With the regular season over and award season beginning, here are the Top 10 Games from the Kansas City, Kan., League this year. NOTE: Non-league games are not included, so that's why Harmon-Central or Sumner Academy-Hogan Prep are not included.

Also, home teams are in all caps.

10. SUMNER ACADEMY 75, Harmon 67

An early showdown between Wyandotte County's top two teams lived up to the hype. After Sumner Academy gained an early lead, Harmon fought back after halftime to tie the score. A big fourth-quarter run by the Sabres built Sumner's lead up to 14. Harmon narrowed the gap with late rally in the final minutes, but it came just short. James Davenport led the way for Harmon with 25 points. Davonte Chaney scored 23.

9. Wyandotte 82, Washington 78

In a non-league game, the two KCKL teams put on a show in the fourth place game of the Leavenworth tournament. Trinity Hall led the way for Wyandotte with 31 points, while Washington's Tra'Vaughn White also had a 30-point game. It was a back and forth affair that was high on drama throughout.

8. HARMON 51, Sumner Academy 44

While the game was uglier than Rosanne Barr singing the national anthem, Harmon's victory snapped the Sabres' 23-game winning streak in the Kansas City, Kan., League. The game was plagued by injuries – Sumner's Benny Parker and Chaney did not play, while Harmon's De'Ontae Hooks played on a hurt ankle that kept him out of last Friday's game against Washington.

7. Washington 75, SCHLAGLE 74

Consider this game the turning point for the Stallions and Wildcats seasons. Schlagle missed 19 free throws at home against the Wildcats. White scored 29 points against Washington's arch-rival. Washington was winless in the league at the time, while Schlagle was sitting above .500. Since then, the teams went in the opposite direction.

6. Harmon 63, WYANDOTTE 59

Don't let the low score fool you. The game was high on drama most of the way. Hall hit four three-point shots in the first half, but the Hawks' big man Davenport contained Hall in the second half. Harmon's Jauan Wilson led the way with 22 points. In the game's final minute, missed free throws from Harmon opened the door up for Wyandotte. The Bulldogs turned it over and the Hawks prevailed. It was the first game between the teams since Wyandotte knocked out Harmon at the buzzer in last season's sub-state tournament.

5. Wyandotte 93, WASHINGTON 91

Six days after the Leavenworth showdown, the two teams returned on the court and played each other at Washington High School. And two of the league's best four players put on another show. The Wildcats, led by 41 points from White, rallied from a second half deficit. But Hall's 30 points and key shooting from Terry Moore allowed Wyandotte to beat Washington twice in one week.

4. SUMNER ACADEMY 72, Washington 60

The 12-point margin Sumner won by doesn't reflect the close battle the teams put on. In the game's first three-and-a-half quarters, no team held a larger lead than five points. Two of the league's best stars – Reese Holliday for Sumner and White for Washington – led the way. White scored 21 points, with Holliday scoring 26. It was Chaney's nine points in the fourth that led Sumner to gain the double-digit lead. Kalen Allen for Washington hit four straight three-pointers in the game's third quarter. It was a packed crowd and a tense environment.

3. WASHINGTON 77, Harmon 74

The game validated why Metro Sports selected it for Friday's High School Game of the Week. Playing without Hooks and playing in the loudest environment I was a part of this season, the Hawks hung in there early. They were down just one-point after one and three points after two. Washington built an 18-point lead with two minutes left in the game. Harmon responded, forcing several Washington turnovers and with 13 seconds left, the Hawks had an opportunity for a tie game. But the ball was turned over, sending the Hawks to their third loss of the season. White scored 25 points for Washington, while Wilson scored 26 for Harmon.

2. Harmon 72, SCHLAGLE 71

In one corner, the powerhouse Hawks. In the other, the KCKL winless (at the time) Stallions. But the teams put on a classic. After Harmon built a 15-point second quarter lead, the Stallions responded. Behind Darius Hill's 23 points and Rozell Nunn's 15 points, the Stallions clawed back into the game and took a lead in the second half. With Hooks' 23 points and Exavier Bass-Brooks 17 points, the Hawks were able to build an eight-point lead in the final quarter. Schlagle came back again, taking the lead in the final minute after Jeff Jones converted a layup. With the score tied 71-71, both teams missed free throws and missed out on other scoring opportunities. Bass-Brooks drilled one free throw with 1.3 seconds left for the victory.

1. Sumner Academy 80, WASHINGTON 77

Like in many Washington games this season, a big rally was involved. This time, it was Washington who came back after falling behind in a big way. The Wildcats, who trailed by 17 in the second quarter, put a scare into the league-champion Sabres. White scored 26 points, Allen scored 18 points with three more three-pointers and Myles Hibler scored 17 points. But some unexpected players stepped up for the Sabres in the game. Anthony White scored 14 points, while Justin Strickland scored 10 and Alfred Belton scored nine. Twice in the fourth quarter, Washington narrowed the lead to one-point. However, the Wildcats could not quite get over the hump, as Holliday converted a shot in the final seconds to put the game away. By winning the game, Sumner clinched a share of its third straight KCKL championship. 

Slowly, the impact of the newly developed Kansas City-Atchison League is being felt.

Last December, the logo of the new league was released. In recent weeks, some schools in Kansas City, Kan., have been adding the Atchison shield to their gymnasiums.

The following is not intended to make light of the addition to the league or to criticize the school itself.

But Atchison is an odd fit to say the least.

All five current teams in the Kansas City, Kan., League are natural rivals. Whether it's Washington-Schlagle, Harmon-Wyandotte, Sumner Academy-Washington or any combination of the league's current five teams, you have a strong rivalry.

Atchison is not a fit in this area, at least in the major sports.

Also, all schools are within a 10-15 minute drive of each other. Atchison is a good 90 minutes away. Still, there's nothing wrong with expanding the KCKL. But there was a missed opportunity.

How about Bishop Ward instead? Or Piper? Or both?

The current Kaw Valley League is stretched out more than the truth in Congress.

Both Piper and Bishop Ward would have made more sense.

Washington and Schlagle High School are just a simple drive away from Piper. Bishop Ward is in the downtown core of KCK, along with Sumner Academy, Wyandotte and Harmon down to the south.

The Bishop Ward-Piper rivalry would be maintained. And more rivalries would be built. Sumner Academy-Ward is an old Huron League rivalry. Piper could develop a nice geographic rivalry with Washington or Schlagle.

And most importantly, both schools are located in KCK.There would be no need to add the silly dash and another city's name to the league title.

Turner would have been a nice addition to the KCKL, too.

Turner played some KCKL teams in both football and basketball this season. Turner and Sumner Academy have played some fun games in football the past three seasons. A Harmon-Turner rivalry could develop based on geography and some historic bad blood between the two schools.

There's really no excuse as to why the eight teams in KCK are not in one league.

A unified city-wide league would be best.

Too bad it will never happen.

The first Downtown Kansas City, Kan., Artwalk of the decade will be held tonight.

Art galleries will be available at the YWCA, Imago Dei, Red Door Studios and the Kaw Valley Arts and Humanities. Music and entertainment will be available at the Red Door Studios and Fat Matt's Vortex.

Tonight's locations:


• El Camino Real - 903 N. 7th Street, KCK. Always open for Art Walk Visitors – 
913-342-4333

• Imago Dei Arts Center 
Granada Theatre – 10th and Minnesota Ave., KCK – 
www.imagodeiarts.org
– 913-233-0266
• Kaw Valley Arts and Humanities-756 Armstrong, KCK
• Pressroom Studios - 750 Armstrong, KCK – www.pressroomstudios.com 

• Red Door Studios - 738 Armstrong, Suite 200

• Wheat State Pizza - 612 N. 5th Street, KCK – strawberryhillpizza@yahoo.com– 913-281-9000
• YWCA 6th Street Gallery - 1017 N. 6th Street, KCK – www.ywca.org/kansascity– 913-371-1105
• Fat Matt 's Vortex - 411 N 6th Street – After Art Walk Party – 913-219-4858

FROM SUSAN ENLOE, KCKPS

The first annual Kansas City, Kan., Foundation for Excellence Academic Walk was held on Saturday morning, Sept. 26.  

More than 180 community members, led by the F.L. Schlagle Marching Stallions, walked five miles from Kansas City Kansas Community College (KCKCC) to Providence Medical Center and back.  

Walkers included families with their students, school district staff members, and vendors.

The purpose of the Academic Walk, said Shelley Coulter, Executive Director of the Foundation for Excellence, is “to bring family, students, school district staff and community members together for one cause – the success of our students.”

The Foundation for Excellence will use the nearly $3000.00 raise through the walk to fund grants. These grants will help teachers to offset recent cutbacks made recently in classroom and extra-curricular
budgets.

At the end of their five-mile trek, walkers were treated to fruit, water, yogurt donated by Anderson-Erickson Dairy, and a performance by Rose Marie’s Fiesta Mexicana dancers. 

(MORE PHOTOS AFTER THE JUMP)