Northeast KS playoff roundup: 5A

<p>Two Centennial League teams advanced to state: Manhattan in 6A, and the Scots of Highland Park in 5A.</p> <p>The Scots built a championship contender out of a 3-18 team last year. Michael Williams played underclassmen last year, and it paid off.</p> <p>Topeka West, Emporia and Shawnee Heights each picked up playoff wins before bowing out.</p> <p>Here are some players who stepped up under the spotlight of sub-state action:</p> <p><strong>Juan’Tario Roberts, sophomore, Highland Park:</strong></p> <p>Roberts turned in a dynamic performance in the sub-state final against Aquinas. The 5-foot-11 sophomore racked up 19 after posting 15 in a win over Leavenworth.</p> <p><strong>CJ Powell, junior, Highland Park:</strong></p> <p>The 6-foot-7 Powell was a dominating presence in sub-state. He put up 15 points against Leavenworth, then 13 against Aquinas.</p> <p><strong>Elijah Brooks, sophomore, Topeka West:</strong></p> <p>Topeka West beat Bonner Springs 71-54 before being eliminated by Blue Valley Southwest 68-63. Teammate <strong>Trevion Alexander</strong> led the Chargers in the opening round with 25. But when an injury limited him against Blue Valley Southwest, Brooks stepped up with 19 in the losing effort.</p> <p><strong>Dre Durall, senior, Topeka West:</strong></p> <p>The big senior had seen his role diminished over the season. But he was huge in the playoffs. He shot 6-8 from the field for 15 points in the win against Bonner Springs. He stepped up again in the final with 11. Fellow senior <strong>Bryson Bitler</strong> also went out with a bang, adding 11 in the loss to Blue Valley Southwest.</p> <p><strong>Harvey Davis, junior, Shawnee Heights:</strong></p> <p>Shawnee Heights beat Spring Hill 56-30, then lost to Basehor-Linwood 52-42. Davis’ veteran presence guided the T-Birds throughout the 11-10 campaign. He finished with 12 in the win over Spring Hill.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="889466" first="Charles" last="Snyder"], junior, Emporia:</strong></p> <p>Unlike those listed above, Emporia played in the West Bracket. They knocked off McPherson 63-55 in overtime before succumbing to Andover in the finals 49-45. Snyder couldn’t have done much more. He rang up 27 against McPherson, then posted 26 against Andover.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="885632" first="Beau" last="Baumgardner"], senior, Emporia:</strong></p> <p>Snyder’s 5-foot-11 counterpart was big in the playoffs: 14 against McPherson and 9 against Andover.</p>