🎥🏀 Watch This Week's Tiger Talk

PHOENIX (AP) — Donna Kelce brought cookies to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/phoenix-suns-new-england-patriots-philadelphia-eagles-nfl-sports-a852e5186367a81c436033a556c0ce82">Super Bowl opening night</a>.

The mother of All-Pros Travis and Jason Kelce surprised her sons during an interview with NFL Network's Michael Irvin with two batches of cookies — one for each.

"It's just been amazing that they've both been able to get to this point in their careers and both enjoy the Super Bowl together," Donna Kelce said. “It's just so amazing.”

The Kelces are&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/super-bowl-kelce-vs-kelce-19a9a9ec7957b4647e48398a2d056acb">the first brothers to face each other in the Super Bowl</a>, Travis as a tight end for the Kansas City Chiefs, Jason as a center for the Philadelphia Eagles.

Donna and her husband, Ed, have mostly kept private over the years, but she's become a minor celebrity as she crisscrosses the country to watch her boys — often in a jersey with Travis’ front stitched to Jason’s back.

More than 150,000 fans signed a petition for the NFL to have her do the Super Bowl coin toss, but she said in a social media post that the NFL already had someone in place.

PHOENIX (AP) — Donna Kelce brought cookies to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/phoenix-suns-new-england-patriots-philadelphia-eagles-nfl-sports-a852e5186367a81c436033a556c0ce82">Super Bowl opening night</a>.The mother of All-Pros Travis and Jason Kelce surprised her sons during an interview with NFL Network's Michael Irvin with two batches of cookies — one for each."It's just been amazing that they've both been able to get to this point in their careers and both enjoy the Super Bowl together," Donna Kelce said. “It's just so amazing.”The Kelces are&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/super-bowl-kelce-vs-kelce-19a9a9ec7957b4647e48398a2d056acb">the first brothers to face each other in the Super Bowl</a>, Travis as a tight end for the Kansas City Chiefs, Jason as a center for the Philadelphia Eagles.Donna and her husband, Ed, have mostly kept private over the years, but she's become a minor celebrity as she crisscrosses the country to watch her boys — often in a jersey with Travis’ front stitched to Jason’s back.More than 150,000 fans signed a petition for the NFL to have her do the Super Bowl coin toss, but she said in a social media post that the NFL already had someone in place.

🏈 Donna Kelce brings cookies for sons at Super Bowl opener

GIRLS PREP BASKETBALL Centralia 47, Marysville 37 Clearwater 51, Wichita Trinity 36 Herington 54, Peabody-Burns 13 Northeast Christian Homeschool 62, Shawnee Mission Christian 34 Smith Center 70, Superior, Neb. 58 TMP-Marian 57, Hill City 28 Uniontown 40, Jayhawk Linn 32 Wallace County 64, Dighton 48 Wilson 34, Tescott 24

BOYS PREP BASKETBALL Cimarron 60, Otis-Bison 29 Dighton 68, Wallace County 48 Flint Hills Christian 69, Topeka Heritage Christian 32 Jayhawk Linn 39, Uniontown 36 La Crosse 64, Victoria 44 Marysville 62, Centralia 39 TMP-Marian 47, Hill City 30 Wilson 68, Tescott 47

GIRLS PREP BASKETBALL Centralia 47, Marysville 37 Clearwater 51, Wichita Trinity 36 Herington 54, Peabody-Burns 13 Northeast Christian Homeschool 62, Shawnee Mission Christian 34 Smith Center 70, Superior, Neb. 58 TMP-Marian 57, Hill City 28 Uniontown 40, Jayhawk Linn 32 Wallace County 64, Dighton 48 Wilson 34, Tescott 24BOYS PREP BASKETBALL Cimarron 60, Otis-Bison 29 Dighton 68, Wallace County 48 Flint Hills Christian 69, Topeka Heritage Christian 32 Jayhawk Linn 39, Uniontown 36 La Crosse 64, Victoria 44 Marysville 62, Centralia 39 TMP-Marian 47, Hill City 30 Wilson 68, Tescott 47

🏀 Monday's high school scores

By DAVE SKRETTA AP Sports Writer

LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Dajuan Harris Jr. was willing to acknowledge that Kansas was facing something rare when fifth-ranked and Big 12-leading Texas arrived at Allen Fieldhouse on Monday night: a must-win game.

The defending national champs played like it.

Gradey Dick scored 21 points, Harris had 17 points, six rebounds and five assists, and the ninth-ranked Jayhawks held on after blowing a 14-point first-half lead to beat the Longhorns 88-80 and tighten the league race.

Kevin McCullar Jr. added 16 points, Joseph Yesufu scored 14 off the bench and KJ Adams finished with 10, helping the Jayhawks (19-5, 7-4) overcome an off night from Jalen Wilson. The league's leading scorer at 21.5 points per game battled foul trouble and was held to just two, ending his streak of 25 straight double-figure games.

“We knew we had to come in here and get a win,” said Dick, who had the Jayhawks' only two 3-pointers. “The big thing, just in preparation for the week, was coming out with energy. When we do that, we're a scary team."

The Jayhawks needed everyone's help holding off the Longhorns' Marcus Carr.

The Minnesota transfer, who had a game-high 29 points, kept answering Kansas baskets down the stretch. His 3-pointer got the Longhorns within 77-68 with 2:25 left, three free throws made it 78-71 with 1:31 to go, and his three-point play got the Longhorns (19-5, 8-3) within 86-80 with 23.5 seconds remaining.

Texas quickly fouled Dick at the other end, and his free throw with 18 seconds left helped to put the game away.

“It was as close to a must-win as you could have this early in the season to win the league,” Kansas coach Bill Self said. “You go down three games with seven left, you’d have to win out and get a lot of help from others. Now, we still have as hard a schedule as everybody, but we can kind of control our own destiny where if we play well, we have a shot.”

Timmy Allen finished with 18 points for the Longhorns. Sir'Jabari Rice had 12 before fouling out.

“It was their night tonight in terms of what they got done,” Texas interim coach Rodney Terry said.

The Longhorns have made a habit of overcoming double-digit deficits: 18 down to beat TCU, 12 down to beat Texas Tech and 14 down to beat No. 12 Kansas State last Saturday in a game played just down the road.

So it wasn't that surprising when Texas dug another 14-point hole Monday night.

Just like the Longhorns did in Manhattan, though, they began to rally. Texas shook off 10 first-half turnovers to get within 42-35 by the break, then kept coming in the second half. Hunter hit a 3-pointer, Carr added a couple of buckets and it was 43-all when Self called a timeout to slow Texas' momentum.

Unlike the Horned Frogs, Red Raiders and Wildcats, the Jayhawks rose to the challenge.

McCullar's three-point play while they were clinging to a 49-48 lead gave them a boost, and Dick added a couple of free throws. But it was back-to-back buckets by Harris, who is known more as a distributor than as a scorer, that pushed the lead to 58-50 with about 12 minutes to go.

Texas closed within 66-60 but, after the Jayhawks pulled down two offensive boards, Dick hit another 3-pointer. And when Yesufu bookended a couple of free throws by Harris, the lead had stretched to 75-62 with 3 minutes to go.

The Jayhawks were able to fend off Carr and the Longhorns from there.

“Give those guys credit. They came in and played at a very high level,” Terry said, “and we knew that would be the case.”

The Jayhawks were missing several backups. Zack Clemence has a hurt knee, Bobby Pettiford Jr. is dealing with a hamstring injury and Zuby Ejiofor a foot injury. Kyle Cuffe Jr. (knee) and Cam Martin (shoulder) also were out.

“I thought the bench was great. As good as they've been all year,” Self said. “We had nine guys we could put in the game.”

Texas has struggled to get off to good starts this season, and it seemed the energy the Longhorns expended climbing back into Monday night's game was missing by the end. Carr tried to carry them but he needed more help.

Kansas got the production it needed from the bench. Yesufu provided the scoring pop but big man Ernest Udeh Jr. and guard MJ Rice, both seldom-used freshmen, also provided important minutes for the Jayhawks.

Texas heads home after its Sunflower State swing to play West Virginia on Saturday.

Kansas has a two-game trip next with Oklahoma on Saturday and Oklahoma State on Tuesday.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/2/1675768127868.png" alt="Kansas Jayhawk guard Joseph Yesufu (1) and forward Earnest Udeh, Jr. (23) celebrate following a basket in an NCAA basketball game vs. Texas in Lawrence, Kan., February 6, 2023. (Kansas Athletics photo)" />
 <figcaption>Kansas Jayhawk guard Joseph Yesufu (1) and forward Earnest Udeh, Jr. (23) celebrate following a basket in an NCAA basketball game vs. Texas in Lawrence, Kan., February 6, 2023. (Kansas Athletics photo)</figcaption>
 </figure>By DAVE SKRETTA AP Sports WriterLAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Dajuan Harris Jr. was willing to acknowledge that Kansas was facing something rare when fifth-ranked and Big 12-leading Texas arrived at Allen Fieldhouse on Monday night: a must-win game.The defending national champs played like it.Gradey Dick scored 21 points, Harris had 17 points, six rebounds and five assists, and the ninth-ranked Jayhawks held on after blowing a 14-point first-half lead to beat the Longhorns 88-80 and tighten the league race.Kevin McCullar Jr. added 16 points, Joseph Yesufu scored 14 off the bench and KJ Adams finished with 10, helping the Jayhawks (19-5, 7-4) overcome an off night from Jalen Wilson. The league's leading scorer at 21.5 points per game battled foul trouble and was held to just two, ending his streak of 25 straight double-figure games.“We knew we had to come in here and get a win,” said Dick, who had the Jayhawks' only two 3-pointers. “The big thing, just in preparation for the week, was coming out with energy. When we do that, we're a scary team."The Jayhawks needed everyone's help holding off the Longhorns' Marcus Carr.The Minnesota transfer, who had a game-high 29 points, kept answering Kansas baskets down the stretch. His 3-pointer got the Longhorns within 77-68 with 2:25 left, three free throws made it 78-71 with 1:31 to go, and his three-point play got the Longhorns (19-5, 8-3) within 86-80 with 23.5 seconds remaining.Texas quickly fouled Dick at the other end, and his free throw with 18 seconds left helped to put the game away.“It was as close to a must-win as you could have this early in the season to win the league,” Kansas coach Bill Self said. “You go down three games with seven left, you’d have to win out and get a lot of help from others. Now, we still have as hard a schedule as everybody, but we can kind of control our own destiny where if we play well, we have a shot.”Timmy Allen finished with 18 points for the Longhorns. Sir'Jabari Rice had 12 before fouling out.“It was their night tonight in terms of what they got done,” Texas interim coach Rodney Terry said.The Longhorns have made a habit of overcoming double-digit deficits: 18 down to beat TCU, 12 down to beat Texas Tech and 14 down to beat No. 12 Kansas State last Saturday in a game played just down the road.So it wasn't that surprising when Texas dug another 14-point hole Monday night.Just like the Longhorns did in Manhattan, though, they began to rally. Texas shook off 10 first-half turnovers to get within 42-35 by the break, then kept coming in the second half. Hunter hit a 3-pointer, Carr added a couple of buckets and it was 43-all when Self called a timeout to slow Texas' momentum.Unlike the Horned Frogs, Red Raiders and Wildcats, the Jayhawks rose to the challenge.McCullar's three-point play while they were clinging to a 49-48 lead gave them a boost, and Dick added a couple of free throws. But it was back-to-back buckets by Harris, who is known more as a distributor than as a scorer, that pushed the lead to 58-50 with about 12 minutes to go.Texas closed within 66-60 but, after the Jayhawks pulled down two offensive boards, Dick hit another 3-pointer. And when Yesufu bookended a couple of free throws by Harris, the lead had stretched to 75-62 with 3 minutes to go.The Jayhawks were able to fend off Carr and the Longhorns from there.“Give those guys credit. They came in and played at a very high level,” Terry said, “and we knew that would be the case.”BANGED-UP BIRDSThe Jayhawks were missing several backups. Zack Clemence has a hurt knee, Bobby Pettiford Jr. is dealing with a hamstring injury and Zuby Ejiofor a foot injury. Kyle Cuffe Jr. (knee) and Cam Martin (shoulder) also were out.“I thought the bench was great. As good as they've been all year,” Self said. “We had nine guys we could put in the game.”BIG PICTURETexas has struggled to get off to good starts this season, and it seemed the energy the Longhorns expended climbing back into Monday night's game was missing by the end. Carr tried to carry them but he needed more help.Kansas got the production it needed from the bench. Yesufu provided the scoring pop but big man Ernest Udeh Jr. and guard MJ Rice, both seldom-used freshmen, also provided important minutes for the Jayhawks.UP NEXTTexas heads home after its Sunflower State swing to play West Virginia on Saturday.Kansas has a two-game trip next with Oklahoma on Saturday and Oklahoma State on Tuesday.

🏀 No. 9 Kansas blows lead, then holds off No. 5 Texas

HILL CITY – The TMP-Marian Monarchs boys and girls
basketball teams earned a doubleheader sweep of Hill City Monday night in a
pair of makeup games originally scheduled for before the Christmas break.

GIRLS: TMP 57, Hill City 28 The TMP girls used a 15-3 first quarter run to build a
double-digit lead and cruised to a 57-28 win Monday.

Hill City’s Grace Bieker gave Hill City an early 3-2 lead on
a three-pointer but that was the only lead the Ringnecks were hold as they
Monarchs answered with a 15-3 run to end the first quarter for a 17-6 lead.

TMP’s Jaci VonLintel scored 10 of her game-high 20 points in
the first quarter and Brooke Koenigsman added six more in the quarter helping
TMP lead by 11 after the first quarter.

The Monarchs built a 15-point lead, at 25-10, midway through
the second quarter on their way to a 29-19 lead at halftime.

TMP lead by 20 after three quarter and then they outscored
Hill City 14-5 in the fourth quarter on their way to the 57-28 victory.

Jaci VonLintel led all scorers with 20 points and she
finished with 10 rebounds. Brooke Koenigsman added 13 points.

BOYS: TMP 47, Hill City 30 The TMP boys held Hill City to just four fourth quarter
points while outscoring the Ringnecks 16-4 on their way to a 47-30 victory in a
battle of ranked teams.

Hill City opened the game with an early 4-0 lead but TMP’s
Landon Rozean hit a pair of early three pointers tying the game at six. Rozean match
his career-high with 10 first half points.

With Hill City up 9-6 TMP scored six quick points for a 12-9
lead, but it was short-lived and the two teams entered the second quarter tied
at 13.

In the second quarter the Monarchs got a pair of three’s
from Joey Mindrup and Griffin Schumacher as they outscored Hill City 12-6 for a
25-19 halftime lead.

Hill City closed the gap to just three, at 27-24 in the
third quarter but the Monarchs closed the second half on a 20-6 run on their
way to a 47-30 victory, their 12th straight.

Dylan Werth scored eight of his game-high 19 points in the fourth
quarter. Luke Rome added all six of his points in the fourth.

The Monarchs return to MCL action Tuesday at Russell.

HILL CITY – The TMP-Marian Monarchs boys and girls
basketball teams earned a doubleheader sweep of Hill City Monday night in a
pair of makeup games originally scheduled for before the Christmas break.GIRLS: TMP 57, Hill City 28 The TMP girls used a 15-3 first quarter run to build a
double-digit lead and cruised to a 57-28 win Monday.<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/1441438018&color=%23294b71&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-814667509/02-06-23-tmp-girls-coach-int" title="02 - 06 - 23 TMP coach Rose McFarland" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">02 - 06 - 23 TMP coach Rose McFarland</a></div></div>Hill City’s Grace Bieker gave Hill City an early 3-2 lead on
a three-pointer but that was the only lead the Ringnecks were hold as they
Monarchs answered with a 15-3 run to end the first quarter for a 17-6 lead.TMP’s Jaci VonLintel scored 10 of her game-high 20 points in
the first quarter and Brooke Koenigsman added six more in the quarter helping
TMP lead by 11 after the first quarter.The Monarchs built a 15-point lead, at 25-10, midway through
the second quarter on their way to a 29-19 lead at halftime.TMP lead by 20 after three quarter and then they outscored
Hill City 14-5 in the fourth quarter on their way to the 57-28 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/1441436884&color=%23294b71&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-814667509/02-06-23-tmp-v-hill-city-girls-highlights" title="02 - 06 - 23 Tmp V Hill City Girls Highlights" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">02 - 06 - 23 Tmp V Hill City Girls Highlights</a></div></div>Jaci VonLintel led all scorers with 20 points and she
finished with 10 rebounds. Brooke Koenigsman added 13 points.BOYS: TMP 47, Hill City 30 The TMP boys held Hill City to just four fourth quarter
points while outscoring the Ringnecks 16-4 on their way to a 47-30 victory in a
battle of ranked teams.<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/1441438855&color=%23294b71&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-814667509/02-06-23-tmp-boys-coach-int" title="02 - 06 - 23 TMP coach Bill Meagher" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">02 - 06 - 23 TMP coach Bill Meagher</a></div></div>Hill City opened the game with an early 4-0 lead but TMP’s
Landon Rozean hit a pair of early three pointers tying the game at six. Rozean match
his career-high with 10 first half points.With Hill City up 9-6 TMP scored six quick points for a 12-9
lead, but it was short-lived and the two teams entered the second quarter tied
at 13.In the second quarter the Monarchs got a pair of three’s
from Joey Mindrup and Griffin Schumacher as they outscored Hill City 12-6 for a
25-19 halftime lead.Hill City closed the gap to just three, at 27-24 in the
third quarter but the Monarchs closed the second half on a 20-6 run on their
way to a 47-30 victory, their 12th straight.<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/1441438555&color=%23294b71&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-814667509/02-06-23-tmp-v-hill-city-boys-highlights" title="02 - 06 - 23 Tmp V Hill City Boys Highlights" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">02 - 06 - 23 Tmp V Hill City Boys Highlights</a></div></div>Dylan Werth scored eight of his game-high 19 points in the fourth
quarter. Luke Rome added all six of his points in the fourth.The Monarchs return to MCL action Tuesday at Russell.

🏀 TMP sweeps Hill City in MCL doubleheader.

The TMP-Marian Monarchs are on the road Monday for a Mid-Continent League matchup with Hill City.

The girls game is scheduled to tipoff at 6:00 p.m. with the boys to follow at approximately 7:30 p.m.

Our coverage begins at 5:40 p.m. with the Hertz Rental Car Pregame Show on 99.5 KHAZ.

Click the player below or click&nbsp;<a href="https://vcloud.blueframetech.com/broadcast/embed/521423">HERE</a>&nbsp;to view the game. You can also download the Team1Sports app for your phone or connected device, including smart TVs.

The TMP-Marian Monarchs are on the road Monday for a Mid-Continent League matchup with Hill City.The girls game is scheduled to tipoff at 6:00 p.m. with the boys to follow at approximately 7:30 p.m.Our coverage begins at 5:40 p.m. with the Hertz Rental Car Pregame Show on 99.5 KHAZ.Click the player below or click&nbsp;<a href="https://vcloud.blueframetech.com/broadcast/embed/521423">HERE</a>&nbsp;to view the game. You can also download the Team1Sports app for your phone or connected device, including smart TVs.<div><iframe src="https://vcloud.blueframetech.com/broadcast/embed/521423?autoplay=1" width="640" height="360" allow="fullscreen;" style="border:0;overflow:hidden;"></iframe></div>

🏀🎥 WATCH LIVE Thomas More Prep-Marian v Hill City

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Fort Hays State baseball sophomore&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/baseball/roster/elliott-herrmann/7260">Elliott Herrmann</a>&nbsp;has been named the first MIAA Hitter of the Week for the 2023 season, announced Monday by the league office. The Tiger first baseman was nearly impossible to retire at the plate during the opening series of the year, reaching base 13 times in 18 plate appearances for an on-base percentage of .722. Herrmann collected six hits, including two home runs and two doubles, while driving in eight RBI, scoring eight runs and slugging 1.273. Herrmann opened his Tiger career with a home run in his first at-bat of the season on Friday before recording another home run and a two-RBI double in the eighth inning of Saturday's FHSU victory. He did not record an error in the field, converting on all 28 chances at first base. Herrmann shared the honor with Newman's Jake Angelico. The Castle Rock, Colo. native is the first Tiger to earn MIAA Hitter of the Week honors since Garrett Stephens earned the award three years ago. The Tiger baseball team will head back out on the road next weekend to take on New Mexico Highlands in another four-game series Friday-Saturday (Feb. 10-11) in Las Vegas, N.M.&nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/2/1675717929887.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>FHSU AthleticsKANSAS CITY, Mo. - Fort Hays State baseball sophomore&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/baseball/roster/elliott-herrmann/7260">Elliott Herrmann</a>&nbsp;has been named the first MIAA Hitter of the Week for the 2023 season, announced Monday by the league office. The Tiger first baseman was nearly impossible to retire at the plate during the opening series of the year, reaching base 13 times in 18 plate appearances for an on-base percentage of .722. Herrmann collected six hits, including two home runs and two doubles, while driving in eight RBI, scoring eight runs and slugging 1.273. Herrmann opened his Tiger career with a home run in his first at-bat of the season on Friday before recording another home run and a two-RBI double in the eighth inning of Saturday's FHSU victory. He did not record an error in the field, converting on all 28 chances at first base. Herrmann shared the honor with Newman's Jake Angelico. The Castle Rock, Colo. native is the first Tiger to earn MIAA Hitter of the Week honors since Garrett Stephens earned the award three years ago. The Tiger baseball team will head back out on the road next weekend to take on New Mexico Highlands in another four-game series Friday-Saturday (Feb. 10-11) in Las Vegas, N.M.&nbsp;&nbsp;

⚾ FHSU's Herrmann named Co-MIAA Hitter of the Week

Tiger Talk with Fort Hays State women's basketball coach Tony Hobson and men's coach Mark Johnson.

Tiger Talk airs live from Big Smoke Barbecue at noon on KAYS (94.3/1400).

Tiger Talk with Fort Hays State women's basketball coach Tony Hobson and men's coach Mark Johnson.Tiger Talk airs live from Big Smoke Barbecue at noon on KAYS (94.3/1400).<div><iframe title="Tiger Talk (Feb. 6, 2023)" allowtransparency="true" height="150" width="100%" style="border: none; min-width: min(100%, 430px);" scrolling="no" data-name="pb-iframe-player" src="https://www.podbean.com/player-v2/?i=fsq4b-1383514-pb&from=pb6admin&share=1&download=1&rtl=0&fonts=Arial&skin=1&font-color=&logo_link=episode_page&btn-skin=2"></iframe></div>

🎧 Defend the Fort Podcast: Tiger Talk (Feb. 6, 2023)

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Zack Greinke can earn up to $15 million in his one-year contract to return to the Kansas City Royals.

The 2009 AL Cy Young Award winner rejoined the Royals last year for the first time since 2010 and went 4-9 with a 3.68 ERA in 26 starts and 137 innings. He had a $13 million salary last year and then became a free agent. His deal announced Friday includes an $8.5 million salary for this year.

If he pitches 135 innings, he would earn at least $13 million.

Greinke has $7.5 million in performance bonuses for innings. He would get $450,000 for 90 innings and each additional five innings through 135. He would get $300,000 for 140 innings and each additional five innings through 185.

The 39-year-old right-hander gets a full no-trade provision. He would get $100,000 for winning another Cy Young Award or winning an MVP award and he would get $50,000 for finishing second through fifth in the voting for either honor.

He would get $100,000 for World Series MVP and $50,000 each for League Championship Series MVP, a Gold Glove award or All-Star Game election or selection.

A six-time All-Star, Greinke allowed two runs or fewer in 17 of 26 starts last year.

He began his career in Kansas City as a first-round pick in the 2002 amateur draft. He made his big league debut two years later, beginning a 20-year career that has included time with the Brewers, Angels, Dodgers, Diamondbacks and Astros.

Greinke was later traded to Milwaukee in December 2010 for a package of players that helped to form the backbone of back-to-back American League pennant teams and the club that won the 2015 World Series.

Greinke twice helped the Astros to the World Series, pitched for the Brewers and Dodgers in the NL Championship Series and led the Diamondbacks to the playoffs.

He is first among active pitchers with 514 starts and 3,247 innings, and he’s second to Justin Verlander with 223 wins. Greinke is third in strikeouts (2,882) and has six Gold Gloves.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/8/1660256080548.jpeg" alt="Kansas City Royals pitcher Zack Greinke delivers to a Chicago White Sox batter during the first inning of a baseball game in Kansas City, Mo., Thursday, Aug. 11, 2022. (AP Photo/Colin E. Braley)" />
 <figcaption>Kansas City Royals pitcher Zack Greinke delivers to a Chicago White Sox batter during the first inning of a baseball game in Kansas City, Mo., Thursday, Aug. 11, 2022. (AP Photo/Colin E. Braley)</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Zack Greinke can earn up to $15 million in his one-year contract to return to the Kansas City Royals.The 2009 AL Cy Young Award winner rejoined the Royals last year for the first time since 2010 and went 4-9 with a 3.68 ERA in 26 starts and 137 innings. He had a $13 million salary last year and then became a free agent. His deal announced Friday includes an $8.5 million salary for this year.If he pitches 135 innings, he would earn at least $13 million.Greinke has $7.5 million in performance bonuses for innings. He would get $450,000 for 90 innings and each additional five innings through 135. He would get $300,000 for 140 innings and each additional five innings through 185.The 39-year-old right-hander gets a full no-trade provision. He would get $100,000 for winning another Cy Young Award or winning an MVP award and he would get $50,000 for finishing second through fifth in the voting for either honor.He would get $100,000 for World Series MVP and $50,000 each for League Championship Series MVP, a Gold Glove award or All-Star Game election or selection.A six-time All-Star, Greinke allowed two runs or fewer in 17 of 26 starts last year.He began his career in Kansas City as a first-round pick in the 2002 amateur draft. He made his big league debut two years later, beginning a 20-year career that has included time with the Brewers, Angels, Dodgers, Diamondbacks and Astros.Greinke was later traded to Milwaukee in December 2010 for a package of players that helped to form the backbone of back-to-back American League pennant teams and the club that won the 2015 World Series.Greinke twice helped the Astros to the World Series, pitched for the Brewers and Dodgers in the NL Championship Series and led the Diamondbacks to the playoffs.He is first among active pitchers with 514 starts and 3,247 innings, and he’s second to Justin Verlander with 223 wins. Greinke is third in strikeouts (2,882) and has six Gold Gloves.

⚾ Zack Greinke can earn $15M this year in deal with Royals

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Chiefs activated running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire from injured reserve Monday and placed wide receiver Mecole Hardman on the list for the second time as they finalize their roster for the Super Bowl.

Edwards-Helaire, a 2020 first-round pick, has been out since sustaining a high ankle sprain during a win over the Chargers on Nov. 20. He was designated to return on Jan. 17, opening a three-week window in which he could be activated.

Edwards-Helaire started the first six games of the season before ceding time to seventh-round pick Isiah Pacheco, who has become one of the Chiefs' breakout stars. Edwards-Helaire has run 71 times for 302 yards and three touchdowns and caught 17 passes for 151 yards and three more scores this season.

The emergence of Pacheco, along with veteran Jerick McKinnon, took pressure off the Chiefs to activate Edwards-Helaire before he was ready. Pacheco ran for 830 yards and five TDs during the regular season along with 121 combined rushing yards in playoff wins over Jacksonville and Cincinnati, while McKinnon scored 10 combined touchdowns in the regular season.

Hardman, who will be a free agent after the season, initially hurt his pelvis Nov. 6 during a game against the Titans. He was activated from IR on Jan. 4 but struggled to get healthy enough to appear in games, missing the Chiefs' regular-season finale against the Raiders and their divisional win over the Jaguars.

He finally suited up for the AFC title game against the Bengals, and he ran a couple of jet sweeps while catching two passes for 10 yards. It was while getting tackled on his second reception that Hardman reinjured the pelvis.

Hardman was among three wide receivers hurt in the game, forcing the Chiefs to use a patchwork group down the stretch.

JuJu Smith-Schuster had one catch for 7 yards before inflammation in his knee forced him to the sideline, and Kadarius Toney had one catch for 9 yards before spraining his ankle while attempting to make a cut.

Neither participated in practice last week before the team departed Sunday for Phoenix, though coach Andy Reid expressed optimism that they would be available for the Super Bowl.

The Chiefs also should get back wide receiver Justin Watson, who was inactive for the AFC title game because of an illness.

“(Smith-Schuster) is in a good place,” Reid said. “The main thing is that we let that calm down. And right now, it's doing great, so very optimistic right now. And his want-to is all in there. But we'll just see where it goes.”

By DAVE SKRETTA AP Sports WriterKANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Chiefs activated running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire from injured reserve Monday and placed wide receiver Mecole Hardman on the list for the second time as they finalize their roster for the Super Bowl.Edwards-Helaire, a 2020 first-round pick, has been out since sustaining a high ankle sprain during a win over the Chargers on Nov. 20. He was designated to return on Jan. 17, opening a three-week window in which he could be activated.Edwards-Helaire started the first six games of the season before ceding time to seventh-round pick Isiah Pacheco, who has become one of the Chiefs' breakout stars. Edwards-Helaire has run 71 times for 302 yards and three touchdowns and caught 17 passes for 151 yards and three more scores this season.The emergence of Pacheco, along with veteran Jerick McKinnon, took pressure off the Chiefs to activate Edwards-Helaire before he was ready. Pacheco ran for 830 yards and five TDs during the regular season along with 121 combined rushing yards in playoff wins over Jacksonville and Cincinnati, while McKinnon scored 10 combined touchdowns in the regular season.Hardman, who will be a free agent after the season, initially hurt his pelvis Nov. 6 during a game against the Titans. He was activated from IR on Jan. 4 but struggled to get healthy enough to appear in games, missing the Chiefs' regular-season finale against the Raiders and their divisional win over the Jaguars.He finally suited up for the AFC title game against the Bengals, and he ran a couple of jet sweeps while catching two passes for 10 yards. It was while getting tackled on his second reception that Hardman reinjured the pelvis.Hardman was among three wide receivers hurt in the game, forcing the Chiefs to use a patchwork group down the stretch.JuJu Smith-Schuster had one catch for 7 yards before inflammation in his knee forced him to the sideline, and Kadarius Toney had one catch for 9 yards before spraining his ankle while attempting to make a cut.Neither participated in practice last week before the team departed Sunday for Phoenix, though coach Andy Reid expressed optimism that they would be available for the Super Bowl.The Chiefs also should get back wide receiver Justin Watson, who was inactive for the AFC title game because of an illness.“(Smith-Schuster) is in a good place,” Reid said. “The main thing is that we let that calm down. And right now, it's doing great, so very optimistic right now. And his want-to is all in there. But we'll just see where it goes.”

🏈 Chiefs activate RB Edwards-Helaire off IR for Super Bowl

By DAVE BRANDT AP Sports Writer

PHOENIX (AP) — A few minutes after the Kansas City Chiefs and quarterback Patrick Mahomes landed in Phoenix, the pilot hung a “Chiefs Kingdom” flag out of the window as players, coaches and staff got off the plane and walked across the runway.

About an hour later, it was the Philadelphia Eagles who arrived in Arizona, with an “It's a Philly Thing” flag fluttering in the runway as quarterback Jalen Hurts, coach Nick Sirianni and others made their way to a fleet of buses.

The Chiefs will face the Eagles on Feb. 12 in Glendale, Arizona.

Both teams landed at Goldwater Air National Guard Base in ideal Phoenix winter weather — bright sunshine and temperatures in the low 70s. Team personnel occasionally stopped to take pictures and videos on the runway.

Former Chiefs star Christian Okoye was on hand to pass out hats to Kansas City's players as they got off the plane. The former star running back lives in Southern California and made the short trip to Phoenix.

“They called me and wanted me to come over here and welcome the team,” Okoye said. “So I said ‘Yes, of course' — my team's over here getting ready to win the Super Bowl.”

Oddsmakers are expecting a good game, though they disagree with Okoye and are giving the Eagles a slight edge. Philadelphia opened as a 1 1/2-point favorite,&nbsp;<a href="https://sportsbook.fanduel.com/navigation/nfl">according to FanDuel Sportsbook</a>.

The Chiefs advanced to their third Super Bowl in four seasons when Harrison Butker made a 45-yard field goal with 3 seconds left to push Kansas City past the Cincinnati Bengals 23-20 in the AFC championship game last weekend.

The Eagles routed the San Francisco 49ers 31-7 in the NFC title game. They’ve looked dominant in the playoffs so far, also beating the New York Giants 38-7 in the divisional round.

Philadelphia is back in the Super Bowl five years after beating the New England Patriots 41-33.

Now a mostly new generation of Eagles — led by Hurts and Sirianni — will come to Arizona to try and win another title.

The teams will both take part in the “Super Bowl LVII Opening Night” on Monday in downtown Phoenix, where all the players and coaches from both teams are available for the annual media extravaganza.

Then it's down to business. The Chiefs will practice throughout the week at Arizona State's football facilities while the Eagles will do their preparation at the Arizona Cardinals' practice facility.

There are no shortage of storylines: Kansas City coach Andy Reid goes against his former team — which he led to Super Bowl 39 — in a game that’s also&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/superbowl-black-quarterbacks-faceoff-1ac07534cd91fd06c70424ec3b1ce7cf">the first matchup of Black starting quarterbacks</a>&nbsp;in the Super Bowl with Mahomes and Hurts.

There’s also a brother-against-brother showdown between Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce and Philadelphia center Jason Kelce.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/2/1675680634233.jpeg" alt="Former Kansas City Chiefs running back Christian Okoye greets the team as they arrive in Phoenix Sunday, Feb. 5, 2023 in preparation for Super Bowl XVII. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)" />
 <figcaption>Former Kansas City Chiefs running back Christian Okoye greets the team as they arrive in Phoenix Sunday, Feb. 5, 2023 in preparation for Super Bowl XVII. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)</figcaption>
 </figure>By DAVE BRANDT AP Sports WriterPHOENIX (AP) — A few minutes after the Kansas City Chiefs and quarterback Patrick Mahomes landed in Phoenix, the pilot hung a “Chiefs Kingdom” flag out of the window as players, coaches and staff got off the plane and walked across the runway.About an hour later, it was the Philadelphia Eagles who arrived in Arizona, with an “It's a Philly Thing” flag fluttering in the runway as quarterback Jalen Hurts, coach Nick Sirianni and others made their way to a fleet of buses.Super Bowl 57 is just one week away.The Chiefs will face the Eagles on Feb. 12 in Glendale, Arizona.Both teams landed at Goldwater Air National Guard Base in ideal Phoenix winter weather — bright sunshine and temperatures in the low 70s. Team personnel occasionally stopped to take pictures and videos on the runway.Former Chiefs star Christian Okoye was on hand to pass out hats to Kansas City's players as they got off the plane. The former star running back lives in Southern California and made the short trip to Phoenix.“They called me and wanted me to come over here and welcome the team,” Okoye said. “So I said ‘Yes, of course' — my team's over here getting ready to win the Super Bowl.”Oddsmakers are expecting a good game, though they disagree with Okoye and are giving the Eagles a slight edge. Philadelphia opened as a 1 1/2-point favorite,&nbsp;<a href="https://sportsbook.fanduel.com/navigation/nfl">according to FanDuel Sportsbook</a>.The Chiefs advanced to their third Super Bowl in four seasons when Harrison Butker made a 45-yard field goal with 3 seconds left to push Kansas City past the Cincinnati Bengals 23-20 in the AFC championship game last weekend.The Eagles routed the San Francisco 49ers 31-7 in the NFC title game. They’ve looked dominant in the playoffs so far, also beating the New York Giants 38-7 in the divisional round.Philadelphia is back in the Super Bowl five years after beating the New England Patriots 41-33.Now a mostly new generation of Eagles — led by Hurts and Sirianni — will come to Arizona to try and win another title.The teams will both take part in the “Super Bowl LVII Opening Night” on Monday in downtown Phoenix, where all the players and coaches from both teams are available for the annual media extravaganza.Then it's down to business. The Chiefs will practice throughout the week at Arizona State's football facilities while the Eagles will do their preparation at the Arizona Cardinals' practice facility.There are no shortage of storylines: Kansas City coach Andy Reid goes against his former team — which he led to Super Bowl 39 — in a game that’s also&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/superbowl-black-quarterbacks-faceoff-1ac07534cd91fd06c70424ec3b1ce7cf">the first matchup of Black starting quarterbacks</a>&nbsp;in the Super Bowl with Mahomes and Hurts.There’s also a brother-against-brother showdown between Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce and Philadelphia center Jason Kelce.

🏈 Chiefs, Eagles land in Phoenix, prepare for Super Bowl 57

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Clark Hunt proudly held aloft the AFC championship trophy bearing his father's name, the one signifying that his Kansas City Chiefs were headed back to the Super Bowl for the third time in four years, and reflected that not so long ago, success seemed elusive.

It had been 50 years between Super Bowl trips when Chiefs coach Andy Reid and quarterback Patrick Mahomes led them back the NFL's apex in 2020 — five full decades of heartbreak, disappointment and oftentimes despair.

The always-pragmatic Hunt uses the stretch in football's wilderness to keep the current ride in perspective.

“I don't know that it gets better,” Hunt said this week, "but we do know not to take it for granted. One of the things about going 50 years between Super Bowls is it teaches you how to appreciate it. You know, certainly over the last five years, we've been blessed playing in five straight AFC championship games, all here at home, and the three Super Bowls you mentioned.

“It's special, but we're not going to take it for granted,” he said.

Nor does his counterpart, Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie, who purchased the franchise in the 1990s and lost four conference title games and a Super Bowl before finally winning his first Lombardi Trophy. The Eagles reached two more playoffs before sliding to a 4-11-1 record two years ago.

Most of those years of excruciating letdowns came while Reid was the coach, which only adds to the subplots in the Feb. 12 Super Bowl in Glendale, Arizona.

“Jeffrey is a phenomenal owner,” said Reid, whose affinity for the man who gave him a chance to be a head coach was hardly harmed by Lurie firing him. “He did a great job for me, my family, everything.”

In truth, both owners have done well for their franchises and their cities.

Hunt had unimaginably large shoes to fill when his father, Texas businessman Lamar Hunt, died in 2006. The elder Hunt remains a beloved figure in Kansas City. He helped found the AFL, established the Chiefs and even coined the term “Super Bowl.” He also was one of the key figures in the creation of Major League Soccer.

Clark Hunt made plenty of missteps early, including a series of coaches and general managers that he hired with great fanfare but produced little results. Slowly, steadily and often behind the scenes, Hunt was becoming one of the NFL's most respected owners, sitting on important committees and even helping to end the 2011 lockout.

Two years later, Hunt changed the Chiefs' entire trajectory with a trip to Philadelphia.

Reid had just been fired when Hunt, who had just fired Romeo Crennel, picked up the phone and set up a meeting. The interview came Jan. 2, 2013, in a conference room in a Philadelphia-area airport, where a plane sent by the Cardinals to ferry Reid to Arizona for another interview was waiting on the tarmac.

Hunt proved two things that day: He was an astute businessman and exceptional salesman. The owner convinced Reid they could build a winner in Kansas City — he never did get on that other plane. Over the past decade, they have done just that: seven straight AFC West titles, four conference titles and, they hope, a second Lombardi Trophy.

“Internally we had high expectations,” Hunt said, "but if you listen to much of the national media, you know, you would've thought that we had no chance this season. I remember Andy commenting in response to a questions that, ‘We’re not going to be too bad ourselves,' because people were talking about these other teams in the AFC West.

“Obviously, really, the credit goes to Andy and the coaching staff.”

In Philadelphia, Reid's firing gave way to ultra-successful college coach Chip Kelly taking the reins. When that experiment failed, Lurie, a movie producer, plucked away Reid's offensive coordinator, Doug Pederson. Within two years, Pederson had done what Reid could not: win the Super Bowl.

Pederson went to two more playoffs before things fell apart. He was fired, too. Lurie's off-the-radar replacement was Nick Sirianni, then the offensive coordinator of the Colts.

If Hunt's hiring of Reid underscored his salesmanship and business acumen, Lurie's decision highlighted his keen eye for talent and willingness to take a gamble.

The Eagles lost in in the wild-card round in Sirianni's first season, and in his second, they are back in the big game.

“I can't overestimate the value of the coaches,” Lurie said. “Nick is outstanding — smart, connects with everybody, cares, is passionate. And at the same time, his staff is outstanding. They are all similar age, they are young, they get along great. You have to have a great culture of a coaching staff. He has that.”

Yet it's Lurie who has established a culture of success within the Eagles organization. Just like Hunt has done with the Chiefs.

“I’ve been out to eat with him a few times. I talk to him when he’s around the building because he’s here a lot," Eagles tight end Dallas Goedert said of Lurie. “Just really thankful for him and everything he gives the team so we can be as successful as we have been. He fits right along with the Philadelphia culture. He knows how important Eagles football is to the city.”

By DAVE SKRETTA AP Sports WriterKANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Clark Hunt proudly held aloft the AFC championship trophy bearing his father's name, the one signifying that his Kansas City Chiefs were headed back to the Super Bowl for the third time in four years, and reflected that not so long ago, success seemed elusive.It had been 50 years between Super Bowl trips when Chiefs coach Andy Reid and quarterback Patrick Mahomes led them back the NFL's apex in 2020 — five full decades of heartbreak, disappointment and oftentimes despair.The always-pragmatic Hunt uses the stretch in football's wilderness to keep the current ride in perspective.“I don't know that it gets better,” Hunt said this week, "but we do know not to take it for granted. One of the things about going 50 years between Super Bowls is it teaches you how to appreciate it. You know, certainly over the last five years, we've been blessed playing in five straight AFC championship games, all here at home, and the three Super Bowls you mentioned.“It's special, but we're not going to take it for granted,” he said.Nor does his counterpart, Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie, who purchased the franchise in the 1990s and lost four conference title games and a Super Bowl before finally winning his first Lombardi Trophy. The Eagles reached two more playoffs before sliding to a 4-11-1 record two years ago.Most of those years of excruciating letdowns came while Reid was the coach, which only adds to the subplots in the Feb. 12 Super Bowl in Glendale, Arizona.“Jeffrey is a phenomenal owner,” said Reid, whose affinity for the man who gave him a chance to be a head coach was hardly harmed by Lurie firing him. “He did a great job for me, my family, everything.”In truth, both owners have done well for their franchises and their cities.Hunt had unimaginably large shoes to fill when his father, Texas businessman Lamar Hunt, died in 2006. The elder Hunt remains a beloved figure in Kansas City. He helped found the AFL, established the Chiefs and even coined the term “Super Bowl.” He also was one of the key figures in the creation of Major League Soccer.Clark Hunt made plenty of missteps early, including a series of coaches and general managers that he hired with great fanfare but produced little results. Slowly, steadily and often behind the scenes, Hunt was becoming one of the NFL's most respected owners, sitting on important committees and even helping to end the 2011 lockout.Two years later, Hunt changed the Chiefs' entire trajectory with a trip to Philadelphia.Reid had just been fired when Hunt, who had just fired Romeo Crennel, picked up the phone and set up a meeting. The interview came Jan. 2, 2013, in a conference room in a Philadelphia-area airport, where a plane sent by the Cardinals to ferry Reid to Arizona for another interview was waiting on the tarmac.Hunt proved two things that day: He was an astute businessman and exceptional salesman. The owner convinced Reid they could build a winner in Kansas City — he never did get on that other plane. Over the past decade, they have done just that: seven straight AFC West titles, four conference titles and, they hope, a second Lombardi Trophy.“Internally we had high expectations,” Hunt said, "but if you listen to much of the national media, you know, you would've thought that we had no chance this season. I remember Andy commenting in response to a questions that, ‘We’re not going to be too bad ourselves,' because people were talking about these other teams in the AFC West.“Obviously, really, the credit goes to Andy and the coaching staff.”Along with the owner.In Philadelphia, Reid's firing gave way to ultra-successful college coach Chip Kelly taking the reins. When that experiment failed, Lurie, a movie producer, plucked away Reid's offensive coordinator, Doug Pederson. Within two years, Pederson had done what Reid could not: win the Super Bowl.Pederson went to two more playoffs before things fell apart. He was fired, too. Lurie's off-the-radar replacement was Nick Sirianni, then the offensive coordinator of the Colts.If Hunt's hiring of Reid underscored his salesmanship and business acumen, Lurie's decision highlighted his keen eye for talent and willingness to take a gamble.The Eagles lost in in the wild-card round in Sirianni's first season, and in his second, they are back in the big game.“I can't overestimate the value of the coaches,” Lurie said. “Nick is outstanding — smart, connects with everybody, cares, is passionate. And at the same time, his staff is outstanding. They are all similar age, they are young, they get along great. You have to have a great culture of a coaching staff. He has that.”Yet it's Lurie who has established a culture of success within the Eagles organization. Just like Hunt has done with the Chiefs.“I’ve been out to eat with him a few times. I talk to him when he’s around the building because he’s here a lot," Eagles tight end Dallas Goedert said of Lurie. “Just really thankful for him and everything he gives the team so we can be as successful as we have been. He fits right along with the Philadelphia culture. He knows how important Eagles football is to the city.”

🏈 Chiefs' Hunt, Eagles' Lurie behind Super Bowl-winning teams

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Chiefs are built around their half-billion dollar All-Pro quarterback, and for the past five years, Super Bowl-bound Patrick Mahomes has made everyone else around him all the more valuable.

He's taken marginal wide receivers and turned them into stars. Mediocre offensive linemen became stalwarts.

Finishing the second year of his mammoth 10-year contract, Mahomes soaks up more than a fifth of the Kansas City salary cap, and some would argue he's still underpaid. Yet the deal nevertheless creates a challenge in filling out the roster around him, and it's one that Chiefs general manager Brett Veach confronted with savvy business and creativity.

Their prime rusher is a seventh-round pick. Their touchdowns leader is a journeyman running back making $1,272,500 this season, while none of their wide receivers is making $5 million. Their top tackler is still on his paltry rookie deal.

“I would start with Brett and the way that he and his guys have gone about putting this thing together,” Chiefs coach Andy Reid said, while also pointing to the latitude given to him by chairman Clark Hunt and team president Mark Donovan.

“They're all part of that, giving us the opportunity to do what Brett can do by bringing these guys in,” Reid said. “But the process he goes through, he's relentless. He's committed. He's got a great eye for talent. He's fearless when it comes to the trades and drafts and all those things. It's been fun for me to watch."

Reid used to hold both titles of coach and general manager when he was with the Philadelphia Eagles, Kansas City's opponent in the Super Bowl next weekend. But when he took over the Chiefs in 2013, he decided to step away from front-office work and focus solely on his first love: coaching.

The decision to draft Mahomes four years later got his blessing, of course, and it was then-GM John Dorsey who had the final say. But it was Veach, then the co-director of player personnel, who stood on the table and stumped for him.

Veach took over as general manager the following year and began putting his thumbprint on the rest of the team.

He invested heavily in defense, particularly when it comes to rushing the passer, and made sure veteran safeties could back up young cornerbacks acquired through the draft. On offense, he rebuilt the entire offensive line through free agency and the draft, then spread money around the skill positions without investing too heavily in any one player.

That led to Veach's biggest decision since drafting Mahomes: trading Tyreek Hill to the Dolphins.

Veach could have given the All-Pro wide receiver a massive contract extension last offseason, but doing so would have hamstrung the team for years to come. So, Veach sent him to the Dolphins for draft picks and financial flexibility.

He used both to build a team that is heading back to the Super Bowl.

“I think it’s a confirmation that we have confidence in our process,” Veach said. "It just goes to show that I have a really talented staff and I think the hard work pays off. We have a process and we’re always going to be motivated to continue to add talent and depth to this roster and provide Coach and Pat what they need.”

The Chiefs had to replenish at wide receiver after trading Hill and losing Byron Pringle and Demarcus Robinson in free agency. They signed JuJu Smith-Schuster to a one-year prove-it deal, Marquez Valdes-Scantling to a three-year contract and drafted Skyy Moore, who does many of the same jet sweeps that made Hill such a defensive terror.

Having tight end Travis Kelce, every bit as dangerous as the best wide receivers, helps the cause.

The Chiefs rebuilt their offensive line the previous year, and it returned largely intact, so the other focus was on the ground game. The Chiefs took a flier on running back Isiah Pacheco in the seventh round, and by the midpoint of the season, he had supplanted injury-prone former first-round pick Clyde Edwards-Helaire atop the depth chart.

Besides the quarterback, the biggest contract on the books belongs to Chris Jones. And like Mahomes, there's an argument to be made that the big defensive tackle, with 15 1/2 sacks this season, has vastly outperformed it.

Veach knows the value in pressuring the quarterback, though. It's why the Chiefs traded for Frank Clark and gave him a big contract, signed veteran Carlos Dunlap this past offseason and used a first-round pick on George Karlaftis.

The Chiefs had to replace Tyrann Mathieu's leadership on the back end of the defense, so they signed safety Justin Reid in free agency. Little did Reid know that he'd spend all season tutoring a quartet of rookie defensive backs — Trent McDuffie, Jaylen Watson, Joshua Williams and Bryan Cook — who came up huge in the AFC title game against the Bengals.

Harrison Butker has been one of the league's best kickers going on six years, but an ankle injury sustained in the opener led to a shaky season. He came back to drive through the winning field goal in the final seconds against Cincinnati.

Tommy Townsend merely earned All-Pro honors while setting several franchise milestones for punting this season.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/2/1675548717745.jpeg" alt="Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, left, and teammate quarterback Patrick Mahomes celebrate after the NFL AFC Championship playoff football game against the Cincinnati Bengals, Sunday, Jan. 29, 2023, in Kansas City, Mo. The Chiefs won 23-20. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)." />
 <figcaption>Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, left, and teammate quarterback Patrick Mahomes celebrate after the NFL AFC Championship playoff football game against the Cincinnati Bengals, Sunday, Jan. 29, 2023, in Kansas City, Mo. The Chiefs won 23-20. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel).</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Chiefs are built around their half-billion dollar All-Pro quarterback, and for the past five years, Super Bowl-bound Patrick Mahomes has made everyone else around him all the more valuable.He's taken marginal wide receivers and turned them into stars. Mediocre offensive linemen became stalwarts.Finishing the second year of his mammoth 10-year contract, Mahomes soaks up more than a fifth of the Kansas City salary cap, and some would argue he's still underpaid. Yet the deal nevertheless creates a challenge in filling out the roster around him, and it's one that Chiefs general manager Brett Veach confronted with savvy business and creativity.Their prime rusher is a seventh-round pick. Their touchdowns leader is a journeyman running back making $1,272,500 this season, while none of their wide receivers is making $5 million. Their top tackler is still on his paltry rookie deal.“I would start with Brett and the way that he and his guys have gone about putting this thing together,” Chiefs coach Andy Reid said, while also pointing to the latitude given to him by chairman Clark Hunt and team president Mark Donovan.“They're all part of that, giving us the opportunity to do what Brett can do by bringing these guys in,” Reid said. “But the process he goes through, he's relentless. He's committed. He's got a great eye for talent. He's fearless when it comes to the trades and drafts and all those things. It's been fun for me to watch."Reid used to hold both titles of coach and general manager when he was with the Philadelphia Eagles, Kansas City's opponent in the Super Bowl next weekend. But when he took over the Chiefs in 2013, he decided to step away from front-office work and focus solely on his first love: coaching.The decision to draft Mahomes four years later got his blessing, of course, and it was then-GM John Dorsey who had the final say. But it was Veach, then the co-director of player personnel, who stood on the table and stumped for him.Veach took over as general manager the following year and began putting his thumbprint on the rest of the team.He invested heavily in defense, particularly when it comes to rushing the passer, and made sure veteran safeties could back up young cornerbacks acquired through the draft. On offense, he rebuilt the entire offensive line through free agency and the draft, then spread money around the skill positions without investing too heavily in any one player.That led to Veach's biggest decision since drafting Mahomes: trading Tyreek Hill to the Dolphins.Veach could have given the All-Pro wide receiver a massive contract extension last offseason, but doing so would have hamstrung the team for years to come. So, Veach sent him to the Dolphins for draft picks and financial flexibility.He used both to build a team that is heading back to the Super Bowl.“I think it’s a confirmation that we have confidence in our process,” Veach said. "It just goes to show that I have a really talented staff and I think the hard work pays off. We have a process and we’re always going to be motivated to continue to add talent and depth to this roster and provide Coach and Pat what they need.”OFFENSEThe Chiefs had to replenish at wide receiver after trading Hill and losing Byron Pringle and Demarcus Robinson in free agency. They signed JuJu Smith-Schuster to a one-year prove-it deal, Marquez Valdes-Scantling to a three-year contract and drafted Skyy Moore, who does many of the same jet sweeps that made Hill such a defensive terror.Having tight end Travis Kelce, every bit as dangerous as the best wide receivers, helps the cause.The Chiefs rebuilt their offensive line the previous year, and it returned largely intact, so the other focus was on the ground game. The Chiefs took a flier on running back Isiah Pacheco in the seventh round, and by the midpoint of the season, he had supplanted injury-prone former first-round pick Clyde Edwards-Helaire atop the depth chart.DEFENSEBesides the quarterback, the biggest contract on the books belongs to Chris Jones. And like Mahomes, there's an argument to be made that the big defensive tackle, with 15 1/2 sacks this season, has vastly outperformed it.Veach knows the value in pressuring the quarterback, though. It's why the Chiefs traded for Frank Clark and gave him a big contract, signed veteran Carlos Dunlap this past offseason and used a first-round pick on George Karlaftis.The Chiefs had to replace Tyrann Mathieu's leadership on the back end of the defense, so they signed safety Justin Reid in free agency. Little did Reid know that he'd spend all season tutoring a quartet of rookie defensive backs — Trent McDuffie, Jaylen Watson, Joshua Williams and Bryan Cook — who came up huge in the AFC title game against the Bengals.SPECIAL TEAMSHarrison Butker has been one of the league's best kickers going on six years, but an ankle injury sustained in the opener led to a shaky season. He came back to drive through the winning field goal in the final seconds against Cincinnati.Tommy Townsend merely earned All-Pro honors while setting several franchise milestones for punting this season.

🏈 Super Bowl-bound Chiefs are built around Patrick Mahomes

EDMOND, Okla. – Fort Hays State fell by a score of 66-51 at No. 6/4 ranked Central Oklahoma on Saturday at Hamilton Field House. The Tigers had an uncharacteristic rash of turnovers, committing a season-high 21, which proved too much to overcome. The Tigers are now 15-8 overall, 10-7 in the MIAA, while the Bronchos moved to 21-2 overall, 15-2 in the MIAA. Ball security was a problem for the Tigers early on, especially in a possession-style game between two of the top defenses in NCAA Division II. FHSU committed 14 first-half turnovers, more than the 11.4 it averaged per game entering Saturday. However, the Tigers were able to force the Bronchos into 10 turnovers in the first half for a combined 24 between the teams. UCO held a 29-23 lead at halftime, courtesy of its six-point advantage in points off turnovers. Both teams shot below 40 percent in the opening frame.

The Bronchos opened the second half with a 5-0 run to get their lead out to 11. The teams traded scores on the next few possessions before UCO used a 7-0 burst to get the lead to 15 with just under 16 minutes to play. For the final 17:40 of the game, the Tigers could never cut the Broncho lead back inside 10 points even though the Bronchos never led by more than 16. UCO heated up in the second half, shooting 54.2 percent from the field to get to 46 percent overall for the game. The Tigers were a smidge north of 40 percent in the second half and finished at 37.8 percent for the game. FHSU finished with 21 turnovers for the game, compared to 15 for UCO. The teams were even in rebounds, both with 31. The Bronchos scored 66 for the second time this season against the Tigers, only this time the Tigers scored 10 less points than they did at home in December. The Tigers did not have any players reach double figures in scoring for the first time this season.&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/bjarni-jonsson/6901">Bjarni Jonsson</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/traejon-davis/6896">Traejon Davis</a>, and&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/gilbert-peters/6903">Gilbert Peters</a>&nbsp;all had nine to lead the Tigers. Jonsson scored all of his points on three 3-point field goals, while Davis had a pair of field goals and five free throws, and Peters had four field goals and a free throw. Peters led the Tigers in rebounds with six, while Jonsson provided a team-best three assists.

Jaden Wells led the Bronchos with 22 points, which included four 3-point field goals. Curtis Haywood II had 16 and Danquez Dawsey finished with 11. Wells led the Bronchos in rebounds with nine, while Haywood dished out six assists. The Tigers look to bounce back on Thursday (Feb. 9) at home when they host Lincoln. The Tigers will be seeking a season sweep of the Blue Tigers, which now sit at 15-5 overall and 11-5 in the MIAA.&nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/2/1675574478732.jpeg" alt="Fort Hays State forward Bjarni Jonsson (4) makes a move in a game earlier this season in Hays, Kan. (FHSU Athletics photo/Nicole Heitmann)" />
 <figcaption>Fort Hays State forward Bjarni Jonsson (4) makes a move in a game earlier this season in Hays, Kan. (FHSU Athletics photo/Nicole Heitmann)</figcaption>
 </figure>FHSU AthleticsEDMOND, Okla. – Fort Hays State fell by a score of 66-51 at No. 6/4 ranked Central Oklahoma on Saturday at Hamilton Field House. The Tigers had an uncharacteristic rash of turnovers, committing a season-high 21, which proved too much to overcome. The Tigers are now 15-8 overall, 10-7 in the MIAA, while the Bronchos moved to 21-2 overall, 15-2 in the MIAA. Ball security was a problem for the Tigers early on, especially in a possession-style game between two of the top defenses in NCAA Division II. FHSU committed 14 first-half turnovers, more than the 11.4 it averaged per game entering Saturday. However, the Tigers were able to force the Bronchos into 10 turnovers in the first half for a combined 24 between the teams. UCO held a 29-23 lead at halftime, courtesy of its six-point advantage in points off turnovers. Both teams shot below 40 percent in the opening frame.<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/1439944927&color=%23ff5500&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-814667509/2-4-23-mbkb-fhsu-coach-int" title="Mark Johnson Postgame at #6 Central Oklahoma (Feb. 4, 2023)" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Mark Johnson Postgame at #6 Central Oklahoma (Feb. 4, 2023)</a></div></div>The Bronchos opened the second half with a 5-0 run to get their lead out to 11. The teams traded scores on the next few possessions before UCO used a 7-0 burst to get the lead to 15 with just under 16 minutes to play. For the final 17:40 of the game, the Tigers could never cut the Broncho lead back inside 10 points even though the Bronchos never led by more than 16. UCO heated up in the second half, shooting 54.2 percent from the field to get to 46 percent overall for the game. The Tigers were a smidge north of 40 percent in the second half and finished at 37.8 percent for the game. FHSU finished with 21 turnovers for the game, compared to 15 for UCO. The teams were even in rebounds, both with 31. The Bronchos scored 66 for the second time this season against the Tigers, only this time the Tigers scored 10 less points than they did at home in December. The Tigers did not have any players reach double figures in scoring for the first time this season.&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/bjarni-jonsson/6901">Bjarni Jonsson</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/traejon-davis/6896">Traejon Davis</a>, and&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/gilbert-peters/6903">Gilbert Peters</a>&nbsp;all had nine to lead the Tigers. Jonsson scored all of his points on three 3-point field goals, while Davis had a pair of field goals and five free throws, and Peters had four field goals and a free throw. Peters led the Tigers in rebounds with six, while Jonsson provided a team-best three assists.<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/1439948218&color=%23ff5500&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-814667509/2-4-23-mbkb-fhsu-v-cent-ok-hilights" title="Fort Hays State MBB Highlights at #6 Central Oklahoma )Feb. 4, 2023)" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Fort Hays State MBB Highlights at #6 Central Oklahoma )Feb. 4, 2023)</a></div></div>Jaden Wells led the Bronchos with 22 points, which included four 3-point field goals. Curtis Haywood II had 16 and Danquez Dawsey finished with 11. Wells led the Bronchos in rebounds with nine, while Haywood dished out six assists. The Tigers look to bounce back on Thursday (Feb. 9) at home when they host Lincoln. The Tigers will be seeking a season sweep of the Blue Tigers, which now sit at 15-5 overall and 11-5 in the MIAA.&nbsp;&nbsp;

🏀 Turnovers costly in Tigers loss at No. 6 Central Oklahoma

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo.&nbsp;– The Fort Hays State baseball team split the second double header of their series with Adams State on Saturday. Day two held a similar pattern as day one did offensively for both teams as they combined for 42 runs across both contests. After a tough loss in game one, the Tigers used a massive rally to claim the second game and clinch a series split. Game 1 - Adams State 9, Fort Hays State 7 The Tigers fell behind early in the opener before putting together a big rally in the top of the third. Trailing 3-0, Fort Hays State used patience at the plate and some small ball to plate six runs. The Tigers took advantage of four walks and one Grizzly error in the inning, ultimately sending 11 men to the plate. The first run came in on a wild pitch before&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/baseball/roster/mikey-felton/6810">Mikey Felton</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/baseball/roster/ridge-stephens/6828">Ridge Stephens</a>&nbsp;worked bases-loaded walks to tie the score.&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/baseball/roster/ed-scott/6827">Ed Scott</a>&nbsp;gave the Tigers the lead with a two-RBI single to left center before another run came in on a booted ground ball by the ASU shortstop. The lead would be short-lived, however, with Adams State responding with three runs in the home half of the inning. The Tigers went back on top, 7-6, in the top of the fifth after Scott worked a one-out walk. The senior later came in to score on an RBI double into the right-center gap from&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/baseball/roster/trey-degarmo/7257">Trey DeGarmo</a>. Adams State managed to bounce back once again, going up 9-7 after plating a trio of runs in the bottom of the fifth. FHSU had the tying run at the plate in the seventh after another base knock from Scott, but the Grizzlies secured the win after a bang-bang play at first base. Scott finished the contest 2-for-2 with a pair of walks, while DeGarmo also added a pair of base hits. Game 2 – Fort Hays State 19, Adams State 7 FHSU took an early 3-0 lead in the final game of the series with a pair of RBI doubles from&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/baseball/roster/elliott-herrmann/7260">Elliott Herrmann</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/baseball/roster/emile-boies/7253">Emile Boies</a>&nbsp;followed by an RBI single up the middle from&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/baseball/roster/colter-maldonado/7264">Colter Maldonado</a>. Adams State scored a pair of runs in the home half on a bases loaded double play and a throwing error by the second baseman. The Grizzlies found the tying run in the third with their first hit of the game, a home run over the right-field fence. Fort Hays State regained the lead in the next half-inning with another RBI double, this time from&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/baseball/roster/zach-davis/7256">Zach Davis</a>, before pushing across&nbsp;three more runs in the sixth to extend their lead to 7-3. A wild pitch brought in the first run before&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/baseball/roster/isaiah-ural/7272">Isaiah Ural</a>&nbsp;crushed the fourth RBI double of the contest, plating a pair The Grizzlies mounted a rally in the home half of the seventh, scoring four runs to send the game into extra innings. The eighth inning&nbsp;was all Tigers, with FHSU plating 12&nbsp;runs on seven hits. Back-to-back home runs from&nbsp;Ural and Herrmann kicked off what would be an offensive explosion. Ural's was a two-run shot, bringing home DeGarmo who led off with a walk. A&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/baseball/roster/tico-olivas/6823">Tico Olivas</a>&nbsp;single and a walk to davis Davis brought&nbsp;Felton to the plate, who delivered with the third home run of the inning. The sequence continued as the Tigers loaded the bases on a single, a walk, and a fielding error by the shortstop. After a Ural walk brought home Scott, Herrmann ripped another double down the left field line to clearing the bases.&nbsp;The final two runs would come on a triple down the right field line by Davis. Boies came in to pitch in the bottom of the inning, striking out two of the three batters he faced to seal the win. <a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/baseball/roster/nate-pitts/7269">Nate Pitts</a>&nbsp;tossed five solid innings in his collegiate debut, allowing three runs (two earned) on four hits.&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/baseball/roster/spencer-maley/7265">Spencer Maley</a>&nbsp;tossed a spotless inning of relief, striking out two of the four batters he faced. Herrmann and Felton finished with three hits in the contest, while Ural and Herrmann each claimed five RBI. The Tigers will continue their run through the RMAC next week as they travel to Las Vegas, N.M. to take on New Mexico Highlands February 10-11.&nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/2/1675574909780.jpeg" alt="FHSU Athletics photo" />
 <figcaption>FHSU Athletics photo</figcaption>
 </figure>FHSU AthleticsCOLORADO SPRINGS, Colo.&nbsp;– The Fort Hays State baseball team split the second double header of their series with Adams State on Saturday. Day two held a similar pattern as day one did offensively for both teams as they combined for 42 runs across both contests. After a tough loss in game one, the Tigers used a massive rally to claim the second game and clinch a series split. Game 1 - Adams State 9, Fort Hays State 7 The Tigers fell behind early in the opener before putting together a big rally in the top of the third. Trailing 3-0, Fort Hays State used patience at the plate and some small ball to plate six runs. The Tigers took advantage of four walks and one Grizzly error in the inning, ultimately sending 11 men to the plate. The first run came in on a wild pitch before&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/baseball/roster/mikey-felton/6810">Mikey Felton</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/baseball/roster/ridge-stephens/6828">Ridge Stephens</a>&nbsp;worked bases-loaded walks to tie the score.&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/baseball/roster/ed-scott/6827">Ed Scott</a>&nbsp;gave the Tigers the lead with a two-RBI single to left center before another run came in on a booted ground ball by the ASU shortstop. The lead would be short-lived, however, with Adams State responding with three runs in the home half of the inning. The Tigers went back on top, 7-6, in the top of the fifth after Scott worked a one-out walk. The senior later came in to score on an RBI double into the right-center gap from&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/baseball/roster/trey-degarmo/7257">Trey DeGarmo</a>. Adams State managed to bounce back once again, going up 9-7 after plating a trio of runs in the bottom of the fifth. FHSU had the tying run at the plate in the seventh after another base knock from Scott, but the Grizzlies secured the win after a bang-bang play at first base. Scott finished the contest 2-for-2 with a pair of walks, while DeGarmo also added a pair of base hits. Game 2 – Fort Hays State 19, Adams State 7 FHSU took an early 3-0 lead in the final game of the series with a pair of RBI doubles from&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/baseball/roster/elliott-herrmann/7260">Elliott Herrmann</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/baseball/roster/emile-boies/7253">Emile Boies</a>&nbsp;followed by an RBI single up the middle from&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/baseball/roster/colter-maldonado/7264">Colter Maldonado</a>. Adams State scored a pair of runs in the home half on a bases loaded double play and a throwing error by the second baseman. The Grizzlies found the tying run in the third with their first hit of the game, a home run over the right-field fence. Fort Hays State regained the lead in the next half-inning with another RBI double, this time from&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/baseball/roster/zach-davis/7256">Zach Davis</a>, before pushing across&nbsp;three more runs in the sixth to extend their lead to 7-3. A wild pitch brought in the first run before&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/baseball/roster/isaiah-ural/7272">Isaiah Ural</a>&nbsp;crushed the fourth RBI double of the contest, plating a pair The Grizzlies mounted a rally in the home half of the seventh, scoring four runs to send the game into extra innings. The eighth inning&nbsp;was all Tigers, with FHSU plating 12&nbsp;runs on seven hits. Back-to-back home runs from&nbsp;Ural and Herrmann kicked off what would be an offensive explosion. Ural's was a two-run shot, bringing home DeGarmo who led off with a walk. A&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/baseball/roster/tico-olivas/6823">Tico Olivas</a>&nbsp;single and a walk to davis Davis brought&nbsp;Felton to the plate, who delivered with the third home run of the inning. The sequence continued as the Tigers loaded the bases on a single, a walk, and a fielding error by the shortstop. After a Ural walk brought home Scott, Herrmann ripped another double down the left field line to clearing the bases.&nbsp;The final two runs would come on a triple down the right field line by Davis. Boies came in to pitch in the bottom of the inning, striking out two of the three batters he faced to seal the win. <a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/baseball/roster/nate-pitts/7269">Nate Pitts</a>&nbsp;tossed five solid innings in his collegiate debut, allowing three runs (two earned) on four hits.&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/baseball/roster/spencer-maley/7265">Spencer Maley</a>&nbsp;tossed a spotless inning of relief, striking out two of the four batters he faced. Herrmann and Felton finished with three hits in the contest, while Ural and Herrmann each claimed five RBI. The Tigers will continue their run through the RMAC next week as they travel to Las Vegas, N.M. to take on New Mexico Highlands February 10-11.&nbsp;&nbsp;

⚾ Big 8th inning carries Tigers to split with Adams State

MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) — Christian Bishop was as frustrated as anyone in a Texas jersey in the first half Saturday. He'd been held without a point by Kansas State and, not surprisingly, the No. 10 Longhorns were facing a double-digit deficit on the road.

Maybe that's why he punctuated every bucket in the second half with a fist pump.

Bishop poured in 14 points after the break to lead the Longhorns' comeback, including the go-ahead lay-in with 37 seconds to go, and the new Big 12 leaders held on for a 69-66 victory over the No. 7 Wildcats on Saturday.

“Christian’s been working really hard over the last couple of games to get him back to the level he was playing four or five games ago,” interim Texas coach Rodney Terry said. “He really came out and rebounded and gave our team an incredible lift the way he played the second half.”

Red-hot guard Sir'Jabari Rice also had 14 points and 10 rebounds for the Longhorns, and it was his two free throws with nine seconds left that forced the Wildcats into needing a 3-pointer to send the game to overtime.

After a quick timeout, the Wildcats' Ismael Massoud got an open look from the wing but came up well short of the basket, allowing the Longhorns to hold on for their fifth win over a Top 25 team this season.

Tyrese Hunter and Marcus Carr added 10 points apiece for Texas (19-4, 8-2), which took over sole possession of first place in the rough-and-tumble Big 12 by avenging its overtime loss to the Wildcats (18-5, 6-4) early last month.

“Our league, we don't have any bad teams,” Terry said. “To come in on a home court against a top-10 team and have this kind of performance, I'll stack it up with one of the best wins I've been part of in 30 years of coaching.”

Keyontae Johnson struggled through foul trouble but still had 16 points to lead the Wildcats, who have lost back-to-back games for the first time this season. Desi Sills scored 11 points and Markquis Nowell had 10, but he also had six turnovers, including one with less than a minute to go and Kansas State down by one.

“I don't want to wash this one. I want to live with this one for 36 hours,” Wildcats coach Jerome Tang said. “Everybody in our arena did our job except the coaches and players on the floor.”

Kansas State and Texas played one of the most entertaining games of the season in Austin, when they went bucket-for-bucket through regulation and into overtime. The Wildcats eventually escaped with a 116-103 victory.

Early on Saturday, Texas looked as if it would struggle to score half as much.

With the Wildcats clamping down on the perimeter, the Longhorns kept throwing the ball away, and at one point had seven turnovers against just five made shots. They also went a stretch of more than 7 minutes with just one field goal.

Kansas State took advantage of their offensive malaise.

Despite the sure-handed Nowell's turnover trouble, and leading scorer Johnson picking up his third foul with 5 1/2 minutes left in the half, the Wildcats steadily built a lead. It reached as many as 14 before Texas made three free throws in the final second to get within 36-25 heading to the locker room.

It was the spark the Longhorns needed: They made their first six shots of the second half, and their run spanning the break eventually reached 17-4 while getting them within 40-39 with 15 minutes left in the game.

“There were points in the second half we did get rushed,” Nowell said, “and it led to turnovers and fast-break points.”

Rice's 3-pointer a few minutes later gave Texas its first lead since the opening minutes. And when the Wildcats went on a nearly 5-minute scoring drought, Bishop began to assert control, the Creighton transfer scoring 11 points over a 6-minute stretch and punctuating each of them with a roar and a fist pump.

Just like their first meeting Jan. 3, though, the rematch Saturday was destined to go down to the wire.

“There's no blowouts in our league,” Tang said.

Texas could do nothing right in the first half and nothing wrong in the second, shooting 57% from the floor over the final 20 minutes. Most of the success came in the paint; the Longhorns were just 4 of 16 from the 3-point arc.

Kansas State couldn't overcome 19 turnovers, including six by Nowell, who had 36 points, nine assists and eight rebounds when the teams met in Austin. He had just six rebounds and three assists on Saturday.

Texas heads down Interstate 70 to face eighth-ranked Kansas on Monday night.

Kansas State wraps its homestand against No. 15 TCU on Tuesday night.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/2/1675574251692.jpeg" alt="Kansas State guard Desi Sills (13) dribbles up the floor vs. Texas Saturday, Feb. 4, 2023 in Manhattan, Kan. (Kansas State Athletics photo)" />
 <figcaption>Kansas State guard Desi Sills (13) dribbles up the floor vs. Texas Saturday, Feb. 4, 2023 in Manhattan, Kan. (Kansas State Athletics photo)</figcaption>
 </figure>MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) — Christian Bishop was as frustrated as anyone in a Texas jersey in the first half Saturday. He'd been held without a point by Kansas State and, not surprisingly, the No. 10 Longhorns were facing a double-digit deficit on the road.Maybe that's why he punctuated every bucket in the second half with a fist pump.Bishop poured in 14 points after the break to lead the Longhorns' comeback, including the go-ahead lay-in with 37 seconds to go, and the new Big 12 leaders held on for a 69-66 victory over the No. 7 Wildcats on Saturday.“Christian’s been working really hard over the last couple of games to get him back to the level he was playing four or five games ago,” interim Texas coach Rodney Terry said. “He really came out and rebounded and gave our team an incredible lift the way he played the second half.”Red-hot guard Sir'Jabari Rice also had 14 points and 10 rebounds for the Longhorns, and it was his two free throws with nine seconds left that forced the Wildcats into needing a 3-pointer to send the game to overtime.After a quick timeout, the Wildcats' Ismael Massoud got an open look from the wing but came up well short of the basket, allowing the Longhorns to hold on for their fifth win over a Top 25 team this season.Tyrese Hunter and Marcus Carr added 10 points apiece for Texas (19-4, 8-2), which took over sole possession of first place in the rough-and-tumble Big 12 by avenging its overtime loss to the Wildcats (18-5, 6-4) early last month.“Our league, we don't have any bad teams,” Terry said. “To come in on a home court against a top-10 team and have this kind of performance, I'll stack it up with one of the best wins I've been part of in 30 years of coaching.”Keyontae Johnson struggled through foul trouble but still had 16 points to lead the Wildcats, who have lost back-to-back games for the first time this season. Desi Sills scored 11 points and Markquis Nowell had 10, but he also had six turnovers, including one with less than a minute to go and Kansas State down by one.“I don't want to wash this one. I want to live with this one for 36 hours,” Wildcats coach Jerome Tang said. “Everybody in our arena did our job except the coaches and players on the floor.”Kansas State and Texas played one of the most entertaining games of the season in Austin, when they went bucket-for-bucket through regulation and into overtime. The Wildcats eventually escaped with a 116-103 victory.Early on Saturday, Texas looked as if it would struggle to score half as much.With the Wildcats clamping down on the perimeter, the Longhorns kept throwing the ball away, and at one point had seven turnovers against just five made shots. They also went a stretch of more than 7 minutes with just one field goal.Kansas State took advantage of their offensive malaise.Despite the sure-handed Nowell's turnover trouble, and leading scorer Johnson picking up his third foul with 5 1/2 minutes left in the half, the Wildcats steadily built a lead. It reached as many as 14 before Texas made three free throws in the final second to get within 36-25 heading to the locker room.It was the spark the Longhorns needed: They made their first six shots of the second half, and their run spanning the break eventually reached 17-4 while getting them within 40-39 with 15 minutes left in the game.“There were points in the second half we did get rushed,” Nowell said, “and it led to turnovers and fast-break points.”Rice's 3-pointer a few minutes later gave Texas its first lead since the opening minutes. And when the Wildcats went on a nearly 5-minute scoring drought, Bishop began to assert control, the Creighton transfer scoring 11 points over a 6-minute stretch and punctuating each of them with a roar and a fist pump.Just like their first meeting Jan. 3, though, the rematch Saturday was destined to go down to the wire.“There's no blowouts in our league,” Tang said.BIG PICTURETexas could do nothing right in the first half and nothing wrong in the second, shooting 57% from the floor over the final 20 minutes. Most of the success came in the paint; the Longhorns were just 4 of 16 from the 3-point arc.Kansas State couldn't overcome 19 turnovers, including six by Nowell, who had 36 points, nine assists and eight rebounds when the teams met in Austin. He had just six rebounds and three assists on Saturday.UP NEXTTexas heads down Interstate 70 to face eighth-ranked Kansas on Monday night.Kansas State wraps its homestand against No. 15 TCU on Tuesday night.

🏀 No. 10 Texas uses second rally to get past No. 7 K-State

EDMOND, Okla. – Fort Hays State continued its strong play on the road this season with a 91-62 win at Central Oklahoma on Saturday at Hamilton Fieldhouse. The 91 points was a season high for the Tigers, and they drained 12 3-point field goals to match a season high.&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/megan-earney/6842">Megan Earney</a>&nbsp;spearheaded the effort from long range with a career-high 21 points on seven 3-point field goals made. FHSU improved to 18-7 overall, 13-4 in the MIAA, while UCO went to 7-14 overall, 4-13 in the MIAA.

The first four shots made by the Tigers were 3-pointers, three by Earney and one by&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/emma-ruddle/6846">Emma Ruddle</a>, to build a 12-4 lead just over three minutes into the contest. The Tigers allowed one more bucket to the Bronchos in the opening quarter with 5:20 to go and went on a 7-0 run to end the quarter and hold a 19-7 lead. The Tigers extended their run to 14-0 by scoring the first seven points of the second quarter, coming on back-to-back buckets by&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/olivia-hollenbeck/6845">Olivia Hollenbeck</a>&nbsp;and a 3-pointer by&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/ellie-stearns/6851">Ellie Stearns</a>. FHSU was up 26-7 about 11 and a half minutes into the game. UCO's scoring drought spanned 7:27 before a layup with 7:53 to go before halftime. The Bronchos got the Tiger lead back down to 14 with about five minutes to go, but the Tigers went on a 13-6 run to get their lead out to 21, 43-22, by halftime. The Tiger lead dipped back inside 20 three times early in the third quarter before they kept a lead of 20 or more for the final 16:14 of the game. The Tigers reached their largest lead of 32 points on a&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/mallory-cowman/6855">Mallory Cowman</a>&nbsp;free throw with 27 seconds remaining in the game. All 12 Tigers that suited up for the game scored, led by Earney's career-high 21. She was 7-of-11 from 3-point range.&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/katie-wagner/6848">Katie Wagner</a>&nbsp;finished with 14 points on a 6-of-9 effort from the field with a couple of free throws added in. Hollenbeck finished with a double-double of 13 points and 10 rebounds. Both of her double-doubles this season have been against the Bronchos after a 20-point, 12-rebound effort in Hays back in December. Ruddle scored all nine of her points on three 3-point field goals.&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/clary-donica/6854">Clary Donica</a>&nbsp;was the top scorer off the bench for FHSU with eight in the return to her former home court. She added eight rebounds. FHSU shot 45.1 percent as a team from the field and outrebounded UCO by 11.

Brooke Rayner led the Bronchos with 22 points, while River Romine provided 10 off the bench. The Tigers held UCO to just 31.9 percent shooting for the game. The Tigers return to Hays for their final two regular season home games next week. FHSU hosts Lincoln on Thursday night (Feb. 9) before facing Central Missouri on Saturday (Feb. 11).

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/2/1675573889707.jpeg" alt="Fort Hays State guard Megan Earney (34) attempts a 3-point shot earlier this season in Hays, Kan. (FHSU Athletics photo/Madison Shapland)" />
 <figcaption>Fort Hays State guard Megan Earney (34) attempts a 3-point shot earlier this season in Hays, Kan. (FHSU Athletics photo/Madison Shapland)</figcaption>
 </figure>FHSU AthleticsEDMOND, Okla. – Fort Hays State continued its strong play on the road this season with a 91-62 win at Central Oklahoma on Saturday at Hamilton Fieldhouse. The 91 points was a season high for the Tigers, and they drained 12 3-point field goals to match a season high.&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/megan-earney/6842">Megan Earney</a>&nbsp;spearheaded the effort from long range with a career-high 21 points on seven 3-point field goals made. FHSU improved to 18-7 overall, 13-4 in the MIAA, while UCO went to 7-14 overall, 4-13 in the MIAA.<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/1439894191&color=%23ff5500&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-814667509/2-4-23-wbkb-fhsu-coach-int" title="Tony Hobson Postgame at Central Oklahoma (Feb. 4, 2023)" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Tony Hobson Postgame at Central Oklahoma (Feb. 4, 2023)</a></div></div>The first four shots made by the Tigers were 3-pointers, three by Earney and one by&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/emma-ruddle/6846">Emma Ruddle</a>, to build a 12-4 lead just over three minutes into the contest. The Tigers allowed one more bucket to the Bronchos in the opening quarter with 5:20 to go and went on a 7-0 run to end the quarter and hold a 19-7 lead. The Tigers extended their run to 14-0 by scoring the first seven points of the second quarter, coming on back-to-back buckets by&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/olivia-hollenbeck/6845">Olivia Hollenbeck</a>&nbsp;and a 3-pointer by&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/ellie-stearns/6851">Ellie Stearns</a>. FHSU was up 26-7 about 11 and a half minutes into the game. UCO's scoring drought spanned 7:27 before a layup with 7:53 to go before halftime. The Bronchos got the Tiger lead back down to 14 with about five minutes to go, but the Tigers went on a 13-6 run to get their lead out to 21, 43-22, by halftime. The Tiger lead dipped back inside 20 three times early in the third quarter before they kept a lead of 20 or more for the final 16:14 of the game. The Tigers reached their largest lead of 32 points on a&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/mallory-cowman/6855">Mallory Cowman</a>&nbsp;free throw with 27 seconds remaining in the game. All 12 Tigers that suited up for the game scored, led by Earney's career-high 21. She was 7-of-11 from 3-point range.&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/katie-wagner/6848">Katie Wagner</a>&nbsp;finished with 14 points on a 6-of-9 effort from the field with a couple of free throws added in. Hollenbeck finished with a double-double of 13 points and 10 rebounds. Both of her double-doubles this season have been against the Bronchos after a 20-point, 12-rebound effort in Hays back in December. Ruddle scored all nine of her points on three 3-point field goals.&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/clary-donica/6854">Clary Donica</a>&nbsp;was the top scorer off the bench for FHSU with eight in the return to her former home court. She added eight rebounds. FHSU shot 45.1 percent as a team from the field and outrebounded UCO by 11.<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/1439894092&color=%23ff5500&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-814667509/2-4-23-wbkb-fhsu-v-cent-ok" title="Fort Hays State WBB Highlights at Central Oklahoma (Feb. 4, 2023)" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Fort Hays State WBB Highlights at Central Oklahoma (Feb. 4, 2023)</a></div></div>Brooke Rayner led the Bronchos with 22 points, while River Romine provided 10 off the bench. The Tigers held UCO to just 31.9 percent shooting for the game. The Tigers return to Hays for their final two regular season home games next week. FHSU hosts Lincoln on Thursday night (Feb. 9) before facing Central Missouri on Saturday (Feb. 11).