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.”

⚾ Royals promote Dayton Moore to president, Picollo to GM

🏈 Watch This Week's Tiger Talk

LIBERAL – The Hays High girls’ golf team placed
five in the top-10 and won the Liberal Redskin Invitational Monday at the
Willow Tree Golf Course. The Indians shot a 175 in the nine-hole event and
finished 15 strokes ahead of second place Garden City.

Katie Dinkel led the Indians with a 3-over-par 39
and the top individual medalist. Abbie Norris shot a 42 and placed second. Evyn
Cox tied for fifth with a 46 and Claire Humphrey fired a 48 and tied for seventh
along with teammate Jaycee Oakley.

Grace Wente shot a 39 and won the junior varsity
tournament. Summer Schneider, Avry George and Marissa Hoffman were also junior varsity
medalists. The Indians JV shot a 186 which would have been good enough for
second place in the varsity tournament.

Team Finish 1. Hays High-175 2. Garden City-190 3. Dodge City-191 4. Liberal-221 5. Great Bend-222

Top 10 Medalists 1. Katie Dinkel-Hays High, 39 2. Abbie Norris-Hays High, 42 3. Ashlyn Armstrong-Dodge City, 43 4. Ryan Warren-Garden City, 44 5. Evyn Cox-Hays High, 46 &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;Tiley Fry-Dodge City, 46 7. Allie Sandoval-Garden City, 48 &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;Claire Humphrey-Hays High, 48 &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;Jaycee Oakley-Hays High, 48 10. Emma Ortiz-Garden City, 49 &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;Jerika Lopez-Garden City, 49

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/9/1631618490995.jpeg" alt="Courtesy HHS golf" />
 <figcaption>Courtesy HHS golf</figcaption>
 </figure>LIBERAL – The Hays High girls’ golf team placed
five in the top-10 and won the Liberal Redskin Invitational Monday at the
Willow Tree Golf Course. The Indians shot a 175 in the nine-hole event and
finished 15 strokes ahead of second place Garden City.Katie Dinkel led the Indians with a 3-over-par 39
and the top individual medalist. Abbie Norris shot a 42 and placed second. Evyn
Cox tied for fifth with a 46 and Claire Humphrey fired a 48 and tied for seventh
along with teammate Jaycee Oakley.Grace Wente shot a 39 and won the junior varsity
tournament. Summer Schneider, Avry George and Marissa Hoffman were also junior varsity
medalists. The Indians JV shot a 186 which would have been good enough for
second place in the varsity tournament.Team Finish 1. Hays High-175 2. Garden City-190 3. Dodge City-191 4. Liberal-221 5. Great Bend-222Top 10 Medalists 1. Katie Dinkel-Hays High, 39 2. Abbie Norris-Hays High, 42 3. Ashlyn Armstrong-Dodge City, 43 4. Ryan Warren-Garden City, 44 5. Evyn Cox-Hays High, 46 &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;Tiley Fry-Dodge City, 46 7. Allie Sandoval-Garden City, 48 &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;Claire Humphrey-Hays High, 48 &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;Jaycee Oakley-Hays High, 48 10. Emma Ortiz-Garden City, 49 &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;Jerika Lopez-Garden City, 49

⛳ HHS girls place five in top-10 at Liberal

If you missed Monday's Tiger Talk with Fort Hays State football coach Chris Brown, you can listen here.

Tiger Talk airs Monday afternoon at 12:15 pm live from the Golden Q in Hays.

If you missed Monday's Tiger Talk with Fort Hays State football coach Chris Brown, you can listen here.Tiger Talk airs Monday afternoon at 12:15 pm live from the Golden Q in Hays.<div><iframe title="Tiger Talk (Sep 13, 2021)" allowtransparency="true" height="150" width="100%" style="border: none; min-width: min(100%, 430px);" scrolling="no" data-name="pb-iframe-player" src="https://www.podbean.com/player-v2/?i=9m8wb-10dbff8-pb&from=pb6admin&share=1&download=1&rtl=0&fonts=Arial&skin=1&font-color=&btn-skin=2"></iframe></div>

🎧 Defend the Fort Podcast: Tiger Talk (Sep 13, 2021)

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Major League Baseball announced today that&nbsp;Andrew Benintendi&nbsp;has been named American League Player of the Week for the period of Sept. 6-12. During that time, the Royals’ outfielder batted .500 (14-for-28) with three doubles, three homers and led all Major League players in hits and RBI (14).

This marks Benintendi’s first AL Player of the Week Award, while it’s the second by a Royal in the last three weeks, as&nbsp;Salvador Perez&nbsp;received the honor for the period of Aug. 23-29. It’s the first time KC has had multiple AL Player of the Week winners since 2016, when&nbsp;Kendrys Morales&nbsp;was honored twice.&nbsp;

Benintendi’s 14 RBI last week matched the franchise record for RBI on a road trip of seven games or fewer, tying&nbsp;Jeff King&nbsp;on a seven-game trip in 1997 and Morales in six games in 2016. His week included four go-ahead RBI as well as two game winners. He recorded RBI in six of the seven games on the trip, which included matching a season high with five RBI in Baltimore last Wednesday and again last Friday in Minnesota. The left-handed hitter also recorded five games with multiple hits, which included a season-high four knocks and a pair of home runs – his second multi-homer game of the season and fifth of his career – last Friday at Target Field.

A week ago today, Benintendi drove in the winning run with a single in the eighth inning in Baltimore and preserved the lead with a catch in left-center in the ninth, taking a potential game-tying home run away from&nbsp;Anthony Santander. On Wednesday in Baltimore, he drove in five of KC’s eight runs, which included a three-run homer in the ninth inning. Last Friday in Minneapolis, he hit another three-run blast to give the Royals a first-inning lead and then clubbed a two-run shot to start the 11th&nbsp;in a 6-4 triumph, marking his second career go-ahead HR in extra innings. It was also his second game with four or more hits and five or more RBI, previously doing so with five hits and six RBI on July 4, 2017 at Texas (with Boston). He capped the week with two hits and an RBI in both Saturday and Sunday’s contests against the Twins.

Along with his Major League highs in hits and RBI last week, Benintendi ranked second among American League players (min. 30 PA) in on-base percentage (.516), slugging pct. (.929) and OPS (1.445), while ranking tied for third in total bases (26). He led the Royals to a second-straight winning road trip, going 4-3.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/9/1631558498653.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Major League Baseball announced today that&nbsp;Andrew Benintendi&nbsp;has been named American League Player of the Week for the period of Sept. 6-12. During that time, the Royals’ outfielder batted .500 (14-for-28) with three doubles, three homers and led all Major League players in hits and RBI (14).This marks Benintendi’s first AL Player of the Week Award, while it’s the second by a Royal in the last three weeks, as&nbsp;Salvador Perez&nbsp;received the honor for the period of Aug. 23-29. It’s the first time KC has had multiple AL Player of the Week winners since 2016, when&nbsp;Kendrys Morales&nbsp;was honored twice.&nbsp;Benintendi’s 14 RBI last week matched the franchise record for RBI on a road trip of seven games or fewer, tying&nbsp;Jeff King&nbsp;on a seven-game trip in 1997 and Morales in six games in 2016. His week included four go-ahead RBI as well as two game winners. He recorded RBI in six of the seven games on the trip, which included matching a season high with five RBI in Baltimore last Wednesday and again last Friday in Minnesota. The left-handed hitter also recorded five games with multiple hits, which included a season-high four knocks and a pair of home runs – his second multi-homer game of the season and fifth of his career – last Friday at Target Field.A week ago today, Benintendi drove in the winning run with a single in the eighth inning in Baltimore and preserved the lead with a catch in left-center in the ninth, taking a potential game-tying home run away from&nbsp;Anthony Santander. On Wednesday in Baltimore, he drove in five of KC’s eight runs, which included a three-run homer in the ninth inning. Last Friday in Minneapolis, he hit another three-run blast to give the Royals a first-inning lead and then clubbed a two-run shot to start the 11th&nbsp;in a 6-4 triumph, marking his second career go-ahead HR in extra innings. It was also his second game with four or more hits and five or more RBI, previously doing so with five hits and six RBI on July 4, 2017 at Texas (with Boston). He capped the week with two hits and an RBI in both Saturday and Sunday’s contests against the Twins.Along with his Major League highs in hits and RBI last week, Benintendi ranked second among American League players (min. 30 PA) in on-base percentage (.516), slugging pct. (.929) and OPS (1.445), while ranking tied for third in total bases (26). He led the Royals to a second-straight winning road trip, going 4-3.Kansas City Royals

⚾ Benintendi named AL Player of the Week

CLASS 6A 1.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
DERBY (1-0) 2.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
OLATHE NORTH (2-0) 3.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
BLUE VALLEY NORTH (2-0) 4.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
BLUE VALLEY NORTHWEST (2-0) 5.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
MANHATTAN (2-0)

CLASS 5A 1.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
ST. THOMAS AQUINAS (2-0) 2.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
MILL VALLEY (2-0) 3.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
BISHOP CARROLL (2-0) 4.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
WICHITA NORTHWEST (1-1) 5.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
MAIZE (2-0)

CLASS
4A 1.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
BISHOP MIEGE (0-2) 2.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
ANDOVER CENTRAL (2-0) 3.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
ST. JAMES ACADEMY (0-2) 4.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
MCPHERSON (2-0) 5.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
BUHLER (1-1)

CLASS
3A 1.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
ANDALE (2-0) 2.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
WICHITA COLLEGIATE (2-0) 3.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
CHENEY (2-0) 4.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
FRONTENAC (1-1) 5.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
HOLTON (2-0)

CLASS
2A 1.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
ROSSVILLE (2-0) 2.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
SILVER LAKE (2-0) 3.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
NEMAHA CENTRAL (1-1) 4.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
GARDEN PLAIN (2-0) 5.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
OSAGE CITY (2-0)

CLASS
1A 1.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
OLPE (2-0) 2.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
SMITH CENTER (2-0) 3.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
INMAN (2-0) 4.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
SEDGWICK (2-0) 5.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
PLAINVILLE (2-0)

CLASS
8M-I 1.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
LITTLE RIVER (2-0) 2.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
MADISON (2-0) 3.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
CANTON-GALVA (2-0) 4.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
HILL CITY (2-0) 5.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
TREGO (2-0)

CLASS
8M-II 1.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
HANOVER (2-0) 2.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
VICTORIA (2-0) 3.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
THUNDER RIDGE (2-0) 4.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
AXTELL (2-0) 5.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
FRANKFORT (2-0)

CLASS 6A 1.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
DERBY (1-0) 2.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
OLATHE NORTH (2-0) 3.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
BLUE VALLEY NORTH (2-0) 4.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
BLUE VALLEY NORTHWEST (2-0) 5.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
MANHATTAN (2-0)CLASS 5A 1.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
ST. THOMAS AQUINAS (2-0) 2.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
MILL VALLEY (2-0) 3.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
BISHOP CARROLL (2-0) 4.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
WICHITA NORTHWEST (1-1) 5.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
MAIZE (2-0)CLASS
4A 1.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
BISHOP MIEGE (0-2) 2.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
ANDOVER CENTRAL (2-0) 3.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
ST. JAMES ACADEMY (0-2) 4.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
MCPHERSON (2-0) 5.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
BUHLER (1-1)CLASS
3A 1.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
ANDALE (2-0) 2.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
WICHITA COLLEGIATE (2-0) 3.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
CHENEY (2-0) 4.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
FRONTENAC (1-1) 5.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
HOLTON (2-0)CLASS
2A 1.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
ROSSVILLE (2-0) 2.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
SILVER LAKE (2-0) 3.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
NEMAHA CENTRAL (1-1) 4.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
GARDEN PLAIN (2-0) 5.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
OSAGE CITY (2-0)CLASS
1A 1.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
OLPE (2-0) 2.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
SMITH CENTER (2-0) 3.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
INMAN (2-0) 4.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
SEDGWICK (2-0) 5.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
PLAINVILLE (2-0)CLASS
8M-I 1.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
LITTLE RIVER (2-0) 2.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
MADISON (2-0) 3.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
CANTON-GALVA (2-0) 4.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
HILL CITY (2-0) 5.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
TREGO (2-0)CLASS
8M-II 1.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
HANOVER (2-0) 2.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
VICTORIA (2-0) 3.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
THUNDER RIDGE (2-0) 4.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
AXTELL (2-0) 5.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
FRANKFORT (2-0)

🏈Kpreps week 3 rankings

HAYS, Kan. – Fort Hays State Volleyball had three players named to the All-Tournament Team for the 2021 Tiger Classic, held Friday and Saturday (Sept. 10-11) at Gross Memorial Coliseum.&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6106">Emily Ellis</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6105">Jaden Daffer</a>, and&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6208">Claire Olson</a>&nbsp;were the Tiger players voted on by the coaches of opposing teams involved in the tournament. Ellis finished with a .293 hitting percentage for the weekend, producing 32 kills. She averaged 2.13 kills per set and led the team over the four matches with 20 blocks. Ellis averaged 1.33 blocks per set for the weekend. Her weekend match highs were 11 kills against Black Hills State and seven blocks against Southwest Minnesota State. Daffer led the Tigers in digs throughout the weekend with a total of 48. She averaged 3.2 per set and still managed to hand out 13 assists to Tiger attackers. She reached double figures in digs in three of the four matches, producing match highs of 14 against both Black Hills State and Adams State on Saturday. Olson finished the weekend with 17 kills and a .217 hitting percentage. She also produced 10 blocks. Olson had her weekend high in kills against nationally ranked Southwest Minnesota State with eight. She had half of her weekend block total (5) against Black Hills State. Below is the All-Tournament Team for the 2021 Tiger Classic. Angela Young – SR—OH Southwest Minnesota State University Alisa Bengen –JR—S Southwest Minnesota State University Payton Hjerleid—SR—L/DS Southwest Minnesota State University Meg Schmidt—JR—MB Southwest Minnesota State University <a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6106">Emily Ellis</a>—JR—MB Fort Hays State University <a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6105">Jaden Daffer</a>—JR—L/DS Fort Hays State University <a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6208">Claire Olson</a>—FR—RS Fort Hays State University Sai Collins—GR—OH Adams State University Shannon Mulkey—SR—MB Adams State University Shelby Ebert—JR—OH Emporia State University Rylie Fornelli—JR—DS Emporia State University Madison Hoopman—JR—OH Black Hills State University Schools received one spot for every match won. SMSU finished 4-0, FHSU was 3-1, ASU and ESU were 2-2, and BHSU was 1-3.&nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/9/1631540963545.jpeg" alt="FHSU Athletics" />
 <figcaption>FHSU Athletics</figcaption>
 </figure>HAYS, Kan. – Fort Hays State Volleyball had three players named to the All-Tournament Team for the 2021 Tiger Classic, held Friday and Saturday (Sept. 10-11) at Gross Memorial Coliseum.&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6106">Emily Ellis</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6105">Jaden Daffer</a>, and&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6208">Claire Olson</a>&nbsp;were the Tiger players voted on by the coaches of opposing teams involved in the tournament. Ellis finished with a .293 hitting percentage for the weekend, producing 32 kills. She averaged 2.13 kills per set and led the team over the four matches with 20 blocks. Ellis averaged 1.33 blocks per set for the weekend. Her weekend match highs were 11 kills against Black Hills State and seven blocks against Southwest Minnesota State. Daffer led the Tigers in digs throughout the weekend with a total of 48. She averaged 3.2 per set and still managed to hand out 13 assists to Tiger attackers. She reached double figures in digs in three of the four matches, producing match highs of 14 against both Black Hills State and Adams State on Saturday. Olson finished the weekend with 17 kills and a .217 hitting percentage. She also produced 10 blocks. Olson had her weekend high in kills against nationally ranked Southwest Minnesota State with eight. She had half of her weekend block total (5) against Black Hills State. Below is the All-Tournament Team for the 2021 Tiger Classic. Angela Young – SR—OH Southwest Minnesota State University Alisa Bengen –JR—S Southwest Minnesota State University Payton Hjerleid—SR—L/DS Southwest Minnesota State University Meg Schmidt—JR—MB Southwest Minnesota State University <a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6106">Emily Ellis</a>—JR—MB Fort Hays State University <a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6105">Jaden Daffer</a>—JR—L/DS Fort Hays State University <a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6208">Claire Olson</a>—FR—RS Fort Hays State University Sai Collins—GR—OH Adams State University Shannon Mulkey—SR—MB Adams State University Shelby Ebert—JR—OH Emporia State University Rylie Fornelli—JR—DS Emporia State University Madison Hoopman—JR—OH Black Hills State University Schools received one spot for every match won. SMSU finished 4-0, FHSU was 3-1, ASU and ESU were 2-2, and BHSU was 1-3.&nbsp;&nbsp;FHSU Athletics

🏐 Three Tigers receive all-tournament selections at Tiger Classic

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Every time the Kansas City Chiefs needed a big play on Sunday, their magician under center produced the kind of mesmerizing moment that left the Cleveland Browns shaking their heads in awe and frustration.

There was Patrick Mahomes' 75-yard touchdown pass to Tyreek Hill, where he lofted the ball deep downfield and his wide receiver made an incredible adjustment. The crucial throws that kept drives alive.

And ultimately, the touchdown pass to Travis Kelce that completed a comeback from a 12-point hole and gave Kansas City a 33-29 victory Sunday.

"That's Patrick Mahomes being Patrick Mahomes," Hill said. "There it is."

On the field, Mahomes finished with 337 yards passing and three touchdowns while running for a score. On the sideline, he helped to instill the confidence in a struggling Kansas City defense that it could make plays when it mattered down the stretch.

"You love his attitude because he always feels like we're in it," Chiefs coach Andy Reid said. "He does such a great job with the guys around him. He's a great communicator during tough times on the sideline."

Yet the Chiefs still managed to win their fifth straight against Cleveland, including a 22-17 playoff win in January, and their 15th consecutive game in September. They also pushed Andy Reid within one win of reaching 100 with two franchises.

Mahomes had plenty of help: Hill finished with 11 catches for 197 yards and that momentum-shifting touchdown, and Kelce had a pair of touchdown catches, including the go-ahead score with 7:02 remaining in the game.

As for the Browns? They fell to 1-21-1 in season openers since returning to Cleveland in 1999, extending their NFL mark to 17 consecutive defeats. They haven't won an opener on the road since the 1994 season.

"It's tough, right? But at the same time, we constantly get reminded this is a team game in all phases," said Baker Mayfield, who threw for 321 yards but was picked off by Mike Hughes with 1:09 left to end any hopes of a comeback.

"You have to play together, good complementary football," Mayfield said, "and if you don't do that and there's still time on the clock, there's a chance you get beat. Unfortunately, we've been on the wrong side of that."

Nick Chubb ran for 83 yards and two scores while Kareem Hunt and Jarvis Landry also had TD runs for the Browns.

The game was a rematch of a physical, defensive-minded playoff game that Kansas City clinched when backup quarterback Chad Henne threw a fourth-down pass to Hill for a first down with just over a minute to go.

There wasn't a whole lot of defense this time.

The Browns twice converted fourth downs in the Chiefs' red zone to keep first-half scoring drives alive. Chubb ended the first with his first TD run, and Landry scored on fourth down on the second, before Chubb tacked on an 18-yard run through a gaping hole in the rebuilt Chiefs defensive line to make it 22-10 at halftime.

The Chiefs finally found some offensive balance in the second half, riding Clyde Edwards-Helaire down the field before Mahomes hit Kelce for a touchdown. That capped a drive that took up half the third quarter and, most importantly for the lackluster Kansas City defense, kept Mayfield and the rest of the Browns offense off the field.

The Chiefs nearly ground out the rest of the quarter by turning Chubb's fumble into Harrison Butker's second field goal.

When the Browns weren't beating themselves, the Chiefs weren't doing a whole lot to stop them. Kevin Stefanski's bunch immediately responded with a seven-play, 75-yard drive — their fourth scoring drive at least that long — that former Chiefs running back Hunt finished off to make it 29-20 with 10:24 to go.

But the Browns weren't done beating themselves, either.

First, they blew coverage on Hill near midfield, and he merely had to cradle a pop-up pass from Mahomes and take off for a 75-yard touchdown reception. Then, after the Chiefs finally forced a three-and-out, Browns punter Jamie Gillan inexplicably dropped the snap and the AFC champs took possession at the Cleveland 15.

Mahomes hit Kelce three plays later to give Kansas City a 33-29 lead, its first of the game. And after the teams traded late punts, Mayfield made one last mistake with his interception with just over a minute to go.

"It was our game the first half and we left off the gas. We didn't execute down the stretch they were more composed and they made the plays," Browns pass rusher Myles Garrett said. "We just had too many missed assignments on our part. They take advantage of stuff like that. They've shown that. We just needed to be better."

Browns SS Ronnie Harrison Jr. was tossed with 4:59 left in the first quarter after shoving Chiefs assistant Greg Lewis in a sideline scrum. It happened after Harrison helped tackle Clyde Edwards-Helaire. Referee Bill Vinovich initially flagged the Chiefs bench for unsportsmanlike conduct before meeting with his crew and ejecting Harrison instead.

The Browns were missing WR Odell Beckham Jr. (knee), who tried to warm up but was declared inactive about 90 minutes before kickoff, and backup FS Grant Delpit. Kansas City was without FS Tyrann Mathieu, who was taken off the COVID-19 list on Saturday, and DE Frank Clark, who has been sidelined by a hamstring injury.

Browns: LT Jedrick Willis Jr. (left ankle) left in the second quarter and did not return.

Chiefs: LB Anthony Hitchens (right wrist) left in the first half but returned in the second.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Every time the Kansas City Chiefs needed a big play on Sunday, their magician under center produced the kind of mesmerizing moment that left the Cleveland Browns shaking their heads in awe and frustration.There was Patrick Mahomes' 75-yard touchdown pass to Tyreek Hill, where he lofted the ball deep downfield and his wide receiver made an incredible adjustment. The crucial throws that kept drives alive.And ultimately, the touchdown pass to Travis Kelce that completed a comeback from a 12-point hole and gave Kansas City a 33-29 victory Sunday."That's Patrick Mahomes being Patrick Mahomes," Hill said. "There it is."On the field, Mahomes finished with 337 yards passing and three touchdowns while running for a score. On the sideline, he helped to instill the confidence in a struggling Kansas City defense that it could make plays when it mattered down the stretch."You love his attitude because he always feels like we're in it," Chiefs coach Andy Reid said. "He does such a great job with the guys around him. He's a great communicator during tough times on the sideline."There were plenty of those on Sunday.Yet the Chiefs still managed to win their fifth straight against Cleveland, including a 22-17 playoff win in January, and their 15th consecutive game in September. They also pushed Andy Reid within one win of reaching 100 with two franchises.Mahomes had plenty of help: Hill finished with 11 catches for 197 yards and that momentum-shifting touchdown, and Kelce had a pair of touchdown catches, including the go-ahead score with 7:02 remaining in the game.As for the Browns? They fell to 1-21-1 in season openers since returning to Cleveland in 1999, extending their NFL mark to 17 consecutive defeats. They haven't won an opener on the road since the 1994 season."It's tough, right? But at the same time, we constantly get reminded this is a team game in all phases," said Baker Mayfield, who threw for 321 yards but was picked off by Mike Hughes with 1:09 left to end any hopes of a comeback."You have to play together, good complementary football," Mayfield said, "and if you don't do that and there's still time on the clock, there's a chance you get beat. Unfortunately, we've been on the wrong side of that."Nick Chubb ran for 83 yards and two scores while Kareem Hunt and Jarvis Landry also had TD runs for the Browns.The game was a rematch of a physical, defensive-minded playoff game that Kansas City clinched when backup quarterback Chad Henne threw a fourth-down pass to Hill for a first down with just over a minute to go.There wasn't a whole lot of defense this time.The Browns twice converted fourth downs in the Chiefs' red zone to keep first-half scoring drives alive. Chubb ended the first with his first TD run, and Landry scored on fourth down on the second, before Chubb tacked on an 18-yard run through a gaping hole in the rebuilt Chiefs defensive line to make it 22-10 at halftime.The Chiefs finally found some offensive balance in the second half, riding Clyde Edwards-Helaire down the field before Mahomes hit Kelce for a touchdown. That capped a drive that took up half the third quarter and, most importantly for the lackluster Kansas City defense, kept Mayfield and the rest of the Browns offense off the field.The Chiefs nearly ground out the rest of the quarter by turning Chubb's fumble into Harrison Butker's second field goal.When the Browns weren't beating themselves, the Chiefs weren't doing a whole lot to stop them. Kevin Stefanski's bunch immediately responded with a seven-play, 75-yard drive — their fourth scoring drive at least that long — that former Chiefs running back Hunt finished off to make it 29-20 with 10:24 to go.But the Browns weren't done beating themselves, either.First, they blew coverage on Hill near midfield, and he merely had to cradle a pop-up pass from Mahomes and take off for a 75-yard touchdown reception. Then, after the Chiefs finally forced a three-and-out, Browns punter Jamie Gillan inexplicably dropped the snap and the AFC champs took possession at the Cleveland 15.Mahomes hit Kelce three plays later to give Kansas City a 33-29 lead, its first of the game. And after the teams traded late punts, Mayfield made one last mistake with his interception with just over a minute to go."It was our game the first half and we left off the gas. We didn't execute down the stretch they were more composed and they made the plays," Browns pass rusher Myles Garrett said. "We just had too many missed assignments on our part. They take advantage of stuff like that. They've shown that. We just needed to be better."D-EJECTEDBrowns SS Ronnie Harrison Jr. was tossed with 4:59 left in the first quarter after shoving Chiefs assistant Greg Lewis in a sideline scrum. It happened after Harrison helped tackle Clyde Edwards-Helaire. Referee Bill Vinovich initially flagged the Chiefs bench for unsportsmanlike conduct before meeting with his crew and ejecting Harrison instead.MISSING STARSThe Browns were missing WR Odell Beckham Jr. (knee), who tried to warm up but was declared inactive about 90 minutes before kickoff, and backup FS Grant Delpit. Kansas City was without FS Tyrann Mathieu, who was taken off the COVID-19 list on Saturday, and DE Frank Clark, who has been sidelined by a hamstring injury.INJURY REPORTBrowns: LT Jedrick Willis Jr. (left ankle) left in the second quarter and did not return.Chiefs: LB Anthony Hitchens (right wrist) left in the first half but returned in the second.UP NEXTBrowns: vs Texans next Sunday.Chiefs: at Ravens next Sunday night.

🏈 Mahomes dazzles as Chiefs rally for win over Browns

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — Teddy Bridgewater threw two touchdowns in his first start for Denver and the Broncos dominated possession and beat the Giants 27-13 on Sunday, spoiling the return of New York running back Saquon Barkley after a long ACL rehabilitation.

Acquired in the offseason from Carolina, Bridgewater completed 28 of 36 passes for 264 yards, sharing the ball with nine receivers. The 28-year-old hit Tim Patrick on a go-ahead 2-yard TD pass in the closing seconds of the first half. Bridgewater eluded pressure and found tight end Albert Okwuegbunam on a 4-yard, fourth-down toss during a 16-play, 75-yard drive to open the second half, extending the lead to 17-7 with 6:48 to go in the quarter.

Melvin Gordon III added a late 70-yard TD run and Brandon McManus kicked two field goals for the Broncos, who have had four straight losing seasons since their Super Bowl 50 title.

Daniel Jones threw a 37-yard touchdown pass play to Sterling Shepard for New York and ran for a 4-yard touchdown on the final play. The third-year quarterback finished 22 of 37 for 253 yards. He also lost a fumble in the red zone with the Giants trailing 20-7 in the third quarter.

Like the offense, Barkley never got going. The 2018 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year finished with 10 carries for 26 yards. His longest run was 5 yards.

The Giants, who are coming off a 6-10 season under then first-year coach Joe Judge, have not been to the playoffs since 2016, and only once since winning their fourth Super Bowl in February 2012.

Denver won the ball possession battle 35:08 to 24:52 as its offense converted 7 of 15 on third down and 3 of 3 on fourth down.

The Broncos came into the season opener off a perfect preseason and they showed that was not a fluke. Von Miller, playing for the first time since 2019, had an early sack and finished with two sacks. Aided by his big run, Gordon finished with 101 yards on 11 carries.

Denver took a 10-7 lead on a 2-yard pass from Bridgewater to Patrick with 8 seconds left in the first half. It capped a 7-play, 57-yard drive that featured a 14-yard pass from Bridgewater to Courtland Sutton on a fourth-and-2 from the Giants 49.

New York had taken the lead on the catch and run by Shepard on the series after McManus' field goal.

Broncos: LB Bradley Chubb missed the game with an ankle injury. Second-year wide receiver Jerry Jeudy was carted off the field in the third quarter and did not return. He had six catches for a team-high 72 yards.

Giants: Pro Bowl tight end Evan Engram missed the game with a calf injury.

Broncos: At the Los Angeles Chargers on Sept. 19.

Giants: Short turnaround. At Washington on Thursday night.

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — Teddy Bridgewater threw two touchdowns in his first start for Denver and the Broncos dominated possession and beat the Giants 27-13 on Sunday, spoiling the return of New York running back Saquon Barkley after a long ACL rehabilitation.Acquired in the offseason from Carolina, Bridgewater completed 28 of 36 passes for 264 yards, sharing the ball with nine receivers. The 28-year-old hit Tim Patrick on a go-ahead 2-yard TD pass in the closing seconds of the first half. Bridgewater eluded pressure and found tight end Albert Okwuegbunam on a 4-yard, fourth-down toss during a 16-play, 75-yard drive to open the second half, extending the lead to 17-7 with 6:48 to go in the quarter.Melvin Gordon III added a late 70-yard TD run and Brandon McManus kicked two field goals for the Broncos, who have had four straight losing seasons since their Super Bowl 50 title.Daniel Jones threw a 37-yard touchdown pass play to Sterling Shepard for New York and ran for a 4-yard touchdown on the final play. The third-year quarterback finished 22 of 37 for 253 yards. He also lost a fumble in the red zone with the Giants trailing 20-7 in the third quarter.Like the offense, Barkley never got going. The 2018 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year finished with 10 carries for 26 yards. His longest run was 5 yards.The Giants, who are coming off a 6-10 season under then first-year coach Joe Judge, have not been to the playoffs since 2016, and only once since winning their fourth Super Bowl in February 2012.Denver won the ball possession battle 35:08 to 24:52 as its offense converted 7 of 15 on third down and 3 of 3 on fourth down.The Broncos came into the season opener off a perfect preseason and they showed that was not a fluke. Von Miller, playing for the first time since 2019, had an early sack and finished with two sacks. Aided by his big run, Gordon finished with 101 yards on 11 carries.Denver took a 10-7 lead on a 2-yard pass from Bridgewater to Patrick with 8 seconds left in the first half. It capped a 7-play, 57-yard drive that featured a 14-yard pass from Bridgewater to Courtland Sutton on a fourth-and-2 from the Giants 49.New York had taken the lead on the catch and run by Shepard on the series after McManus' field goal.INJURIESBroncos: LB Bradley Chubb missed the game with an ankle injury. Second-year wide receiver Jerry Jeudy was carted off the field in the third quarter and did not return. He had six catches for a team-high 72 yards.Giants: Pro Bowl tight end Evan Engram missed the game with a calf injury.UP NEXTBroncos: At the Los Angeles Chargers on Sept. 19.Giants: Short turnaround. At Washington on Thursday night.

🏈 Teddy Bridgewater throws 2 TDs, Broncos pound Giants

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Fort Hays State Men's Soccer held on for a 2-1 win at Rockhurst University on Sunday (Sept. 12).&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6240">Blake Arndt</a>&nbsp;provided all of the Tiger scoring and&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6244">Kieran Brown</a>&nbsp;made a massive save on a penalty kick by the Hawks with 30 seconds remaining in the contest. FHSU moved to 2-1-1 on the season with the win, while Rockhurst fell to 1-3. The Tigers received a golden scoring opportunity early in the match when Arndt was held inside the penalty box trying to make a play on the ball. The foul produced a yellow card and a penalty kick opportunity for Arndt, who cashed in and put the Tigers up 1-0 in the 4th&nbsp;minute of the game. The Hawks leveled the contest at one goal apiece in the 62nd&nbsp;minute on a strike from Alessandro Macchioni just outside the top of the box after the Tigers tried to clear the ball from danger. However, about seven minutes later the Tigers took the lead once again when a free kick by&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6247">Antonio De La Torre</a>&nbsp;found the foot of Arndt who redirected the ball into the right corner of the goal in the 69th&nbsp;minute. The match finished dead even in shots (13), shots on goal (5), and saves (4) by the goalkeepers. Brown picked up his second win of the season by laying out and stopping the penalty kick awarded to Rockhurst's Jordan Andrews. The Tiger defense cleared any sort of stick back opportunity off the save. The Tigers now turn their attention to a road trip to Wichita Falls, Texas next weekend (Sept. 16-18) where they will face Texas A&amp;M-International and Colorado Mesa in a pair of neutral site matches, hosted by Midwestern State University. It will be the final two matches for FHSU before entering GAC play for the remainder of the season on September 25.&nbsp;&nbsp;

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Fort Hays State Men's Soccer held on for a 2-1 win at Rockhurst University on Sunday (Sept. 12).&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6240">Blake Arndt</a>&nbsp;provided all of the Tiger scoring and&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6244">Kieran Brown</a>&nbsp;made a massive save on a penalty kick by the Hawks with 30 seconds remaining in the contest. FHSU moved to 2-1-1 on the season with the win, while Rockhurst fell to 1-3. The Tigers received a golden scoring opportunity early in the match when Arndt was held inside the penalty box trying to make a play on the ball. The foul produced a yellow card and a penalty kick opportunity for Arndt, who cashed in and put the Tigers up 1-0 in the 4th&nbsp;minute of the game. The Hawks leveled the contest at one goal apiece in the 62nd&nbsp;minute on a strike from Alessandro Macchioni just outside the top of the box after the Tigers tried to clear the ball from danger. However, about seven minutes later the Tigers took the lead once again when a free kick by&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6247">Antonio De La Torre</a>&nbsp;found the foot of Arndt who redirected the ball into the right corner of the goal in the 69th&nbsp;minute. The match finished dead even in shots (13), shots on goal (5), and saves (4) by the goalkeepers. Brown picked up his second win of the season by laying out and stopping the penalty kick awarded to Rockhurst's Jordan Andrews. The Tiger defense cleared any sort of stick back opportunity off the save. The Tigers now turn their attention to a road trip to Wichita Falls, Texas next weekend (Sept. 16-18) where they will face Texas A&amp;M-International and Colorado Mesa in a pair of neutral site matches, hosted by Midwestern State University. It will be the final two matches for FHSU before entering GAC play for the remainder of the season on September 25.&nbsp;&nbsp;FHSU Athletics

⚽ Late penalty save preserves Tigers win at Rockhurst

PUEBLO, Colo. - FHSU Women's Soccer took its first loss of the season at CSU-Pueblo on Sunday (Sept. 12) by a final score of 1-0. The Tiger offense made many attempts to get on the board but could not find the back of the net in either of their matches in Colorado this week, one resulting in a tie and one in a loss. The Tigers are now 2-1-1 overall and the ThunderWolves picked up their first win of the season, now 1-3. The first half contained quite a few shots from both sides, as each team looked to score early. However, the first goal did not come until the second half as the ThunderWolves broke the stalemate in the 54th&nbsp;minute of action. The Tigers won the shot battle 12-9, but the ThunderWolves put six shots on target opposed to four from the Tigers. The FHSU defense gave up their first goal of the season, but keeper&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6231">Deonna Wellbrock</a>&nbsp;still managed five saves in the first loss of the season. The Tigers look to find their way back to the win column on Friday as Emporia State comes to Hays for a non-conference match. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 pm at FHSU Soccer Stadium.&nbsp;&nbsp;

PUEBLO, Colo. - FHSU Women's Soccer took its first loss of the season at CSU-Pueblo on Sunday (Sept. 12) by a final score of 1-0. The Tiger offense made many attempts to get on the board but could not find the back of the net in either of their matches in Colorado this week, one resulting in a tie and one in a loss. The Tigers are now 2-1-1 overall and the ThunderWolves picked up their first win of the season, now 1-3. The first half contained quite a few shots from both sides, as each team looked to score early. However, the first goal did not come until the second half as the ThunderWolves broke the stalemate in the 54th&nbsp;minute of action. The Tigers won the shot battle 12-9, but the ThunderWolves put six shots on target opposed to four from the Tigers. The FHSU defense gave up their first goal of the season, but keeper&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6231">Deonna Wellbrock</a>&nbsp;still managed five saves in the first loss of the season. The Tigers look to find their way back to the win column on Friday as Emporia State comes to Hays for a non-conference match. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 pm at FHSU Soccer Stadium.&nbsp;&nbsp;FHSU Athletics

⚽ Tiger women fall to Thunderwolves

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Kyle Isbel drove in the go-ahead run with a single in the eighth inning, and the Kansas City Royals beat the Minnesota Twins 5-3 on Sunday.

Adalberto Mondesi homered for the Royals and Whit Merrifield had three hits, including a pair of doubles.

A quartet of relievers combined for 3 2/3 scoreless innings. Jake Brentz (4-2) struck out two in the seventh, Josh Staumont worked out of a jam in the eighth and Scott Barlow finished for his 12th save.

Byron Buxton had two of Minnesota's six hits.

Isbel’s single off Jorge Alcala (3-6) got just past diving second baseman Luis Arraez and rolled into right field to score pinch-runner Hunter Dozier.

Isbel was called up Sunday morning from Triple-A Omaha — playing this weekend a few miles away in St. Paul — when outfielder Michael A. Taylor was placed on the family medical emergency list. Isbel had been in the minors since April 21.

Minnesota had two runners on in the eighth, but Miguel Sanó hit into an inning-ending double play. He also struck out three times.

Brent Rooker delivered a two-out, two-run double for the Twins to tie it 3-3 in the sixth.

Minnesota starter Bailey Ober allowed three earned runs in 4 1/3 innings while striking out six. It was his 10th straight start allowing three earned runs or fewer, but he has completed six innings in just two of those outings.

Ober, who has tossed a career-high 99 innings between the Twins and Triple-A this season, retired nine straight Royals before a pair of fifth-inning singles ended his day.

He was replaced by Jovani Moran, who made his major league debut. Merrifield blooped the left-hander’s first pitch down the right-field line for an RBI double and a 3-1 lead.

Mondesi snapped an 0-for-17 stretch with a second-inning homer to put the Royals up 2-1.

Kansas City thought it had turned an inning-ending 4-5-6 double play in the third. With one out, a softly hit ball bounced in front of Merrifield behind second base, who lobbed it to third to force Andrelton Simmons. A throw back to second forced out Buxton.

However, as the Royals left the field, Minnesota manager Rocco Baldelli successfully challenged that an infield fly should have been called. Royals manager Mike Matheny came out for a lengthy discussion of the change. Upon video review, the infield fly call stood.

Royals: Begin a three-game home series against Oakland on Tuesday with RHP Jackson Kowar (0-3, 9.53 ERA) facing RHP Frankie Montas (12-9, 3.57) of the A’s.

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Kyle Isbel drove in the go-ahead run with a single in the eighth inning, and the Kansas City Royals beat the Minnesota Twins 5-3 on Sunday.Adalberto Mondesi homered for the Royals and Whit Merrifield had three hits, including a pair of doubles.A quartet of relievers combined for 3 2/3 scoreless innings. Jake Brentz (4-2) struck out two in the seventh, Josh Staumont worked out of a jam in the eighth and Scott Barlow finished for his 12th save.Byron Buxton had two of Minnesota's six hits.Isbel’s single off Jorge Alcala (3-6) got just past diving second baseman Luis Arraez and rolled into right field to score pinch-runner Hunter Dozier.Isbel was called up Sunday morning from Triple-A Omaha — playing this weekend a few miles away in St. Paul — when outfielder Michael A. Taylor was placed on the family medical emergency list. Isbel had been in the minors since April 21.Minnesota had two runners on in the eighth, but Miguel Sanó hit into an inning-ending double play. He also struck out three times.Brent Rooker delivered a two-out, two-run double for the Twins to tie it 3-3 in the sixth.Minnesota starter Bailey Ober allowed three earned runs in 4 1/3 innings while striking out six. It was his 10th straight start allowing three earned runs or fewer, but he has completed six innings in just two of those outings.Ober, who has tossed a career-high 99 innings between the Twins and Triple-A this season, retired nine straight Royals before a pair of fifth-inning singles ended his day.He was replaced by Jovani Moran, who made his major league debut. Merrifield blooped the left-hander’s first pitch down the right-field line for an RBI double and a 3-1 lead.Mondesi snapped an 0-for-17 stretch with a second-inning homer to put the Royals up 2-1.WAIT A MINUTEKansas City thought it had turned an inning-ending 4-5-6 double play in the third. With one out, a softly hit ball bounced in front of Merrifield behind second base, who lobbed it to third to force Andrelton Simmons. A throw back to second forced out Buxton.However, as the Royals left the field, Minnesota manager Rocco Baldelli successfully challenged that an infield fly should have been called. Royals manager Mike Matheny came out for a lengthy discussion of the change. Upon video review, the infield fly call stood.UP NEXTRoyals: Begin a three-game home series against Oakland on Tuesday with RHP Jackson Kowar (0-3, 9.53 ERA) facing RHP Frankie Montas (12-9, 3.57) of the A’s.

⚾ Sunday call-up Isbel knocks in game-winner in Royals' win over Twins

LINDSBORG, Kan. – Fort Hays State Tennis opened its 2021-22 season on Saturday (Sept. 11) at the Bethany College Invitational. The tournament consisted of two doubles draws and four singles draws.&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=6357">Maria Paz Diaz</a>&nbsp;turned in a perfect start to the season by topping the A bracket in doubles action. <a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/documents/2021/9/12//Bethany_College_Invitational_tennis_results_9_12_21.pdf?id=6314">TOURNAMENT RESULTS&nbsp;(PDF)</a> Mendez and Diaz turned in a 3-0 record for the day to top the doubles field. They opened their run through the tournament with a 6-3 win over Morales and Blough of Concordia University (Neb.). In the semifinals, they cruised to a 6-2 win over Macke and Van der Torre of Doane University (Neb.). They capped their performance with a 6-4 win over Weston and Lima of Doane University in the finals. Also playing in the A bracket of doubles action for FHSU were&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6113">Kylie Aufdengarten</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6114">Aliyah Frederick</a>. They fell to Weston and Lima of Doane in their first match 6-2, but bounced back for 6-3 win over Hosick and Ferrel of Concordia in consolation action to finish 1-1 for the day. In doubles Draw B, sisters&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6118">Hope Lubbers</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6117">Heidi Lubbers</a>&nbsp;teamed up but lost their only match played to Shelton and Yutzy of Tabor College. In singles play, Mendez posted a third-place finish in Draw A, while Diaz finished sixth in the same bracket. Mendez edged Olivia Brubacher of Tabor College 8-6 to start the day, but fell to Marketa Beladova of Iowa Central Community College in the semifinals. She rebounded for an 8-5 win over Amber Weston of Doane in the third-place match. Diaz went 1-2 for the day, opening with an 8-2 loss to Weston of Doane. She picked up her first singles win as a Tiger with an 8-2 win over Tara Ferrel of Concordia. Diaz then lost to Brubacher of Tabor 8-4 in the fifth-place match. Aufdengarten and Frederick both played in Draw B for singles. Aufdengarten posted a record of 2-1 on her way to fifth place in the bracket. She fell to Tessa Blough of Concordia in the quarterfinals 8-3, but came back to win her two consolation matches. She defeated Liz Van der Torre of Doane 8-4 and then Emma Semery of Iowa Central 8-7 in a tight match that went to a tiebreak. Frederick went 0-3 for the day, falling to Lily Wait of Tabor 8-4, Semery of Iowa Central 8-5, and Van der Torre of Doane 8-6. In Draw C of singles,&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6117">Heidi Lubbers</a>&nbsp;went 2-1 for the day for a third-place finish in her bracket. She defeated Jordyn Trombley of Bethany 8-4, fell to Marisol Blair of Tabor 8-3, then topped teammate&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6119">Gracen Friess</a>&nbsp;in the third-place match 4-1 as Friess retired from the match. Friess finished fourth, going 1-2 for the day. She defeated Nina Ngo of Doane 8-6, then fell to Brylee Lauby of Doane 8-5 and Lubbers as mentioned earlier. <a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6118">Hope Lubbers</a>&nbsp;went 1-2 in Draw D of singles play. She fell to Kailyn Groski of Doane 8-3 and Lubehile Moyo of Iowa Central 8-4. She took seventh in her bracket by defeating Tara Stewart of Tabor 8-3. Singles matches were not of official length, played as one Pro 8 set. Therefore the results of singles play in this tournament do not count towards an athlete's official record. The Tigers now look forward to a matchup with Sterling College on Tuesday in Hays. The first home event of the season begins at 3 pm at the FHSU Tennis Courts.

LINDSBORG, Kan. – Fort Hays State Tennis opened its 2021-22 season on Saturday (Sept. 11) at the Bethany College Invitational. The tournament consisted of two doubles draws and four singles draws.&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=6357">Maria Paz Diaz</a>&nbsp;turned in a perfect start to the season by topping the A bracket in doubles action. <a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/documents/2021/9/12//Bethany_College_Invitational_tennis_results_9_12_21.pdf?id=6314">TOURNAMENT RESULTS&nbsp;(PDF)</a> Mendez and Diaz turned in a 3-0 record for the day to top the doubles field. They opened their run through the tournament with a 6-3 win over Morales and Blough of Concordia University (Neb.). In the semifinals, they cruised to a 6-2 win over Macke and Van der Torre of Doane University (Neb.). They capped their performance with a 6-4 win over Weston and Lima of Doane University in the finals. Also playing in the A bracket of doubles action for FHSU were&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6113">Kylie Aufdengarten</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6114">Aliyah Frederick</a>. They fell to Weston and Lima of Doane in their first match 6-2, but bounced back for 6-3 win over Hosick and Ferrel of Concordia in consolation action to finish 1-1 for the day. In doubles Draw B, sisters&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6118">Hope Lubbers</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6117">Heidi Lubbers</a>&nbsp;teamed up but lost their only match played to Shelton and Yutzy of Tabor College. In singles play, Mendez posted a third-place finish in Draw A, while Diaz finished sixth in the same bracket. Mendez edged Olivia Brubacher of Tabor College 8-6 to start the day, but fell to Marketa Beladova of Iowa Central Community College in the semifinals. She rebounded for an 8-5 win over Amber Weston of Doane in the third-place match. Diaz went 1-2 for the day, opening with an 8-2 loss to Weston of Doane. She picked up her first singles win as a Tiger with an 8-2 win over Tara Ferrel of Concordia. Diaz then lost to Brubacher of Tabor 8-4 in the fifth-place match. Aufdengarten and Frederick both played in Draw B for singles. Aufdengarten posted a record of 2-1 on her way to fifth place in the bracket. She fell to Tessa Blough of Concordia in the quarterfinals 8-3, but came back to win her two consolation matches. She defeated Liz Van der Torre of Doane 8-4 and then Emma Semery of Iowa Central 8-7 in a tight match that went to a tiebreak. Frederick went 0-3 for the day, falling to Lily Wait of Tabor 8-4, Semery of Iowa Central 8-5, and Van der Torre of Doane 8-6. In Draw C of singles,&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6117">Heidi Lubbers</a>&nbsp;went 2-1 for the day for a third-place finish in her bracket. She defeated Jordyn Trombley of Bethany 8-4, fell to Marisol Blair of Tabor 8-3, then topped teammate&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6119">Gracen Friess</a>&nbsp;in the third-place match 4-1 as Friess retired from the match. Friess finished fourth, going 1-2 for the day. She defeated Nina Ngo of Doane 8-6, then fell to Brylee Lauby of Doane 8-5 and Lubbers as mentioned earlier. <a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6118">Hope Lubbers</a>&nbsp;went 1-2 in Draw D of singles play. She fell to Kailyn Groski of Doane 8-3 and Lubehile Moyo of Iowa Central 8-4. She took seventh in her bracket by defeating Tara Stewart of Tabor 8-3. Singles matches were not of official length, played as one Pro 8 set. Therefore the results of singles play in this tournament do not count towards an athlete's official record. The Tigers now look forward to a matchup with Sterling College on Tuesday in Hays. The first home event of the season begins at 3 pm at the FHSU Tennis Courts.FHSU Athletics

🎾 FHSU's Mendez and Diaz top doubles field at Bethany Invite

MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) — Deuce Vaughn scored a rushing touchdown with less than two minutes to play and Kansas State held on to beat FCS-member Southern Illinois 31-23 on Saturday.

The Wildcats defense forced a fumble on Southern Illinois' following possession to seal it. The Wildcats held the Salukis scoreless in the second half and surrendered just 126 yards.

“We’re excited about getting the win," Kansas State coach Chris Klieman said. "I know the league they play in really well, and I know if we let them hang around they’ll cause you trouble.”

Kansas State starting quarterback Skylar Thompson left the game in the first quarter due to injury. Thompson appeared to suffer a non-contact injury in attempting to block for running back Vaughn.

Thompson, who is a sixth year senior, missed all but three games last year due to an injury to his throwing shoulder that required surgery. Thompson made his 32nd start at quarterback as a Wildcat, which tied him for most in school history.

“I was pretty emotional, I saw it happen last year and kind of had déjà vu," Klieman said. "I’m devastated for him. We’ll pray for the best.”

Vaughn ran for 120 yards and three touchdowns while Malik Knowles had 112 receiving yards for Kansas State (2-0). Will Howard went 8-for-17 passing for 76 yards with a rushing touchdown and an interception.

Kansas State's offense stalled absent Thompson. A 21-3 Wildcat lead in the first half turned into a 23-21 deficit by halftime. The Wildcats had three straight possessions with a turnover and finished with four total.

Nic Baker threw for 176 yards and Javon Williams Jr. ran for 46 yards and two touchdowns for Southern Illinois (1-1); a top 10 team in FCS. Baker threw for a Southern Illinois record 460 yards last week.

“I feel like they’re a good football team and we couldn’t get in a rhythm," Southern Illinois coach Nick Hill said. "We had a chance in the end and we’ll all hold each other accountable for getting better.”

Southern Illinois: The Salukis saw an opportunity to exploit the Wildcats without Thompson and nearly pulled the upset.

Kansas State: It will need to work on its offense, but without Thompson, time will tell if it gets any better against better opponents.

Southern Illinois hosts Dayton; Kansas State takes on Nevada at home on Saturday.

MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) — Deuce Vaughn scored a rushing touchdown with less than two minutes to play and Kansas State held on to beat FCS-member Southern Illinois 31-23 on Saturday.The Wildcats defense forced a fumble on Southern Illinois' following possession to seal it. The Wildcats held the Salukis scoreless in the second half and surrendered just 126 yards.“We’re excited about getting the win," Kansas State coach Chris Klieman said. "I know the league they play in really well, and I know if we let them hang around they’ll cause you trouble.”Kansas State starting quarterback Skylar Thompson left the game in the first quarter due to injury. Thompson appeared to suffer a non-contact injury in attempting to block for running back Vaughn.Thompson, who is a sixth year senior, missed all but three games last year due to an injury to his throwing shoulder that required surgery. Thompson made his 32nd start at quarterback as a Wildcat, which tied him for most in school history.“I was pretty emotional, I saw it happen last year and kind of had déjà vu," Klieman said. "I’m devastated for him. We’ll pray for the best.”Vaughn ran for 120 yards and three touchdowns while Malik Knowles had 112 receiving yards for Kansas State (2-0). Will Howard went 8-for-17 passing for 76 yards with a rushing touchdown and an interception.Kansas State's offense stalled absent Thompson. A 21-3 Wildcat lead in the first half turned into a 23-21 deficit by halftime. The Wildcats had three straight possessions with a turnover and finished with four total.Nic Baker threw for 176 yards and Javon Williams Jr. ran for 46 yards and two touchdowns for Southern Illinois (1-1); a top 10 team in FCS. Baker threw for a Southern Illinois record 460 yards last week.“I feel like they’re a good football team and we couldn’t get in a rhythm," Southern Illinois coach Nick Hill said. "We had a chance in the end and we’ll all hold each other accountable for getting better.”THE TAKEAWAYSouthern Illinois: The Salukis saw an opportunity to exploit the Wildcats without Thompson and nearly pulled the upset.Kansas State: It will need to work on its offense, but without Thompson, time will tell if it gets any better against better opponents.UP NEXTSouthern Illinois hosts Dayton; Kansas State takes on Nevada at home on Saturday.

🏈 Kansas State holds off Southern Illinois after losing Thompson

MINNEAPOLIS — Jorge Polanco hit two of Minnesota’s five home runs, Michael Pineda pitched five strong innings in his return to the rotation and the Twins beat the Kansas City Royals 9-2 on Saturday night.

Byron Buxton homered for the second straight day, and Nick Gordon and Max Kepler also went deep for Minnesota, which has won five of seven.

Polanco had three hits in his third multi-homer game of the season. His 29 home runs match Chili Davis in 1991 for the most in a season by a switch-hitter for the Twins.

“I think the power stroke, it’s not something that’s really that much of a conscious effort from him,” Minnesota manager Rocco Baldelli said. “He’s not going up there taking swings that are unlike swings we’ve seen him take before. I think it’s very much him dialing in, seeing the ball very well, not missing his pitches when he gets them.”

Pineda (6-8) allowed one run on five hits. He was making his first start since returning from the injured list on Sept. 6 with a left oblique strain. He made his first career relief appearance on Sept. 6 before slotting back into the rotation.

“I can tell when I was in my bullpen before my start, I had really good feeling for my slider,” Pineda said. “I use it. I tried to locate my fastball and go back to my slider and use it because we had really good movement today and I used it.”

Brady Singer (4-10) surrendered six runs and six hits in 4.2 innings while striking out seven for Kansas City. Singer allowed all five homers. He had never allowed more than two in a game and had given up just nine long balls in 116 innings this season coming into the game.

All five home runs by the Twins were on two-strike counts.

“When I got to two strikes, I didn’t really bury anything,” Singer said. “It was kind of spinning out of my hand there, felt like the slider wasn’t very good all night.”

Buxton started the onslaught with another long home run in the first inning. He homered into the second deck above the bullpens in left-center field. A night earlier, Buxton’s first-inning home run was estimated at 457 feet after hitting the second deck above the batter’s eye in center field.

Polanco followed with his first homer, a liner to right field.

Buxton and Polanco teamed up again in the fifth. After Buxton singled on a soft fly ball to shallow center, Polanco launched a towering shot to the second deck in right field. Polanco has 14 homers in 36 games since the start of August.

“It’s a fun way to win and it’s kind of an explosive way to win,” Baldelli said of the home runs. “The dugout really gets going and enjoys it, too, when you do it like this.”

Andrew Benintendi continued his strong run for Kansas City, driving in the Royals’ lone run in the fourth with an RBI single. Benintendi had two hits and has driven in 13 runs during the team’s six-game road trip.

“We did have those big opportunities, a couple chances just to kind of chip away,” Royals manager Mike Matheny said. “Those points in the game where you think, ‘We can really swing it here.’ Just didn’t have a lot of baserunners tonight, just a tough night.”

Royals: RHP Joel Payamps was placed on the injured list before the game with no injury designation. RHP Scott Blewett was recalled from Triple-A Omaha.

Twins: C Mitch Garver (10-day injured list) has hit in the cages and thrown as he recovers from low back tightness. He’s started to ramp up his baseball activities.

Rookie RHP Bailey Ober (2-2, 4.00 ERA) starts Sunday for Minnesota. Kansas City counters with LHP Kris Bubic (4-6, 5.07). Ober has allowed two earned runs or less in his last five starts with a 2.05 ERA during that span. Bubic is 1-0 with a 4.76 ERA in three games, including two starts, against the Twins this season.

MINNEAPOLIS — Jorge Polanco hit two of Minnesota’s five home runs, Michael Pineda pitched five strong innings in his return to the rotation and the Twins beat the Kansas City Royals 9-2 on Saturday night.Byron Buxton homered for the second straight day, and Nick Gordon and Max Kepler also went deep for Minnesota, which has won five of seven.Polanco had three hits in his third multi-homer game of the season. His 29 home runs match Chili Davis in 1991 for the most in a season by a switch-hitter for the Twins.“I think the power stroke, it’s not something that’s really that much of a conscious effort from him,” Minnesota manager Rocco Baldelli said. “He’s not going up there taking swings that are unlike swings we’ve seen him take before. I think it’s very much him dialing in, seeing the ball very well, not missing his pitches when he gets them.”Pineda (6-8) allowed one run on five hits. He was making his first start since returning from the injured list on Sept. 6 with a left oblique strain. He made his first career relief appearance on Sept. 6 before slotting back into the rotation.“I can tell when I was in my bullpen before my start, I had really good feeling for my slider,” Pineda said. “I use it. I tried to locate my fastball and go back to my slider and use it because we had really good movement today and I used it.”Brady Singer (4-10) surrendered six runs and six hits in 4.2 innings while striking out seven for Kansas City. Singer allowed all five homers. He had never allowed more than two in a game and had given up just nine long balls in 116 innings this season coming into the game.All five home runs by the Twins were on two-strike counts.“When I got to two strikes, I didn’t really bury anything,” Singer said. “It was kind of spinning out of my hand there, felt like the slider wasn’t very good all night.”Buxton started the onslaught with another long home run in the first inning. He homered into the second deck above the bullpens in left-center field. A night earlier, Buxton’s first-inning home run was estimated at 457 feet after hitting the second deck above the batter’s eye in center field.Polanco followed with his first homer, a liner to right field.Buxton and Polanco teamed up again in the fifth. After Buxton singled on a soft fly ball to shallow center, Polanco launched a towering shot to the second deck in right field. Polanco has 14 homers in 36 games since the start of August.“It’s a fun way to win and it’s kind of an explosive way to win,” Baldelli said of the home runs. “The dugout really gets going and enjoys it, too, when you do it like this.”BENNY AGAINAndrew Benintendi continued his strong run for Kansas City, driving in the Royals’ lone run in the fourth with an RBI single. Benintendi had two hits and has driven in 13 runs during the team’s six-game road trip.“We did have those big opportunities, a couple chances just to kind of chip away,” Royals manager Mike Matheny said. “Those points in the game where you think, ‘We can really swing it here.’ Just didn’t have a lot of baserunners tonight, just a tough night.”TRAINER’S ROOMRoyals: RHP Joel Payamps was placed on the injured list before the game with no injury designation. RHP Scott Blewett was recalled from Triple-A Omaha.Twins: C Mitch Garver (10-day injured list) has hit in the cages and thrown as he recovers from low back tightness. He’s started to ramp up his baseball activities.UP NEXTRookie RHP Bailey Ober (2-2, 4.00 ERA) starts Sunday for Minnesota. Kansas City counters with LHP Kris Bubic (4-6, 5.07). Ober has allowed two earned runs or less in his last five starts with a 2.05 ERA during that span. Bubic is 1-0 with a 4.76 ERA in three games, including two starts, against the Twins this season.

⚾ Singer tagged for five home runs in Royals' loss to Twins

HAYS, Kan. - The Fort Hays State volleyball team wrapped up play in the 2021 Tiger Classic with a pair of victories on Saturday (Sept. 11). The Tigers opened the day with a four-set victory against Black Hills State before taking down Adams State in four sets in the weekend finale. The Tigers improved to 5-3 with the win, with the Yellow Jackets of BHSU moving to 3-5 and the Grizzlies dipping to 4-5 overall. Five Tigers reached double figures between two matches, including a team-high 26 kills from&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6112">Riley Tinder</a>. She also added 20 digs and four blocks on the day. <a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6106">Emily Ellis</a>&nbsp;totaled 20 kills and seven blocks between the two victories, with&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6111">Isabelle Reynolds</a>&nbsp;adding 18 kills and 25 digs.&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6104">Morgan Christiansen</a>&nbsp;accumulated 17 kills and 11 blocks, while&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6107">Mykah Eshbaugh</a>&nbsp;chipped in 14 kills and three blocks. <a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6108">Elysia Glowacz</a>&nbsp;dished out 55 assists on the day and added 19 digs, while&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6237">Jaida Felix</a>&nbsp;accumulated 40 assists and 20 digs. Libero&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6105">Jaden Daffer</a>&nbsp;paced the team with 28 digs across the eight sets. Fort Hays State continues its homestand next weekend when the Tigers host matches on Friday, Saturday and Sunday (Sept. 17-19). First up is a date with Washburn at 6 p.m. Friday before a Saturday afternoon match against Emporia State at 3 p.m. and a Sunday finale against Northwestern Oklahoma State at 2 p.m. Fort Hays State 3, Black Hills State 1 (25-20, 25-16, 23-25, 25-23) The Tigers opened the day with a strong win against Black Hills State. The Tigers totaled 13 blocks in the win, including 10 from Christiansen which is tied for second-most in a four-set match in the rally scoring era at FHSU. FHSU also outhit the Yellow Jackets, .231 to .182, thanks to highly effective offense in the first and second sets. Fort Hays State recorded just three errors across the first and second sets, hitting .333 in the opening frame and .382 in the second set. Tinder finished the match with a team-high 13 kills, including 10 kills in the first two sets. The Tigers built a sizeable lead early in the first set, 15-7, before BHSU clawed back to eventually level the score at 17. With the score later tied at 20, Eshbaugh opened a Tiger run with a kill. Tinder followed with two kills and a service ace before a Yellow Jacket miscue gave the Tigers a 25-20 victory. Fort Hays State used another big run to pull away late in the second set, scoring seven consecutive points to turn a 17-15 margin into a 24-15 edge. A BHSU error two plays later brought the set to a close, 25-16. The teams then battled in a pair of close frames in sets three and four, with Black Hills State staying alive with a 25-23 win before FHSU sealed the win with the same score in the fourth stanza. The Tigers trailed by as many as three in the final frame and found themselves behind as late as 22-21. But another late run secured the victory, with the Tigers taking four of the last five points. Ellis totaled 11 kills and three blocks in the win, while Christiansen had six kills alongside her 10 blocks. Reynolds added nine blocks and 11 digs, with Olson contributing five kills and five blocks. Felix recorded a double-double with 16 assists and 10 blocks and added three service aces, with Glowacz leading the team with 23 assists alongside seven digs. Daffer led the team with 14 digs. Fort Hays State 3, Adams State 1 (25-21, 19-25, 25-17, 25-22) Fort Hays State wrapped up the tournament with an impressive victory against Adams State in four sets. The Tigers grabbed the opening set before the Grizzlies leveled the match with a second-set win. FHSU then pulled away for a convincing win in the third set and held on in the fourth to seal the win. Tinder collected a team-best five kills in the opening set, including kills on each of the final two points to secure the 25-21 win. Adams State pulled away late to take the second set, scoring eight of the final nine points to win 25-19. Adams State miscues helped the Tigers take the third set. The Grizzlies picked up one more kill than the Tigers in the frame, 13-12, but FHSU forced the visitors into 10 attack errors. The Tigers then used an effective .324 attack percentage in the fourth set to secure the victory with a 25-22 win. Tinder posted a double-double with 13 kills and 14 digs while adding one service ace. Christiansen picked up 11 kills, two aces and one block, while Reynolds added nine kills, 14 digs and one ace. Felix also recorded a double-double thanks to a team-best 24 assists and 10 digs. Glowacz added a double-double of her own, compiling 22 assists and 12 digs. Fort Hays State compiled an attack percentage of .238 while holding the Grizzlies to a .172 swing rate. The Tigers distributed 53 assists in the win, 10 more than ASU.

HAYS, Kan. - The Fort Hays State volleyball team wrapped up play in the 2021 Tiger Classic with a pair of victories on Saturday (Sept. 11). The Tigers opened the day with a four-set victory against Black Hills State before taking down Adams State in four sets in the weekend finale. The Tigers improved to 5-3 with the win, with the Yellow Jackets of BHSU moving to 3-5 and the Grizzlies dipping to 4-5 overall. Five Tigers reached double figures between two matches, including a team-high 26 kills from&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6112">Riley Tinder</a>. She also added 20 digs and four blocks on the day. <a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6106">Emily Ellis</a>&nbsp;totaled 20 kills and seven blocks between the two victories, with&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6111">Isabelle Reynolds</a>&nbsp;adding 18 kills and 25 digs.&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6104">Morgan Christiansen</a>&nbsp;accumulated 17 kills and 11 blocks, while&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6107">Mykah Eshbaugh</a>&nbsp;chipped in 14 kills and three blocks. <a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6108">Elysia Glowacz</a>&nbsp;dished out 55 assists on the day and added 19 digs, while&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6237">Jaida Felix</a>&nbsp;accumulated 40 assists and 20 digs. Libero&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6105">Jaden Daffer</a>&nbsp;paced the team with 28 digs across the eight sets. Fort Hays State continues its homestand next weekend when the Tigers host matches on Friday, Saturday and Sunday (Sept. 17-19). First up is a date with Washburn at 6 p.m. Friday before a Saturday afternoon match against Emporia State at 3 p.m. and a Sunday finale against Northwestern Oklahoma State at 2 p.m. Fort Hays State 3, Black Hills State 1 (25-20, 25-16, 23-25, 25-23) The Tigers opened the day with a strong win against Black Hills State. The Tigers totaled 13 blocks in the win, including 10 from Christiansen which is tied for second-most in a four-set match in the rally scoring era at FHSU. FHSU also outhit the Yellow Jackets, .231 to .182, thanks to highly effective offense in the first and second sets. Fort Hays State recorded just three errors across the first and second sets, hitting .333 in the opening frame and .382 in the second set. Tinder finished the match with a team-high 13 kills, including 10 kills in the first two sets. The Tigers built a sizeable lead early in the first set, 15-7, before BHSU clawed back to eventually level the score at 17. With the score later tied at 20, Eshbaugh opened a Tiger run with a kill. Tinder followed with two kills and a service ace before a Yellow Jacket miscue gave the Tigers a 25-20 victory. Fort Hays State used another big run to pull away late in the second set, scoring seven consecutive points to turn a 17-15 margin into a 24-15 edge. A BHSU error two plays later brought the set to a close, 25-16. The teams then battled in a pair of close frames in sets three and four, with Black Hills State staying alive with a 25-23 win before FHSU sealed the win with the same score in the fourth stanza. The Tigers trailed by as many as three in the final frame and found themselves behind as late as 22-21. But another late run secured the victory, with the Tigers taking four of the last five points. Ellis totaled 11 kills and three blocks in the win, while Christiansen had six kills alongside her 10 blocks. Reynolds added nine blocks and 11 digs, with Olson contributing five kills and five blocks. Felix recorded a double-double with 16 assists and 10 blocks and added three service aces, with Glowacz leading the team with 23 assists alongside seven digs. Daffer led the team with 14 digs. Fort Hays State 3, Adams State 1 (25-21, 19-25, 25-17, 25-22) Fort Hays State wrapped up the tournament with an impressive victory against Adams State in four sets. The Tigers grabbed the opening set before the Grizzlies leveled the match with a second-set win. FHSU then pulled away for a convincing win in the third set and held on in the fourth to seal the win. Tinder collected a team-best five kills in the opening set, including kills on each of the final two points to secure the 25-21 win. Adams State pulled away late to take the second set, scoring eight of the final nine points to win 25-19. Adams State miscues helped the Tigers take the third set. The Grizzlies picked up one more kill than the Tigers in the frame, 13-12, but FHSU forced the visitors into 10 attack errors. The Tigers then used an effective .324 attack percentage in the fourth set to secure the victory with a 25-22 win. Tinder posted a double-double with 13 kills and 14 digs while adding one service ace. Christiansen picked up 11 kills, two aces and one block, while Reynolds added nine kills, 14 digs and one ace. Felix also recorded a double-double thanks to a team-best 24 assists and 10 digs. Glowacz added a double-double of her own, compiling 22 assists and 12 digs. Fort Hays State compiled an attack percentage of .238 while holding the Grizzlies to a .172 swing rate. The Tigers distributed 53 assists in the win, 10 more than ASU.FHSU Athletics

🏐 Tigers complete Saturday sweep

GOODLAND -&nbsp;The Victoria girls’ tennis team brought home first place from the Saturday’s Goodland Invitational. 

Kenzie Sweat went 3-0 and won No. 1 Singles. Macy Hammerschmidt also went 3-0 to take No. 2 Singles. Autumn VonLintel and MaKenna Wellbrock finished 3-0 and won No. 1 Doubles.

GOODLAND -&nbsp;The Victoria girls’ tennis team brought home first place from the Saturday’s Goodland Invitational. Kenzie Sweat went 3-0 and won No. 1 Singles. Macy Hammerschmidt also went 3-0 to take No. 2 Singles. Autumn VonLintel and MaKenna Wellbrock finished 3-0 and won No. 1 Doubles.

🎾 Victoria girls win Goodland Invitational

MAIZE - The TMP-Marian boys soccer team closed out play at the Maize South Tournament Saturday losing 11-1 to Wichita Southeast.

TMP returns home to host Garden City Tuesday.

MAIZE - The TMP-Marian boys soccer team closed out play at the Maize South Tournament Saturday losing 11-1 to Wichita Southeast.Tim Speno scored the Monarchs lone goal.TMP returns home to host Garden City Tuesday.

⚽ Monarchs close out play at Maize South

WICHITA - The Hays High boys soccer team came up short to Emporia Saturday at the Titan Classic hosted by Wichita South. After playing a scoreless first half, the Indians gave up three goals in the second half and lost 3-1 to the Spartans in the fifth-place match.

HHS went 1-2 in the tournament and are 1-3 on the season.

WICHITA - The Hays High boys soccer team came up short to Emporia Saturday at the Titan Classic hosted by Wichita South. After playing a scoreless first half, the Indians gave up three goals in the second half and lost 3-1 to the Spartans in the fifth-place match.HHS went 1-2 in the tournament and are 1-3 on the season.

⚽ Indian boys come up short at Titan Classic

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The game the Kansas City Chiefs want to win more than any other happens to be the only one in February.

That doesn't mean they don't like winning in September.

In fact, it has been nearly five years since the two-time defending AFC champions have lost a game in the opening month of the NFL season. It's a remarkable streak of perfection pre-dating quarterback Patrick Mahomes, defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo and a multitude of players who hope to usher the Chiefs to a third consecutive Super Bowl.

"We've kind of come out, in my time at least, with a lot of really good football teams up early in the season," Mahomes said, "and we know that if you lose a game in September, it could cost you at the end of the season as far as seeding and trying to get into the playoffs.

"So we just stress the importance of playing really good football at the beginning of the year."

The Browns, their season-opening opponent Sunday, can put the Chiefs' remarkable September streak in perspective. They have lost an NFL-record 16 straight openers are are 1-20-1 in Week 1 since returning to Cleveland prior to the 1999 season.

Most of those wins by the Chiefs haven't been close, either.

Only five of the 14 in September have been decided by less than a touchdown. And it's not as if the Chiefs have been feasting on their considerable home-field advantage because nine of the wins have come away from Arrowhead Stadium.

"I think we just stress the importance of starting the season fast," Mahomes said. "We have a very tough training camp, as everyone knows. We really compete and go at it every single day in practice, and I think it prepares us to be ready to go."

The reason Kansas City has been so dominant before autumn sets in is really quite simple: Consistency.

The streak began under quarterback Alex Smith but was soon handed over to Mahomes, his brilliant understudy, and he's merely gone 10-0 with 32 touchdown passes and no interceptions in September. It helps that he's had arguably the game's most dynamic wide receiver (Tyreek Hill) and tight end (Travis Kelce) on the receiving end throughout the streak.

The roster has turned over, but never all at once — just subtle tweaks from year to year. Nor has the coaching staff gone through wholesale changes, with those taking place often constituting promotions from within.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The game the Kansas City Chiefs want to win more than any other happens to be the only one in February.That doesn't mean they don't like winning in September.In fact, it has been nearly five years since the two-time defending AFC champions have lost a game in the opening month of the NFL season. It's a remarkable streak of perfection pre-dating quarterback Patrick Mahomes, defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo and a multitude of players who hope to usher the Chiefs to a third consecutive Super Bowl."We've kind of come out, in my time at least, with a lot of really good football teams up early in the season," Mahomes said, "and we know that if you lose a game in September, it could cost you at the end of the season as far as seeding and trying to get into the playoffs."So we just stress the importance of playing really good football at the beginning of the year."The Browns, their season-opening opponent Sunday, can put the Chiefs' remarkable September streak in perspective. They have lost an NFL-record 16 straight openers are are 1-20-1 in Week 1 since returning to Cleveland prior to the 1999 season.Most of those wins by the Chiefs haven't been close, either.Only five of the 14 in September have been decided by less than a touchdown. And it's not as if the Chiefs have been feasting on their considerable home-field advantage because nine of the wins have come away from Arrowhead Stadium."I think we just stress the importance of starting the season fast," Mahomes said. "We have a very tough training camp, as everyone knows. We really compete and go at it every single day in practice, and I think it prepares us to be ready to go."The reason Kansas City has been so dominant before autumn sets in is really quite simple: Consistency.The streak began under quarterback Alex Smith but was soon handed over to Mahomes, his brilliant understudy, and he's merely gone 10-0 with 32 touchdown passes and no interceptions in September. It helps that he's had arguably the game's most dynamic wide receiver (Tyreek Hill) and tight end (Travis Kelce) on the receiving end throughout the streak.The roster has turned over, but never all at once — just subtle tweaks from year to year. Nor has the coaching staff gone through wholesale changes, with those taking place often constituting promotions from within.It began with Brad Childress as the offensive coordinator, and he turned the reins over to Matt Nagy, who eventually left for the head coaching job in Chicago. But waiting in the wings all along was Eric Bieniemy, the Chiefs' longtime running backs coach, who moved seamlessly into the coordinator role and has kept Kansas City flying high."You certainly see (the consistency) with their offense and some of their concepts and schemes that show up," Browns coach Kevin Stefanski said. "They have an outstanding coaching staff — offense, defense, special teams or you name it. They really are good teachers. I know a bunch of those guys. I know they are really good."On defense, Bob Sutton was replaced by Spagnuolo in perhaps the biggest change during the Chiefs' September winning streak. But considering the defense had held the franchise back for years, particularly late in the season, the move to implement an entirely new scheme probably turned out to be a good thing.