The year of 2016 has been one to remember for the Kanzaland area with high school teams from the KNZA/KMZA/KAIR radio listening area performing well in multiple sports. Below we take a look at the Top 5 2016 moments in the sports of football, basketball, volleyball, track and field, baseball, softball and other sports category for the remaining sports for area schools. 

Top 5 Categories include – High school football, High school basketball, High School baseball and softball, High School track and field, High School volleyball and High School Other Sports (wrestling, cross country, tennis and golf)

Top 5 Kanzaland Sports Moments

Football
1. Troy Trojans capped unbeaten 13-0 season with first ever football State title in school history. Trojans beat Plainville 28-24 to win the 2-1A State title. (full story - click here) 

2. Hanover Wildcats claim first State title since 2009 winning 8-Man DII title with 68-22 win over Dighton, finishing the season 12-0. (full story - click here) 

3. Nemaha Central makes run to 3A Sub-State in playoffs finishing 12-1 on the year and won the Big Seven League. (full story - click here) 

4. Holton Wildcats make playoff push in 4A-DII making it to Sub-State and finish the season 7-5. (full story - click here) 

5. State records broken in 8-Man football season finale between Onaga and Valley Falls. The Buffaloes won the game 114-68 over the Dragons and the two teams combined for 182 points setting an 8-Man Kansas record for most points in a game. Other KS 8-Man records broken or tied: Combined TDs in a game (15 – tied); Offensive plays ran by one team in a game (Valley Falls – 117); Passes attempted by one team in a game (Valley Falls – 77 – tied); TD passes by one team in a game (Onaga – 9 – tied) – Individual records: TD passes in single game (Logan Marten (Onaga) 9 – tied); Passes attempts in single game (Tyler Lockhart (Valley Falls) – 77); TD receptions in single game (Tyler Herrman (Onaga) – 8) 
(full story - click here) 

Basketball

1. Redo ’02 – Centralia Panthers girls and boys both captured the 1A-DI State title, achieving a feat the 2002 Panthers basketball teams did in both winning state titles in the same year. Centralia girls finished 25-1 on the year and the boys notched a 19-7 record.
(full story - click here) 

2. Jackson Heights Cobra boys’ basketball claimed the 2A State title finishing the season 24-2 and winning the school’s third title in program history. (full story - click here) 

3. Sabetha Bluejays girls and boys basketball teams each finish as 3A State runner-ups. The lady Bluejays finished the year 24-2 and took second for the fourth time in school history, while the boys finished 24-2 and took second for the third time. (full story - click here) 

4. Axtell lady Eagles back at State for first time since 1988 claimed schools best finish, finishing 1A-DII State runner-up posting a 22-4 record. (full story - click here) 

5. Hanover boys and Wetmore girls notched fourth place finishes at State in 1A-DI and 1A-DII competition. (full story (Hanover) - click here) (full story (Wetmore) - click here) 

Volleyball

1. (tie) Centralia Panthers win their 13th State volleyball title capturing 1A-DI title for the third time in the last four years and finished the season with a 44-1 record. (full story - click here)  

1. (tie) Axtell Eagles win their first ever State volleyball title capturing 1A-DII title and wrapping up the season with a 27-15 record. (full story - click here)  

3. Hanover Wildcats make State for first time in 37 years and finish as 1A-DI State runner-up, posting a 38-8 record. (full story - click here) 

4. Jeff West qualified for 4A-DII State tournament and finished the season 23-17, getting to State for the first time since 2013 and upset the #1 seed at the tournament in pool play. 
(full story - click here) 

5. Nemaha Central qualified for 3A State tournament and finished the season 32-11 and Big Seven League Champs. (full story - click here) 

Baseball & Softball

1. (tie) Nemaha Central baseball in just its fourth year as a program won the 3A State title finishing 23-1 improving their win total from the previous year by 16. (full story - click here)

1. (tie) Valley Falls softball claims first ever State title in school history finishing the season on a 17-game win streak and with a 22-4 record. (full story - click here)

3. Oskaloosa softball notches best finish in school history finishing as 3A State runner-up with a 23-3 record. (full story - click here)

4. Doniphan County legion baseball takes 3rd place at AA State tournament earning their best finish since 2010 and posted a 31-4 record. (full story - click here)

5. Troy Trojans baseball earns third place in 2-1A posting a 20-3 record on the season. 
(full story - click here)

Track (full story - click here) 

1. (tie) Centralia lady Panthers won 1A State Track team title lead by 11 medals, including one individual State Champion.

1. (tie) Valley Heights lady Mustangs won 2A State Track team title lead by 11 medals, including three individual State Champions. 

3. Axtell lady Eagles take second as team in 1A at State Track only 2.66 points out of first
place. Eight medals paced the Eagles with three individual State Champions.

4. Nemaha Central boys and girls finish third as teams in 3A at State Track. Seven medals led the Thunder boys including two individual State titles, while the lady Thunder also had seven medals including an individual State Champion. 

5. Hanover & Washington County boys each take third place as a team in 1A and 2A, respectively at State track. Hanover was led by five medals including three individual State Champions, while Washington County had seven medals including an individual State Champion. 

(24 individual State titles were won by area athletes between all the classifications at the 2016 State Track meet)

Other Sports (cross country, wrestling, tennis, golf)

1. Immaculata boys golf repeats as 1A State Champs lead by three Top 10 individual performances (Centralia boys took fourth as a team in 1A) (full story - click here) 

2. State Wrestling – Marysville takes 3rd in 3-2-1A as a team lead by two State Champs; Holton finishes 10th as team in 4A with three medalists; 11 total area medalists from Marysville, Holton, Doniphan West, Royal Valley, ACCHS and Onaga. (full story - click here)

3. State Cross Country – Hiawatha girls take 2nd place in 3A; Pleasant Ridge boys finish third in 3A; Frankfort boys place third in 1A. Nine area runners notch Top 20 finishes at State Cross Country. (full story - click here) 

4. Sabetha boy’s golf takes third place in 3A at State, led by a fifth place individual performance. (full story - click here)

5. State Girls Tennis – Marysville has a 6th place singles finisher and 8th place doubles finisher at 3-2-1A State competition. (full story - click here)