Maize South

The Emporia boys fell to visiting Maize South 57–47 in Class 5A sub-state action on Wednesday night. The Spartans finish the season with a 12–9 record. The Mavericks opened the first quarter with a 9–0 run. Rylan Crowell scored Emporia's first bucket on a midrange jumper midway in the period, and consecutive 3-pointers from Crowell and Chase Harrington cut the lead to 9–8. After Maize South took a 11–10 advantage, Crowell ended the quarter with another 3-pointer to give the Spartans a 13–11 lead going into the second period. 

Emporia’s Harrison Trelc opened the second quarter with a 3-pointer. Maize South responded with two consecutive corner triples to retake the lead. Maverick Jalen Batiste sparked a 6-0 scoring spurt as Maize South added to its lead. Late in the second quarter, Nolan Jacob nailed a 3-pointer, his second of the period, trimming the Maize South lead to 27–26 going into halftime. 

The scoring slowed down early in the third quarter. Midway in the quarter, Emporia’s Kobe Franklin and Crowell nailed triples to give the Spartans a 32–31 lead with three minutes remaining. Tucker Lowe nailed a triple and scored a fast break layup on the following two Maize South possessions as the Mavericks retook the lead. Crowell responded with a triple with less than a minute remaining, but Cy Stucky closed the quarter with a low-post shot to give Maize South a 38–35 lead going into the fourth. 

After Maize South opened the quarter with a 4-0 run, Jacob nailed a triple to cut into the deficit. Triples from Batiste and Lowe helped Maize South build a 51–44 lead with 1:35 remaining. The Maverick defense held the Spartans to three points down the stretch. Rylan Crowell led Emporia High with 17 points and 10 rebounds, while Jacob added 14. Emporia High coach Lee Baldwin said his team competed despite Maize South’s Jalen Batiste being the best player on the floor.

Emporia High finishes its season with a 12-9 record, the third consecutive season the Spartans have recorded 10 or more wins. The Spartans graduate Jacob, Madden Seidl, Jash Rios, and Kobe Franklin and return four key contributors for the 2025-26 season.