Despite going 3-0 and winning the Colby Orange and Black Classic, the Hays High boys (11-3) basketball team dropped two spots to No. 10 in the latest Kansas Basketball Coaches Association 5A rankings released Tuesday.

The Victoria boys (8-5) remained at No. 6 in 1A Division 2.

The Mid-Continent League has two teams ranked. Hoxie (13-0) jumped six spots to No. 2 in Class 2A and Oakley (10-2) returned to the rankings this week at No. 8.

The Quinter girls (9-2) moved up three spots to No. 7 in 1A Division 1. Wheatland-Grinnell (11-3) is ninth in 1A Division 2.

6A Girls 1. Shawnee Mission South 2. Wichita Heights 3. Derby 4. Olathe South 5. Wichita East&nbsp; 6. Blue Valley North 7. Olathe North 8. Manhattan&nbsp; 9. Liberal 10. Washburn Rural

5A Girls 1. St. Thomas Aquinas 2. Andover 3. Hays 4. Maize South 5. Shawnee Heights 6. St. James Academy 7. KC Piper 8. Bishop Carroll 9. Kapaun Mt. Carmel 10. Salina South&nbsp;&nbsp;

4A Girls 1. Wellington 2. Independence 3. Bishop Miege 4. Wamego 5. Ottawa 6. Eudora 7. Rock Creek 8. Fort Scott 9. Topeka Hayden 10. Andale&nbsp;&nbsp;

3A Girls&nbsp; 1. Silver Lake&nbsp; 2. Halstead&nbsp; 3. Osage City 4. Olathe South 4. Hiawatha 5. Burlington&nbsp; 6. Holcomb&nbsp; 7. Frontenac 8. Southeast of Saline&nbsp; 9. Riley County 10. Beloit

2A Girls&nbsp; 1. Moundridge&nbsp; 2. Hoxie&nbsp; 3. St. Mary's Colgan&nbsp; 4. Eureka&nbsp; 5. Ellinwood&nbsp; 6. Remington&nbsp; 7. Inman&nbsp; 8. Oakley&nbsp; 9. Hillsboro&nbsp; 10. Sacred Heart

1A Div. 1 Girls&nbsp; 1. Little River&nbsp; 2. Wabaunsee&nbsp; 3. Centralia&nbsp; 4. Olpe&nbsp; 5. South Gray&nbsp; 6. Rock Hills 7. Quinter&nbsp; 8. Hodgeman County&nbsp; 9. Spearville&nbsp; 10. Pretty Prairie

1A Div. 2 Girls 1. Bucklin 2. Dighton 3. Hanover 4. Hutchinson - Central Christian 5. Linn 6. Melvern - Marais des Cygnes Valley 7. Ashland 8. Cheylin 9. Wheatland/Grinnell 10. Axtell

6A Boys 1. Shawnee Mission South 2. Olathe North 3. Wichita Heights 4. Blue Valley Northwest 5. Mill Valley 6. Blue Valley 7. Olathe East 8. Maize 9. Manhatan 10. Blue Valley West

5A Boys 1. Kapaun Mt. Carmel 2. Topeka West 3. Bonner Springs 4. Maize South 5. Topeka Seaman 6. Emporia 7. St. James Academy 8. Bishop Carroll 9. KC Piper 10. Hays

4A Boys 1. Rock Creek 2. Atchison 3. Bishop Miege 4. Pratt 5. Baldwin 6. Andale 7. Concordia 8. Hugoton 9. Fort Scott 10. Chanute

3A Boys 1. Wichita Collegiate 2. Hesston 3. Beloit 4. Holcomb 5. Anthony/Harper-Chaparral 6. Hiawatha 7. Silver Lake 8. Burlington 9. Colby 10. Osawatomie

2A Boys 1. Sterling 2. Moundridge 3. Sacred Heart 4. Berean Academy 5. Ell-Saline 6. Classical School of Wichita 7. Topeka - Cair Paravel Latin School 8. Pittsburg - St. Mary's Colgan 9. St. Marys 10. Cherokee - Southeast

1A Div. 1 Boys 1. Olpe 2. South Central 3. Little River 4. Central Plains 5. Burden - Central 6. South Gray 7. Lawrence - Bishop Seabury Academy 8. Wabaunsee 9. St. John's/Tipton Catholic 10. Greeley County

1A Div. 2 Boys 1. Hanover 2. Axtell 3. Hartford 4. Thunder Ridge 5. Wallace County 6. Victoria 7. Deerfield 8. Ingalls 9. Linn 10. Tescott

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/5/1589370660905.jpeg" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>Despite going 3-0 and winning the Colby Orange and Black Classic, the Hays High boys (11-3) basketball team dropped two spots to No. 10 in the latest Kansas Basketball Coaches Association 5A rankings released Tuesday.The Hays girls (13-1) remained third.The Victoria boys (8-5) remained at No. 6 in 1A Division 2.The Mid-Continent League has two teams ranked. Hoxie (13-0) jumped six spots to No. 2 in Class 2A and Oakley (10-2) returned to the rankings this week at No. 8.The Quinter girls (9-2) moved up three spots to No. 7 in 1A Division 1. Wheatland-Grinnell (11-3) is ninth in 1A Division 2.6A Girls 1. Shawnee Mission South 2. Wichita Heights 3. Derby 4. Olathe South 5. Wichita East&nbsp; 6. Blue Valley North 7. Olathe North 8. Manhattan&nbsp; 9. Liberal 10. Washburn Rural5A Girls 1. St. Thomas Aquinas 2. Andover 3. Hays 4. Maize South 5. Shawnee Heights 6. St. James Academy 7. KC Piper 8. Bishop Carroll 9. Kapaun Mt. Carmel 10. Salina South&nbsp;&nbsp;4A Girls 1. Wellington 2. Independence 3. Bishop Miege 4. Wamego 5. Ottawa 6. Eudora 7. Rock Creek 8. Fort Scott 9. Topeka Hayden 10. Andale&nbsp;&nbsp; 3A Girls&nbsp; 1. Silver Lake&nbsp; 2. Halstead&nbsp; 3. Osage City 4. Olathe South 4. Hiawatha 5. Burlington&nbsp; 6. Holcomb&nbsp; 7. Frontenac 8. Southeast of Saline&nbsp; 9. Riley County 10. Beloit2A Girls&nbsp; 1. Moundridge&nbsp; 2. Hoxie&nbsp; 3. St. Mary's Colgan&nbsp; 4. Eureka&nbsp; 5. Ellinwood&nbsp; 6. Remington&nbsp; 7. Inman&nbsp; 8. Oakley&nbsp; 9. Hillsboro&nbsp; 10. Sacred Heart1A Div. 1 Girls&nbsp; 1. Little River&nbsp; 2. Wabaunsee&nbsp; 3. Centralia&nbsp; 4. Olpe&nbsp; 5. South Gray&nbsp; 6. Rock Hills 7. Quinter&nbsp; 8. Hodgeman County&nbsp; 9. Spearville&nbsp; 10. Pretty Prairie1A Div. 2 Girls 1. Bucklin 2. Dighton 3. Hanover 4. Hutchinson - Central Christian 5. Linn 6. Melvern - Marais des Cygnes Valley 7. Ashland 8. Cheylin 9. Wheatland/Grinnell 10. Axtell6A Boys 1. Shawnee Mission South 2. Olathe North 3. Wichita Heights 4. Blue Valley Northwest 5. Mill Valley 6. Blue Valley 7. Olathe East 8. Maize 9. Manhatan 10. Blue Valley West5A Boys 1. Kapaun Mt. Carmel 2. Topeka West 3. Bonner Springs 4. Maize South 5. Topeka Seaman 6. Emporia 7. St. James Academy 8. Bishop Carroll 9. KC Piper 10. Hays4A Boys 1. Rock Creek 2. Atchison 3. Bishop Miege 4. Pratt 5. Baldwin 6. Andale 7. Concordia 8. Hugoton 9. Fort Scott 10. Chanute3A Boys 1. Wichita Collegiate 2. Hesston 3. Beloit 4. Holcomb 5. Anthony/Harper-Chaparral 6. Hiawatha 7. Silver Lake 8. Burlington 9. Colby 10. Osawatomie2A Boys 1. Sterling 2. Moundridge 3. Sacred Heart 4. Berean Academy 5. Ell-Saline 6. Classical School of Wichita 7. Topeka - Cair Paravel Latin School 8. Pittsburg - St. Mary's Colgan 9. St. Marys 10. Cherokee - Southeast1A Div. 1 Boys 1. Olpe 2. South Central 3. Little River 4. Central Plains 5. Burden - Central 6. South Gray 7. Lawrence - Bishop Seabury Academy 8. Wabaunsee 9. St. John's/Tipton Catholic 10. Greeley County1A Div. 2 Boys 1. Hanover 2. Axtell 3. Hartford 4. Thunder Ridge 5. Wallace County 6. Victoria 7. Deerfield 8. Ingalls 9. Linn 10. Tescott

🏀 Hays girls remain third, boys drop in KBCA rankings

KAYS - (1400/94.3) KFIX - (96.9) KHAZ - (99.5) KJLS - (103.3) KKQY - (101.9)

Tuesday, January 27 KHAZ: TMP-Marian MWBKB at Great Bend, 5:40pm

Thursday, January 29 KJLS: Fort Hays State MWBKB vs. Washburn, 5:05pm

Friday, January 30 KKQY: Hoxie MWBKB at Quinter, 5:00pm * KHAZ: TMP-Marian MWBKB at Larned, 5:40pm KFIX: Hays High MWBKB vs. Great Bend, 5:40pm

Saturday, January 31 KHAZ: TMP-Marian WBKB (if lose 1/23) vs. Oakley/Trego, approx. 12:40am KHAZ: TMP-Marian MBKB (if lose 1/23) vs. Trego/Plainville, approx. 12:40pm KAYS: Kansas MBKB vs. BYU, 1:30pm KJLS: Fort Hays State MWBKB vs. Central Missouri, 1:35pm KHAZ: TMP-Marian WBKB (if win 1/23) vs. Oakley/Trego, approx. 2:10pm KHAZ: TMP-Marian MBKB (if win 1/23) vs. Trego/Plainville, approx. 2:10pm

KAYS - (1400/94.3) KFIX - (96.9) KHAZ - (99.5) KJLS - (103.3) KKQY - (101.9)Tuesday, January 27 KHAZ: TMP-Marian MWBKB at Great Bend, 5:40pmWednesday, January 28 noneThursday, January 29 KJLS: Fort Hays State MWBKB vs. Washburn, 5:05pmFriday, January 30 KKQY: Hoxie MWBKB at Quinter, 5:00pm * KHAZ: TMP-Marian MWBKB at Larned, 5:40pm KFIX: Hays High MWBKB vs. Great Bend, 5:40pmSaturday, January 31 KHAZ: TMP-Marian WBKB (if lose 1/23) vs. Oakley/Trego, approx. 12:40am KHAZ: TMP-Marian MBKB (if lose 1/23) vs. Trego/Plainville, approx. 12:40pm KAYS: Kansas MBKB vs. BYU, 1:30pm KJLS: Fort Hays State MWBKB vs. Central Missouri, 1:35pm KHAZ: TMP-Marian WBKB (if win 1/23) vs. Oakley/Trego, approx. 2:10pm KHAZ: TMP-Marian MBKB (if win 1/23) vs. Trego/Plainville, approx. 2:10pmSunday, February 1 none

🎧 Eagle Radio, Hull sports broadcast schedule

By ARNIE STAPLETON AP Pro Football Writer

DENVER (AP) — With a blizzard bearing down on Empower Field at Mile High, coach Sean Payton went for the jugular instead of the points, short-circuiting the Denver Broncos' drive to Super Bowl 60.

“There will always be second thoughts,” Payton said in the anguished aftermath of Denver's 10-7 loss to the New England Patriots in the AFC championship Sunday.

Backup quarterback Jarrett Stidham's first completion in 749 days was a 52-yard dart to Marvin Mims Jr. that set up Courtland Sutton’s 6-yard touchdown catch in the first quarter. Stidham drove the Broncos to the Patriots' doorstep again early in the second quarter and the stadium was rocking with the thought of the franchise's ninth Super Bowl berth and first in a decade.

Payton called a timeout on fourth-and-1 at the New England 14. But instead of sending out Wil Lutz for a 31-yard field goal attempt — two yards shorter than an extra point — Payton kept his offense on the field, and not to try to draw the Patriots offside, either.

His first intention was a run up the middle behind the NFL's highest-paid offensive line, one that features a pair of All-Pros in right guard Quinn Meinerz and left tackle Garett Bolles, but Payton opted to have his swashbuckling backup QB, the one with one career victory in six NFL seasons, run a bootleg right and throw the ball.

Stidham could have found wide receiver Lil'Jordan Humphrey open over the middle, but he keyed in on running back R.J. Harvey. And when Stidham was pressured, he threw the ball at Harvey's feet incomplete.

Instead of a two-score lead over an opponent that had managed a measly 12 yards of offense to that point and with nasty weather on the horizon, the Broncos saw their early momentum evaporate along with the first-half sunshine.

The Broncos never got inside the New England 30-yard line again.

“Hindsight, the initial run thought was a better decision,” Payton said. “There’s always regrets. Look, I felt like here we are fourth-and-1. I felt close enough. Also, it’s a call you make based on the team you are playing and what you are watching on the other side of the ball. But, there will always be second thoughts.”

Pundits, critics and commentators have been giving Payton the third degree ever since.

“Go up 10-0. Keep the momentum," ESPN analyst Booger McFarland insisted. "Because you did your homework before the game. You knew the weather was going to turn nasty. Even though Wil Lutz is a good kicker, it was going to be tough to kick in inclement weather. I thought this was a poor coaching decision and move by Sean Payton.

“If you’re going to go for it, how about run the ball?” McFarland added. “I mean, it’s fourth and 3 feet. Or a 31-yard field goal. Instead, you go reverse-pivot with a quarterback making his first start.”

Mark Schlereth, NFL analyst for Fox Sports, said on “The Dan Patrick Show” that he was in Peyton Manning's suite at the game with Manning, Mike Shanahan and Brandon Stokley. He said they all figured Payton would send out his kicker to make it a two-score game.

“You've got a backup quarterback, you've got a chance to go up 10-0 and your defense is balling out of control,” Schlereth said. "All of us were in agreement at that point: just kick the field goal, just kick the field goal. And you come out with a little roll-out pass and it was a debacle to begin with.

"And plus, at that point, you hadn't run the ball for 2 inches. So, it's not like you feel like, hey man, they're really going to respect our run game. They're really going to respect what we're doing here as an offense so we're just going to run the QB sneak or we're just going to run some power down the middle or iso and really smash-mouth these people. They were kicking our (behind) up front.

“So, I was like, kick the field goal, take the points, man, 10-0 is a big score, especially with the weather report that it was going to get nasty in the second half."

Patrick brought up the trend of NFL coaches going for it on fourth down — they're 25 of 51 in the playoffs so far.

“It almost seems like you're a failure if you don't go for it on fourth down and you take the field goal and you leave four points out there," he said. "But I don't know if the data is able to show, well, who's my quarterback? Who am I going against? What are the conditions? What time of the game am I doing all of this stuff?”

Schlereth is old school; he hates the analytics that have become such a prominent part of the game.

“Math has never made a tackle,” he said. “Math has never blocked anybody. Math has never done any of that stuff. ... So to me, that math is faulty. And you've got to have a feel of the game and I thought Sean made a major gaffe not kicking that field goal. But that has become endemic of the league in general. It's almost like you're a (coward) if you kick a field goal. And I hate the momentum shift. I hate it all. Like, take the points.”

McFarland also questioned Rams coach Sean McVay's decision to go for it with just under five minutes remaining on fourth-and-4 at the Seattle 6 with Los Angeles trailing 31-27 in the NFC championship. McFarland argued McVay should have sent out Harrison Mevis for a chip-shot field goal. Instead, Matthew Stafford threw incomplete and when the Rams got the ball back in the waning seconds, they needed a TD, not a field goal, to win.

Make it a one-point game and "now you put the pressure back on Seattle’s offense,” McFarland said. "And so now, if you’re Seattle’s offense, and if you go three-and-out or (the Rams) get a ball back, we don’t need to drive for a touchdown. We've got a kicker that can kick a 50-yarder. And we’re on turf, so we don’t have to worry about the footing. And so now, the pressure goes back to Seattle’s offense to keep the football.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/1/1769512926073.jpeg" alt="Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton speaks during a news conference after the AFC Championship NFL football game between the Denver Broncos and the New England Patriots, Sunday, Jan. 25, 2026, in Denver. (AP Photo/Garrett W. Ellwood)" />
 <figcaption>Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton speaks during a news conference after the AFC Championship NFL football game between the Denver Broncos and the New England Patriots, Sunday, Jan. 25, 2026, in Denver. (AP Photo/Garrett W. Ellwood)</figcaption>
 </figure>By ARNIE STAPLETON AP Pro Football WriterDENVER (AP) — With a blizzard bearing down on Empower Field at Mile High, coach Sean Payton went for the jugular instead of the points, short-circuiting the Denver Broncos' drive to Super Bowl 60.“There will always be second thoughts,” Payton said in the anguished aftermath of Denver's 10-7 loss to the New England Patriots in the AFC championship Sunday.Backup quarterback Jarrett Stidham's first completion in 749 days was a 52-yard dart to Marvin Mims Jr. that set up Courtland Sutton’s 6-yard touchdown catch in the first quarter. Stidham drove the Broncos to the Patriots' doorstep again early in the second quarter and the stadium was rocking with the thought of the franchise's ninth Super Bowl berth and first in a decade.Payton called a timeout on fourth-and-1 at the New England 14. But instead of sending out Wil Lutz for a 31-yard field goal attempt — two yards shorter than an extra point — Payton kept his offense on the field, and not to try to draw the Patriots offside, either.His first intention was a run up the middle behind the NFL's highest-paid offensive line, one that features a pair of All-Pros in right guard Quinn Meinerz and left tackle Garett Bolles, but Payton opted to have his swashbuckling backup QB, the one with one career victory in six NFL seasons, run a bootleg right and throw the ball.Stidham could have found wide receiver Lil'Jordan Humphrey open over the middle, but he keyed in on running back R.J. Harvey. And when Stidham was pressured, he threw the ball at Harvey's feet incomplete.Instead of a two-score lead over an opponent that had managed a measly 12 yards of offense to that point and with nasty weather on the horizon, the Broncos saw their early momentum evaporate along with the first-half sunshine.The Broncos never got inside the New England 30-yard line again.“Hindsight, the initial run thought was a better decision,” Payton said. “There’s always regrets. Look, I felt like here we are fourth-and-1. I felt close enough. Also, it’s a call you make based on the team you are playing and what you are watching on the other side of the ball. But, there will always be second thoughts.”Pundits, critics and commentators have been giving Payton the third degree ever since.“Go up 10-0. Keep the momentum," ESPN analyst Booger McFarland insisted. "Because you did your homework before the game. You knew the weather was going to turn nasty. Even though Wil Lutz is a good kicker, it was going to be tough to kick in inclement weather. I thought this was a poor coaching decision and move by Sean Payton.“If you’re going to go for it, how about run the ball?” McFarland added. “I mean, it’s fourth and 3 feet. Or a 31-yard field goal. Instead, you go reverse-pivot with a quarterback making his first start.”Mark Schlereth, NFL analyst for Fox Sports, said on “The Dan Patrick Show” that he was in Peyton Manning's suite at the game with Manning, Mike Shanahan and Brandon Stokley. He said they all figured Payton would send out his kicker to make it a two-score game.“You've got a backup quarterback, you've got a chance to go up 10-0 and your defense is balling out of control,” Schlereth said. "All of us were in agreement at that point: just kick the field goal, just kick the field goal. And you come out with a little roll-out pass and it was a debacle to begin with."And plus, at that point, you hadn't run the ball for 2 inches. So, it's not like you feel like, hey man, they're really going to respect our run game. They're really going to respect what we're doing here as an offense so we're just going to run the QB sneak or we're just going to run some power down the middle or iso and really smash-mouth these people. They were kicking our (behind) up front.“So, I was like, kick the field goal, take the points, man, 10-0 is a big score, especially with the weather report that it was going to get nasty in the second half."Patrick brought up the trend of NFL coaches going for it on fourth down — they're 25 of 51 in the playoffs so far.“It almost seems like you're a failure if you don't go for it on fourth down and you take the field goal and you leave four points out there," he said. "But I don't know if the data is able to show, well, who's my quarterback? Who am I going against? What are the conditions? What time of the game am I doing all of this stuff?”Schlereth is old school; he hates the analytics that have become such a prominent part of the game.“Math has never made a tackle,” he said. “Math has never blocked anybody. Math has never done any of that stuff. ... So to me, that math is faulty. And you've got to have a feel of the game and I thought Sean made a major gaffe not kicking that field goal. But that has become endemic of the league in general. It's almost like you're a (coward) if you kick a field goal. And I hate the momentum shift. I hate it all. Like, take the points.”McFarland also questioned Rams coach Sean McVay's decision to go for it with just under five minutes remaining on fourth-and-4 at the Seattle 6 with Los Angeles trailing 31-27 in the NFC championship. McFarland argued McVay should have sent out Harrison Mevis for a chip-shot field goal. Instead, Matthew Stafford threw incomplete and when the Rams got the ball back in the waning seconds, they needed a TD, not a field goal, to win.Make it a one-point game and "now you put the pressure back on Seattle’s offense,” McFarland said. "And so now, if you’re Seattle’s offense, and if you go three-and-out or (the Rams) get a ball back, we don’t need to drive for a touchdown. We've got a kicker that can kick a 50-yarder. And we’re on turf, so we don’t have to worry about the footing. And so now, the pressure goes back to Seattle’s offense to keep the football.”

🏈 Sean Payton's gamble: The decision that derailed the Broncos' Super Bowl dreams

GIRLS Buhler 48, Great Bend 33 Northern Valley 48, Natoma 17

BOYS Ellsworth 49, Victoria 36 Salina South 63, Great Bend 39 Stockton 55, Natoma 41

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/1/1768839911264.png" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>GIRLS Buhler 48, Great Bend 33 Northern Valley 48, Natoma 17BOYS Ellsworth 49, Victoria 36 Salina South 63, Great Bend 39 Stockton 55, Natoma 41

🏀 Area basketball scores - Monday, January 26

🎥🏀 Watch This Week's Tiger Talk

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Fort Hays State's Talexa Weeter has been named MIAA Women's Basketball Athlete of the Week for the fifth time this season, announced Monday by the league office. She has earned five of the league's 10 weekly recognitions this season, with no other athlete earning more than one honor so far during the 2025-26 season.

Her five weekly honors are the most by a player in the league since the 2022-23 season when Central Missouri's Brooke Littrell was also named Athlete of the Week five times.

The junior had another big week for the fifth-ranked Tigers, averaging a double-double with 26.0 points, 11.5 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.5 blocks per game in wins over Rogers State and Central Oklahoma.

Weeter reached 1,000 career points in the win over RSU, doing so in her 62nd game to become the second-fastest Tiger to reach that milestone (Annette Wiles, 57 games). She is the 26th player in program history to surpass the 1,000-point threshold.

The Goodland, Kan. native scored 23 points and matched her career high with 14 rebounds in a win over Rogers State, tallying her sixth double-double of the season and the ninth of her career.

Weeter then knocked down five 3-pointers while totaling 29 points, nine rebounds, five assists and three blocks against the Bronchos. For the week the junior hit 60 percent from behind the arc (6-of-10) and hit 12-of-13 from the free-throw line (92.3 percent).

She continues to lead the country in scoring (27.9 ppg) while ranking second in the league in rebounding (9.1 rpg).

Weeter's five recognitions combined with Brooke Loewe's MIAA Athlete of the Week honor gives the Tigers six of the 10 weekly honors given out by the league this season. No other school has more than one such honor.

Winners of 11 in a row, tied for the ninth-longest winning streak in team history, the 18-1 Tigers will be back in action Thursday (Jan. 29) when they host Washburn beginning at 5:30 p.m. FHSU will look to avenge its only loss of the season after falling to the Ichabods by three points on the road last month.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/1/1769465451918.png" alt="FHSU Athletics image" />
 <figcaption>FHSU Athletics image</figcaption>
 </figure>FHSU AthleticsKANSAS CITY, Mo. - Fort Hays State's Talexa Weeter has been named MIAA Women's Basketball Athlete of the Week for the fifth time this season, announced Monday by the league office. She has earned five of the league's 10 weekly recognitions this season, with no other athlete earning more than one honor so far during the 2025-26 season.Her five weekly honors are the most by a player in the league since the 2022-23 season when Central Missouri's Brooke Littrell was also named Athlete of the Week five times.The junior had another big week for the fifth-ranked Tigers, averaging a double-double with 26.0 points, 11.5 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.5 blocks per game in wins over Rogers State and Central Oklahoma.Weeter reached 1,000 career points in the win over RSU, doing so in her 62nd game to become the second-fastest Tiger to reach that milestone (Annette Wiles, 57 games). She is the 26th player in program history to surpass the 1,000-point threshold.The Goodland, Kan. native scored 23 points and matched her career high with 14 rebounds in a win over Rogers State, tallying her sixth double-double of the season and the ninth of her career.Weeter then knocked down five 3-pointers while totaling 29 points, nine rebounds, five assists and three blocks against the Bronchos. For the week the junior hit 60 percent from behind the arc (6-of-10) and hit 12-of-13 from the free-throw line (92.3 percent).She continues to lead the country in scoring (27.9 ppg) while ranking second in the league in rebounding (9.1 rpg).Weeter's five recognitions combined with Brooke Loewe's MIAA Athlete of the Week honor gives the Tigers six of the 10 weekly honors given out by the league this season. No other school has more than one such honor.Winners of 11 in a row, tied for the ninth-longest winning streak in team history, the 18-1 Tigers will be back in action Thursday (Jan. 29) when they host Washburn beginning at 5:30 p.m. FHSU will look to avenge its only loss of the season after falling to the Ichabods by three points on the road last month.

🏀 FHSU's Weeter collects fifth weekly MIAA honor

Fort Hays State continues their 4-game homestand against Central Oklahoma on Saturday, January 24, 2026 at Gross Memorial Coliseum in Hays, Kan.

Fort Hays State continues their 4-game homestand against Central Oklahoma on Saturday, January 24, 2026 at Gross Memorial Coliseum in Hays, Kan.<div><iframe title="FHSU Rewind-MBB vs. Central Oklahoma (January 24, 2026)" allowtransparency="true" height="150" width="100%" style="border: none; min-width: min(100%, 430px);height:150px;" scrolling="no" data-name="pb-iframe-player" src="https://www.podbean.com/player-v2/?i=awhuh-1a2c283-pb&from=pb6admin&share=1&download=1&rtl=0&fonts=Arial&skin=1&font-color=&logo_link=episode_page&btn-skin=2" loading="lazy"></iframe></div>

🎧 Defend the Fort Podcast: FHSU Rewind-MBB vs. Central Oklahoma

🎥🏀Redeem Designs Plays of the Week Orange & Black Classic Night 3

🎥🏀Redeem Designs Plays of the Week Orange & Black Classic Night 2

We're joined by head men's basketball coach Mark Johnson and women's coach Talia Kahrs.

Tiger Talk airs Monday's at 9:00 a.m. on Tiger Radio Mix-103.3.

We're joined by head men's basketball coach Mark Johnson and women's coach Talia Kahrs.Tiger Talk airs Monday's at 9:00 a.m. on Tiger Radio Mix-103.3.<div><iframe title="Tiger Talk (January 26, 2026)" allowtransparency="true" height="150" width="100%" style="border: none; min-width: min(100%, 430px);height:150px;" scrolling="no" data-name="pb-iframe-player" src="https://www.podbean.com/player-v2/?i=9ke5z-1a2bcfa-pb&from=pb6admin&share=1&download=1&rtl=0&fonts=Arial&skin=1&font-color=&logo_link=episode_page&btn-skin=2" loading="lazy"></iframe></div>

🎧 Defend the Fort Podcast: Tiger Talk (January 25, 2026)

The 5th-ranked Fort Hays State women go for an 11th-straight win as they host Central Oklahoma on Saturday, January 24, 2026 at Gross Memorial Coliseum in Hays, Kan.

The 5th-ranked Fort Hays State women go for an 11th-straight win as they host Central Oklahoma on Saturday, January 24, 2026 at Gross Memorial Coliseum in Hays, Kan.<div><iframe title="FHSU Rewind-WBB vs. Central Oklahoma (Jan. 24, 2026)" allowtransparency="true" height="150" width="100%" style="border: none; min-width: min(100%, 430px);height:150px;" scrolling="no" data-name="pb-iframe-player" src="https://www.podbean.com/player-v2/?i=uvxgq-1a2ba1e-pb&from=pb6admin&share=1&download=1&rtl=0&fonts=Arial&skin=1&font-color=&logo_link=episode_page&btn-skin=2" loading="lazy"></iframe></div>

🎧 Defend the Fort Podcast: FHSU Rewind-WBB vs. Central Oklahoma

Monday, January 26 KAYS: Hawk Talk with Bill Self, 6:00pm KJLS: Tiger Talk, 9:00am

KAYS - (1400/94.3) KFIX - (96.9) KHAZ - (99.5) KJLS - (103.3) KKQY - (101.9)Monday, January 26 KAYS: Hawk Talk with Bill Self, 6:00pm KJLS: Tiger Talk, 9:00amTuesday, January 27 KHAZ: TMP-Marian MWBKB at Great Bend, 5:40pmWednesday, January 28 noneThursday, January 29 KJLS: Fort Hays State MWBKB vs. Washburn, 5:05pmFriday, January 30 KKQY: Hoxie MWBKB at Quinter, 5:00pm * KHAZ: TMP-Marian MWBKB at Larned, 5:40pm KFIX: Hays High MWBKB vs. Great Bend, 5:40pmSaturday, January 31 KHAZ: TMP-Marian WBKB (if lose 1/23) vs. Oakley/Trego, approx. 12:40am KHAZ: TMP-Marian MBKB (if lose 1/23) vs. Trego/Plainville, approx. 12:40pm KAYS: Kansas MBKB vs. BYU, 1:30pm KJLS: Fort Hays State MWBKB vs. Central Missouri, 1:35pm KHAZ: TMP-Marian WBKB (if win 1/23) vs. Oakley/Trego, approx. 2:10pm KHAZ: TMP-Marian MBKB (if win 1/23) vs. Trego/Plainville, approx. 2:10pmSunday, February 1 none

By PAT GRAHAM AP Sports Writer

DENVER (AP) — Sean Payton conceded he will have second thoughts about his decision to pass up an easy field goal, as well as the play he called instead.

The Denver Broncos and their fans now have the entire offseason to argue over which part of that critical fourth-and-1 play was worse.

Because Payton decided not to kick a chip-shot field goal for a 10-0 lead in good weather in the first half of Sunday's AFC championship game against the New England Patriots, the Broncos ended up needing to make a kick once the blowing snow and wind rolled in after halftime. The decision played an integral role in Denver's&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/denver-broncos-patriots-afc-championship-score-2e0b3acddeda40325447cbbb577b45fb">10-7 loss</a>.

“There’s always regrets,” Payton said. “I felt like here were are, fourth-and-1, close enough — it’s also a call you make based on the team you’re playing and what you’re watching on the other side of the ball. Yeah, there will always be second thoughts.”

That fateful move put the Broncos on a slippery slope that would’ve challenged any quarterback — to say nothing of perennial backup Jarrett Stidham.

Everyone from Bill Cowher on the pregame show to Tony Romo in the broadcast booth was talking about the importance of the Broncos taking every point they could with Stidham stepping in for the injured Bo Nix, but Payton didn’t heed that advice.

Wil Lutz missed two field goals (one was blocked) on a day Denver's defense gave up one touchdown. And that score was set up when Stidham turned the ball over deep in New England territory.

Had Denver not given away three points, it may have been able to overcome those mistakes.

“There will be a number of things when we watch the tape I will look at and critique and pay close attention to,” Payton said. “It was a hard-fought game, and we didn’t do enough to win.”

Early in the second quarter — and with the skies still clear — the Broncos led 7-0 and faced fourth-and-1 at the New England 14. Denver called timeout to discuss its options. The offense returned to the field and Stidham's pass to RJ Harvey fell incomplete.

“Just didn’t work out on that one play,” said Stidham, who threw for 133 yards and a score, along with a fourth-quarter interception that sealed the win for the Patriots. “That’s just football.”

Late in the game, trailing 10-7, Payton sent Lutz out to try a 45-yard kick into a tricky wind and on a snow-covered field. Leonard Taylor III got a hand on the kick.

“Unfortunately, you couldn’t see the lines on the field and honestly I think we might have been a yard short on the snap,” Lutz said. “But you can’t see the lines on the field and we had to kind of estimate.”

The Broncos were right there, too. Only three teams have won a game to advance to the Super Bowl while scoring 10 points or fewer — and the Broncos were on the wrong end in two of them. They also lost 10-7 to the Buffalo Bills in the 1991 AFC title game, with backup quarterback Gary Kubiak replacing the injured John Elway.

This time, Stidham started in place of Nix, who broke his&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/denver-broncos-patriots-afc-championship-stidham-60925eab2a8f2d29758450cded893320">ankle in a 33-30 overtime win</a>&nbsp;against Buffalo last week, and began in stellar fashion. He had a 52-yard completion to Marvin Mims Jr. that set up a short TD pass to Courtland Sutton.

Denver was rolling — until New England's fourth-down stop.

Late in the second quarter, the Patriots took advantage of Stidham's first turnover. Under pressure from Christian Elliss, he tried to toss the ball away but it was ruled a backward pass, which was recovered by Elijah Ponder. Two plays later, Drake Maye sauntered into the end zone.

“Obviously, I can't put our team in a bad position like that,” Stidham said. “That was completely on me.”

The play was initially ruled an incomplete pass and intentional grounding, but officials changed the call. Stidham did not realize he'd thrown a lateral.

“No, I thought I'd thrown it forward,” he said.

Explained referee Alex Kemp in a pool report: “I initially ruled it as a forward pass, which was incorrect. I proceeded to go through the administration of an intentional grounding foul. The down judge and the umpire came and talked to me and provided more information. The down judge explained that he extended his right arm to signal that he had a backward pass and at that point we determined that New England had picked up the then backward pass.”

Stidham conceded that he “should’ve just eaten the sack anyway,” adding, “I can’t do that.”

With the snow picking up and the wind at their back, the Patriots went on a 16-play drive to start the third quarter that ended with Andy Borregales' go-ahead, 23-yard field goal. That was the final score by either team in the deteriorating conditions.

“I was dealing with it. Drake was dealing with it,” Stidham said of the snow and wind. “You can't really make an excuse of it.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/1/1769427676389.jpeg" alt="Denver Broncos kicker Wil Lutz (3) misses a field goal attempt against the New England Patriots during the second half of the AFC Championship NFL football game, Sunday, Jan. 25, 2026, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)" />
 <figcaption>Denver Broncos kicker Wil Lutz (3) misses a field goal attempt against the New England Patriots during the second half of the AFC Championship NFL football game, Sunday, Jan. 25, 2026, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)</figcaption>
 </figure>By PAT GRAHAM AP Sports WriterDENVER (AP) — Sean Payton conceded he will have second thoughts about his decision to pass up an easy field goal, as well as the play he called instead.The Denver Broncos and their fans now have the entire offseason to argue over which part of that critical fourth-and-1 play was worse.Because Payton decided not to kick a chip-shot field goal for a 10-0 lead in good weather in the first half of Sunday's AFC championship game against the New England Patriots, the Broncos ended up needing to make a kick once the blowing snow and wind rolled in after halftime. The decision played an integral role in Denver's&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/denver-broncos-patriots-afc-championship-score-2e0b3acddeda40325447cbbb577b45fb">10-7 loss</a>.“There’s always regrets,” Payton said. “I felt like here were are, fourth-and-1, close enough — it’s also a call you make based on the team you’re playing and what you’re watching on the other side of the ball. Yeah, there will always be second thoughts.”That fateful move put the Broncos on a slippery slope that would’ve challenged any quarterback — to say nothing of perennial backup Jarrett Stidham.Everyone from Bill Cowher on the pregame show to Tony Romo in the broadcast booth was talking about the importance of the Broncos taking every point they could with Stidham stepping in for the injured Bo Nix, but Payton didn’t heed that advice.Wil Lutz missed two field goals (one was blocked) on a day Denver's defense gave up one touchdown. And that score was set up when Stidham turned the ball over deep in New England territory.Had Denver not given away three points, it may have been able to overcome those mistakes.“There will be a number of things when we watch the tape I will look at and critique and pay close attention to,” Payton said. “It was a hard-fought game, and we didn’t do enough to win.”Early in the second quarter — and with the skies still clear — the Broncos led 7-0 and faced fourth-and-1 at the New England 14. Denver called timeout to discuss its options. The offense returned to the field and Stidham's pass to RJ Harvey fell incomplete.“Just didn’t work out on that one play,” said Stidham, who threw for 133 yards and a score, along with a fourth-quarter interception that sealed the win for the Patriots. “That’s just football.”Late in the game, trailing 10-7, Payton sent Lutz out to try a 45-yard kick into a tricky wind and on a snow-covered field. Leonard Taylor III got a hand on the kick.“Unfortunately, you couldn’t see the lines on the field and honestly I think we might have been a yard short on the snap,” Lutz said. “But you can’t see the lines on the field and we had to kind of estimate.”The Broncos were right there, too. Only three teams have won a game to advance to the Super Bowl while scoring 10 points or fewer — and the Broncos were on the wrong end in two of them. They also lost 10-7 to the Buffalo Bills in the 1991 AFC title game, with backup quarterback Gary Kubiak replacing the injured John Elway.This time, Stidham started in place of Nix, who broke his&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/denver-broncos-patriots-afc-championship-stidham-60925eab2a8f2d29758450cded893320">ankle in a 33-30 overtime win</a>&nbsp;against Buffalo last week, and began in stellar fashion. He had a 52-yard completion to Marvin Mims Jr. that set up a short TD pass to Courtland Sutton.Denver was rolling — until New England's fourth-down stop.Late in the second quarter, the Patriots took advantage of Stidham's first turnover. Under pressure from Christian Elliss, he tried to toss the ball away but it was ruled a backward pass, which was recovered by Elijah Ponder. Two plays later, Drake Maye sauntered into the end zone.“Obviously, I can't put our team in a bad position like that,” Stidham said. “That was completely on me.”The play was initially ruled an incomplete pass and intentional grounding, but officials changed the call. Stidham did not realize he'd thrown a lateral.“No, I thought I'd thrown it forward,” he said.Explained referee Alex Kemp in a pool report: “I initially ruled it as a forward pass, which was incorrect. I proceeded to go through the administration of an intentional grounding foul. The down judge and the umpire came and talked to me and provided more information. The down judge explained that he extended his right arm to signal that he had a backward pass and at that point we determined that New England had picked up the then backward pass.”Stidham conceded that he “should’ve just eaten the sack anyway,” adding, “I can’t do that.”With the snow picking up and the wind at their back, the Patriots went on a 16-play drive to start the third quarter that ended with Andy Borregales' go-ahead, 23-yard field goal. That was the final score by either team in the deteriorating conditions.“I was dealing with it. Drake was dealing with it,” Stidham said of the snow and wind. “You can't really make an excuse of it.”

🏈 Sean Payton has second thoughts about passing up easy field goal in Broncos' AFC title game loss

SEATTLE (AP) — Sam Darnold threw for three touchdowns, the Seahawks’ “Dark Side” defense came up with a critical fourth-down stop, and Seattle advanced to the Super Bowl, beating the Los Angeles Rams 31-27 in an electrifying NFC championship game on Sunday.

Led by second-year coach Mike Macdonald and Darnold — an eight-year veteran playing for his fifth team — the Seahawks (16-3) reached the fourth Super Bowl in franchise history and first in 11 years. Seattle lost that most recent appearance to New England, its opponent in two weeks at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California.

With Los Angeles (14-6) facing fourth-and-4 at the Seattle 6, coach Sean McVay elected to go for it and Matthew Stafford’s pass was&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/NFL/status/2015612455158976655" target="_blank">broken up in the end zone</a>&nbsp;by Devon Witherspoon. The Rams didn’t get the ball back until there were 25 seconds left, and Puka Nacua was tackled inbounds near midfield on the final play.

Stafford threw for 374 yards and three touchdowns, but the Rams were undone by critical errors, including a muffed punt by Xavier Smith in the third quarter. On the next play, Darnold connected with Jake Bobo for a 17-yard touchdown and a 24-13 lead.

Darnold, who flopped in his&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/seahawks-sam-darnold-bye-playoffs-489ae91973a720c23bdbadb54676785e">playoff debut last season</a>&nbsp;with the Minnesota Vikings,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/seahawks-darnold-injury-74267fccc18bb171a3858acdb3f4e7e1">played through an oblique injury</a>&nbsp;and completed 25 of 36 passes for 346 yards with no turnovers. Jaxon Smith-Njigba had 153 yards receiving — the second-most in a playoff game in franchise history — and a touchdown on 10 catches.

“It’s amazing,” Darnold said. “To be able to do it with these guys in this locker room, though, with this coaching staff, that’s why it means the world to me.”

The Seahawks led 31-20 late in the third quarter on Darnold’s 13-yard TD pass to Cooper Kupp, but the Rams got back into the game when Seahawks cornerback Riq Woolen was&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/NFLonFOX/status/2015606662904918099" target="_blank">flagged for taunting</a>&nbsp;after breaking up a pass to Nacua on third-and-12, giving Los Angeles a first down.

On the next play, Stafford threw at Woolen again, and Nacua beat him in the corner of the end zone for a 34-yard touchdown.

The Rams forced a punt on Seattle’s next possession and went on a 14-play, 84-yard drive that came up empty thanks to Witherspoon’s pass breakup.

Seattle stayed aggressive on its final possession, with Darnold throwing for three first downs to run out most of the clock.

Davante Adams and Kyren Williams had receiving TDs for the Rams, and Kenneth Walker III rushed for a score for the Seahawks.

Rams: WR Jordan Whittington (chest) left in the third quarter. Defensive end Kobie Turner (cramps) also exited in the third.

Seahawks: LB Drake Thomas (shoulder) left in the fourth quarter. FB Brady Russell (hand) was injured in the second half and did not return.

Rams: Stafford turns 38 next month and has to wonder if this was his last, best chance at a second Super Bowl title.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/1/1769399039128.png" alt="eattle Seahawks’ Dareke Young (83) celebrates after recovering a fumble by Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Xavier Smith during a punt return during the second half of the NFC Championship NFL football game Sunday, Jan. 25, 2026, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)" />
 <figcaption>eattle Seahawks’ Dareke Young (83) celebrates after recovering a fumble by Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Xavier Smith during a punt return during the second half of the NFC Championship NFL football game Sunday, Jan. 25, 2026, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)</figcaption>
 </figure>SEATTLE (AP) — Sam Darnold threw for three touchdowns, the Seahawks’ “Dark Side” defense came up with a critical fourth-down stop, and Seattle advanced to the Super Bowl, beating the Los Angeles Rams 31-27 in an electrifying NFC championship game on Sunday.Led by second-year coach Mike Macdonald and Darnold — an eight-year veteran playing for his fifth team — the Seahawks (16-3) reached the fourth Super Bowl in franchise history and first in 11 years. Seattle lost that most recent appearance to New England, its opponent in two weeks at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California.With Los Angeles (14-6) facing fourth-and-4 at the Seattle 6, coach Sean McVay elected to go for it and Matthew Stafford’s pass was&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/NFL/status/2015612455158976655" target="_blank">broken up in the end zone</a>&nbsp;by Devon Witherspoon. The Rams didn’t get the ball back until there were 25 seconds left, and Puka Nacua was tackled inbounds near midfield on the final play.Stafford threw for 374 yards and three touchdowns, but the Rams were undone by critical errors, including a muffed punt by Xavier Smith in the third quarter. On the next play, Darnold connected with Jake Bobo for a 17-yard touchdown and a 24-13 lead.Darnold, who flopped in his&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/seahawks-sam-darnold-bye-playoffs-489ae91973a720c23bdbadb54676785e">playoff debut last season</a>&nbsp;with the Minnesota Vikings,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/seahawks-darnold-injury-74267fccc18bb171a3858acdb3f4e7e1">played through an oblique injury</a>&nbsp;and completed 25 of 36 passes for 346 yards with no turnovers. Jaxon Smith-Njigba had 153 yards receiving — the second-most in a playoff game in franchise history — and a touchdown on 10 catches.“It’s amazing,” Darnold said. “To be able to do it with these guys in this locker room, though, with this coaching staff, that’s why it means the world to me.”The Seahawks led 31-20 late in the third quarter on Darnold’s 13-yard TD pass to Cooper Kupp, but the Rams got back into the game when Seahawks cornerback Riq Woolen was&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/NFLonFOX/status/2015606662904918099" target="_blank">flagged for taunting</a>&nbsp;after breaking up a pass to Nacua on third-and-12, giving Los Angeles a first down.On the next play, Stafford threw at Woolen again, and Nacua beat him in the corner of the end zone for a 34-yard touchdown.The Rams forced a punt on Seattle’s next possession and went on a 14-play, 84-yard drive that came up empty thanks to Witherspoon’s pass breakup.Seattle stayed aggressive on its final possession, with Darnold throwing for three first downs to run out most of the clock.Davante Adams and Kyren Williams had receiving TDs for the Rams, and Kenneth Walker III rushed for a score for the Seahawks.<h2>Injuries</h2>Rams: WR Jordan Whittington (chest) left in the third quarter. Defensive end Kobie Turner (cramps) also exited in the third.Seahawks: LB Drake Thomas (shoulder) left in the fourth quarter. FB Brady Russell (hand) was injured in the second half and did not return.<h2>Up next</h2>Rams: Stafford turns 38 next month and has to wonder if this was his last, best chance at a second Super Bowl title.

🏈 Sam Darnold and Seahawks advance to Super Bowl with thrilling win over Rams in NFC title game

DENVER (AP) — Drake Maye handled the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/patriots-broncos-afc-title-game-b1f16622fe4e7d14f4558e40ce5afe7a">sloppy, snowy conditions</a>&nbsp;better than the home team and he scored New England’s only touchdown on a 6-yard keeper, propelling the Patriots to their 12th Super Bowl with a 10-7 win over the Denver Broncos in the AFC championship game Sunday.

Maye threw for just 86 yards, but ran for 65 and iced the win with a 7-yard keeper on third-and-5 in the waning minutes to send the Patriots (17-3) to the Super Bowl in Mike Vrabel’s first year as coach.

The Patriots will play the winner of the NFC championship game between the Los Angeles Rams and Seattle Seahawks in the Super Bowl on Feb. 8 in Santa Clara, California.

“I’m just proud of this team,” said the 23-year-old Maye, who’s the second-youngest starting quarterback to reach the Super Bowl, behind only Miami’s Dan Marino. “Don’t have many words. Just thankful for this team. Love each and every one of them. It took everybody.”

Christian Gonzalez intercepted Jarrett Stidham, starting in place of an injured Bo Nix, with 2:11 remaining for New England’s second takeaway. The first set up the Patriots with a short field and led to Maye’s touchdown scamper that tied it at 7 heading into halftime.

With Nix looking on from a suite following ankle surgery Tuesday in Alabama, Stidham made his first start in more than two years. His first completion since the 2023 regular-season finale was a&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/Broncos/status/2015518892354117789?s=20" target="_blank">52-yard dart</a>&nbsp;to Marvin Mims Jr. to the New England 7 that set up&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/Broncos/status/2015519475064541595?s=20" target="_blank">Courtland Sutton’s 6-yard touchdown catch</a>.

That was Stidham’s highlight as he turned the ball over twice and finished 17 of 31 for 133 yards with the TD.

“I was super excited for the opportunity and just hate that we fell short,” Stidham said.

New England, which went 4-13 last year under Jerod Mayo, became the third team in the Super Bowl era to win a conference championship with 10 points or less. Buffalo beat Denver 10-7 in the 1991 AFC title game, and Los Angeles beat Tampa Bay 9-0 in the 1979 NFC championship game.

Vrabel, who won three Super Bowls as a playmaking linebacker for the Patriots, could become the first person in NFL history to also win as a head coach for the same franchise.

“I won’t win it. It’ll be the players that’ll win the game,” Vrabel said. “I promise you, it won’t be me that’ll win it, and I promise you that I’ll do everything I can, and our staff, to have them ready for the game.”

The Broncos (15-4) finished one step shy of fulfilling Sean Payton’s preseason prediction of a trip to Super Bowl 60, and he pointed the finger right at himself.

He said he regretted his call on fourth-and-1 from the New England 14 in the second quarter when a chip-shot field goal before the snow came in would have given Denver a double-digit lead. Stidham’s throw to running back R.J. Harvey was incomplete and the Broncos’ early momentum vanished.

“There’s always regrets,” Payton said. “Yeah, I mean, look, I felt like here we are, fourth-and-1. We felt close enough ... So, yeah, there’ll always be second thoughts.”

The Broncos were left clinging to a 7-0 lead that was short-lived. Elijah Ponder recovered&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/Patriots/status/2015532622156636284?s=20" target="_blank">Stidham’s backward pass</a>&nbsp;at the Denver 12, setting up the tying touchdown two plays later.

“I thought I threw it forward and obviously the replay said differently,” Stidham said. “Probably should have just eaten the sack and let (Jeremy) Crawshaw punt the ball and flip the field.”

Both kickers missed two field goals in the frigid conditions with Denver’s Wil Lutz and New England’s Andy Borregales wide on long tries just before the snow came in at halftime. Lutz’s 45-yard attempt late in the fourth quarter was tipped by Leonard Taylor III.

The Patriots’ victory was their 40th in the playoffs, breaking a tie with the San Francisco 49ers for the most in NFL history.

It was sunny at kickoff with a temperature of 26 degrees, but by halftime the snowflakes began falling and grounds crews had to use snowblowers to mark the hashmarks and yard lines by the fourth quarter, when it was 16 degrees.

“It was a lot of fun out there,” Broncos cornerback Pat Surtain II said. “Snow game, for the conference, to go to the Super Bowl — it doesn’t get any better than that. I felt like I was a little kid out there just playing in the snow.”

And the Patriots had the most fun of all.

“What an atmosphere out here,” said Maye, in his second NFL season. “Battle of the elements. Love this team. How about the defense? I love each and every one of them.”

The Patriots have allowed 26 points across three playoff games. The only team to allow fewer points over three playoff games before a Super Bowl appearance was the 2000 Ravens, who allowed just 16 points.

After gaining just 72 yards in the first half, the Patriots opened the second half in swirling snow with a 16-play, 64-yard drive that ate up 9 1/2 minutes and ended with a 23-yard field goal by Borregales that proved the difference.

Stidham, who was drafted by the Patriots in 2019, made his first start since the 2023 regular-season finale. The Broncos were the only team in the league that didn’t give their backup QB any snaps or handoffs the last two seasons.

The Patriots have averaged 18 points per game in the playoffs, the fewest by any team to make the Super Bowl since the 1979 Rams, who averaged 15.

“I’ll take an ugly win before I take a pretty loss,” Diggs said. “Nobody’s satisfied. Happy, but not complacent. We’re blessed to be where we are, but we know there’s more out there for us.”

Coming up just short of a trip to the Super Bowl will drive Denver, said Surtain, who suggested: “This is not the last time we’re going to be here. We’re going to just keep on building and getting better.”

Nix, who had 11 game-winning drives in his first two NFL seasons, got hurt on Denver’s final drive in overtime against Buffalo last week, and this title game will always be dogged in Denver by the what-ifs.

“It (stinks),” linebacker Alex Singleton said. “We’ll remember it for the rest of our lives.”

Patriots: LB Robert Spillane (ankle) left in the first quarter.

Broncos: WR Pat Bryant left with a hamstring injury in the second quarter.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/1/1769427461444.jpeg" alt="New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye (10) hands off against the Denver Broncos during the second half of the AFC Championship NFL football game, Sunday, Jan. 25, 2026, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)" />
 <figcaption>New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye (10) hands off against the Denver Broncos during the second half of the AFC Championship NFL football game, Sunday, Jan. 25, 2026, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)</figcaption>
 </figure>DENVER (AP) — Drake Maye handled the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/patriots-broncos-afc-title-game-b1f16622fe4e7d14f4558e40ce5afe7a">sloppy, snowy conditions</a>&nbsp;better than the home team and he scored New England’s only touchdown on a 6-yard keeper, propelling the Patriots to their 12th Super Bowl with a 10-7 win over the Denver Broncos in the AFC championship game Sunday.Maye threw for just 86 yards, but ran for 65 and iced the win with a 7-yard keeper on third-and-5 in the waning minutes to send the Patriots (17-3) to the Super Bowl in Mike Vrabel’s first year as coach.The Patriots will play the winner of the NFC championship game between the Los Angeles Rams and Seattle Seahawks in the Super Bowl on Feb. 8 in Santa Clara, California.“I’m just proud of this team,” said the 23-year-old Maye, who’s the second-youngest starting quarterback to reach the Super Bowl, behind only Miami’s Dan Marino. “Don’t have many words. Just thankful for this team. Love each and every one of them. It took everybody.”Christian Gonzalez intercepted Jarrett Stidham, starting in place of an injured Bo Nix, with 2:11 remaining for New England’s second takeaway. The first set up the Patriots with a short field and led to Maye’s touchdown scamper that tied it at 7 heading into halftime.With Nix looking on from a suite following ankle surgery Tuesday in Alabama, Stidham made his first start in more than two years. His first completion since the 2023 regular-season finale was a&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/Broncos/status/2015518892354117789?s=20" target="_blank">52-yard dart</a>&nbsp;to Marvin Mims Jr. to the New England 7 that set up&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/Broncos/status/2015519475064541595?s=20" target="_blank">Courtland Sutton’s 6-yard touchdown catch</a>.That was Stidham’s highlight as he turned the ball over twice and finished 17 of 31 for 133 yards with the TD.“I was super excited for the opportunity and just hate that we fell short,” Stidham said.New England, which went 4-13 last year under Jerod Mayo, became the third team in the Super Bowl era to win a conference championship with 10 points or less. Buffalo beat Denver 10-7 in the 1991 AFC title game, and Los Angeles beat Tampa Bay 9-0 in the 1979 NFC championship game.Vrabel, who won three Super Bowls as a playmaking linebacker for the Patriots, could become the first person in NFL history to also win as a head coach for the same franchise.“I won’t win it. It’ll be the players that’ll win the game,” Vrabel said. “I promise you, it won’t be me that’ll win it, and I promise you that I’ll do everything I can, and our staff, to have them ready for the game.”The Broncos (15-4) finished one step shy of fulfilling Sean Payton’s preseason prediction of a trip to Super Bowl 60, and he pointed the finger right at himself.He said he regretted his call on fourth-and-1 from the New England 14 in the second quarter when a chip-shot field goal before the snow came in would have given Denver a double-digit lead. Stidham’s throw to running back R.J. Harvey was incomplete and the Broncos’ early momentum vanished.“There’s always regrets,” Payton said. “Yeah, I mean, look, I felt like here we are, fourth-and-1. We felt close enough ... So, yeah, there’ll always be second thoughts.”The Broncos were left clinging to a 7-0 lead that was short-lived. Elijah Ponder recovered&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/Patriots/status/2015532622156636284?s=20" target="_blank">Stidham’s backward pass</a>&nbsp;at the Denver 12, setting up the tying touchdown two plays later.“I thought I threw it forward and obviously the replay said differently,” Stidham said. “Probably should have just eaten the sack and let (Jeremy) Crawshaw punt the ball and flip the field.”Both kickers missed two field goals in the frigid conditions with Denver’s Wil Lutz and New England’s Andy Borregales wide on long tries just before the snow came in at halftime. Lutz’s 45-yard attempt late in the fourth quarter was tipped by Leonard Taylor III.The Patriots’ victory was their 40th in the playoffs, breaking a tie with the San Francisco 49ers for the most in NFL history.It was sunny at kickoff with a temperature of 26 degrees, but by halftime the snowflakes began falling and grounds crews had to use snowblowers to mark the hashmarks and yard lines by the fourth quarter, when it was 16 degrees.“It was a lot of fun out there,” Broncos cornerback Pat Surtain II said. “Snow game, for the conference, to go to the Super Bowl — it doesn’t get any better than that. I felt like I was a little kid out there just playing in the snow.”And the Patriots had the most fun of all.“What an atmosphere out here,” said Maye, in his second NFL season. “Battle of the elements. Love this team. How about the defense? I love each and every one of them.”The Patriots have allowed 26 points across three playoff games. The only team to allow fewer points over three playoff games before a Super Bowl appearance was the 2000 Ravens, who allowed just 16 points.After gaining just 72 yards in the first half, the Patriots opened the second half in swirling snow with a 16-play, 64-yard drive that ate up 9 1/2 minutes and ended with a 23-yard field goal by Borregales that proved the difference.Stidham, who was drafted by the Patriots in 2019, made his first start since the 2023 regular-season finale. The Broncos were the only team in the league that didn’t give their backup QB any snaps or handoffs the last two seasons.The Patriots have averaged 18 points per game in the playoffs, the fewest by any team to make the Super Bowl since the 1979 Rams, who averaged 15.“I’ll take an ugly win before I take a pretty loss,” Diggs said. “Nobody’s satisfied. Happy, but not complacent. We’re blessed to be where we are, but we know there’s more out there for us.”Coming up just short of a trip to the Super Bowl will drive Denver, said Surtain, who suggested: “This is not the last time we’re going to be here. We’re going to just keep on building and getting better.”Nix, who had 11 game-winning drives in his first two NFL seasons, got hurt on Denver’s final drive in overtime against Buffalo last week, and this title game will always be dogged in Denver by the what-ifs.“It (stinks),” linebacker Alex Singleton said. “We’ll remember it for the rest of our lives.”<h2>Injuries</h2>Patriots: LB Robert Spillane (ankle) left in the first quarter.Broncos: WR Pat Bryant left with a hamstring injury in the second quarter.—

🏈 Patriots punch ticket to 12th Super Bowl with gritty win over Broncos in snowy Denver

HAYS – Hays High had two individual champions and four
second place finishers and finished second at their own Bob Kuhn Prairie Senior
Classic which wrapped up Saturday at Hays High School.

Manhattan won the team title with 533 points, Russell finished
fifth (198), Trego sixth (165.5), Phillipsburg ninth (101.0), Ellis 10th (92.5)
and TMP-Marian 11th (69.5).

Archer Amrein and Tanner Giest were the Indians two chanps.
Amrein (27-7) won six of his eight matches by fall to take the title at 175. Giest
(25-4) won two of his three matches by fall to win at 285. Second place finishers
included Gaven Deneault (21-9) at 106, Westyn Cook (23-8) at 132, Johnny Rigler
(28-3) at 190 and Jaxson Chartier (27-8) at 215. Ethan Branaman (12-15) placed third
at 113 as did Camden Luck (6-2) at 126 and Grady Lind (23-10) at 144.

Russell had two first place finishers. Xzander Donner (26-0)
won at 106 and Xzephron Donner (28-1) at 120

Asher Haag of Ellis (26-4) went 8-0 and won the individual
title at 138. Phillipsburg’s Blake Buresh (33-0) won the 157 title. Trego’s
Ashton Wynn (26-7) placed second t 144 while teammate Aaron Samson (23-6) finished
third at 150.

Gaven Deneault (21-9) placed 2nd and scored 36.5 team points.

Ethan Branaman (12-15) placed 3rd and scored 23.0 team points.

Cyler Luck (5-4) placed 5th and scored 22.5 team points.

Camden Luck (6-2) placed 3rd and scored 31.0 team points.

Westyn Cook (23-8) placed 2nd and scored 37.0 team points.

Jace Myers (5-8) placed 7th and scored 11.0 team points.

Grady Lind (23-10) placed 3rd and scored 32.0 team points.

Cade Lind (24-10) placed 5th and scored 20.5 team points.

Pedro Jimenez (2-22) placed 8th and scored 4.0 team points.

Brian Prough (13-9) placed 4th and scored 23.0 team points.

Archer Amrein (27-7) placed 1st and scored 47.5 team points.

Jonathan Rigler (28-3) placed 2nd and scored 35.0 team points.

Jaxson Chartier (27-8) placed 2nd and scored 43.5 team points.

Tanner Geist (25-4) placed 1st and scored 37.0 team points.

Layne Dorzweiler (0-8) placed 7th and scored 7.0 team points.

Henry Stiles (7-22) placed 10th and scored 0.0 team points.

Eli Stein (20-11) placed 6th and scored 15.5 team points.

Kenneth Walker (28-11) placed 5th and scored 25.0 team points.

Hayden Pfannenstiel (7-13) placed 4th and scored 22.0 team points.

Bob Kuhn Prairie Classic -- 2026 Results for Ellis HS

Korbyn Kroeger (15-16) placed 6th and scored 12.5 team points.

Carter Jimenez (13-16) placed 7th and scored 9.0 team points.

Asher Haag (26-4) placed 1st and scored 42.0 team points.

Kooper Hankins (11-18) placed 8th and scored 4.0 team points.

Jack Reed (21-13) placed 4th and scored 25.0 team points.

Results for WaKeeney-Trego Community HS / Quinter HS

Oliver Coleman (9-17) placed 8th and scored 7.0 team points.

Leighton Bliss (8-18) placed 5th and scored 18.0 team points.

Mack Glaze (12-16) placed 6th and scored 13.0 team points.

Ashton Wynn (26-7) placed 2nd and scored 39.0 team points.

Aaron Samson (23-6) placed 3rd and scored 35.0 team points.

🤼‍♂️ Hays boys finish second at Bob Kuhn Prairie Senior Classic

KAYS - (1400/94.3) KFIX - (96.9) KHAZ - (99.5) KJLS - (103.3) KKQY - (101.9)Sunday, January 25 none

By Dustin Armbruster Hays Post Sports

By Dustin Armbruster Hays Post SportsColby - The Hays High basketball teams each walked off the floor at the Colby Event Center as champions on Saturday evening.Girls #3-5A Hays 56 - #3-5A Standley Lake (Colorado) 53Hays High scored the last give points of the game and survived a last second shot by Standley Lake in a 56-53 victory over the Gators. The victory marks back-to-back Orange &amp; Black titles for the Indians.Through the first five minutes of the game the two teams split the first 20 points. Trailing by three, the Indians score the final four points of the quarter for a 14-13 lead.Standley Lake (11-2) opened the second quarter with a traditional three point play for a lead of 16-14. The Gators wouldn't lead again until there was less than three minutes left in the game. Hays (13-1) went on a 10-4 run that pushed their advantage to a first half high six at 26-20.The Gators made two of four three throws over the final two minutes to cut the lead down to 26-22 heading into the locker rooms.Highlights<div><iframe width="100%" height="300" scrolling="no" frameborder="no" allow="autoplay" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/soundcloud%253Atracks%253A2253657932&color=%23ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&show_teaser=true&visual=true"></iframe><div style="font-size: 10px; color: #cccccc;line-break: anywhere;word-break: normal;overflow: hidden;white-space: nowrap;text-overflow: ellipsis; font-family: Interstate,Lucida Grande,Lucida Sans Unicode,Lucida Sans,Garuda,Verdana,Tahoma,sans-serif;font-weight: 100;"><a href="https://soundcloud.com/user-814667509" title="Eagle Radio" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Eagle Radio</a> · <a href="https://soundcloud.com/user-814667509/1-24-26-hhs-wbkb-orange-black" title="1-24-26 HHS WBKB Orange &amp; Black Classic Highlights" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">1-24-26 HHS WBKB Orange &amp; Black Classic Highlights</a></div></div>Leading by two in the third quarter, Hays High used a 12-4 run to take their biggest lead of the game at 40-30. The Indians managed just one point over the last 3:15 of the quarter. Standley Lake drew within one point early in the fourth thanks to a 9-1 run.&nbsp;Hays grew the lead to five points twice and eventually six points at 51-45 with five minutes left in the game. The Gators best run of the night allowed them to take the lead. Standley Lake made back to back three pointers and then a two point basket for a 53-51 advantage with 2:30 remaining.&nbsp;It was the last time the Gators added to their score. Hays made one of two free throws with ninety seconds remaining. The Indians secured a rebound on the missed second free throw then hit a three pointer out of the ensuing timeout for a 55-53 lead.&nbsp;A final free throw with :16 left gave the Indians the 56-53 lead which proved to be the winning margin. The Gators called timeout with 11.2 second remaining but failed to hit a deep three pointer to tie.Coach Len Melvin<div><iframe width="100%" height="300" scrolling="no" frameborder="no" allow="autoplay" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/soundcloud%253Atracks%253A2253657605&color=%23ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&show_teaser=true&visual=true"></iframe><div style="font-size: 10px; color: #cccccc;line-break: anywhere;word-break: normal;overflow: hidden;white-space: nowrap;text-overflow: ellipsis; font-family: Interstate,Lucida Grande,Lucida Sans Unicode,Lucida Sans,Garuda,Verdana,Tahoma,sans-serif;font-weight: 100;"><a href="https://soundcloud.com/user-814667509" title="Eagle Radio" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Eagle Radio</a> · <a href="https://soundcloud.com/user-814667509/girls-coach-len-melvin-1-24-16" title="Girls Coach Len Melvin 1-24-16" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Girls Coach Len Melvin 1-24-16</a></div></div>Zoe Winter tied a career high with 23 points and added a career high 12 rebounds. She recorded a double-double in each of the last two games. Jenna Schmeidler scored 20 and was name tournament MVP for a second consecutive year. Winter and Schmeidler were also named to the All-Tournament team.Schmeidler 20, Humphrey 7, LaBarge 1, Cunningham 0, Armbruster 0, Turner 3, Newell 2, Winter 23.Boys #8-5A Hays 52 - #5-3A Beloit 29Hays never trailed Beloit in a dominate 52-29 showing in the title game to claim their fifth Orange &amp; Black Classic championship.The Indians opened the game with a three pointer which was followed closely by a two point field goal from Beloit. The 3-2 score was the closest the Trojans would be all night.A 10-2 first quarter run put Hays (11-3) up by nine at 13-4 and then shortly after, the Indians took their first double digit lead at 17-7. Beloit (11-2) cut the edge down to six before Hays beat the first quarter buzzer for a 19-11 advantage.Neither team did much scoring in the second quarter. Hays tripled up the Trojans 9-3 during those eight minutes. Beloit pulled within seven at 21-14 with 4:30 remaining in the half. They didn't score again. The Indians scored seven points in the next three minutes to lead 28-14 at half.Highlights<div><iframe width="100%" height="300" scrolling="no" frameborder="no" allow="autoplay" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/soundcloud%253Atracks%253A2253658058&color=%23ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&show_teaser=true&visual=true"></iframe><div style="font-size: 10px; color: #cccccc;line-break: anywhere;word-break: normal;overflow: hidden;white-space: nowrap;text-overflow: ellipsis; font-family: Interstate,Lucida Grande,Lucida Sans Unicode,Lucida Sans,Garuda,Verdana,Tahoma,sans-serif;font-weight: 100;"><a href="https://soundcloud.com/user-814667509" title="Eagle Radio" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Eagle Radio</a> · <a href="https://soundcloud.com/user-814667509/1-24-26-hhs-mbkb-orange-black" title="1-24-26 HHS MBKB Orange &amp; Black Classic Highlights" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">1-24-26 HHS MBKB Orange &amp; Black Classic Highlights</a></div></div>Leading by 11 early in the third quarter, Hays took what little doubt was left out of the Colby Event Center. The Indians went on a 15-0 run that took less than three minutes and resulted in a 43-19 lead.&nbsp;Hays led by 23 going to the fourth quarter and quickly produced two baskets in the first minute of the final frame 50-23 lead. Despite scoring just two points over the final seven minutes, Hays never let Beloit go on a run. The Trojans went 0-9 from the floor in the fourth quarter and made six of ten free throws in the 52-29 victory.Coach Sean Dreiling<div><iframe width="100%" height="300" scrolling="no" frameborder="no" allow="autoplay" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/soundcloud%253Atracks%253A2253657821&color=%23ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&show_teaser=true&visual=true"></iframe><div style="font-size: 10px; color: #cccccc;line-break: anywhere;word-break: normal;overflow: hidden;white-space: nowrap;text-overflow: ellipsis; font-family: Interstate,Lucida Grande,Lucida Sans Unicode,Lucida Sans,Garuda,Verdana,Tahoma,sans-serif;font-weight: 100;"><a href="https://soundcloud.com/user-814667509" title="Eagle Radio" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Eagle Radio</a> · <a href="https://soundcloud.com/user-814667509/boys-coach-sean-dreiling-1-24-26" title="Boys Coach Sean Dreiling 1-24-26" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Boys Coach Sean Dreiling 1-24-26</a></div></div>Hays High allowed an average of just 33 points per game in the three game tournament. The victory for Hays snapped an 11 game winning streak for Beloit.Dawson Ruder scored a game high 15 and Izaac Fox added 14. They along with Trey Oakley were named to the All-Tournament team.Hays is off until Friday when they host Great Bend.&nbsp;Pfeifer 0, Zimmerman 0, Burkholder 3, Homeier 2, Oakley 9, Hardman 0, Harmoney 5, Schmidtberger 2, Fox 14, Smalley 0, Day 2, Prediger 0, Otte 0, Ruder 15, Reid 0.&nbsp;