VICTORIA – The Hays High girls finished fifth and the boys
were seventh at their home invitational Thursday at the Sand Plum Nature trail
near Victoria.

Arely Maldonado paced the Indian girls with a ninth place
finished with a time of 21:41. 

Brenlynn Albers finished in 18th with a time of
23:03.

Julia Zadina was 26th and Brynn Kinderknecht
finished 30th. 

Leo Hernandez led the boys with a 21st place
finish.

The TMP girls finished second as a team in the 4-1A race.

Sophia Allen’s 10th place finish led the
Monarchs. Ella Bain was 21st, Grace Shippers 23rd and
Allison Weber 27th.

Braydon Binder’s 20th place finished led the
Monarchs.

VICTORIA – The Hays High girls finished fifth and the boys
were seventh at their home invitational Thursday at the Sand Plum Nature trail
near Victoria.Arely Maldonado paced the Indian girls with a ninth place
finished with a time of 21:41. Brenlynn Albers finished in 18th with a time of
23:03.Julia Zadina was 26th and Brynn Kinderknecht
finished 30th. Leo Hernandez led the boys with a 21st place
finish.The TMP girls finished second as a team in the 4-1A race.Sophia Allen’s 10th place finish led the
Monarchs. Ella Bain was 21st, Grace Shippers 23rd and
Allison Weber 27th.The TMP boys finished fifth.Braydon Binder’s 20th place finished led the
Monarchs.

🏃Hays High invitational cross country results

HAYS – The Hays High volleyball team finished 3-0 at their
home quadrangular Thursday.

The Indians knocked of Pratt (25-23 and 25-20) and Ulysses (25-17
and 25-21) in straight sets.

It took the Indians three sets but they were also able to
knockoff WAC rival Garden City (26-24, 24-26 &amp; 25-20).

The Indians next action is set for Sept. 25 at the Wamego
Invitational.

HAYS – The Hays High volleyball team finished 3-0 at their
home quadrangular Thursday.The Indians knocked of Pratt (25-23 and 25-20) and Ulysses (25-17
and 25-21) in straight sets.It took the Indians three sets but they were also able to
knockoff WAC rival Garden City (26-24, 24-26 &amp; 25-20).The Indians next action is set for Sept. 25 at the Wamego
Invitational.

🏐HHS goes 3-0 at home

HAYS – The Hays High boys soccer team dropped their home
opener Thursday 6-0 against Dodge City. 

The Indians drop to 1-4-1 and will host Great Bend on Tuesday
at 4 p.m.

HAYS – The Hays High boys soccer team dropped their home
opener Thursday 6-0 against Dodge City. The Indians drop to 1-4-1 and will host Great Bend on Tuesday
at 4 p.m.

⚽HHS soccer drops home opener

WICHITA FALLS, Texas - The FHSU men's soccer team fell to Texas A&amp;M-International by a score of 1-0 in Wichita Falls, Texas on Thursday. Each team had ample scoring opportunities, but only one shot found the net. The No. 25 ranked Tigers drop to 2-2-1, while the Dustdevils improved to 2-2. The only goal of the match was in the 82nd&nbsp;minute when&nbsp;Gabriel Gacovicaj&nbsp;of TAMIU was able glance a shot in the box to the lower left corner of the goal, just past a diving&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6244">Kieran Brown</a>. Six different Tigers took shots in the match led by&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6240">Blake Arndt's</a>&nbsp;four attempts. The Tigers won the shot battle 13-8, but came up short on the scoreboard. Goalkeepers&nbsp; Brown (FHSU) and Natxo Faus (TAMIU) each recorded six saves on the day. The Tigers will be back in action on Saturday as they take on No. 10 ranked Colorado Mesa in a Top 25 matchup in Wichita Falls. Kickoff is scheduled for 11:30 a.m.&nbsp;&nbsp;

WICHITA FALLS, Texas - The FHSU men's soccer team fell to Texas A&amp;M-International by a score of 1-0 in Wichita Falls, Texas on Thursday. Each team had ample scoring opportunities, but only one shot found the net. The No. 25 ranked Tigers drop to 2-2-1, while the Dustdevils improved to 2-2. The only goal of the match was in the 82nd&nbsp;minute when&nbsp;Gabriel Gacovicaj&nbsp;of TAMIU was able glance a shot in the box to the lower left corner of the goal, just past a diving&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6244">Kieran Brown</a>. Six different Tigers took shots in the match led by&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6240">Blake Arndt's</a>&nbsp;four attempts. The Tigers won the shot battle 13-8, but came up short on the scoreboard. Goalkeepers&nbsp; Brown (FHSU) and Natxo Faus (TAMIU) each recorded six saves on the day. The Tigers will be back in action on Saturday as they take on No. 10 ranked Colorado Mesa in a Top 25 matchup in Wichita Falls. Kickoff is scheduled for 11:30 a.m.&nbsp;&nbsp;FHSU Athletics

⚽ Tiger men drop first match in Texas

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Salvador Perez tied Johnny Bench’s record for homers in a season by a catcher with his 45th, but Chad Pinder’s two-run single spurred a third-inning rally and the Oakland Athletics held off the Kansas City Royals 7-2. 

Perez hit a two-run homer in the first inning, matching Bench’s total from 1970 for the most by a player who played at least 75% of his team’s games at catcher. 

Perez’s 45 homers and 112 RBIs both lead the majors this season. 

Pinder delivered a two-out hit during a four-run third inning in which Oakland had seven runners reach base — with just two hits.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Salvador Perez tied Johnny Bench’s record for homers in a season by a catcher with his 45th, but Chad Pinder’s two-run single spurred a third-inning rally and the Oakland Athletics held off the Kansas City Royals 7-2. Perez hit a two-run homer in the first inning, matching Bench’s total from 1970 for the most by a player who played at least 75% of his team’s games at catcher. Perez’s 45 homers and 112 RBIs both lead the majors this season. Pinder delivered a two-out hit during a four-run third inning in which Oakland had seven runners reach base — with just two hits.

⚾Royals' Perez ties Bench's HR mark with 45th in loss to A's

TOPEKA - Several area teams remain ranked in the week two Kansas Volleyball Association poll released Thursday.

The TMP-Marian Monarchs hold at No. 5 in Class 3A, Smith Center drops a spot to No. 3 in Class 2A. Despite being undefeated, Victoria drops two spots to No. 6 in 1A Division I, Wheatland-Grinnell moves up a spot to No. 7 in 1A Division II.

Records listed reflect information submitted as of&nbsp;Monday. Current classifications for the rankings are based on enrollments from 2020-21 and the rankings will be adjusted when the updated classifications are released at the&nbsp;end of September.

Rank – School – Record – Last Week’s Ranking

Class 6A 1. Washburn Rural 8-0 (1) 2. Blue Valley North 12-1 (2) 3. Blue Valley West 4-2 (3) 4. Shawnee Mission Northwest 6-2 (4) 5. Lawrence-Free State 3-0 (5) 6. Wichita Northwest 10-0 (6) 7. Hutchinson 9-0 (7) 8. Blue Valley 2-1 (9) 9. Blue Valley Northwest 3-2 (10) 10. Olathe North 6-3 (NR)

Class 5A 1. St. Thomas Aquinas 5-0 (1) 2. St. James Academy 7-4 (2) 3. Lansing 7-1 (3) 4. Mill Valley 7-2 (4) 5. Maize South 9-2 (7) 6. Shawnee Heights 3-1 (NR) 7. Seaman 7-5 (NR) 8. Basehor-Linwood 6-2 (5) 9. Spring Hill 6-3 (6) 10. Newton 5-2 (NR)

Class 4A 1. Louisburg 9-2 (2) 2. Andale 12-1 (4) 3. Bishop Miege 0-3 (1) 4. Circle 8-1 (5) 5. McPherson 7-2 (3) 6. Clay Center 9-0 (8) 7. Baldwin 10-1 (10) 8. Nickerson 11-4 (7) 9. Rose Hill 7-0 (6) 10. Paola 7-3 (NR)

Class 3A 1. Smoky Valley 15-1 (1) 2. Cheney 10-1 (2) 3. Nemaha Central 8-1 (3) 4. Beloit 8-2 (4) 5. Thomas More Prep-Marian 10-3 (5) 6. Riverton 9-1 (8) 7. Hiawatha 8-2 (6) 8. Scott Community 10-2 (10) 9. Eureka 11-0 (NR) 10. Goodland 3-1 (9)

Class 2A 1. Heritage Christian 12-0 (1) 2. Garden Plain 8-1 (3) 3. Smith Center 4-0 (2) 4. Wabaunsee 12-1 (4) 5. Jefferson County North 7-2 (5) 6. Hillsboro 11-4 (6) 7. Sedgwick 13-3 (8) 8. Meade/Fowler 10-0 (NR) 9. Ellinwood 9-1 (9) 10. Sterling 9-3 (10)

Class 1A – Division 1 1. Pretty Prairie 10-1 (2) 2. Central Plains 7-1 (1) 3. Kiowa County 10-1 (5) 4. Little River 8-1 (6) 5. Lebo 10-1 (3) 6. Victoria 9-0 (4) 7. Centralia 9-2 (9) 8. South Gray 8-1 (NR) 9. Sylvan-Lucas 7-3 (NR) 10. Pratt-Skyline 8-3 (10)

Class 1A – Division 2 1. Hanover 10-0 (1) 2. Attica 9-0 (2) 3. St. Francis/Cheylin 10-2 (4) 4. Golden Plains 14-1 (3) 5. Linn 7-3 (9) 6. Dighton 8-2 (6) 7. Wheatland-Grinnell 10-5 (8) 8. St. Paul 9-0 (NR) 9. Beloit-St. John’s/Tipton 8-3 (5) 10. Logan/Palco 5-4 (NR)

TOPEKA - Several area teams remain ranked in the week two Kansas Volleyball Association poll released Thursday.The TMP-Marian Monarchs hold at No. 5 in Class 3A, Smith Center drops a spot to No. 3 in Class 2A. Despite being undefeated, Victoria drops two spots to No. 6 in 1A Division I, Wheatland-Grinnell moves up a spot to No. 7 in 1A Division II.Records listed reflect information submitted as of&nbsp;Monday. Current classifications for the rankings are based on enrollments from 2020-21 and the rankings will be adjusted when the updated classifications are released at the&nbsp;end of September.Rank – School – Record – Last Week’s RankingClass 6A 1. Washburn Rural 8-0 (1) 2. Blue Valley North 12-1 (2) 3. Blue Valley West 4-2 (3) 4. Shawnee Mission Northwest 6-2 (4) 5. Lawrence-Free State 3-0 (5) 6. Wichita Northwest 10-0 (6) 7. Hutchinson 9-0 (7) 8. Blue Valley 2-1 (9) 9. Blue Valley Northwest 3-2 (10) 10. Olathe North 6-3 (NR)Class 5A 1. St. Thomas Aquinas 5-0 (1) 2. St. James Academy 7-4 (2) 3. Lansing 7-1 (3) 4. Mill Valley 7-2 (4) 5. Maize South 9-2 (7) 6. Shawnee Heights 3-1 (NR) 7. Seaman 7-5 (NR) 8. Basehor-Linwood 6-2 (5) 9. Spring Hill 6-3 (6) 10. Newton 5-2 (NR)Class 4A 1. Louisburg 9-2 (2) 2. Andale 12-1 (4) 3. Bishop Miege 0-3 (1) 4. Circle 8-1 (5) 5. McPherson 7-2 (3) 6. Clay Center 9-0 (8) 7. Baldwin 10-1 (10) 8. Nickerson 11-4 (7) 9. Rose Hill 7-0 (6) 10. Paola 7-3 (NR)Class 3A 1. Smoky Valley 15-1 (1) 2. Cheney 10-1 (2) 3. Nemaha Central 8-1 (3) 4. Beloit 8-2 (4) 5. Thomas More Prep-Marian 10-3 (5) 6. Riverton 9-1 (8) 7. Hiawatha 8-2 (6) 8. Scott Community 10-2 (10) 9. Eureka 11-0 (NR) 10. Goodland 3-1 (9)Class 2A 1. Heritage Christian 12-0 (1) 2. Garden Plain 8-1 (3) 3. Smith Center 4-0 (2) 4. Wabaunsee 12-1 (4) 5. Jefferson County North 7-2 (5) 6. Hillsboro 11-4 (6) 7. Sedgwick 13-3 (8) 8. Meade/Fowler 10-0 (NR) 9. Ellinwood 9-1 (9) 10. Sterling 9-3 (10)Class 1A – Division 1 1. Pretty Prairie 10-1 (2) 2. Central Plains 7-1 (1) 3. Kiowa County 10-1 (5) 4. Little River 8-1 (6) 5. Lebo 10-1 (3) 6. Victoria 9-0 (4) 7. Centralia 9-2 (9) 8. South Gray 8-1 (NR) 9. Sylvan-Lucas 7-3 (NR) 10. Pratt-Skyline 8-3 (10)Class 1A – Division 2 1. Hanover 10-0 (1) 2. Attica 9-0 (2) 3. St. Francis/Cheylin 10-2 (4) 4. Golden Plains 14-1 (3) 5. Linn 7-3 (9) 6. Dighton 8-2 (6) 7. Wheatland-Grinnell 10-5 (8) 8. St. Paul 9-0 (NR) 9. Beloit-St. John’s/Tipton 8-3 (5) 10. Logan/Palco 5-4 (NR)

🏐 Several are teams remain ranked in latest KVA poll

By RICKIE PETERSON Jr. <a href="https://www.kshsaa.org/Public/Articles/Football/Stories/Sixplayerpassed.cfm">KSHSAA Covered&nbsp;presented by Capitol Federal</a>

Chris Walden firmly believes six-player football has helped changed the athletic culture at Cheylin High School.

A stranger to the level when he took over as 
Cheylin coach in 2016, Walden has watched the Bird City-Cheylin 
community fully embrace the six-player game.

Not only did it give the Cougars a chance to 
compete on a consistent basis, but Cheylin eventually rose to the top, 
winning the Wild West Bowl last year to become recognized as six-player 
state champs.

It was Cheylin's first state championship of any kind since Bird City and McDonald consolidated in 1976.   

"The culture that it brought to the school and the 
community was something like, 'We're finally at a level where we belong 
and we're finally at a level where we can compete consistently,' " 
Walden said. "It's been really good for our school, for our community in
 terms of pride. It's not that they didn't have something to be proud of
 before with our other football teams, but we could say that we were the
 best at our level in something for once.

So was the news Walden and Kansas' six-player football community received Wednesday evening.

Six-player football will become sanctioned by the 
Kansas State High School Activities Association starting in 2022. The 
sport was approved for championship status next year following a 68-0 
vote by the KSHSAA Board of Directors in Wednesday's meeting.

Holding a KSHSAA championship for six-player will 
be contingent on fielding 24 teams. There are currently 15 teams 
participating at the level. It's unclear how many teams will participate
 next year, but at least 24 teams are believed to be planning to play at
 the six-player level. 
 
Amendments made to the agenda item included adjusting Class 3A football 
to 40 schools, Class 2A to 40 schools and Class 1A to the remaining 
11-player playing schools beginning in the 2022 season.

Walden said becoming an official KSHSAA State 
Championship further legitimizes the work done by the six-player 
football community. He hopes teams struggling to fill out rosters will 
consider making the move to the six-player level.   

"I think there are a handful of schools out there 
who have probably wanted to or needed to make a jump down to six-man 
rather than stay in eight-man, due to numbers," Walden said. "But 
they're on the fence or they're scared to come down just due to us not 
being a sanctioned KSHSAA activity.

"(KSHSAA sanctioning the championship will) 
legitimize it and make it a real thing in the eyes of everyone else in 
the state of Kansas, not just a select group of schools who do their own
 thing every year. I think it will really, really help continue to make 
the growth of six-man happen."

"With 
declining numbers in our small schools, I only see the six-man game 
becoming a more prominent athletic event in our state, as it has been in
 other states for many years," said Harp, whose Wildcats were the Wild 
West Bowl champs in 2019 and were runner-up last year. "I think six-man football is needed for the schools that can't field an 8-man or 11-man team."

"Football is football, and those of us who love the game want an opportunity to play."

Cheylin made the move to the six-player level in 
2016 after going a combined 1-17 over the previous two years in the 
eight-player ranks. Walden said the Cougars' struggles were due to low 
numbers that made it difficult to compete in eight-player.  

"Every school has some kids that are athletic," he 
said. "Every school has kids that are good at football, good at sports 
in general. (Six-player) allows you to take more advantage of those kids
 that are really physically able to perform at a high level.

"If you've got nine kids on an eight-man team, one 
gets hurt or one is ineligible, it really puts the whole season or the 
whole week in jeopardy. (Six-player) makes teams able to compete at a 
high level again."

Walden said dropping down to six-player football injected a new energy into the program.

"For some schools that struggle at the eight-man 
level, it can bring a new breath of life into the school and into the 
school district," he said. "It gets your kids excited about being able 
to compete against teams that are similar size or have similar 
enrollment numbers or have a similar number of kids out for football."

A Bird City native and Cheylin grad, Walden said he
 initially tried to implement the power-run type of offense he grew up 
with. After two and a half years, the Cougars began to phase out that 
style and rely on a spread attack that is more popular in six-player 
football.

The high-scoring reputation of the six-player game 
in states such as Colorado, Texas and Nebraska has held true for the 
game in Kansas.

In six-player football, the quarterback cannot run 
the ball past the line of scrimmage, though teams can get around it by 
having a running back pitch the ball back to the quarterback. Every 
player is also eligible to catch a pass.

"It is hard for schools that immediately come 
down," Walden said. "You're going to have to probably change the way you
 think about football in terms of offense and defense. Defense is 
probably the hardest part out of everything in six-man."

Cheylin went 3-6 in its first season of six-player 
football, followed by 6-3 and 4-4 campaigns. The Cougars enjoyed a 
breakthrough year in 2019, going 9-1 and reaching the Wild West Bowl in 
Dodge City before falling to Moscow, 52-6.

The Cougars avenged the title-game loss, capping a 9-0 season with a 46-0 win over the Wildcats in last year's Wild West Bowl.

"In terms of the football team and the football 
program, all the way from high school to elementary, we've got kids that
 are wanting to play and participate now just because they want to have a
 chance to go down and do that again," Walden said. "It's a pride thing.
 You've done it once, you've been there once, you've tasted it, you know
 what it looks like. Now everybody wants a piece of it."

While the championship was a huge deal for the Bird
 City community, Walden said he felt there were some in the surrounding 
area who downplayed the championship because six-player football was not
 yet a KSHSAA-sanctioned championship.

"There was still some people in the area, not 
necessarily Bird City, that criticized it because: 'Well, it wasn't a 
KSHSAA state championship, there's only 15 teams that play in it. You 
don't really have to beat that many teams to get there,' " Walden said. 

"But I feel like (it becoming sanctioned) really 
legitimizes (the championship). Someone, whether it's us or someone 
else, in the coming year will be a KSHSAA six-man state champion. That 
provides a lot more validity. Critics can't say, 'It's not a KSHSAA 
deal, it doesn't count.'"

Cheylin helped set a precedent for moving a player 
from the six-player ranks onto the next level. Colton McCarty, a star on
 last year's unbeaten team, now plays at Bethel College.

Walden said some college coaches were initially 
unsure how to evaluate McCarty because they were unfamiliar with 
six-player football. Becoming a KSHSAA sanctioned sport should raise the
 exposure for the level, he said.

"I think we will have more teams and there will be 
more film out there of kids that will be able to be evaluated, able to 
be recruited, which will help colleges be able to narrow down on some 
kids that are good enough football players, good enough student-athletes
 to go and play at the next level," Walden said. "Colton, no doubt, was 
one of the better six-man players that has come out of the state in the 
last six years.

"But there have been several others that, in my 
opinion, could have very easily played at the NAIA level, Division II 
level, juco level. They just kind of got looked over because we were the
 low-man on the totem pole in terms or recruiting."

Another benefit of being KSHSAAA sanctioned will be the ability to play a full postseason schedule.

"Right now, we have to have our playoffs, state 
championship and everything done by week nine of the regular KSHSAA 
football season," Walden said.

He noted that six-player football teams aren't trying to poach teams from the eight-player level.

"We're not going out and actively recruiting 
schools to come to six-man. We want schools to do it just to give their 
kids the opportunity to play," Walden said.

Six-player football resurfaced in Kansas in 2014 
with Weskan being one of the first schools to participate since 2003. 
The Wild West Bowl was established in 2016.

Other schools currently participating in six-player
 football this year include Ashland, Burrton, Cunningham, Deerfield, 
Fowler, Golden Plains, Greeley County, Natoma, Northern Valley, Pawnee 
Heights, Rolla, Western Plains and Weskan. Western Plains did not field a
 team last year and is playing a JV schedule this season.

"I feel like it's a growing thing with rural 
Kansas, small-town Kansas," Walden said. "There's becoming less and less
 people in those communities and it's hard to continue to field an 
eight-man team when you only have 10, 11, 12 kids out.

"(With approval by KSHSAA), I feel like it will grow quite a bit more faster than it has been in the last couple years."

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/9/1631799896491.jpeg" alt="Courtesy KSHSAA" />
 <figcaption>Courtesy KSHSAA</figcaption>
 </figure>By RICKIE PETERSON Jr. <a href="https://www.kshsaa.org/Public/Articles/Football/Stories/Sixplayerpassed.cfm">KSHSAA Covered&nbsp;presented by Capitol Federal</a>Chris Walden firmly believes six-player football has helped changed the athletic culture at Cheylin High School.A stranger to the level when he took over as 
Cheylin coach in 2016, Walden has watched the Bird City-Cheylin 
community fully embrace the six-player game.Not only did it give the Cougars a chance to 
compete on a consistent basis, but Cheylin eventually rose to the top, 
winning the Wild West Bowl last year to become recognized as six-player 
state champs.It was Cheylin's first state championship of any kind since Bird City and McDonald consolidated in 1976. "The culture that it brought to the school and the 
community was something like, 'We're finally at a level where we belong 
and we're finally at a level where we can compete consistently,' " 
Walden said. "It's been really good for our school, for our community in
 terms of pride. It's not that they didn't have something to be proud of
 before with our other football teams, but we could say that we were the
 best at our level in something for once."And that was a big deal."So was the news Walden and Kansas' six-player football community received Wednesday evening.Six-player football will become sanctioned by the 
Kansas State High School Activities Association starting in 2022. The 
sport was approved for championship status next year following a 68-0 
vote by the KSHSAA Board of Directors in Wednesday's meeting.Holding a KSHSAA championship for six-player will 
be contingent on fielding 24 teams. There are currently 15 teams 
participating at the level. It's unclear how many teams will participate
 next year, but at least 24 teams are believed to be planning to play at
 the six-player level. 
 
Amendments made to the agenda item included adjusting Class 3A football 
to 40 schools, Class 2A to 40 schools and Class 1A to the remaining 
11-player playing schools beginning in the 2022 season.Walden said becoming an official KSHSAA State 
Championship further legitimizes the work done by the six-player 
football community. He hopes teams struggling to fill out rosters will 
consider making the move to the six-player level. "I think there are a handful of schools out there 
who have probably wanted to or needed to make a jump down to six-man 
rather than stay in eight-man, due to numbers," Walden said. "But 
they're on the fence or they're scared to come down just due to us not 
being a sanctioned KSHSAA activity."(KSHSAA sanctioning the championship will) 
legitimize it and make it a real thing in the eyes of everyone else in 
the state of Kansas, not just a select group of schools who do their own
 thing every year. I think it will really, really help continue to make 
the growth of six-man happen."Moscow coach Bret Harp agreed."With 
declining numbers in our small schools, I only see the six-man game 
becoming a more prominent athletic event in our state, as it has been in
 other states for many years," said Harp, whose Wildcats were the Wild 
West Bowl champs in 2019 and were runner-up last year. "I think six-man football is needed for the schools that can't field an 8-man or 11-man team.""Football is football, and those of us who love the game want an opportunity to play."Cheylin made the move to the six-player level in 
2016 after going a combined 1-17 over the previous two years in the 
eight-player ranks. Walden said the Cougars' struggles were due to low 
numbers that made it difficult to compete in eight-player. "Every school has some kids that are athletic," he 
said. "Every school has kids that are good at football, good at sports 
in general. (Six-player) allows you to take more advantage of those kids
 that are really physically able to perform at a high level."If you've got nine kids on an eight-man team, one 
gets hurt or one is ineligible, it really puts the whole season or the 
whole week in jeopardy. (Six-player) makes teams able to compete at a 
high level again."Walden said dropping down to six-player football injected a new energy into the program."For some schools that struggle at the eight-man 
level, it can bring a new breath of life into the school and into the 
school district," he said. "It gets your kids excited about being able 
to compete against teams that are similar size or have similar 
enrollment numbers or have a similar number of kids out for football."A Bird City native and Cheylin grad, Walden said he
 initially tried to implement the power-run type of offense he grew up 
with. After two and a half years, the Cougars began to phase out that 
style and rely on a spread attack that is more popular in six-player 
football.The high-scoring reputation of the six-player game 
in states such as Colorado, Texas and Nebraska has held true for the 
game in Kansas.In six-player football, the quarterback cannot run 
the ball past the line of scrimmage, though teams can get around it by 
having a running back pitch the ball back to the quarterback. Every 
player is also eligible to catch a pass."It is hard for schools that immediately come 
down," Walden said. "You're going to have to probably change the way you
 think about football in terms of offense and defense. Defense is 
probably the hardest part out of everything in six-man."Cheylin went 3-6 in its first season of six-player 
football, followed by 6-3 and 4-4 campaigns. The Cougars enjoyed a 
breakthrough year in 2019, going 9-1 and reaching the Wild West Bowl in 
Dodge City before falling to Moscow, 52-6.The Cougars avenged the title-game loss, capping a 9-0 season with a 46-0 win over the Wildcats in last year's Wild West Bowl."In terms of the football team and the football 
program, all the way from high school to elementary, we've got kids that
 are wanting to play and participate now just because they want to have a
 chance to go down and do that again," Walden said. "It's a pride thing.
 You've done it once, you've been there once, you've tasted it, you know
 what it looks like. Now everybody wants a piece of it."While the championship was a huge deal for the Bird
 City community, Walden said he felt there were some in the surrounding 
area who downplayed the championship because six-player football was not
 yet a KSHSAA-sanctioned championship."There was still some people in the area, not 
necessarily Bird City, that criticized it because: 'Well, it wasn't a 
KSHSAA state championship, there's only 15 teams that play in it. You 
don't really have to beat that many teams to get there,' " Walden said. "But I feel like (it becoming sanctioned) really 
legitimizes (the championship). Someone, whether it's us or someone 
else, in the coming year will be a KSHSAA six-man state champion. That 
provides a lot more validity. Critics can't say, 'It's not a KSHSAA 
deal, it doesn't count.'"Cheylin helped set a precedent for moving a player 
from the six-player ranks onto the next level. Colton McCarty, a star on
 last year's unbeaten team, now plays at Bethel College.Walden said some college coaches were initially 
unsure how to evaluate McCarty because they were unfamiliar with 
six-player football. Becoming a KSHSAA sanctioned sport should raise the
 exposure for the level, he said."I think we will have more teams and there will be 
more film out there of kids that will be able to be evaluated, able to 
be recruited, which will help colleges be able to narrow down on some 
kids that are good enough football players, good enough student-athletes
 to go and play at the next level," Walden said. "Colton, no doubt, was 
one of the better six-man players that has come out of the state in the 
last six years."But there have been several others that, in my 
opinion, could have very easily played at the NAIA level, Division II 
level, juco level. They just kind of got looked over because we were the
 low-man on the totem pole in terms or recruiting."Another benefit of being KSHSAAA sanctioned will be the ability to play a full postseason schedule."Right now, we have to have our playoffs, state 
championship and everything done by week nine of the regular KSHSAA 
football season," Walden said.He noted that six-player football teams aren't trying to poach teams from the eight-player level."We're not going out and actively recruiting 
schools to come to six-man. We want schools to do it just to give their 
kids the opportunity to play," Walden said.Six-player football resurfaced in Kansas in 2014 
with Weskan being one of the first schools to participate since 2003. 
The Wild West Bowl was established in 2016.Other schools currently participating in six-player
 football this year include Ashland, Burrton, Cunningham, Deerfield, 
Fowler, Golden Plains, Greeley County, Natoma, Northern Valley, Pawnee 
Heights, Rolla, Western Plains and Weskan. Western Plains did not field a
 team last year and is playing a JV schedule this season."I feel like it's a growing thing with rural 
Kansas, small-town Kansas," Walden said. "There's becoming less and less
 people in those communities and it's hard to continue to field an 
eight-man team when you only have 10, 11, 12 kids out."(With approval by KSHSAA), I feel like it will grow quite a bit more faster than it has been in the last couple years."

Six-player football to become KSHSAA-sanctioned championship

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Matt Olson hit a two-run homer, Josh Harrison drove in three runs and Elvis Andrus had four hits as the Oakland Athletics held on through a nervy ninth inning to beat the Kansas City Royals 12-10 on Wednesday night.

The A's ended a three-game skid and remained 3 1/2 back of Toronto, Boston and New York in the AL wild-card chase.

Oakland's Sean Manaea (10-9) was far from flawless against his former team, allowing five runs in five innings. And their beleaguered bullpen coughed a run in the seventh, three more in the eighth and loaded the bases with no outs in the ninth before Andrew Chafin finally managed to lock down the win.

Chafin surrendered an RBI groundout, struck out Kyle Isbel and retired Ryan O'Hearn with the bases still loaded to pick up his fourth save.

"No gray hairs, amazingly," A's manager Bob Melvin said. "It's probably been as tough a stretch on one side as I can remember, but you always have to be optimistic that we're going to ride through that and get it all together at the right time. We have to enjoy a win tonight and not turn it into a defeat because it got dicey at the end."

Mark Canha and Tony Kemp also drove in runs off Carlos Hernandez (6-2) and the beat up Kansas City bullpen.

Salvador Perez hit his 44th homer in the fifth inning for Kansas City, moving into a tie with Shohei Ohtani and within one of big league leader Vladimir Guerrero Jr. It also was the 196th of the affable catcher's career — all of them with Kansas City — putting Perez one behind Mike Sweeney for second on the club's career list.

"When we were down, I mean, at that point all you can ask for is to give yourself a shot," said the Royals' Andrew Benintendi, who went 5 for 5 and drove in four runs. "In those situations it's easy to fold. We fought back and had a shot."

The Royals were charged with only one error — officially — but they made plenty of blunders.

Benintendi was caught in a rundown rounding first base after his RBI single in the first, ending what was shaping up to be a promising inning. Then in the third, fill-in third baseman Hanser Alberto failed to tag out Olson at second base for what should have been a double play — Olson later scored on Canha's hit.

Olson did more damage with two out in the fourth, when he sent Hernandez's 2-2 pitch scraping over the left field wall and into the visiting bullpen. It was his 35th homer of the year and staked Oakland to a 5-1 lead.

Manaea made a mess of the fourth, surrendering three straight hits, a walk and another base hit as the Royals pushed three runs across. But thanks to a sterling snare by Harrison on Edward Oliveras' bounder down the third-base line, they turned an inning-ending double play and held their 5-4 advantage.

Unlike the previous night, though, Oakland wasn't about to squander another big lead. Harrison drove in a couple runs in the fifth and the A's proceeded to pound a Kansas City 'pen that went eight innings in the series opener.

"We just got behind the 8-ball right there. We got into a tough spot," Royals manager Mike Matheny said. "When you give up as many runs and hits as we gave up, you don't even expect to be in that game and we were."

LHP Mike Minor was placed on the injured list retroactive to Sept. 13 with a shoulder impingement. Minor, who is 8-12 with a 5.05 ERA in 28 starts, has been dealing with the issue for a while and the Royals decided to give him a rest.

"It was barking a little bit," Matheny said, "so we were able to shift around the guys."

The Royals also placed RHP Wade Davis (shoulder inflammation) on the IL retroactive to Sept. 12, recalled RHP Scott Blewett from Triple-A Omaha and purchased the contract of LHP Gabe Speier from the same club. LHP Richard Lovelady was transferred to the 60-day IL to create roster space.

Athletics RHP Chris Bassitt (facial fracture) threw a bullpen session Wednesday and plans to throw to batters Saturday in Anaheim. It has not been decided whether he will need a rehab assignment. ... 3B Matt Chapman (bruised left leg) remained out of the lineup after fouling a pitch off himself Saturday. "There's a couple different spots which is making his foot kind of lock up," Melvin said, "to where he doesn't move very well."

The A's turn to RHP Paul Blackburn (0-2, 5.24 ERA) for the series finale Thursday afternoon. Royals LHP Daniel Lynch (4-4, 5.37) tries to continue a late-season breakthrough when he makes his first career start against Oakland.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Matt Olson hit a two-run homer, Josh Harrison drove in three runs and Elvis Andrus had four hits as the Oakland Athletics held on through a nervy ninth inning to beat the Kansas City Royals 12-10 on Wednesday night.The A's ended a three-game skid and remained 3 1/2 back of Toronto, Boston and New York in the AL wild-card chase.Oakland's Sean Manaea (10-9) was far from flawless against his former team, allowing five runs in five innings. And their beleaguered bullpen coughed a run in the seventh, three more in the eighth and loaded the bases with no outs in the ninth before Andrew Chafin finally managed to lock down the win.Chafin surrendered an RBI groundout, struck out Kyle Isbel and retired Ryan O'Hearn with the bases still loaded to pick up his fourth save."No gray hairs, amazingly," A's manager Bob Melvin said. "It's probably been as tough a stretch on one side as I can remember, but you always have to be optimistic that we're going to ride through that and get it all together at the right time. We have to enjoy a win tonight and not turn it into a defeat because it got dicey at the end."Mark Canha and Tony Kemp also drove in runs off Carlos Hernandez (6-2) and the beat up Kansas City bullpen.Salvador Perez hit his 44th homer in the fifth inning for Kansas City, moving into a tie with Shohei Ohtani and within one of big league leader Vladimir Guerrero Jr. It also was the 196th of the affable catcher's career — all of them with Kansas City — putting Perez one behind Mike Sweeney for second on the club's career list."When we were down, I mean, at that point all you can ask for is to give yourself a shot," said the Royals' Andrew Benintendi, who went 5 for 5 and drove in four runs. "In those situations it's easy to fold. We fought back and had a shot."The Royals were charged with only one error — officially — but they made plenty of blunders.Benintendi was caught in a rundown rounding first base after his RBI single in the first, ending what was shaping up to be a promising inning. Then in the third, fill-in third baseman Hanser Alberto failed to tag out Olson at second base for what should have been a double play — Olson later scored on Canha's hit.Olson did more damage with two out in the fourth, when he sent Hernandez's 2-2 pitch scraping over the left field wall and into the visiting bullpen. It was his 35th homer of the year and staked Oakland to a 5-1 lead.Manaea made a mess of the fourth, surrendering three straight hits, a walk and another base hit as the Royals pushed three runs across. But thanks to a sterling snare by Harrison on Edward Oliveras' bounder down the third-base line, they turned an inning-ending double play and held their 5-4 advantage.Unlike the previous night, though, Oakland wasn't about to squander another big lead. Harrison drove in a couple runs in the fifth and the A's proceeded to pound a Kansas City 'pen that went eight innings in the series opener."We just got behind the 8-ball right there. We got into a tough spot," Royals manager Mike Matheny said. "When you give up as many runs and hits as we gave up, you don't even expect to be in that game and we were."ROYALS MOVESLHP Mike Minor was placed on the injured list retroactive to Sept. 13 with a shoulder impingement. Minor, who is 8-12 with a 5.05 ERA in 28 starts, has been dealing with the issue for a while and the Royals decided to give him a rest."It was barking a little bit," Matheny said, "so we were able to shift around the guys."The Royals also placed RHP Wade Davis (shoulder inflammation) on the IL retroactive to Sept. 12, recalled RHP Scott Blewett from Triple-A Omaha and purchased the contract of LHP Gabe Speier from the same club. LHP Richard Lovelady was transferred to the 60-day IL to create roster space.RAINER'S ROOMAthletics RHP Chris Bassitt (facial fracture) threw a bullpen session Wednesday and plans to throw to batters Saturday in Anaheim. It has not been decided whether he will need a rehab assignment. ... 3B Matt Chapman (bruised left leg) remained out of the lineup after fouling a pitch off himself Saturday. "There's a couple different spots which is making his foot kind of lock up," Melvin said, "to where he doesn't move very well."UP NEXTThe A's turn to RHP Paul Blackburn (0-2, 5.24 ERA) for the series finale Thursday afternoon. Royals LHP Daniel Lynch (4-4, 5.37) tries to continue a late-season breakthrough when he makes his first career start against Oakland.

⚾ Benintendi gets five hits as Royals battle back late, but fall 12-10 to Athletics

Northern Valley Triangular Victoria def. Golden Plains (25-18, 25-19) Victoria def. Northern Valley (25-16, 25-14) Stockton Triangular Hoxie def. Stockton (25-13, 25-17) Smith Center def. Hoxie (25-20, 25-5) Smith Center def. Stockton (25-15, 25-9)

Area volleyball results from TuesdayNorthern Valley Triangular Victoria def. Golden Plains (25-18, 25-19) Victoria def. Northern Valley (25-16, 25-14) Stockton Triangular Hoxie def. Stockton (25-13, 25-17) Smith Center def. Hoxie (25-20, 25-5) Smith Center def. Stockton (25-15, 25-9)

🏐 Tuesday area volleyball results

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Salvador Perez is having the kind of season the Kansas City Royals won't soon forget.

The Oakland A's are having the kind of September they might want to forget real soon.

Perez hit a go-ahead, three-run homer in the sixth inning Tuesday night, giving him 43 on the season and the big league lead in RBIs, and the Kansas City bullpen bailed out starter Jackson Kowar as the Royals rallied from a six-run deficit for a 10-7 victory that knocked the sliding Athletics further out of playoff contention.

“I just try to think about how the team needs me in that situation, and not, ‘OK, Salvy, the team needs a homer,’ because that's not going to work," Perez said. “It's a lot of hard work. I like to compete. Play the game hard until the last out.”

Kyle Isbel hit his first career homer and Hunter Dozier also went deep, but the star was the Royals' good-natured, power-hitting catcher. Perez finished with four RBIs,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.mlb.com/video/salvador-perez-homers-43-on-a-fly-ball-to-left-field-whit-merrifield-scor">most coming on his towering homer&nbsp;</a>off Yusmeiro Petit (8-2) over the visiting bullpen in left field, to pull him within two home runs of Vladimir Guerrero Jr. for the major league lead.

Perez needs five more down the stretch to match Jorge Soler's single-season club record.

“This guy lives for these moments,” Royals manager Mike Matheny said. “He just finds something in those spots every single time, to the point you're shocked it doesn't happen. This is a special season.”

Ervin Santana, Joel Payamps, Jake Brentz (5-2), Domingo Tapia, Josh Staumont and Scott Barlow surrendered just one run over the final eight innings. Barlow walked the first two in the ninth before finishing for his 13th save.

“It was a special night for our 'pen,” Matheny said.

Meanwhile, the A's (77-66) have lost three straight and seven of their last 10 games.

“We're still grinding,” said Oakland manager Bob Melvin, whose club began the day 2 1/2 games back of the second AL wild-card spot. “We know where we're at. We've had some tough games along the way in the last couple weeks. It looked like we were on our way out of it and we got bit. We have to win games.”

The A's have struggled on the mound during their September swoon, and Kowar did just about all he could to stake them to a lead too big to blow. His pitching line: five runs on three hits, four walks and a wild pitch while retiring three batters.

The A's still managed to give the lead away.

Frankie Montas, who'd been 3-0 with a 1.30 ERA in his last four starts, promptly coughed up three runs on a string of hits in the third inning. Then in the fourth, Dozier took the Oakland starter deep to pull the Royals within 6-4.

“I was not locating my pitches really well since the game started,” Montas said, “and those are the days I have trouble.”

The A's got a run back in the fifth, but the Royals kept coming. Isbel's one-out single off Petit began the go-ahead rally, Whit Merrifield added his third base hit, Nicky Lopez got on board with an RBI single and Perez cleared the bags and gave Kansas City the lead with his three-run shot into the cool night sky.

Isbel's two-run homer off Sergio Romo in the seventh provided the Royals all the cushion they needed.

The Royals&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/sports-mlb-baseball-kansas-city-kansas-city-royals-2b2f22bbec0ed8f05ad3d314b0b49fd0">promoted GM Dayton Moore to president of baseball operations</a>&nbsp;and elevated longtime assistant J.J. Picollo to fill his previous role Tuesday. Moore has been general manager since 2006, the year Picollo arrived in Kansas City.

“We're going to be more strategic in different areas at different times that requires more attention,” Moore said, “and we have the manpower to do that but, ultimately, it's my responsibility to have the right people in the right places.”

Royals owner John Sherman announced Tuesday the club was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/sports-mlb-nfl-kansas-city-kansas-city-royals-3b4729a71e843bf8eddee42dc6ced7e1">discussing future stadium options</a>&nbsp;that could include a new downtown ballpark. The club's lease on 53-year-old Kauffman Stadium expires in 2031.

“I wouldn't say there's a drop-dead date (for a decision),” said Sherman, who purchased the Royals two years ago. “It would depend on how the process goes forward and what type of feedback we get from the community.”

Athletics: RHP Domingo Acevedo's contract was purchased from Triple-A Las Vegas and RHP Burch Smith was designated for assignment. Acevedo pitched a scoreless eighth inning Tuesday night.

Royals: Payamps was reinstated from the injured list in place of RHP Scott Blewett, who was optioned to Triple-A Omaha.

The A's send former Royals LHP Sean Manaea (9-9, 3.79) to the mound Wednesday night against LHP Mike Minor (8-12, 5.05). Manaea is 1-0 with a 1.46 ERA in two career appearances against Kansas City.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Salvador Perez is having the kind of season the Kansas City Royals won't soon forget.The Oakland A's are having the kind of September they might want to forget real soon.Perez hit a go-ahead, three-run homer in the sixth inning Tuesday night, giving him 43 on the season and the big league lead in RBIs, and the Kansas City bullpen bailed out starter Jackson Kowar as the Royals rallied from a six-run deficit for a 10-7 victory that knocked the sliding Athletics further out of playoff contention.“I just try to think about how the team needs me in that situation, and not, ‘OK, Salvy, the team needs a homer,’ because that's not going to work," Perez said. “It's a lot of hard work. I like to compete. Play the game hard until the last out.”Kyle Isbel hit his first career homer and Hunter Dozier also went deep, but the star was the Royals' good-natured, power-hitting catcher. Perez finished with four RBIs,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.mlb.com/video/salvador-perez-homers-43-on-a-fly-ball-to-left-field-whit-merrifield-scor">most coming on his towering homer&nbsp;</a>off Yusmeiro Petit (8-2) over the visiting bullpen in left field, to pull him within two home runs of Vladimir Guerrero Jr. for the major league lead.Perez needs five more down the stretch to match Jorge Soler's single-season club record.“This guy lives for these moments,” Royals manager Mike Matheny said. “He just finds something in those spots every single time, to the point you're shocked it doesn't happen. This is a special season.”Ervin Santana, Joel Payamps, Jake Brentz (5-2), Domingo Tapia, Josh Staumont and Scott Barlow surrendered just one run over the final eight innings. Barlow walked the first two in the ninth before finishing for his 13th save.“It was a special night for our 'pen,” Matheny said.Meanwhile, the A's (77-66) have lost three straight and seven of their last 10 games.“We're still grinding,” said Oakland manager Bob Melvin, whose club began the day 2 1/2 games back of the second AL wild-card spot. “We know where we're at. We've had some tough games along the way in the last couple weeks. It looked like we were on our way out of it and we got bit. We have to win games.”The A's have struggled on the mound during their September swoon, and Kowar did just about all he could to stake them to a lead too big to blow. His pitching line: five runs on three hits, four walks and a wild pitch while retiring three batters.The A's still managed to give the lead away.Frankie Montas, who'd been 3-0 with a 1.30 ERA in his last four starts, promptly coughed up three runs on a string of hits in the third inning. Then in the fourth, Dozier took the Oakland starter deep to pull the Royals within 6-4.“I was not locating my pitches really well since the game started,” Montas said, “and those are the days I have trouble.”The A's got a run back in the fifth, but the Royals kept coming. Isbel's one-out single off Petit began the go-ahead rally, Whit Merrifield added his third base hit, Nicky Lopez got on board with an RBI single and Perez cleared the bags and gave Kansas City the lead with his three-run shot into the cool night sky.Isbel's two-run homer off Sergio Romo in the seventh provided the Royals all the cushion they needed.The Royals&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/sports-mlb-baseball-kansas-city-kansas-city-royals-2b2f22bbec0ed8f05ad3d314b0b49fd0">promoted GM Dayton Moore to president of baseball operations</a>&nbsp;and elevated longtime assistant J.J. Picollo to fill his previous role Tuesday. Moore has been general manager since 2006, the year Picollo arrived in Kansas City.“We're going to be more strategic in different areas at different times that requires more attention,” Moore said, “and we have the manpower to do that but, ultimately, it's my responsibility to have the right people in the right places.”BEYOND THE KRoyals owner John Sherman announced Tuesday the club was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/sports-mlb-nfl-kansas-city-kansas-city-royals-3b4729a71e843bf8eddee42dc6ced7e1">discussing future stadium options</a>&nbsp;that could include a new downtown ballpark. The club's lease on 53-year-old Kauffman Stadium expires in 2031.“I wouldn't say there's a drop-dead date (for a decision),” said Sherman, who purchased the Royals two years ago. “It would depend on how the process goes forward and what type of feedback we get from the community.”ROSTER MOVESAthletics: RHP Domingo Acevedo's contract was purchased from Triple-A Las Vegas and RHP Burch Smith was designated for assignment. Acevedo pitched a scoreless eighth inning Tuesday night.Royals: Payamps was reinstated from the injured list in place of RHP Scott Blewett, who was optioned to Triple-A Omaha.UP NEXTThe A's send former Royals LHP Sean Manaea (9-9, 3.79) to the mound Wednesday night against LHP Mike Minor (8-12, 5.05). Manaea is 1-0 with a 1.46 ERA in two career appearances against Kansas City.

⚾ Royals rally past Athletics

🎾 HHS finishes second in Dodge City

THORNTON, Colo. - The Fort Hays State women's golf team placed 10th in a 19-team field at the Swan Memorial, hosted by Colorado Christian University at Todd Creek Golf Club. The Tigers finished the event with a three-round total of 990, just two shots back of ninth and nine behind eighth place. The Tigers sat in 14th after an opening-round score of 340 before finishing day one in 13th thanks to a 14-stroke improvement in round two (326). Fort Hays State kept things going on day two, posting the seventh-best team score on the day at 324 to move up three more spots in the standings. <a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6388">Morgan Brasser</a>&nbsp;finished in a tie for 18th at 20-over 236. She bounced back after a tough round one, posting consecutive rounds of 3-over 75 after an opening-round 86. Brasser finished the event with six birdies, tied for 12th in the 108-player field. She played the par-fives in 1-under for the week, tied for sixth-best in the field. <a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6390">Kerrigan Rudolph</a>&nbsp;opened the tournament with a career-low 80 before matching her previous best with an 83 in round three. She followed that up with another 8-over 80 in round three, completing the event at 27-over 243 to finish in a tie for 30th. The sophomore was tied for third in the field in par-three scoring, playing those holes in just 2-over for the week. In comparison, the field scoring average on the par threes for the week was more than eight strokes over par. Rudolph carded five birdies on the week. <a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6391">Shauna Lee</a>&nbsp;factored into the team scoring in the second and third rounds, firing consecutive rounds of 81 after opening the tournament with an 89 in the first round on Monday. The freshman finished in a tie for 59th at 35-over 251. She recorded a pair of birdies in the tournament. <a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6392">Lexie Ridder</a>&nbsp;was in the scoring top four for the Tigers in all four rounds, finishing in 83rd with rounds of 86, 87 and 88. The freshman opened the second round with a birdie on the fifth hole.&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6393">Ella McKee</a>&nbsp;factored into the team scoring in her first collegiate round, opening the tournament with an 88. She finished the week in 98th place with rounds of 101 and 97. Colorado-Colorado Springs took home the team title, leading wire-to-wire and finishing at 60-over 924. UCCS's Julia Baroth won the individual title with an even-par 216. The Tigers will now take a week off before returning to the course September 27-28 for the OBU Fall Invitational in Shawnee, Okla. Full FHSU Results 10th - Fort Hays State - 340 - 326 - 324 -- 990 T18th -&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6388">Morgan Brasser</a>&nbsp;- +20 - 86 - 75 - 75 -- 236 T30th -&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6390">Kerrigan Rudolph</a>&nbsp;- +27 - 80 - 83 - 80 -- 243 T59th -&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6391">Shauna Lee</a>&nbsp;- +35 - 89 - 81 - 81 -- 251 83rd -&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6392">Lexie Ridder</a>&nbsp;- +45 - 86 - 87 - 88 -- 261 98th -&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6393">Ella McKee</a>&nbsp;- +70 - 88 - 101 - 97 -- 286&nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/9/1631707044378.jpeg" alt="FHSU's Kerrigan Rudolph at the Swam Memorial (Courtesy CCU Athletics)" />
 <figcaption>FHSU's Kerrigan Rudolph at the Swam Memorial (Courtesy CCU Athletics)</figcaption>
 </figure>THORNTON, Colo. - The Fort Hays State women's golf team placed 10th in a 19-team field at the Swan Memorial, hosted by Colorado Christian University at Todd Creek Golf Club. The Tigers finished the event with a three-round total of 990, just two shots back of ninth and nine behind eighth place. The Tigers sat in 14th after an opening-round score of 340 before finishing day one in 13th thanks to a 14-stroke improvement in round two (326). Fort Hays State kept things going on day two, posting the seventh-best team score on the day at 324 to move up three more spots in the standings. <a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6388">Morgan Brasser</a>&nbsp;finished in a tie for 18th at 20-over 236. She bounced back after a tough round one, posting consecutive rounds of 3-over 75 after an opening-round 86. Brasser finished the event with six birdies, tied for 12th in the 108-player field. She played the par-fives in 1-under for the week, tied for sixth-best in the field. <a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6390">Kerrigan Rudolph</a>&nbsp;opened the tournament with a career-low 80 before matching her previous best with an 83 in round three. She followed that up with another 8-over 80 in round three, completing the event at 27-over 243 to finish in a tie for 30th. The sophomore was tied for third in the field in par-three scoring, playing those holes in just 2-over for the week. In comparison, the field scoring average on the par threes for the week was more than eight strokes over par. Rudolph carded five birdies on the week. <a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6391">Shauna Lee</a>&nbsp;factored into the team scoring in the second and third rounds, firing consecutive rounds of 81 after opening the tournament with an 89 in the first round on Monday. The freshman finished in a tie for 59th at 35-over 251. She recorded a pair of birdies in the tournament. <a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6392">Lexie Ridder</a>&nbsp;was in the scoring top four for the Tigers in all four rounds, finishing in 83rd with rounds of 86, 87 and 88. The freshman opened the second round with a birdie on the fifth hole.&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6393">Ella McKee</a>&nbsp;factored into the team scoring in her first collegiate round, opening the tournament with an 88. She finished the week in 98th place with rounds of 101 and 97. Colorado-Colorado Springs took home the team title, leading wire-to-wire and finishing at 60-over 924. UCCS's Julia Baroth won the individual title with an even-par 216. The Tigers will now take a week off before returning to the course September 27-28 for the OBU Fall Invitational in Shawnee, Okla. Full FHSU Results 10th - Fort Hays State - 340 - 326 - 324 -- 990 T18th -&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6388">Morgan Brasser</a>&nbsp;- +20 - 86 - 75 - 75 -- 236 T30th -&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6390">Kerrigan Rudolph</a>&nbsp;- +27 - 80 - 83 - 80 -- 243 T59th -&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6391">Shauna Lee</a>&nbsp;- +35 - 89 - 81 - 81 -- 251 83rd -&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6392">Lexie Ridder</a>&nbsp;- +45 - 86 - 87 - 88 -- 261 98th -&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6393">Ella McKee</a>&nbsp;- +70 - 88 - 101 - 97 -- 286&nbsp;&nbsp;FHSU Athletics

⛳ FHSU women place 10th at in loaded field in Colorado

OAKLEY - The TMP-Marian volleyball team picks up a pair of
wins in Oakley Tuesday. The Monarchs defeated Plainville 25-12, 25-11 then knocked off the host Plainsmen 25-15, 25-13.

The Monarchs, who are ranked fifth in Class 3A, improved to 12-3 on the season. TMP hosts Ellis and Hill City Tuesday.

OAKLEY - The TMP-Marian volleyball team picks up a pair of
wins in Oakley Tuesday. The Monarchs defeated Plainville 25-12, 25-11 then knocked off the host Plainsmen 25-15, 25-13.The Monarchs, who are ranked fifth in Class 3A, improved to 12-3 on the season. TMP hosts Ellis and Hill City Tuesday.

🏐 Monarchs pick up two wins in Oakley

HAYS, Kan. – Fort Hays State Tennis swept its first home dual of the season, defeating Sterling College 7-0 on Tuesday (Sept. 14) at the FHSU Tennis Courts. The Tigers won all nine official matches contested and even one exhibition contest in singles play. The Tigers move to 1-0 on the season, while the Warriors start their season 0-1. The Tigers blitzed through doubles play, dropping only three games of the 21 contested within the three matches. The No. 1 team of&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6116">Stefany Stemmer</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6357">Maria Paz Diaz</a>&nbsp;blanked their opponent 6-0, while the No. 2 team of&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6115">Fiorella Mendez</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6113">Kylie Aufdengarten</a>&nbsp;cruised to a 6-1 win. The No. 3 team of&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6114">Aliyah Frederick</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6117">Heidi Lubbers</a>&nbsp;won 6-2. In singles play, Stemmer at No. 2, Diaz at No. 3, and&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6117">Heidi Lubbers</a>&nbsp;at No. 5, all surrendered only two games to their opponents. Stemmer and Lubbers won 6-2, 6-0, while Diaz won by the reverse of 6-0, 6-2. Frederick (No. 4) and&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6118">Hope Lubbers</a>&nbsp;(No. 6) each allowed just three games to their opponents. Frederick won 6-2, 6-1, and Lubbers won 6-3, 6-0. Mendez endured the most pushback from a Sterling opponent, defeating Rachel Carlson at the No. 1 position by scores of 6-4, 6-3.&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6119">Gracen Friess</a>&nbsp;won an exhibition singles match over April Swartz by a score of 6-1. The Tigers will prepare for three matches this weekend in Pueblo, Colorado. They are set to play CSU-Pueblo on Friday (Sept. 17), then MSU Denver and Colorado Mesa on Saturday.&nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/9/1631707218843.jpeg" alt="FHSU's Heidi Lubbers vs. Sterling College Tuesday (Courtesy FHSU Sports Information, Ryan Prickett)" />
 <figcaption>FHSU's Heidi Lubbers vs. Sterling College Tuesday (Courtesy FHSU Sports Information, Ryan Prickett)</figcaption>
 </figure>HAYS, Kan. – Fort Hays State Tennis swept its first home dual of the season, defeating Sterling College 7-0 on Tuesday (Sept. 14) at the FHSU Tennis Courts. The Tigers won all nine official matches contested and even one exhibition contest in singles play. The Tigers move to 1-0 on the season, while the Warriors start their season 0-1. The Tigers blitzed through doubles play, dropping only three games of the 21 contested within the three matches. The No. 1 team of&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6116">Stefany Stemmer</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6357">Maria Paz Diaz</a>&nbsp;blanked their opponent 6-0, while the No. 2 team of&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6115">Fiorella Mendez</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6113">Kylie Aufdengarten</a>&nbsp;cruised to a 6-1 win. The No. 3 team of&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6114">Aliyah Frederick</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6117">Heidi Lubbers</a>&nbsp;won 6-2. In singles play, Stemmer at No. 2, Diaz at No. 3, and&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6117">Heidi Lubbers</a>&nbsp;at No. 5, all surrendered only two games to their opponents. Stemmer and Lubbers won 6-2, 6-0, while Diaz won by the reverse of 6-0, 6-2. Frederick (No. 4) and&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6118">Hope Lubbers</a>&nbsp;(No. 6) each allowed just three games to their opponents. Frederick won 6-2, 6-1, and Lubbers won 6-3, 6-0. Mendez endured the most pushback from a Sterling opponent, defeating Rachel Carlson at the No. 1 position by scores of 6-4, 6-3.&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6119">Gracen Friess</a>&nbsp;won an exhibition singles match over April Swartz by a score of 6-1. The Tigers will prepare for three matches this weekend in Pueblo, Colorado. They are set to play CSU-Pueblo on Friday (Sept. 17), then MSU Denver and Colorado Mesa on Saturday.&nbsp;&nbsp;FHSU Athletics

🎾 Tigers sweep first home match of the season

TOPEKA, Kan. - The Fort Hays State men's golf team opened the 2021-22 season with a 15th-place finish at the Washburn Invitational this week (Sept. 13-14) at Topeka Country Club. The Tigers placed eighth out of the 10 MIAA schools at the first designated league event of the season. FHSU sat in 16th in the 19-team field after consecutive rounds of 319 on a blustery day one before improving by 20 shots and posting a team total of 299 in the third round on Tuesday. It was the best round by an FHSU squad at Topeka Country Club in nearly a decade (299 on 4/10/12). A pair of freshmen led the Tigers in their first collegiate tournament, with&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6458">Parker Krob</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6455">Jackson Rader</a>&nbsp;tying for 58th with a three-round total of 19-over 232. Krob paced the team with consecutive rounds of 78 on day one before finishing the tournament with a 5-over 76 on Tuesday. He tallied five birdies in the event, including two on hole two and two on hole 15. Rader opened his FHSU career with a round of 79 before wrapping up day one with an 82. He then turned around and fired an even-par 71 in the third round thanks to four birdies, including a chip-in birdie on his penultimate hole of the tournament. The Marysville, Kan. native led the team with seven birdies on the week. Junior&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6451">Bryce Cowan</a>&nbsp;was one stroke back of his teammates, placing 67th with a total of 20-over 233. Playing in his hometown, Cowan opened the tournament with rounds of 79 and 80 on Monday before posting a 3-over 74 on Tuesday. He compiled five birdies in the event, including three in the final round. Newcomer&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6454">Maddux Mills</a>&nbsp;also made his Tiger debut, placing 92nd with scores of 84, 80 and 78 to finish at 29-over 242. He picked up four birdies during the week, including a pair of fours on the par-five fifth hole on day one. <a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6452">Dustin Nichols</a>&nbsp;factored into the team scoring in both rounds on Monday, finishing at 32-over 245 to place 96th in the 118-man field with rounds of 83, 81 and 81. He birdied three holes in the event, including two in round one. Defending national champion Arkansas Tech rallied on the final day to take the team title with a three-round total of 11-over 863. Washburn was the low MIAA squad, placing third at 22-over 874, while Ichabod Dawson Wills took the individual title at 2-under 211. Next up for the Tigers is a trip north to play in the Hardrocker Invitational in Rapid City, S.D. September 20-21. Full FHSU Results 15th - Fort Hays State - +85 - 319 - 319 - 299 -- 937 T58 -&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6458">Parker Krob</a>&nbsp;- +19 - 78 - 78 - 76 -- 232 T58 -&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6455">Jackson Rader</a>&nbsp;- +19 - 79 - 82 - 71 -- 232 T67 -&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6451">Bryce Cowan</a>&nbsp;- +20 - 79 - 80 - 74 -- 233 T92 -&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6454">Maddux Mills</a>&nbsp;- +29 - 84 - 80 - 78 -- 242 T96 -&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6452">Dustin Nichols</a>&nbsp;- +32 - 83 - 81 - 81 -- 245&nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/9/1631706866242.jpeg" alt="FHSU's Parker Krob eyes a put at the Washburn Invitational (Courtesy Gene Cassell, Washburn Sports Information)" />
 <figcaption>FHSU's Parker Krob eyes a put at the Washburn Invitational (Courtesy Gene Cassell, Washburn Sports Information)</figcaption>
 </figure>TOPEKA, Kan. - The Fort Hays State men's golf team opened the 2021-22 season with a 15th-place finish at the Washburn Invitational this week (Sept. 13-14) at Topeka Country Club. The Tigers placed eighth out of the 10 MIAA schools at the first designated league event of the season. FHSU sat in 16th in the 19-team field after consecutive rounds of 319 on a blustery day one before improving by 20 shots and posting a team total of 299 in the third round on Tuesday. It was the best round by an FHSU squad at Topeka Country Club in nearly a decade (299 on 4/10/12). A pair of freshmen led the Tigers in their first collegiate tournament, with&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6458">Parker Krob</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6455">Jackson Rader</a>&nbsp;tying for 58th with a three-round total of 19-over 232. Krob paced the team with consecutive rounds of 78 on day one before finishing the tournament with a 5-over 76 on Tuesday. He tallied five birdies in the event, including two on hole two and two on hole 15. Rader opened his FHSU career with a round of 79 before wrapping up day one with an 82. He then turned around and fired an even-par 71 in the third round thanks to four birdies, including a chip-in birdie on his penultimate hole of the tournament. The Marysville, Kan. native led the team with seven birdies on the week. Junior&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6451">Bryce Cowan</a>&nbsp;was one stroke back of his teammates, placing 67th with a total of 20-over 233. Playing in his hometown, Cowan opened the tournament with rounds of 79 and 80 on Monday before posting a 3-over 74 on Tuesday. He compiled five birdies in the event, including three in the final round. Newcomer&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6454">Maddux Mills</a>&nbsp;also made his Tiger debut, placing 92nd with scores of 84, 80 and 78 to finish at 29-over 242. He picked up four birdies during the week, including a pair of fours on the par-five fifth hole on day one. <a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6452">Dustin Nichols</a>&nbsp;factored into the team scoring in both rounds on Monday, finishing at 32-over 245 to place 96th in the 118-man field with rounds of 83, 81 and 81. He birdied three holes in the event, including two in round one. Defending national champion Arkansas Tech rallied on the final day to take the team title with a three-round total of 11-over 863. Washburn was the low MIAA squad, placing third at 22-over 874, while Ichabod Dawson Wills took the individual title at 2-under 211. Next up for the Tigers is a trip north to play in the Hardrocker Invitational in Rapid City, S.D. September 20-21. Full FHSU Results 15th - Fort Hays State - +85 - 319 - 319 - 299 -- 937 T58 -&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6458">Parker Krob</a>&nbsp;- +19 - 78 - 78 - 76 -- 232 T58 -&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6455">Jackson Rader</a>&nbsp;- +19 - 79 - 82 - 71 -- 232 T67 -&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6451">Bryce Cowan</a>&nbsp;- +20 - 79 - 80 - 74 -- 233 T92 -&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6454">Maddux Mills</a>&nbsp;- +29 - 84 - 80 - 78 -- 242 T96 -&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6452">Dustin Nichols</a>&nbsp;- +32 - 83 - 81 - 81 -- 245&nbsp;&nbsp;FHSU Athletics

⛳ FHSU men eighth among MIAA teams at fall opener

HAYS - The TMP-Marian boys soccer team lost 10-0 at home to Garden City Tuesday.

The Monarchs are 0-5. They host St. Mary's Academy Monday.

HAYS - The TMP-Marian boys soccer team lost 10-0 at home to Garden City Tuesday.The Monarchs are 0-5. They host St. Mary's Academy Monday.

⚽ Monarchs fall to Buffs

GREAT BEND - The Hays High boys soccer team played Great Bend to a 1-1 draw Tuesday.

GREAT BEND - The Hays High boys soccer team played Great Bend to a 1-1 draw Tuesday.The Indians are now 1-3-1 on the season.

⚽ HHS ties Great Bend

RUSSELLVILLE, Ark. – Fort Hays State had two of the three players receive Player of the Week honors from the GAC/MIAA on Tuesday.&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6247">Antonio De La Torre</a>&nbsp;earned Defender of the Week honors for the Tigers, while&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6244">Kieran Brown</a>&nbsp;was named Goalkeeper of the Week. They join Offensive Player of the Week Nathaniel Maderos from Southern Nazarene as the weekly honorees. De La Torre played all 200 minutes possible for the week, helping the Tigers to a 1-1 (2OT) draw with then No. 6 ranked Maryville and a 2-1 win at Rockhurst. He scored the lone goal of the match for FHSU against Maryville, then notched an assist on the game-winning goal for FHSU in the 69th minute, taking a free kick from a little over 20 yards out that was redirected into the net by&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6240">Blake Arndt</a>. Brown was also instrumental in Fort Hays State's results for the week, also playing all 200 minutes between the pipes. Brown had a .750 save percentage for the week. He preserved the 2-1 win for FHSU at Rockhurst by making a massive save on a penalty kick attempt with 30 seconds remaining in the match, the biggest save of his six total saves for the week. Maderos of Southern Nazarene racked up five points for the week with two goals and an assist in matches with Southwest Baptist and Oklahoma Christian.&nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/9/1631663612714.jpeg" alt="FHSU Athletics" />
 <figcaption>FHSU Athletics</figcaption>
 </figure>RUSSELLVILLE, Ark. – Fort Hays State had two of the three players receive Player of the Week honors from the GAC/MIAA on Tuesday.&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6247">Antonio De La Torre</a>&nbsp;earned Defender of the Week honors for the Tigers, while&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6244">Kieran Brown</a>&nbsp;was named Goalkeeper of the Week. They join Offensive Player of the Week Nathaniel Maderos from Southern Nazarene as the weekly honorees. De La Torre played all 200 minutes possible for the week, helping the Tigers to a 1-1 (2OT) draw with then No. 6 ranked Maryville and a 2-1 win at Rockhurst. He scored the lone goal of the match for FHSU against Maryville, then notched an assist on the game-winning goal for FHSU in the 69th minute, taking a free kick from a little over 20 yards out that was redirected into the net by&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6240">Blake Arndt</a>. Brown was also instrumental in Fort Hays State's results for the week, also playing all 200 minutes between the pipes. Brown had a .750 save percentage for the week. He preserved the 2-1 win for FHSU at Rockhurst by making a massive save on a penalty kick attempt with 30 seconds remaining in the match, the biggest save of his six total saves for the week. Maderos of Southern Nazarene racked up five points for the week with two goals and an assist in matches with Southwest Baptist and Oklahoma Christian.&nbsp;&nbsp;FHSU Athletics

⚽ De La Torre and Brown receive GAC/MIAA weekly soccer honors

Fort Hays State coach Chris Brown, wide received Manny Ramsey and defensive back Jordan Starks talked with the media Tuesday ahead a week three matchup with Lincoln.

Fort Hays State coach Chris Brown, wide received Manny Ramsey and defensive back Jordan Starks talked with the media Tuesday ahead a week three matchup with Lincoln.<div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/iBgrON9npG8" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe></div><div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Ve-93ZcXQtw" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe></div><div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/2r8pNu6gjNU" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>

🏈📹FHSU weekly press conference

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Fort Hays State Men's Soccer jumped into United Soccer Coaches Top 25 for the first time this season on Tuesday (Sept. 14). The Tigers started the season receiving votes in the poll and have now jumped into the Top 25 in the second regular season edition of the poll. The Tigers hold the No. 25 ranking this week. Fort Hays State improved its stock for the poll by playing to a 1-1 draw with then No. 6 ranked Maryville University last Wednesday, and picked up a 2-1 win at Rockhurst University on Sunday. Fort Hays State moved to 2-1-1 overall on the season. Rogers State and Fort Hays State are the two teams referenced in the Top 25 of the poll from the GAC/MIAA as Rogers State checks in at No. 17 this week. The Tigers play a pair of neutral site matches this week in Wichita Falls, Texas where they will meet Texas A&amp;M-International and No. 10 ranked Colorado Mesa. Below is the Top 25 Poll for September 14, 2021. Rank&nbsp; Team&nbsp; Previous&nbsp; Record&nbsp; 1. University Of Charleston (1) 3-0-0 2. University Of Indianapolis (2) 4-0-0 3. Franklin Pierce (3) 3-0-0 4. Palm Beach Atlantic (5) 3-0-0 5. Azusa Pacific (7) 2-0-1 6. West Texas A&amp;M (11) 2-0-0 7. Coker (15) 3-0-0 8. Union (10) 3-0-1 9. Lenoir-Rhyne (8) 1-0-0 10. Colorado Mesa (16) 4-1-0 11. Seattle Pacific (14) 2-1-0 12. Millersville (24) 4-0-0 13. Wilmington (13) 3-0-1 14. Cedarville (19) 3-1-0 15. Nova Southeastern (17) 2-0-1 16. Gannon (12) 4-0-0 17. Rogers State (9) 3-1-0 18. Midwestern State (23) 4-0-0 19. Simon Fraser (18) 3-1-0 20. Young Harris College (20) 3-0-0 21. Lynn (21) 3-1-0 22. Regis (NR) 3-0-0 23. Wisconsin-Parkside (NR) 3-0-1 24. Le Moyne College (NR) 3-0-0 25. Fort Hays State (NR) 2-1-1 Others Receiving Votes: Humboldt State, Bloomsburg, Chowan, West Florida, Colorado School Of Mines, Southern Nazarene.&nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/9/1631653204512.jpeg" alt="FHSU Athletics" />
 <figcaption>FHSU Athletics</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Fort Hays State Men's Soccer jumped into United Soccer Coaches Top 25 for the first time this season on Tuesday (Sept. 14). The Tigers started the season receiving votes in the poll and have now jumped into the Top 25 in the second regular season edition of the poll. The Tigers hold the No. 25 ranking this week. Fort Hays State improved its stock for the poll by playing to a 1-1 draw with then No. 6 ranked Maryville University last Wednesday, and picked up a 2-1 win at Rockhurst University on Sunday. Fort Hays State moved to 2-1-1 overall on the season. Rogers State and Fort Hays State are the two teams referenced in the Top 25 of the poll from the GAC/MIAA as Rogers State checks in at No. 17 this week. The Tigers play a pair of neutral site matches this week in Wichita Falls, Texas where they will meet Texas A&amp;M-International and No. 10 ranked Colorado Mesa. Below is the Top 25 Poll for September 14, 2021. Rank&nbsp; Team&nbsp; Previous&nbsp; Record&nbsp; 1. University Of Charleston (1) 3-0-0 2. University Of Indianapolis (2) 4-0-0 3. Franklin Pierce (3) 3-0-0 4. Palm Beach Atlantic (5) 3-0-0 5. Azusa Pacific (7) 2-0-1 6. West Texas A&amp;M (11) 2-0-0 7. Coker (15) 3-0-0 8. Union (10) 3-0-1 9. Lenoir-Rhyne (8) 1-0-0 10. Colorado Mesa (16) 4-1-0 11. Seattle Pacific (14) 2-1-0 12. Millersville (24) 4-0-0 13. Wilmington (13) 3-0-1 14. Cedarville (19) 3-1-0 15. Nova Southeastern (17) 2-0-1 16. Gannon (12) 4-0-0 17. Rogers State (9) 3-1-0 18. Midwestern State (23) 4-0-0 19. Simon Fraser (18) 3-1-0 20. Young Harris College (20) 3-0-0 21. Lynn (21) 3-1-0 22. Regis (NR) 3-0-0 23. Wisconsin-Parkside (NR) 3-0-1 24. Le Moyne College (NR) 3-0-0 25. Fort Hays State (NR) 2-1-1 Others Receiving Votes: Humboldt State, Bloomsburg, Chowan, West Florida, Colorado School Of Mines, Southern Nazarene.&nbsp;&nbsp;FHSU Athletics

⚽ Tiger men return to the top-25

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — With a decade left on their lease at Kauffman Stadium, the Kansas City Royals are evaluating their options and owner John Sherman said Tuesday one of those could be a new downtown ballpark.

The Royals are tied to the 53-year-old stadium, named after founder Ewing Kauffman, until 2031 under terms of a public-private partnership 15 years ago that helped to fund $250 million in renovations to the quaint but aging ballpark on the outskirts of town.

But the club must make a decision in the next couple of years to press on with more renovations at Truman Sports Complex, which is also home to Arrowhead Stadium and the Kansas City Chiefs, or look elsewhere. The design and construction for a new stadium typically takes up to five years, and securing the necessary funding can sometimes take just as long.

“I get asked this question all the time about where we're going to play in the future,” said Sherman, who bought the club from David Glass for $1 billion in November 2019. "Since the day we acquired the franchise, trust me, we've had a revolving door of people bringing us lots of ideas, some that have been on the shelf for a long time.

“We've spent our time listening but we've also thought of the future of where we play,” Sherman added. “We're in a good spot here in Truman Sports Complex but we need to start thinking about our plans for a stadium.”

There was a major push in the early 2000s for a new downtown ballpark, near where city officials managed to build T-Mobile Arena, the home of the Big 12 Conference basketball tournament and other events. That has since served as the cornerstone for the Power &amp; Light District, a robust area of bars and restaurants, and has helped to revitalize downtown Kansas City.

But those plans ultimately were shelved in favor of remaining at Kauffman Stadium, whose Space Age-design, glittering outfield fountains and dazzling lights have made it popular among fans and players alike.

In April 2006, voters in Jackson County approved a sales tax increase to fund renovations to Kauffman and Arrowhead stadiums while tying the Royals and Chiefs to the city for the foreseeable future. And while the renovations did much to modernize the facilities, it couldn't help the fact that both are located well outside of downtown Kansas City.

Their location makes it difficult to reach the stadiums, particularly for baseball games that occur during the work week, and traffic is often a nightmare when there is a large crowd. There also is no room to build out surrounding areas with the kinds of bars, hotels and restaurants.

“Wherever we play,” Sherman said, “the criteria will be that the process will result in meaningful community impact that is real and measurable. It will result in economic growth and economic activity that benefits this region in real and measurable ways, and I think about quality of life. ... The other criteria we need to have is a positive impact on quality of life.”

Sherman has a vested interest in Kansas City. He graduated from Ottawa University in nearby Ottawa, Kansas, before he established a series of energy companies across the Midwest. All along, he called Kansas City his home.

“It's frankly hard not to go public about this. I get asked this literally everywhere I go,” he said. “We're having some thoughts about it and we want to be more transparent about it, and we want to start to get more feedback from groups in the community. How do they feel about the concept and the criteria I gave? The community impact, the economic growth and the quality of life for people in this region? If we can make that work, and the math works, a new ballpark is a possibility.”

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — With a decade left on their lease at Kauffman Stadium, the Kansas City Royals are evaluating their options and owner John Sherman said Tuesday one of those could be a new downtown ballpark.The Royals are tied to the 53-year-old stadium, named after founder Ewing Kauffman, until 2031 under terms of a public-private partnership 15 years ago that helped to fund $250 million in renovations to the quaint but aging ballpark on the outskirts of town.But the club must make a decision in the next couple of years to press on with more renovations at Truman Sports Complex, which is also home to Arrowhead Stadium and the Kansas City Chiefs, or look elsewhere. The design and construction for a new stadium typically takes up to five years, and securing the necessary funding can sometimes take just as long.“I get asked this question all the time about where we're going to play in the future,” said Sherman, who bought the club from David Glass for $1 billion in November 2019. "Since the day we acquired the franchise, trust me, we've had a revolving door of people bringing us lots of ideas, some that have been on the shelf for a long time.“We've spent our time listening but we've also thought of the future of where we play,” Sherman added. “We're in a good spot here in Truman Sports Complex but we need to start thinking about our plans for a stadium.”There was a major push in the early 2000s for a new downtown ballpark, near where city officials managed to build T-Mobile Arena, the home of the Big 12 Conference basketball tournament and other events. That has since served as the cornerstone for the Power &amp; Light District, a robust area of bars and restaurants, and has helped to revitalize downtown Kansas City.But those plans ultimately were shelved in favor of remaining at Kauffman Stadium, whose Space Age-design, glittering outfield fountains and dazzling lights have made it popular among fans and players alike.In April 2006, voters in Jackson County approved a sales tax increase to fund renovations to Kauffman and Arrowhead stadiums while tying the Royals and Chiefs to the city for the foreseeable future. And while the renovations did much to modernize the facilities, it couldn't help the fact that both are located well outside of downtown Kansas City.Their location makes it difficult to reach the stadiums, particularly for baseball games that occur during the work week, and traffic is often a nightmare when there is a large crowd. There also is no room to build out surrounding areas with the kinds of bars, hotels and restaurants.“Wherever we play,” Sherman said, “the criteria will be that the process will result in meaningful community impact that is real and measurable. It will result in economic growth and economic activity that benefits this region in real and measurable ways, and I think about quality of life. ... The other criteria we need to have is a positive impact on quality of life.”Sherman has a vested interest in Kansas City. He graduated from Ottawa University in nearby Ottawa, Kansas, before he established a series of energy companies across the Midwest. All along, he called Kansas City his home.“It's frankly hard not to go public about this. I get asked this literally everywhere I go,” he said. “We're having some thoughts about it and we want to be more transparent about it, and we want to start to get more feedback from groups in the community. How do they feel about the concept and the criteria I gave? The community impact, the economic growth and the quality of life for people in this region? If we can make that work, and the math works, a new ballpark is a possibility.”

⚾ Royals evaluate stadium options, downtown ballpark possible

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- The Kansas City Royals promoted general manager Dayton Moore to president of baseball operations and elevated longtime assistant GM J.J. Picollo to fill his previous role in a front-office shakeup Tuesday that promises a seamless path forward for the rebuilding organization.

Moore, who has been general manager since 2006, will continue to have final say on trades and other roster moves, but Picollo will have a greater voice in the room when it comes to putting together the team.

“I'm not a micromanager. We're going to allow people to do their jobs,” Moore said. “It's very collaborative, as it always has been, and I think the uniqueness of this relationship is we've all worked together for so long.”

Indeed, the 54-year-old Moore and the 51-year-old Picollo have worked together for 15 years in Kansas City. Before that, the pair spent time in the Atlanta Braves organization during their heyday in the 1990s.

“I would be foolish as a first-time general manager not to lean on someone who has sat in that seat,” Picollo said. “We're fortunate how we're set up in the front office. That collaboration has always taken place.”

Moore presided over one of the most remarkable turnarounds in baseball history, leading the long-suffering Royals from a team that regularly lost 100 games upon his 2006 arrival to one that reached consecutive World Series. And in 2015, they beat the New York Mets in five games for their first championship in 30 years.

The Royals have been on another major rebuilding effort after the small-market club was unable to keep some of the big names that ushered in their winning era. But there have been signs that another breakthrough is on the horizon as a wave of talented young pitchers continues to help Kansas City win games down the stretch this season.

Picollo, who has interviewed for several GM jobs, has long been considered Moore’s heir apparent.

“He's totally prepared. He talks about elevating his role and being more effective and I can’t wait to see that” Royals owner John Sherman said. “J.J. has been an architect of what I would call helping to modernize our baseball operations department over the past few years. He had a lot of help in doing it but when you talk about data science and data capture and all the tools we have for player development, J.J. helped to lead us to that evolution.”

The organizational structure is similar to those embraced by about half of big league teams, and has become necessary in part due to the changing business of baseball. The Royals had just 85 employees when Moore arrived, but they now have 266 on the payroll, including such new departments as performance science and behavior science.

The change should allow Moore to better handle the growing complexity of the organization.

“This structure is best practice in our industry now,” Sherman said. “I really expect to get more executive, high-level thinking out of Dayton when we think about the team, and I know the operation of the ballclub is in good hands.”

Moore, who grew up a Royals fan in Wichita, began his career as a scout with the Braves. He climbed the ranks to director of international scouting and director of player personnel development, and in 2005 he was given the job of assistant general manager.

Then-Royals owner David Glass, who had been pilloried by fans for his inability to turn the Royals around, turned to Moore in June 2006 to finally accomplish the task. Moore decided to invest heavily in Latin America, establishing academies that helped to identify talent, and slowly built the Kansas City farm system into one of the best in the big leagues.

Still, it took until 2013 before Moore saw the fruits of that labor in Kauffman Stadium. That's when players such as Eric Hosmer and Mike Moustakas began to get their call-ups, and combined with some nervy moves made by Moore — such as trading away Zack Greinke and acquiring James Shields and Wade Davis — finally put the Royals over the top.

They reached the World Series the following year, losing to the Giants in a dramatic series that came down to the final out of Game 7 in Kansas City. And they returned the following year to finish the job, beating the Mets for the championship.

Picollo had his fingerprints on those teams, too.

The former Braves scout joined the Royals as director of player development in 2006 and, two years later, became the assistant GM in charge of scouting and player development. In that role, Picollo worked closely with the Royals' entire minor league setup, ushering players from their first steps in pro ball all the way to the majors.

He was promoted to his current role as vice president and assistant GM in charge of player personnel in 2015, and now he will have an opportunity to finish Moore's latest rebuilding job in Kansas City.

“This structure has been presented a few different times and truthfully, it just wasn't one that I was personally ready to embrace for a number of reasons,” Moore said. “I began to evaluate our personnel and the different skillsets that are in this front office. We had discussions and laid out the different roles and how we can achieve sustained success as John desires, our fanbase desires and we aspire to, it became very, very clear this was the structure that made the most sense.”

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- The Kansas City Royals promoted general manager Dayton Moore to president of baseball operations and elevated longtime assistant GM J.J. Picollo to fill his previous role in a front-office shakeup Tuesday that promises a seamless path forward for the rebuilding organization.Moore, who has been general manager since 2006, will continue to have final say on trades and other roster moves, but Picollo will have a greater voice in the room when it comes to putting together the team.“I'm not a micromanager. We're going to allow people to do their jobs,” Moore said. “It's very collaborative, as it always has been, and I think the uniqueness of this relationship is we've all worked together for so long.”Indeed, the 54-year-old Moore and the 51-year-old Picollo have worked together for 15 years in Kansas City. Before that, the pair spent time in the Atlanta Braves organization during their heyday in the 1990s.“I would be foolish as a first-time general manager not to lean on someone who has sat in that seat,” Picollo said. “We're fortunate how we're set up in the front office. That collaboration has always taken place.”Moore presided over one of the most remarkable turnarounds in baseball history, leading the long-suffering Royals from a team that regularly lost 100 games upon his 2006 arrival to one that reached consecutive World Series. And in 2015, they beat the New York Mets in five games for their first championship in 30 years.The Royals have been on another major rebuilding effort after the small-market club was unable to keep some of the big names that ushered in their winning era. But there have been signs that another breakthrough is on the horizon as a wave of talented young pitchers continues to help Kansas City win games down the stretch this season.Picollo, who has interviewed for several GM jobs, has long been considered Moore’s heir apparent.“He's totally prepared. He talks about elevating his role and being more effective and I can’t wait to see that” Royals owner John Sherman said. “J.J. has been an architect of what I would call helping to modernize our baseball operations department over the past few years. He had a lot of help in doing it but when you talk about data science and data capture and all the tools we have for player development, J.J. helped to lead us to that evolution.”The organizational structure is similar to those embraced by about half of big league teams, and has become necessary in part due to the changing business of baseball. The Royals had just 85 employees when Moore arrived, but they now have 266 on the payroll, including such new departments as performance science and behavior science.The change should allow Moore to better handle the growing complexity of the organization.“This structure is best practice in our industry now,” Sherman said. “I really expect to get more executive, high-level thinking out of Dayton when we think about the team, and I know the operation of the ballclub is in good hands.”Moore, who grew up a Royals fan in Wichita, began his career as a scout with the Braves. He climbed the ranks to director of international scouting and director of player personnel development, and in 2005 he was given the job of assistant general manager.Then-Royals owner David Glass, who had been pilloried by fans for his inability to turn the Royals around, turned to Moore in June 2006 to finally accomplish the task. Moore decided to invest heavily in Latin America, establishing academies that helped to identify talent, and slowly built the Kansas City farm system into one of the best in the big leagues.Still, it took until 2013 before Moore saw the fruits of that labor in Kauffman Stadium. That's when players such as Eric Hosmer and Mike Moustakas began to get their call-ups, and combined with some nervy moves made by Moore — such as trading away Zack Greinke and acquiring James Shields and Wade Davis — finally put the Royals over the top.They reached the World Series the following year, losing to the Giants in a dramatic series that came down to the final out of Game 7 in Kansas City. And they returned the following year to finish the job, beating the Mets for the championship.Picollo had his fingerprints on those teams, too.The former Braves scout joined the Royals as director of player development in 2006 and, two years later, became the assistant GM in charge of scouting and player development. In that role, Picollo worked closely with the Royals' entire minor league setup, ushering players from their first steps in pro ball all the way to the majors.He was promoted to his current role as vice president and assistant GM in charge of player personnel in 2015, and now he will have an opportunity to finish Moore's latest rebuilding job in Kansas City.“This structure has been presented a few different times and truthfully, it just wasn't one that I was personally ready to embrace for a number of reasons,” Moore said. “I began to evaluate our personnel and the different skillsets that are in this front office. We had discussions and laid out the different roles and how we can achieve sustained success as John desires, our fanbase desires and we aspire to, it became very, very clear this was the structure that made the most sense.”