Todd Fertig Writes

Few people know what it feels like to win a state basketball championship. The rush, the exhilaration, the exhaustion and relief, the bond with teammates and the bittersweet end of the journey … few have actually had that experience. When Jenny Schmidtlein watched from the crowd Saturday as her daughter Hailey received a gold medal on…

Ken Darting’s retirement plans are on hold, at least for a few more days. After back-to-back trips to the Class 5A state tournament in 2024 and 2025 and the graduation of significant players, you might not have expected Darting’s Shawnee Heights T-Birds to be back in the dance this year. Click to read the full article…

A father coaching his son can be complicated. It can also produce some unforgettable moments. Tuesday night’s meeting between rivals Silver Lake and Rossville ended with one of those moments. Trailing by one point with 8.7 seconds remaining, Rossville coach Brandon McDonnell called a play to produce a shot for the win. The play broke…