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Were it not for Topekan Dink Mothell, a lot of Negro League baseball history would have been forgotten, according to historian Phil Dixon. The late Carroll Ray Mothell was one of the top players of his era, a versatile position player for 15 years when Black men were denied entry to the Major Leagues.…

Judy Dyer has made a life out of overcoming obstacles. A metaphor for her life would be when she climbed over a fence to try out the hurdles assembled on the Washburn University track, even though her coach told her he didn’t want her to try the event. Without a track team – or…

Gary Cleverdon is stepping down as Cair Paraval Latin School Athletic Director after 14 years, during which the school has developed into a contender at the local, regional and state level. Danielle Maxon, a graduate of Shawnee Heights and a former softball player and coach at Washburn University, will become the Lions’ next head…

Davey Lopes, Washburn University Hall of Famer and major league baseball star, passed away yesterday at the age of 80. I was blessed with the opportunity in 2014 to interview Mr. Lopes while working on my book Legacy: The Enduring Impact of the Negro Leagues on Modern Baseball and American Society. He was so…

Baseball, more than any other American sport, connects the modern to the past. The 2026 Rossville baseball team began adding another chapter to the 100-plus year story of baseball in the town’s iconic Joe Campbell Field Thursday. Click to read the full article on TopSports.News.

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…

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…

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…

After 13 seasons under the leadership of Doug Bonura, the Cair Paravel football program will have a new head coach. Longtime junior high coach Randall Bond will take over for the 2026 season, the school recently announced. Click to read the article at TopSports.news.

Sometimes talent isn’t as important as chemistry. Shawnee Heights girls basketball coach Bob Wells could see his team had talent. But he had to wonder about the chemistry when Heights added three newcomers this winter who were most likely to start and play big roles for the T-Birds. Click to read story at TopSports.news.