After enjoying a breakout 2024 boys soccer season, Topeka West is back at it again.
 
The Chargers are not only off to a 4-0 start, but are fresh off capturing the title at the Salina South Tournament, knocking off the host Cougars 3-2 in the championship match. Last year, they finished fifth.
 
“The tournament is a great experience for us playing quality teams from the west,” West coach Josh Kutter said. “Salina South has a great program that has proven itself as one of the best in the state. Playing schools like Salina South and Hays gives our players a chance to test themselves and prepare for the challenges ahead in the season and postseason.”
 
Coming off a 13-3-1 season a year ago – the best in more than a decade for the program – West opened this season with a convincing 7-0 win over city rival Hayden. That served as a nice jump-start for the South tourney.
 
The Chargers rolled past Salina Central in the opener 8-0 as Diego Gonzalez-Talavera, last year’s leading goal scorer, burned the Mustangs for four goals and an assist. Morris Blick added two goals and Camilo Garcia and D’Ante Smith-Dilone each had a goal and an assist.
 
Gage Kindred-Noragon picked up his second straight shut out in the win and then made it three straight as West blanked Hays 1-0 in a tight semifinal match. Kameron Ortiz had the lone goal in the game, coming off a corner kick from Valentin Del Real.
 
West appeared to be on its way to another dominating win in the finals against South as the Chargers justmped out to a 3-0 halftime lead on goals by Blcik, Del Real and JP Ayella. But South fought back in the second half and got within one before the Chargers held on for the win.
 
Gonzalez-Talavera was named the tournament MVP while Del Real and Giancarlo Valenzuela were both named to the all-tournament team.
 
The early-season tournament title combined with last year’s breakthrough season have given West plenty of momentum for an experienced team that has grown up after going winless just four years ago.
 
“Last year was a standout year and a big step forward for our program,” Kutter said. “We returned a good number of starters from that young team and it has given them confidence going into this season. They know each other and have been playing together, so they have great chemistry. The way this group plays together is a lot of fun to watch.”
 

 
VOLLEYBALL STANDOUTS: HAYDEN GETS LONG-AWAITED WIN OVER WASHBURN RURAL
 
Ranked No. 1 in Class 4A, Hayden certainly has backed up that ranking in its 12-0 start.
 
The Wildcats opened the season with wins over 6A state qualifiers Manhattan and Washburn Rural at an early September quad, beating the Junior Blues for the first time in almost a decade with a 25-23, 25-15 victory. After sweeping another quad that included the likes of Spring Hill and Blue Valley, Hayden captured the title at the Baldwin Invitational last weekend.
 
The Wildcats dominated Gardner Edgerton 25-16, 25-17 in the championship match.
 
For the season, Hailey Schmidtlein has led the way for the Wildcats this season with 120 kills on a .326 hitting percentage. Mallory Tanking has 71 kills. Blakely Walter has 281 assists and Ella Foster has 120 digs.
 

 
OTHER VOLLEYBALL STANDOUTS

• Clay Center continued its dominance in regular-season tournaments, claiming its seventh straight regular-season tournament title with its crown at the Riley County Invitational. Just as they did in winning the season-opening Marysville Invitational, the Tigers went 5-0 on the day without dropping a set, though they got a big-time challenge in the finals against Great Bend, pulling out a 28-26, 27-25 victory.
• Class 1A Division I No. 1 Little River won the title at the Centre Tournament for the fifth straight year, going 5-0 without dropping a set.

 

• Class 1A Division II No. 1 Hanover fought off Wamego in three sets in the semifinals of the Clifton-Clyde Invitational before sweeping Twin Valley League rival Linn 25-22, 25-20 for the tournament championship. After not giving up more than 17 points in a game in pool play, the Wildcats lost the first set with Wamego in the semifinals 25-18 bbefore bouncing back with 25-12, 25-16 wins in the next two to advance to the finals. At the tournament, Gracie Bruna hit a pair of milestones with her 1,000th career dig and 100th career ace. Earlier in the week, setter Katie Holle recorded her 1,000th career assist in a weep of Doniphan West and Washington County.

 

• Jefferson County North captured the title at the Lyndon Invitational, not dropping a set on the day. The Chargers toughest match was a 25-19, 25-21 win over Jayhawk Linn in pool play and they cruised 25-17, 25-13 in a rematch with the Jayhawks.
• Rock Creek took runner-up at the Nemaha Central Invitational, falling to fellow 4A Tonganoxie in the finals after going 4-0 in pool play and beating host Nemaha Central in the semifinals.
• Osage City’s Jewelia Kitselman had a big night as Osage City split with Santa Fe Trail, going three sets in each match. Kitselman had 12 kills and 10 digs in the first match and 19 kills and 11 digs in the second match.

 

• Olpe senior setter Kayla Steinke went over 1,000 career assists at the Eureka Tournament on her way to earning all-tournament team honors. She helped the Eagles finish third at the tourney behind a pair of Class 4A schools.
• Silver Lake’s Kylie Hanni dished out 106 assists last week as the Eagles went 4-1, knocking off ranked 6A Manhattan and sweeping Hiawatha in a pair of Big East League matches. Hanni had 57 assists at the quad with Manhattan, Seaman and Shawnee Heights with the Eagles going 2-1, suffering their first loss of the season to Heights. Silver Lake is 11-1 overall.
• Onaga took the title at the Frankfort Invitational, winning the crown on a tiebreaker with Jackson Heights after each finished 4-1. Onaga beat Heights 22-25, 25-17, 25-20 in their head-to-head meeting, but fell to Valley Falls in three sets. Heights beat Valley Falls in three sets.