WMS Volleyball
7A: 25-11; 25-9, Wellington over Augusta.
7B: 25-21; 17-25; 15-9, Wellington over Augusta.
8A: 25-11; 25-18, Wellington over Augusta.
8B: 25-19; 25-20, Wellington over Augusta.
WHS Volleyball
Cheney Tournament on Saturday
Pratt over Wellington: 26-24, 15-25, 25-22.
Cheney over Wellington: 25-17, 25-14.
Wellington over Hutchinson Trinity: 25-13, 25-18.
(Third place match): Haven over Wellington: 21-25, 25-17, 21-25.
WHS Girls Golf
Tuesday, Sept. 26
WELLINGTON HIGH SCHOOL
3 p.m. — GIRLS TENNIS at Kingman.
6 p.m. — VOLLEYBALL at Rose Hill (Andale also participating).
WELLINGTON JUNIOR HIGH
4 p.m. — Cross Country at Wellington Middle School.
Thursday, Sept. 28
By Tracy McCue, Sumner Newscow — The highly anticipated football and “all other sports” Kansas State High School Activities Association classification lists came out this afternoon and they will surely raise more than a few eyebrows in Sumner County.
•Get ready to play 11-man football, South Sumner Outlaws.
•Belle Plaine, you are back in Class 2A football.
•Oxford, you are back in Class 2A basketball (and all other sports).
•Wellington football players – you may be dealing with Kapaun Mt. Carmel in Wichita because it is dropping to Class 4A.
•Sorry, Lady Dukes basketball team, Bishop Miege is still in Class 4A.
See the full football classification list here. See the full “all other sports” list here.
The KSHSAA released its bi-annual football classification list based on enrollment figures classifying Class 6A to 6-man football for 2024 and 2025. Wellington will remain in Class 4A, which has been its classification since 1991. The USD 353 school district registered 365 students for grades 9th through 11th grade this September. This is actually a six-student increase from the 359 students registered in 2021. Wellington will be the fourth smallest school in 4A ranging from 682 to 331 students.
Sumner Newscow report — Wellington Crusader Club will be held today.
Wellington football coach Jeremy Meeks, tennis coach Brian Aufdengarten and volleyball coach Mandy Ramos will be speaking today at Big Cheese Pizza at 324 N. Washington at noon.
These meetings are open to the public.
Sumner Newscow report — Conway Springs and Medicine Lodge goes the distance. Central-Burden dominates Argonia Attica. Oxford rolls. South Sumner stays undefeated. It was an entertaining week #4 in Sumner County.
Conway Springs 40 Medicine Lodge 34
This game was a good one between Central Plains League opponents now playing in Class 1A.
Conway Springs built a 28-12 first-half lead but saw Medicine Lodge strike back late in the second and third quarter to pull within eight 28-20.
Skylar Branam scored on a 25-yard touchdown pass in the first half. He had two of them Friday. (Photos by Eric Rinehart)
By Tracy McCue, Sumner Newscow — The Wellington football team made it six straight against the Labette County Grizzlies 46-24 in its first home game of the season.
Dusty Bannister
Wellington quarterback Dusty Bannister tied a school record for most touchdown passes in a game. He threw for five, tying Trevor Nance’s record against Clearwater in 2014. In an interesting twist, Nance was taking the game stats tonight for the Crusaders.
Wellington, which improved to 2-2, accumulated 494 yards in total offense, almost doubling its opponents’ offensive output of 251.
The Crusaders never trailed and had this game pretty much in control throughout the second half. There were 13 players who got their hands on the ball for the Crusaders. Wellington had no turnovers.
Yet, for all that went right for Wellington on Friday, enough went wrong to make any Crusader fan cringe.
Friday night scores:
Wellington 46 Labette County 24
Buhler 41 Winfield 7
Augusta 48 El Dorado 0
McPherson 32 Circle 16
Rose Hill 35 Mulvane 14
Andale 74 Smokey Valley 0
Collegiate 48 Clearwater 0
Central 44 Argonia Attica 12
Oxford 64 Wichita Independent 14
South Sumner 52 Udall 0
Conway Springs 40 Medicine Lodge 34
Belle Plaine at Sacred Heart.
By Tracy McCue, Sumner Newscow — It’s week 4, and the season is starting to come into focus. Wellington has its 2023 home opener against Labette County, Argonia-Attica is hosting Central Burden in a battle of undefeated, and district play begins for most of the Sumner County teams.
Tomorrow is a great night to watch football. It will be in the mid-70s and partly cloudy right around kickoff at 7 p.m.
Labette County (1-2) at Wellington (1-2)
Wellington finally comes home after opening three weeks on the road. It will be a youth football night.
This will mark the sixth consecutive year Wellington has played Labette – a school situated in the state’s southeast corner in a town called Altamont – south of Parsons, east of Independence and northeast of Coffeyville. It has been the one school Wellington has had consistent success with, having beaten the Grizzlies for five consecutive seasons. Last year, Wellington rolled past Labette 52-34.
Wellington boys cross country starting five. (Katie Ford photos)
By Tracy McCue, Sumner Newscow — This week’s Big Cheese Athletes of the Week is the starting five of the Wellington boys cross country team.
Not sure it has ever happened, but the boys of Rome Hunt, Kaleb Hamilton, Luke Wylie, Connor Walker, and Brodee Lough scored a perfect 15 at the Chaparrall Cross Country varsity meet last Thursday. A 15 is when the top five runners get first, second, third, fourth, and fifth for team scoring (add it up: 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +5). To score as a team, you must have five runners. The team was led by Walker who ran the 5K race in 18:31.00 and was second overall. His score placed first in the team scoring. Subsequently, Wellington outdistanced the second-place team, Wichita Independent, which scored 48.
For their effort, the five runners will each receive a complimentary large delicious Big Cheese Pizza at 324 N. Washington.
By Tracy McCue, Sumner Newscow — Sports news updates of Wellington teams…
The five Wellington boys varsity cross country team achieved a perfect 15 score in Chaparral’s meet last Thursday. Brodee Lough is not pictured.
WHS CROSS COUNTRY
The Crusader CC runners ran at full strength in the 5K varsity races, and things went pretty well Thursday.
Both the varsity boys and girls swept at Wellington High School (full results are here).
The Wellington boys could not have done any better going 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 in scoring to finish with a perfect 15 team points. Wichita Independent was a distant 48, Douglass 61 and Chaparral 89.
The Crusader finished with 26 points for first. Chaparral was second at 46 and Cheney had 52.
Monday, Sept. 18, 2023
WELLINGTON HIGH SCHOOL
3 p.m. — JV TENNIS: Circle, Eisenhower, Winfield at Wellington Sellers Park.
6 p.m. — JV FOOTBALL: Wichita Collegiate at Wellington football field.
WELLINGTON MIDDLE SCHOOL
4:30 p.m. — MS VOLLEYBALL: 7th grade triangular at Winfield. 8th grade triangular at Haysville.
———
Tuesday, Sept. 19, 2023
Sumner Newcow report — The following is a roundup of Sumner County games from Friday night:
South Sumner 68 Sedan 20
South Sumner has yet to see the second half taking out another team by mercy rule at the half.
Sedan actually took a 6-0 lead on a 63-yard pass to open the game (remember eight-man fields are 80 yards).
But it was all Outlaws for the rest of the game. Alex Smith would score five rushing touchdowns. Mak Blosser threw for three more and had a quarterback touchdown run. Blosser was an impressive 13-of-14 passing for 212 yards.
Overall, South Sumner had 410 yards of total offense – 212 passing and 198 rushing. Sedan didn’t help itself, committing four turnovers. Full stats can be found here.
———
Oxford 58 Cedar Vale/Dexter 32
Nick Giefer runs for 108 yards for Wellington Friday night. Photos by Katie Ford.
by Tracy McCue, Sumner Newscow — Wellington’s secondary had no answers for the Collegiate’s passing attack Friday evening as the Spartans defeated the Crusaders 56-20.
The loss drops the Crusaders to 1-2. But not all is lost, as Wellington comes home next week after three consecutive road games.
Collegiate racked up 470 yards in total offense, 372 yards in the air. Hudson Ferralez, a transfer from Hesston, had a field day throwing five touchdown passes and completing 21 of 28 passes.
Wellington had a brief moment in the second quarter in which it had pulled within a touchdown. But Collegiate would get one touchdown before the half and then took control early in the third quarter with two quick touchdowns to put this game out of reach.
Wellington head coach Jeremiah Meeks said Collegiate probably had as much athleticism as any team the Crusaders will face all season. He wasn’t kidding as Collegiate scored touchdowns from the 20, 14, 14, 48, 19, 10, 39, and 10 yards. Wellington was on the losing end of this track meet. James Shackelford led a flock of seven receivers with four catches for 124 yards, including a 48-yard touchdown.
Friday night scoreboard:
Collegiate 56 Wellington 20
Andale 73 El Dorado 0
Rose Hill 14 Clearwater 6
South Sumner 68 Sedan 20
Oxford 58 Cedar Vale/Dexter 32
Conway Springs 42 Chaparral 7
Pleasanton 31 Belle Plaine 12
Kingman 35 Wichita Trinity 7
Central Burden 48 West Elk 28
Circle 45 Winfield 23.
Brody Weir with a tackle for a loss vs. Clearwater last week. (Photo by Katie Ford).
By Tracy McCue, Sumner Newscow — It is week #3 for high school football. The weather is calling for low 70s and clear skies. Absolutely a perfect night to watch a football game.
All game kickoffs are at 7 p.m.
Wellington (1-1) at Collegiate (2-0).
This marks the third consecutive road game for the Crusaders, which begs the question: Is there another high school team in Kansas that hasn’t hosted a home game after three weeks?
Collegiate is the second evil twin step-sister (Andale the other) of the Ark Valley Chisholm Trail League Div. IV. The Spartans are on a roll, dismantling El Dorado 60-7 last week after beating Rose Hill 35-0 in week #1.
“They are probably the second-best team we will see this year,” said Jeremiah Meeks, Wellington’s head football coach. “From an athletic standpoint, they may be better than Andale.”
Meeks said Collegiate spreads the field and throws the ball 60 to 65 percent of the time. When they are not throwing, they will pound the ball inside with their rusher Jaden Parker.
Sumner Newscow report — The Wellington Middle School girls had their first invitational of the season and won it all! Every player medaled with nothing below second place.
Singles:
Doubles:
Volleyball scores:
Circle over Wellington 25-23, 25-12.
Clearwater over Wellington 25-11, 25-14.
Clearwater over Circle 16-25, 25-21, 27-25.
Wellington is now 3-7. (Story coming soon.)
Attica over Belle Plaine 25-19, 25-16.
Belle Plaine over Coldwater 25-23, 25-16.
Belle Plaine is 5-5.
Argonia over Udall 25-8, 25-8,
Argonia over South Haven 25-16, 25-14.
South Haven-Udall scores unavailable.
(Pictures of the triangular is coming soon).
Tennis:
Wellington varsity places fourth in the eight-team Goddard tournament behind Bishop Carroll, Maize and Collegiate.
Wellington Police Notes: Tuesday, September 12, 2023
Sumner Newscow report — This week’s Big Cheese Athlete of the Week is the starting offensive line.
The line includes Andrew Helpingstine, Ethan Brungardt, Greer Buchanan, Jamar Armstrong and Derrick Lowe. The line helped Wellington to a 1-1 record, including a 21-14 victory over Clearwater. In the past two weeks the Wellington offensive line has helped the offense with 720 yards of cumulative offense, with 422 last Friday. Wellington has been proficient in the air, with 486 yards in passing in the first two games.
For their effort, the five players each receive a complimentary large Big Cheese Pizza at 324 N. Washington.
