By STEPHEN HAWKINS AP Sportswriter

From top to bottom, the Big 12 hasn't started conference play like this in a decade.

No. 11 Kansas State has already surpassed last season's overall win total and made an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll">impressive Top 25 poll debut</a>&nbsp;this week after being picked to finish last in the 10-team league with new coach Jerome Tang and a completely revamped roster.

The Wildcats (15-1) have won their first four Big 12 games, just like defending national champion No. 2 Kansas and No. 14 Iowa State, which is surging again after a surprise run to the NCAA Sweet 16 last March.

“I’m very thankful. I’ve been really blessed by God to have this opportunity,” Tang said after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/sports-kansas-mens-state-wildcats-oklahoma-b7e78c573aa07a86d049c013c89916bf">K-State beat Oklahoma State for its ninth win in a row</a>&nbsp;before he praised his 15-player roster. “I know this is not about me.”

The Big 12 is the only league in the county with half of its teams ranked, and every team still with a winning record. That is with previously ranked teams Texas Tech and West Virginia both 0-4 in the conference.

“We’ve just got to go on a run here," Mountaineers coach Bob Huggins said. “And it’s not going to be easy.”

The last time the Big 12 had multiple teams open league play 4-0 with multiple other teams 0-4 was 2012-13, the season it became a 10-school league. There is also a lot going on in between those two extremes.

Texas (14-2, 3-1 Big 12), moving forward without fired coach Chris Beard, had its biggest comeback in 10 years by overcoming an 18-point deficit to beat TCU at home Wednesday night. The Horned Frogs (13-3, 2-2) had rallied from 17 down for a win at Baylor a week earlier.

"In the Big 12, we’re going to be in games like this all season long,” said Longhorns interim coach Rodney Terry, who is 7-1 since taking over the program when&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-sports-chris-beard-texas-law-enforcement-64f650d82cd95028ad80ae5946fe2e24">Beard was suspended after an arrest on a felony domestic violence charge</a>&nbsp;before being fired last week.

TCU, which last March got its first NCAA Tournament victory in 35 years, had an 11-game winning streak until&nbsp;<a href="http://www.espn.com/video/clip?id=35400177">Gabe Kalscheur's 3-pointer with 1.3 seconds left</a>&nbsp;gave Iowa State a 69-67 win on Saturday.

“In the second half, we’ve got to pick up our pace and show our will,” TCU guard Emanuel Miller said after the Texas loss. “We’ve got to know every possession matters. In this league, you mess up one possession, it can cost you the game.”

Only six of the 20 conference games played so far have been decided by more than six points and home court hasn't been an advantage so far: Visiting teams have an 11-9 record.

“It’s reality, we play in the toughest conference in college basketball. ... We have literally no off night," Oklahoma State senior forward Kalib Boone said.

The Cowboys now go to preseason Big 12 favorite Baylor (11-5, 1-3), the national champion two seasons ago and two-time defending league champ. The Bears avoided an 0-4 start when freshman Keyonte George had 32 points in an 83-78 victory at West Virginia on Wednesday in their first game as an unranked team since the end of the 2018-19 season.

Baylor was in a school-record 65 consecutive polls until back-to-back home losses last week. The Bears lost 88-87 to TCU before&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/sports-kansas-baylor-bears-state-wildcats-oklahoma-5e33a1957953ee4fedfb1fdf11111886">K-State's overtime win in Tang's return to Waco</a>, where he was on Scott Drew's staff the previous 19 seasons.

“Coach Tang has done a great job with their chemistry, their grit, their toughness,” Drew said.

The Wildcats, off to their best overall start since 1958-59, has 10 transfers and three freshmen. The only holdovers from last season are junior forward Ismael Massoud and senior guard Markquis Nowell, the Big 12 leader with 8.8 assists a game and seventh with 17.2 points.

Kansas State debuted just outside the top 10 in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll">the same AP Top 25</a>&nbsp;that saw Iowa State made a 11-point jump from 25th. The Cyclones have won the two most-lopsided conference games so far, by 15 over Baylor on New Years' Eve and 84-50 over Texas Tech this week.

Big 12 coaches picked Iowa State to finish eighth, even after coach T.J. Otzelberger won 22 games and took the Cyclones to the Sweet 16 in his debut last season after inheriting a two-win team. Their starting lineup has a true freshman guard and four transfers.

The Cyclones play Saturday at Allen Fieldhouse, where&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/sports-oklahoma-state-cowboys-kansas-jayhawks-mens-e63a581b1fe76f5fca56eb57d01a8cce">Kansas (15-1) just overcame a 10-point deficit</a>&nbsp;in the final five minutes for a 79-75 victory over Oklahoma.

“We told them before the game you might as well enjoy it because it is going to be a grind,” Jayhawks coach Bill Self said.

That describes just about every Big 12 game so far this season.

By STEPHEN HAWKINS AP SportswriterFrom top to bottom, the Big 12 hasn't started conference play like this in a decade.No. 11 Kansas State has already surpassed last season's overall win total and made an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll">impressive Top 25 poll debut</a>&nbsp;this week after being picked to finish last in the 10-team league with new coach Jerome Tang and a completely revamped roster.The Wildcats (15-1) have won their first four Big 12 games, just like defending national champion No. 2 Kansas and No. 14 Iowa State, which is surging again after a surprise run to the NCAA Sweet 16 last March.“I’m very thankful. I’ve been really blessed by God to have this opportunity,” Tang said after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/sports-kansas-mens-state-wildcats-oklahoma-b7e78c573aa07a86d049c013c89916bf">K-State beat Oklahoma State for its ninth win in a row</a>&nbsp;before he praised his 15-player roster. “I know this is not about me.”The Big 12 is the only league in the county with half of its teams ranked, and every team still with a winning record. That is with previously ranked teams Texas Tech and West Virginia both 0-4 in the conference.“We’ve just got to go on a run here," Mountaineers coach Bob Huggins said. “And it’s not going to be easy.”The last time the Big 12 had multiple teams open league play 4-0 with multiple other teams 0-4 was 2012-13, the season it became a 10-school league. There is also a lot going on in between those two extremes.Texas (14-2, 3-1 Big 12), moving forward without fired coach Chris Beard, had its biggest comeback in 10 years by overcoming an 18-point deficit to beat TCU at home Wednesday night. The Horned Frogs (13-3, 2-2) had rallied from 17 down for a win at Baylor a week earlier."In the Big 12, we’re going to be in games like this all season long,” said Longhorns interim coach Rodney Terry, who is 7-1 since taking over the program when&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-sports-chris-beard-texas-law-enforcement-64f650d82cd95028ad80ae5946fe2e24">Beard was suspended after an arrest on a felony domestic violence charge</a>&nbsp;before being fired last week.TCU, which last March got its first NCAA Tournament victory in 35 years, had an 11-game winning streak until&nbsp;<a href="http://www.espn.com/video/clip?id=35400177">Gabe Kalscheur's 3-pointer with 1.3 seconds left</a>&nbsp;gave Iowa State a 69-67 win on Saturday.“In the second half, we’ve got to pick up our pace and show our will,” TCU guard Emanuel Miller said after the Texas loss. “We’ve got to know every possession matters. In this league, you mess up one possession, it can cost you the game.”Only six of the 20 conference games played so far have been decided by more than six points and home court hasn't been an advantage so far: Visiting teams have an 11-9 record.“It’s reality, we play in the toughest conference in college basketball. ... We have literally no off night," Oklahoma State senior forward Kalib Boone said.The Cowboys now go to preseason Big 12 favorite Baylor (11-5, 1-3), the national champion two seasons ago and two-time defending league champ. The Bears avoided an 0-4 start when freshman Keyonte George had 32 points in an 83-78 victory at West Virginia on Wednesday in their first game as an unranked team since the end of the 2018-19 season.Baylor was in a school-record 65 consecutive polls until back-to-back home losses last week. The Bears lost 88-87 to TCU before&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/sports-kansas-baylor-bears-state-wildcats-oklahoma-5e33a1957953ee4fedfb1fdf11111886">K-State's overtime win in Tang's return to Waco</a>, where he was on Scott Drew's staff the previous 19 seasons.“Coach Tang has done a great job with their chemistry, their grit, their toughness,” Drew said.The Wildcats, off to their best overall start since 1958-59, has 10 transfers and three freshmen. The only holdovers from last season are junior forward Ismael Massoud and senior guard Markquis Nowell, the Big 12 leader with 8.8 assists a game and seventh with 17.2 points.Kansas State debuted just outside the top 10 in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll">the same AP Top 25</a>&nbsp;that saw Iowa State made a 11-point jump from 25th. The Cyclones have won the two most-lopsided conference games so far, by 15 over Baylor on New Years' Eve and 84-50 over Texas Tech this week.Big 12 coaches picked Iowa State to finish eighth, even after coach T.J. Otzelberger won 22 games and took the Cyclones to the Sweet 16 in his debut last season after inheriting a two-win team. Their starting lineup has a true freshman guard and four transfers.The Cyclones play Saturday at Allen Fieldhouse, where&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/sports-oklahoma-state-cowboys-kansas-jayhawks-mens-e63a581b1fe76f5fca56eb57d01a8cce">Kansas (15-1) just overcame a 10-point deficit</a>&nbsp;in the final five minutes for a 79-75 victory over Oklahoma.“We told them before the game you might as well enjoy it because it is going to be a grind,” Jayhawks coach Bill Self said.That describes just about every Big 12 game so far this season.

🏀 Big 12 hasn't had top-to-bottom start like this in a decade

By ARNIE STAPLETON AP Pro Football Writer

Patrick Mahomes is the graybeard of the quarterbacks in the AFC playoffs even though he's only 27 and wasn't even born yet when Tom Brady was a freshman at the University of Michigan in 1995.

With Tua Tagovailoa (concussion) out and Teddy Bridgewater, 30, also hurt, the Miami Dolphins are preparing rookie Skylar Thompson, 25, to start at Buffalo this weekend.

That would make Mahomes the oldest starting quarterback in the AFC field.

Mahomes said he certainly feels as if he's entered a new phase in which he's no longer the puerile passer who took the league by storm in 2018 when he threw for 50 touchdowns and was the league MVP in his first season as the Kansas City Chiefs' starter.

“Yeah, I feel like it’s changed. I have two kids now, I’m married. I’m kind of an old soul, so I am kind of the oldest — I am literally the oldest — quarterback in the AFC,” Mahomes said.

“It speaks to the talent that we have in the AFC and the guys that I’m looking around at are going to be there for the long time. So, I’ll be the old head in the AFC for a while now and I’ll try to use that experience to my advantage.”

Buffalo's Josh Allen and Cincinnati's Joe Burrow are both 26. Chargers QB Justin Herbert and Ravens QB Tyler Huntley, who's filling in for Lamar Jackson (knee), are both 24, and Jaguars QB Trevor Lawrence is 23.

Not that he'll be reclining in a rocking chair, but Mahomes gets to sit out wild-card weekend after the Chiefs earned the top seed in the AFC for the third time in his five seasons as the starter.

If they win in the divisional round, the Chiefs would host the conference championship game for a record-extending fifth consecutive year so long as the opponent isn't the Bills (13-3), whose game at Cincinnati was canceled after safety&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/sports-health-damar-hamlin-buffalo-2a2003b201800d81fedec0d65415190b">Damar Hamlin</a>&nbsp;went into cardiac arrest on Jan 2.

If the Bills and Chiefs reach the AFC title game, it will be played at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. The league brokered the neutral site deal because Buffalo could have been the top seed with a victory over the Bengals.

It all starts Saturday when the Chargers (10-7) visit the Jaguars (9-8) for the playoff debuts of Herbert and Lawrence. On Sunday, the Dolphins (9-8) visit the Bills (13-3) and the Ravens (10-7) visit the Bengals (12-4).

1. KANSAS CITY CHIEFS (14-3). Two Lombardi trophies in four Super Bowl appearances: lost to Packers 35-10 in Super Bowl 1, beat Vikings 23-7 in Super Bowl 4, beat 49ers 31-20 in Super Bowl 54, lost to Buccaneers 31-9 in Super Bowl 55. Last year: No. 2 seed, beat Steelers 42-21 in wild-card round, beat Bills 42-36 (OT) in divisional round, lost to Bengals 27-24 (OT) in AFC championship game. Eighth consecutive trip to the playoffs. Seventh consecutive AFC West title.

Plan the parade: Because of Patrick Mahomes. It’s the same reason as last year and the three years before, all of which ended in the AFC title game or beyond. He has never failed to advance past the divisional round as the full-time starter in Kansas City.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-city-chiefs-las-vegas-raiders-nfl-sports-transactions-f7256826d05329adeecfa7568088a775">Mahomes was better than ever</a>&nbsp;this season despite losing Tyreek Hill in a trade with Miami. He threw for 5,250 yards to break his own franchise record along with a league-best 41 TD throws.

Hold the confetti: Turnovers, penalties and special teams. The Chiefs were minus-3 in turnover differential this season, putting them squarely in the bottom half of the league. They also were in the bottom half in penalty yards. And long a strong suit for Kansas City, special teams have been a headache. Skyy Moore and Kadarius Toney have had trouble with fumbles on punt returns and Harrison Butker is a career-worst 18 of 24 on field-goal attempts with three missed PATs.

“We had a lot of close games this year where we had to step up, and guys had to step up, in big moments, and even though it doesn’t make it easy as a fan watching it, I think it shows that we have guys that will compete at the end of the games and make these plays to win football games." — Mahomes.

2. BUFFALO BILLS (13-3). No Lombardi trophies in four Super Bowl appearances: lost to Giants 20-19 in Super Bowl 25, lost to Washington 37-24 in Super Bowl 26, lost to Cowboys 52-17 in Super Bowl 27, lost to Cowboys 30-13 in Super Bowl 28. Last year: 11-6, No. 3 seed, beat Patriots 47-17 in wild-card round, lost to Chiefs 42-36 (OT) in divisional round. Third straight AFC East title.

Plan the parade: With Josh Allen at quarterback, any objective is achievable. Though he's thrown 14 interceptions, he’s also shown an ability to carry the Bills on his back. Buffalo is 8-3 when trailing at any juncture of a game this season after going 2-6 last year. The Bills' three losses have been decided by three points or fewer. The team is also battle-tested in having&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/buffalo-bills-nfl-sports-athlete-mental-health-football-3e92d17820f3b3ba6127f4cd10a22909">overcome much adversity</a>&nbsp;in closing out the season winning seven straight and matching a single-season record for victories. The Bills have won despite having their schedule disrupted by two major winter storms, and they rallied to close the season by beating New England following an emotionally draining week following Hamlin's collapse at Cincinnati.

Cancel the confetti: Injuries are becoming an issue with the most notable to Von Miller, who significantly muscled up Buffalo’s middling pass rush before sustaining a season-ending knee injury in November. Miller was the missing piece on a defense that had trouble generating pressure at Kansas City in the playoffs last year. Buffalo’s secondary is also thin. Hamlin was starting in place of Micah Hyde, who has been sidelined by a neck injury since September. CB Tre’Davious White is gradually returning to form since being activated in November after missing a calendar year with a knee injury.

“I’m so proud of our organization, our team, just so many people, the way we’ve dealt with so much this year.” — GM Brandon Beane.

3. CINCINNATI BENGALS (12-4). No Lombardi trophies in three Super Bowl appearances: lost to 49ers 26-21 in Super Bowl 16, lost to 49ers 20-16 in Super Bowl 23, lost to Rams 23-20 in Super Bowl 56. Last year: 10-7, No. 4 seed, beat Raiders 26-19 in wild-card round, beat Titans 19-16 in divisional round, beat Chiefs 27-24 (OT) in AFC championship, lost to Rams 23-20 in Super Bowl 56. Second straight AFC North title.

Plan the parade: Third-year QB Joe Burrow has a knack for finding creative ways to win. He passed for 4,475 yards in 16 games and his 35 TDs tied him with Allen for second most in the league behind Mahomes’ 41. He has two 1,000-yard receivers in Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins along with veteran Tyler Boyd and others who have stepped up big. The defense has outstanding edge rushers in Sam Hubbard and Trey Hendrickson along with run-stopping DT DJ Reader and a pair of versatile linebackers in Logan Wilson and Germaine Pratt. The Bengals&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/buffalo-bills-joe-burrow-cincinnati-bengals-baltimore-ravens-nfl-2afd6430e017169cfaceaff114207159">haven't lost since Oct. 31</a>.

Cancel the confetti: RB Joe Mixon is tough in fighting for extra yards, but the Bengals running game hasn’t been a huge factor. He topped 100 yards just once this season. The Bengals will have to start backups in both offensive line positions on the right side after injuries to La’el Collins and Alex Cappa. The offense has shown a tendency to be flat for parts of some games. Depth in the secondary also has been an issue.

“We’ve adjusted to what teams are doing to us throughout the year. The beginning of the year was a lot of ups and downs. Then, as the season went on, we made some tweaks and adjustments that have been really good for us both in the run game and pass game, understanding how to win games.” — Burrow.

4. JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS (9-8). One of four teams with no Super Bowl appearances. Last year: 3-14, missed the playoffs. First playoff appearance since 2017, when they lost to the Patriots 24-20 in AFC championship game. Won AFC South in Doug Pederson's first season as head coach in Jacksonville.

Plan the parade: Trevor Lawrence is a rising star in a conference stacked with young, stellar quarterbacks. At 23, Lawrence is the youngest QB in the playoffs. He completed 66.3% of his passes for 4,113 yards, 25 TDs and eight INTs, in his second season. He also has five rushing scores. Fumbles have been his biggest issue — he has lost nine — but he’s clearly figuring out what it takes to get it done at the most important position in professional sports.

Cancel the confetti: Although Jacksonville’s defense has played well down the stretch, allowing a combined 22 points in victories over the Jets, Texans and Titans, that success came against a slew of bottom-tier QBs: Zach Wilson and Chris Streveler for the Jets; Davis Mills and Jeff Driskel for the Texans; and Joshua Dobbs for the Titans. The Jaguars’ pass rush has been mostly suspect against top-flight passers, although takeaways keep coming and LB&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jacksonville-jaguars-los-angeles-chargers-nfl-sports-josh-allen-69a1d708e72f14709e3e788b6f68a3f1">Josh Allen is showing signs</a>&nbsp;of becoming the dominant force the team expected when it drafted him seventh overall in 2019.

“We’re ready to take over. We’re not in this for no reason. We worked our butts off to get to this point.” — Allen.

5. LOS ANGELES CHARGERS (10-7). No Lombardi trophies in one Super Bowl appearance: lost to 49ers 49-26 in Super Bowl 29. Last year: 9-8, missed the playoffs. First playoff appearance since 2018 when they beat Ravens 23-17 in wild-card round and lost to Patriots 41-28 in divisional round.

Plan the parade: After dealing with injuries for most of the season, the Chargers are finally healthy and playing their best football. Los Angeles has won four of its past five, the offense is showing a semblance of balance with more consistency in the run game and the defense has done a good job of generating pressure on opposing quarterbacks. Justin Herbert threw for at least 300 yards in every game this season.

Hold the confetti:&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jacksonville-jaguars-los-angeles-chargers-nfl-sports-josh-allen-69a1d708e72f14709e3e788b6f68a3f1">Brandon Staley</a>&nbsp;is going into his first playoffs as a head coach. He is one of the most aggressive coaches in the league, but this is the time of year when the wrong decision could have huge ramifications. The Chargers also have one of the worst run defenses in the league. They allowed 5.42 yards per carry, the worst average by any team since the 1970 merger, while 10 running backs had 100-yard games against the Chargers.

“I think that we have a team that is full of quality experiences, and it has been fun to watch this group take shape together to carve its own path here with the Chargers. We get a big opportunity on Saturday to really make our mark.” — Staley on not having a lot of playoff experience on his roster.

6. BALTIMORE RAVENS (10-7). Two Lombardi trophies in two appearances: beat Giants 34-7 in Super Bowl 35 and beat 49ers 34-31 in Super Bowl 47. Last year: 8-9, missed the playoffs. Fourth playoff appearance in five years.

Plan the parade: Since acquiring LB&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/baltimore-ravens-nfl-sports-transactions-roquan-smith-ea702ad5f7247fe4b1591e81d4820596">Roquan Smith</a>&nbsp;in a trade, the Ravens are allowing just 14.7 points per game. If they can do that in the playoffs, they can hang with anyone, even if QB Lamar Jackson remains out because of his knee injury he sustained last month. RB J.K. Dobbins has looked refreshed and healthy since returning from injured reserve, averaging nearly 100 yards rushing in four outings. The Ravens also have one of the league’s great clutch performers in a close game in K Justin Tucker. And if Jackson can actually return at some point ...

Cancel the confetti: Jackson hasn’t even practiced since his injury in early December when he was tackled by Broncos OLB Jonathan Cooper, so expecting him to provide a major lift is fanciful at this point. Furthermore, QB2 Tyler Huntley hasn’t been totally healthy, either. The Ravens benefitted from a favorable schedule down the stretch and grinded out enough wins to make the playoffs, but asking their defense to dominate against a team such as the Bengals — and the perhaps the Chiefs or Bills later in the postseason — is a different thing entirely.

“This team has been through a lot. There’s been a lot of ups, there’s been a lot of downs, and one thing that we keep on doing is fighting.”—TE Mark Andrews.

7. MIAMI DOLPHINS (9-8). Two Lombardi trophies in five appearances: lost to Cowboys 24-3 in Super Bowl 6, beat Washington 14-7 in Super Bowl 7, beat Vikings 24-7 in Super Bowl 8, lost to Washington 27-17 in Super Bowl 17, lost to 49ers 38-16 in Super Bowl 19.

Plan the parade: The speed of WRs Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle has given defenses fits all season, and Miami’s timing-based offense is at its best when those two find openings over the middle of the field. Hill was second in yards (1,710) and receptions (119) during the regular season and has the playoff experience to help carry Miami’s passing game. Waddle was seventh with 1,356 yards.

Hold the confetti:&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/buffalo-bills-miami-dolphins-new-york-jets-nfl-sports-a0a1fa778b5a91da787ce9e0b86df7e2">Injuries</a>. The O-line is banged up, and the QB situation seems ever-changing. Tagovailoa was among the NFL’s highest-rated passers all season, but he hasn’t been cleared to return to football activities yet after being diagnosed with a concussion and it’s unclear when the Dolphins will see him back on the field. While Thompson did just enough to lead the Dolphins to a playoff-clinching win over the Jets, Miami’s offense, which was waning even with Tagovailoa toward the end of the season, is severely limited without him.

“There’s still confidence in this team, confidence in this whole building. I feel like you never lose that as a competitor." — Hill.

By ARNIE STAPLETON AP Pro Football WriterPatrick Mahomes is the graybeard of the quarterbacks in the AFC playoffs even though he's only 27 and wasn't even born yet when Tom Brady was a freshman at the University of Michigan in 1995.With Tua Tagovailoa (concussion) out and Teddy Bridgewater, 30, also hurt, the Miami Dolphins are preparing rookie Skylar Thompson, 25, to start at Buffalo this weekend.That would make Mahomes the oldest starting quarterback in the AFC field.Mahomes said he certainly feels as if he's entered a new phase in which he's no longer the puerile passer who took the league by storm in 2018 when he threw for 50 touchdowns and was the league MVP in his first season as the Kansas City Chiefs' starter.“Yeah, I feel like it’s changed. I have two kids now, I’m married. I’m kind of an old soul, so I am kind of the oldest — I am literally the oldest — quarterback in the AFC,” Mahomes said.“It speaks to the talent that we have in the AFC and the guys that I’m looking around at are going to be there for the long time. So, I’ll be the old head in the AFC for a while now and I’ll try to use that experience to my advantage.”Buffalo's Josh Allen and Cincinnati's Joe Burrow are both 26. Chargers QB Justin Herbert and Ravens QB Tyler Huntley, who's filling in for Lamar Jackson (knee), are both 24, and Jaguars QB Trevor Lawrence is 23.Not that he'll be reclining in a rocking chair, but Mahomes gets to sit out wild-card weekend after the Chiefs earned the top seed in the AFC for the third time in his five seasons as the starter.If they win in the divisional round, the Chiefs would host the conference championship game for a record-extending fifth consecutive year so long as the opponent isn't the Bills (13-3), whose game at Cincinnati was canceled after safety&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/sports-health-damar-hamlin-buffalo-2a2003b201800d81fedec0d65415190b">Damar Hamlin</a>&nbsp;went into cardiac arrest on Jan 2.If the Bills and Chiefs reach the AFC title game, it will be played at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. The league brokered the neutral site deal because Buffalo could have been the top seed with a victory over the Bengals.It all starts Saturday when the Chargers (10-7) visit the Jaguars (9-8) for the playoff debuts of Herbert and Lawrence. On Sunday, the Dolphins (9-8) visit the Bills (13-3) and the Ravens (10-7) visit the Bengals (12-4).1. KANSAS CITY CHIEFS (14-3). Two Lombardi trophies in four Super Bowl appearances: lost to Packers 35-10 in Super Bowl 1, beat Vikings 23-7 in Super Bowl 4, beat 49ers 31-20 in Super Bowl 54, lost to Buccaneers 31-9 in Super Bowl 55. Last year: No. 2 seed, beat Steelers 42-21 in wild-card round, beat Bills 42-36 (OT) in divisional round, lost to Bengals 27-24 (OT) in AFC championship game. Eighth consecutive trip to the playoffs. Seventh consecutive AFC West title.Plan the parade: Because of Patrick Mahomes. It’s the same reason as last year and the three years before, all of which ended in the AFC title game or beyond. He has never failed to advance past the divisional round as the full-time starter in Kansas City.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-city-chiefs-las-vegas-raiders-nfl-sports-transactions-f7256826d05329adeecfa7568088a775">Mahomes was better than ever</a>&nbsp;this season despite losing Tyreek Hill in a trade with Miami. He threw for 5,250 yards to break his own franchise record along with a league-best 41 TD throws.Hold the confetti: Turnovers, penalties and special teams. The Chiefs were minus-3 in turnover differential this season, putting them squarely in the bottom half of the league. They also were in the bottom half in penalty yards. And long a strong suit for Kansas City, special teams have been a headache. Skyy Moore and Kadarius Toney have had trouble with fumbles on punt returns and Harrison Butker is a career-worst 18 of 24 on field-goal attempts with three missed PATs.“We had a lot of close games this year where we had to step up, and guys had to step up, in big moments, and even though it doesn’t make it easy as a fan watching it, I think it shows that we have guys that will compete at the end of the games and make these plays to win football games." — Mahomes.2. BUFFALO BILLS (13-3). No Lombardi trophies in four Super Bowl appearances: lost to Giants 20-19 in Super Bowl 25, lost to Washington 37-24 in Super Bowl 26, lost to Cowboys 52-17 in Super Bowl 27, lost to Cowboys 30-13 in Super Bowl 28. Last year: 11-6, No. 3 seed, beat Patriots 47-17 in wild-card round, lost to Chiefs 42-36 (OT) in divisional round. Third straight AFC East title.Plan the parade: With Josh Allen at quarterback, any objective is achievable. Though he's thrown 14 interceptions, he’s also shown an ability to carry the Bills on his back. Buffalo is 8-3 when trailing at any juncture of a game this season after going 2-6 last year. The Bills' three losses have been decided by three points or fewer. The team is also battle-tested in having&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/buffalo-bills-nfl-sports-athlete-mental-health-football-3e92d17820f3b3ba6127f4cd10a22909">overcome much adversity</a>&nbsp;in closing out the season winning seven straight and matching a single-season record for victories. The Bills have won despite having their schedule disrupted by two major winter storms, and they rallied to close the season by beating New England following an emotionally draining week following Hamlin's collapse at Cincinnati.Cancel the confetti: Injuries are becoming an issue with the most notable to Von Miller, who significantly muscled up Buffalo’s middling pass rush before sustaining a season-ending knee injury in November. Miller was the missing piece on a defense that had trouble generating pressure at Kansas City in the playoffs last year. Buffalo’s secondary is also thin. Hamlin was starting in place of Micah Hyde, who has been sidelined by a neck injury since September. CB Tre’Davious White is gradually returning to form since being activated in November after missing a calendar year with a knee injury.“I’m so proud of our organization, our team, just so many people, the way we’ve dealt with so much this year.” — GM Brandon Beane.3. CINCINNATI BENGALS (12-4). No Lombardi trophies in three Super Bowl appearances: lost to 49ers 26-21 in Super Bowl 16, lost to 49ers 20-16 in Super Bowl 23, lost to Rams 23-20 in Super Bowl 56. Last year: 10-7, No. 4 seed, beat Raiders 26-19 in wild-card round, beat Titans 19-16 in divisional round, beat Chiefs 27-24 (OT) in AFC championship, lost to Rams 23-20 in Super Bowl 56. Second straight AFC North title.Plan the parade: Third-year QB Joe Burrow has a knack for finding creative ways to win. He passed for 4,475 yards in 16 games and his 35 TDs tied him with Allen for second most in the league behind Mahomes’ 41. He has two 1,000-yard receivers in Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins along with veteran Tyler Boyd and others who have stepped up big. The defense has outstanding edge rushers in Sam Hubbard and Trey Hendrickson along with run-stopping DT DJ Reader and a pair of versatile linebackers in Logan Wilson and Germaine Pratt. The Bengals&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/buffalo-bills-joe-burrow-cincinnati-bengals-baltimore-ravens-nfl-2afd6430e017169cfaceaff114207159">haven't lost since Oct. 31</a>.Cancel the confetti: RB Joe Mixon is tough in fighting for extra yards, but the Bengals running game hasn’t been a huge factor. He topped 100 yards just once this season. The Bengals will have to start backups in both offensive line positions on the right side after injuries to La’el Collins and Alex Cappa. The offense has shown a tendency to be flat for parts of some games. Depth in the secondary also has been an issue.“We’ve adjusted to what teams are doing to us throughout the year. The beginning of the year was a lot of ups and downs. Then, as the season went on, we made some tweaks and adjustments that have been really good for us both in the run game and pass game, understanding how to win games.” — Burrow.4. JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS (9-8). One of four teams with no Super Bowl appearances. Last year: 3-14, missed the playoffs. First playoff appearance since 2017, when they lost to the Patriots 24-20 in AFC championship game. Won AFC South in Doug Pederson's first season as head coach in Jacksonville.Plan the parade: Trevor Lawrence is a rising star in a conference stacked with young, stellar quarterbacks. At 23, Lawrence is the youngest QB in the playoffs. He completed 66.3% of his passes for 4,113 yards, 25 TDs and eight INTs, in his second season. He also has five rushing scores. Fumbles have been his biggest issue — he has lost nine — but he’s clearly figuring out what it takes to get it done at the most important position in professional sports.Cancel the confetti: Although Jacksonville’s defense has played well down the stretch, allowing a combined 22 points in victories over the Jets, Texans and Titans, that success came against a slew of bottom-tier QBs: Zach Wilson and Chris Streveler for the Jets; Davis Mills and Jeff Driskel for the Texans; and Joshua Dobbs for the Titans. The Jaguars’ pass rush has been mostly suspect against top-flight passers, although takeaways keep coming and LB&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jacksonville-jaguars-los-angeles-chargers-nfl-sports-josh-allen-69a1d708e72f14709e3e788b6f68a3f1">Josh Allen is showing signs</a>&nbsp;of becoming the dominant force the team expected when it drafted him seventh overall in 2019.“We’re ready to take over. We’re not in this for no reason. We worked our butts off to get to this point.” — Allen.5. LOS ANGELES CHARGERS (10-7). No Lombardi trophies in one Super Bowl appearance: lost to 49ers 49-26 in Super Bowl 29. Last year: 9-8, missed the playoffs. First playoff appearance since 2018 when they beat Ravens 23-17 in wild-card round and lost to Patriots 41-28 in divisional round.Plan the parade: After dealing with injuries for most of the season, the Chargers are finally healthy and playing their best football. Los Angeles has won four of its past five, the offense is showing a semblance of balance with more consistency in the run game and the defense has done a good job of generating pressure on opposing quarterbacks. Justin Herbert threw for at least 300 yards in every game this season.Hold the confetti:&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jacksonville-jaguars-los-angeles-chargers-nfl-sports-josh-allen-69a1d708e72f14709e3e788b6f68a3f1">Brandon Staley</a>&nbsp;is going into his first playoffs as a head coach. He is one of the most aggressive coaches in the league, but this is the time of year when the wrong decision could have huge ramifications. The Chargers also have one of the worst run defenses in the league. They allowed 5.42 yards per carry, the worst average by any team since the 1970 merger, while 10 running backs had 100-yard games against the Chargers.“I think that we have a team that is full of quality experiences, and it has been fun to watch this group take shape together to carve its own path here with the Chargers. We get a big opportunity on Saturday to really make our mark.” — Staley on not having a lot of playoff experience on his roster.6. BALTIMORE RAVENS (10-7). Two Lombardi trophies in two appearances: beat Giants 34-7 in Super Bowl 35 and beat 49ers 34-31 in Super Bowl 47. Last year: 8-9, missed the playoffs. Fourth playoff appearance in five years.Plan the parade: Since acquiring LB&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/baltimore-ravens-nfl-sports-transactions-roquan-smith-ea702ad5f7247fe4b1591e81d4820596">Roquan Smith</a>&nbsp;in a trade, the Ravens are allowing just 14.7 points per game. If they can do that in the playoffs, they can hang with anyone, even if QB Lamar Jackson remains out because of his knee injury he sustained last month. RB J.K. Dobbins has looked refreshed and healthy since returning from injured reserve, averaging nearly 100 yards rushing in four outings. The Ravens also have one of the league’s great clutch performers in a close game in K Justin Tucker. And if Jackson can actually return at some point ...Cancel the confetti: Jackson hasn’t even practiced since his injury in early December when he was tackled by Broncos OLB Jonathan Cooper, so expecting him to provide a major lift is fanciful at this point. Furthermore, QB2 Tyler Huntley hasn’t been totally healthy, either. The Ravens benefitted from a favorable schedule down the stretch and grinded out enough wins to make the playoffs, but asking their defense to dominate against a team such as the Bengals — and the perhaps the Chiefs or Bills later in the postseason — is a different thing entirely.“This team has been through a lot. There’s been a lot of ups, there’s been a lot of downs, and one thing that we keep on doing is fighting.”—TE Mark Andrews.7. MIAMI DOLPHINS (9-8). Two Lombardi trophies in five appearances: lost to Cowboys 24-3 in Super Bowl 6, beat Washington 14-7 in Super Bowl 7, beat Vikings 24-7 in Super Bowl 8, lost to Washington 27-17 in Super Bowl 17, lost to 49ers 38-16 in Super Bowl 19.Plan the parade: The speed of WRs Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle has given defenses fits all season, and Miami’s timing-based offense is at its best when those two find openings over the middle of the field. Hill was second in yards (1,710) and receptions (119) during the regular season and has the playoff experience to help carry Miami’s passing game. Waddle was seventh with 1,356 yards.Hold the confetti:&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/buffalo-bills-miami-dolphins-new-york-jets-nfl-sports-a0a1fa778b5a91da787ce9e0b86df7e2">Injuries</a>. The O-line is banged up, and the QB situation seems ever-changing. Tagovailoa was among the NFL’s highest-rated passers all season, but he hasn’t been cleared to return to football activities yet after being diagnosed with a concussion and it’s unclear when the Dolphins will see him back on the field. While Thompson did just enough to lead the Dolphins to a playoff-clinching win over the Jets, Miami’s offense, which was waning even with Tagovailoa toward the end of the season, is severely limited without him.“There’s still confidence in this team, confidence in this whole building. I feel like you never lose that as a competitor." — Hill.

🏈 Chiefs top seed in AFC, but title game could be in Atlanta

GIRLS PREP BASKETBALL Halstead 39, Hoisington 24 Kansas Deaf 102, Kansas Deaf 80 Logan/Palco 36, Plainville 35

BOYS PREP BASKETBALL Cheylin 61, Weskan 47 Hoisington 49, Halstead 42 Kansas Deaf 67, Kansas Deaf 66 Kansas Deaf 98, Kansas Deaf 56 Leavenworth 51, Lansing 30 Wichita Sunrise 68, Kickapoo, Mo. 35 Wiley, Colo. 69, Deerfield 26

GIRLS PREP BASKETBALL Halstead 39, Hoisington 24 Kansas Deaf 102, Kansas Deaf 80 Logan/Palco 36, Plainville 35BOYS PREP BASKETBALL Cheylin 61, Weskan 47 Hoisington 49, Halstead 42 Kansas Deaf 67, Kansas Deaf 66 Kansas Deaf 98, Kansas Deaf 56 Leavenworth 51, Lansing 30 Wichita Sunrise 68, Kickapoo, Mo. 35 Wiley, Colo. 69, Deerfield 26

🏀 Thursday's high school results

HAYS - The Hays High boys wrestling team lost 45-25 to Dodge City Thursday at the Hays High gym.

Hays will host the Prairie Junior Classic Saturday then the Bob Kuhn Invitational next Friday and Saturday.

HAYS - The Hays High boys wrestling team lost 45-25 to Dodge City Thursday at the Hays High gym.Hays will host the Prairie Junior Classic Saturday then the Bob Kuhn Invitational next Friday and Saturday.

🤼‍♂️ HHS drops dual with Dodge City

The Hays High bowling team was in Garden City on Tuesday. The Buffaloes took both the girls and boys competition on the day. Trenton Holdeman led the boys team with a 6th place finish on a 503 series. Garden City won the event 2342 to 1736.

Aleena Atchison led the Indian girls with a 304.

Garden City won the Baker competition 25005 to 1599 on the boys side and 2725 to 1295 on the girls.

The bowling team heads to Liberal next Thursday.

The Hays High bowling team was in Garden City on Tuesday. The Buffaloes took both the girls and boys competition on the day. Trenton Holdeman led the boys team with a 6th place finish on a 503 series. Garden City won the event 2342 to 1736.Aleena Atchison led the Indian girls with a 304.Garden City won the Baker competition 25005 to 1599 on the boys side and 2725 to 1295 on the girls.The bowling team heads to Liberal next Thursday.

Hays bowling at Garden City

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — No matter what route the Kansas City Chiefs take through the playoffs, it is sure to be a familiar one.

That tends to happen when you've been near the top as long as they have been.

In the divisional round, the Chiefs could face former Andy Reid assistants now leading the Jacksonville Jaguars (Doug Pederson) and Baltimore Ravens (John Harbaugh), an AFC West rival in the Los Angeles Chargers or longtime star Tyreek Hill with his new team, the Miami Dolphins.

Get through that and, well, the Chiefs have had some doozies with the Buffalo Bills and Cincinnati Bengals.

Just last year, the Chiefs and Bills played&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/cincinnati-bengals-kansas-city-chiefs-buffalo-bills-nfl-sports-060041ec1dd4c9bea035ca7283fa5e7a">a divisional playoff game for the ages,</a>&nbsp;combining for 25 points in the final 2 minutes of regulation. Kansas City drove 44 yards in the final 13 seconds and tied the game on Harrison Butker's 49-yarder as time expired, then drove 75 yards in overtime for the winning touchdown.

Then in the AFC title game — the fourth straight played in Kansas City — the Chiefs jumped to a 21-3 lead over the Bengals late in the first half. But their offense, so dynamic for so long, wilted over the final 35 minutes, allowing Joe Burrow to lead Cincinnati to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/cincinnati-bengals-kansas-city-chiefs-nfl-sports-harrison-butker-e7f37e3c8734a62cd077228a5b167dd0">a 27-24 overtime victory</a>&nbsp;and a spot in the Super Bowl.

“Obviously you don’t know for sure who you’re going to play,” Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes said this week, "so what I’ll do is watch a game or two from each team that we have a possibility of playing, kind of each day, just to get a general sense of the team without being too much of a deep dive.

“Luckily, two of the teams we’ve already played this year,” Mahomes said of the Bills and Bengals, both of whom beat Kansas City, “so I have a general sense of them already. You make sure you stay working out, stay moving around — not just sitting on the couch — and then when we get ready to go next week, I just try to be prepared and ready to roll.”

The Chiefs may have been the biggest beneficiary in the Bills having their&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-city-chiefs-buffalo-bills-indianapolis-colts-cincinnati-bengals-baltimore-ravens-227feaee480e801623ddef15c8dd14f4">Week 17 game against the Bengals canceled</a>&nbsp;following the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/Bills-damar-hamlin-collapse-what-happened-d73a76f2f7f736b652e95896dfaa0900">collapse of Buffalo safety Damar Hamlin</a>. It allowed them to finish a half-game ahead of the Bills for the best record in the AFC, and that gave them this week off for the third time in the last five years.

The last time, two years ago, the Chiefs advanced to the Super Bowl, where they lost to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

“We can’t control when we play, where we play. The only thing we can control is how we play and to be ready for that moment whenever that happens,” Chiefs safety Justin Reid said. "It’s fortunate for us that we were able to get the No. 1 seed. That’s something that we aimed for at the beginning of the season, so congratulations to our team on doing that.

“Wherever we end up playing next, however these scenarios play out,” Reid continued, "wherever that location and time is, we’re going to be ready to play and we’re going to play it.”

The Chiefs at least know their first two games would be played at Arrowhead Stadium, and an AFC title game against anyone but the Bills would be played there, too, for the record fifth consecutive year. If the Chiefs and Bills meet for a spot in the Super Bowl for the second time in three years, that would be played at&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-city-chiefs-buffalo-bills-nfl-sports-football-6afdd8ea4cbd475fdb12963783ac039d">Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta</a>.

“A couple of teams we’ve played,” Reid said. “We’ll try to focus in on the ones that we think that we have a chance, most of all, but also cover all of them while we have time – I’m saying as a coaching staff. Then we'll narrow that down for the players as we get them this week before we actually know for next week."

Reid also said the Chiefs will “work on some things that we need to work on” during their week off.

The Chiefs are always trying to hit their stride this time of year, and while they've often played down to the level of their opposition this season, everything seemed to click in their&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-city-chiefs-las-vegas-raiders-nfl-sports-transactions-f7256826d05329adeecfa7568088a775">regular-season finale</a>. They raced to a 24-3 halftime lead over the Las Vegas Raiders before coasting to a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-city-chiefs-las-vegas-raiders-sports-nfl-football-damar-hamlin-5d08f366a1e2319104eb54ce22a570d2">31-13 victory</a><a href="https://pro32.ap.org/article/top-seeded-chiefs-await-opponent-afc-playoffs-begin"></a>&nbsp;and the No. 1 seed in the playoffs.

Their turnover trouble? They finished plus-2 against the Raiders. Their penalty woes? They had five for just 43 yards. Their frustrating special teams problems? Butker was perfect on field goals and extra points.

“I mean, defense has stepped up, played really good these last few weeks. Offensively, we’ve had good spurts,” Mahomes said. "We feel like we can play even better; I’ll always feel like we can play better as an offense. But it’s coming from everywhere. ... We have guys everywhere getting involved, making plays happen. But like you said, a win is a win. We’re worried about winning, not covering spreads, so we’ll try to keep that momentum rolling."

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — No matter what route the Kansas City Chiefs take through the playoffs, it is sure to be a familiar one.That tends to happen when you've been near the top as long as they have been.In the divisional round, the Chiefs could face former Andy Reid assistants now leading the Jacksonville Jaguars (Doug Pederson) and Baltimore Ravens (John Harbaugh), an AFC West rival in the Los Angeles Chargers or longtime star Tyreek Hill with his new team, the Miami Dolphins.Get through that and, well, the Chiefs have had some doozies with the Buffalo Bills and Cincinnati Bengals.Just last year, the Chiefs and Bills played&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/cincinnati-bengals-kansas-city-chiefs-buffalo-bills-nfl-sports-060041ec1dd4c9bea035ca7283fa5e7a">a divisional playoff game for the ages,</a>&nbsp;combining for 25 points in the final 2 minutes of regulation. Kansas City drove 44 yards in the final 13 seconds and tied the game on Harrison Butker's 49-yarder as time expired, then drove 75 yards in overtime for the winning touchdown.Then in the AFC title game — the fourth straight played in Kansas City — the Chiefs jumped to a 21-3 lead over the Bengals late in the first half. But their offense, so dynamic for so long, wilted over the final 35 minutes, allowing Joe Burrow to lead Cincinnati to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/cincinnati-bengals-kansas-city-chiefs-nfl-sports-harrison-butker-e7f37e3c8734a62cd077228a5b167dd0">a 27-24 overtime victory</a>&nbsp;and a spot in the Super Bowl.“Obviously you don’t know for sure who you’re going to play,” Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes said this week, "so what I’ll do is watch a game or two from each team that we have a possibility of playing, kind of each day, just to get a general sense of the team without being too much of a deep dive.“Luckily, two of the teams we’ve already played this year,” Mahomes said of the Bills and Bengals, both of whom beat Kansas City, “so I have a general sense of them already. You make sure you stay working out, stay moving around — not just sitting on the couch — and then when we get ready to go next week, I just try to be prepared and ready to roll.”The Chiefs may have been the biggest beneficiary in the Bills having their&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-city-chiefs-buffalo-bills-indianapolis-colts-cincinnati-bengals-baltimore-ravens-227feaee480e801623ddef15c8dd14f4">Week 17 game against the Bengals canceled</a>&nbsp;following the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/Bills-damar-hamlin-collapse-what-happened-d73a76f2f7f736b652e95896dfaa0900">collapse of Buffalo safety Damar Hamlin</a>. It allowed them to finish a half-game ahead of the Bills for the best record in the AFC, and that gave them this week off for the third time in the last five years.The last time, two years ago, the Chiefs advanced to the Super Bowl, where they lost to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.“We can’t control when we play, where we play. The only thing we can control is how we play and to be ready for that moment whenever that happens,” Chiefs safety Justin Reid said. "It’s fortunate for us that we were able to get the No. 1 seed. That’s something that we aimed for at the beginning of the season, so congratulations to our team on doing that.“Wherever we end up playing next, however these scenarios play out,” Reid continued, "wherever that location and time is, we’re going to be ready to play and we’re going to play it.”The Chiefs at least know their first two games would be played at Arrowhead Stadium, and an AFC title game against anyone but the Bills would be played there, too, for the record fifth consecutive year. If the Chiefs and Bills meet for a spot in the Super Bowl for the second time in three years, that would be played at&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-city-chiefs-buffalo-bills-nfl-sports-football-6afdd8ea4cbd475fdb12963783ac039d">Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta</a>.“A couple of teams we’ve played,” Reid said. “We’ll try to focus in on the ones that we think that we have a chance, most of all, but also cover all of them while we have time – I’m saying as a coaching staff. Then we'll narrow that down for the players as we get them this week before we actually know for next week."Reid also said the Chiefs will “work on some things that we need to work on” during their week off.There doesn't seem to be much right now.The Chiefs are always trying to hit their stride this time of year, and while they've often played down to the level of their opposition this season, everything seemed to click in their&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-city-chiefs-las-vegas-raiders-nfl-sports-transactions-f7256826d05329adeecfa7568088a775">regular-season finale</a>. They raced to a 24-3 halftime lead over the Las Vegas Raiders before coasting to a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-city-chiefs-las-vegas-raiders-sports-nfl-football-damar-hamlin-5d08f366a1e2319104eb54ce22a570d2">31-13 victory</a><a href="https://pro32.ap.org/article/top-seeded-chiefs-await-opponent-afc-playoffs-begin"></a>&nbsp;and the No. 1 seed in the playoffs.Their turnover trouble? They finished plus-2 against the Raiders. Their penalty woes? They had five for just 43 yards. Their frustrating special teams problems? Butker was perfect on field goals and extra points.“I mean, defense has stepped up, played really good these last few weeks. Offensively, we’ve had good spurts,” Mahomes said. "We feel like we can play even better; I’ll always feel like we can play better as an offense. But it’s coming from everywhere. ... We have guys everywhere getting involved, making plays happen. But like you said, a win is a win. We’re worried about winning, not covering spreads, so we’ll try to keep that momentum rolling."

🏈 No. 1 seed Chiefs to see familiar route through postseason

The brackets for the 2023 MCL tournament were released on Wednesday
and the TMP Lady Monarchs are the number seven seed and will take on Hill City
in a feather bracket game.

As the number seven seed the TMP girls will open the
tournament Saturday afternoon at 3 p.m. against the 10 seed Hoxie in a feather
bracket game. The TMP regular season games against Hill City were postponed in December
so it will be the first meeting of the year between the two teams.

The three other feather bracket games are No. 8 seed Oakley
against No. 9 seed Stockton. The winner of that game gets the top seed Phillipsburg
in the opening round of the tournament.

Ellis is the five seed and will take on the No. 12 see
Russell. The winner will travel to WaKeeney for a matchup with the four-seed
Trego in the first round.

Hoxie earned the number three seed and will take on the
winner of Saturday’s matchup between the six seed Norton and the 11 seed
Plainville.

Saturday’s feather bracket games start a 3 p.m. with TMP and
Hill City at the Stockton grade school. Ellis and Russell will play at 3 p.m.
at the Stockton high school.

Oakley and Stockton will play the second game at Stockton
game. Norton and Plainville will play the second game of the day at the
Stockton high school.

You can find the MCL brackets <a href="https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/12ywoYPeE---jL8SxhGKNiYbNmHCErVlBlCJeJL86G2M/edit#gid=1745806453">HERE</a>.

The brackets for the 2023 MCL tournament were released on Wednesday
and the TMP Lady Monarchs are the number seven seed and will take on Hill City
in a feather bracket game.As the number seven seed the TMP girls will open the
tournament Saturday afternoon at 3 p.m. against the 10 seed Hoxie in a feather
bracket game. The TMP regular season games against Hill City were postponed in December
so it will be the first meeting of the year between the two teams.The three other feather bracket games are No. 8 seed Oakley
against No. 9 seed Stockton. The winner of that game gets the top seed Phillipsburg
in the opening round of the tournament.Ellis is the five seed and will take on the No. 12 see
Russell. The winner will travel to WaKeeney for a matchup with the four-seed
Trego in the first round.Hoxie earned the number three seed and will take on the
winner of Saturday’s matchup between the six seed Norton and the 11 seed
Plainville.Saturday’s feather bracket games start a 3 p.m. with TMP and
Hill City at the Stockton grade school. Ellis and Russell will play at 3 p.m.
at the Stockton high school.Oakley and Stockton will play the second game at Stockton
game. Norton and Plainville will play the second game of the day at the
Stockton high school.You can find the MCL brackets <a href="https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/12ywoYPeE---jL8SxhGKNiYbNmHCErVlBlCJeJL86G2M/edit#gid=1745806453">HERE</a>.

🏀 TMP girls the seven seed in MCL tournament

The TMP boys have earned the number three seed in the 2023
MCL tournament and will take on the winner of the six seed Hoxie and the 11 seed
Smith Center Monday.

Hoxie and Smith Center will play in one of four feather
bracket games in Stockton on Saturday at 3 p.m. at the Stockton high school.

Plainville is the number eight seed and will take on the
nine seed Oakley on Saturday. The winner takes on the top seed Hill City on Monday.


Phillipsburg earned the four seed and will take on the
winner of the five seed Trego and 12 seed Hoxie.

Russell, the seven seed plays 10 seed Ellis in Saturday’s feather
bracket game and the winner will take on the two seed Norton on Monday.

The TMP boys have earned the number three seed in the 2023
MCL tournament and will take on the winner of the six seed Hoxie and the 11 seed
Smith Center Monday.Hoxie and Smith Center will play in one of four feather
bracket games in Stockton on Saturday at 3 p.m. at the Stockton high school.Plainville is the number eight seed and will take on the
nine seed Oakley on Saturday. The winner takes on the top seed Hill City on Monday.
Phillipsburg earned the four seed and will take on the
winner of the five seed Trego and 12 seed Hoxie.Russell, the seven seed plays 10 seed Ellis in Saturday’s feather
bracket game and the winner will take on the two seed Norton on Monday.You can find the complete bracket HERE.

🏀 TMP boys the three seed in MCL tournament

By DAVID SMALE Associated Press

LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — KJ Adams scored a career-high 22 points and No. 2 Kansas closed the game on an 18-4 run to beat Oklahoma 79-75 on Tuesday night.

Kansas (14-1, 3-0 Big 12) got 17 points from Jalen Wilson, 11 from Dajuan Harris and 10 from Zach Clemence. The Jayhawks have won 22 straight games against Oklahoma in Allen Fieldhouse, including 16 straight under coach Bill Self.

Oklahoma (10-5, 1-2 Big 12) was led by Grant Sherfield's season-high 25 points. Sam Godwin added 12 points, Milos Uzan had 11 and Tanner Groves had 10.

Kansas led by as many as seven points early in the second half, but Oklahoma used a 6-0 run to take a 50-48 lead with 14:12 left. The Sooners were still up, 56-53, with 11:20 left in the game when Groves picked up his fourth foul.

Oklahoma hung tough, and led 61-56 with about 9 minutes left as Adams was called for his fourth foul. The Sooners' largest lead of the game — 65-58 — came with 7:06 left.

Kansas went more than 12 minutes without a field goal in the second half, but Adams ended that streak with a thunderous dunk at the 5:06 mark. A 3-pointer by Wilson cut the deficit to 71-66 and Harris' layup trimmed it to just 3 points.

After the teams traded buckets, Wilson found Adams underneath for a dunk to cut Oklahoma's lead to one. Following an OU miss, McCullar was fouled on a successful drive to the hoop and his free throw gave Kansas a 75-73 lead.

The Sooners were able to slow down the Kansas offense, holding the Jayhawks to just 39.4% in the first half. The Sooners also outrebounded Kansas, 21-16.

Oklahoma: Hosts West Virginia on Saturday.

Kansas: Hosts No. 14 Iowa State on Saturday.

By DAVID SMALE Associated PressLAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — KJ Adams scored a career-high 22 points and No. 2 Kansas closed the game on an 18-4 run to beat Oklahoma 79-75 on Tuesday night.Kansas (14-1, 3-0 Big 12) got 17 points from Jalen Wilson, 11 from Dajuan Harris and 10 from Zach Clemence. The Jayhawks have won 22 straight games against Oklahoma in Allen Fieldhouse, including 16 straight under coach Bill Self.Oklahoma (10-5, 1-2 Big 12) was led by Grant Sherfield's season-high 25 points. Sam Godwin added 12 points, Milos Uzan had 11 and Tanner Groves had 10.Kansas led by as many as seven points early in the second half, but Oklahoma used a 6-0 run to take a 50-48 lead with 14:12 left. The Sooners were still up, 56-53, with 11:20 left in the game when Groves picked up his fourth foul.Oklahoma hung tough, and led 61-56 with about 9 minutes left as Adams was called for his fourth foul. The Sooners' largest lead of the game — 65-58 — came with 7:06 left.Kansas went more than 12 minutes without a field goal in the second half, but Adams ended that streak with a thunderous dunk at the 5:06 mark. A 3-pointer by Wilson cut the deficit to 71-66 and Harris' layup trimmed it to just 3 points.After the teams traded buckets, Wilson found Adams underneath for a dunk to cut Oklahoma's lead to one. Following an OU miss, McCullar was fouled on a successful drive to the hoop and his free throw gave Kansas a 75-73 lead.The Sooners were able to slow down the Kansas offense, holding the Jayhawks to just 39.4% in the first half. The Sooners also outrebounded Kansas, 21-16.UP NEXTOklahoma: Hosts West Virginia on Saturday.Kansas: Hosts No. 14 Iowa State on Saturday.

🏀 No. 2 Kansas goes on late 18-4 run to overcome Oklahoma

HOXIE – The TMP-Marian boys and girls basketball teams each
ran their win streaks to three in-a-row Tuesday with a doubleheader sweep of
the Hoxie Indians in their return to Mid-Continent League plays.

GIRLS: TMP 43, (#6) Hoxie 40 TMP (3-3, 2-0 MCL) used a 10-4 second half run and Brooke
Koenigsman and Jaci VonLintel both scored in double-figures as the TMP girls
knocked off Hoxie 43-40.

Hoxie (5-2, 2-1 MCL) opened the game with a three-pointer
from Ella Zerr who went on to scored a career-high 16 points, but the lead was
short lived.

Down 3-0 Brooke Koenigsman scored five straight as part of a
9-2 run to put TMP up 9-5. TMP was able to double up the Indians 14-7 at the
end of the first quarter.

The Monarchs led by as many as nine to start the second quarter,
at 18-9, only to see Hoxie string together an 11-4 run to pull within two at
22-20 and then again at 24-22.

Koenigsman scored back-to-back field goals, including a
jumped that rattled in to end the first half put TMP up 28-22.

Hoxie tied the game at 29 with a 7-1 run to only the second
half but Koenigsman again answered with a pair of free throws to put TMP up 31-29
and Hoxie was never able to overcome TMP down the stretch as the Monarchs clinched
their third straight win 43-40.

Brooke Koenigsman and Jaci VonLintel led all scores with 17
points each. VonLintel added 14 rebounds.

BOYS: TMP 46, Hoxie 29 The TMP boys held Hoxie to a season low 29 points as they picked
up their third straight win Tuesday, 46-29.

TMP’s Luke Rome scored six of the first eight points for TMP
(4-3, 2-0 MCL) as they opened the game on an 8-2 run. Hoxie cut the lead to two
after the first quarter at 8-6.

Both teams were limited just a pair of field goals with TMP
taking a 12-11 lead into the halftime break.

Hoxie (4-3, 2-1 MCL) took the lead, 13-12, out of the
halftime break but a Kade Harris steal and layup on the other end put TMP up
14-13 and they never trailed again.

The Harris basket sparked a 20-7 run to end the third
quarter and open the fourth quarter putting TMP up 32-20.

Down the stretch in the fourth quarter Dylan Werth, Landon
Rozean and Luke Rome scored 17 of the final 19 points as they Monarchs pulled
away for a 46-29 victory.

Dylan Werth scored a team-high 15 points and added 12 rebounds. Luke Rome added 12 points.&nbsp;

TMP will host Ellis Friday in their first home games of the season.

HOXIE – The TMP-Marian boys and girls basketball teams each
ran their win streaks to three in-a-row Tuesday with a doubleheader sweep of
the Hoxie Indians in their return to Mid-Continent League plays.GIRLS: TMP 43, (#6) Hoxie 40 TMP (3-3, 2-0 MCL) used a 10-4 second half run and Brooke
Koenigsman and Jaci VonLintel both scored in double-figures as the TMP girls
knocked off Hoxie 43-40.<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/1421205208&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-814667509/01-10-23-tmp-girls-coach-int" title="01 - 10 - 23 TMP coach Rose McFarland" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">01 - 10 - 23 TMP coach Rose McFarland</a></div></div>Hoxie (5-2, 2-1 MCL) opened the game with a three-pointer
from Ella Zerr who went on to scored a career-high 16 points, but the lead was
short lived.Down 3-0 Brooke Koenigsman scored five straight as part of a
9-2 run to put TMP up 9-5. TMP was able to double up the Indians 14-7 at the
end of the first quarter.The Monarchs led by as many as nine to start the second quarter,
at 18-9, only to see Hoxie string together an 11-4 run to pull within two at
22-20 and then again at 24-22.Koenigsman scored back-to-back field goals, including a
jumped that rattled in to end the first half put TMP up 28-22.Hoxie tied the game at 29 with a 7-1 run to only the second
half but Koenigsman again answered with a pair of free throws to put TMP up 31-29
and Hoxie was never able to overcome TMP down the stretch as the Monarchs clinched
their third straight win 43-40.<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/1421205154&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-814667509/01-10-23-tmp-girls-highlights" title="01 - 10 - 23 TMP Girls Highlights vs Hoxie" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">01 - 10 - 23 TMP Girls Highlights vs Hoxie</a></div></div>Brooke Koenigsman and Jaci VonLintel led all scores with 17
points each. VonLintel added 14 rebounds.BOYS: TMP 46, Hoxie 29 The TMP boys held Hoxie to a season low 29 points as they picked
up their third straight win Tuesday, 46-29.<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/1421205385&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-814667509/01-10-23-tmp-boys-coach-int" title="01 - 10 - 23 TMP Boys Coach Bill Meagher" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">01 - 10 - 23 TMP Boys Coach Bill Meagher</a></div></div>TMP’s Luke Rome scored six of the first eight points for TMP
(4-3, 2-0 MCL) as they opened the game on an 8-2 run. Hoxie cut the lead to two
after the first quarter at 8-6.Both teams were limited just a pair of field goals with TMP
taking a 12-11 lead into the halftime break.Hoxie (4-3, 2-1 MCL) took the lead, 13-12, out of the
halftime break but a Kade Harris steal and layup on the other end put TMP up
14-13 and they never trailed again.The Harris basket sparked a 20-7 run to end the third
quarter and open the fourth quarter putting TMP up 32-20.Down the stretch in the fourth quarter Dylan Werth, Landon
Rozean and Luke Rome scored 17 of the final 19 points as they Monarchs pulled
away for a 46-29 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/1421205337&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-814667509/01-10-23-tmp-boys-highlights" title="01 - 10 - 23 TMP Boys Highlights vs Hoxie" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">01 - 10 - 23 TMP Boys Highlights vs Hoxie</a></div></div>Dylan Werth scored a team-high 15 points and added 12 rebounds. Luke Rome added 12 points.&nbsp;TMP will host Ellis Friday in their first home games of the season.

🏀 TMP sweeps Hoxie in return to MCL play

GREAT BEND - Hays High continued a stretch of three straight Western Athletic Conference games with a trip to Great Bend on Tuesday.

Hays never trailed and was only tied once on their way to a 63-45 win.

A 14-3 run by Hays in the first quarter opened up a lead for the Indians after Great Bend tied the game at two. The Panthers scored the last four points of the first quarter to close the gap down to 16-9.

Hays used another big run in the second quarter to seize control of the game. Great Bend pulled the lead down to six at 25-19 with four minutes to go in the half. The Indians finished the next four minutes on a 14-0 run. Six different players scored during the stretch.

Hays only scored six points in the third quarter, making two of ten shots. But their defense kept the lead in double figures allowing Great Bend to score only nine and trim the lead down to 44-28.

The Indians found their offense again in the fourth quarter scoring 19 points and keeping the Panthers at arms length, winning 63-45.

Katie Linenberger scored a career high 16, with 14 of those occurring in the first half. Molly Martin and Carly Lang each scored 14. Claire Humphry and Jillyan Sheldon added 8. MaKenzie Premer scored a season high 17 for Great Bend.

The Indians improve to 5-3 and 1-1 in the Western Athletic Conference. Great Bend has lost four of five games and is 4-4 on the year, 0-2 in conference play.

Hays was outscored in each of the first three quarters as they fell to Great Bend 64-47, snapping the Indians 20 game Western Athletic Conference game winning streak.

The Panthers used 20-8 first and third quarters to build their lead up to 27 by the end of the third.

Hays led 2-0 before a Panther 13-2 run opened the lead up for Great Bend. Hays pulled within five at 13-8 and had the ball but turned it over. Great Bend responded with a 10-0 run.

Edwin Muller led the Indians with a career high 13. Ian Premer scored a career high 25 for Great Bend.

Both teams are now 4-4 on the season and 1-1 in the WAC.

Hays is home for the only time in January as they host Garden City on Friday.

GREAT BEND - Hays High continued a stretch of three straight Western Athletic Conference games with a trip to Great Bend on Tuesday.Girls Hays 63- Great Bend 45Hays never trailed and was only tied once on their way to a 63-45 win.A 14-3 run by Hays in the first quarter opened up a lead for the Indians after Great Bend tied the game at two. The Panthers scored the last four points of the first quarter to close the gap down to 16-9.Hays used another big run in the second quarter to seize control of the game. Great Bend pulled the lead down to six at 25-19 with four minutes to go in the half. The Indians finished the next four minutes on a 14-0 run. Six different players scored during the stretch.Highlights<div><iframe width="100%" height="300" scrolling="no" frameborder="no" allow="autoplay" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/1421204266&color=%23ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&show_teaser=true&visual=true"></iframe><div style="font-size: 10px; color: #cccccc;line-break: anywhere;word-break: normal;overflow: hidden;white-space: nowrap;text-overflow: ellipsis; font-family: Interstate,Lucida Grande,Lucida Sans Unicode,Lucida Sans,Garuda,Verdana,Tahoma,sans-serif;font-weight: 100;"><a href="https://soundcloud.com/user-814667509" title="Eagle Radio" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Eagle Radio</a> · <a href="https://soundcloud.com/user-814667509/01-10-23-hhs-wbkb-vs-great-bend-highlights" title="01 - 10 - 23 HHS WBKB Vs Great Bend Highlights" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">01 - 10 - 23 HHS WBKB Vs Great Bend Highlights</a></div></div>Hays only scored six points in the third quarter, making two of ten shots. But their defense kept the lead in double figures allowing Great Bend to score only nine and trim the lead down to 44-28.The Indians found their offense again in the fourth quarter scoring 19 points and keeping the Panthers at arms length, winning 63-45.Coach Len Melvin<div><iframe width="100%" height="300" scrolling="no" frameborder="no" allow="autoplay" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/1421204140&color=%23ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&show_teaser=true&visual=true"></iframe><div style="font-size: 10px; color: #cccccc;line-break: anywhere;word-break: normal;overflow: hidden;white-space: nowrap;text-overflow: ellipsis; font-family: Interstate,Lucida Grande,Lucida Sans Unicode,Lucida Sans,Garuda,Verdana,Tahoma,sans-serif;font-weight: 100;"><a href="https://soundcloud.com/user-814667509" title="Eagle Radio" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Eagle Radio</a> · <a href="https://soundcloud.com/user-814667509/01-10-23-coach-len-melvin-interview" title="01 - 10 - 23 Coach Len Melvin Interview" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">01 - 10 - 23 Coach Len Melvin Interview</a></div></div>Katie Linenberger scored a career high 16, with 14 of those occurring in the first half. Molly Martin and Carly Lang each scored 14. Claire Humphry and Jillyan Sheldon added 8. MaKenzie Premer scored a season high 17 for Great Bend.The Indians improve to 5-3 and 1-1 in the Western Athletic Conference. Great Bend has lost four of five games and is 4-4 on the year, 0-2 in conference play.Boys Hays 47 - Great Bend 64Hays was outscored in each of the first three quarters as they fell to Great Bend 64-47, snapping the Indians 20 game Western Athletic Conference game winning streak.The Panthers used 20-8 first and third quarters to build their lead up to 27 by the end of the third.Highlights<div><iframe width="100%" height="300" scrolling="no" frameborder="no" allow="autoplay" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/1421204236&color=%23ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&show_teaser=true&visual=true"></iframe><div style="font-size: 10px; color: #cccccc;line-break: anywhere;word-break: normal;overflow: hidden;white-space: nowrap;text-overflow: ellipsis; font-family: Interstate,Lucida Grande,Lucida Sans Unicode,Lucida Sans,Garuda,Verdana,Tahoma,sans-serif;font-weight: 100;"><a href="https://soundcloud.com/user-814667509" title="Eagle Radio" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Eagle Radio</a> · <a href="https://soundcloud.com/user-814667509/01-10-23-hhs-mbkb-vs-great-bend-highlights" title="01 - 10 - 23 HHS MBKB Vs Great Bend Highlights" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">01 - 10 - 23 HHS MBKB Vs Great Bend Highlights</a></div></div>Hays led 2-0 before a Panther 13-2 run opened the lead up for Great Bend. Hays pulled within five at 13-8 and had the ball but turned it over. Great Bend responded with a 10-0 run.Coach Sean Dreiling<div><iframe width="100%" height="300" scrolling="no" frameborder="no" allow="autoplay" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/1421204182&color=%23ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&show_teaser=true&visual=true"></iframe><div style="font-size: 10px; color: #cccccc;line-break: anywhere;word-break: normal;overflow: hidden;white-space: nowrap;text-overflow: ellipsis; font-family: Interstate,Lucida Grande,Lucida Sans Unicode,Lucida Sans,Garuda,Verdana,Tahoma,sans-serif;font-weight: 100;"><a href="https://soundcloud.com/user-814667509" title="Eagle Radio" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Eagle Radio</a> · <a href="https://soundcloud.com/user-814667509/01-10-23-coach-sean-dreiling-interview" title="01 - 10 - 23 Coach Sean Dreiling Interview" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">01 - 10 - 23 Coach Sean Dreiling Interview</a></div></div>Edwin Muller led the Indians with a career high 13. Ian Premer scored a career high 25 for Great Bend.Both teams are now 4-4 on the season and 1-1 in the WAC.Hays is home for the only time in January as they host Garden City on Friday.

🏀 Hays girls win big; boys WAC streak snapped at Great Bend

By AVERY OSEN Associated Press

<a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search/?query=byline:%22AVERY%20OSEN%22&amp;mediaType=text&amp;st=keyword&amp;sortOrder=newest"></a>MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) — Markquis Nowell scored 20 points and found Keyontae Johnson for an alley-oop dunk with 38 seconds left as No. 11 Kansas State held off Oklahoma State 65-57 on Tuesday night.

Johnson added 12 points and Desi Sills had 11 for the Wildcats (15-1, 4-0 Big 12), who won their ninth straight and exceeded their victory total from last season. Predicted to finish last in the Big 12, Kansas State went from unranked last week to just outside the top 10&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll">in the AP poll</a>.

“We didn’t play well in the first half, but we were only down two,” Kansas State coach Jerome Tang said. “Up to this point of the season, we've been the hunters and now we have the number in front of our name. We challenged the guys to play with a smile and win the second half.”

Kalib Boone scored 23 points and Caleb Asberry had 15 for the Cowboys (9-7, 1-3), who have lost three of four, all by 10 points or fewer.

“We came into a difficult environment, which is expected when you are playing the hottest team in the country,” Oklahoma State coach Mike Boynton said.

Kansas State led by 10 points in the second half before the Cowboys made it close in the closing minutes. Johnson's slam put Kansas State ahead 62-57 and the Wildcats closed it out at the free-throw line.

“That’s what happens when you have dudes,” Tang said. “I would love to tell you I drew that up, but I didn’t. He caught it with one hand and that was big-time guys making big-time plays at big-time moments.”

Oklahoma State held Kansas State to its worst shooting performance of the year. The Wildcats went 21 of 50 (35.6%). However, the Cowboys were even worse, going 22 of 66 (33.3%). Kansas State scored its fewest points in a Big 12 game thus far but also gave up its fewest.

“I feel like we were switching up our defense so it was tough on them, but they were tough on us too,” Asberry said. “We started playing more through Kalib and he produced for us like he usually does, which got us back in it.”

Nowell made five 3-pointers and had seven assists and five rebounds.

Oklahoma State: Avery Anderson (11.1 points per game) was limited to 13 minutes because of a wrist injury and was held scoreless. Once he's fully healthy, the Cowboys' offense should get a nice boast.

Kansas State: The Wildcats' next two games — at No. 17 TCU and against second-ranked rival Kansas — should give them a better feel for where they stand in the Big 12.

By AVERY OSEN Associated Press<a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search/?query=byline:%22AVERY%20OSEN%22&amp;mediaType=text&amp;st=keyword&amp;sortOrder=newest"></a>MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) — Markquis Nowell scored 20 points and found Keyontae Johnson for an alley-oop dunk with 38 seconds left as No. 11 Kansas State held off Oklahoma State 65-57 on Tuesday night.Johnson added 12 points and Desi Sills had 11 for the Wildcats (15-1, 4-0 Big 12), who won their ninth straight and exceeded their victory total from last season. Predicted to finish last in the Big 12, Kansas State went from unranked last week to just outside the top 10&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll">in the AP poll</a>.“We didn’t play well in the first half, but we were only down two,” Kansas State coach Jerome Tang said. “Up to this point of the season, we've been the hunters and now we have the number in front of our name. We challenged the guys to play with a smile and win the second half.”Kalib Boone scored 23 points and Caleb Asberry had 15 for the Cowboys (9-7, 1-3), who have lost three of four, all by 10 points or fewer.“We came into a difficult environment, which is expected when you are playing the hottest team in the country,” Oklahoma State coach Mike Boynton said.Kansas State led by 10 points in the second half before the Cowboys made it close in the closing minutes. Johnson's slam put Kansas State ahead 62-57 and the Wildcats closed it out at the free-throw line.“That’s what happens when you have dudes,” Tang said. “I would love to tell you I drew that up, but I didn’t. He caught it with one hand and that was big-time guys making big-time plays at big-time moments.”Oklahoma State held Kansas State to its worst shooting performance of the year. The Wildcats went 21 of 50 (35.6%). However, the Cowboys were even worse, going 22 of 66 (33.3%). Kansas State scored its fewest points in a Big 12 game thus far but also gave up its fewest.“I feel like we were switching up our defense so it was tough on them, but they were tough on us too,” Asberry said. “We started playing more through Kalib and he produced for us like he usually does, which got us back in it.”Nowell made five 3-pointers and had seven assists and five rebounds.BIG PICTUREOklahoma State: Avery Anderson (11.1 points per game) was limited to 13 minutes because of a wrist injury and was held scoreless. Once he's fully healthy, the Cowboys' offense should get a nice boast.Kansas State: The Wildcats' next two games — at No. 17 TCU and against second-ranked rival Kansas — should give them a better feel for where they stand in the Big 12.UP NEXTOklahoma State: At Baylor on Saturday.Kansas State: At TCU on Saturday.

🏀 Nowell leads No. 11 Kansas State past OSU for 9th straight win

By GERARD WELLBROCK Hays Post

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. – Fort Hays State got off to a quick start but it didn't last long and lost 62-55 to Missouri Western State Tuesday at the MWSU Fieldhouse. The game was originally scheduled for December 10th but was postponed when the Griffons had their program shut down for a week due to COVID-19.

Kaleb Hammeke hit his first three shots, two of them 3-pointers to give FHSU (11-5, 6-4 MIAA) an early six-point lead but the Tigers turned cold and trailed by 12 at halftime and by as many as 17 in the second as the Griffons (8-6, 404 MIAA) end a three-game losing streak.

After hitting four of their first six shots to start the game, the Tigers, who were playing their fifth game in 11 days, would hit just two of their next 20 allowing the Griffons to go on a 20-5 run to take a 27-15 lead into halftime. The Tigers trailed by 17 twice in the second half, the last with a little over 13 minutes to play.. They would go on an 14-4 run to pull within six with nine and half minutes to play. The Griffons scored the next four to push their lead back to 10. With two minutes to play, the Tigers were down 15 when they put together an 11-2 run to pull within five but could get no closer. Redshirt freshman Lucas Hammeke provided a spark, scoring eight in the final two minutes.&nbsp;

Kaleb Hammeke, who had&nbsp;10 of the Tigers 15 first half points, finished&nbsp; with a team-high 16. Elijah Nnanabu recorded his third-straight double-figure game with 15. Lucas Hammeke and Iyen Enaruna both added eight. Enaruna also pulled down a season-high 10 rebounds. 

After shooting just 23.1 percent in the first half, the Tigers improved to 34.5 percent for the game but was still their low mark for a conference game this season. FHSU was just 4-of-23 (17.4 percent) from 3-point range, missing 18 consecutive shots from beyond the arc at one stretch.

JaRon Thames led MWSU with 15 points. Julius Dixon added 13 and Reese Glover 11. Glover hit three 3-pointers to tie the MWSU career record. The Griffons were 9-of-16 (56.3 percent) beyond the 3-point line, despite shooting just 11-of-29 inside the arc.

UP NEXT The Tigers will be back at home on Saturday (Jan. 14) to take on Nebraska-Kearney. Tipoff will be at 4 p.m., which follows the women's contest at 2 p.m.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/1/1673413453092.jpeg" alt="FHSU Athletics photo" />
 <figcaption>FHSU Athletics photo</figcaption>
 </figure>By GERARD WELLBROCK Hays PostST. JOSEPH, Mo. – Fort Hays State got off to a quick start but it didn't last long and lost 62-55 to Missouri Western State Tuesday at the MWSU Fieldhouse. The game was originally scheduled for December 10th but was postponed when the Griffons had their program shut down for a week due to COVID-19.Kaleb Hammeke hit his first three shots, two of them 3-pointers to give FHSU (11-5, 6-4 MIAA) an early six-point lead but the Tigers turned cold and trailed by 12 at halftime and by as many as 17 in the second as the Griffons (8-6, 404 MIAA) end a three-game losing streak.<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/1421107219&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-814667509/1-10-2023-fhsu-mens-coach-postgame-interview" title="Mark Johnson Postgame at Missouri Western State (Jan. 10, 2023)" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Mark Johnson Postgame at Missouri Western State (Jan. 10, 2023)</a></div></div>After hitting four of their first six shots to start the game, the Tigers, who were playing their fifth game in 11 days, would hit just two of their next 20 allowing the Griffons to go on a 20-5 run to take a 27-15 lead into halftime. The Tigers trailed by 17 twice in the second half, the last with a little over 13 minutes to play.. They would go on an 14-4 run to pull within six with nine and half minutes to play. The Griffons scored the next four to push their lead back to 10. With two minutes to play, the Tigers were down 15 when they put together an 11-2 run to pull within five but could get no closer. Redshirt freshman Lucas Hammeke provided a spark, scoring eight in the final two minutes.&nbsp;Kaleb Hammeke, who had&nbsp;10 of the Tigers 15 first half points, finished&nbsp; with a team-high 16. Elijah Nnanabu recorded his third-straight double-figure game with 15. Lucas Hammeke and Iyen Enaruna both added eight. Enaruna also pulled down a season-high 10 rebounds. After shooting just 23.1 percent in the first half, the Tigers improved to 34.5 percent for the game but was still their low mark for a conference game this season. FHSU was just 4-of-23 (17.4 percent) from 3-point range, missing 18 consecutive shots from beyond the arc at one stretch.<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/1421107471&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-814667509/1-10-2023-fhsu-mens-bkb-highlights" title="Fort Hays State MBB Highlights at Missouri Western State (Jan 10, 2023)" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Fort Hays State MBB Highlights at Missouri Western State (Jan 10, 2023)</a></div></div>JaRon Thames led MWSU with 15 points. Julius Dixon added 13 and Reese Glover 11. Glover hit three 3-pointers to tie the MWSU career record. The Griffons were 9-of-16 (56.3 percent) beyond the 3-point line, despite shooting just 11-of-29 inside the arc.UP NEXT The Tigers will be back at home on Saturday (Jan. 14) to take on Nebraska-Kearney. Tipoff will be at 4 p.m., which follows the women's contest at 2 p.m.

🏀 Tigers can't overcome cold shooting in loss at Missouri Western

By MARK ANDERSON AP Sports Writer

Even if Kansas City doesn't get the coveted home-field advantage in the conference championship that typically comes with being the AFC's top seed, coach Andy Reid said the important thing is the Chiefs are still playing.

Reid said Monday he was too preoccupied last week with preparing for Saturday's game against the Las Vegas Raiders to worry about whether the Chiefs would be at home or elsewhere should they make it that far. The NFL made the decision last week to alter the playoff format.

The Chiefs took care of the business of capturing the No. 1 seed with their&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-city-chiefs-las-vegas-raiders-sports-nfl-football-damar-hamlin-5d08f366a1e2319104eb54ce22a570d2">31-13 victory at Las Vegas</a>.

“They understand the magnitude of where they sit right now and the opportunity that they have,” Reid said of his players. “It’s not a lot of teams playing right now, so it’s a great opportunity and you want to take full advantage of that, the best you can.”

If Kansas City faces the Bills in the AFC championship, that game&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-city-chiefs-buffalo-bills-miami-dolphins-cincinnati-bengals-sports-309dd198de1a9deed5f03cda97ede15c">will be played at a neutral site</a>&nbsp;because Buffalo's game at Cincinnati on Jan. 2 was declared a no contest. The Buffalo-Cincinnati game was stopped when safety Damar Hamlin went into cardiac arrest. He has recovered enough to be&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/damar-hamlin-buffalo-bills-returns-home-35005f5e4ac87eca56e7d99d49eaec65">transferred Monday</a>&nbsp;from a Cincinnati hospital to one in Buffalo.

The Chiefs, of course, have some work to do before they can think about the AFC championship.

They will get a break because of the bye that comes with the top seed. Kansas City will host one of four teams on Jan. 21 and 22.

Reid is a master of the bye weeks, with a career record of 21-3 after a week off.

“I think he has a great balance of the amount of time he gives guys off and the amount he gets guys in there to get them moving and prepare for the next week, and then obviously the coaches did a great job of game planning,” quarterback Patrick Mahomes said. “I’m sure this week they’ll game plan like three or four different teams and try to get a good game plan to the guys early in the week so they can execute it at a high level.”

It starts with Mahomes, who set an NFL record with 5,608 yards of total offense even with deep threat Tyreek Hill having been traded to Miami in the offseason. With Mahomes again calling the shots, the Chiefs this season ranked first in the league in total offense (413.6 yards per game), passing yards (297.8) and scoring offense (29.2 points).

By MARK ANDERSON AP Sports WriterEven if Kansas City doesn't get the coveted home-field advantage in the conference championship that typically comes with being the AFC's top seed, coach Andy Reid said the important thing is the Chiefs are still playing.Reid said Monday he was too preoccupied last week with preparing for Saturday's game against the Las Vegas Raiders to worry about whether the Chiefs would be at home or elsewhere should they make it that far. The NFL made the decision last week to alter the playoff format.The Chiefs took care of the business of capturing the No. 1 seed with their&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-city-chiefs-las-vegas-raiders-sports-nfl-football-damar-hamlin-5d08f366a1e2319104eb54ce22a570d2">31-13 victory at Las Vegas</a>.“They understand the magnitude of where they sit right now and the opportunity that they have,” Reid said of his players. “It’s not a lot of teams playing right now, so it’s a great opportunity and you want to take full advantage of that, the best you can.”If Kansas City faces the Bills in the AFC championship, that game&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-city-chiefs-buffalo-bills-miami-dolphins-cincinnati-bengals-sports-309dd198de1a9deed5f03cda97ede15c">will be played at a neutral site</a>&nbsp;because Buffalo's game at Cincinnati on Jan. 2 was declared a no contest. The Buffalo-Cincinnati game was stopped when safety Damar Hamlin went into cardiac arrest. He has recovered enough to be&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/damar-hamlin-buffalo-bills-returns-home-35005f5e4ac87eca56e7d99d49eaec65">transferred Monday</a>&nbsp;from a Cincinnati hospital to one in Buffalo.The Chiefs, of course, have some work to do before they can think about the AFC championship.They will get a break because of the bye that comes with the top seed. Kansas City will host one of four teams on Jan. 21 and 22.Reid is a master of the bye weeks, with a career record of 21-3 after a week off.“I think he has a great balance of the amount of time he gives guys off and the amount he gets guys in there to get them moving and prepare for the next week, and then obviously the coaches did a great job of game planning,” quarterback Patrick Mahomes said. “I’m sure this week they’ll game plan like three or four different teams and try to get a good game plan to the guys early in the week so they can execute it at a high level.”WHAT’S WORKINGIt starts with Mahomes, who set an NFL record with 5,608 yards of total offense even with deep threat Tyreek Hill having been traded to Miami in the offseason. With Mahomes again calling the shots, the Chiefs this season ranked first in the league in total offense (413.6 yards per game), passing yards (297.8) and scoring offense (29.2 points).WHAT NEEDS HELPThe Chiefs won the turnover battle against the Raiders, getting two takeaways while not losing the ball. That was a rare win for Kansas City, which even after that game is minus-three in turnover margin. For the Chiefs to achieve their postseason goals, they need more games like the win over Las Vegas. Otherwise, they'll likely watch someone else hold up the Lombardi Trophy.STOCK UPBreaking a record held by Derrick Johnson is notable any time. Linebacker Nick Bolton made 180 tackles this season, one more than Johnson had in 2011. Johnson&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/superdj56/status/1611922469597626368?s=20&amp;t=JaM4Wu4vL8EP2YnAN7Nbdg">sent a congratulatory tweet</a>, saying he was “not surprised at all” that Bolton beat his Chiefs record.STOCK DOWNEven though the Chiefs are 14-3, they haven't always looked impressive over the final month. They beat struggling Denver by six and three points and Houston by six. Even against the Raiders, Kansas City sleep-walked through the second half and was outscored 10-7. That level of play won't cut it in the postseason.INJUREDWR Mecole Hardman (abdomen) continues to recover. Hardman came off injured reserve last week but didn't play against Las Vegas.“He’s trying to get this thing right,” Reid said. “It’s just a matter of time. He’s really day to day, although he feels better today than he did on Saturday. So we’ll just see how it goes during practice.”Reid said DE Frank Clark (groin), who was injured against the Raiders, wasn't seriously hurt.KEY NUMBER2 — Two of the Chiefs' losses were to the Bills and Bengals. Both were close, a four-point loss to Buffalo and a three-point defeat to Cincinnati. Both teams are potential AFC championship opponents.NEXT STEPSKansas City will play the Chargers, Dolphins, Jaguars or Ravens the weekend of Jan. 21-22 in the divisional round.