By DAVE SKRETTA AP Sports Writer

MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) — Kansas State coach Chris Klieman claims that he doesn't pay attention to what prognosticators say about his program.

It's a hard sell given everyone else in the Wildcats' locker room seems to know.

Voters picked Kansas State to finish second in the new-look league, even though not a single player was chosen preseason all-conference.

How's that for equal parts flattery and disparagement?

“Everybody sees it, but it’s not something that we talk about an awful lot,” Klieman said. “I hope it shows people the overall depth and value of our roster and how important our role players are, and how important our players are as far as if you are a successful team, individual honors at the end of the season are going to come.”

In other words, it's not exactly bulletin-board material because the Wildcats need no such thing.

“I’m sure that our players, if you asked them, they probably saw both polls,” Klieman said, “and I don’t know if they’re excited, disappointed, but I know they were aware that there was nobody from K-State on one of those teams, but you still have to perform, and we’ve got a lot of work to do before we get to the end of August.”

That's when Kansas State begins a season of high expectations, ranked 18th in the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll">preseason AP Top 25.</a>

After winning nine games last season, and a bowl game for the second time in three years, the Wildcats not only return a bevy of talented players but supplemented them by landing marquee transfers and recruits at important positions. Dylan Edwards, who led Colorado in rushing last season, provides depth in the backfield, and Dante Cephus joined the program to help out at wide receiver. On defense, Ball State safety Jordan Riley could compete for starting snaps beginning with Week 1.

Whether the Wildcats can win the newly configured Big 12, and earn a spot in college football's expanded playoffs, will likely hinge on the quarterback. Avery Johnson dazzled in his opportunities last season, including a bowl win over North Carolina State, and the dual-threat talent has the ability to contend for conference player-of-the-year honors.

Even if many of the prognosticators think otherwise.

“Feel like the biggest thing is not getting too caught up on the preseason rankings, and looking too forward into the season,” Johnson said. “Right now our focus is on UT-Martin, and after that is going to be Tulane, and taking every week a week at a time.”

After offensive coordinator Collin Klein left for the same job at Texas A&amp;M, the Wildcats promoted offensive line coach Conor Riley to the job. But he won't have to orchestrate the offense alone. Kansas State also hired former Texas Tech and Utah State coach Matt Wells, who is particularly adept at working with quarterbacks, to help with that side of the ball.

Johnson showed he can move with 71 yards rushing and a touchdown in the Pop-Tarts Bowl, and his ability to scramble will be a big part of the offense. But it's not just the QB who will chew up yards on the ground. DJ Gidden is back after running for 1,226 yards and 10 touchdowns, while Edwards provides a lightning-quick alternative to his powerful running style.

Kansas State has to replace four multiyear starters along the offensive line along with Ben Sinnott, who had been among the Big 12's best tight ends. North Dakota transfer Easton Kilty should help to shore up the front, but each of the other expected starters— Andrew Leingang, Hadley Panzer, Taylor Poitier and Carver Willis — have plenty of experience.

The biggest question on defense lies in the secondary, where Kobe Savage's decision to transfer to Oregon opened up a big hole at safety. Jordan Riley, VJ Payne and Marques Sigle are the front-runners at safety while Keenan Garber and Jacob Parrish headed into fall camp as the presumptive starters at cornerback.

Kansas State may ease into the season against UT-Martin on Aug. 31, but the schedule heats up in a hurry. The Wildcats head to Tulane — which has won 23 games the past two seasons — the following week before facing Big 12 newcomer Arizona. The conference schedule includes a three-game stretch that could decide whether the Wildcats play for a title for the second time in three years: at BYU, against Oklahoma State and at Colorado.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1697351783694.jpeg" alt="Avery Johnson (5) rushed for five touchdowns making him the first freshman in FBS history to do so during K State's 38-21 win Photo courtesy of K State Football on X.jpg" />
 <figcaption>Avery Johnson (5) rushed for five touchdowns making him the first freshman in FBS history to do so during K State's 38-21 win Photo courtesy of K State Football on X.jpg</figcaption>
 </figure>By DAVE SKRETTA AP Sports WriterMANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) — Kansas State coach Chris Klieman claims that he doesn't pay attention to what prognosticators say about his program.It's a hard sell given everyone else in the Wildcats' locker room seems to know.Voters picked Kansas State to finish second in the new-look league, even though not a single player was chosen preseason all-conference.How's that for equal parts flattery and disparagement?“Everybody sees it, but it’s not something that we talk about an awful lot,” Klieman said. “I hope it shows people the overall depth and value of our roster and how important our role players are, and how important our players are as far as if you are a successful team, individual honors at the end of the season are going to come.”In other words, it's not exactly bulletin-board material because the Wildcats need no such thing.“I’m sure that our players, if you asked them, they probably saw both polls,” Klieman said, “and I don’t know if they’re excited, disappointed, but I know they were aware that there was nobody from K-State on one of those teams, but you still have to perform, and we’ve got a lot of work to do before we get to the end of August.”That's when Kansas State begins a season of high expectations, ranked 18th in the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll">preseason AP Top 25.</a>After winning nine games last season, and a bowl game for the second time in three years, the Wildcats not only return a bevy of talented players but supplemented them by landing marquee transfers and recruits at important positions. Dylan Edwards, who led Colorado in rushing last season, provides depth in the backfield, and Dante Cephus joined the program to help out at wide receiver. On defense, Ball State safety Jordan Riley could compete for starting snaps beginning with Week 1.Whether the Wildcats can win the newly configured Big 12, and earn a spot in college football's expanded playoffs, will likely hinge on the quarterback. Avery Johnson dazzled in his opportunities last season, including a bowl win over North Carolina State, and the dual-threat talent has the ability to contend for conference player-of-the-year honors.Even if many of the prognosticators think otherwise.“Feel like the biggest thing is not getting too caught up on the preseason rankings, and looking too forward into the season,” Johnson said. “Right now our focus is on UT-Martin, and after that is going to be Tulane, and taking every week a week at a time.”<h2>Coaching shakeup</h2>After offensive coordinator Collin Klein left for the same job at Texas A&amp;M, the Wildcats promoted offensive line coach Conor Riley to the job. But he won't have to orchestrate the offense alone. Kansas State also hired former Texas Tech and Utah State coach Matt Wells, who is particularly adept at working with quarterbacks, to help with that side of the ball.<h2>Run to daylight</h2>Johnson showed he can move with 71 yards rushing and a touchdown in the Pop-Tarts Bowl, and his ability to scramble will be a big part of the offense. But it's not just the QB who will chew up yards on the ground. DJ Gidden is back after running for 1,226 yards and 10 touchdowns, while Edwards provides a lightning-quick alternative to his powerful running style.<h2>Offensive holes</h2>Kansas State has to replace four multiyear starters along the offensive line along with Ben Sinnott, who had been among the Big 12's best tight ends. North Dakota transfer Easton Kilty should help to shore up the front, but each of the other expected starters— Andrew Leingang, Hadley Panzer, Taylor Poitier and Carver Willis — have plenty of experience.<h2>On defense</h2>The biggest question on defense lies in the secondary, where Kobe Savage's decision to transfer to Oregon opened up a big hole at safety. Jordan Riley, VJ Payne and Marques Sigle are the front-runners at safety while Keenan Garber and Jacob Parrish headed into fall camp as the presumptive starters at cornerback.<h2>The schedule</h2>Kansas State may ease into the season against UT-Martin on Aug. 31, but the schedule heats up in a hurry. The Wildcats head to Tulane — which has won 23 games the past two seasons — the following week before facing Big 12 newcomer Arizona. The conference schedule includes a three-game stretch that could decide whether the Wildcats play for a title for the second time in three years: at BYU, against Oklahoma State and at Colorado.

🏈 K-State is favored to play for the Big 12 title, even though some think think it lacks star power

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Michael Lorenzen pitched seven shutout innings, MJ Melendez homered and the Kansas City Royals beat the Los Angeles Angels 3-0 on Wednesday for their sixth win in seven games.

The Royals spoiled&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/johnny-cueto-returns-angels-1cfdd852875a8b0a8b3063e8cdd3e5cf">the season debut of Johnny Cueto</a>&nbsp;(0-1), a 17-year veteran who helped Kansas City win the 2015 World Series.

Cueto hadn’t pitched in the majors since Sept. 27 last year with the Marlins. He signed a minor league contract with the Angels in July, and was called up from Triple-A Salt Lake earlier Wednesday. He allowed three runs on eight hits and two walks in 6 1/3 innings and left the mound to an ovation from the Kansas City crowd.

Lorenzen (7-6) allowed four hits, two walks, a hit batter and struck out five. He only allowed two runners to reach scoring position.

John Schreiber pitched a scoreless eighth inning and Lucas Erceg worked a 1-2-3 ninth to earn his sixth save and fourth with the Royals.

The Royals (71-56) remained tied with the Minnesota Twins for the second wild-card spot and moved to within 2.5 games of AL Central-leading Cleveland with their first home series win in a month.

The Royals put together a two-out rally in the second to grab a 2-0 lead. Hunter Renfroe and Adam Frazier singled, Maikel Garcia walked and Kyle Isbel hit a two-run double to the right-center gap.

Melendez smacked a two-out solo home run off the right-field foul pole in the sixth for a 3-0 lead.

Bobby Witt Jr. doubled in the second inning to extend his hitting streak to 10 games. That’s Witt’s fifth hitting streak of 10 or more games this season.

The Angels optioned RHP Hans Crouse to Triple-A Salt Lake City to make room for Cueto. They also released RHP Jose Cisneros to add Cueto to the 40-man roster.

The Angels have not announced a starter for the series opener at Toronto Thursday. ... Michael Wacha (10-6, 3.33 ERA) will start for the Royals at home against Philadelphia on Friday.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1724320302968.jpeg" alt="Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Michael Lorenzen throws during the fifth inning of a baseball game against the Los Angeles Angels Wednesday, Aug. 21, 2024, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)" />
 <figcaption>Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Michael Lorenzen throws during the fifth inning of a baseball game against the Los Angeles Angels Wednesday, Aug. 21, 2024, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Michael Lorenzen pitched seven shutout innings, MJ Melendez homered and the Kansas City Royals beat the Los Angeles Angels 3-0 on Wednesday for their sixth win in seven games.The Royals spoiled&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/johnny-cueto-returns-angels-1cfdd852875a8b0a8b3063e8cdd3e5cf">the season debut of Johnny Cueto</a>&nbsp;(0-1), a 17-year veteran who helped Kansas City win the 2015 World Series.Cueto hadn’t pitched in the majors since Sept. 27 last year with the Marlins. He signed a minor league contract with the Angels in July, and was called up from Triple-A Salt Lake earlier Wednesday. He allowed three runs on eight hits and two walks in 6 1/3 innings and left the mound to an ovation from the Kansas City crowd.Lorenzen (7-6) allowed four hits, two walks, a hit batter and struck out five. He only allowed two runners to reach scoring position.John Schreiber pitched a scoreless eighth inning and Lucas Erceg worked a 1-2-3 ninth to earn his sixth save and fourth with the Royals.The Royals (71-56) remained tied with the Minnesota Twins for the second wild-card spot and moved to within 2.5 games of AL Central-leading Cleveland with their first home series win in a month.The Royals put together a two-out rally in the second to grab a 2-0 lead. Hunter Renfroe and Adam Frazier singled, Maikel Garcia walked and Kyle Isbel hit a two-run double to the right-center gap.Melendez smacked a two-out solo home run off the right-field foul pole in the sixth for a 3-0 lead.Bobby Witt Jr. doubled in the second inning to extend his hitting streak to 10 games. That’s Witt’s fifth hitting streak of 10 or more games this season.ROSTER MOVESThe Angels optioned RHP Hans Crouse to Triple-A Salt Lake City to make room for Cueto. They also released RHP Jose Cisneros to add Cueto to the 40-man roster.UP NEXTThe Angels have not announced a starter for the series opener at Toronto Thursday. ... Michael Wacha (10-6, 3.33 ERA) will start for the Royals at home against Philadelphia on Friday.

⚾ Michael Lorenzen's strong start leads Royals over Angels

By ARNIE STAPLETON AP Pro Football Writer

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP) — Denver's unconventional quarterback competition concluded Wednesday with one final plot twist when Broncos coach Sean Payton walked up to his QBs during warmups and informed them&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/packers-broncos-score-973b8601c364ccc9bbc489cd624919d8">rookie Bo Nix</a>&nbsp;had won the starting job.

“He smiled," Payton said of the 12th overall pick out of Oregon and sixth QB selected in the 2024 NFL draft. “We were getting ready to practice, and that was it. You know, we didn't have cake and candles or anything like that.”

Payton didn't even share the news with the rest of his team when he gathered everyone after practice.

“I haven't told the rest of the team yet," Payton said. "Because I'm not going to spend meetings with the rest of the team on every one of these other positions."

Besides, he said, “they've kind of seen this coming."

Nix, who started an NCAA QB-record 61 times at Oregon and Auburn, has led the Broncos to scores on six of the seven drives he's directed in the preseason and he's been statistically one of the league's best passers this month.

Payton said one of his resolutions for this year was having a better relationship with the local media, so he made sure not to leak the news of his decision to anyone in the national media.

But he did inform about 50 local military members participating at "USAA's Salute to Service NFL Boot Camp" of his choice before taking the podium, saying he was in a hurry because he had to go announce Nix as his starter.

Payton wouldn't discuss his plans at QB for Sunday's exhibition finale against Arizona but chances are the two veterans he beat out will share that workload.

Nix isn't a flashy sort, so he didn't mind the manner in which he was informed he'd be the first rookie to start at quarterback for the Broncos since Hall of Famer John Elway in 1983.

“Yeah, he walked up and said he’s going to tell you guys (in the media) this afternoon. (So) let’s have a good practice,” Nix recounted.

“We all attacked every day like we were the starter,” Nix said. “So, if you with that mindset, when they tell you (you're the starter) it shouldn't change much because you've been practicing that way and that's your daily habit.”

Nix thanked the two veterans he beat out: Zach Wilson, the 2021 second overall draft pick by the Jets, and Jarrett Stidham, who was at once a career backup and Denver's incumbent by virtue of his two starts at the end of last season when Payton benched Russell Wilson.

In his second year in Payton's system, Stidham got off to a quick start in the QB competition in July and Zach Wilson showed by far the best arm strength of the three. But Nix caught on — and caught up — quickly and he&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/NFL/status/1825332399368286578?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1825332399368286578%7Ctwgr%5Ea6b9831f4fc66497f18b95d3e3aa8236c1088b36%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.sportingnews.com%2Fuk%2Fnfl%2Fnews%2Fbo-nix-stats-broncos-preseason-performance-week-1-starter%2Ffba3e4fdc50e529e5844bbc3">shined against the Colts and Packers</a>&nbsp;in exhibition games and against Green Bay in a joint practice last week.

Nix has completed 77% of his passes for 205 yards and a pair of touchdowns with no interceptions and a 116.7 passer rating in the preseason.

Payton said he was impressed by Nix's quick processor and his ability to navigate a “dirty pocket” when the pass rush closes in, both attributes that will make him the 14th different player to start at the position since Hall of Famer Peyton Manning retired in 2016 shortly after Denver beat Carolina in Super Bowl 50.

“You saw in every game he played (at Oregon) a dirty picket, a quick plant step, ball out accurately. And for some guys that's hard to do, they need a full stride and a clean pocket," Payton said. "He became a tough sack because the ball is out. Now, you have to go be able to process very quickly, too. You saw that on film."

The Broncos have yet to return to the playoffs since winning the franchise's third Lombardi Trophy in Manning's farewell game. They hope their QB carousel has finally stopped spinning.

Trevor Siemian (13-11) is the only full-time starter to have a winning record in the past eight years.

Also passing through Denver's QB turnstile were Paxton Lynch (1-3), Brock Osweiler (0-4), Case Keenum (6-10), Joe Flacco (2-6), Brandon Allen (1-2), Jeff Driskel (0-1), Brett Rypien (2-1), Drew Lock (8-13), Teddy Bridgewater (7-7), Russell Wilson (11-19), and Stidham (1-1).

Also, running back Phillip Lindsay got the start in the wildcat in 2020 when all of Denver's QBs were suspended a game for violating the league's pandemic protocols.

By ARNIE STAPLETON AP Pro Football WriterENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP) — Denver's unconventional quarterback competition concluded Wednesday with one final plot twist when Broncos coach Sean Payton walked up to his QBs during warmups and informed them&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/packers-broncos-score-973b8601c364ccc9bbc489cd624919d8">rookie Bo Nix</a>&nbsp;had won the starting job.“He smiled," Payton said of the 12th overall pick out of Oregon and sixth QB selected in the 2024 NFL draft. “We were getting ready to practice, and that was it. You know, we didn't have cake and candles or anything like that.”Payton didn't even share the news with the rest of his team when he gathered everyone after practice.“I haven't told the rest of the team yet," Payton said. "Because I'm not going to spend meetings with the rest of the team on every one of these other positions."Besides, he said, “they've kind of seen this coming."Nix, who started an NCAA QB-record 61 times at Oregon and Auburn, has led the Broncos to scores on six of the seven drives he's directed in the preseason and he's been statistically one of the league's best passers this month.Payton said one of his resolutions for this year was having a better relationship with the local media, so he made sure not to leak the news of his decision to anyone in the national media.But he did inform about 50 local military members participating at "USAA's Salute to Service NFL Boot Camp" of his choice before taking the podium, saying he was in a hurry because he had to go announce Nix as his starter.Payton wouldn't discuss his plans at QB for Sunday's exhibition finale against Arizona but chances are the two veterans he beat out will share that workload.Nix isn't a flashy sort, so he didn't mind the manner in which he was informed he'd be the first rookie to start at quarterback for the Broncos since Hall of Famer John Elway in 1983.“Yeah, he walked up and said he’s going to tell you guys (in the media) this afternoon. (So) let’s have a good practice,” Nix recounted.And Nix did just that.“We all attacked every day like we were the starter,” Nix said. “So, if you with that mindset, when they tell you (you're the starter) it shouldn't change much because you've been practicing that way and that's your daily habit.”Nix thanked the two veterans he beat out: Zach Wilson, the 2021 second overall draft pick by the Jets, and Jarrett Stidham, who was at once a career backup and Denver's incumbent by virtue of his two starts at the end of last season when Payton benched Russell Wilson.In his second year in Payton's system, Stidham got off to a quick start in the QB competition in July and Zach Wilson showed by far the best arm strength of the three. But Nix caught on — and caught up — quickly and he&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/NFL/status/1825332399368286578?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1825332399368286578%7Ctwgr%5Ea6b9831f4fc66497f18b95d3e3aa8236c1088b36%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.sportingnews.com%2Fuk%2Fnfl%2Fnews%2Fbo-nix-stats-broncos-preseason-performance-week-1-starter%2Ffba3e4fdc50e529e5844bbc3">shined against the Colts and Packers</a>&nbsp;in exhibition games and against Green Bay in a joint practice last week.Nix has completed 77% of his passes for 205 yards and a pair of touchdowns with no interceptions and a 116.7 passer rating in the preseason.Payton said he was impressed by Nix's quick processor and his ability to navigate a “dirty pocket” when the pass rush closes in, both attributes that will make him the 14th different player to start at the position since Hall of Famer Peyton Manning retired in 2016 shortly after Denver beat Carolina in Super Bowl 50.“You saw in every game he played (at Oregon) a dirty picket, a quick plant step, ball out accurately. And for some guys that's hard to do, they need a full stride and a clean pocket," Payton said. "He became a tough sack because the ball is out. Now, you have to go be able to process very quickly, too. You saw that on film."The Broncos have yet to return to the playoffs since winning the franchise's third Lombardi Trophy in Manning's farewell game. They hope their QB carousel has finally stopped spinning.Trevor Siemian (13-11) is the only full-time starter to have a winning record in the past eight years.Also passing through Denver's QB turnstile were Paxton Lynch (1-3), Brock Osweiler (0-4), Case Keenum (6-10), Joe Flacco (2-6), Brandon Allen (1-2), Jeff Driskel (0-1), Brett Rypien (2-1), Drew Lock (8-13), Teddy Bridgewater (7-7), Russell Wilson (11-19), and Stidham (1-1).Also, running back Phillip Lindsay got the start in the wildcat in 2020 when all of Denver's QBs were suspended a game for violating the league's pandemic protocols.

🏈 Rookie Bo Nix wins Broncos' starting QB job over Jarrett Stidham and Zach Wilson

MANHATTAN, Kan. - K-State women’s basketball head coach Jeff Mittie has added to his support staff for the 2024-25 season, as he has selected Madison Pahls as the Director of Women’s Basketball Administration. Pahls replaces Kacie Jones in the role, as Jones accepted an assistant coach position at South Dakota State this summer.

“We are excited to add Madison to our staff,” said Mittie about the program’s newest addition. “She understands college athletics as a former student-athlete and will be a good addition to our group.”

Pahls is responsible for a number of administrative duties within the program including: coordinating staff and team travel and logistics, money and budget management, manage all home game logistics, on-campus recruiting logistics, training table coordination, camp/clinic budgets, daily office operations, and direct program contact for all other KSA departments.

Prior to joining the K-State women’s basketball staff, Pahls worked for No Stone Unturned Therapeutic Learning Center in Manhattan where she provided speech and language intervention, evaluation and assessment services to patients ages 0-19 with various speech and language needs (feeding and swallowing, articulation, cognition, dyslexia, voice disorders, pragmatics, expressive and receptive language and AAC. She planned lessons for all clients based on their primary concerns and individual interests.

Pahls graduated from Fort Hays State with her bachelors degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders in 2020 and her masters degree in Speech-Language Pathology in 2022.

During her time at Fort Hays State, Pahls was a four-year letterwinner on the women’s basketball team. She played in 114 career games and tallied 514 points, 271 rebounds and 109 assists. She was a five-time MIAA Academic Honor Roll recipient and a three-time DSADA Academic Achievement Award recipient.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1724260078978.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Kansas State AthleticsMANHATTAN, Kan. - K-State women’s basketball head coach Jeff Mittie has added to his support staff for the 2024-25 season, as he has selected Madison Pahls as the Director of Women’s Basketball Administration. Pahls replaces Kacie Jones in the role, as Jones accepted an assistant coach position at South Dakota State this summer.“We are excited to add Madison to our staff,” said Mittie about the program’s newest addition. “She understands college athletics as a former student-athlete and will be a good addition to our group.”Pahls is responsible for a number of administrative duties within the program including: coordinating staff and team travel and logistics, money and budget management, manage all home game logistics, on-campus recruiting logistics, training table coordination, camp/clinic budgets, daily office operations, and direct program contact for all other KSA departments.Prior to joining the K-State women’s basketball staff, Pahls worked for No Stone Unturned Therapeutic Learning Center in Manhattan where she provided speech and language intervention, evaluation and assessment services to patients ages 0-19 with various speech and language needs (feeding and swallowing, articulation, cognition, dyslexia, voice disorders, pragmatics, expressive and receptive language and AAC. She planned lessons for all clients based on their primary concerns and individual interests.Pahls graduated from Fort Hays State with her bachelors degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders in 2020 and her masters degree in Speech-Language Pathology in 2022.During her time at Fort Hays State, Pahls was a four-year letterwinner on the women’s basketball team. She played in 114 career games and tallied 514 points, 271 rebounds and 109 assists. She was a five-time MIAA Academic Honor Roll recipient and a three-time DSADA Academic Achievement Award recipient.

🏀 Former FHSU player named to K-State women's staff

By DAVE SKRETTA AP Sports Writer

LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Jalon Daniels will be under center when No. 22 Kansas opens the season against Lindenwood next week.

Jayhawks coach Lance Leipold confirmed Tuesday the electrifying but injury-prone quarterback had remained healthy through fall camp and would be ready for the game on Aug. 29. Daniels hurt his shoulder and missed half of their breakout 2022 season, then had a back injury that limited him to just three games last season.

“He will start the opener,” Leipold said. “I've seen a lot of good things from Jalon Daniels in the last 10 days, and he hasn't missed anything. He's played well and he's confident and he's excited. His enthusiasm is contagious. And we all know that it's important for him to stay healthy, but it's good to see.”

The health of Daniels could be what decides whether the Jayhawks can make a college football playoff run in the new-look Big 12, where Texas and Oklahoma are no longer around and the path toward its championship game is wide open.

“I mean, it's definitely exciting. My last game actually being able to play was against BYU,” Daniels said, referring to a win over the Cougars on Sept. 23, 2023. “So I feel like, you know, I'm just going to take advantage of the opportunity that's given.”

The dual-threat quarterback has thrown for 2,729 yards and 23 touchdowns with only five interceptions over 12 games the past two seasons, though even those impressive numbers are a bit deceiving. He didn't play the full game in several instances.

In the Jayhawks' bowl game against Arkansas two years ago, Daniels threw for 555 yards and five scores while running for another touchdown in a triple-overtime loss. And in the three games he played last season, Daniels completed nearly 75% of his passes for 705 yards with five touchdowns and a single interception in wins over Illinois, Nevada and BYU.

The fact that Daniels has been on the field, uninterrupted, throughout training camp has buoyed the confidence of a team that has higher expectations than at any point in recent memory. Kansas returns its top four wide receivers — Lawrence Arnold, Luke Grimm, Quentin Skinner and Trevor Wilson — along with 1,200-yard rusher Devin Neal and backup Daniel Hishaw Jr. from a team that went 9-4 and finished No. 23 in the final&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll">AP Top 25</a>, even with productive backup Jason Bean at quarterback.

“They're all excited. Quentin Skinner is his roommate, he and (linebacker) Cornell (Wheeler) live with Jalon, and they've been great support for him the entire way,” Leipold said. “Devin and Jalon are very close as well. To see those guys — they're not just talented guys but they are good friends, too. And great teammates and supporting, and it's been great to see.”

By DAVE SKRETTA AP Sports WriterLAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Jalon Daniels will be under center when No. 22 Kansas opens the season against Lindenwood next week.Jayhawks coach Lance Leipold confirmed Tuesday the electrifying but injury-prone quarterback had remained healthy through fall camp and would be ready for the game on Aug. 29. Daniels hurt his shoulder and missed half of their breakout 2022 season, then had a back injury that limited him to just three games last season.“He will start the opener,” Leipold said. “I've seen a lot of good things from Jalon Daniels in the last 10 days, and he hasn't missed anything. He's played well and he's confident and he's excited. His enthusiasm is contagious. And we all know that it's important for him to stay healthy, but it's good to see.”The health of Daniels could be what decides whether the Jayhawks can make a college football playoff run in the new-look Big 12, where Texas and Oklahoma are no longer around and the path toward its championship game is wide open.“I mean, it's definitely exciting. My last game actually being able to play was against BYU,” Daniels said, referring to a win over the Cougars on Sept. 23, 2023. “So I feel like, you know, I'm just going to take advantage of the opportunity that's given.”The dual-threat quarterback has thrown for 2,729 yards and 23 touchdowns with only five interceptions over 12 games the past two seasons, though even those impressive numbers are a bit deceiving. He didn't play the full game in several instances.In the Jayhawks' bowl game against Arkansas two years ago, Daniels threw for 555 yards and five scores while running for another touchdown in a triple-overtime loss. And in the three games he played last season, Daniels completed nearly 75% of his passes for 705 yards with five touchdowns and a single interception in wins over Illinois, Nevada and BYU.The fact that Daniels has been on the field, uninterrupted, throughout training camp has buoyed the confidence of a team that has higher expectations than at any point in recent memory. Kansas returns its top four wide receivers — Lawrence Arnold, Luke Grimm, Quentin Skinner and Trevor Wilson — along with 1,200-yard rusher Devin Neal and backup Daniel Hishaw Jr. from a team that went 9-4 and finished No. 23 in the final&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll">AP Top 25</a>, even with productive backup Jason Bean at quarterback.“They're all excited. Quentin Skinner is his roommate, he and (linebacker) Cornell (Wheeler) live with Jalon, and they've been great support for him the entire way,” Leipold said. “Devin and Jalon are very close as well. To see those guys — they're not just talented guys but they are good friends, too. And great teammates and supporting, and it's been great to see.”

🏈 After series of injuries, Jalon Daniels to start at QB for No. 22 Kansas in season opener next week

Wednesday, August 21
 KAYS: Kansas City Royals vs. Los Angeles Angels,
6:30pm

Thursday, August 22
 KFIX: Kansas City Chiefs vs. Chicago Bears, 6:00pm

Friday, August 23&nbsp; KAYS: Kansas City Royals vs. Philadelphia Phillies, 6:30pm

Saturday, August 24
 KAYS: Kansas City Royals vs. Philadelphia Phillies, 5:30pm

Sunday, August 25
 KAYS: Kansas City Royals vs. Philadelphia Phillies,
12:30pm

Wednesday, August 21
 KAYS: Kansas City Royals vs. Los Angeles Angels,
6:30pmThursday, August 22
 KFIX: Kansas City Chiefs vs. Chicago Bears, 6:00pmFriday, August 23&nbsp; KAYS: Kansas City Royals vs. Philadelphia Phillies, 6:30pmSaturday, August 24
 KAYS: Kansas City Royals vs. Philadelphia Phillies, 5:30pmSunday, August 25
 KAYS: Kansas City Royals vs. Philadelphia Phillies,
12:30pm

🎧 Eagle Radio, Hull sports broadcast schedule

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Tyler Anderson outlasted Cole Ragans in a matchup of All-Star pitchers, Zach Neto hit a go-ahead homer for Los Angeles, and the Angels beat Kansas City 9-5 on Tuesday night to end the Royals' five-game winning streak.

Anthony Rendon, Kevin Pillar and Logan O'Hoppe drove in two runs apiece for the Angels, who had lost three straight and six of seven overall. Nolan Schanuel walked three times, and Jo Adell and Jack Lopez each drove in a run.

“That team has been playing really good baseball,” Anderson said. "You just want to battle and give your guys a chance."

Anderson (10-11) allowed five runs on 12 hits and two walks while pitching into the seventh, when Kansas City trimmed a five-run deficit to two. It was good enough to make Anderson the first Angels lefty since Hector Santiago in 2016 to reach 10 wins.

It also was better than Ragans (10-8), who was pulled after Neto homered and two more batters reached base in the sixth. The left-hander allowed five runs — four earned — on three hits, three walks and a hit batter while striking out nine.

“It's always nice when you score runs and we've been having trouble doing it,” Angels manager Ron Washington said. “Today we got a chance to score them and tomorrow I hope we can continue. ... I just want us to be consistent and able to sustain it. Tonight we were able to do that. But I would like to see us come back tomorrow and put those types of at-bats together.”

Vinnie Pasquantino had three RBIs for Kansas City. Bobby Witt Jr. had three hits and drove in a run.

The Royals had not trailed during their five-game win streak, but the Angels were able to strike first Tuesday night. Schanuel and Pillar led off the fourth with doubles, and Rendon's sacrifice fly later in the inning gave them a 2-0 lead.

Kansas City answered in the bottom half on doubles by Witt and Pasquantino and Hunter Renfroe's tying single.

Neto homered for the second straight game leading off the sixth, and Ragans walked Schanuel and plunked Pillar before departing for the night. O'Hoppe and Rendon greeted James McArthur with run-scoring singles to give Los Angeles a 5-2 lead.

In the seventh, Pillar added a sacrifice fly after a 14-pitch at-bat and O'Hoppe hit an RBI single to extend the lead to five.

The support came in handy when Kansas City scored three times in the bottom of the inning. But Hunter Strickland came in for Anderson and limited the damage, and Los Angeles added two more runs in the ninth to put the game away.

“They fought like they always do,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said. “We had a chance to come back there in the seventh and just couldn’t get there.”

Crew chief Vic Carapazza's umpires had a tough night, getting three calls overturned by review. Two involved first base umpire Mike Estabrook and the third came when plate umpire Tom Hanahan incorrectly called Rendon out trying to score in the ninth.

Royals: RHP Hunter Harvey (back tightness) had a setback while throwing before Monday night's game. He received an injection Tuesday, Quatraro said, and the hope is Harvey can try throwing again later in the week.

Angels: RHP Johnny Cueto will be back on a big league mound Wednesday night when the Angels wrap up the series. The 38-year-old Cueto, who helped the Royals win the World Series in 2015, had been pitching at Triple-A Salt Lake.

Royals: RHP Michael Lorenzen (6-6, 3.68 ERA) gets the start in the series finale against the Angels before Kansas City takes Thursday off. Lorenzen tossed 5 2/3 innings of one-hit ball his last time out in his return to Cincinnati.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Tyler Anderson outlasted Cole Ragans in a matchup of All-Star pitchers, Zach Neto hit a go-ahead homer for Los Angeles, and the Angels beat Kansas City 9-5 on Tuesday night to end the Royals' five-game winning streak.Anthony Rendon, Kevin Pillar and Logan O'Hoppe drove in two runs apiece for the Angels, who had lost three straight and six of seven overall. Nolan Schanuel walked three times, and Jo Adell and Jack Lopez each drove in a run.“That team has been playing really good baseball,” Anderson said. "You just want to battle and give your guys a chance."Anderson (10-11) allowed five runs on 12 hits and two walks while pitching into the seventh, when Kansas City trimmed a five-run deficit to two. It was good enough to make Anderson the first Angels lefty since Hector Santiago in 2016 to reach 10 wins.It also was better than Ragans (10-8), who was pulled after Neto homered and two more batters reached base in the sixth. The left-hander allowed five runs — four earned — on three hits, three walks and a hit batter while striking out nine.“It's always nice when you score runs and we've been having trouble doing it,” Angels manager Ron Washington said. “Today we got a chance to score them and tomorrow I hope we can continue. ... I just want us to be consistent and able to sustain it. Tonight we were able to do that. But I would like to see us come back tomorrow and put those types of at-bats together.”Vinnie Pasquantino had three RBIs for Kansas City. Bobby Witt Jr. had three hits and drove in a run.The Royals had not trailed during their five-game win streak, but the Angels were able to strike first Tuesday night. Schanuel and Pillar led off the fourth with doubles, and Rendon's sacrifice fly later in the inning gave them a 2-0 lead.Kansas City answered in the bottom half on doubles by Witt and Pasquantino and Hunter Renfroe's tying single.Neto homered for the second straight game leading off the sixth, and Ragans walked Schanuel and plunked Pillar before departing for the night. O'Hoppe and Rendon greeted James McArthur with run-scoring singles to give Los Angeles a 5-2 lead.In the seventh, Pillar added a sacrifice fly after a 14-pitch at-bat and O'Hoppe hit an RBI single to extend the lead to five.The support came in handy when Kansas City scored three times in the bottom of the inning. But Hunter Strickland came in for Anderson and limited the damage, and Los Angeles added two more runs in the ninth to put the game away.“They fought like they always do,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said. “We had a chance to come back there in the seventh and just couldn’t get there.”CUE THE VIDEOCrew chief Vic Carapazza's umpires had a tough night, getting three calls overturned by review. Two involved first base umpire Mike Estabrook and the third came when plate umpire Tom Hanahan incorrectly called Rendon out trying to score in the ninth.TRAINER'S ROOMRoyals: RHP Hunter Harvey (back tightness) had a setback while throwing before Monday night's game. He received an injection Tuesday, Quatraro said, and the hope is Harvey can try throwing again later in the week.UP NEXTAngels: RHP Johnny Cueto will be back on a big league mound Wednesday night when the Angels wrap up the series. The 38-year-old Cueto, who helped the Royals win the World Series in 2015, had been pitching at Triple-A Salt Lake.Royals: RHP Michael Lorenzen (6-6, 3.68 ERA) gets the start in the series finale against the Angels before Kansas City takes Thursday off. Lorenzen tossed 5 2/3 innings of one-hit ball his last time out in his return to Cincinnati.___

⚾ Neto homers as the Angels end Royals' 5-game win streak

There is no denying that Hays High football has had a number of offensive and defensive game-breakers over the past five or so years. That run of athletes has propelled the Indians to four consecutive Western Athletic Conference titles.

The 2023 squad that finished 7-3 showcased how the whole program has progressed. More and more players are sticking out the two to three year wait until their name is called to fulfill a role.

Seventh year head coach Tony Crough has around 16 starters returning from last year's team. He and the staff spent the summer figuring out how to get the ball to a variety of weapons multiple times instead of one or two players getting a majority of the touches.

The Indians had 95 players put a helmet on for practice number one Monday.

Hays will host the Maroon and Gold Scrimmage on August 30th which will serve as a multi-team jamboree as well.

Hays will need to be ready in week one as they play last year's 6A runner-up Derby at home. The Indians then will head west to take on Wheatland High School out of Arvada, Colorado. Other non-conference games included Manhattan and Junction City.

There is no denying that Hays High football has had a number of offensive and defensive game-breakers over the past five or so years. That run of athletes has propelled the Indians to four consecutive Western Athletic Conference titles.The 2023 squad that finished 7-3 showcased how the whole program has progressed. More and more players are sticking out the two to three year wait until their name is called to fulfill a role.Seventh year head coach Tony Crough has around 16 starters returning from last year's team. He and the staff spent the summer figuring out how to get the ball to a variety of weapons multiple times instead of one or two players getting a majority of the touches.<div><iframe width="100%" height="300" scrolling="no" frameborder="no" allow="autoplay" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/1900869879&color=%23ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&show_teaser=true&visual=true"></iframe><div style="font-size: 10px; color: #cccccc;line-break: anywhere;word-break: normal;overflow: hidden;white-space: nowrap;text-overflow: ellipsis; font-family: Interstate,Lucida Grande,Lucida Sans Unicode,Lucida Sans,Garuda,Verdana,Tahoma,sans-serif;font-weight: 100;"><a href="https://soundcloud.com/user-814667509" title="Eagle Radio" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Eagle Radio</a> · <a href="https://soundcloud.com/user-814667509/tony-crough-2024-preseason" title="Tony Crough 2024 Preseason" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Tony Crough 2024 Preseason</a></div></div>The Indians had 95 players put a helmet on for practice number one Monday.Hays will host the Maroon and Gold Scrimmage on August 30th which will serve as a multi-team jamboree as well.Hays will need to be ready in week one as they play last year's 6A runner-up Derby at home. The Indians then will head west to take on Wheatland High School out of Arvada, Colorado. Other non-conference games included Manhattan and Junction City.

🏈 Hays High looks to reload not rebuild

Tuesday, August 20
 KAYS: Kansas City Royals vs. Los Angeles Angels,
6:30pm

Tuesday, August 20
 KAYS: Kansas City Royals vs. Los Angeles Angels,
6:30pmWednesday, August 21
 KAYS: Kansas City Royals vs. Los Angeles Angels,
6:30pmThursday, August 22
 KFIX: Kansas City Chiefs vs. Chicago Bears, 6:00pmFriday, August 23&nbsp; KAYS: Kansas City Royals vs. Philadelphia Phillies, 6:30pmSaturday, August 24
 KAYS: Kansas City Royals vs. Philadelphia Phillies, 5:30pmSunday, August 25
 KAYS: Kansas City Royals vs. Philadelphia Phillies,
12:30pm

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Paul DeJong hit a two-run homer, Seth Lugo once again looked like the pitcher whose brilliant first half made him an All-Star, and the Kansas City Royals beat the Los Angeles Angels 5-3 on Monday night to extend their winning streak to five games.

Lugo (14-7), who had been just 2-3 with 5.23 ERA since the All-Star break, allowed four hits and three walks over seven innings while striking out eight. That tied him with the Braves’ Chris Sale and the Tigers’ Tarik Skubal for the big league lead in wins.

Salvador Perez added two hits and three RBIs for the Royals, who have outscored their opponents 37-7 during their winning streak. Kansas City never trailed in any of those games against the AL Central-rival Twins, Reds and Angels.

“It's something we all feel together,” Lugo said simply. “It's a team sport and we're all doing it together.”

Lugo only allowed two hits until the seventh, when Brandon Drury drew a walk and Mickey Moniak and Jo Adell followed with doubles to draw the Angels to 3-2. Lugo bounced back by getting Taylor Ward to pop out and end the inning.

Kris Bubic gave up Zach Neto's homer in the eighth before John Schreiber worked the ninth for his second save.

“We battled him, battled him, battled him,” Angels manager Ron Washington said of Lugo. "At the end, we got some runs on him, but we just couldn’t put him away. If you can stay with a good pitcher like that, usually toward the end, hopefully you get an opportunity. We started getting to him in the seventh, but by that time he’d already did his damage.”

Washington confirmed that hitting coach Johnny Washington was ejected during the game for arguing balls and strikes.

"He thought he had to do what he had to do to protect his hitters,” the manager said.

Carson Fulmer (0-4) allowed three runs — two earned — and five hits with three walks over four innings for Los Angeles.

He was in trouble right from the start, when Michael Massey led off with a single and Fulmer walked two batters in the first inning. And while he was able to wiggle out of that jam, it drove Fulmer's pitch count up and led to a short night.

Massey walked leading off the third and scored on Perez's single. But the first big blow for Kansas City came in the fourth, when DeJong hit his two-run shot into the left-field bullpen. It came one pitch after he had yanked a would-be homer just foul.

Perez added a two-run double off Angels reliever Victor Mederos in the seventh to restore the Royals' cushion.

“I mean, that was the base hit of the night right there,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said. “It separated us again a little bit with two innings to go.”

Angels: 3B Anthony Rendon was back in the lineup after getting hit by a pitch on the elbow in Atlanta and missing the next two games. “The last three days he's been taking care of it, and he said he's ready to go,” Ron Washington said.

Royals: RHP Hunter Harvey (back tightness) hopes to throw a bullpen session later in the week. He has been out since Aug. 5. If that goes well, the club will decide whether Harvey needs a rehab assignment, Royals general manager J.J. Picollo said,

Royals: Schreiber (right patellar tendon) was reinstated from the injured list before the game. The reliever had been out since July 28. RHP Carlos Hernandez was optioned to Triple-A Omaha in the corresponding roster move.

Angels LHP Tyler Anderson (9-11, 3.30 ERA) starts the second game of the series on Tuesday night. LHP Cole Ragans (10-7, 3.18) goes for his sixth win in his last seven starts for Kansas City.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1724146694498.jpeg" alt="Kansas City Royals' Paul DeJong hits a two-run home run during the fourth inning of a baseball game against the Los Angeles Angels Monday, Aug. 19, 2024, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)" />
 <figcaption>Kansas City Royals' Paul DeJong hits a two-run home run during the fourth inning of a baseball game against the Los Angeles Angels Monday, Aug. 19, 2024, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Paul DeJong hit a two-run homer, Seth Lugo once again looked like the pitcher whose brilliant first half made him an All-Star, and the Kansas City Royals beat the Los Angeles Angels 5-3 on Monday night to extend their winning streak to five games.Lugo (14-7), who had been just 2-3 with 5.23 ERA since the All-Star break, allowed four hits and three walks over seven innings while striking out eight. That tied him with the Braves’ Chris Sale and the Tigers’ Tarik Skubal for the big league lead in wins.Salvador Perez added two hits and three RBIs for the Royals, who have outscored their opponents 37-7 during their winning streak. Kansas City never trailed in any of those games against the AL Central-rival Twins, Reds and Angels.“It's something we all feel together,” Lugo said simply. “It's a team sport and we're all doing it together.”Lugo only allowed two hits until the seventh, when Brandon Drury drew a walk and Mickey Moniak and Jo Adell followed with doubles to draw the Angels to 3-2. Lugo bounced back by getting Taylor Ward to pop out and end the inning.Kris Bubic gave up Zach Neto's homer in the eighth before John Schreiber worked the ninth for his second save.“We battled him, battled him, battled him,” Angels manager Ron Washington said of Lugo. "At the end, we got some runs on him, but we just couldn’t put him away. If you can stay with a good pitcher like that, usually toward the end, hopefully you get an opportunity. We started getting to him in the seventh, but by that time he’d already did his damage.”Washington confirmed that hitting coach Johnny Washington was ejected during the game for arguing balls and strikes."He thought he had to do what he had to do to protect his hitters,” the manager said.Carson Fulmer (0-4) allowed three runs — two earned — and five hits with three walks over four innings for Los Angeles.He was in trouble right from the start, when Michael Massey led off with a single and Fulmer walked two batters in the first inning. And while he was able to wiggle out of that jam, it drove Fulmer's pitch count up and led to a short night.Massey walked leading off the third and scored on Perez's single. But the first big blow for Kansas City came in the fourth, when DeJong hit his two-run shot into the left-field bullpen. It came one pitch after he had yanked a would-be homer just foul.Perez added a two-run double off Angels reliever Victor Mederos in the seventh to restore the Royals' cushion.“I mean, that was the base hit of the night right there,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said. “It separated us again a little bit with two innings to go.”TRAINER'S ROOMAngels: 3B Anthony Rendon was back in the lineup after getting hit by a pitch on the elbow in Atlanta and missing the next two games. “The last three days he's been taking care of it, and he said he's ready to go,” Ron Washington said.Royals: RHP Hunter Harvey (back tightness) hopes to throw a bullpen session later in the week. He has been out since Aug. 5. If that goes well, the club will decide whether Harvey needs a rehab assignment, Royals general manager J.J. Picollo said,ROSTER MOVESRoyals: Schreiber (right patellar tendon) was reinstated from the injured list before the game. The reliever had been out since July 28. RHP Carlos Hernandez was optioned to Triple-A Omaha in the corresponding roster move.UP NEXTAngels LHP Tyler Anderson (9-11, 3.30 ERA) starts the second game of the series on Tuesday night. LHP Cole Ragans (10-7, 3.18) goes for his sixth win in his last seven starts for Kansas City.___

⚾ DeJong hits 2-run shot as Royals beat Angels for 5th straight win

The TMP-Marian football program began year number two under
head coach Grant Stephenson Monday with the first practice of the year.

Approximately 30 players joined Stephenson for the first practice
of the season, including three new seniors who joined the team for their final
year of high school.

The Monarchs finished 5-5 last season losing to Norton (18-6) in the second round of the 2A playoffs.&nbsp;

TMP travels to Larned on Aug. 30 for a jamboree and then
opens the season the following week on the road at Russell.

Hays PostThe TMP-Marian football program began year number two under
head coach Grant Stephenson Monday with the first practice of the year.Approximately 30 players joined Stephenson for the first practice
of the season, including three new seniors who joined the team for their final
year of high school.<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/1900407633&color=%23294b71&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&show_teaser=true"></iframe><div style="font-size: 10px; color: #cccccc;line-break: anywhere;word-break: normal;overflow: hidden;white-space: nowrap;text-overflow: ellipsis; font-family: Interstate,Lucida Grande,Lucida Sans Unicode,Lucida Sans,Garuda,Verdana,Tahoma,sans-serif;font-weight: 100;"><a href="https://soundcloud.com/user-814667509" title="Eagle Radio" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Eagle Radio</a> · <a href="https://soundcloud.com/user-814667509/grant-stephenson-081924" title="Grant Stephenson - 081924" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Grant Stephenson - 081924</a></div></div>The Monarchs finished 5-5 last season losing to Norton (18-6) in the second round of the 2A playoffs.&nbsp;TMP travels to Larned on Aug. 30 for a jamboree and then
opens the season the following week on the road at Russell.

🏈🎧TMP begins second season under head coach Grant Stephenson

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Chiefs expect to have All-Pro defensive tackle Chris Jones, starting right guard Jawaan Taylor and All-Pro left guard Joe Thuney on the field when they open the regular season against the Baltimore Ravens on Sept. 5.

Jones and Taylor have been dealing with shoulder injuries and Thuney is coming back from a torn pectoral muscle.

Chiefs coach Andy Reid said Monday none of those players will play in the preseason finale Thursday night against Chicago, but all of them should be ready for Week 1. Reid also said long snapper James Winchester, who sprained his AC joint in their loss to Detroit on Saturday, should be OK for the start of the regular season.

The Chiefs brought a different long snapper into camp this week to handle practice and their preseason finale.

“I'll probably sit the starters (against the Bears) the way it looks right now,” Reid said before Monday's practice, “and we'll have the other guys get out there and play. We'll just see how that goes rep-wise.”

The Chiefs played many of their starters for the first half against Detroit, and there have been years in the past where Reid has given some of them a couple of snaps in their preseason finale. But he said the number of plays that the first team ran in training camp was more than in the past, and that would compensate for getting fewer reps in preseason games.

The reason for more practice reps? It never rained.

The Chiefs, who hold most of their training camp at Missouri Western State University, are usually forced to use the Division II school's indoor facility because of inclement weather at least a few times, and the size of the building forces them to cut back on the number of plays they run. But that never happened over the past three-plus weeks of camp.

“I looked at the number of plays between camp and preseason games and we were up some 50 plays from the year before in camp,” Reid said, “so I was able to monitor that and work it in with the preseason games.”

The only starter that Reid was uncertain about for the opener against Baltimore was wide receiver Marquise Brown.

One of the Chiefs' top free-agent signings, “Hollywood” Brown dislocated the sternoclavicular joint in his shoulder after making a catch in their preseason opener against Jacksonville. He got the shoulder set without surgery, though, and that should speed up his recovery time and perhaps get him on the field quicker than the initial 4-to-6-week estimate.

In the meantime, the Chiefs will rely on second-year pro Rashee Rice and first-round draft pick Xavier Worthy along with Justin Watson, who has developed from a journeyman signed for depth two years ago into a valuable part of the team.

“At this point in the year we're all just focused on improving a ton each day. That's been the goal since we got here,” Watson said. “It was good seeing Hollywood in the building this week. Seems like he's doing everything he can to get back here.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1722517857498.jpeg" alt="Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid watches during NFL football training camp Saturday, July 27, 2024, in St. Joseph, Mo. (AP Photo/Reed Hoffmann)" />
 <figcaption>Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid watches during NFL football training camp Saturday, July 27, 2024, in St. Joseph, Mo. (AP Photo/Reed Hoffmann)</figcaption>
 </figure>By DAVE SKRETTA AP Sports WriterKANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Chiefs expect to have All-Pro defensive tackle Chris Jones, starting right guard Jawaan Taylor and All-Pro left guard Joe Thuney on the field when they open the regular season against the Baltimore Ravens on Sept. 5.Jones and Taylor have been dealing with shoulder injuries and Thuney is coming back from a torn pectoral muscle.Chiefs coach Andy Reid said Monday none of those players will play in the preseason finale Thursday night against Chicago, but all of them should be ready for Week 1. Reid also said long snapper James Winchester, who sprained his AC joint in their loss to Detroit on Saturday, should be OK for the start of the regular season.The Chiefs brought a different long snapper into camp this week to handle practice and their preseason finale.“I'll probably sit the starters (against the Bears) the way it looks right now,” Reid said before Monday's practice, “and we'll have the other guys get out there and play. We'll just see how that goes rep-wise.”The Chiefs played many of their starters for the first half against Detroit, and there have been years in the past where Reid has given some of them a couple of snaps in their preseason finale. But he said the number of plays that the first team ran in training camp was more than in the past, and that would compensate for getting fewer reps in preseason games.The reason for more practice reps? It never rained.The Chiefs, who hold most of their training camp at Missouri Western State University, are usually forced to use the Division II school's indoor facility because of inclement weather at least a few times, and the size of the building forces them to cut back on the number of plays they run. But that never happened over the past three-plus weeks of camp.“I looked at the number of plays between camp and preseason games and we were up some 50 plays from the year before in camp,” Reid said, “so I was able to monitor that and work it in with the preseason games.”The only starter that Reid was uncertain about for the opener against Baltimore was wide receiver Marquise Brown.One of the Chiefs' top free-agent signings, “Hollywood” Brown dislocated the sternoclavicular joint in his shoulder after making a catch in their preseason opener against Jacksonville. He got the shoulder set without surgery, though, and that should speed up his recovery time and perhaps get him on the field quicker than the initial 4-to-6-week estimate.In the meantime, the Chiefs will rely on second-year pro Rashee Rice and first-round draft pick Xavier Worthy along with Justin Watson, who has developed from a journeyman signed for depth two years ago into a valuable part of the team.“At this point in the year we're all just focused on improving a ton each day. That's been the goal since we got here,” Watson said. “It was good seeing Hollywood in the building this week. Seems like he's doing everything he can to get back here.”

🏈 Chiefs expect starters Chris Jones, Joe Thuney and others back for opener vs Ravens on Sept. 5

Monday, August 19
 KAYS: Kansas City Royals vs. Los Angeles Angels,
6:30pm

Monday, August 19
 KAYS: Kansas City Royals vs. Los Angeles Angels,
6:30pmTuesday, August 20
 KAYS: Kansas City Royals vs. Los Angeles Angels,
6:30pmWednesday, August 21
 KAYS: Kansas City Royals vs. Los Angeles Angels,
6:30pmThursday, August 22
 KFIX: Kansas City Chiefs vs. Chicago Bears, 6:00pmFriday, August 23&nbsp; KAYS: Kansas City Royals vs. Philadelphia Phillies, 6:30pmSaturday, August 24
 KAYS: Kansas City Royals vs. Philadelphia Phillies, 5:30pmSunday, August 25
 KAYS: Kansas City Royals vs. Philadelphia Phillies,
12:30pm

By ARNIE STAPLETON AP Pro Football Writer

DENVER (AP) — Denver Broncos coach Sean Payton isn't ready to name rookie quarterback&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/denver-broncos-indianapolis-colts-preseason-6d7445a697ffefbb0e9848632ff14283">Bo Nix</a>&nbsp;his starter just yet. It sure seems it's just a matter of time, though.

“Well listen, he's played well. I'm not announcing any starting quarterback tonight," Payton said after Nix made another strong case for the gig when he led Denver to scores on both of his drives in his first NFL start, a 27-2 win over the Green Bay Packers' backups on Sunday night.

Nix, the former Oregon star and the sixth QB selected in the 2024 NFL draft, has now led Denver to scores on six of his seven drives in the preseason.

Nix threw a&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/Broncos/status/1825333028182274306">2-yard touchdown pass to Tim Patrick</a>, whose trip to the end zone was his first in 974 days as he missed the last two seasons with leg injuries. Nix also had a 14-yard strike to Javonte Williams that was overturned on review as he was ruled just past the line of scrimmage when he threw.

Denver (2-0), which got touchdowns from all three QBs, settled for the first of Wil Lutz’s two field goals instead.

Asked if he feels he’s done enough to win the job, Nix said, “That’s not for me to decide.”

It’s for Payton to determine and he's not ready to reveal his pick, although he did heap plenty of praise on Nix.

“He had the one penalty which was right on the line. It was tough,” Payton said. “It was a pretty heads-up play. He did a good job at the line of scrimmage with some checks. You feel his comfort level as he continues to get used to the calls coming in. And you know, you kind of feel the poise when he's playing."

Nix finished 8 of 9 for 90 yards and a stellar 140.7 passer rating. Patrick caught four of his passes for 30 yards, none bigger than his TD, his first since Dec. 19, 2021.

“We just went crazy for Tim Patrick after the game,” QB Jarrett Stidham said.

“It meant a lot,” suggested Denver linebacker Baron Browning. “I know it had to be tough for him mentally” to miss two seasons. “Just to see him fight back ... I'm glad to have him back."

Nix relieved Stidham last week at Indianapolis before getting the bulk of the first-team work leading up to his first start as a pro, which included a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/broncos-packers-love-nix-joint-practice-10739b185d6c2f2c712a0f7912959864">joint practice</a>&nbsp;Friday.

That workout proved more competitive than this game although Packers coach Matt LaFleur wasn't happy with the déjà vu Sunday when he sat 31 players, including all of his regular starters.

“That was a long night,” LaFleur said. "I was hoping our guys would come out with more strain, effort, grit. We were kind of getting humbled the other day in practice and to have it happen again wasn’t where we want to be.

“It was a good lesson for our guys in terms of it doesn’t matter who’s out there, if you don’t put your best foot forward each and every time you go out on that field, these things can happen to you.”

Stidham's 9-yard scramble into the end zone made it 17-0 just before halftime following Keidron Smith's 56-yard interception return of a deep pass from Sean Clifford, who got the start with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2020-nfl-draft-qbs-931e5c3e995ac623b9f87ecf088752a4">Jordan Love</a>&nbsp;in a baseball cap.

Zach Wilson mopped up for Denver and Green Bay (1-1) finally got on the scoreboard in the final minute of the third quarter when Zach Morton sacked Wilson in the end zone for a safety.

What followed was the first post-safety kickoff under the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nfl-kickoff-rules-safety-6e030e4f7d369eaa6580e6c6414d7d24">new rules</a>, and Lutz, using a tee that hadn't been allowed on a safety kickoff before, blasted the ball from his 20-yard line to the Green Bay 2. Dimitri Stanley returned it to the 29.

That aspect of the rule change might have unintended consequences because it can prevent teams that recorded the safety from having the favorable field position they generally got in the past with the ensuing punt, drop kick or place kick without the tee.

“I don’t really like it," LaFleur said of the change. "You lose the advantage that you get from the safety. It is what it is; that’s the rule. We’ll just have to play it that way. But I think you really lose the advantage of the field position that you typically gain from a safety.”

INJURIES: Packers LB Ralen Goforth sustained a concussion on Stidham's touchdown just before halftime.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1724079616923.jpeg" alt="Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix warms up before a preseason NFL football game against the Green Bay Packers, Sunday, Aug. 18, 2024, in Denver. (AP Photo/Jack Dempsey)" />
 <figcaption>Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix warms up before a preseason NFL football game against the Green Bay Packers, Sunday, Aug. 18, 2024, in Denver. (AP Photo/Jack Dempsey)</figcaption>
 </figure>By ARNIE STAPLETON AP Pro Football WriterDENVER (AP) — Denver Broncos coach Sean Payton isn't ready to name rookie quarterback&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/denver-broncos-indianapolis-colts-preseason-6d7445a697ffefbb0e9848632ff14283">Bo Nix</a>&nbsp;his starter just yet. It sure seems it's just a matter of time, though.“Well listen, he's played well. I'm not announcing any starting quarterback tonight," Payton said after Nix made another strong case for the gig when he led Denver to scores on both of his drives in his first NFL start, a 27-2 win over the Green Bay Packers' backups on Sunday night.Nix, the former Oregon star and the sixth QB selected in the 2024 NFL draft, has now led Denver to scores on six of his seven drives in the preseason.Nix threw a&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/Broncos/status/1825333028182274306">2-yard touchdown pass to Tim Patrick</a>, whose trip to the end zone was his first in 974 days as he missed the last two seasons with leg injuries. Nix also had a 14-yard strike to Javonte Williams that was overturned on review as he was ruled just past the line of scrimmage when he threw.Denver (2-0), which got touchdowns from all three QBs, settled for the first of Wil Lutz’s two field goals instead.Asked if he feels he’s done enough to win the job, Nix said, “That’s not for me to decide.”It’s for Payton to determine and he's not ready to reveal his pick, although he did heap plenty of praise on Nix.“He had the one penalty which was right on the line. It was tough,” Payton said. “It was a pretty heads-up play. He did a good job at the line of scrimmage with some checks. You feel his comfort level as he continues to get used to the calls coming in. And you know, you kind of feel the poise when he's playing."Nix finished 8 of 9 for 90 yards and a stellar 140.7 passer rating. Patrick caught four of his passes for 30 yards, none bigger than his TD, his first since Dec. 19, 2021.“We just went crazy for Tim Patrick after the game,” QB Jarrett Stidham said.“It meant a lot,” suggested Denver linebacker Baron Browning. “I know it had to be tough for him mentally” to miss two seasons. “Just to see him fight back ... I'm glad to have him back."Nix relieved Stidham last week at Indianapolis before getting the bulk of the first-team work leading up to his first start as a pro, which included a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/broncos-packers-love-nix-joint-practice-10739b185d6c2f2c712a0f7912959864">joint practice</a>&nbsp;Friday.That workout proved more competitive than this game although Packers coach Matt LaFleur wasn't happy with the déjà vu Sunday when he sat 31 players, including all of his regular starters.“That was a long night,” LaFleur said. "I was hoping our guys would come out with more strain, effort, grit. We were kind of getting humbled the other day in practice and to have it happen again wasn’t where we want to be.“It was a good lesson for our guys in terms of it doesn’t matter who’s out there, if you don’t put your best foot forward each and every time you go out on that field, these things can happen to you.”Stidham's 9-yard scramble into the end zone made it 17-0 just before halftime following Keidron Smith's 56-yard interception return of a deep pass from Sean Clifford, who got the start with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2020-nfl-draft-qbs-931e5c3e995ac623b9f87ecf088752a4">Jordan Love</a>&nbsp;in a baseball cap.RULE RIPPLEZach Wilson mopped up for Denver and Green Bay (1-1) finally got on the scoreboard in the final minute of the third quarter when Zach Morton sacked Wilson in the end zone for a safety.What followed was the first post-safety kickoff under the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nfl-kickoff-rules-safety-6e030e4f7d369eaa6580e6c6414d7d24">new rules</a>, and Lutz, using a tee that hadn't been allowed on a safety kickoff before, blasted the ball from his 20-yard line to the Green Bay 2. Dimitri Stanley returned it to the 29.That aspect of the rule change might have unintended consequences because it can prevent teams that recorded the safety from having the favorable field position they generally got in the past with the ensuing punt, drop kick or place kick without the tee.“I don’t really like it," LaFleur said of the change. "You lose the advantage that you get from the safety. It is what it is; that’s the rule. We’ll just have to play it that way. But I think you really lose the advantage of the field position that you typically gain from a safety.”INJURIES: Packers LB Ralen Goforth sustained a concussion on Stidham's touchdown just before halftime.UP NEXTPackers: Host the Ravens on Saturday.Broncos: Host the Cardinals on Sunday.

🏈 Nix strengthens his bid for the Broncos' starting QB job in win over the Packers

CINCINNATI (AP) — Dairon Blanco hit his third home run in two days and started a rally with a bunt single as the Kansas City Royals beat the Cincinnati Reds 8-1 on Sunday to complete a series sweep.

Blanco, an outfielder, had just 64 at-bats coming into the series, before helping the Royals outscore the Reds 26-3.

The 31-year old from Cuba drove in seven runs on Saturday with two home runs, including a grand slam. On Sunday, he started a two-run third inning against 10-game winner Andrew Abbott with a bunt single. Blanco stole second and scored on Vinnie Pasquantino's single. Salvatore Perez added a sacrifice fly.

Blanco hit his fourth home run of the season off Abbott (10-10). It was the 25th home run allowed by Abbott.

Pasquantino drove in three runs to take the team lead over Bobby Witt Jr. with 92.

Brady Singer (9-8) snapped a two-game losing streak, overcoming a 45-minute rain delay to pitch six scoreless innings. He allowed five hits, a walk and a hit batter while striking out seven.

Abbott allowed four runs in five innings on six hits and an intentional walk. He struck out four.

Sam Long took over for Singer, pitching the seventh inning in a light rain. He allowed Santiago Espinal's third single, then walked three straight Reds with one out. Lucas Erceg entered to face Elly De La Cruz with the bases loaded. Erceg struck out De La Cruz and Spencer Steer to end the threat.

TJ Friedl robbed Witt of his 26th home run, with a leaping catch in the seventh inning.

The Royals scored four in the ninth. Witt singled for his 91st RBI.

Reds: Hunter Greene was placed on the 15-day injured list with right elbow soreness retroactive to Aug. 14. He had an MRI exam and is seeking a second opinion.

The Royals will host the Los Angeles Angels on Monday. Carson Fulmer (0-3, 4.22) starts for the Angels. Seth Lugo (13-7, 3.04) takes the ball for the Royals.

The Reds will visit the Toronto Blue Jays on Monday. The Reds have not announced the replacement for Greene. The Blue Jays will start Kevin Gausman (11-8, 4.20)

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1724018434636.png" alt="Photo Kansas City Royals" />
 <figcaption>Photo Kansas City Royals</figcaption>
 </figure>CINCINNATI (AP) — Dairon Blanco hit his third home run in two days and started a rally with a bunt single as the Kansas City Royals beat the Cincinnati Reds 8-1 on Sunday to complete a series sweep.Blanco, an outfielder, had just 64 at-bats coming into the series, before helping the Royals outscore the Reds 26-3.The 31-year old from Cuba drove in seven runs on Saturday with two home runs, including a grand slam. On Sunday, he started a two-run third inning against 10-game winner Andrew Abbott with a bunt single. Blanco stole second and scored on Vinnie Pasquantino's single. Salvatore Perez added a sacrifice fly.Blanco hit his fourth home run of the season off Abbott (10-10). It was the 25th home run allowed by Abbott.Pasquantino drove in three runs to take the team lead over Bobby Witt Jr. with 92.Brady Singer (9-8) snapped a two-game losing streak, overcoming a 45-minute rain delay to pitch six scoreless innings. He allowed five hits, a walk and a hit batter while striking out seven.Abbott allowed four runs in five innings on six hits and an intentional walk. He struck out four.Sam Long took over for Singer, pitching the seventh inning in a light rain. He allowed Santiago Espinal's third single, then walked three straight Reds with one out. Lucas Erceg entered to face Elly De La Cruz with the bases loaded. Erceg struck out De La Cruz and Spencer Steer to end the threat.TJ Friedl robbed Witt of his 26th home run, with a leaping catch in the seventh inning.The Royals scored four in the ninth. Witt singled for his 91st RBI.TRAINER'S ROOMReds: Hunter Greene was placed on the 15-day injured list with right elbow soreness retroactive to Aug. 14. He had an MRI exam and is seeking a second opinion.UP NEXTThe Royals will host the Los Angeles Angels on Monday. Carson Fulmer (0-3, 4.22) starts for the Angels. Seth Lugo (13-7, 3.04) takes the ball for the Royals.The Reds will visit the Toronto Blue Jays on Monday. The Reds have not announced the replacement for Greene. The Blue Jays will start Kevin Gausman (11-8, 4.20)

⚾ Blanco homers again to help the Royals complete sweep of the Reds

Sunday, August 18
 KAYS: Kansas City
Royals at Cincinnati Reds, 12:00pm

Sunday, August 18
 KAYS: Kansas City
Royals at Cincinnati Reds, 12:00pm

🎧 Eagle Media, Hull sports broadcast schedule

By GERARD WELLBROCK Hays Post

HAYS – The Fort Hays State football team closed out preseason
camp Saturday morning with their only scheduled scrimmage at Lewis Field.

The scrimmage, which included MIAA officials, was a success according to head coach Chris Brown.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1723923556615.jpeg" alt="Fort Hays State wide receiver Tariq Logan tries to break a tackle after making a catch in a scrimmage on Saturday, August 17, 2024 (Hays Post photo/Jeff Leiker)" />
 <figcaption>Fort Hays State wide receiver Tariq Logan tries to break a tackle after making a catch in a scrimmage on Saturday, August 17, 2024 (Hays Post photo/Jeff Leiker)</figcaption>
 </figure>By GERARD WELLBROCK Hays PostHAYS – The Fort Hays State football team closed out preseason
camp Saturday morning with their only scheduled scrimmage at Lewis Field.The scrimmage, which included MIAA officials, was a success according to head coach Chris Brown.“The physicality was there today." Brown said. “Through camp, I didn't think we were physical, not where I quite wanted, but
today, I really thought that physicality came through, you know, across the
board, offensively and defensively.”FHSU returns the majority of their starters on the defensive side of the ball and
Brown thought that showed Saturday.<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/1899164307&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/fhsu-head-coach-chris-brown-081724" title="FHSU head coach Chris Brown 081724" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">FHSU head coach Chris Brown 081724</a></div></div>“I'm pretty pleased, defense did really well today, but you
know, we've seen our offense for two weeks now and that really makes it tough
on our offense.” Brown said. &nbsp;“They
didn't give us all the looks that we were expecting to try to keep it pretty
simple and just let us guys line up and play, but overall, I thought we did
really well. I thought we got some really good talent out here, and I thought
we played some really good speed today.”<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1723923626160.jpeg" alt="Hays Post photo/Jeff Leiker" />
 <figcaption>Hays Post photo/Jeff Leiker</figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1723923661238.jpeg" alt="Hays Post photo/Jeff Leiker" />
 <figcaption>Hays Post photo/Jeff Leiker</figcaption>
 </figure>One of those returning defensive starters is defensive end Myles Menges who, thanks to COVID, is in his sixth season
with the Tigers.“This is the best overall team chemistry we’ve ever had
throughout the camp.” Menges said. “I would say we got after it this year and this
is probably one of the most physical units we’ve had at this point of camp.”<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/1899164841&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/myles-menges-081724" title="Myles Menges 081724" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Myles Menges 081724</a></div></div>Jack Dawson is the Tigers returning starting quarterback and
felt the defense had the upper hand.“Our defense, they’re really solid.” Dawson said. “We practice against them every single day and it’s hard for us. With our new offensive coordinator (Matt Ross) we’re still figuring things out. You can kind of see through the first few days of camp we’re having success and when the bullets start firing, we can’t fold.”<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1723923743292.jpeg" alt="Hays Post photo/Jeff Leiker" />
 <figcaption>Hays Post photo/Jeff Leiker</figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1723924330744.jpeg" alt="Hays Post photo/Jeff Leiker" />
 <figcaption>Hays Post photo/Jeff Leiker</figcaption>
 </figure><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/1899165294&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/jack-dawson-081724" title="Jack Dawson 081724" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Jack Dawson 081724</a></div></div>With the start of classes Monday, the Tigers shift to
afternoon practices. They open the season on Thursday, August 29 at home
against Angelo State. &nbsp;