RUSSELLVILLE, Ark. – Harrison Bensouda and Payton Roehrich were two of three individuals named Players of the Week by the Great American Conference on Tuesday. Bensouda earned Defender of the Week honors, while Roehrich was the Goalkeeper of the Week. It was the second time this year Roehrich earned the Goalkeeper of the Week award.

Bensouda had a strong all-around performance for the week, helping No. 5 ranked Fort Hays State remain unbeaten overall at 12-0-3 for the season. In a scoreless tie with Southern Nazarene, Bensouda had a critical team save late in the first half to keep the match scoreless. He played 87 minutes in the match, helping FHSU hold SNU to just four shots. Two days later in a 1-0 win over No. 17 ranked Rogers State, Bensouda played all 90 minutes and provided an assist on the game-winning goal by Elias Ovelar Semeniuk. He helped FHSU limit RSU to just six shots in the match, therefore giving FHSU a meager 5.0 shots allowed per match average for the week.

Roehrich pushed his individual shutout count to eight matches this season, tying the FHSU record for individual shutouts in a season. He made one critical save against Southern Nazarene in a scoreless draw and then did not have to record any saves in a 1-0 shutout of No. 17 ranked Rogers State. He and the FHSU defense allowed just 5.0 shots per match to the opposition.

FHSU Men's Soccer now has 10 player of the week honors from the conference office this season. Dimitry Tchantcheu (defender), Oliver Wright (defender), and Roehrich (goalkeeper) have all earned weekly honors twice this season. Elias Ovelar Semeniuk (offense), Juan Linares (offense), Bastian Carlman (offense), and Bensouda (defense) have all earned an honor once this year. The Tigers claimed nine of the 10 honors within the month of October.

Bensouda and Roehrich joined Carl Murch of Northeastern State (Offensive Player of the Week) as the weekly honorees from the conference office.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/10/1761711024121.png" alt="FHSU Athletics image" />
 <figcaption>FHSU Athletics image</figcaption>
 </figure>FHSU AthleticsRUSSELLVILLE, Ark. – Harrison Bensouda and Payton Roehrich were two of three individuals named Players of the Week by the Great American Conference on Tuesday. Bensouda earned Defender of the Week honors, while Roehrich was the Goalkeeper of the Week. It was the second time this year Roehrich earned the Goalkeeper of the Week award.Bensouda had a strong all-around performance for the week, helping No. 5 ranked Fort Hays State remain unbeaten overall at 12-0-3 for the season. In a scoreless tie with Southern Nazarene, Bensouda had a critical team save late in the first half to keep the match scoreless. He played 87 minutes in the match, helping FHSU hold SNU to just four shots. Two days later in a 1-0 win over No. 17 ranked Rogers State, Bensouda played all 90 minutes and provided an assist on the game-winning goal by Elias Ovelar Semeniuk. He helped FHSU limit RSU to just six shots in the match, therefore giving FHSU a meager 5.0 shots allowed per match average for the week.Roehrich pushed his individual shutout count to eight matches this season, tying the FHSU record for individual shutouts in a season. He made one critical save against Southern Nazarene in a scoreless draw and then did not have to record any saves in a 1-0 shutout of No. 17 ranked Rogers State. He and the FHSU defense allowed just 5.0 shots per match to the opposition.FHSU Men's Soccer now has 10 player of the week honors from the conference office this season. Dimitry Tchantcheu (defender), Oliver Wright (defender), and Roehrich (goalkeeper) have all earned weekly honors twice this season. Elias Ovelar Semeniuk (offense), Juan Linares (offense), Bastian Carlman (offense), and Bensouda (defense) have all earned an honor once this year. The Tigers claimed nine of the 10 honors within the month of October.Bensouda and Roehrich joined Carl Murch of Northeastern State (Offensive Player of the Week) as the weekly honorees from the conference office.

⚽ FHSU's Bensouda and Roehrich named GAC Men’s Soccer Players of the Week

We visit with Ashlee Gustin, a member of the Fort Hays State women's basketball team from 2003-07 and part of the Tiger Sports Hall of Fame class of 2025.

We visit with Ashlee Gustin, a member of the Fort Hays State women's basketball team from 2003-07 and part of the Tiger Sports Hall of Fame class of 2025.<div><iframe title="Ashlee Gustin" allowtransparency="true" height="150" width="100%" style="border: none; min-width: min(100%, 430px);height:150px;" scrolling="no" data-name="pb-iframe-player" src="https://www.podbean.com/player-v2/?i=3gska-19a7e72-pb&from=pb6admin&share=1&download=1&rtl=0&fonts=Arial&skin=1&font-color=auto&logo_link=episode_page&btn-skin=2" loading="lazy"></iframe></div>

🎧 Defend the Fort Podcast: Ashlee Gustin

Fort Hays State at #19/19 Kansas Tuesday, October 28 ⦁ 7 p.m. Lawrence, Kan. ⦁ Allen Fieldhouse

Radio:&nbsp;KJLS (103.3)&nbsp;<a href="https://mix103fm.com/">CLICK HERE TO LISTEN</a>

Fort Hays State gets the opportunity to face the University of Kansas in exhibition play for the 11th time in program history on Tuesday. It will be the 14th meeting overall between FHSU and KU, since the teams also played three regular season games. The Jayhawks enter the 2025-26 season as the No. 19 ranked team in the AP and USA Today Coaches Top 25 Preseason Polls for NCAA Division I. The teams last met in exhibition play to at the start of the 2023-24 season.

Fort Hays State had a record of 22-10 overall in 2024-25. The Tigers went 12-7 in MIAA play and received the No. 2 seed in the MIAA Tournament after using KPI rankings to determine seeds. The Tigers won the MIAA Tournament with a thrilling 1-point win over Central Oklahoma in the championship game to punch their ticket for a 15th time to the NCAA Division II national tournament. As the No. 7 seed in the NCAA Central Regional, the Tigers fell in the opening round to MSU Moorhead, 69-62.

Kansas had a record of 21-13 overall in 2024-25. The Jayhawks finished sixth in the Big 12 standings with a conference mark of 11-9. They were a No. 7 seed in the NCAA Tournament and fell in the opening round to Arkansas, 79-72.

Fort Hays State and Kansas last met on November 1, 2023 when Kansas entered the 2023-24 season as the No. 1 ranked team in NCAA Division I. The Jayhawks won that contest 73-55, but it was the lowest amount of points the Jayhawks ever scored against the Tigers in exhibition or regular season play. The 18-point margin was the second lowest in the series history between the teams as well, exhibition or regular season. FHSU outscored KU 32-30 in the second half of that contest after trailing by 20 at halftime.

Fort Hays State enters its 25th season under head coach Mark Johnson, who owns an overall record of 473-230 at FHSU. He guided the Tigers to the NCAA Tournament for a ninth time in his career in 2024-25 and at least 20 wins in a season for the 13th time. Johnson will enter the 2025-26 season ranked 18th among active NCAA Division II men's basketball coaches in winning percentage at .673. This will be the 12th time Johnson coaches the Tigers against the Jayhawks overall and the 11th time in exhibition play.

Bill Self enters his 23rd season at Kansas with a record of 609-156. He starts his 33rd season overall as a head coach at the Division I level, holding an overall record of 816-261.

Fort Hays State's identity in recent years has been its defense. The Tigers led NCAA Division II in scoring defense for the second-straight season last year, holding the opposition to 59.9 points per game. In 2023-24, the Tigers held opponents to 57.9 points per game. FHSU has been among the top-two teams in Division II for four-straight years. The ranked second in 2021-22 (56.6 ppg) and 2022-23 (57.2 ppg). The Tigers were also among the top 10 in field goal percentage defense over the last four years, nearly producing the same percentage all four years. In 2021-22, they allowed a .398 percentage, then in 2022-23 a .397 percentage. The percentage was back at .398 for both the 2023-24 and 2024-25 seasons.

The Tigers several significant players from their 2024-25 squad, including five-time All-MIAA selection and three-time all-region selection Kaleb Hammeke and MIAA All-Defensive Team performer Shaun Riley. Hammeke also set the all-time scoring record at FHSU with 2,086 points and was the only active player in NCAA Division II last year with at least 2,000 points, 500 rebounds, and 500 assists in a career. FHSU also lost regular starters Traejon Davis and R.J. Crawford. Kyle Grill is the only regular starter returning this year from the 2024-25 squad, but he was an All-MIAA Honorable Mention selection and MIAA All-Tournament Team performer last year. He averaged 11.6 points and 4.6 rebounds per game.

Alongside Grill, four other returners saw action on the floor for FHSU last year. Dan Mukuna was the top scorer off the bench and averaged 6.0 points per game. Lucas Hammeke chipped in 3.6 points per game, while Muhamed Kante averaged 2.7 and Eli Lawson averaged 2.0. Redshirts Jahvari Martino, Tory Homan, and Alec Carlson all return.

Transfers Juju Ramirez and Blake Danitschek will give the Tigers a pair of players with significant experience at the NCAA Division II level. Four true freshmen also look to make an impact early in their collegiate careers.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/10/1761586913823.png" alt="FHSU Athletics image" />
 <figcaption>FHSU Athletics image</figcaption>
 </figure>FHSU AthleticsFort Hays State at #19/19 Kansas Tuesday, October 28 ⦁ 7 p.m. Lawrence, Kan. ⦁ Allen FieldhouseRadio:&nbsp;KJLS (103.3)&nbsp;<a href="https://mix103fm.com/">CLICK HERE TO LISTEN</a>Fort Hays State gets the opportunity to face the University of Kansas in exhibition play for the 11th time in program history on Tuesday. It will be the 14th meeting overall between FHSU and KU, since the teams also played three regular season games. The Jayhawks enter the 2025-26 season as the No. 19 ranked team in the AP and USA Today Coaches Top 25 Preseason Polls for NCAA Division I. The teams last met in exhibition play to at the start of the 2023-24 season.Fort Hays State had a record of 22-10 overall in 2024-25. The Tigers went 12-7 in MIAA play and received the No. 2 seed in the MIAA Tournament after using KPI rankings to determine seeds. The Tigers won the MIAA Tournament with a thrilling 1-point win over Central Oklahoma in the championship game to punch their ticket for a 15th time to the NCAA Division II national tournament. As the No. 7 seed in the NCAA Central Regional, the Tigers fell in the opening round to MSU Moorhead, 69-62.Kansas had a record of 21-13 overall in 2024-25. The Jayhawks finished sixth in the Big 12 standings with a conference mark of 11-9. They were a No. 7 seed in the NCAA Tournament and fell in the opening round to Arkansas, 79-72.Fort Hays State and Kansas last met on November 1, 2023 when Kansas entered the 2023-24 season as the No. 1 ranked team in NCAA Division I. The Jayhawks won that contest 73-55, but it was the lowest amount of points the Jayhawks ever scored against the Tigers in exhibition or regular season play. The 18-point margin was the second lowest in the series history between the teams as well, exhibition or regular season. FHSU outscored KU 32-30 in the second half of that contest after trailing by 20 at halftime.Fort Hays State enters its 25th season under head coach Mark Johnson, who owns an overall record of 473-230 at FHSU. He guided the Tigers to the NCAA Tournament for a ninth time in his career in 2024-25 and at least 20 wins in a season for the 13th time. Johnson will enter the 2025-26 season ranked 18th among active NCAA Division II men's basketball coaches in winning percentage at .673. This will be the 12th time Johnson coaches the Tigers against the Jayhawks overall and the 11th time in exhibition play.Bill Self enters his 23rd season at Kansas with a record of 609-156. He starts his 33rd season overall as a head coach at the Division I level, holding an overall record of 816-261.Fort Hays State's identity in recent years has been its defense. The Tigers led NCAA Division II in scoring defense for the second-straight season last year, holding the opposition to 59.9 points per game. In 2023-24, the Tigers held opponents to 57.9 points per game. FHSU has been among the top-two teams in Division II for four-straight years. The ranked second in 2021-22 (56.6 ppg) and 2022-23 (57.2 ppg). The Tigers were also among the top 10 in field goal percentage defense over the last four years, nearly producing the same percentage all four years. In 2021-22, they allowed a .398 percentage, then in 2022-23 a .397 percentage. The percentage was back at .398 for both the 2023-24 and 2024-25 seasons.The Tigers several significant players from their 2024-25 squad, including five-time All-MIAA selection and three-time all-region selection Kaleb Hammeke and MIAA All-Defensive Team performer Shaun Riley. Hammeke also set the all-time scoring record at FHSU with 2,086 points and was the only active player in NCAA Division II last year with at least 2,000 points, 500 rebounds, and 500 assists in a career. FHSU also lost regular starters Traejon Davis and R.J. Crawford. Kyle Grill is the only regular starter returning this year from the 2024-25 squad, but he was an All-MIAA Honorable Mention selection and MIAA All-Tournament Team performer last year. He averaged 11.6 points and 4.6 rebounds per game.Alongside Grill, four other returners saw action on the floor for FHSU last year. Dan Mukuna was the top scorer off the bench and averaged 6.0 points per game. Lucas Hammeke chipped in 3.6 points per game, while Muhamed Kante averaged 2.7 and Eli Lawson averaged 2.0. Redshirts Jahvari Martino, Tory Homan, and Alec Carlson all return.Transfers Juju Ramirez and Blake Danitschek will give the Tigers a pair of players with significant experience at the NCAA Division II level. Four true freshmen also look to make an impact early in their collegiate careers.

🏀🎧 LISTEN: Tigers open season with exhibition game at Kansas

We visit with JP Worcester, a member of the Fort Hays State cross country and track and field team from 1979-82 and a member of the Tiger Sports Hall of Fame inductee class of 2025.

We visit with JP Worcester, a member of the Fort Hays State cross country and track and field team from 1979-82 and a member of the Tiger Sports Hall of Fame inductee class of 2025.<div><iframe title="JP Worcester" allowtransparency="true" height="150" width="100%" style="border: none; min-width: min(100%, 430px);height:150px;" scrolling="no" data-name="pb-iframe-player" src="https://www.podbean.com/player-v2/?i=4mq76-19a7cfa-pb&from=pb6admin&share=1&download=1&rtl=0&fonts=Arial&skin=1&font-color=auto&logo_link=episode_page&btn-skin=2" loading="lazy"></iframe></div>

🎧 Defend the Fort Podcast: JP Worcester

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

Tuesday, October 28
 KAYS: Kansas MBKB vs.
Fort Hays State (exhibition), 5:30pm
 KFIX: Chiefs Kingdom, 6:00pm
 KJLS: Fort Hays State MBKB at Kansas (exhibition), 6:30pm

Wednesday, October 29
 KAYS: Hawk Talk with
Lance Leipold, 6:00pm KJLS: Fort Hays State WBKB at Kansas (exhibition), 6:05pm

Thursday, October 30
 KFIX: Hays High FB
vs. Goddard Eisenhower, 6:30pm KHAZ: TMP-Marian FB vs. Valley Heights, 6:30pm

Friday, October 31
 KKQY: Plainville at
Hutchinson-Trinity Catholic, 6:00pm

Saturday, November 1
 KJLS: Fort Hays State FB vs. Central Missouri, 12:00pm
 KAYS: Kansas FB Oklahoma State, 1:30pm

Sunday, November 2
 KFIX: Kansas City
Chiefs FB at Buffalo Bills, 2:00pm

KAYS - (1400/94.3) KFIX - (96.9) KHAZ - (99.5) KJLS - (103.3) KKQY - (101.9)Tuesday, October 28
 KAYS: Kansas MBKB vs.
Fort Hays State (exhibition), 5:30pm
 KFIX: Chiefs Kingdom, 6:00pm
 KJLS: Fort Hays State MBKB at Kansas (exhibition), 6:30pmWednesday, October 29
 KAYS: Hawk Talk with
Lance Leipold, 6:00pm KJLS: Fort Hays State WBKB at Kansas (exhibition), 6:05pmThursday, October 30
 KFIX: Hays High FB
vs. Goddard Eisenhower, 6:30pm KHAZ: TMP-Marian FB vs. Valley Heights, 6:30pmFriday, October 31
 KKQY: Plainville at
Hutchinson-Trinity Catholic, 6:00pm Saturday, November 1
 KJLS: Fort Hays State FB vs. Central Missouri, 12:00pm
 KAYS: Kansas FB Oklahoma State, 1:30pmSunday, November 2
 KFIX: Kansas City
Chiefs FB at Buffalo Bills, 2:00pm

🎧 Eagle Radio, Hull sports broadcast schedule

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Chiefs coach Andy Reid called the first half of Monday night's game against Washington downright weird, full of turnovers and failed fourth-down conversions and so much lousy execution by both teams that he was left scratching his head.

“There wasn't a lot of punting but there wasn't a lot of points,” Reid said. “That doesn't normally happen.”

The second half? About as normal as it gets for Kansas City these days.

Patrick Mahomes wound up throwing for 299 yards and three touchdowns, Kareem Hunt found the end zone twice, and the Chiefs' defense was just as dominant as their high-flying offense over the final 30 minutes, helping Kansas City pull away from a halftime tie for a 28-7 victory over the Commanders on a cold night at&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-city-chiefs-clark-hunt-94bac7ee85253b069d0145050df10ccb">Arrowhead Stadium</a>.

Mahomes was nearly perfect after throwing two early interceptions, one of which was hardly his fault. One of his touchdown passes&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/NFL/status/1982993454537081002">went to good buddy Travis Kelce</a>, giving him 83 scores to tie Priest Holmes for the Chiefs career record, and another went to Rashee Rice, who caught nine passes for 93 yards in his second game back from&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-city-chiefs-rashee-rice-6c567fcaeea0d92cf7eeb319f1cdf672">a six-game NFL suspension</a>.

It all helped the Chiefs (5-3) win for the fourth time in five games. It also helped them extend their streak of dominance over the Commanders to nine straight wins and 11 in 12 games overall; the lone loss came way back on Sept. 18, 1983.

“I think it just shows the growth we've had as a team,” Mahomes said. “Even though we didn't start the way we wanted to on offense, it showed we can battle through adversity and play the brand of football we want to play.”

Marcus Mariota had 213 yards passing with a touchdown and two interceptions for the Commanders (3-5), who fell to 1-4 away from home this season. Mariota started in place of Jayden Daniels, who hurt his hamstring in last week's loss to Dallas.

Terry McLaurin returned from a quad issue to catch three passes for 54 yards and the score, though he aggravated the injury late in the game. Deebo Samuel also returned from a bruised heel, but after two early catches, he managed just one more.

“It was a tale of two halves,” said McLaurin, adding that he would take his injury day by day this week. “We kind of left some things on the field in the first half that we feel we could have executed. The defense did a great job of getting us the ball back twice. We've got to capitalize on that. The second half, they executed a lot better than us.”

In truth, most of the first half was an exercise in poor execution by both offenses.

The Commanders' opening series ended when Mariota's pass bounced off Samuel for an interception. The Chiefs' ended when Mahomes also was picked off. Kansas City proceeded to stop Washington on fourth down, only for Mahomes to have a pass bounce off Kelce's hands for his second interception — which the Commanders failed to capitalize on when Mariota overthrew everyone on fourth-and-1 deep in Kansas City territory.

To recap: Two picks by the Commanders, who had created three turnovers all season; two thrown by Mahomes, who had thrown just two previously; and two failed fourth-down conversions by a Washington offense desperate to get points.

But then, two very productive drives: Kansas City marched 72 yards for a touchdown, and the Commanders answered with a 66-yard drive that McLaurin finished with a TD reception that was first ruled incomplete but overturned upon review.

“We came out well,” Mariota said, "but when we’re not converting our drives against this type of team, it’s tough, because they’ll get going. I thought our defense did a good job of holding them up, making plays, creating turnovers.”

Until the second half. That's when the Chiefs, who were 12 1/2-point favorites, according to BetMGM, started to play like it.

They opened with a methodical 80-yard drive that Hunt finished with his second score. Then, after Kansas City forced a quick punt by the Commanders, the 36-year-old Kelce capped a 75-yard drive with his record-tying touchdown reception.

“He's just like, the true Chiefs' Chief," Mahomes said. “He helped set the culture and what it means to play in Kansas City.”

The clinching blow came midway through the fourth quarter, a 13-play, 94-yard drive by the Chiefs — well, 119 yards if you include all the penalties they had to overcome — that finally broke the Commanders. Rice finished it with an 18-yard touchdown reception after he had twice come up just shy of scoring earlier in the game.

It made five consecutive games in which Kansas City has scored at least 28 points, and it put this one well out of reach.

“It's tough to score points in this league,” Reid said, “so anything you get, you appreciate it. I like the way the guys went about it. You need mental toughness. There's so much parity. You have to fight through the highs and lows. I appreciate the effort.”

Washington: Matthew Wright kicked in place of Matt Gay, who was out with a back injury. Left tackle Laremy Tunsil hurt his hamstring on the opening series. Defensive tackle Jer'Zhan Newton hurt his ankle but returned to the game.

Kansas City: Offensive guard Trey Smith was inactive because of a back injury.

The Commanders host Seattle on Sunday night.

The Chiefs play at Buffalo the same day for an AFC title game rematch.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/10/1761614320893.png" alt="Photo Kansas City Chiefs" />
 <figcaption>Photo Kansas City Chiefs</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Chiefs coach Andy Reid called the first half of Monday night's game against Washington downright weird, full of turnovers and failed fourth-down conversions and so much lousy execution by both teams that he was left scratching his head.“There wasn't a lot of punting but there wasn't a lot of points,” Reid said. “That doesn't normally happen.”The second half? About as normal as it gets for Kansas City these days.Patrick Mahomes wound up throwing for 299 yards and three touchdowns, Kareem Hunt found the end zone twice, and the Chiefs' defense was just as dominant as their high-flying offense over the final 30 minutes, helping Kansas City pull away from a halftime tie for a 28-7 victory over the Commanders on a cold night at&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-city-chiefs-clark-hunt-94bac7ee85253b069d0145050df10ccb">Arrowhead Stadium</a>.Mahomes was nearly perfect after throwing two early interceptions, one of which was hardly his fault. One of his touchdown passes&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/NFL/status/1982993454537081002">went to good buddy Travis Kelce</a>, giving him 83 scores to tie Priest Holmes for the Chiefs career record, and another went to Rashee Rice, who caught nine passes for 93 yards in his second game back from&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-city-chiefs-rashee-rice-6c567fcaeea0d92cf7eeb319f1cdf672">a six-game NFL suspension</a>.It all helped the Chiefs (5-3) win for the fourth time in five games. It also helped them extend their streak of dominance over the Commanders to nine straight wins and 11 in 12 games overall; the lone loss came way back on Sept. 18, 1983.“I think it just shows the growth we've had as a team,” Mahomes said. “Even though we didn't start the way we wanted to on offense, it showed we can battle through adversity and play the brand of football we want to play.”Marcus Mariota had 213 yards passing with a touchdown and two interceptions for the Commanders (3-5), who fell to 1-4 away from home this season. Mariota started in place of Jayden Daniels, who hurt his hamstring in last week's loss to Dallas.Terry McLaurin returned from a quad issue to catch three passes for 54 yards and the score, though he aggravated the injury late in the game. Deebo Samuel also returned from a bruised heel, but after two early catches, he managed just one more.“It was a tale of two halves,” said McLaurin, adding that he would take his injury day by day this week. “We kind of left some things on the field in the first half that we feel we could have executed. The defense did a great job of getting us the ball back twice. We've got to capitalize on that. The second half, they executed a lot better than us.”In truth, most of the first half was an exercise in poor execution by both offenses.The Commanders' opening series ended when Mariota's pass bounced off Samuel for an interception. The Chiefs' ended when Mahomes also was picked off. Kansas City proceeded to stop Washington on fourth down, only for Mahomes to have a pass bounce off Kelce's hands for his second interception — which the Commanders failed to capitalize on when Mariota overthrew everyone on fourth-and-1 deep in Kansas City territory.To recap: Two picks by the Commanders, who had created three turnovers all season; two thrown by Mahomes, who had thrown just two previously; and two failed fourth-down conversions by a Washington offense desperate to get points.All told, five empty drives.“Just weird,” Reid said.But then, two very productive drives: Kansas City marched 72 yards for a touchdown, and the Commanders answered with a 66-yard drive that McLaurin finished with a TD reception that was first ruled incomplete but overturned upon review.“We came out well,” Mariota said, "but when we’re not converting our drives against this type of team, it’s tough, because they’ll get going. I thought our defense did a good job of holding them up, making plays, creating turnovers.”Until the second half. That's when the Chiefs, who were 12 1/2-point favorites, according to BetMGM, started to play like it.They opened with a methodical 80-yard drive that Hunt finished with his second score. Then, after Kansas City forced a quick punt by the Commanders, the 36-year-old Kelce capped a 75-yard drive with his record-tying touchdown reception.“He's just like, the true Chiefs' Chief," Mahomes said. “He helped set the culture and what it means to play in Kansas City.”The clinching blow came midway through the fourth quarter, a 13-play, 94-yard drive by the Chiefs — well, 119 yards if you include all the penalties they had to overcome — that finally broke the Commanders. Rice finished it with an 18-yard touchdown reception after he had twice come up just shy of scoring earlier in the game.It made five consecutive games in which Kansas City has scored at least 28 points, and it put this one well out of reach.“It's tough to score points in this league,” Reid said, “so anything you get, you appreciate it. I like the way the guys went about it. You need mental toughness. There's so much parity. You have to fight through the highs and lows. I appreciate the effort.”<h2>Injuries</h2>Washington: Matthew Wright kicked in place of Matt Gay, who was out with a back injury. Left tackle Laremy Tunsil hurt his hamstring on the opening series. Defensive tackle Jer'Zhan Newton hurt his ankle but returned to the game.Kansas City: Offensive guard Trey Smith was inactive because of a back injury.<h2>Up next</h2>The Commanders host Seattle on Sunday night.The Chiefs play at Buffalo the same day for an AFC title game rematch.___

🏈 Mahomes, Hunt lead Chiefs to dominant win over Commanders

We visit with David Meter, a member of the Fort Hays State football team from 1974-77 and a member of the Tiger Sports Hall of Fame induction class of 2025.

We visit with David Meter, a member of the Fort Hays State football team from 1974-77 and a member of the Tiger Sports Hall of Fame induction class of 2025.<div><iframe title="David Meter" allowtransparency="true" height="150" width="100%" style="border: none; min-width: min(100%, 430px);height:150px;" scrolling="no" data-name="pb-iframe-player" src="https://www.podbean.com/player-v2/?i=5hatq-19a6b01-pb&from=pb6admin&share=1&download=1&rtl=0&fonts=Arial&skin=1&font-color=auto&logo_link=episode_page&btn-skin=2" loading="lazy"></iframe></div>

🎧 Defend the Fort Podcast: David Meter

🎥🏈 Watch This Week's Tiger Talk

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Shadryon Blanka and Michael Polley of Fort Hays State were two of three individuals named MIAA Football Athletes of the Week on Monday. Blanka was tabbed the Defensive Athlete of the Week, while Polley was named the Special Teams Athlete of the Week.

Blanka recorded a career-high 10 tackles for Fort Hays State in the 13-10 overtime victory at Washburn. Two of his 10 tackles went for losses. He helped the Tigers limit the Ichabods to just 228 yards of total offense, a season low by an FHSU opponent.

As the emergency kicker for Fort Hays State, Michael Polley delivered the game-winning 34-yard field goal to lift FHSU to a 13-10 overtime victory at Washburn. FHSU's primary kicker for the game was injured in the third quarter, which made it necessary for Polley, who is a starting safety, to serve as the team's kicker. Without any other attempts in the game, Polley sent the game-winning kick through the uprights after Washburn missed a 41-yard attempt on its possession in overtime. Polley also had a tackle on the defensive side of the ball in the game.

Fort Hays State Football has received seven MIAA Athlete of the Week honors this year. John Johnson has twice been named the Defensive Athlete of the Week, while Michael Chavez and Blanka have earned it once.

Polley joins Taderian Partee and David Arriaga as Tigers to earn the Special Teams Athlete of the Week this year. Blanka and Polley join Jamison Sarver of Emporia State (Offensive Athlete of the Week) as the weekly honorees from the conference office.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/10/1761600435742.png" alt="FHSU Athletics image" />
 <figcaption>FHSU Athletics image</figcaption>
 </figure>FHSU AthleticsKANSAS CITY, Mo. – Shadryon Blanka and Michael Polley of Fort Hays State were two of three individuals named MIAA Football Athletes of the Week on Monday. Blanka was tabbed the Defensive Athlete of the Week, while Polley was named the Special Teams Athlete of the Week.Blanka recorded a career-high 10 tackles for Fort Hays State in the 13-10 overtime victory at Washburn. Two of his 10 tackles went for losses. He helped the Tigers limit the Ichabods to just 228 yards of total offense, a season low by an FHSU opponent.As the emergency kicker for Fort Hays State, Michael Polley delivered the game-winning 34-yard field goal to lift FHSU to a 13-10 overtime victory at Washburn. FHSU's primary kicker for the game was injured in the third quarter, which made it necessary for Polley, who is a starting safety, to serve as the team's kicker. Without any other attempts in the game, Polley sent the game-winning kick through the uprights after Washburn missed a 41-yard attempt on its possession in overtime. Polley also had a tackle on the defensive side of the ball in the game.Fort Hays State Football has received seven MIAA Athlete of the Week honors this year. John Johnson has twice been named the Defensive Athlete of the Week, while Michael Chavez and Blanka have earned it once.Polley joins Taderian Partee and David Arriaga as Tigers to earn the Special Teams Athlete of the Week this year. Blanka and Polley join Jamison Sarver of Emporia State (Offensive Athlete of the Week) as the weekly honorees from the conference office.

🏈 FHSU's Blanka and Polley named MIAA Athletes of the Week

🎥 Redeem Designs plays of the Week HHS vs Liberal

🎥 Redeem Designs plays of the Week TMP vs Plainville

Tiger Talk with Fort Hays State football coach Chris Brown. Michael Polley is the player guest.

Tiger Talk airs Monday's at 9:00 a.m. on Tiger Radio Mix-103.3.

Tiger Talk with Fort Hays State football coach Chris Brown. Michael Polley is the player guest.Tiger Talk airs Monday's at 9:00 a.m. on Tiger Radio Mix-103.3.<div><iframe title="Tiger Talk (October 27, 2025)" allowtransparency="true" height="150" width="100%" style="border: none; min-width: min(100%, 430px);height:150px;" scrolling="no" data-name="pb-iframe-player" src="https://www.podbean.com/player-v2/?i=uamwy-19a5e42-pb&from=pb6admin&share=1&download=1&rtl=0&fonts=Arial&skin=1&font-color=auto&logo_link=episode_page&btn-skin=2" loading="lazy"></iframe></div>

🎧 Defend the Fort Podcast: Tiger Talk (October 27, 2025)

We visit with Jason Patty, a member of the Fort Hays State baseball team from 2000-01 and a member of the class of 2025 into the Tiger Sports Hall of Fame.

We visit with Jason Patty, a member of the Fort Hays State baseball team from 2000-01 and a member of the class of 2025 into the Tiger Sports Hall of Fame.<div><iframe title="Jason Patty" allowtransparency="true" height="150" width="100%" style="border: none; min-width: min(100%, 430px);height:150px;" scrolling="no" data-name="pb-iframe-player" src="https://www.podbean.com/player-v2/?i=7cjiy-19a59bf-pb&from=pb6admin&share=1&download=1&rtl=0&fonts=Arial&skin=1&font-color=auto&logo_link=episode_page&btn-skin=2" loading="lazy"></iframe></div>

🎧 Defend the Fort Podcast: Jason Patty

Fort Hays State travels to Topeka to face rival Washburn at Yager Stadium on Saturday, October 25, 2025.

Fort Hays State travels to Topeka to face rival Washburn at Yager Stadium on Saturday, October 25, 2025.<div><iframe title="FHSU Rewind-FB at Washburn (October 25, 2025)" allowtransparency="true" height="150" width="100%" style="border: none; min-width: min(100%, 430px);height:150px;" scrolling="no" data-name="pb-iframe-player" src="https://www.podbean.com/player-v2/?i=f698w-19a5994-pb&from=pb6admin&share=1&download=1&rtl=0&fonts=Arial&skin=1&font-color=auto&logo_link=episode_page&btn-skin=2" loading="lazy"></iframe></div>

🎧 Defend the Fort Podcast: FHSU Rewind-FB at Washburn

Monday, October 27
 KJLS: Tiger Talk,
9:00am KFIX: Kansas City Chiefs FB vs. Washington Commanders, 6:00pm

Thursday, October 30
 KFIX: Hays High FB vs. Goddard Eisenhower, 6:30pm KHAZ: TMP-Marian FB vs. Valley Heights, 6:30pm

Friday, October 31
 KKQY: Plainville at Hutchinson Trinity, 6:00pm

KAYS - (1400/94.3) KFIX - (96.9) KHAZ - (99.5) KJLS - (103.3) KKQY - (101.9)Monday, October 27
 KJLS: Tiger Talk,
9:00am KFIX: Kansas City Chiefs FB vs. Washington Commanders, 6:00pmTuesday, October 28
 KAYS: Kansas MBKB vs.
Fort Hays State (exhibition), 5:30pm
 KFIX: Chiefs Kingdom, 6:00pm
 KJLS: Fort Hays State MBKB at Kansas (exhibition), 6:30pmWednesday, October 29
 KAYS: Hawk Talk with
Lance Leipold, 6:00pm KJLS: Fort Hays State WBKB at Kansas (exhibition), 6:05pmThursday, October 30
 KFIX: Hays High FB vs. Goddard Eisenhower, 6:30pm KHAZ: TMP-Marian FB vs. Valley Heights, 6:30pmFriday, October 31
 KKQY: Plainville at Hutchinson Trinity, 6:00pm Saturday, November 1
 KJLS: Fort Hays State FB vs. Central Missouri, 12:00pm
 KAYS: Kansas FB Oklahoma State, 1:30pmSunday, November 2
 KFIX: Kansas City
Chiefs FB at Buffalo Bills, 2:00pm

Hays High soccer will begin postseason on the road Tuesday in the first round of the Class 5A playoffs.

The Indians (7-8) will play Topeka West (12-2-2) at 6 p.m. at Hummer Sports Park in Topeka.

Topeka West is the top seed of Regional 3 and the No. 3 overall seed of the 5A playoffs. The other half of the Regional 3 bracket will pit Salina South (11-5) vs. Andover Central (8-7-1) in the first round.

Hays High suffered five one-goal losses this season, including a 1-0 defeat by Topeka West in the semifinals of the early-season Salina South Invitational.

Hays High went on to finish third in that tourney, while Topeka West won the title with another one-goal victory, 3-2 over Salina South.

SubmittedHays High soccer will begin postseason on the road Tuesday in the first round of the Class 5A playoffs.The Indians (7-8) will play Topeka West (12-2-2) at 6 p.m. at Hummer Sports Park in Topeka.Topeka West is the top seed of Regional 3 and the No. 3 overall seed of the 5A playoffs. The other half of the Regional 3 bracket will pit Salina South (11-5) vs. Andover Central (8-7-1) in the first round.Hays High suffered five one-goal losses this season, including a 1-0 defeat by Topeka West in the semifinals of the early-season Salina South Invitational.Hays High went on to finish third in that tourney, while Topeka West won the title with another one-goal victory, 3-2 over Salina South.

⚽ Familiar opponent in Indians' postseason opener

By ARNIE STAPLETON AP Pro Football Writer

DENVER (AP) — A trio of rookies came up big in the Denver Broncos' 44-24 rout of the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday for their fifth consecutive victory.

Running back R.J. Harvey&nbsp;scored three times; wide receiver Pat Bryant&nbsp;caught his first NFL touchdown pass, one of four thrown by Bo Nix; and first-rounder Jahdae Barron&nbsp;picked off Dak Prescott for his first interception in the pros.

“Our rookies did a great job,” said J.K. Dobbins, who ran for 111 yards on 15 carries to help Denver (6-2) extend its NFL-best home winning streak to nine games. “All the rookies, that's a great confidence booster.”

“It was dope seeing all the young boys do their thing,” receiver Courtland Sutton said. “I got a lot of love for all our rookies. We've got some really good rookies.”

Despite two TD runs from former Denver running back Javonte Williams, the Cowboys (3-4-1) lost for the eighth straight time to the Broncos, whom they haven’t beaten since the heyday of Troy Aikman, Emmitt Smith and Michael Irvin in 1995.

“All the credit to them,” Prescott said, “but we didn’t play anywhere close to our standard.”

The Broncos, who&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pat-surtain-injury-broncos-cowboys-5323aec1c5bcb67a7a21df93aa7980bd">lost star cornerback Pat Surtain II</a>&nbsp;to a shoulder injury just before halftime, won the toss and chose to receive, a decision that backfired when Nix threw right at cornerback Trikweze Bridges, whose interception set up Brandon Aubrey's short field goal.

From there — excluding a kneel-down at halftime — the Broncos scored on seven of their next eight possessions.

After Williams knifed in from a yard out to pull Dallas to 14-10, Harvey took a direct snap for a 1-yard TD. Nix followed that with a 24-yard, over-the-shoulder strike to Bryant for a 27-10 halftime advantage.

Nix's second TD toss to Troy Franklin made it 37-17 and his 5-yarder to Harvey made it 44-17.

It looked as though Aubrey was going to get a shot at a long field goal, maybe even a record-breaker, before Prescott was picked off by Barron with 12 seconds left in the first half.

Williams' second 1-yard TD run pulled Dallas within 27-17 in the third quarter.

Including their 33-point fourth quarter last week to stun the Giants, the Broncos have outscored their opponents 77-37 over their last five quarters.

“This is what we've been chasing,” Broncos right guard Quinn Meinerz said. “Complementary football on offense, defense and special teams. There's still penalty things that we need to work through but this is what we're capable of.”

The Cowboys were coming off a 44-22 win at Washington, and that inconsistency eats at them.

“We’ve got to find a way to be consistent, whether it’s at home, on the road, regardless, we’re too good,” Prescott said. “We got too many good players. We’ve got great coaches. (Jadeveon Clowney) was just saying in the locker room this roster should not be going up and down like we’re doing, and a guy like that, when he says it ... that’s real, and so we’ve just got to look in the mirror.”

Williams ran for 41 yards on 13 carries for a 3.2-yard average. His two TDs Sunday gives him a career-best nine so far, but he was overshadowed by Denver's new backfield of Dobbins and Harvey, who combined for 157 yards and two TDs on 22 carries as the Broncos outgained the Cowboys on the ground 179 yards to 108 yards.

“It felt familiar because I was there for four years,” Williams said. “But it was just another game for me.”

Still, Williams got a lot of love back in Denver, from the crowd to his former teammates, who are happy to see him return to his rookie form years after a devastating knee injury that waylaid his career.

“Shout-out to Javonte,” Broncos linebacker Justin Strnad said. “I was trying to talk to him and say good things to him while we were playing, when when tackling him. But the referees thought I was talking bad to him. But really happy for Javonte.”

Nix said he was proud of Williams: “He's doing a great job this season. He was a great teammate of mine in Year 1. He helped me a lot in a lot of different situations. So, I'm happy for him.”

Cowboys: S Alijah Clark left with injured ribs in the second half.

Broncos: Surtain, the reigning defensive player of the year, suffered a lower right leg injury in the first quarter but returned. He injured his left shoulder on a tackle just before halftime and was ruled out in the third quarter. ... TE Nate Adkins (knee) left in the fourth quarter. Broncos coach Sean Payton declined to address the injuries but said he was pleased with how the backups played.

By ARNIE STAPLETON AP Pro Football WriterDENVER (AP) — A trio of rookies came up big in the Denver Broncos' 44-24 rout of the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday for their fifth consecutive victory.Running back R.J. Harvey&nbsp;scored three times; wide receiver Pat Bryant&nbsp;caught his first NFL touchdown pass, one of four thrown by Bo Nix; and first-rounder Jahdae Barron&nbsp;picked off Dak Prescott for his first interception in the pros.“Our rookies did a great job,” said J.K. Dobbins, who ran for 111 yards on 15 carries to help Denver (6-2) extend its NFL-best home winning streak to nine games. “All the rookies, that's a great confidence booster.”For the veterans, too.“It was dope seeing all the young boys do their thing,” receiver Courtland Sutton said. “I got a lot of love for all our rookies. We've got some really good rookies.”Despite two TD runs from former Denver running back Javonte Williams, the Cowboys (3-4-1) lost for the eighth straight time to the Broncos, whom they haven’t beaten since the heyday of Troy Aikman, Emmitt Smith and Michael Irvin in 1995.“All the credit to them,” Prescott said, “but we didn’t play anywhere close to our standard.”The Broncos, who&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pat-surtain-injury-broncos-cowboys-5323aec1c5bcb67a7a21df93aa7980bd">lost star cornerback Pat Surtain II</a>&nbsp;to a shoulder injury just before halftime, won the toss and chose to receive, a decision that backfired when Nix threw right at cornerback Trikweze Bridges, whose interception set up Brandon Aubrey's short field goal.From there — excluding a kneel-down at halftime — the Broncos scored on seven of their next eight possessions.After Williams knifed in from a yard out to pull Dallas to 14-10, Harvey took a direct snap for a 1-yard TD. Nix followed that with a 24-yard, over-the-shoulder strike to Bryant for a 27-10 halftime advantage.Nix's second TD toss to Troy Franklin made it 37-17 and his 5-yarder to Harvey made it 44-17.It looked as though Aubrey was going to get a shot at a long field goal, maybe even a record-breaker, before Prescott was picked off by Barron with 12 seconds left in the first half.Williams' second 1-yard TD run pulled Dallas within 27-17 in the third quarter.Including their 33-point fourth quarter last week to stun the Giants, the Broncos have outscored their opponents 77-37 over their last five quarters.“This is what we've been chasing,” Broncos right guard Quinn Meinerz said. “Complementary football on offense, defense and special teams. There's still penalty things that we need to work through but this is what we're capable of.”The Cowboys were coming off a 44-22 win at Washington, and that inconsistency eats at them.“We’ve got to find a way to be consistent, whether it’s at home, on the road, regardless, we’re too good,” Prescott said. “We got too many good players. We’ve got great coaches. (Jadeveon Clowney) was just saying in the locker room this roster should not be going up and down like we’re doing, and a guy like that, when he says it ... that’s real, and so we’ve just got to look in the mirror.”<h2>Unhappy homecoming</h2>Williams ran for 41 yards on 13 carries for a 3.2-yard average. His two TDs Sunday gives him a career-best nine so far, but he was overshadowed by Denver's new backfield of Dobbins and Harvey, who combined for 157 yards and two TDs on 22 carries as the Broncos outgained the Cowboys on the ground 179 yards to 108 yards.“It felt familiar because I was there for four years,” Williams said. “But it was just another game for me.”Still, Williams got a lot of love back in Denver, from the crowd to his former teammates, who are happy to see him return to his rookie form years after a devastating knee injury that waylaid his career.“Shout-out to Javonte,” Broncos linebacker Justin Strnad said. “I was trying to talk to him and say good things to him while we were playing, when when tackling him. But the referees thought I was talking bad to him. But really happy for Javonte.”Nix said he was proud of Williams: “He's doing a great job this season. He was a great teammate of mine in Year 1. He helped me a lot in a lot of different situations. So, I'm happy for him.”<h2>Injuries</h2>Cowboys: S Alijah Clark left with injured ribs in the second half.Broncos: Surtain, the reigning defensive player of the year, suffered a lower right leg injury in the first quarter but returned. He injured his left shoulder on a tackle just before halftime and was ruled out in the third quarter. ... TE Nate Adkins (knee) left in the fourth quarter. Broncos coach Sean Payton declined to address the injuries but said he was pleased with how the backups played.<h2>Up next</h2>Cowboys: Host Arizona on Monday, Nov. 3.Broncos: At Houston next Sunday.

🏈 Bo Nix and rookies lead Broncos to victory over Cowboys

TOPEKA – The Victoria volleyball team will be the
four-seed at the 1A Division II State Volleyball Tournament which begins Friday
at Emporia’s White Auditorium. The Knights (34-6) will face Hanover (32-7),
Axtell (27-13) and top-seeded Marais Des Cygnes Valley (39-2) in their pool
play matches. 

[4] Victoria vs. [5] Hanover, 10am
 [4] Victoria vs. [8] Axtell, 12pm
 [4] Victoria vs. [1] Marais Des Cygnes Valley, 3pm

The top two teams out of each pool advance to
Saturday’s semifinals beginning at 9:00 a.m. Consolation and championship matches
will begin 25 minutes after the last semifinal match has concluded.

The Knights advance to the state tournament by
winning their own Sub-State Tournament with three-set victories over Wallace
County and Wheatland-Grinnell.

Quinter is the seven-seed in the 1A Division I tournament
at United Wireless Arena in Dodge City. The Bulldogs (28-10) will face South
Gray (36-4), Spearville (35-6) and Greeley County (28-10) in pool play beginning
Thursday.

[7] Quinter vs. [2] South Gray, 11am
 [7] Quinter vs. [3] Spearville, 12pm
 [7] Quinter vs. [6] Greeley County, 2pm

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/10/1761496240763.png" alt="KSHSAA image" />
 <figcaption>KSHSAA image</figcaption>
 </figure>Hays Post SportsTOPEKA – The Victoria volleyball team will be the
four-seed at the 1A Division II State Volleyball Tournament which begins Friday
at Emporia’s White Auditorium. The Knights (34-6) will face Hanover (32-7),
Axtell (27-13) and top-seeded Marais Des Cygnes Valley (39-2) in their pool
play matches. [4] Victoria vs. [5] Hanover, 10am
 [4] Victoria vs. [8] Axtell, 12pm
 [4] Victoria vs. [1] Marais Des Cygnes Valley, 3pmThe top two teams out of each pool advance to
Saturday’s semifinals beginning at 9:00 a.m. Consolation and championship matches
will begin 25 minutes after the last semifinal match has concluded.The Knights advance to the state tournament by
winning their own Sub-State Tournament with three-set victories over Wallace
County and Wheatland-Grinnell.Quinter is the seven-seed in the 1A Division I tournament
at United Wireless Arena in Dodge City. The Bulldogs (28-10) will face South
Gray (36-4), Spearville (35-6) and Greeley County (28-10) in pool play beginning
Thursday.[7] Quinter vs. [2] South Gray, 11am
 [7] Quinter vs. [3] Spearville, 12pm
 [7] Quinter vs. [6] Greeley County, 2pmThe top two teams out of each pool advance to
Saturday’s semifinals beginning at 9:00 a.m. Consolation and championship matches
will begin 25 minutes after the last semifinal match has concluded.

🏐 Victoria receives the four-seed for 1A D2 State

TOPEKA, Kan. — Fort Hays State fell 2-1 to Washburn on Sunday afternoon at Yager Stadium. FHSU knotted the game at 1-1 with a goal early in the second half, but Washburn moved back ahead in the 77th minute. FHSU is now 3-10-1 overall and 1-7-1 in the MIAA, while WU moved to 10-2-3 overall and 7-0-2 in the MIAA.

Washburn outshot FHSU 7-1 in the first half and took the lead in the 34th minute when Bricelyn Betts found the net, assisted by Sam Searcey. Hadley Ostrander made two key saves, preventing further damage in the half.

Fort Hays State leveled the score early in the second half with a goal by Chaley French, assisted on a well struck crossing pass from Megan Wiman in the 47th minute. Despite more offensive chances for FHSU in the second half, Washburn regained the lead in the 77th minute on a goal by Kylie Hinrichs. Searcey picked up her second assist of the match with a crossing pass. The Ichabods held a slight 5-4 advantage in shots in the second half, while Ostrander made two more saves and finished with four for the match.

Kennedy Hartzell led the Tigers in shots with two, while French scored on her only shot of the match. Lili Everley did not make any saves for Washburn, but still picked up the win between the pipes.

Looking ahead, Fort Hays State will play its final three matches of the regular season at home. First up will be a match with Northeastern State on Friday, Oct. 31, at 7 p.m. at FHSU Soccer Stadium.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/10/1761561651474.png" alt="FHSU Athletics/Ryan Prickett" />
 <figcaption>FHSU Athletics/Ryan Prickett</figcaption>
 </figure>FHSU AthleticsTOPEKA, Kan. — Fort Hays State fell 2-1 to Washburn on Sunday afternoon at Yager Stadium. FHSU knotted the game at 1-1 with a goal early in the second half, but Washburn moved back ahead in the 77th minute. FHSU is now 3-10-1 overall and 1-7-1 in the MIAA, while WU moved to 10-2-3 overall and 7-0-2 in the MIAA.Washburn outshot FHSU 7-1 in the first half and took the lead in the 34th minute when Bricelyn Betts found the net, assisted by Sam Searcey. Hadley Ostrander made two key saves, preventing further damage in the half.Fort Hays State leveled the score early in the second half with a goal by Chaley French, assisted on a well struck crossing pass from Megan Wiman in the 47th minute. Despite more offensive chances for FHSU in the second half, Washburn regained the lead in the 77th minute on a goal by Kylie Hinrichs. Searcey picked up her second assist of the match with a crossing pass. The Ichabods held a slight 5-4 advantage in shots in the second half, while Ostrander made two more saves and finished with four for the match.Kennedy Hartzell led the Tigers in shots with two, while French scored on her only shot of the match. Lili Everley did not make any saves for Washburn, but still picked up the win between the pipes.Looking ahead, Fort Hays State will play its final three matches of the regular season at home. First up will be a match with Northeastern State on Friday, Oct. 31, at 7 p.m. at FHSU Soccer Stadium.

⚽ Tiger women fall one goal short at Washburn

KAYS - (1400/94.3) KFIX - (96.9) KHAZ - (99.5) KJLS - (103.3) KKQY - (101.9)Sunday, October 26
 none

By GERARD WELLBROCK Hays Post Sports

TOPEKA -&nbsp;Emergency kicker Michael Polley booted a 34-yard field goal in overtime to lift Fort Hays State to a 13-10 win over Washburn on a rainy Saturday at Yager Stadium. The game-winner came after Washburn missed a 41 yard field goal attempt on their overtime possession.

The Tigers overcame a 10-point halftime deficit to avoid their first three-game losing streak in three years and improve to 5-4 overall and 4-3 in the MIAA. Washburn falls to 2-6 and 1-5 in the MIAA.&nbsp;It was the fourth overtime game between FHSU and Washburn in the last six meetings in Topeka. Five of the last six games between the two in Topeka have been decided by three points, and all six of the games in that run have been decided by isix or less.

Washburn was called for holding on their first play of overtime and had to settle for a field goal try which sailed wide right. The Tigers picked up eight yards on their possession and had to turn to starting safety and emergency kicker Michael Polley for the game-winner after Zane Hall left the game midway through the third quarter with apparent leg injury following a kickoff.

The wet weather played a factor as both teams turned the ball over four times, with having three turnovers in the first half. The Ichabods first touchdown came after a Caleb Heavner interception was turned to the Ichabods 20 which set up a Ky Thomas 8-yard run. Washburn muffed a punt return prior to the intercption after forcing a three-and-out in the Tigers first possesson.

Both teams would fumble on their next possession. Washburn would add to their lead with a 32-yard field goal early in the second quarter.

Defensive lineman Gaven Haselhorst intercepted a pass on Washburn's first possession of the third quarter and returned it 18 yards to the Ichabod 32-yardline. Caleb Heavner later scored on an 18-yard touchdown run to get the Tigers on the board. FHSU moved the ball deep into Washburn territory on their next drive which resulted in a Zane Hall 25-yard field goal to tie the game.

The two teams combined for six punts in the fourth quarter. The Tigers were denied on fourth down on one of their possessions after moving the ball down to the Washburn 34 yard line.

Fort Hays State held Washburn to 228 yards of total offense, a new low for a Tiger opponent this season. FHSU finished with 308 yards of total offense, with 213 of the yards on the ground. Heavner picked up his first 100-yard rushing game with 117 on 20 attempts. Curtis Douglas added a season-high 82 yards. Heavner threw for 95 yards, completing 16-of-25 attempts. Keyshawn Dooley led the Tigers with 48 receiving yards.

Shadryon Blanka led the FHSU defense with 10 tackles, his first double-digit tackle game as a Tiger. Koe McIntyre, Jakolbi Wilson, and Keiyon Turner all had fumble recoveries while Parrish Terry forced a fumble. Jalen Williams recorded the Tigers' only sack, while Haselhorst added his first career interception to help jump-start the Tiger offense in the second half.

Fort Hays State will host Central Missouri for Senior Day on Saturday, November 1 at 1 p.m. The newest Tiger Sports Hall of Fame class will also be honored at halftime of the game, which will be FHSU's final home contest of the season.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/10/1761449063526.png" alt="Fort Hays State safety Michael Polley takes on a Nebraska-Kearney blocker on Saturday, September 13, 2025 in Hays, Kan. (FHSU Athletics photo/Cayden Sanders)" />
 <figcaption>Fort Hays State safety Michael Polley takes on a Nebraska-Kearney blocker on Saturday, September 13, 2025 in Hays, Kan. (FHSU Athletics photo/Cayden Sanders)</figcaption>
 </figure>By GERARD WELLBROCK Hays Post SportsTOPEKA -&nbsp;Emergency kicker Michael Polley booted a 34-yard field goal in overtime to lift Fort Hays State to a 13-10 win over Washburn on a rainy Saturday at Yager Stadium. The game-winner came after Washburn missed a 41 yard field goal attempt on their overtime possession.The Tigers overcame a 10-point halftime deficit to avoid their first three-game losing streak in three years and improve to 5-4 overall and 4-3 in the MIAA. Washburn falls to 2-6 and 1-5 in the MIAA.&nbsp;It was the fourth overtime game between FHSU and Washburn in the last six meetings in Topeka. Five of the last six games between the two in Topeka have been decided by three points, and all six of the games in that run have been decided by isix or less.<div><iframe width="100%" height="166" scrolling="no" frameborder="no" allow="autoplay" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/soundcloud%253Atracks%253A2198892887&color=%23ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&show_teaser=true"></iframe><div style="font-size: 10px; color: #cccccc;line-break: anywhere;word-break: normal;overflow: hidden;white-space: nowrap;text-overflow: ellipsis; font-family: Interstate,Lucida Grande,Lucida Sans Unicode,Lucida Sans,Garuda,Verdana,Tahoma,sans-serif;font-weight: 100;"><a href="https://soundcloud.com/user-814667509" title="Eagle Radio" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Eagle Radio</a> · <a href="https://soundcloud.com/user-814667509/10-25-25-fhsu-fb-coach-brown" title="Chris Brown Postgame at Washburn (Oct. 25, 2025)" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Chris Brown Postgame at Washburn (Oct. 25, 2025)</a></div></div>Washburn was called for holding on their first play of overtime and had to settle for a field goal try which sailed wide right. The Tigers picked up eight yards on their possession and had to turn to starting safety and emergency kicker Michael Polley for the game-winner after Zane Hall left the game midway through the third quarter with apparent leg injury following a kickoff.The wet weather played a factor as both teams turned the ball over four times, with having three turnovers in the first half. The Ichabods first touchdown came after a Caleb Heavner interception was turned to the Ichabods 20 which set up a Ky Thomas 8-yard run. Washburn muffed a punt return prior to the intercption after forcing a three-and-out in the Tigers first possesson.<div><iframe width="100%" height="166" scrolling="no" frameborder="no" allow="autoplay" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/soundcloud%253Atracks%253A2198893251&color=%23ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&show_teaser=true"></iframe><div style="font-size: 10px; color: #cccccc;line-break: anywhere;word-break: normal;overflow: hidden;white-space: nowrap;text-overflow: ellipsis; font-family: Interstate,Lucida Grande,Lucida Sans Unicode,Lucida Sans,Garuda,Verdana,Tahoma,sans-serif;font-weight: 100;"><a href="https://soundcloud.com/user-814667509" title="Eagle Radio" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Eagle Radio</a> · <a href="https://soundcloud.com/user-814667509/10-25-25-fhsu-fb-polley-player" title="Michael Polley Postgame at Washburn (Oct. 25, 2025)" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Michael Polley Postgame at Washburn (Oct. 25, 2025)</a></div></div>Both teams would fumble on their next possession. Washburn would add to their lead with a 32-yard field goal early in the second quarter.<div><iframe width="100%" height="166" scrolling="no" frameborder="no" allow="autoplay" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/soundcloud%253Atracks%253A2198893087&color=%23ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&show_teaser=true"></iframe><div style="font-size: 10px; color: #cccccc;line-break: anywhere;word-break: normal;overflow: hidden;white-space: nowrap;text-overflow: ellipsis; font-family: Interstate,Lucida Grande,Lucida Sans Unicode,Lucida Sans,Garuda,Verdana,Tahoma,sans-serif;font-weight: 100;"><a href="https://soundcloud.com/user-814667509" title="Eagle Radio" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Eagle Radio</a> · <a href="https://soundcloud.com/user-814667509/10-25-25-fhsu-fb-blanca-player" title="Shadryon Blanka Postgame at Washburn (Oct. 25, 2025)" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Shadryon Blanka Postgame at Washburn (Oct. 25, 2025)</a></div></div>Defensive lineman Gaven Haselhorst intercepted a pass on Washburn's first possession of the third quarter and returned it 18 yards to the Ichabod 32-yardline. Caleb Heavner later scored on an 18-yard touchdown run to get the Tigers on the board. FHSU moved the ball deep into Washburn territory on their next drive which resulted in a Zane Hall 25-yard field goal to tie the game.The two teams combined for six punts in the fourth quarter. The Tigers were denied on fourth down on one of their possessions after moving the ball down to the Washburn 34 yard line.Fort Hays State held Washburn to 228 yards of total offense, a new low for a Tiger opponent this season. FHSU finished with 308 yards of total offense, with 213 of the yards on the ground. Heavner picked up his first 100-yard rushing game with 117 on 20 attempts. Curtis Douglas added a season-high 82 yards. Heavner threw for 95 yards, completing 16-of-25 attempts. Keyshawn Dooley led the Tigers with 48 receiving yards.<div><iframe width="100%" height="166" scrolling="no" frameborder="no" allow="autoplay" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/soundcloud%253Atracks%253A2198893883&color=%23ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&show_teaser=true"></iframe><div style="font-size: 10px; color: #cccccc;line-break: anywhere;word-break: normal;overflow: hidden;white-space: nowrap;text-overflow: ellipsis; font-family: Interstate,Lucida Grande,Lucida Sans Unicode,Lucida Sans,Garuda,Verdana,Tahoma,sans-serif;font-weight: 100;"><a href="https://soundcloud.com/user-814667509" title="Eagle Radio" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Eagle Radio</a> · <a href="https://soundcloud.com/user-814667509/10-25-25-fhsu-fb-highlights-v" title="Fort Hays State FB Highlights at Washburn (Oct. 25, 2025)" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Fort Hays State FB Highlights at Washburn (Oct. 25, 2025)</a></div></div>Shadryon Blanka led the FHSU defense with 10 tackles, his first double-digit tackle game as a Tiger. Koe McIntyre, Jakolbi Wilson, and Keiyon Turner all had fumble recoveries while Parrish Terry forced a fumble. Jalen Williams recorded the Tigers' only sack, while Haselhorst added his first career interception to help jump-start the Tiger offense in the second half.Up nextFort Hays State will host Central Missouri for Senior Day on Saturday, November 1 at 1 p.m. The newest Tiger Sports Hall of Fame class will also be honored at halftime of the game, which will be FHSU's final home contest of the season.

🏈 Polley field goal lifts Tigers to OT win at Washburn

VICTORIA – The Victoria volleyball team is headed to the 1A
Division II state tournament. The Knights defeated Wallace County and
Wheatland-Grinnell to win their own Sub-State Saturday.

The Knights (34-6) lost the first set in both matches but
battled back to win the final two including an epic 28-26 win in the decisive
set in the title match. 

Victoria def. Wallace County 24-26, 25-21, 25-22
Wheatland Grinnell def. Western Plains 25-13, 25-19
Victoria def. Wheatland Grinnell 19-25, 25-22, 28-26

Quinter advanced to the 1A Division I state tournament after
winning their own regional. The Bulldogs (28-1) lost the first set in both
matches but came back to defeat Hill City and Decatur Community in three sets. 

Quinter def. Hill City 21-25, 25-19, 25-16
Decatur Community def. Ellis 25-18, 25-13
Quinter def. Decatur Community 17-25, 23-25, 23-25

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/10/1761491656565.jpeg" alt="The Victoria Knights volleyball team after winning their own Class 1A Division 2 Sub-State on Saturday, October 25, 2025 in Victoria, Kan. (Courtesy photo)" />
 <figcaption>The Victoria Knights volleyball team after winning their own Class 1A Division 2 Sub-State on Saturday, October 25, 2025 in Victoria, Kan. (Courtesy photo)</figcaption>
 </figure>Hays Post SportsVICTORIA – The Victoria volleyball team is headed to the 1A
Division II state tournament. The Knights defeated Wallace County and
Wheatland-Grinnell to win their own Sub-State Saturday.The Knights (34-6) lost the first set in both matches but
battled back to win the final two including an epic 28-26 win in the decisive
set in the title match. Victoria def. Wallace County 24-26, 25-21, 25-22
Wheatland Grinnell def. Western Plains 25-13, 25-19
Victoria def. Wheatland Grinnell 19-25, 25-22, 28-26Quinter advanced to the 1A Division I state tournament after
winning their own regional. The Bulldogs (28-1) lost the first set in both
matches but came back to defeat Hill City and Decatur Community in three sets. Quinter def. Hill City 21-25, 25-19, 25-16
Decatur Community def. Ellis 25-18, 25-13
Quinter def. Decatur Community 17-25, 23-25, 23-25

🏐 Victoria, Quinter advance to state

Both the Hays High and TMP-Marian football teams will have
home games in Week Nine as the Kansas State High School Activities Association
released their postseason brackets Saturday.

<a href="https://www.kshsaa.org/react/bracket/6170">Class 6A Bracket</a> <a href="https://www.kshsaa.org/react/bracket/6172">Class&nbsp; 5A Bracket</a> <a href="https://www.kshsaa.org/react/bracket/6171">Class 4A Bracket</a> <a href="https://www.kshsaa.org/react/bracket/6173">Class 3A Bracket</a> <a href="https://www.kshsaa.org/react/bracket/6173">Class 2A Bracket</a> <a href="https://www.kshsaa.org/react/bracket/6175">Class 1A Bracket</a> <a href="https://www.kshsaa.org/react/bracket/6176">8-Man, DI Bracket</a> <a href="https://www.kshsaa.org/react/bracket/6177">8-Man DII Bracket</a> <a href="https://www.kshsaa.org/react/bracket/6178">6-Man Bracket</a>

The Indians (6-2) are the five-seed in 5A West and will host
Goddard-Eisenhower (2-6) Thursday night at 7 p.m. at the new Hays High School.
The Monarchs (6-2) are the seven-seed in Class 1A West and will take on Blue
Rapids-Valley Heights (4-4) Friday at 7 p.m. at Lewis Field. Plainville is the
12-seed in Class 1A West and will travel to Hutchinson-Trinity Catholic at 7
p.m. Friday. Smith Center (8-0) is the No. 2 seed in 1A West and hosts
Whitewater-Remington (2-6) Friday.

Victoria (7-0) was the District 6 winner in Class 1A
Division 2 and will host Norwich (1-7) Thursday at 6 p.m.. Wheatland-Grinnell
(3-5) finished fourth in District 8 and will travel to Jetmore to face Hodgeman
County (7-1) Friday. Logan/Palco (6-2) was the District 8 runner-up and will host
Satanta (1-7) Friday in Logan. Osborne (3-4) &nbsp;finished fourth in in District 4 and will play
at No. 1 ranked Hanover (8-0) Friday at 6 p.m.

Trego (8-0) was the District 7 winner in Class 1A Division 1
and will host St. Francis (5-3) Friday in WaKeeney. Hill City (7-1) won
District 8 and hosts La Crosse (4-4) Friday. Ellis finished third in District 7
and travels to Oberlin to play Decatur Community (6-2) Friday.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/10/1761493349096.png" alt="KSHSAA image" />
 <figcaption>KSHSAA image</figcaption>
 </figure>Hays Post SportsBoth the Hays High and TMP-Marian football teams will have
home games in Week Nine as the Kansas State High School Activities Association
released their postseason brackets Saturday.<a href="https://www.kshsaa.org/react/bracket/6170">Class 6A Bracket</a> <a href="https://www.kshsaa.org/react/bracket/6172">Class&nbsp; 5A Bracket</a> <a href="https://www.kshsaa.org/react/bracket/6171">Class 4A Bracket</a> <a href="https://www.kshsaa.org/react/bracket/6173">Class 3A Bracket</a> <a href="https://www.kshsaa.org/react/bracket/6173">Class 2A Bracket</a> <a href="https://www.kshsaa.org/react/bracket/6175">Class 1A Bracket</a> <a href="https://www.kshsaa.org/react/bracket/6176">8-Man, DI Bracket</a> <a href="https://www.kshsaa.org/react/bracket/6177">8-Man DII Bracket</a> <a href="https://www.kshsaa.org/react/bracket/6178">6-Man Bracket</a>The Indians (6-2) are the five-seed in 5A West and will host
Goddard-Eisenhower (2-6) Thursday night at 7 p.m. at the new Hays High School.
The Monarchs (6-2) are the seven-seed in Class 1A West and will take on Blue
Rapids-Valley Heights (4-4) Friday at 7 p.m. at Lewis Field. Plainville is the
12-seed in Class 1A West and will travel to Hutchinson-Trinity Catholic at 7
p.m. Friday. Smith Center (8-0) is the No. 2 seed in 1A West and hosts
Whitewater-Remington (2-6) Friday.Victoria (7-0) was the District 6 winner in Class 1A
Division 2 and will host Norwich (1-7) Thursday at 6 p.m.. Wheatland-Grinnell
(3-5) finished fourth in District 8 and will travel to Jetmore to face Hodgeman
County (7-1) Friday. Logan/Palco (6-2) was the District 8 runner-up and will host
Satanta (1-7) Friday in Logan. Osborne (3-4) &nbsp;finished fourth in in District 4 and will play
at No. 1 ranked Hanover (8-0) Friday at 6 p.m.Trego (8-0) was the District 7 winner in Class 1A Division 1
and will host St. Francis (5-3) Friday in WaKeeney. Hill City (7-1) won
District 8 and hosts La Crosse (4-4) Friday. Ellis finished third in District 7
and travels to Oberlin to play Decatur Community (6-2) Friday.

🏈 Hays, TMP-Marian, Victoria, Trego to host Week Nine games

HAYS, Kan. - The Fort Hays State volleyball team kept things close against fourth-ranked Nebraska-Kearney Saturday afternoon, losing 25-22, 25-23, 25-13. The Tigers (14-8, 3-7 MIAA) led as late as 16-15 in the first set and 18-17 in the second set, but the Lopers (21-2, 8-2 MIAA) were able to rally back each time.

The Tigers led the way on the stat sheet in several categories, including kills (43-41), assists (41-38) and digs (58-52), but a .265-.119 edge in attack percentage for the Lopers helped the visitors escape with the win.

Fort Hays State took control early, leading for much of the first set. A kill from Ashlyn Reeves gave the Tigers a 7-4 lead early, FHSU's largest advantage of the frame. The Lopers battled back to tie the score multiple times, but the home team was able to hang on to the lead until a two-point run gave UNK a 17-16 advantage.

The Lopers later led by as many as four before Caiya Stucky Reyes and Peyton Bergschneider recorded back-to-back kills to make it 22-20. Bergschneider then teamed up with Reeves for a block before tying things up with another kill. The Lopers bounced back with three blocks down the stretch to take the opening frame, 25-22.

The Tigers trailed by as many as four early in the second set, but battled back from an 8-4 deficit to take a 10-9 lead. Gracie Rains opened the 6-1 run with a kill before Reyes made the score 8-6. The Black and Gold then rattled off four in a row after a combo block from Bergschneider and Avery Eshleman kicked things off. Reeves followed with a kill before taming up with Reyes for a block to tie the score at nine before another Loper error put the Tigers on top.

UNK pushed back and later led by three, 17-14, before another four-point run gave the Tigers another lead. Rains kick-started the run with a kill before Grace Schmedding dropped in a service ace. Reyes then gave the Tigers an 18-17 lead following a Loper error, but the visitors scored the next two points to go back on top. The teams traded points over the next six rallies before the Lopers closed the set on a 4-2 run. An early 6-1 run helped the Lopers take control early in the third set en route to a 25-13 victory.

Rains led the match with 14 kills, while Bergschneider added 12 kills, six digs and two blocks. Kirsten Evans tallied 15 digs, seven assists and one service ace, while Annie Eaton led the team with 19 assists alongside one block and one ace.

The Tigers will hit the road for one final time in the regular season next weekend when they travel to take on Newman on Friday (Oct. 31) beginning at 6 p.m. in Wichita, Kan.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/10/1761445551965.png" alt="Fort Hays State's Peyton Bergschneider attempts a shot against Nebraska-Kearney on Saturday, October 25, 2025 in Hays, Kan. (FHSU Athletics photo/Jordyn Bredenberg)" />
 <figcaption>Fort Hays State's Peyton Bergschneider attempts a shot against Nebraska-Kearney on Saturday, October 25, 2025 in Hays, Kan. (FHSU Athletics photo/Jordyn Bredenberg)</figcaption>
 </figure>FHSU AthleticsHAYS, Kan. - The Fort Hays State volleyball team kept things close against fourth-ranked Nebraska-Kearney Saturday afternoon, losing 25-22, 25-23, 25-13. The Tigers (14-8, 3-7 MIAA) led as late as 16-15 in the first set and 18-17 in the second set, but the Lopers (21-2, 8-2 MIAA) were able to rally back each time.The Tigers led the way on the stat sheet in several categories, including kills (43-41), assists (41-38) and digs (58-52), but a .265-.119 edge in attack percentage for the Lopers helped the visitors escape with the win.Fort Hays State took control early, leading for much of the first set. A kill from Ashlyn Reeves gave the Tigers a 7-4 lead early, FHSU's largest advantage of the frame. The Lopers battled back to tie the score multiple times, but the home team was able to hang on to the lead until a two-point run gave UNK a 17-16 advantage.The Lopers later led by as many as four before Caiya Stucky Reyes and Peyton Bergschneider recorded back-to-back kills to make it 22-20. Bergschneider then teamed up with Reeves for a block before tying things up with another kill. The Lopers bounced back with three blocks down the stretch to take the opening frame, 25-22.The Tigers trailed by as many as four early in the second set, but battled back from an 8-4 deficit to take a 10-9 lead. Gracie Rains opened the 6-1 run with a kill before Reyes made the score 8-6. The Black and Gold then rattled off four in a row after a combo block from Bergschneider and Avery Eshleman kicked things off. Reeves followed with a kill before taming up with Reyes for a block to tie the score at nine before another Loper error put the Tigers on top.UNK pushed back and later led by three, 17-14, before another four-point run gave the Tigers another lead. Rains kick-started the run with a kill before Grace Schmedding dropped in a service ace. Reyes then gave the Tigers an 18-17 lead following a Loper error, but the visitors scored the next two points to go back on top. The teams traded points over the next six rallies before the Lopers closed the set on a 4-2 run. An early 6-1 run helped the Lopers take control early in the third set en route to a 25-13 victory.Rains led the match with 14 kills, while Bergschneider added 12 kills, six digs and two blocks. Kirsten Evans tallied 15 digs, seven assists and one service ace, while Annie Eaton led the team with 19 assists alongside one block and one ace.The Tigers will hit the road for one final time in the regular season next weekend when they travel to take on Newman on Friday (Oct. 31) beginning at 6 p.m. in Wichita, Kan.

🏐 No. 4 Lopers escape with win over Tigers

HAYS, Kan. — Fort Hays State men's soccer remained unbeaten for the season with a narrow 1-0 win over Rogers State on Saturday afternoon. The No. 5 Tigers (12-0-3, 8-0-1 GAC) took the lead in the ninth minute of the match and held on the rest of the way, holding off the No. 17 ranked Hillcats (9-2-4, 5-2-2). This victory helped the Tigers lock up a spot in the GAC Tournament, still with three matches to play in the regular season.

Fort Hays State established early control on a thrilling goal from Elias Ovelar Semeniuk in the ninth minute, assisted by Joseph Street and Harrison Bensouda. Street had a long throw into the box headed by Bensouda, which Ovelar Semeniuk took a winding strike at to near the fall post to score his 11th goal of the season. Fort Hays State consistently pressured Rogers State in the opening half, earning seven corner kicks and leading the shot count 7-0.

Rogers State started to find offensive opportunities in the second half, but the Tigers were up to the challenge defensively. The Hillcats took six shots in the second half, but all were off target as Payton Roehrich did not have to record a save in the match for his eighth individual shutout of the season. Rogers State goalkeeper Jaxon Kendall made five saves in the match.

Overall, FHSU outshot RSU 15-6 in the match. FHSU led corner kick opportunities 13-2. Ovelar Semeniuk led FHSU with five shots.

Fort Hays State will play its final three regular season matches on the road. They head to Arkansas next week for meetings with Ouachita Baptist (Thur. Oct. 30) and Harding (Sat. Nov. 1).

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/10/1761454094786.png" alt="FHSU Athletics photo/Gillian Lynch" />
 <figcaption>FHSU Athletics photo/Gillian Lynch</figcaption>
 </figure>FHSU AthleticsHAYS, Kan. — Fort Hays State men's soccer remained unbeaten for the season with a narrow 1-0 win over Rogers State on Saturday afternoon. The No. 5 Tigers (12-0-3, 8-0-1 GAC) took the lead in the ninth minute of the match and held on the rest of the way, holding off the No. 17 ranked Hillcats (9-2-4, 5-2-2). This victory helped the Tigers lock up a spot in the GAC Tournament, still with three matches to play in the regular season.Fort Hays State established early control on a thrilling goal from Elias Ovelar Semeniuk in the ninth minute, assisted by Joseph Street and Harrison Bensouda. Street had a long throw into the box headed by Bensouda, which Ovelar Semeniuk took a winding strike at to near the fall post to score his 11th goal of the season. Fort Hays State consistently pressured Rogers State in the opening half, earning seven corner kicks and leading the shot count 7-0.Rogers State started to find offensive opportunities in the second half, but the Tigers were up to the challenge defensively. The Hillcats took six shots in the second half, but all were off target as Payton Roehrich did not have to record a save in the match for his eighth individual shutout of the season. Rogers State goalkeeper Jaxon Kendall made five saves in the match.Overall, FHSU outshot RSU 15-6 in the match. FHSU led corner kick opportunities 13-2. Ovelar Semeniuk led FHSU with five shots.Fort Hays State will play its final three regular season matches on the road. They head to Arkansas next week for meetings with Ouachita Baptist (Thur. Oct. 30) and Harding (Sat. Nov. 1).