BOULDER, Colo. (AP) — Melvin Council Jr. scored 10 of his 18 points over the final 5:07 and No. 19 Kansas held off Colorado 75-69 on Tuesday night with assistant coach Jacque Vaughn leading the Jayhawks as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/bill-self-kansas-hospital-health-b7707fa99739d475426a5f9b8c5def64">Bill Self</a>&nbsp;recovers from a precautionary trip to the hospital.

The Jayhawks (14-5, 4-2 Big 12) led 60-59 with 5:50 to play, but clamped down on defense. They kept Colorado scoreless for a three-minute stretch to pull away. Council was the offensive catalyst, putting an exclamation point on the game with an emphatic dunk.

Self did not make the trip after going to the hospital on Monday because he was not feeling well. He was released after receiving IV fluids. Self has missed several games in recent seasons due to heart issues.

Vaughn, who was brought on board last May, paced the sideline as the acting coach. He earned the win for Self, who's now 22-1 in his career against Colorado (12-7, 2-4).

Council had back-to-back layups that gave Kansas some separation after Colorado had a chance to take the lead. On one of his layups, Council stole the ball away from the inbounder while still out of bounds. It wasn’t called, which drew the ire of the crowd after a replay.

Tre White had 17 points 15 rebounds for Kansas for his fifth double-double this season. Darryn Peterson finished with 16 points, including a banked-in 3-pointer with 2:09 left. He hobbled to the bench in the second half after appearing to turn his left ankle, but returned.

The Jayhawks were coming off a big week, beating then-No. 2 Iowa State and Baylor to move back into the rankings.

Isaiah Johnson led Colorado with 19, while Barrington Hargress added 17. Colorado has dropped four in a row.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/1/1768994579162.jpeg" alt="Kansas guard Melvin Council Jr., left, looks to pass the ball as Colorado guard Isaiah Johnson, back right, and forward Bangot Dak defend in the first half of an NCAA college basketball game Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2026, in Boulder, Colo. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)" />
 <figcaption>Kansas guard Melvin Council Jr., left, looks to pass the ball as Colorado guard Isaiah Johnson, back right, and forward Bangot Dak defend in the first half of an NCAA college basketball game Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2026, in Boulder, Colo. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)</figcaption>
 </figure>BOULDER, Colo. (AP) — Melvin Council Jr. scored 10 of his 18 points over the final 5:07 and No. 19 Kansas held off Colorado 75-69 on Tuesday night with assistant coach Jacque Vaughn leading the Jayhawks as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/bill-self-kansas-hospital-health-b7707fa99739d475426a5f9b8c5def64">Bill Self</a>&nbsp;recovers from a precautionary trip to the hospital.The Jayhawks (14-5, 4-2 Big 12) led 60-59 with 5:50 to play, but clamped down on defense. They kept Colorado scoreless for a three-minute stretch to pull away. Council was the offensive catalyst, putting an exclamation point on the game with an emphatic dunk.Self did not make the trip after going to the hospital on Monday because he was not feeling well. He was released after receiving IV fluids. Self has missed several games in recent seasons due to heart issues.Vaughn, who was brought on board last May, paced the sideline as the acting coach. He earned the win for Self, who's now 22-1 in his career against Colorado (12-7, 2-4).Council had back-to-back layups that gave Kansas some separation after Colorado had a chance to take the lead. On one of his layups, Council stole the ball away from the inbounder while still out of bounds. It wasn’t called, which drew the ire of the crowd after a replay.Tre White had 17 points 15 rebounds for Kansas for his fifth double-double this season. Darryn Peterson finished with 16 points, including a banked-in 3-pointer with 2:09 left. He hobbled to the bench in the second half after appearing to turn his left ankle, but returned.The Jayhawks were coming off a big week, beating then-No. 2 Iowa State and Baylor to move back into the rankings.Isaiah Johnson led Colorado with 19, while Barrington Hargress added 17. Colorado has dropped four in a row.<h2>Up next</h2>Kansas: At Kansas State on Saturday.Colorado: Hosts UCF on Saturday.

🏀 Kansas beats Colorado with Bill Self missing from the bench

MANHATTAN, Kansas (AP) — PJ Haggerty poured in 34 points and gave Kansas State the lead in the final minute in an 81-78 win over Utah on Tuesday.

Haggerty’s jump shot with 39 seconds left gave the Wildcats (10-9, 1-5 Big 12) a two-point lead that they held onto for their first Big 12 win of the season. He was 15 of 29 to go with eight rebounds and two steals. David Castillo had 20 points on 7-of-12 shooting. Nate Johnson added 17 points, five rebounds and six assists.

Haggerty entered the game fourth in the country with 22.8 points per game, and as the first Wildcat to score in double figures over the first 18 games since Jacob Pullen in 2009-10. It’s his 14th game this season with 21 points or more. He scored 28 in the second half.

Terrence Brown had 33 points for the Utes (9-10, 1-5), shooting 14 of 24 with four steals. Seydou Traore scored 15 to go with six rebounds. Don McHenry added 15 points and six rebounds, but the career 80% free throw shooter went 2 of 5 at the stripe, costing the Utes in the final seconds.

Starting from the 5:32 mark, Haggerty and Brown each scored eight points, and were the only players to score until McHenry drew a foul with 11 seconds remaining. With a chance to tie the game at the line, he made 1 of 2 attempts.

Johnson made a pair of free throws on the other end, and Brown's game-tying 3-point attempt caromed off the rim as the buzzer sounded.

The Wildcats entered with a five-game losing streak, including two to top-10 opponents in No. 1 Arizona and then-No. 10 BYU.

The Utes will travel to Provo to face No. 13 BYU on Saturday.

The Wildcats host in-state rival, No. 19 Kansas on Saturday.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/1/1768993063056.png" alt="K-State Athletics" />
 <figcaption>K-State Athletics</figcaption>
 </figure>MANHATTAN, Kansas (AP) — PJ Haggerty poured in 34 points and gave Kansas State the lead in the final minute in an 81-78 win over Utah on Tuesday.Haggerty’s jump shot with 39 seconds left gave the Wildcats (10-9, 1-5 Big 12) a two-point lead that they held onto for their first Big 12 win of the season. He was 15 of 29 to go with eight rebounds and two steals. David Castillo had 20 points on 7-of-12 shooting. Nate Johnson added 17 points, five rebounds and six assists.Haggerty entered the game fourth in the country with 22.8 points per game, and as the first Wildcat to score in double figures over the first 18 games since Jacob Pullen in 2009-10. It’s his 14th game this season with 21 points or more. He scored 28 in the second half.Terrence Brown had 33 points for the Utes (9-10, 1-5), shooting 14 of 24 with four steals. Seydou Traore scored 15 to go with six rebounds. Don McHenry added 15 points and six rebounds, but the career 80% free throw shooter went 2 of 5 at the stripe, costing the Utes in the final seconds.Starting from the 5:32 mark, Haggerty and Brown each scored eight points, and were the only players to score until McHenry drew a foul with 11 seconds remaining. With a chance to tie the game at the line, he made 1 of 2 attempts.Johnson made a pair of free throws on the other end, and Brown's game-tying 3-point attempt caromed off the rim as the buzzer sounded.The Wildcats entered with a five-game losing streak, including two to top-10 opponents in No. 1 Arizona and then-No. 10 BYU.<h2>Up next</h2>The Utes will travel to Provo to face No. 13 BYU on Saturday.The Wildcats host in-state rival, No. 19 Kansas on Saturday.

🏀 Haggerty scores 34 as Kansas State holds off Utah

GIRLS Mid-Continent League Tournament Trego 38, Phillipsburg 27 Hoisington Winter Jam Ellsworth 49, LaCrosse 32&nbsp;&nbsp; Northwest Kansas League Tournament Dighton 68, Ness City 24 Oberlin 83, Wallace County 26 Quinter 59, St Francis 25 Northern Plains League Tournament Pike Valley 43, Natoma 23 Rock Hills 52, Lincoln 22 St. John's-Tipton 45, Osborne 20 Sylvan-Lucas 49, Thunder Ridge 12

BOYS Mid-Continent League Phillipsburg 74, Russell 72 Plainville 55, Ellis 27 TMP-Marian 76, Smith Center 36 Trego 70, Oakley 42 Hoisington Winter Jam Ellsworth 42, La Crosse 21 Reno County 60, Hoisington 57 Northwest Kansas League Tournament Oberlin 65, Rawlins County 39 Quinter 61, Ness City 57 Northern Plains League Tournament Lincoln 54, Tescott 34 St. John's-Tipton 79, Osborne 29 Sylvan-Lucas 41, Thunder Ridge 35

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/1/1768839911264.png" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>GIRLS Mid-Continent League Tournament Trego 38, Phillipsburg 27 Hoisington Winter Jam Ellsworth 49, LaCrosse 32&nbsp;&nbsp; Northwest Kansas League Tournament Dighton 68, Ness City 24 Oberlin 83, Wallace County 26 Quinter 59, St Francis 25 Northern Plains League Tournament Pike Valley 43, Natoma 23 Rock Hills 52, Lincoln 22 St. John's-Tipton 45, Osborne 20 Sylvan-Lucas 49, Thunder Ridge 12BOYS Mid-Continent League Phillipsburg 74, Russell 72 Plainville 55, Ellis 27 TMP-Marian 76, Smith Center 36 Trego 70, Oakley 42 Hoisington Winter Jam Ellsworth 42, La Crosse 21 Reno County 60, Hoisington 57 Northwest Kansas League Tournament Oberlin 65, Rawlins County 39 Quinter 61, Ness City 57 Northern Plains League Tournament Lincoln 54, Tescott 34 St. John's-Tipton 79, Osborne 29 Sylvan-Lucas 41, Thunder Ridge 35

🏀 Area basketball scores - Tuesday, January 20

By JONATHAN ZWEYGARDT Hays Post Sports

HAYS – The TMP-Marian Monarchs made a season-high 11 three-pointers
and scored a season-high 76 points as they downed Smith Center Tuesday 76-36,
at Al Billinger Fieldhouse to advance to the semifinals of the Mid-Continent League
tournament.

The first three minutes of the game contained four ties and six
lead changes before the Monarchs took the lead for good on five straight points
by Grant and Ian Nehls. The Ian Nehls three-pointer gave the Monarchs a 15-10
lead, and they never trailed again.

With TMP (7-4, 4-0 MCL) leading 18-15, Will Eck connected on
a three-pointer to close out the first quarter, giving the Monarchs a 21-15
lead.

TMP scored 10 straight to open the second half, and they
went on to outscore Smith Center 46-14 for the second and third quarters for a
67-29 lead heading into the fourth quarter.

With the continuous clock in the fourth quarter, TMP claimed
the 76-36 victory.

TMP’s Ty Schmeidler led all scorers with 24 points. Jacob
Seib added 15 points.

The Monarchs will take on Phillipsburg in the second boys
semifinal game on Friday in Plainville. The Panthers edged past Russell 74-72.

The top half of the bracket will feature Trego against Plainville.

You can find the updated MCL bracket <a href="https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/139bCfSuPy5Ja9BbjlFhSIBfsKwHTvTpLXpa5-h0nwaE/htmlview?fbclid=IwVERDUAPV-UtleHRuA2FlbQIxMABzcnRjBmFwcF9pZAwzNTA2ODU1MzE3MjgAAR5X3cUvGkatUgWdlyuYtmLy7GtI4Py_DtlVrdOy9h1pGHTUgDQ4oYwlejWHKA_aem_EwoJPejvyAinmKduQoCyJQ#gid=0">HERE</a>.

By JONATHAN ZWEYGARDT Hays Post SportsHAYS – The TMP-Marian Monarchs made a season-high 11 three-pointers
and scored a season-high 76 points as they downed Smith Center Tuesday 76-36,
at Al Billinger Fieldhouse to advance to the semifinals of the Mid-Continent League
tournament.<div><iframe width="100%" height="166" scrolling="no" frameborder="no" allow="autoplay" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/soundcloud%253Atracks%253A2251217363&color=%2337669a&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&show_teaser=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/tmp-mbkb-vs-smith-center-coach" title="TMP MBKB vs Smith Center Coach Bill Meagher Postgame Interview 01-20-2026" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">TMP MBKB vs Smith Center Coach Bill Meagher Postgame Interview 01-20-2026</a></div></div>The first three minutes of the game contained four ties and six
lead changes before the Monarchs took the lead for good on five straight points
by Grant and Ian Nehls. The Ian Nehls three-pointer gave the Monarchs a 15-10
lead, and they never trailed again.With TMP (7-4, 4-0 MCL) leading 18-15, Will Eck connected on
a three-pointer to close out the first quarter, giving the Monarchs a 21-15
lead.TMP scored 10 straight to open the second half, and they
went on to outscore Smith Center 46-14 for the second and third quarters for a
67-29 lead heading into the fourth quarter.With the continuous clock in the fourth quarter, TMP claimed
the 76-36 victory.TMP’s Ty Schmeidler led all scorers with 24 points. Jacob
Seib added 15 points.<div><iframe width="100%" height="166" scrolling="no" frameborder="no" allow="autoplay" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/soundcloud%253Atracks%253A2251217459&color=%2337669a&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&show_teaser=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/tmp-mbkb-vs-smith-center" title="TMP MBKB vs Smith Center Highlights 01-20-2026" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">TMP MBKB vs Smith Center Highlights 01-20-2026</a></div></div>The Monarchs will take on Phillipsburg in the second boys
semifinal game on Friday in Plainville. The Panthers edged past Russell 74-72.The top half of the bracket will feature Trego against Plainville.You can find the updated MCL bracket <a href="https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/139bCfSuPy5Ja9BbjlFhSIBfsKwHTvTpLXpa5-h0nwaE/htmlview?fbclid=IwVERDUAPV-UtleHRuA2FlbQIxMABzcnRjBmFwcF9pZAwzNTA2ODU1MzE3MjgAAR5X3cUvGkatUgWdlyuYtmLy7GtI4Py_DtlVrdOy9h1pGHTUgDQ4oYwlejWHKA_aem_EwoJPejvyAinmKduQoCyJQ#gid=0">HERE</a>.

🏀 Hot shooting lifts Monarchs past Smith Center

HAYS - The Hays High boys and girls wrestling teams closed out their our final home dual of the season with a sweep of rival Great Bend. The girls won 57-22 and the boys won 59-21. 

Highlighting the night was senior Johnny Rigler who picked up his 100th career varsity win.

The Indians boys host the Bob Kuhn Classic Friday and Saturday. The girls are in Oakley Saturday.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/1/1769080592663.jpeg" alt="Hays High's Johnny Rigler celebrates his 100th career wrestling win following a dual against Great Bend on Tuesday, January 20, 2026 in Hays, Kan. (Courtesy photo)" />
 <figcaption>Hays High's Johnny Rigler celebrates his 100th career wrestling win following a dual against Great Bend on Tuesday, January 20, 2026 in Hays, Kan. (Courtesy photo)</figcaption>
 </figure>Hays Post SportsHAYS - The Hays High boys and girls wrestling teams closed out their our final home dual of the season with a sweep of rival Great Bend. The girls won 57-22 and the boys won 59-21. Highlighting the night was senior Johnny Rigler who picked up his 100th career varsity win.The Indians boys host the Bob Kuhn Classic Friday and Saturday. The girls are in Oakley Saturday.

🤼‍♂️ Rigers gets 100th win as Indians sweep Great Bend

The Hays High girls dropped one spot to No. 8 in the latest Kansas Wrestling Coaches Association Class 5A rankings. The Indians have five individual ranked.&nbsp;Junior Timber Lovewell is third at 145, senior Lexi Barnett is third&nbsp; at 155, junior Eleanor Stoffel is fourth at 190, junior Kenlee Vehige is fifth at 120 and freshman Audrey Yarmer is ranked sixth at 105.

The Hays boys have three individuals ranked.&nbsp;Senior Johnny Rigler is third at 190, sophomore Archer Amrein is fifth at 175 and junior Tanner Geist is sixth at 285.

No change in the top two spots for 3-2-1A girls. Russell is No. 1 and Norton second. Oakley and Plainville flipped-flopped. The Plainsmen are now third and the Cardinals dropped to fourth. Smith Center dropped one spot to No. 6 and Phillipsburg holds at No. 8.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The Hoxie boys remain No. 1 in 3-2-1A. Norton dropped a spot to third, Ellsworth is seventh, Smith Center eighth and Russell ninth.

Area 3-2-1A Girls Rankings 100 3. Kaeleigh Klein 12 Plainville

110 1. Keleigh Ochoa 10 Smith Center 5. Saj Snyder 12 Stockton

115 4. Hadlie Younkin 9 Oakley 5. Camry Ney 9 Russell 6. Kya Bell 10 Hill City

120 2. Arianna Weigel 9 Russel 3. Josie Bell 11 Hoxie 5. Kylee Hodges 11 Oakley

125 1. Kaison Miller 10 Norton 5. Karsyn Hamlin 9 Russell&nbsp;

130 1. Averie Counts 10 Russell 3. Annika Dietz 11 Trego

135 2. Mya Trevino 12 Russell 3. Hayden Staab 9 Plainville 4. Abbygayl Jackson 12 Oakley 6. Lorelei Granberry 12 Norton

140 1. Halle Pfannenstiel 10 Norton 3. Chaysie Bachman 11 Russell 4. Kynley Griffin 9 Phillipsburg 5. Lyla Richards 10 Ellis

145 1. Kinsey Zorn 11 Russell 3. Sophie Homolka 11 Ellsworth 4. Karper Franklin 10 Smith Center 5. Dali Braun 11 Norton 6. Laura Smith 10 Oakley

155 1. Aaliyah Trevino 9 Russell 2. Cali Wagoner 12 Oakley 5. Johnna Ebner 12 Phillipsburg 6. Khloe Padilla 11 Smith Center &nbsp;

170 1. Lillian Garcia 11 Plainville 2. Sophia Kane 10 Norton

190 1. Cadence Greeson 12 Norton 2. Caydence Carter 12 Plainville 5. Kaitlyn McCreery 10 Phillipsburg 6. Kacee Herredsberg 11 Smith Center

Area 3-2-1A Boys Rankings 106 1. Xzander Donner-10-Russell 3. Porter Meyer-9-Hoxie

113 2. Bradyn Wilson-10-Hoxie 3. Kaleb Keiswetter-11-Norton 5. Jethro Chrisler-9-Oakley

126 2. Simon Watkins-9-Hoxie 4. Ryan Budig-12-Hill City

132 1. Ian Giancola-12-Hoxie 2. Derek Clydesdale-12-Norton

138 2. Asher Haag-10-Ellis 4. Ayston Kats-12-Norton

144 3. Chase Meyer-11-Hoxie 4. Jatin Weigel-12-Norton

150 4. Aaron Samson-12-Trego 5. Tate Balthazor-12-Hill City 6. Noah Nickelson-10-Hoxie

157 1. Blake Buresh-12-Phillipsburg 3. Slade Rohr-11-Hill City

165 2. Parker Hutchinson-12-Smith Center 3. Jaxson Smith-10-Hill City

175 3. Cass Smith-12-Trego 5. Bo Kyler-10-Ellsworth

190 1. Keegan Urbanek-12-Ellsworth 5. Kolten Jones-11-Russell

215 1. Micah Galvan-12-Ellsworth 3. Dominick Kattenberg-11-Smith Center 5. Mathew Bretz-11-Hoxie

285 2. Kharson Montgomery-12-Smith Center

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/11/1604497727867.jpeg" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>Hays Post SportsThe Hays High girls dropped one spot to No. 8 in the latest Kansas Wrestling Coaches Association Class 5A rankings. The Indians have five individual ranked.&nbsp;Junior Timber Lovewell is third at 145, senior Lexi Barnett is third&nbsp; at 155, junior Eleanor Stoffel is fourth at 190, junior Kenlee Vehige is fifth at 120 and freshman Audrey Yarmer is ranked sixth at 105.The Hays boys have three individuals ranked.&nbsp;Senior Johnny Rigler is third at 190, sophomore Archer Amrein is fifth at 175 and junior Tanner Geist is sixth at 285.No change in the top two spots for 3-2-1A girls. Russell is No. 1 and Norton second. Oakley and Plainville flipped-flopped. The Plainsmen are now third and the Cardinals dropped to fourth. Smith Center dropped one spot to No. 6 and Phillipsburg holds at No. 8.&nbsp;&nbsp;The Hoxie boys remain No. 1 in 3-2-1A. Norton dropped a spot to third, Ellsworth is seventh, Smith Center eighth and Russell ninth.Area 3-2-1A Girls Rankings 100 3. Kaeleigh Klein 12 Plainville105 5. Kia Mader 12 Ellis110 1. Keleigh Ochoa 10 Smith Center 5. Saj Snyder 12 Stockton115 4. Hadlie Younkin 9 Oakley 5. Camry Ney 9 Russell 6. Kya Bell 10 Hill City120 2. Arianna Weigel 9 Russel 3. Josie Bell 11 Hoxie 5. Kylee Hodges 11 Oakley125 1. Kaison Miller 10 Norton 5. Karsyn Hamlin 9 Russell&nbsp;130 1. Averie Counts 10 Russell 3. Annika Dietz 11 Trego135 2. Mya Trevino 12 Russell 3. Hayden Staab 9 Plainville 4. Abbygayl Jackson 12 Oakley 6. Lorelei Granberry 12 Norton140 1. Halle Pfannenstiel 10 Norton 3. Chaysie Bachman 11 Russell 4. Kynley Griffin 9 Phillipsburg 5. Lyla Richards 10 Ellis145 1. Kinsey Zorn 11 Russell 3. Sophie Homolka 11 Ellsworth 4. Karper Franklin 10 Smith Center 5. Dali Braun 11 Norton 6. Laura Smith 10 Oakley155 1. Aaliyah Trevino 9 Russell 2. Cali Wagoner 12 Oakley 5. Johnna Ebner 12 Phillipsburg 6. Khloe Padilla 11 Smith Center &nbsp;170 1. Lillian Garcia 11 Plainville 2. Sophia Kane 10 Norton190 1. Cadence Greeson 12 Norton 2. Caydence Carter 12 Plainville 5. Kaitlyn McCreery 10 Phillipsburg 6. Kacee Herredsberg 11 Smith Center235 5. Adriana Winters 11 NortonArea 3-2-1A Boys Rankings 106 1. Xzander Donner-10-Russell 3. Porter Meyer-9-Hoxie113 2. Bradyn Wilson-10-Hoxie 3. Kaleb Keiswetter-11-Norton 5. Jethro Chrisler-9-Oakley120 2. Xzephren Donner-12-Russell126 2. Simon Watkins-9-Hoxie 4. Ryan Budig-12-Hill City132 1. Ian Giancola-12-Hoxie 2. Derek Clydesdale-12-Norton138 2. Asher Haag-10-Ellis 4. Ayston Kats-12-Norton144 3. Chase Meyer-11-Hoxie 4. Jatin Weigel-12-Norton150 4. Aaron Samson-12-Trego 5. Tate Balthazor-12-Hill City 6. Noah Nickelson-10-Hoxie157 1. Blake Buresh-12-Phillipsburg 3. Slade Rohr-11-Hill City165 2. Parker Hutchinson-12-Smith Center 3. Jaxson Smith-10-Hill City175 3. Cass Smith-12-Trego 5. Bo Kyler-10-Ellsworth190 1. Keegan Urbanek-12-Ellsworth 5. Kolten Jones-11-Russell215 1. Micah Galvan-12-Ellsworth 3. Dominick Kattenberg-11-Smith Center 5. Mathew Bretz-11-Hoxie285 2. Kharson Montgomery-12-Smith Center

🤼‍♀️ Hays girls drop a spot in latest KWCA rankings

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Fort Hays State Men's Basketball moved back into the receiving votes list in the latest NABC Top 25 Poll, released on Tuesday (Jan. 20). The Tigers received the seventh-most votes of the teams in the receiving votes list sitting outside of the top 25. FHSU is 13-4 overall for the season and has been in the receiving votes list several times already this season.

Washburn continues its run at No. 1 in the nation, still undefeated at 18-0 overall for the season. Arkansas-Fort Smith is the only other MIAA school among the top 25, now No. 16 at 13-3. However, Arkansas-Fort Smith has lost its last three games after a 13-0 start to the season, which has the Lions all the way up to No. 5 in the nation.

Fort Hays State is the only other MIAA school referenced in the latest poll. The Tigers are currently among a six-way tie for second place in the MIAA standings, but have the best overall record of the cluster. This is the fourth regular season poll the Tigers have been among the receiving votes list, and they were also part of the list in the preseason poll.

Below is the NABC Top 25 Poll for January 20, 2026. RANK	SCHOOL	RECORD	POINTS	PREVIOUS 1	Washburn, Kan. (16)	18-0	400	1 2	Daemen, N.Y.	20-0	384	2 3	Nova Southeastern, Fla.	13-1	367	3 4	Palm Beach Atlantic, Fla.	16-1	341	6 5	Cal State East Bay	16-0	330	7 6	Michigan Tech	16-2	298	8 7	Anderson, S.C.	15-1	295	4 8	West Alabama	16-1	289	9 9	Missouri S&amp;T	13-2	266	12 10	Gannon, Pa.	15-2	260	13 11	Lubbock Christian, Texas	16-3	246	5 12	Saint Martin's, Wash.	15-2	192	17 13	Northern Michigan	16-2	187	20 14	West Liberty, W.Va.	12-3	151	19 15	Lenoir-Rhyne, N.C.	15-3	132	21 16	Arkansas Fort Smith	13-3	127	11 17	Fairmont State, W.Va.	13-3	119	23 18	Southern Nazarene, Okla.	13-3	107	14 19	Eastern New Mexico	14-3	105	24 20	Oklahoma Baptist	14-2	100	NR 21	Black Hills State, S.D.	13-3	90	15 22	Virginia Union	16-2	83	NR 23	Walsh, Ohio	13-2	63	NR 24	North Georgia	11-4	46	10 25	St. Edward's, Texas	16-4	41	18

Receiving Votes: Point Loma (Calif.) 27, DBU (Texas) 24, Ouachita Baptist (Ark.) 22, West Texas A&amp;M 18, St. Mary's (Texas) 15, Upper Iowa 15, Fort Hays State (Kan.) 11, Grand Valley State (Mich.) 9, McKendree (Ill.) 7, UVa-Wise (Va.) 6, Lander (S.C.) 5, Adelphi (N.Y.) 4, Felician (N.J.) 2, Florida Southern 2, Saint Anselm (N.H.) 2, Cal State Dominguez Hills 1, Southwest Minnesota State 1, Tuskegee (Ala.) 1, West Florida 1.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/1/1768953927093.jpeg" alt="FHSU Athletics photo/Parker Nisbeth" />
 <figcaption>FHSU Athletics photo/Parker Nisbeth</figcaption>
 </figure>FHSU AthleticsKANSAS CITY, Mo. – Fort Hays State Men's Basketball moved back into the receiving votes list in the latest NABC Top 25 Poll, released on Tuesday (Jan. 20). The Tigers received the seventh-most votes of the teams in the receiving votes list sitting outside of the top 25. FHSU is 13-4 overall for the season and has been in the receiving votes list several times already this season.Washburn continues its run at No. 1 in the nation, still undefeated at 18-0 overall for the season. Arkansas-Fort Smith is the only other MIAA school among the top 25, now No. 16 at 13-3. However, Arkansas-Fort Smith has lost its last three games after a 13-0 start to the season, which has the Lions all the way up to No. 5 in the nation.Fort Hays State is the only other MIAA school referenced in the latest poll. The Tigers are currently among a six-way tie for second place in the MIAA standings, but have the best overall record of the cluster. This is the fourth regular season poll the Tigers have been among the receiving votes list, and they were also part of the list in the preseason poll.Below is the NABC Top 25 Poll for January 20, 2026. RANK	SCHOOL	RECORD	POINTS	PREVIOUS 1	Washburn, Kan. (16)	18-0	400	1 2	Daemen, N.Y.	20-0	384	2 3	Nova Southeastern, Fla.	13-1	367	3 4	Palm Beach Atlantic, Fla.	16-1	341	6 5	Cal State East Bay	16-0	330	7 6	Michigan Tech	16-2	298	8 7	Anderson, S.C.	15-1	295	4 8	West Alabama	16-1	289	9 9	Missouri S&amp;T	13-2	266	12 10	Gannon, Pa.	15-2	260	13 11	Lubbock Christian, Texas	16-3	246	5 12	Saint Martin's, Wash.	15-2	192	17 13	Northern Michigan	16-2	187	20 14	West Liberty, W.Va.	12-3	151	19 15	Lenoir-Rhyne, N.C.	15-3	132	21 16	Arkansas Fort Smith	13-3	127	11 17	Fairmont State, W.Va.	13-3	119	23 18	Southern Nazarene, Okla.	13-3	107	14 19	Eastern New Mexico	14-3	105	24 20	Oklahoma Baptist	14-2	100	NR 21	Black Hills State, S.D.	13-3	90	15 22	Virginia Union	16-2	83	NR 23	Walsh, Ohio	13-2	63	NR 24	North Georgia	11-4	46	10 25	St. Edward's, Texas	16-4	41	18Receiving Votes: Point Loma (Calif.) 27, DBU (Texas) 24, Ouachita Baptist (Ark.) 22, West Texas A&amp;M 18, St. Mary's (Texas) 15, Upper Iowa 15, Fort Hays State (Kan.) 11, Grand Valley State (Mich.) 9, McKendree (Ill.) 7, UVa-Wise (Va.) 6, Lander (S.C.) 5, Adelphi (N.Y.) 4, Felician (N.J.) 2, Florida Southern 2, Saint Anselm (N.H.) 2, Cal State Dominguez Hills 1, Southwest Minnesota State 1, Tuskegee (Ala.) 1, West Florida 1.

🏀 Tiger men receiving votes once again in latest NABC poll

The Fort Hays State men end a 4-game road trip against Northwest Missouri State on Saturday, January 17, 2026 at Bearcat Arena in Maryville, Mo.

The Fort Hays State men end a 4-game road trip against Northwest Missouri State on Saturday, January 17, 2026 at Bearcat Arena in Maryville, Mo.<div><iframe title="FHSU Rewind-MBB at NW Missouri State" 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=9grj7-1a23926-pb&from=pb6admin&share=1&download=1&rtl=0&fonts=Arial&skin=1&font-color=auto&logo_link=episode_page&btn-skin=2" loading="lazy"></iframe></div>

🎧 Defend the Fort Podcast: FHSU Rewind-MBB at NW Missouri State

The Hays High girls remained third and the boys eighth in the latest Class 5A rankings from the Kansas Basketball Coaches Association released Tuesday.

The Victoria dropped two spots to No. 6 in Class 1A Division 2 while Thunder Ridge remained third.

The Hoxie girls are the only ranked team out the Mid-Continent League, falling two spots to No. 8 in Class 2A.

The Quinter girls dropped another spot this week to No. 10 in 1A Division 1.

6A Girls 1. SM South (1) 2. Wichita Heights (2) 3. Derby (3) 4. Blue Valley North (4) 5. Wichita East (5) 6. Olathe South (7) 7. Olathe North (6) 8. Manhattan (8) 9. Washburn Rural (9) 10. Liberal (NR)

5A Girls 1. St. Thomas Aquinas (1) 2. Andover (2) 3. Hays (3) 4. Maize South (4) 5. St. James (6) 6. Shawnee Heights (NR) 7. Kansas City Piper (5) 8. Kapaun (7) 9. Bishop Carroll (9) 10. Salina South (8)

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

3A Girls 1. Silver Lake (1) 2. Halstead (2) 3. Osage City (3) 4. Beloit (9) 5. Hiawatha (NR) 6. Burlington (5) 7. Holcomb (4) 8. Frontenac (NR) 9. Caney Valley (NR) 10. Riley County (8)

2A Girls 1. Moundridge (3) 2. Pittsburg St. Mary's Colgan (2) 3. Hillsboro (7) 4. Eureka (4) 5. Ellinwood (1) 6. Remington (5) 7. Valley Heights (10) 8. Hoxie (6) 9. Doniphan West (NR) 10. Inman (8)

1A Div. 1 Girls 1. Little River (1) 2. Wabaunsee (2) 3. Centralia (3) 4. Hodgeman County (4) 5. Olpe (8) 6. Rock Hills (5) 7. South Gray (7) 8. Spearville (6) 9. Clifton-Clyde (10) 10. Quinter (9)

1A Div. 2 Girls 1. Hanover (1) 2. Bucklin (2) 3. Central Christian (5) 4. Dighton (6) 5. Linn (3) 6. Marais des Cynges (4) 7. Lebo (7) 8. Ashland (8) 9. Axtell (NR) 10. Cheylin (9)

6A Boys 1. SM South (1) 2. Olathe North (2) 3. Mill Valley (3) 4. Wichita Heights (4) 5. BV Northwest (5) 6. Blue Valley High (6) 7. Maize (7) 8. Manhattan (8) 9. Wichita East (NR) 10. Blue Valley West (NR)

5A Boys 1. Kapaun Mt. Carmel (1) 2. Topeka Seaman (3) 3. Topeka West (2) 4. Bonner Springs (5) 5. Emporia (4) 6. Maize South (9) 7. St. James Academy (6) 8. Hays (8) 9. Andover (10) 10. Kansas City Piper (7)

4A Boys 1. Rock Creek (1) 2. Atchison (2) 3. Bishop Miege (3) 4. Pratt (4) 5. Andale (5) 6. Baldwin (7) 7. Concordia (6) 8. Hugoton (8) 9. Labette County (NR) 10. McPherson (NR)

3A Boys 1. Collegiate (1) 2. Hesston (2) 3. Holcomb (3) 4. Burlington (4) 5. Beloit (6) 6. Hiawatha (8) 7. Chaparral (10) 8. Silver Lake (7) 9. Wichita Trinity (5) 10. Colby (9)

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

1A Div. 1 Boys 1. Olpe (1) 2. South Central (2) 3. Little River (3) 4. Seabury Academy (4) 5. Central Plains (6) 6. Wabaunsee (5) 7. Burden-Central (9) 8. St. John’s/Tipton (7) 9. Crest (NR) 10. Greeley County (8)

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

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/5/1589370660905.jpeg" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>Hays Post SportsThe Hays High girls remained third and the boys eighth in the latest Class 5A rankings from the Kansas Basketball Coaches Association released Tuesday.The Victoria dropped two spots to No. 6 in Class 1A Division 2 while Thunder Ridge remained third.The Hoxie girls are the only ranked team out the Mid-Continent League, falling two spots to No. 8 in Class 2A.The Quinter girls dropped another spot this week to No. 10 in 1A Division 1.6A Girls 1. SM South (1) 2. Wichita Heights (2) 3. Derby (3) 4. Blue Valley North (4) 5. Wichita East (5) 6. Olathe South (7) 7. Olathe North (6) 8. Manhattan (8) 9. Washburn Rural (9) 10. Liberal (NR)5A Girls 1. St. Thomas Aquinas (1) 2. Andover (2) 3. Hays (3) 4. Maize South (4) 5. St. James (6) 6. Shawnee Heights (NR) 7. Kansas City Piper (5) 8. Kapaun (7) 9. Bishop Carroll (9) 10. Salina South (8)4A Girls 1. Wellington (1) 2. Independence (5) 3. Bishop Miege (4) 4. Wamego (3) 5. Ottawa (2) 6. Eudora (8) 7. Rock Creek (9) 8. Fort Scott (6) 9. Topeka Hayden (7) 10. Andale (NR)3A Girls 1. Silver Lake (1) 2. Halstead (2) 3. Osage City (3) 4. Beloit (9) 5. Hiawatha (NR) 6. Burlington (5) 7. Holcomb (4) 8. Frontenac (NR) 9. Caney Valley (NR) 10. Riley County (8)2A Girls 1. Moundridge (3) 2. Pittsburg St. Mary's Colgan (2) 3. Hillsboro (7) 4. Eureka (4) 5. Ellinwood (1) 6. Remington (5) 7. Valley Heights (10) 8. Hoxie (6) 9. Doniphan West (NR) 10. Inman (8)1A Div. 1 Girls 1. Little River (1) 2. Wabaunsee (2) 3. Centralia (3) 4. Hodgeman County (4) 5. Olpe (8) 6. Rock Hills (5) 7. South Gray (7) 8. Spearville (6) 9. Clifton-Clyde (10) 10. Quinter (9)1A Div. 2 Girls 1. Hanover (1) 2. Bucklin (2) 3. Central Christian (5) 4. Dighton (6) 5. Linn (3) 6. Marais des Cynges (4) 7. Lebo (7) 8. Ashland (8) 9. Axtell (NR) 10. Cheylin (9)6A Boys 1. SM South (1) 2. Olathe North (2) 3. Mill Valley (3) 4. Wichita Heights (4) 5. BV Northwest (5) 6. Blue Valley High (6) 7. Maize (7) 8. Manhattan (8) 9. Wichita East (NR) 10. Blue Valley West (NR)5A Boys 1. Kapaun Mt. Carmel (1) 2. Topeka Seaman (3) 3. Topeka West (2) 4. Bonner Springs (5) 5. Emporia (4) 6. Maize South (9) 7. St. James Academy (6) 8. Hays (8) 9. Andover (10) 10. Kansas City Piper (7)4A Boys 1. Rock Creek (1) 2. Atchison (2) 3. Bishop Miege (3) 4. Pratt (4) 5. Andale (5) 6. Baldwin (7) 7. Concordia (6) 8. Hugoton (8) 9. Labette County (NR) 10. McPherson (NR)3A Boys 1. Collegiate (1) 2. Hesston (2) 3. Holcomb (3) 4. Burlington (4) 5. Beloit (6) 6. Hiawatha (8) 7. Chaparral (10) 8. Silver Lake (7) 9. Wichita Trinity (5) 10. Colby (9)2A Boys 1. Sterling (1) 2. Ell-Saline (2) 3. Sacred Heart (3) 4. Moundridge (5) 5. Pittsburg St. Mary's Colgan (8) 6. Classical School (4) 7. Berean Academy (7) 8. Cair Paravel (10) 9. St. Marys (6) 10. Southeast (NR)1A Div. 1 Boys 1. Olpe (1) 2. South Central (2) 3. Little River (3) 4. Seabury Academy (4) 5. Central Plains (6) 6. Wabaunsee (5) 7. Burden-Central (9) 8. St. John’s/Tipton (7) 9. Crest (NR) 10. Greeley County (8)1A Div. 2 Boys 1. Hanover (1) 2. Axtell (2) 3. Thunder Ridge (3) 4. Hartford (5) 5. Wallace County (6) 6. Victoria (4) 7. Deerfield (9) 8. Ingalls (8) 9. Tescott (7) 10. Linn (10)

🏀 Hays girls remain third, boys eighth in latest KBCA rankings

LILBURN, Ga. - The Fort Hays State women's basketball team moved up one spot to No. 5 in this week's the WBCA Coaches Poll, released Tuesday (Jan. 20) by the coaches organization.

Now 16-1 overall and 7-1 in MIAA play, the Tigers collected 469 points in the voting process, up from 456 one week ago. Defending national champion Grand Valley State held on to the top spot again this week, with Minnesota State slotted at No. 2. Pittsburg State is the only other MIAA team listed in the poll, with the Gorillas moving up three spots to No. 13.

The Tigers are one of only four teams to rank inside the top 10 of all 10 weekly polls released by the WBCA during the 2025-26 season. Fort Hays State has occupied seven of those top 10 spots at some point this season, ranking as high as No. 3 in weeks one and three and as low as No. 9 in the preseason.

This is the 16th time in program history that the Tigers have been ranked fifth in the DII coaches poll. FHSU is 24-4 all-time when ranked fifth. The Tigers have won more games as the fifth-ranked team in the country than any other spot in the poll (tied with No. 3 - 24-8). FHSU was last ranked fifth in the coaches poll on December 17, 2024 after its 9-0 start to the 2024-25 season.

The Tigers have now been ranked 130 times in the program's DII era, including 46 appearances in the top five and 89 appearances inside the top 10. FHSU is 201-49 all-time when ranked, 78-18 when ranked inside the top five and 147-29 when ranked inside the top 10.

Winners of nine in a row, the Tigers will play seven of their final 11 regular season games at home beginning Thursday (Jan. 22) when they host Rogers State. First tip is slated for 5:30 p.m. inside Gross Memorial Coliseum. A win in that contest would give the Tigers their 17th double-digit winning streak in program history.

WBCA NCAA Division II Coaches Poll - January 20, 2026 Rank - School (1st) - W-L - Points - Last Week 1 - Grand Valley State (23) - 15-0 - 575 - 1 2 - Minnesota State Mankato - 18-0 - 551 - 2 3 - Texas Woman's - 15-1 - 520 - 3 4 - Nova Southeastern - 17-0 - 496 - 4 5 - Fort Hays State - 16-1 - 469 - 6 6 - West Texas A&amp;M - 17-1 - 455 - 7 7 - Indiana (Pa.) - 15-0 - 452 - 8 8 - Gannon - 17-2 - 387 - 5 9 - Colorado Mesa - 18-1 - 382 - 9 10 - Cal Poly Pomona - 15-1 - 351 - 11t 11 - Central Washington - 16-1 - 329 - 14 12 - Harding - 14-2 - 305 - 15 13 - Pittsburg State - 14-3 - 258 - 16 14 - Embry-Riddle - 13-2 - 249 - 17 15 - Lubbock Christian - 15-3 - 211 - 11t 16 - Northern Michigan - 15-3 - 206 - 13 17 - Miles - 15-2 - 193 - 21 18 - Coker - 13-3 - 176 - 10 19 - Ferris State - 13-3 - 168 - 22 20 - Daemen - 15-2 - 160 - 23 21 - Bentley - 11-2 - 104 - 24 22 - Winston-Salem State - 15-1 - 97 - 25 23t - Columbus State - 13-3 - 75 - 18 23t - Lincoln Memorial - 13-2 - 75 - 20 25 - Northwestern Oklahoma State - 13-3 - 69 - 19

Others receiving votes: Vanguard U. (12-2) 39; Minnesota Duluth (13-3) 34; Fairmont State (13-3) 31; Malone (13-4) 15; Missouri-St. Louis (14-2) 5

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/1/1768935942984.png" alt="FHSU Athletics image" />
 <figcaption>FHSU Athletics image</figcaption>
 </figure>FHSU AthleticsLILBURN, Ga. - The Fort Hays State women's basketball team moved up one spot to No. 5 in this week's the WBCA Coaches Poll, released Tuesday (Jan. 20) by the coaches organization.Now 16-1 overall and 7-1 in MIAA play, the Tigers collected 469 points in the voting process, up from 456 one week ago. Defending national champion Grand Valley State held on to the top spot again this week, with Minnesota State slotted at No. 2. Pittsburg State is the only other MIAA team listed in the poll, with the Gorillas moving up three spots to No. 13.The Tigers are one of only four teams to rank inside the top 10 of all 10 weekly polls released by the WBCA during the 2025-26 season. Fort Hays State has occupied seven of those top 10 spots at some point this season, ranking as high as No. 3 in weeks one and three and as low as No. 9 in the preseason.This is the 16th time in program history that the Tigers have been ranked fifth in the DII coaches poll. FHSU is 24-4 all-time when ranked fifth. The Tigers have won more games as the fifth-ranked team in the country than any other spot in the poll (tied with No. 3 - 24-8). FHSU was last ranked fifth in the coaches poll on December 17, 2024 after its 9-0 start to the 2024-25 season.The Tigers have now been ranked 130 times in the program's DII era, including 46 appearances in the top five and 89 appearances inside the top 10. FHSU is 201-49 all-time when ranked, 78-18 when ranked inside the top five and 147-29 when ranked inside the top 10.Winners of nine in a row, the Tigers will play seven of their final 11 regular season games at home beginning Thursday (Jan. 22) when they host Rogers State. First tip is slated for 5:30 p.m. inside Gross Memorial Coliseum. A win in that contest would give the Tigers their 17th double-digit winning streak in program history.WBCA NCAA Division II Coaches Poll - January 20, 2026 Rank - School (1st) - W-L - Points - Last Week 1 - Grand Valley State (23) - 15-0 - 575 - 1 2 - Minnesota State Mankato - 18-0 - 551 - 2 3 - Texas Woman's - 15-1 - 520 - 3 4 - Nova Southeastern - 17-0 - 496 - 4 5 - Fort Hays State - 16-1 - 469 - 6 6 - West Texas A&amp;M - 17-1 - 455 - 7 7 - Indiana (Pa.) - 15-0 - 452 - 8 8 - Gannon - 17-2 - 387 - 5 9 - Colorado Mesa - 18-1 - 382 - 9 10 - Cal Poly Pomona - 15-1 - 351 - 11t 11 - Central Washington - 16-1 - 329 - 14 12 - Harding - 14-2 - 305 - 15 13 - Pittsburg State - 14-3 - 258 - 16 14 - Embry-Riddle - 13-2 - 249 - 17 15 - Lubbock Christian - 15-3 - 211 - 11t 16 - Northern Michigan - 15-3 - 206 - 13 17 - Miles - 15-2 - 193 - 21 18 - Coker - 13-3 - 176 - 10 19 - Ferris State - 13-3 - 168 - 22 20 - Daemen - 15-2 - 160 - 23 21 - Bentley - 11-2 - 104 - 24 22 - Winston-Salem State - 15-1 - 97 - 25 23t - Columbus State - 13-3 - 75 - 18 23t - Lincoln Memorial - 13-2 - 75 - 20 25 - Northwestern Oklahoma State - 13-3 - 69 - 19Dropped out: NoneOthers receiving votes: Vanguard U. (12-2) 39; Minnesota Duluth (13-3) 34; Fairmont State (13-3) 31; Malone (13-4) 15; Missouri-St. Louis (14-2) 5

🏀 FHSU women up a spot in latest WBCA rankings

By ARNIE STAPLETON AP Pro Football Writer

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP) — Denver’s defense carried Peyton Manning across the finish line in Super Bowl 50 and Vance Joseph's bunch will almost certainly have to lead the way for the Broncos to get back to Levi's Stadium in the San Francisco Bay Area for Super Bowl 60.

The Broncos (15-3) host the New England Patriots (16-3) in the AFC championship game Sunday with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/denver-broncos-backup-qb-1d0b0b0df9ef4c9a828600809b0ac4ae">a journeyman backup QB</a>&nbsp;making his first start in more than two years, a tattered receiving group and little ground game to speak of unless&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/denver-broncos-dobbins-injury-nfl-chiefs-ad1756365e49c5a45b5d5e90ea312b79">J.K. Dobbins</a>&nbsp;somehow returns from a mid-November foot operation.

A person with knowledge of the situation told The Associated Press that the Broncos are opening the practice window for Dobbins, whose injury was originally suspected to be season-ending, giving the Broncos a chance to get him back Sunday. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the team didn't announce the move.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/broncos-bo-nix-broken-ankle-nfl-playoffs-b61840b6221f3ece7efb33814b00c6b4">Bo Nix broke his right ankle</a>&nbsp;on Denver's game-winning drive in overtime as the Broncos wrestled their biggest win in a decade from Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills with a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/denver-broncos-buffalo-bills-score-playoffs-06db9c892a27dd854e25ece79d4671f1">33-30 thriller</a>&nbsp;that sent both&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/bills-josh-allen-sean-mcdermott-broncos-1cb1e2f1d0286019b7841380980259f1">tears and barbs flowing</a>&nbsp;in the Bills locker room.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nfl-playoffs-backup-qbs-3e2a130a41ba5a1bcbe441780019933f">Jarrett Stidham</a>, who has appeared in 20 games in six NFL seasons, starting four and winning one, will step in for Nix, who's undergoing surgery Tuesday in Birmingham, Alabama. Save for the preseason, Stidham hasn't started a game — or even thrown a pass — in more than two years.

“He will be ready to go and ready for the moment,” coach Sean Payton said.

Because Nix's injury wasn't announced until an hour after the game and the locker room had already closed, Monday provided the first chance for teammates to comment on Nix's injury and their quarterback situation.

“First of all, obviously incredibly heartbreaking for Bo,” right tackle Mike McGlinchey said. "He's worked his butt off to get here. He's led this team every step of the way ever since he got in this building. ... In terms of Stiddy, I think I'm also going to hammer home the confidence that Sean put out there because being around Stiddy for the last three years now ... this guy just loves football. And he's been absorbing everything that we've been doing. He's been ready for this opportunity.”

All-Pro defensive lineman Zach Allen echoed those sentiments, saying, “Bo is a huge part of us getting to this point so we feel terrible for him ... but we have full faith in Stiddy,” whom he said shows up first every day and always tested the defense in practice, “so we’re excited to see what he does this week.”

As far as Dobbins' possible return, McGlinchey called him “a huge energy piece for our team,” and said, "It would be a great boost if he's healthy.”

Stidham almost certainly won't have two of the Broncos' best receivers after Troy Franklin pulled a hamstring and Pat Bryant suffered his second concussion in a month during the Broncos' first playoff victory since Super Bowl 50.

Denver’s defense heeded Payton's edict ahead of the playoffs to produce more takeaways after the Broncos were minus-3 in turnover differential during the season despite an NFL-leading and franchise-record 68 sacks. They forced the Bills into five turnovers.

The Broncos' ground game was almost nonexistent against the Bills with Nix leading the way with 29 yards on a dozen carries. Jaleel McLaughlin had 21 yards on four rushes and rookie R.J. Harvey had 20 yards on six handoffs.

OLB Nik Bonitto had a strip-sack and forced both of Allen's fumbles. He became just the third Denver defender to force multiple fumbles in a playoff game, joining LB Tom Jackson and OLB Von Miller. Safety and All-Pro special teams ace Devon Key recovered James Cooks' fumble, P.J. Locke saved a touchdown with an interception and Ja'Quan McMillian's interception when he wrested the ball from Brandin Cooks in overtime set up the Broncos' game-winning drive that ended with Wil Lutz's chip-shot field goal. Talanoa Hufanga and Malcolm Roach recovered Allen's fumbles that were forced by Bonitto.

Denver's rushing attack — but Dobbins provides a glimmer of hope.

Bryant suffered his second concussion in a month. He had three catches for 32 yards on Denver's opening drive Saturday before leaving the game with the head injury. Franklin pulled a hamstring early in the game and had no targets.

— 4 field goals by Lutz in four chances, tied for second most by a Broncos kicker in the team’s playoff history, behind only Brandon McManus’ five field goals against Pittsburgh following the 2015 season. Lutz also made all three of his extra points.

— 3 TD passes from Nix against the league's No. 1 pass defense tied John Elway and Manning for most touchdown throws in a Broncos playoff game. Elway did it three times and Manning did it against Baltimore following the 2012 season.

The Broncos host the Patriots, who have lost all four of their playoff games in Denver, for the right to play either the Seattle Seahawks (15-3) or Los Angeles Rams (14-5) in the Super Bowl on Feb. 8.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/1/1768928072839.jpeg" alt="Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen (17) fumbles the ball while being tackled by Denver Broncos linebacker Nik Bonitto (15) during the second half of an NFL divisional round playoff football game, Saturday, Jan. 17, 2026, in Denver. (AP Photo/Jack Dempsey)" />
 <figcaption>Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen (17) fumbles the ball while being tackled by Denver Broncos linebacker Nik Bonitto (15) during the second half of an NFL divisional round playoff football game, Saturday, Jan. 17, 2026, in Denver. (AP Photo/Jack Dempsey)</figcaption>
 </figure>By ARNIE STAPLETON AP Pro Football WriterENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP) — Denver’s defense carried Peyton Manning across the finish line in Super Bowl 50 and Vance Joseph's bunch will almost certainly have to lead the way for the Broncos to get back to Levi's Stadium in the San Francisco Bay Area for Super Bowl 60.The Broncos (15-3) host the New England Patriots (16-3) in the AFC championship game Sunday with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/denver-broncos-backup-qb-1d0b0b0df9ef4c9a828600809b0ac4ae">a journeyman backup QB</a>&nbsp;making his first start in more than two years, a tattered receiving group and little ground game to speak of unless&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/denver-broncos-dobbins-injury-nfl-chiefs-ad1756365e49c5a45b5d5e90ea312b79">J.K. Dobbins</a>&nbsp;somehow returns from a mid-November foot operation.A person with knowledge of the situation told The Associated Press that the Broncos are opening the practice window for Dobbins, whose injury was originally suspected to be season-ending, giving the Broncos a chance to get him back Sunday. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the team didn't announce the move.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/broncos-bo-nix-broken-ankle-nfl-playoffs-b61840b6221f3ece7efb33814b00c6b4">Bo Nix broke his right ankle</a>&nbsp;on Denver's game-winning drive in overtime as the Broncos wrestled their biggest win in a decade from Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills with a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/denver-broncos-buffalo-bills-score-playoffs-06db9c892a27dd854e25ece79d4671f1">33-30 thriller</a>&nbsp;that sent both&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/bills-josh-allen-sean-mcdermott-broncos-1cb1e2f1d0286019b7841380980259f1">tears and barbs flowing</a>&nbsp;in the Bills locker room.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nfl-playoffs-backup-qbs-3e2a130a41ba5a1bcbe441780019933f">Jarrett Stidham</a>, who has appeared in 20 games in six NFL seasons, starting four and winning one, will step in for Nix, who's undergoing surgery Tuesday in Birmingham, Alabama. Save for the preseason, Stidham hasn't started a game — or even thrown a pass — in more than two years.“He will be ready to go and ready for the moment,” coach Sean Payton said.Because Nix's injury wasn't announced until an hour after the game and the locker room had already closed, Monday provided the first chance for teammates to comment on Nix's injury and their quarterback situation.“First of all, obviously incredibly heartbreaking for Bo,” right tackle Mike McGlinchey said. "He's worked his butt off to get here. He's led this team every step of the way ever since he got in this building. ... In terms of Stiddy, I think I'm also going to hammer home the confidence that Sean put out there because being around Stiddy for the last three years now ... this guy just loves football. And he's been absorbing everything that we've been doing. He's been ready for this opportunity.”All-Pro defensive lineman Zach Allen echoed those sentiments, saying, “Bo is a huge part of us getting to this point so we feel terrible for him ... but we have full faith in Stiddy,” whom he said shows up first every day and always tested the defense in practice, “so we’re excited to see what he does this week.”As far as Dobbins' possible return, McGlinchey called him “a huge energy piece for our team,” and said, "It would be a great boost if he's healthy.”Stidham almost certainly won't have two of the Broncos' best receivers after Troy Franklin pulled a hamstring and Pat Bryant suffered his second concussion in a month during the Broncos' first playoff victory since Super Bowl 50.<h2>What’s working</h2>Denver’s defense heeded Payton's edict ahead of the playoffs to produce more takeaways after the Broncos were minus-3 in turnover differential during the season despite an NFL-leading and franchise-record 68 sacks. They forced the Bills into five turnovers.<h2>What needs help</h2>The Broncos' ground game was almost nonexistent against the Bills with Nix leading the way with 29 yards on a dozen carries. Jaleel McLaughlin had 21 yards on four rushes and rookie R.J. Harvey had 20 yards on six handoffs.<h2>Stock up</h2>OLB Nik Bonitto had a strip-sack and forced both of Allen's fumbles. He became just the third Denver defender to force multiple fumbles in a playoff game, joining LB Tom Jackson and OLB Von Miller. Safety and All-Pro special teams ace Devon Key recovered James Cooks' fumble, P.J. Locke saved a touchdown with an interception and Ja'Quan McMillian's interception when he wrested the ball from Brandin Cooks in overtime set up the Broncos' game-winning drive that ended with Wil Lutz's chip-shot field goal. Talanoa Hufanga and Malcolm Roach recovered Allen's fumbles that were forced by Bonitto.<h2>Stock down</h2>Denver's rushing attack — but Dobbins provides a glimmer of hope.<h2>Injuries</h2>Bryant suffered his second concussion in a month. He had three catches for 32 yards on Denver's opening drive Saturday before leaving the game with the head injury. Franklin pulled a hamstring early in the game and had no targets.<h2>Key stats</h2>— 4 field goals by Lutz in four chances, tied for second most by a Broncos kicker in the team’s playoff history, behind only Brandon McManus’ five field goals against Pittsburgh following the 2015 season. Lutz also made all three of his extra points.— 3 TD passes from Nix against the league's No. 1 pass defense tied John Elway and Manning for most touchdown throws in a Broncos playoff game. Elway did it three times and Manning did it against Baltimore following the 2012 season.<h2>Next steps</h2>The Broncos host the Patriots, who have lost all four of their playoff games in Denver, for the right to play either the Seattle Seahawks (15-3) or Los Angeles Rams (14-5) in the Super Bowl on Feb. 8.

🏈 Broncos defense must carry team again as backup QB Stidham set to start AFC championship game

The 6th-ranked Fort Hays State women take on Northwest Missouri State on Saturday, January 17, 2026 at Bearcat Arena in Maryville, Mo.

The 6th-ranked Fort Hays State women take on Northwest Missouri State on Saturday, January 17, 2026 at Bearcat Arena in Maryville, Mo.<div><iframe title="FHSU Rewind-WBB at NW Missouri State" 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=wj53w-1a23907-pb&from=pb6admin&share=1&download=1&rtl=0&fonts=Arial&skin=1&font-color=auto&logo_link=episode_page&btn-skin=2" loading="lazy"></iframe></div>

🎧 Defend the Fort Podcast: FHSU Rewind-WBB at NW Missouri State

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

Tuesday, January 20 KKQY: Otis-Bison MWBKB at Wheatland-Grinnell, 5:00pm * KHAZ: TMP-Marian BBKB vs. Norton/Smith Center, 5:40pm KAYS: Kansas MBKB at Colorado, 8:30pm

Wednesday, January 21 KAYS: Hawk Talk with Bill Self, 6:00pm

Thursday, January 22 KJLS: Fort Hays State MWBKB vs. Rogers State, 5:05pm KFIX: Hays High MWBKB vs. Goodland, approx. 6:10pm KHAZ: TMP-Marian WBKB (if lose 1/19) vs. TBD, approx. 5:40pm KHAZ: TMP-Marian MBKB (if lose 1/20) vs. TBD, approx. 7:10pm

Friday, January 23
 KFIX: Hays High MWBKB
vs. TBD, 2:40pm
 KHAZ: TMP-Marian WBKB vs. Hoxie, 2:40pm
 KHAZ: TMP-Marian MBKB (if win 1/20) vs. TBD, approx. 7:10pm

Saturday, January 24
 KHAZ: TMP-Marian WBKB
(if lose 1/23) vs. Oakley/TBD, approx. 11:10am KJLS: Fort Hays State MWBKB vs. Central Oklahoma, 1:35pm
 KHAZ: TMP-Marian WBKB (if win 1/23) vs. Oakley/TBD, approx. 2:10pm
 KAYS: Kansas MBKB at Kansas State, 5:30pm
 KFIX: Hays High MWBKB at Colby Orange &amp; Black Classic, TBD

KAYS - (1400/94.3) KFIX - (96.9) KHAZ - (99.5) KJLS - (103.3) KKQY - (101.9)Tuesday, January 20 KKQY: Otis-Bison MWBKB at Wheatland-Grinnell, 5:00pm * KHAZ: TMP-Marian BBKB vs. Norton/Smith Center, 5:40pm KAYS: Kansas MBKB at Colorado, 8:30pmWednesday, January 21 KAYS: Hawk Talk with Bill Self, 6:00pmThursday, January 22 KJLS: Fort Hays State MWBKB vs. Rogers State, 5:05pm KFIX: Hays High MWBKB vs. Goodland, approx. 6:10pm KHAZ: TMP-Marian WBKB (if lose 1/19) vs. TBD, approx. 5:40pm KHAZ: TMP-Marian MBKB (if lose 1/20) vs. TBD, approx. 7:10pmFriday, January 23
 KFIX: Hays High MWBKB
vs. TBD, 2:40pm
 KHAZ: TMP-Marian WBKB vs. Hoxie, 2:40pm
 KHAZ: TMP-Marian MBKB (if win 1/20) vs. TBD, approx. 7:10pmSaturday, January 24
 KHAZ: TMP-Marian WBKB
(if lose 1/23) vs. Oakley/TBD, approx. 11:10am KJLS: Fort Hays State MWBKB vs. Central Oklahoma, 1:35pm
 KHAZ: TMP-Marian WBKB (if win 1/23) vs. Oakley/TBD, approx. 2:10pm
 KAYS: Kansas MBKB at Kansas State, 5:30pm
 KFIX: Hays High MWBKB at Colby Orange &amp; Black Classic, TBDSunday, January 25 none

🎧 Eagle Radio, Hull sports broadcast schedule

TMP-Marian v Smith Center Tuesday, Jan. 20th, 6 p.m Hays, Kan.

Radio:&nbsp;KHAZ (99.5)&nbsp;<a href="https://99kzcountry.com/">CLICK HERE TO LISTEN</a>

The TMP-Marian Monarchs open Mid-Continent League play Tuesday night at home in the quarterfinals against the Smith Center Redmen.

TMP is 6-4 and the No. 3 seed in the tournament. The Redmen entered the tournament as the 11-seed and upset their play-in game opponent, and are 4-7.&nbsp;

Both teams enter the game winners of three in-a-row.

Tip-off is set for 6:00 p.m. The Hertz Rent-a-Car Pregame Show begins at 5:40 p.m. on 99.5 KZ Country.

*There is no live video stream of the MCL tournament from HaysPost.com.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/12/1575411582384.jpeg" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>TMP-Marian v Smith Center Tuesday, Jan. 20th, 6 p.m Hays, Kan.Radio:&nbsp;KHAZ (99.5)&nbsp;<a href="https://99kzcountry.com/">CLICK HERE TO LISTEN</a> The TMP-Marian Monarchs open Mid-Continent League play Tuesday night at home in the quarterfinals against the Smith Center Redmen.TMP is 6-4 and the No. 3 seed in the tournament. The Redmen entered the tournament as the 11-seed and upset their play-in game opponent, and are 4-7.&nbsp;Both teams enter the game winners of three in-a-row.Tip-off is set for 6:00 p.m. The Hertz Rent-a-Car Pregame Show begins at 5:40 p.m. on 99.5 KZ Country.*There is no live video stream of the MCL tournament from HaysPost.com.

🏀🎧 TMP boys host Smith Center in MCL quarterfinals

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — Fernando Mendoza lowered his pads into a defender, spun in a full circle, used his hand to keep his balance,&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/espn/status/2013456653866201453">then launched himself horizontally</a>&nbsp;and reached the ball over the goal line — an Indiana touchdown and a ready-made poster pic for a title run straight from the movies.

The Heisman Trophy winner’s touchdown Monday night put an exclamation point on a 27-21 win over Miami that closed out an undefeated season and brought an improbable — maybe impossible? — national championship to a program that had known nothing but losing and indifference for almost 140 years.

“Let me tell you: We won the national championship at Indiana University. It can be done,” said coach Curt Cignetti, who took over a program with a nation-leading 713 losses and turned it into the game's biggest winner in the span of two years.

Cignetti, the 64-year-old coaching lifer, started it. Mendoza helped get the Hoosiers over the line. He finished with 186 yards passing, but it was that tackle-breaking, sprawled-out 12-yard touchdown run on fourth-and-4 with 9:18 left that defined this game — and the Hoosiers' season.

“I had to go airborne,” said Mendoza, who had his lip split and his arm bloodied by a ferocious Miami defense that sacked him three times and hit him many more. “I would die for my team.”

Mendoza's TD gave Indiana a 24-14 lead — barely enough breathing room to hold off a frenzied charge by the hard-hitting Hurricanes — a team that barely made the College Football Playoff and barely showed up in the first half of the final before coming to life behind 112 yards and two scores from Mark Fletcher.

“They're the best thing that happened to the University of Miami in 25 years,” said coach Mario Cristobal, who was part of the title run that put this colorful program on the map in the 1980s and '90s.

The CFP trophy now heads to the most unlikely of places: Bloomington, Indiana — home of the college that famously boasts the most living alumni (805,000), including billionaire Mark Cuban and several thousand of his closest friends who packed Miami's home stadium and turned a title-game ticket into a $4,000-or-more splurge.

“It's way up there, that's for damn sure,” Cuban said when asked where this ranked among the out-of-nowhere success stories he helped bankroll on his reality show “Shark Tank.”

Indiana finished 16-0 — using the extra games afforded by the expanded 12-team playoff to match a perfect-season win total last compiled by Yale in 1894. President Donald Trump was in the stands for what he said “turned out to be a great game” after a slow start — Indiana led 10-0 at half.

In a fitting bit of symmetry, this undefeated title comes 50 years after Bob Knight’s basketball team went 32-0 to win it all in that state’s favorite sport.

That hasn’t happened since, and there’s already some thought that college football — in its evolving, money-soaked, name-image-likeness era — might not see a team like this again, either.

Players like Mendoza — a transfer from Cal who grew up just a few miles away from Miami’s campus, “The U” — certainly don’t come around often.

Two fourth-down gambles by Cignetti in the fourth quarter, after Fletcher’s second touchdown carved the Hurricanes' deficit to three, put the QB in position to shine.

The first was a 19-yard-completion to Charlie Becker on a back-shoulder fade those guys have been perfecting all season. Four plays later came a decision and play that wins championships.

Cignetti sent his kicker out on fourth-and-4 from the 12, but quickly called his second timeout. The team huddled on the field and the coach drew up a quarterback draw, hoping the Hurricanes would be in a defense they had shown before.

“We rolled the dice and said, ‘They’re going to be in it again and they were,’” Cignetti said. “We blocked it well, he broke a tackle or two and got in the end zone.”

Mendoza's play could very well join John Elway's “helicopter” run in Super Bowl 32 as one of the greatest examples of a quarterback willing to put everything on the line to win it all. Mendoza might soon have something else in common with Elway: This game did little to diminish his projection as the first pick in the upcoming NFL draft.

“Everyone on the team, including my coach, makes fun of my running style,” Mendoza said. “But it’s fourth down, so you’ve got to put it all on the line. Every player, if they had that opportunity, they’d put their body on the line, too.”

A team listed 18th in the first CFP rankings moved to 10th and sneaked into the playoff, bringing as many questions about the process as the selection itself.

The Hurricanes proved they belonged all the way. Fletcher was a one-man force, hitting triple digits for the third time in four playoff games and turning a moribund offense into something much more.

His first touchdown run was a 57-yard burst through the right side that pulled Miami within 10-7 early in the third quarter.

But after forcing an Indiana punt deep into Miami territory, Hoosiers lineman Mikail Kamara slid past the ’Canes’ protectors and&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/CFBPlayoff/status/2013450145979867387">blocked the kick</a>. Isaiah Jones recovered to make it 17-7. Miami was in comeback mode the rest of the way.

It ended as a one-score game, and the ’Canes — the visiting team playing on their home field — moved into Indiana territory before Carson Beck’s heave got picked off by Jamari Sharpe, a Miami native who made sure the only miracle in this season would be Indiana’s.

This was a program that was so bad that coach Lee Corso stopped a game in 1976 to take a picture of a scoreboard when it read “Indiana 7, Ohio State 6.” Indiana lost 47-7.

There were hundreds of losses in front of half-empty stadiums between then and now.

But those days are over. The Hoosiers — yes, the Hoosiers — are national champions.

“I know nobody thought it was possible,” Cignetti said. “It probably is one of the greatest sports stories of all time.”

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — Fernando Mendoza lowered his pads into a defender, spun in a full circle, used his hand to keep his balance,&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/espn/status/2013456653866201453">then launched himself horizontally</a>&nbsp;and reached the ball over the goal line — an Indiana touchdown and a ready-made poster pic for a title run straight from the movies.Maybe they’ll call it “Hoosiers.”<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/1/1768906574424.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>The Heisman Trophy winner’s touchdown Monday night put an exclamation point on a 27-21 win over Miami that closed out an undefeated season and brought an improbable — maybe impossible? — national championship to a program that had known nothing but losing and indifference for almost 140 years.“Let me tell you: We won the national championship at Indiana University. It can be done,” said coach Curt Cignetti, who took over a program with a nation-leading 713 losses and turned it into the game's biggest winner in the span of two years.Cignetti, the 64-year-old coaching lifer, started it. Mendoza helped get the Hoosiers over the line. He finished with 186 yards passing, but it was that tackle-breaking, sprawled-out 12-yard touchdown run on fourth-and-4 with 9:18 left that defined this game — and the Hoosiers' season.Indiana would not be denied.“I had to go airborne,” said Mendoza, who had his lip split and his arm bloodied by a ferocious Miami defense that sacked him three times and hit him many more. “I would die for my team.”Mendoza's TD gave Indiana a 24-14 lead — barely enough breathing room to hold off a frenzied charge by the hard-hitting Hurricanes — a team that barely made the College Football Playoff and barely showed up in the first half of the final before coming to life behind 112 yards and two scores from Mark Fletcher.“They're the best thing that happened to the University of Miami in 25 years,” said coach Mario Cristobal, who was part of the title run that put this colorful program on the map in the 1980s and '90s.The CFP trophy now heads to the most unlikely of places: Bloomington, Indiana — home of the college that famously boasts the most living alumni (805,000), including billionaire Mark Cuban and several thousand of his closest friends who packed Miami's home stadium and turned a title-game ticket into a $4,000-or-more splurge.“It's way up there, that's for damn sure,” Cuban said when asked where this ranked among the out-of-nowhere success stories he helped bankroll on his reality show “Shark Tank.”Indiana finished 16-0 — using the extra games afforded by the expanded 12-team playoff to match a perfect-season win total last compiled by Yale in 1894. President Donald Trump was in the stands for what he said “turned out to be a great game” after a slow start — Indiana led 10-0 at half.In a fitting bit of symmetry, this undefeated title comes 50 years after Bob Knight’s basketball team went 32-0 to win it all in that state’s favorite sport.That hasn’t happened since, and there’s already some thought that college football — in its evolving, money-soaked, name-image-likeness era — might not see a team like this again, either.Players like Mendoza — a transfer from Cal who grew up just a few miles away from Miami’s campus, “The U” — certainly don’t come around often.Two fourth-down gambles by Cignetti in the fourth quarter, after Fletcher’s second touchdown carved the Hurricanes' deficit to three, put the QB in position to shine.The first was a 19-yard-completion to Charlie Becker on a back-shoulder fade those guys have been perfecting all season. Four plays later came a decision and play that wins championships.Cignetti sent his kicker out on fourth-and-4 from the 12, but quickly called his second timeout. The team huddled on the field and the coach drew up a quarterback draw, hoping the Hurricanes would be in a defense they had shown before.“We rolled the dice and said, ‘They’re going to be in it again and they were,’” Cignetti said. “We blocked it well, he broke a tackle or two and got in the end zone.”Mendoza's play could very well join John Elway's “helicopter” run in Super Bowl 32 as one of the greatest examples of a quarterback willing to put everything on the line to win it all. Mendoza might soon have something else in common with Elway: This game did little to diminish his projection as the first pick in the upcoming NFL draft.“Everyone on the team, including my coach, makes fun of my running style,” Mendoza said. “But it’s fourth down, so you’ve got to put it all on the line. Every player, if they had that opportunity, they’d put their body on the line, too.”For Miami, it was a very close call.A team listed 18th in the first CFP rankings moved to 10th and sneaked into the playoff, bringing as many questions about the process as the selection itself.The Hurricanes proved they belonged all the way. Fletcher was a one-man force, hitting triple digits for the third time in four playoff games and turning a moribund offense into something much more.His first touchdown run was a 57-yard burst through the right side that pulled Miami within 10-7 early in the third quarter.But after forcing an Indiana punt deep into Miami territory, Hoosiers lineman Mikail Kamara slid past the ’Canes’ protectors and&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/CFBPlayoff/status/2013450145979867387">blocked the kick</a>. Isaiah Jones recovered to make it 17-7. Miami was in comeback mode the rest of the way.It ended as a one-score game, and the ’Canes — the visiting team playing on their home field — moved into Indiana territory before Carson Beck’s heave got picked off by Jamari Sharpe, a Miami native who made sure the only miracle in this season would be Indiana’s.How big a miracle?This was a program that was so bad that coach Lee Corso stopped a game in 1976 to take a picture of a scoreboard when it read “Indiana 7, Ohio State 6.” Indiana lost 47-7.There were hundreds of losses in front of half-empty stadiums between then and now.But those days are over. The Hoosiers — yes, the Hoosiers — are national champions.“I know nobody thought it was possible,” Cignetti said. “It probably is one of the greatest sports stories of all time.”

🏈 Indiana completes undefeated season, wins national title, beating Miami in CFP final

By JONATHAN ZWEYGARDT Hays Post Sports

SMITH CENTER – The TMP-Marian Lady Monarchs knocked down
five first-half three-pointers and held off a late Smith Center rally as they
advanced to the semifinals of the Mid-Continent League tournament Monday with a
47-31 win over the Lady Red in Smith Center.

Smith Center led early 6-5, but the Monarchs' Brynn Rebel hit
one of four first-quarter three-pointers for the Monarchs, giving them an 8-6
lead.

The three sparked an 11-6 run to end the first quarter with
TMP leading 19-12.

In the second quarter, TMP’s Hannah Rose scored and TMP
closed out the second quarter and opened second half on an 11-2 run, building a
20-point lead at 41-21.

Smith Center outscored TMP (7-4) to close out the third quarter
and the fourth quarter by four as the Monarchs held on for the 47-31 victory.

Hannah Rose led all scorers with a career-high 22 points. 

TMP will take on the Hoxie Indians in the semifinals Friday
afternoon at 3 p.m. in Plainville. The Indians defeated Norton Norton 56-40 on Monday
night.

Oakley also advanced to the semifinals with a 76-33 win over
Plainville. They will play the winner of Phillipsburg and Trego. Those two
teams will play on Tuesday. 

<a href="https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/139bCfSuPy5Ja9BbjlFhSIBfsKwHTvTpLXpa5-h0nwaE/htmlview?fbclid=IwVERDUAPV-UtleHRuA2FlbQIxMABzcnRjBmFwcF9pZAwzNTA2ODU1MzE3MjgAAR5X3cUvGkatUgWdlyuYtmLy7GtI4Py_DtlVrdOy9h1pGHTUgDQ4oYwlejWHKA_aem_EwoJPejvyAinmKduQoCyJQ#gid=1745806453">MCL Tournament Brackets</a>.&nbsp;

By JONATHAN ZWEYGARDT Hays Post SportsSMITH CENTER – The TMP-Marian Lady Monarchs knocked down
five first-half three-pointers and held off a late Smith Center rally as they
advanced to the semifinals of the Mid-Continent League tournament Monday with a
47-31 win over the Lady Red in Smith Center.<div><iframe width="100%" height="166" scrolling="no" frameborder="no" allow="autoplay" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/soundcloud%253Atracks%253A2250641855&color=%2337669a&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&show_teaser=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/tmp-wbkb-coach-int-v-smith" title="TMP WBKB Coach John Linn v Smith Center Jan 19, 2026" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">TMP WBKB Coach John Linn v Smith Center Jan 19, 2026</a></div></div>Smith Center led early 6-5, but the Monarchs' Brynn Rebel hit
one of four first-quarter three-pointers for the Monarchs, giving them an 8-6
lead.The three sparked an 11-6 run to end the first quarter with
TMP leading 19-12.In the second quarter, TMP’s Hannah Rose scored and TMP
closed out the second quarter and opened second half on an 11-2 run, building a
20-point lead at 41-21.Smith Center outscored TMP (7-4) to close out the third quarter
and the fourth quarter by four as the Monarchs held on for the 47-31 victory.<div><iframe width="100%" height="166" scrolling="no" frameborder="no" allow="autoplay" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/soundcloud%253Atracks%253A2250642188&color=%2337669a&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&show_teaser=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/tmp-wbkb-highlights-v-smith" title="TMP WBKB Highlights v Smith Center Jan 19, 2026" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">TMP WBKB Highlights v Smith Center Jan 19, 2026</a></div></div>Hannah Rose led all scorers with a career-high 22 points. TMP will take on the Hoxie Indians in the semifinals Friday
afternoon at 3 p.m. in Plainville. The Indians defeated Norton Norton 56-40 on Monday
night.Oakley also advanced to the semifinals with a 76-33 win over
Plainville. They will play the winner of Phillipsburg and Trego. Those two
teams will play on Tuesday. <a href="https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/139bCfSuPy5Ja9BbjlFhSIBfsKwHTvTpLXpa5-h0nwaE/htmlview?fbclid=IwVERDUAPV-UtleHRuA2FlbQIxMABzcnRjBmFwcF9pZAwzNTA2ODU1MzE3MjgAAR5X3cUvGkatUgWdlyuYtmLy7GtI4Py_DtlVrdOy9h1pGHTUgDQ4oYwlejWHKA_aem_EwoJPejvyAinmKduQoCyJQ#gid=1745806453">MCL Tournament Brackets</a>.&nbsp;

🏀 Lady Monarchs take down Smith Center to advance to MCL semis

GIRLS Mid-Continent League Tournament Oakley 76, Plainville 33 TMP-Marian 47, Smith Center 31 Hoisington Winter Jam Ellinwood 54, Pratt 33 Minneapolis 57, Victoria 30 Northern Plains League Tournament Lincoln 44, Pike Valley 31 Osborne 51, Sylvan-Lucas 50 Rock Hills 54, Natoma 23

Wheatland-Grinnell 48, Northern Valley 34

BOYS Hoisington Winter Jam Pratt 71, Minneapolis 25 Victoria 60, Ellinwood 52&nbsp;&nbsp; Northern Plains League Tournament Osborne 45, Tescott 40 Pike Valley 58, Natoma 39 St. John's-Tipton 65, Lincoln 57 Sylvan-Lucas 54, Rock Hills 29

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/1/1768839911264.png" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>GIRLS Mid-Continent League Tournament Oakley 76, Plainville 33 TMP-Marian 47, Smith Center 31 Hoisington Winter Jam Ellinwood 54, Pratt 33 Minneapolis 57, Victoria 30 Northern Plains League Tournament Lincoln 44, Pike Valley 31 Osborne 51, Sylvan-Lucas 50 Rock Hills 54, Natoma 23Wheatland-Grinnell 48, Northern Valley 34BOYS Hoisington Winter Jam Pratt 71, Minneapolis 25 Victoria 60, Ellinwood 52&nbsp;&nbsp; Northern Plains League Tournament Osborne 45, Tescott 40 Pike Valley 58, Natoma 39 St. John's-Tipton 65, Lincoln 57 Sylvan-Lucas 54, Rock Hills 29