semifinals for a third straight year
Out in Dodge City, Cunningham moved one step closer to another state title game appearance with a 58-29 win over Weskan in the Class 1A Div. II quarterfinals.
The fourth-seeded Wildcats improved to 17-8 and advanced to Thursday’s 6 p.m. semifinal at White Auditorium in Emporia, where they will face top-seeded Axtell (26-1) in a rematch of last year’s state championship game.
Cunningham won the state title in 2024 and finished as the state runner-up in 2025 after falling to Axtell in the finals. Now the Wildcats will try to reach their third straight championship game.
In another Class 1A Div. II quarterfinal, Hutchinson Central Christian saw its season come to an end with a 68-44 loss to top-seeded Axtell. The Cougars finished 13-14 and wrapped up their second straight season with a trip to the state tournament.
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