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Chieftains land 20 on fall all-league teams

By Shawn Linenberger - | Nov 17, 2004

Tonganoxie again landed plenty of athletes on fall all-Kaw Valley League teams.

Chieftains had 20 athletes on this year’s all-league teams, up two from last year’s selections.

As was the case last season, Tonganoxie teams overall had successful campaigns.

The Chieftain football team went 9-2 and advanced to the second round of the Class 4A playoffs, while the Chieftain volleyball team went 30-9 and finished second in substate.

The Tonganoxie boys cross country team finished first at the league meet, while the girls placed third.

Tonganoxie soccer went 5-11-1 in Luke Denney’s second season as the Chieftains’ coach.

Here is a closer look, in alphabetical order, at each of this year’s selections:

Aaron Adcox

Sport: Football

Year in school: Junior

Selection this fall: Honorable mention offense

Other sport(s) involved in: wrestling

Plans after high school: attend college

Extra, extra: Adcox was part of an offensive line that racked up more than 540 yards against Basehor-Linwood. The junior also made his presence known in the linebacking corps for Tonganoxie.

Matthew Chenoweth

Sport: Cross country

Year in school: Senior

Selection this fall: All-league first team

Other sport(s) involved in: track

Plans after high school: undecided

Extra, extra: Chenoweth has been a fixture in the cross country program throughout his four years at THS. This year, he finished the season in style with a fourth-place finish at the Kaw Valley League meet in Leavenworth with a time of 18 minutes, 37 seconds. Only the top seven placers at league are named to the all-league team, so Chenoweth was in a prime group. He also placed 19th at regionals with an 18:23 time.

Zach Ditty

Sport: Football

Year in school: Senior

Selection this fall: Second team offense, honorable mention defense

Other sport(s) involved in: track

Plans after high school: play football

School(s) interested in Ditty: Mid-America Nazarene and various state community colleges, along with Missouri Southern and Washburn.

School(s) Ditty is leaning toward: Mid-America Nazarene

Extra, extra: Tonganoxie’s bread and butter again this season was its running game. At running back, Ditty was a major contributor to Tonganoxie’s offensive power. Ditty rushed for just under 700 yards and had five rushing touchdowns and one receiving touchdown. He also had two interceptions and 40 tackles and two fumble recoveries as a linebacker.

Kent Fleming

Sport: Football

Year in school: Junior

Selection this fall: First team defense

Previous honors: Honorable mention last year in football.

Other sport(s) involved in: Track

Plans after high school: Play Division-I football

School Fleming would like to play at: Kansas

Extra, extra: Fleming again was a force on the defensive line for THS. Fleming registered 58 tackles, seven of which were for losses.

Phil George

Sport: Football

Year in school: Junior

Selection this fall: Honorable mention offense

Other sport(s) involved in: Baseball

Plans after high school: Attend college

Extra, extra: George earned all-league honors for his work as an offensive lineman. He also put in some minutes as a linebacker.

Addie Heim

Sport: Volleyball

Year in school: Senior

Selection this fall: First team all-league

Other sport(s) involved in: Basketball and softball

Previous honors: In volleyball, all-area in 2003, all-league in 2003 and 2004 and all-tournament at Tonganoxie Invitational, 2003 and 2004; in basketball, all-area first team in 2003-04, all-area third team in 2002-03, all-league in 2002-03 and 2003-04, all-tourney team, Raider Classic in 2002-03 and all-tourney team at Tonganoxie Invitational in 2003-04; in softball, all-league in 2004.

Plans after high school: Attend a college and playing a sport on collegiate level.

Extra, extra: At Tonganoxie volleyball matches, THS students would chant “What time is it?” and answer with “Heim time.” It’s been Heim time at plenty of junctures during the last three years. In her three sports — volleyball, basketball and softball — Heim has earned all-league accolades in each sport. This fall, Heim had 274 kills, 57 blocks and 14 aces.

Levi Huseman

Sport: Cross country

Year in school: Senior

Selection this fall: First team all-league

Other sport(s): Basketball and track

Extra, extra: Huseman was not on the cross country team after being on Chieftain state harrier teams as a freshman and sophomore. Last fall, he tried his hand at soccer, but returned to the cross country courses and again was one of the team’s top runners. Huseman finished fifth with an 18:44 time at the KVL meet.

Laura Jeannin

Sport: Volleyball

Year in school: Senior

Selection this fall: First team all-league

Other sport(s) involved in: Basketball, track and softball.

Previous honors: In softball, honorable mention all-league as an infielder.

Plans after high school: Attend college and major in elementary education. Jeannin also would like to continue her athletics career.

Colleges interested in Jeannin: Ottawa (volleyball), Johnson County (volleyball) and St. Mary’s (softball).

Colleges Jeannin is leaning toward: At this point, the senior would like to play volleyball in college, so Ottawa and JCCC are at the top of her list.

Extra, extra: Same last name, different sibling. After a long tenure as Tonganoxie’s setter on the volleyball court, Katie Jeannin ended her career at THS in the spring. So, co-coaches Tiffany and Brandon Parker replaced one Jeannin with another as Laura stepped into big sister’s shoes quite well. The younger Jeannin had 721 assists and 26 aces. She helped THS to its first 30-win season under the Parkers.

Robert Kirch

Sport: Soccer

Year in school: Senior

Selection this fall: Honorable mention defense

Other sport(s) involved in: Basketball and track

Other athletic accomplishments: Kirch placed third in the KVL in long jump and fourth in triple jump last spring. He was part of the Chieftains’ team league titles in 2002 and last spring.

Plans after high school: Play soccer at Manhattan Christian College

Extra, extra: Kirch plans to continue the THS-MCC pipeline when he enrolls next fall across the street from Kansas State in Manhattan. He will continue the list of Tonganoxie players to also play at MCC for the national soccer power.

Andy Kolman

Sport: Cross country

Year in school: Senior

Selection this fall: All-league first team (KVL champion)

Other sport(s) involved in: Track

Previous honors: 2003 All-KVL and 2004 All-state.

Plans after high school: Possibly run in college.

Colleges interested in Kolman: Park University, Wichita, along with several community colleges

Extra, extra: Kolman has been the leading Chieftain cross country runner for a good portion of his career. At the league meet, Kolman finished with a 17:50 time. Kolman also has competed in several 5K runs outside of the high school season. As for running in college, Kolman said he has just started looking at colleges where he might run. Kolman also has the track season ahead of him in the spring, which also might attract some collegiate interest.

Clay Lamb

Sport: Football

Year in school: Senior

Selection this fall: Honorable mention defense.

Other sport(s) involved in: Baseball

Previous honors: 2003 All-KVL and 2004 All-state.

Plans after high school: Lamb plans to attend Pittsburg State.

Extra, extra: Lamb wasn’t the largest defensive back in the Kaw Valley League at 5-foot-8 and 150 pounds. However, he made his presence known with 34 tackles and two interceptions. Lamb ran one of those interceptions back for a touchdown.

Kaleb Lawrence

Sport: Football

Year in school: Senior

Selection this fall: First team defense

Other sport(s) involved in: Track

Previous honors: Second team defense, honorable mention all-area by the Lawrence Journal-World in 2003.

Plans after high school: Play football in college.

Colleges interested in Lawrence: Like some of his teammates, Lawrence has gained some interest from Missouri Southern, Washburn and several community colleges, along with Mid-America Nazarene.

Extra, extra: Lawrence has been a workhorse as a linebacker during his prep career. The intense defender, however, also played at fullback midway through this season after injuries in the backfield forced THS coach Mark Elston to move some personnel around. As a fullback, Lawrence had roughly 300 yards with two touchdowns. He also had 130 tackles, eight of which were for losses. He also scored a touchdown on defense.

Sam Mitchell

Sport: Football

Year in school: Senior

Selection this fall: Honorable mention defense

Other sport(s) involved in: Basketball, track

Plans after high school: Play football in college.

Colleges interested in Mitchell: Bethel College, Tabor College, Mid-America Nazarene, Kansas Wesleyan and Southwestern College.

College Mitchell is leaning toward: Mid-America Nazarene.

Extra, extra: Mitchell broke up plenty of critical passes this season as a defensive back. He also had 35 tackles and four interceptions.

Colin Perkins

Sport: Cross country

Year in school: Freshman

Selection this fall: All-league

Other sport(s) involved in: Basketball, track

Extra, extra: Christy Weller was Tonganoxie’s big rookie on the girls team, but Perkins fit that description on the boys squad. The freshman placed sixth at the league meet. He and his fellow THS all-leaguers took four of the seven all-league spots. Perkins finished the league meet in 18:49.

Ali Pistora

Sport: Volleyball

Year in school: Sophomore

Selection this fall: First team

Other sport(s) involved in: Basketball, track

Previous honors: In basketball: All-Kaw Valley League selection in 2003-04, all-tournament team, Anderson County Invitational in 2003-04; in volleyball, all-tournament team at Tonganoxie Invitational in 2004; in track, fourth at state in javelin in 2004 and all-metro team in javelin in 2004.

Other accomplishments: Pistora’s AAU team finished 17th in the nation in the 2002-03 AAU basketball tournament.

Extra, extra: She’s just a sophomore, but Pistora already has plenty of accolades to her credit. Pistora has been a vital ingredient in each of her three sports. She also set the school javelin record in the spring. And this fall, Pistora registered 209 kills, 106 blocks and 37 aces for the Chieftain volleyball team.

Kirk Rodell

Sport: Soccer

Year in school: Senior

Selection this fall: Second team offense

Other sport(s) involved in: Basketball, baseball

Previous honors: In basketball, all-area third team, 2003-04; in baseball, all-league honorable mention honorable mention and all-area honorable mention; in football, all-league honorable mention as a place kicker.

Plans after high school: Either play soccer at Manhattan Christian College or baseball at St. Mary.

College Rodell is leaning toward: Manhattan Christian College

Extra, extra: As a forward, Rodell was the Tonganoxie soccer team’s biggest threat. Now Rodell must decide between soccer at MCC or baseball at St. Mary.

Travis Schultz

Sport: Soccer

Year in school: Senior

Selection this fall: Honorable mention offense

Other sport(s) involved in: Track

Previous honors: Was a member of league track team champions in 2002 and 2004. Schultz also was on last year’s 4×400 relay team that placed second at league.

Plans after high school: Play soccer at Manhattan Christian College and major in wildlife management at Kansas State.

Extra, extra: Schultz, a forward, is the third Chieftain soccer player on the all-league team. He plans to follow in older brother Dustin’s footsteps and play at Manhattan Christian College.

Ross Starcher

Sport: Football

Year in school: Senior

Selection this fall: First team offense, second team defense, honorable mention punter.

Other sport(s) involved in: Wrestling

Previous honors: All-area wrestling

College plans: Attend Pitt State

Extra, extra: Starcher was the pulse of the Tonganoxie offense this fall. The quarterback rushed for 1,255 and had 18 rushing touchdowns and two passing touchdowns. Defensively, Starcher had 55 tackles and four interceptions. And as a punter, he averaged 36.7 yards per boot. On Monday, he switched gears and started wrestling practice and his quest for a fourth state appearance.

Christy Weller

Sport: Cross country

Year in school: Freshman

Selection this fall: First team

Other sport(s) involved in: Basketball and track

Extra, extra: Weller was Tonganoxie’s top girls runner. She placed second at league with a 13:07 mark and then advanced to state after a strong regional showing. Unfortunately, a freak knee injury Weller sustained during a PE class the week of the state cross country forced her to wear wrap around her knee. Weller couldn’t finish the race because of the knee, but she likely will have a few more shots at the state course in Wamego in the future.

Daniel Workman

Sport: Football

Year in school: Senior

Selection this fall: First team offense and honorable mention defense

Other sport(s) involved in: Basketball

Plans after high school: college

Extra, extra: Workman’s name is fitting. At 6-0, 170, the senior anchored the offensive line at center and also was a defensive end. He had 52 tackles, five of which were for losses as a defensive lineman.