Shawnee Mission Northwest, Park Hill South impress at 810 Varsity Showcase; BVNW rolls

Several Kansas City area teams received the gift of a victory before the holidays at 810 Varsity Showcase 32.

The second of four 810 Varsity events this season was held Saturday at Shawnee Mission Northwest.

Here are results from the seven games at the showcase:

Shawnee Mission Northwest boys 59, Springdale (Ark.) 43

The Cougars answered the call from the start in a battle of two of the top teams in the region.

Northwest, ranked No. 3 in Kansas Class 6A and No. 6 in the 810 Varsity Top 25, jumped on the Bulldogs early and dominated until the final buzzer. Springdale returned key players from its Class 6A state runner-up team, including four-star recruit Isaiah Sealy, but the Cougars controlled the game on both ends of the floor.

The biggest force was 7-foot sophomore Ethan Taylor, who scored 17 points, grabbed 13 rebounds and swatted 7 blocks. Taylor scored 14 points in the first half to help build a 28-15 lead, while Springdale never quite threatened.

The onslaught continued after the intermission, as junior Keaton Wagler heated up with 11 points — including three 3-pointers — in the third period, as the lead ballooned to 45-26. The Bulldogs trimmed the lead to 12 with under six minutes to play but faded in the finale of the event.

Wagler netted 14 points, while junior Aiven Riley added 11 for Northwest (5-0). Sealy led the Bulldogs with 16.

Bishop Miege girls 50, McPherson 46

In a rivalry usually saved for the state final, the Stags held off McPherson 50-46 to improve to 2-1. Miege had beat McPherson in the Kansas Class 4A state championship in 2023 and 2021.

The Bullpups led 35-32 with less than two minutes left in the third period before Finley LeMay hit her second 3 of the quarter for a 35-all tie. A LeMay driving bucket and Grace McCallop and-one kept the Miege edge at 40-39 entering the fourth.

Both teams opened the final period cold before four consecutive McPherson free throws gave the Bullpups a 43-42 lead with 3:48 left. But a Faith McCallop layup, an MHS turnover, then a Grace McCallop 3 from the baseline pushed the Stags’ lead to 47-43 with 1:58 left.

McPherson followed with two empty possessions on a turnover and two missed shots, which Miege’s Kirston Verhulst followed by hitting 3 of 4 free throws to keep the Bullpups at an arm’s distance for the final 50-46 margin.

McPherson boys 61, Bishop Miege 47

The Bullpups didn’t have to wait for a trip to Salina to face — and beat — Bishop Miege.

The two teams have faced off six times in the Kansas Class 4A state tourney since 2015, but McPherson took the lead early and held on throughout for a 61-47 win over the Stags.

MHS held a double-digit lead in the second quarter, but Miege came back on the hot hand of Howard Peoples. The senior scored 16 of his game-high 21 points in the second and third periods, including a 3 to close the third quarter for a 43-38 deficit. A Liam Tesmer bucket and free throw pulled Miege within three, 44-41, with 6:45 left.

But MHS junior Gabe Pyle went to work with a bucket, a 3-pointer after a Bullpup miss and a hoop on an in-bounds pass to push the lead back to 54-45 with 3:35 to play. Pyle led McPherson, the No. 1 team in Kansas Class 4A, with 20 points.

Park Hill South boys 78, Blue Valley West 70

The Jaguars entered the weekend undefeated, but one wouldn’t have known that looking only at Saturday’s game. Park Hill South notched a win that was in hand most of the way.

The Panthers (3-4) held a double-digit lead from the midway point in the second quarter, including a 37-23 halftime lead over previously undefeated Blue Valley West. Senior Colby Kiedrowski scored 16 of his team-high 23 points before intermission, while Keegan Feder canned four first-half 3s.

The Jaguars entered the day with a 5-0 record, but they couldn’t cut into the Panthers’ double-digit lead until two free throws and a 3 from Cade Wysong pulled West within eight, 64-56, with 5:34 left. Park Hill South hit 12 of 16 free throws in the fourth period to keep the Jaguars at bay.

Damon Stacker (16), Michael Good (13) and Cooper Oathout (11) rounded out the scoring for Park Hill South. Gavin Harvey netted a game-high 26 points for Blue Valley West, while Tate Nagy (16), Luke Goodale (10) and Wysong (10) also reached double digits.

Blue Valley Northwest boys 76, Van Horn 41

The defending Kansas Class 6A state champions started slow, but showed why the Huskies will be in the mix again in Wichita in March.

Blue Valley Northwest, ranked No. 3 in the 810 Varsity Top 25, found itself in an early tussle with the Falcons after a 15-15 deadlock following one period. But the Huskies clamped down while scorching the nets in the second stanza for a 24-3 run to blow open the game, 39-18, at intermission.

Senior Joey Mattioni led all scorers with 28 points, while fellow senior Jake Fritz added 16 for the Huskies (4-0). Nick Wiley paced Van Horn with 20, while Za’Corrie Kerr netted 16.

Other finals

Blue Valley North 47, Barstow 36 (boys)

Shawnee Mission Northwest 61, Barstow 27 (girls)

The next 810 Varsity Showcase will be held Saturday, January 6 at Blue Valley North.

For scores, brackets, stats, recaps, rankings, broadcasts and more, visit 810Varsity.com.