by Tracy McCue, Sumner Newscow — It is officially crunch time for Sumner County basketball teams as they have just two weeks left in the regular season before the post season tournaments. The following are updates of all things high school basketball in Sumner County:

Wellington girls

Wellington remains No. 2 in both the Kansas Basketball Coaches Association poll and the Topeka Capital Journal Class 4A Div. I poll this week. It is also the state’s lone undefeated Class 4A team in both divisions.

The Lady Dukes, who almost got upset by Winfield last Tuesday, have probably come to realize that rankings are nice to read but don’t make it any easier on the hardwood.

The immediate focus for Wellington is to win its first Ark Valley Chisholm Trail League Div. IV title in the program’s history.

The victory over Andale on Friday went a long ways to achieving that goal. But there are four games left to play. The Crusaders need to make sure they don’t trip up against either Mulvane at home Tuesday, at Wichita Collegiate Friday, or Clearwater at the end of the regular season.

That will set up a huge showdown for the AV-CTL DIV title with Circle at home on Tuesday, Feb. 23. If Wellington can stay undefeated elsewhere, that game will likely determine whether the Crusaders will win the league outright or have to share the league title with the Thunderbirds.

Also, a win over Circle could give the Lady Dukes an undefeated regular season record. Let’s not underemphasize what an incredible feat that would be.

As far as the Wellington sub-state is concerned in two weeks, keep these two words in mind, “Rose Hill.”

The Lady Rockets, which upset Wellington last year in Winfield in the substate championship, have the potential of doing it again. Rose Hill is 8-8 but lost to No. 3 ranked McPherson 48-41 Friday night in which the Bullpups were trailing the Rockets for more than a half.

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Wellington boys

The Crusaders are 8-8 overall, which is good enough for them to sow up the top seed of the Wellington sub-state with one more victory. Rose Hill is 4-12, Mulvane is 3-14, and Winfield is 1-15. The opportunity most certainly presents itself for the Wellington boys to get back to the Class 4A state tournament in Salina for the second consecutive year in a row.

As far as league goes, Wellington has the opportunity to finish third. The Crusaders are locked in a tussle with Clearwater and Circle for the third place spot. Circle lost to Clearwater 60-50, Friday night.

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Conway Springs girls

The Lady Cardinals are looking to secure their first Central Plains League title in years. But they have some work to do. Conway Springs has Wichita Trinity, Medicine Lodge and Cheney left on the schedule.  All three teams have winning records and have the potential of still nabbing at least a share of the CPL title.

The CPL title may come down to Feb. 23, when Cheney travels to Conway Springs.

Conway Springs, which just cracked the top 10 of the KBCA poll this week at No. 8 in Class 3A, won’t be done with Cheney after that either. The Cheney substate involves both Garden Plain and Conway Springs. The Owls have the top seed, despite losing to Conway Springs, with a 15-2 record. Conway Springs is at 14-3.

Belle Plaine girls

The Lady Dragons are 1-16 and hosts Bluestem Friday which is also winless in CPL play.

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Conway Springs boys

  The Cardinal boys, like the girls, are in a battle for the CPL title, and it looks as if the Cheney contest on Feb. 23 will determine which team could win or share a league title.

Cheney eked past Garden Plain 37-35, a team Conway Springs lost to on Feb. 5 so this is a true three-way battle for the CPL crown. But first, Conway Springs needs to get past Wichita Trinity on the road Tuesday and a home contest with Medicine Lodge on Friday. Those won’t be easy tasks.

As far as the Cheney sub-state is concerned, Conway Springs is currently the No. 1 seed at 14-3. But with Garden Plain and host Cheney, the Cardinal boys are most certainly not overwhelming favorites.

Belle Plaine boys

The Dragons need to win this week if they want to get a CPL victory. They travel to 2-3 Wichita Independent Tuesday and host Bluestem Friday.

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SCBL girls

The SCBL regular season title appears to be coming down to the Flinthills vs. Sedan battle Tuesday night in Flinthills. Nevertheless, the league’s top two teams were battled tested last Friday night by Sumner County teams.

Argonia pulled off its biggest win of the season when it beat Flinthills 65-54 Friday for the Mustangs first SCBL regular season loss of the season. Caldwell then took undefeated in league Sedan to the limit before losing, 47-43. Both Caldwell and Argonia will be battling in the same sub-state in two weeks in Caldwell. Unfortunately for both teams, Norwich will come into the tournament as a heavy favorite.

South Haven continues to stay in the upper echelon in the league at 5-2. The Cards should easily beat Cedar Vale-Dexter which comes into town Tuesday. The Cardinals travel to Dexter in sub-state in what could be a very winnable tournament. South Barber is the favorite, but at 10-6, it is beatable.

Oxford is 4-12 and hosts Argonia and Sedan this week.

SCBL boys

Remember the Argonia-Attica Titans that almost won the Class 1A State Championship in Div. II football? It appears the two teams could be slated to play one another in the Class 1A sub-state championship in Caldwell. That is bad news for Argonia, because Attica is 16-1.

Argonia had a great week last week, beating Flinthills Friday 57-41 which landed it back in the KBCA top 10 and in the top two of league. The Red Raiders are traveling to Oxford and Central this week.

Caldwell boys are on the road Friday in Flinthills after hosting Wichita Homeschool Tuesday. Caldwell is hosting its own substate, but despite being 10-7, is a fourth seed out of six teams.

Oxford boys have a tough couple of contests at home this week when Argonia and Sedan come to town. Oxford is currently slated to play West Elk in the first round in a sub-state that includes undefeated Sedan.

South Haven boys, at 3-13, host Cedar Vale-Dexter Tuesday.

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