The Kansas Volleyball Association (KVA) released its new rankings on Wednesday, Oct. 1. The rankings reflect the new 2025-26 classifications, released by the Kansas State High School Activities Association (KSHSAA) last week.

Class 6A Blue Valley West, 15-1 (1) Mill Valley, 15-3 (3) Olathe West, 13-3 (2) Blue Valley North, 13-7 (4) Olathe Northwest, 14-5 (5) Washburn Rural, 9-4 (6) Manhattan, 13-5 (9) Lawrence Free State, 11-8 (7) Gardner-Edgerton, 17-6 (8) Garden City, 15-3 (10)

Class 5A St. Thomas Aquinas, 14-2 (1) Blue Valley Southwest, 17-2 (2) Maize South, 22-3 (4) Bishop Carroll, 22-1 (5) St. James Academy, 15-6 (3) Lansing, 19-5 (6) Andover Central, 16-7 (9)| Goddard-Eisenhower, 16-7 (8) De Soto, 16-8 (7) Andover, 11-6 (10)

Class 4A Clay Center, 17-2 (2) Andale, 21-1 (3) Hayden, 14-5 (1) Bishop Miege, 3-15 (5) Rock Creek, 23-4 (7) Chanute, 20-0 (10) McPherson, 15-4 (6) Paola, 14-4 (4) Eudora, 13-8 (NR) Wellington, 15-6 (NR)

Class 3A Silver Lake, 22-1 (1) Beloit, 18-4 (2) Halstead, 16-3 (4) Hoisington, 21-3 (3) Holton, 18-6 (8 in 4A) Trinity Academy, 14-4 (5) Goodland, 12-2 (7) Holcomb, 17-3 (8) Maranatha Christian, 18-3 (9 in 2A) Hesston, 14-8 (6)

Class 2A Ellinwood, 22-0 (1) Hillsboro, 19-5 (3) Moundridge, 21-2 (2) Oakley, 20-0 (5) Rossville, 14-6 (4) Medicine Lodge, 22-1 (6) Valley Heights, 18-6 (7) Sedgwick, 18-5 (8) Jefferson County North, 21-1 (10) Berean Academy, 14-6 (NR)

Class 1A Division I Little River, 20-2 (1) Centralia, 19-2 (2) Spearville, 16-1 (5) Rock Hills, 20-0 (3) South Gray, 19-2 (4) Wabaunsee, 13-5 (NR) Goessel, 14-6 (8) Greeley County, 15-6 (6) Quinter, 12-5 (9) Onaga, 10-5 (10)

Class 1A Division II Ingalls, 17-1 (1) Marais des Cygnes Valley, 21-1 (2) Hanover, 20-3 (3) Argonia, 26-1 (4) Linn, 13-5 (5) Victoria, 14-1 (6) Dighton, 10-5 (8) Cheylin, 16-5 (7) Waverly, 17-7 (10) Attica, 16-9 (9)

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1694203728754.png" alt="Courtesy Kansas Volleyball Association" />
 <figcaption>Courtesy Kansas Volleyball Association</figcaption>
 </figure>The Kansas Volleyball Association (KVA) released its new rankings on Wednesday, Oct. 1. The rankings reflect the new 2025-26 classifications, released by the Kansas State High School Activities Association (KSHSAA) last week.Class 6A Blue Valley West, 15-1 (1) Mill Valley, 15-3 (3) Olathe West, 13-3 (2) Blue Valley North, 13-7 (4) Olathe Northwest, 14-5 (5) Washburn Rural, 9-4 (6) Manhattan, 13-5 (9) Lawrence Free State, 11-8 (7) Gardner-Edgerton, 17-6 (8) Garden City, 15-3 (10)Class 5A St. Thomas Aquinas, 14-2 (1) Blue Valley Southwest, 17-2 (2) Maize South, 22-3 (4) Bishop Carroll, 22-1 (5) St. James Academy, 15-6 (3) Lansing, 19-5 (6) Andover Central, 16-7 (9)| Goddard-Eisenhower, 16-7 (8) De Soto, 16-8 (7) Andover, 11-6 (10)Class 4A Clay Center, 17-2 (2) Andale, 21-1 (3) Hayden, 14-5 (1) Bishop Miege, 3-15 (5) Rock Creek, 23-4 (7) Chanute, 20-0 (10) McPherson, 15-4 (6) Paola, 14-4 (4) Eudora, 13-8 (NR) Wellington, 15-6 (NR)Class 3A Silver Lake, 22-1 (1) Beloit, 18-4 (2) Halstead, 16-3 (4) Hoisington, 21-3 (3) Holton, 18-6 (8 in 4A) Trinity Academy, 14-4 (5) Goodland, 12-2 (7) Holcomb, 17-3 (8) Maranatha Christian, 18-3 (9 in 2A) Hesston, 14-8 (6)Class 2A Ellinwood, 22-0 (1) Hillsboro, 19-5 (3) Moundridge, 21-2 (2) Oakley, 20-0 (5) Rossville, 14-6 (4) Medicine Lodge, 22-1 (6) Valley Heights, 18-6 (7) Sedgwick, 18-5 (8) Jefferson County North, 21-1 (10) Berean Academy, 14-6 (NR)Class 1A Division I Little River, 20-2 (1) Centralia, 19-2 (2) Spearville, 16-1 (5) Rock Hills, 20-0 (3) South Gray, 19-2 (4) Wabaunsee, 13-5 (NR) Goessel, 14-6 (8) Greeley County, 15-6 (6) Quinter, 12-5 (9) Onaga, 10-5 (10)Class 1A Division II Ingalls, 17-1 (1) Marais des Cygnes Valley, 21-1 (2) Hanover, 20-3 (3) Argonia, 26-1 (4) Linn, 13-5 (5) Victoria, 14-1 (6) Dighton, 10-5 (8) Cheylin, 16-5 (7) Waverly, 17-7 (10) Attica, 16-9 (9)

🏐 Victoria, Quinter, Oakley among area teams in latest KVA rankings

KANSAS CITY, Mo.—The Kansas City Royals announced this morning that infielder Vinnie Pasquantino and right-handed pitcher Stephen Kolek have been named Royals Player and Pitcher of the Month, respectively, for September. The awards are determined by a local media vote.

Pasquantino started each of the Royals final 25 games of the season, slashing .290/.330/.520 (29-for-100) with 19 RBI, and 15 of his 29 hits went for extra bases (11 doubles, 4 home runs). His 15 extra-base hits last month were tied for 5th most in the Majors, behind only Shohei Ohtani (19), Jorge Polanco (17), Daylen Lile (16) and Jackson Merrill (16), and they tied for the 7th most by a Royal ever in the month of September. He recorded his 100th RBI of the season in the 3rd inning on Sept. 10 in Cleveland, becoming the 21st different player in Royals history to record a 100-RBI season with the club. Pasquantino hit his team-leading 32nd home run in the 1st inning last Thursday in Anaheim, which also marked his Major League-leading 32nd go-ahead RBI of the season. Thanks to his strong month of September, he finished the year with 33 doubles and 32 home runs, making him one of eight players in Royals history to record at least 30 doubles and 30 home runs in a season, something teammate Salvador Perez also did this season (35 doubles and 30 HR). Pasquantino is only the third Royals left-handed batter to turn the trick, following George Brett in 1985 (38 2B, 30 HR) and John Mayberry in 1975 (38 2B, 34 HR). This marks his fifth career monthly honor and second straight, after recording an American League-leading 29 RBI in August.

Kolek was unanimously named Royals Player of the Month in his first full month with the club, as he was acquired by Kansas City at the Trade Deadline and made his next 5 starts with Triple-A Omaha before being recalled on Aug. 29. He made 4 starts with the Royals in the month of September, during which he pitched to a 2.00 ERA (6 ER in 27.0 IP) and allowed 2 earned runs or fewer in all 4 outings. He limited opponents to a .165 batting average (16-for-97), which was the 3rd-best opponents’ average in the American League (min. 4 GS), behind only Minnesota’s Simeon Woods Richardson (.140) and Seattle’s Bryan Woo (.143). Kolek’s 2.00 ERA ranked 5th in the AL (min. 4 GS), trailing Tanner Bibee (1.30), Joey Cantillo (1.55), Gavin Williams (1.88) and Max Fried (1.89). He pitched to a 1.91 ERA (7 ER in 33.0 IP) spanning 5 starts as a Royal following his acquisition, making him one of only four Royals to allow no more than 7 earned runs over at least 33.0 innings in their 1st 5 appearances with the club, a feat last done by Jason Vargas in 2014 (6 ER in 35.0 IP).

Kansas City RoyalsKANSAS CITY, Mo.—The Kansas City Royals announced this morning that infielder Vinnie Pasquantino and right-handed pitcher Stephen Kolek have been named Royals Player and Pitcher of the Month, respectively, for September. The awards are determined by a local media vote.Pasquantino started each of the Royals final 25 games of the season, slashing .290/.330/.520 (29-for-100) with 19 RBI, and 15 of his 29 hits went for extra bases (11 doubles, 4 home runs). His 15 extra-base hits last month were tied for 5th most in the Majors, behind only Shohei Ohtani (19), Jorge Polanco (17), Daylen Lile (16) and Jackson Merrill (16), and they tied for the 7th most by a Royal ever in the month of September. He recorded his 100th RBI of the season in the 3rd inning on Sept. 10 in Cleveland, becoming the 21st different player in Royals history to record a 100-RBI season with the club. Pasquantino hit his team-leading 32nd home run in the 1st inning last Thursday in Anaheim, which also marked his Major League-leading 32nd go-ahead RBI of the season. Thanks to his strong month of September, he finished the year with 33 doubles and 32 home runs, making him one of eight players in Royals history to record at least 30 doubles and 30 home runs in a season, something teammate Salvador Perez also did this season (35 doubles and 30 HR). Pasquantino is only the third Royals left-handed batter to turn the trick, following George Brett in 1985 (38 2B, 30 HR) and John Mayberry in 1975 (38 2B, 34 HR). This marks his fifth career monthly honor and second straight, after recording an American League-leading 29 RBI in August.Kolek was unanimously named Royals Player of the Month in his first full month with the club, as he was acquired by Kansas City at the Trade Deadline and made his next 5 starts with Triple-A Omaha before being recalled on Aug. 29. He made 4 starts with the Royals in the month of September, during which he pitched to a 2.00 ERA (6 ER in 27.0 IP) and allowed 2 earned runs or fewer in all 4 outings. He limited opponents to a .165 batting average (16-for-97), which was the 3rd-best opponents’ average in the American League (min. 4 GS), behind only Minnesota’s Simeon Woods Richardson (.140) and Seattle’s Bryan Woo (.143). Kolek’s 2.00 ERA ranked 5th in the AL (min. 4 GS), trailing Tanner Bibee (1.30), Joey Cantillo (1.55), Gavin Williams (1.88) and Max Fried (1.89). He pitched to a 1.91 ERA (7 ER in 33.0 IP) spanning 5 starts as a Royal following his acquisition, making him one of only four Royals to allow no more than 7 earned runs over at least 33.0 innings in their 1st 5 appearances with the club, a feat last done by Jason Vargas in 2014 (6 ER in 35.0 IP).

⚾ Pasquantino, Kolek named Royals Player, Pitcher of the Month for September

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

Wednesday, October 1
 KAYS: Hawk Talk with
Lance Leipold, 6:00pm

Thursday, October 2
 none

Friday, October 3
 KKQY: LaCrosse FB at
Quinter, 6:00pm KFIX: Hays High FB vs. Junction City, 6:30pm
 KHAZ: TMP-Marian FB at Smith Center, 6:30pm

Saturday, October 4
 KJLS: Fort Hays State
FB at Missouri Southern State, 12:00pm KAYS: Kansas FB at UCF, 5:00pm

KAYS - (1400/94.3) KFIX - (96.9) KHAZ - (99.5) KJLS - (103.3) KKQY - (101.9)Wednesday, October 1
 KAYS: Hawk Talk with
Lance Leipold, 6:00pmThursday, October 2
 noneFriday, October 3
 KKQY: LaCrosse FB at
Quinter, 6:00pm KFIX: Hays High FB vs. Junction City, 6:30pm
 KHAZ: TMP-Marian FB at Smith Center, 6:30pmSaturday, October 4
 KJLS: Fort Hays State
FB at Missouri Southern State, 12:00pm KAYS: Kansas FB at UCF, 5:00pmSunday, October 5
 none

🎧 Eagle Radio, Hull sports broadcast schedule

JUNCTION CITY - The Hays High volleyball team split their two matches at Tuesday's Junction City triangular. The Indians swept the host Bluejays then were swept by Manhattan to end their four-match win streak.

HHS def. Junction City: 25-11, 25-23 Manhattan def. HHS: 25-12, 25-18

The Indians are now 13-6 overall. They host Abilene, Liberal and Salina South in a&nbsp; home quadrangular Thursday.

Hays Post SportsJUNCTION CITY - The Hays High volleyball team split their two matches at Tuesday's Junction City triangular. The Indians swept the host Bluejays then were swept by Manhattan to end their four-match win streak.HHS def. Junction City: 25-11, 25-23 Manhattan def. HHS: 25-12, 25-18The Indians are now 13-6 overall. They host Abilene, Liberal and Salina South in a&nbsp; home quadrangular Thursday.

🏐 HHS splits matches in Junction City

WAKEENEY - The TMP-Marian volleyball team won both of their matches at Tuesday's Trego triangular. The Monarchs swept Phillipsburg and the host Golden Eagles.

TMP-Marian def. Phillipsburg: 25-20, 25-19 TMP-Marian def. Trego 25-16, 25-23

The Monarchs have won four-straight and 10 of their last 12 and improved to 14-10 on the season.

Hays Post SportsWAKEENEY - The TMP-Marian volleyball team won both of their matches at Tuesday's Trego triangular. The Monarchs swept Phillipsburg and the host Golden Eagles.TMP-Marian def. Phillipsburg: 25-20, 25-19 TMP-Marian def. Trego 25-16, 25-23The Monarchs have won four-straight and 10 of their last 12 and improved to 14-10 on the season.

🏐 Monarchs win twice at Trego triangular

NEWTON, Kan. – Fort Hays State Women's Golf placed 11th as a team at the Newman Invitational, hosted at Sand Creek Station Golf Course. FHSU shot a two-round total of 659. Alexis Elliott was the top Tiger finisher individually in 36th at 18-over par.

Elliott shot rounds of 84 and 78 for a total of 162 at the par-72 venue. She had three birdies in the tournament, two of which were on par-3 holes in the first round.

Abbie Norris tied for 43rd at 21-over after rounds of 83 and 82. She had back-to-back birdies in the opening round. Hayden York and Jaycee Oakley both tied for 46th at 22-over. York shot 84 and 82, while Oakley shot 80 and 86. Oakley had three birdies in the opening round, while York had a pair of birdies in the tournament. Kiley Maier tied for 49th at 24-over with rounds of 86 and 82. She had three birdies.

Brynn Ray and Ashlyn Koenke also competed for FHSU. Ray shot 99 and 90, while Koenke shot 92 and 98. Ray had a pair of birdies in the tournament.

Missouri Western won the tournament with a total of 596, while Nebraska-Kearney was second at 610 and Southwestern Oklahoma State was third at 612.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1759278668825.png" alt="FHSU Athletics/Courtesy Seth Kincaid" />
 <figcaption>FHSU Athletics/Courtesy Seth Kincaid</figcaption>
 </figure>FHSU AthleticsNEWTON, Kan. – Fort Hays State Women's Golf placed 11th as a team at the Newman Invitational, hosted at Sand Creek Station Golf Course. FHSU shot a two-round total of 659. Alexis Elliott was the top Tiger finisher individually in 36th at 18-over par.Elliott shot rounds of 84 and 78 for a total of 162 at the par-72 venue. She had three birdies in the tournament, two of which were on par-3 holes in the first round.Abbie Norris tied for 43rd at 21-over after rounds of 83 and 82. She had back-to-back birdies in the opening round. Hayden York and Jaycee Oakley both tied for 46th at 22-over. York shot 84 and 82, while Oakley shot 80 and 86. Oakley had three birdies in the opening round, while York had a pair of birdies in the tournament. Kiley Maier tied for 49th at 24-over with rounds of 86 and 82. She had three birdies.Brynn Ray and Ashlyn Koenke also competed for FHSU. Ray shot 99 and 90, while Koenke shot 92 and 98. Ray had a pair of birdies in the tournament.Missouri Western won the tournament with a total of 596, while Nebraska-Kearney was second at 610 and Southwestern Oklahoma State was third at 612.

⛳ Tiger women 11th at Newman Invitational

NEWTON, Kan. – Cooper Scheck of Fort Hays State tied for first place with a total of 3-under par at the Newman Invitational, hosted at Sand Creek Station Golf Course which played as a par-72. Scheck lost the head-to-head playoff with Marc Bofarull of Minnesota Crookston, but led the Tigers to a third-place finish as a team with a three-round total of 882.

Scheck gradually climbed his way up the leaderboard after a first round 2-over par 74. He backed that with a 3-under par 69 and then a 2-under par 70 in the final round. He had 13 birdies throughout the tournament, including six in the final round. He birdied four of his final eight holes to get into the individual medalist playoff. He nearly holed out his 95-yard approach shot on the 18th hole before the playoff, which could have won him the tournament outright.

Colby Hays also turned in a top-10 finish for the Tigers at 4-over par overall, tying for eighth. He improved throughout the tournament, shooting rounds of 77 (+5), 73 (+1), and 70 (-2). He carded 11 birdies throughout the tournament, including five in the second round.

The Tigers had five players inside the top 25. Chutithep Rungpajchim shot rounds of 72 (E), 77 (+5), and 74 (+2) to finish at 7-over par in 18th place. He also had 11 birdies in the tournament. Grant McAtee and Isaak Bowman both shot 10-over par overall. McAtee shot 76, 71, and 79, while Bowman shot 75, 75, 76. McAtee had six birdies, while Bowman had four birdies and an eagle.

Jordan McCaslin tied for 28th with rounds of 79, 73, 78. JD Dintino was 31st with rounds of 75, 77, and 80. Ben Deges was 34th with rounds of 74, 79, and 81. Jason Brokaw placed 42nd with rounds of 81, 81, 77.

Minnesota Crookston won the team title at even par as a team, shooting 864 over the three rounds. Newman was second at 5-over par (869), while FHSU was 18 shots back of the lead at 18-over par (882). FHSU backed an opening round 298 with 292 in the second and third rounds.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1759278418787.png" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>FHSU AthleticsNEWTON, Kan. – Cooper Scheck of Fort Hays State tied for first place with a total of 3-under par at the Newman Invitational, hosted at Sand Creek Station Golf Course which played as a par-72. Scheck lost the head-to-head playoff with Marc Bofarull of Minnesota Crookston, but led the Tigers to a third-place finish as a team with a three-round total of 882.Scheck gradually climbed his way up the leaderboard after a first round 2-over par 74. He backed that with a 3-under par 69 and then a 2-under par 70 in the final round. He had 13 birdies throughout the tournament, including six in the final round. He birdied four of his final eight holes to get into the individual medalist playoff. He nearly holed out his 95-yard approach shot on the 18th hole before the playoff, which could have won him the tournament outright.Colby Hays also turned in a top-10 finish for the Tigers at 4-over par overall, tying for eighth. He improved throughout the tournament, shooting rounds of 77 (+5), 73 (+1), and 70 (-2). He carded 11 birdies throughout the tournament, including five in the second round.The Tigers had five players inside the top 25. Chutithep Rungpajchim shot rounds of 72 (E), 77 (+5), and 74 (+2) to finish at 7-over par in 18th place. He also had 11 birdies in the tournament. Grant McAtee and Isaak Bowman both shot 10-over par overall. McAtee shot 76, 71, and 79, while Bowman shot 75, 75, 76. McAtee had six birdies, while Bowman had four birdies and an eagle.Jordan McCaslin tied for 28th with rounds of 79, 73, 78. JD Dintino was 31st with rounds of 75, 77, and 80. Ben Deges was 34th with rounds of 74, 79, and 81. Jason Brokaw placed 42nd with rounds of 81, 81, 77.Minnesota Crookston won the team title at even par as a team, shooting 864 over the three rounds. Newman was second at 5-over par (869), while FHSU was 18 shots back of the lead at 18-over par (882). FHSU backed an opening round 298 with 292 in the second and third rounds.

⛳ FHSU's Scheck ties for first, Tigers place third at Newman Invitational

Fort Hays State Tiger football coach Chris Brown, wide receiver Tariq Logan and defensive back Michael Chavez spoke to the media Tuesday before the Tigers  travel to Missouri Southern Saturday.

Hays Post SportsFort Hays State Tiger football coach Chris Brown, wide receiver Tariq Logan and defensive back Michael Chavez spoke to the media Tuesday before the Tigers travel to Missouri Southern Saturday.<div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ROhEZD8xSjQ?si=ZTbYOhYWUmL3QCk-" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>

🏈📹 Chris Brown: "We're going to have our work cut out for us," | Tiger Press Conference 9-30-25

VALLEY CENTER, Kan. - The Hays High girls tennis team competed at the Valley Center Invitational Tuesday.

The No. 1 Doubles team of Mya Ploutz and Emersyn Sander led the way with a second place finish.

#1 Singles: Delia Dixon- 5th #2 Singles: Dakota Maier- 4th #1 Doubles: Mya Ploutz &amp; Emersyn Sander- 2nd #2 Doubles: Jadyn Younger &amp; Brynn Zweifel- 4th

HHS returns to action on Monday, October 6 at the Western Athletic Conference Tournament in Liberal.

Hays Post SportsVALLEY CENTER, Kan. - The Hays High girls tennis team competed at the Valley Center Invitational Tuesday.The No. 1 Doubles team of Mya Ploutz and Emersyn Sander led the way with a second place finish.Below are the HHS results.#1 Singles: Delia Dixon- 5th #2 Singles: Dakota Maier- 4th #1 Doubles: Mya Ploutz &amp; Emersyn Sander- 2nd #2 Doubles: Jadyn Younger &amp; Brynn Zweifel- 4thHHS returns to action on Monday, October 6 at the Western Athletic Conference Tournament in Liberal.

🎾 HHS competes in Valley Center

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Fort Hays State moved to No. 13 in the latest United Soccer Coaches Top 25 Poll, released on Tuesday. The Tigers moved up four spots in the rankings and sit at 5-0-2 overall on the season.

This will be a challenging week for the Tigers as they go on the road to face No. 8 ranked Rogers State and a Southern Nazarene team currently receiving votes in the national poll. Rogers State, like the Tigers, are unbeaten on the season at 6-0-2 overall. Southern Nazarene enters the week with a record of 4-2-1.

Fort Hays State and Rogers State are the only two teams from the GAC in the Top 25. Newman and Southern Nazarene are both among the receiving votes list. Rogers State and Southern Nazarene are both 2-0 in GAC play so far this season, while FHSU and Newman are both 1-0.

United Soccer Coaches Top 25 for September 30, 2025 Rank	School	Prev	W-L-T 1	Lynn University	1	6-0-0 2	California State University Stanislaus	2	6-0-0 3	Southern New Hampshire University	3	6-0-2 4	Anderson University (S.C.)	4	4-0-2 5	University of Charleston	6	6-0-2 6	University of Tampa	9	5-0-2 7	Colorado State University-Pueblo	8	4-0-4 8	Rogers State University	11	6-0-2 9	Young Harris College	14	6-0-1 10	Cedarville University	15	5-0-3 11	Cal Poly Pomona	NR	5-1-2 12	Lincoln University (Mo.)	10	5-0-1 13	Fort Hays State University	17	5-0-2 14	Post University	NR	3-0-3 15	Fort Lewis College	5	4-1-2 16	Nova Southeastern University	13	4-1-0 17	Seattle Pacific University	NR	5-1-2 18	Concord University	NR	6-2-1 18	Midwestern State University	NR	4-1-3 19	Palm Beach Atlantic University	21	5-0-1 20	Saginaw Valley State University	NR	3-0-3 21	California State University-Los Angeles	12	3-0-4 22	Florida Tech	NR	4-0-2 23	Wilmington University	16	5-1-2 24	Flagler College	NR	5-1-2 25	California State University-San Bernardino	7	5-1-2

Receiving Votes: Auburn University Montgomery, Bloomsburg University, Newman University, Bentley University, St. Mary's University (Texas), Queens College, University of North Georgia, University of Indianapolis, West Chester University, Southern Nazarene University

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/10/1759313490993.png" alt="FHSU Athletics image" />
 <figcaption>FHSU Athletics image</figcaption>
 </figure>FHSU AthleticsKANSAS CITY, Mo. – Fort Hays State moved to No. 13 in the latest United Soccer Coaches Top 25 Poll, released on Tuesday. The Tigers moved up four spots in the rankings and sit at 5-0-2 overall on the season.This will be a challenging week for the Tigers as they go on the road to face No. 8 ranked Rogers State and a Southern Nazarene team currently receiving votes in the national poll. Rogers State, like the Tigers, are unbeaten on the season at 6-0-2 overall. Southern Nazarene enters the week with a record of 4-2-1.Fort Hays State and Rogers State are the only two teams from the GAC in the Top 25. Newman and Southern Nazarene are both among the receiving votes list. Rogers State and Southern Nazarene are both 2-0 in GAC play so far this season, while FHSU and Newman are both 1-0.United Soccer Coaches Top 25 for September 30, 2025 Rank	School	Prev	W-L-T 1	Lynn University	1	6-0-0 2	California State University Stanislaus	2	6-0-0 3	Southern New Hampshire University	3	6-0-2 4	Anderson University (S.C.)	4	4-0-2 5	University of Charleston	6	6-0-2 6	University of Tampa	9	5-0-2 7	Colorado State University-Pueblo	8	4-0-4 8	Rogers State University	11	6-0-2 9	Young Harris College	14	6-0-1 10	Cedarville University	15	5-0-3 11	Cal Poly Pomona	NR	5-1-2 12	Lincoln University (Mo.)	10	5-0-1 13	Fort Hays State University	17	5-0-2 14	Post University	NR	3-0-3 15	Fort Lewis College	5	4-1-2 16	Nova Southeastern University	13	4-1-0 17	Seattle Pacific University	NR	5-1-2 18	Concord University	NR	6-2-1 18	Midwestern State University	NR	4-1-3 19	Palm Beach Atlantic University	21	5-0-1 20	Saginaw Valley State University	NR	3-0-3 21	California State University-Los Angeles	12	3-0-4 22	Florida Tech	NR	4-0-2 23	Wilmington University	16	5-1-2 24	Flagler College	NR	5-1-2 25	California State University-San Bernardino	7	5-1-2Receiving Votes: Auburn University Montgomery, Bloomsburg University, Newman University, Bentley University, St. Mary's University (Texas), Queens College, University of North Georgia, University of Indianapolis, West Chester University, Southern Nazarene University

⚽ Tiger men jump to No. 13 in United Soccer Coaches Top 25

By DAVE SKRETTA AP Sports Writer

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Royals expect to have nine-time All-Star catcher Salvador Perez back next season.

They expect to have the same set of goals, too.

First on the list is a return to the playoffs, which they managed to accomplish in 2024 but failed to replicate this season. The Royals were in contention until last week, when the last of the AL wild cards proved to be too far out of reach, thanks in part to an inconsistent offense and a starting rotation that was ransacked by injuries.

“I have a tremendous amount of pride and gratitude for being in this position, and being able to lead this team, and a tremendous amount of pride in what we did do,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said during a wrap-up news conference Tuesday.

“There's also a tremendous amount of disappointment in the fact that we're not playing, because we believe in ourselves. Our internal expectations are extremely high, not only for winning and losing games but in how we perform, you know? Process-wise, decision-making, all those kinds of things. And all of those areas need to be improved.”

Royals general manager J.J. Picollo said most of the coaching staff would return from a club that finished 82-80 for its second straight winning season, though changes could be made in the hitting department. Alec Zumwalt will be back to lead the group, but he could have some new voices helping to direct an offense that too frequently failed to produce.

Most of the roster should return intact, too.

That includes Perez, their 35-year-old captain, who hit just .236 but finished with 30 homers and 100 RBIs. The Royals value not just his production but his leadership, especially for Carter Jensen, who dazzled in a small sample size after making his big league debut behind the plate late in the season.

The Royals have a $13.5 million club option on Perez next season, though a reworked deal could be in the works.

“We've already started those discussions,” Picollo said. “It's safe to say, one way or another, Salvy will be here in '26.”

The Royals are set across the infield with All-Star third baseman Maikel Garcia and All-Star shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. coming off solid seasons, and first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino hitting 32 homers and driving in 113 runs. Jonathan India is expected to play more at second base, his natural position, rather than fill in where the Royals had other needs.

Jac Caglianone will have an opportunity to start in right field on opening day after spending 62 games in the big leagues. The 22-year-old slugger dominated Triple-A pitching but struggled after his promotion, hitting .157 with seven homers and 18 RBIs.

The big question is whether Kansas City can upgrade elsewhere in the outfield. Kyle Isbel plays an above-average centerfield, but left field was especially bleak this season, and played a big part in an offense that struggled for long stretches.

Cole Ragans missed much of the season to injury, though his dominance over the final couple of weeks reinforced how good he can be when healthy. Ragans is a rotation lock along with Seth Lugo and Michael Wacha, a pair of dependable veterans.

The competition will be tough for the other spots. Noah Cameron had a brilliant rookie season, going 9-7 with a 2.99 ERA, and has the inside track on one of the jobs. Kris Bubic is the favorite for another after a season in which he went 8-7, posted a 2.55 ERA, earned his first All-Star trip but ultimately finished on the injured list with a strained rotator cuff

Where does that leave Ryan Bergert, Stephen Kolek and Bailey Falter? Depth is never a bad thing, but the Royals also could use some of them as trade pieces in an effort to upgrade their offense this offseason.

Carlos Estévez joined Dan Quisenberry as the only Royals relievers to lead the majors in saves, finishing with 42; he remains under contract for next season. So does Lucas Erceg, who was shut down in September with shoulder fatigue, and fellow late-inning specialists Daniel Lynch IV and John Schneider.

The Royals hope for better health for Hunter Harvey, who made just 12 appearances but did not allow a run, and James McArthur, who missed the entire season after experiencing setbacks following an elbow procedure the previous offseason.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/10/1759332858268.jpeg" alt="Kansas City Royals' Salvador Perez looks to the scoreboard after striking out during the fourth inning of a baseball game against the Athletics Friday, Sept. 26, 2025, in West Sacramento, Calif. (AP Photo/Sara Nevis)" />
 <figcaption>Kansas City Royals' Salvador Perez looks to the scoreboard after striking out during the fourth inning of a baseball game against the Athletics Friday, Sept. 26, 2025, in West Sacramento, Calif. (AP Photo/Sara Nevis)</figcaption>
 </figure>By DAVE SKRETTA AP Sports WriterKANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Royals expect to have nine-time All-Star catcher Salvador Perez back next season.They expect to have the same set of goals, too.First on the list is a return to the playoffs, which they managed to accomplish in 2024 but failed to replicate this season. The Royals were in contention until last week, when the last of the AL wild cards proved to be too far out of reach, thanks in part to an inconsistent offense and a starting rotation that was ransacked by injuries.“I have a tremendous amount of pride and gratitude for being in this position, and being able to lead this team, and a tremendous amount of pride in what we did do,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said during a wrap-up news conference Tuesday.“There's also a tremendous amount of disappointment in the fact that we're not playing, because we believe in ourselves. Our internal expectations are extremely high, not only for winning and losing games but in how we perform, you know? Process-wise, decision-making, all those kinds of things. And all of those areas need to be improved.”Royals general manager J.J. Picollo said most of the coaching staff would return from a club that finished 82-80 for its second straight winning season, though changes could be made in the hitting department. Alec Zumwalt will be back to lead the group, but he could have some new voices helping to direct an offense that too frequently failed to produce.Most of the roster should return intact, too.That includes Perez, their 35-year-old captain, who hit just .236 but finished with 30 homers and 100 RBIs. The Royals value not just his production but his leadership, especially for Carter Jensen, who dazzled in a small sample size after making his big league debut behind the plate late in the season.The Royals have a $13.5 million club option on Perez next season, though a reworked deal could be in the works.“We've already started those discussions,” Picollo said. “It's safe to say, one way or another, Salvy will be here in '26.”<h2>The rest of the lineup</h2>The Royals are set across the infield with All-Star third baseman Maikel Garcia and All-Star shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. coming off solid seasons, and first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino hitting 32 homers and driving in 113 runs. Jonathan India is expected to play more at second base, his natural position, rather than fill in where the Royals had other needs.Jac Caglianone will have an opportunity to start in right field on opening day after spending 62 games in the big leagues. The 22-year-old slugger dominated Triple-A pitching but struggled after his promotion, hitting .157 with seven homers and 18 RBIs.The big question is whether Kansas City can upgrade elsewhere in the outfield. Kyle Isbel plays an above-average centerfield, but left field was especially bleak this season, and played a big part in an offense that struggled for long stretches.<h2>Rotation rundown</h2>Cole Ragans missed much of the season to injury, though his dominance over the final couple of weeks reinforced how good he can be when healthy. Ragans is a rotation lock along with Seth Lugo and Michael Wacha, a pair of dependable veterans.The competition will be tough for the other spots. Noah Cameron had a brilliant rookie season, going 9-7 with a 2.99 ERA, and has the inside track on one of the jobs. Kris Bubic is the favorite for another after a season in which he went 8-7, posted a 2.55 ERA, earned his first All-Star trip but ultimately finished on the injured list with a strained rotator cuffWhere does that leave Ryan Bergert, Stephen Kolek and Bailey Falter? Depth is never a bad thing, but the Royals also could use some of them as trade pieces in an effort to upgrade their offense this offseason.<h2>Bullpen situation</h2>Carlos Estévez joined Dan Quisenberry as the only Royals relievers to lead the majors in saves, finishing with 42; he remains under contract for next season. So does Lucas Erceg, who was shut down in September with shoulder fatigue, and fellow late-inning specialists Daniel Lynch IV and John Schneider.The Royals hope for better health for Hunter Harvey, who made just 12 appearances but did not allow a run, and James McArthur, who missed the entire season after experiencing setbacks following an elbow procedure the previous offseason.

⚾ Salvy expected to return to Royals in 2026, team eyes playoff comeback

1. Maize (4-0) 2. Wichita NW (3-1) 3. Junction City (3-1) 4. Manhattan (3-1) 5. Gardner-Edgerton (3-1)

1. St. Thomas Aquinas (4-0) 2. Great Bend (4-0) 3. Hays (3-1) 4. Mill Valley (3-1) 5. St. James Academy (3-1)

1. Kapaun Mt. Carmel (4-0) 2. Bishop Miege (2-2) 3. Buhler (3-1) 4. Eudora (3-1) 5. Ottawa (3-1)

1. Andale (4-0) 2. Topeka Hayden (4-0) 3. Holcomb (4-0) 4. Rock Creek (4-0) 5. Scott City (3-0)

1. Southeast of Saline (4-0) 2. Nemaha Central (4-0) 3. Osage City (4-0) 4. Hoisington (3-0) 5. Garden Plain (3-1)

1. Jackson Heights (4-0) 2. Sterling (4-0) 3. Rossville (3-1) 4. St. Mary's Colgan (4-0) 5. Smith Center (4-0)

1. South Central (3-0) 2. Little River (4-0) 3. WaKeeney-Trego (4-0) 4. Central Plains (3-1) 5. Lyndon (3-0)

1. Axtell (4-0) 2. Victoria (4-0) 3. Hanover (4-0) 4. Hodgeman County (4-0) 5. Hutchinson-Central Christian (4-0)

1. Weskan (3-1) 2. Cunningham (3-1) 3. Ingalls (4-0) 4. Tescott (3-1) 5. South Barber (3-1)

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1693413418452.png" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Class 6A</h2>1. Maize (4-0) 2. Wichita NW (3-1) 3. Junction City (3-1) 4. Manhattan (3-1) 5. Gardner-Edgerton (3-1)<h2>Class 5A</h2>1. St. Thomas Aquinas (4-0) 2. Great Bend (4-0) 3. Hays (3-1) 4. Mill Valley (3-1) 5. St. James Academy (3-1)<h2>Class 4A</h2>1. Kapaun Mt. Carmel (4-0) 2. Bishop Miege (2-2) 3. Buhler (3-1) 4. Eudora (3-1) 5. Ottawa (3-1)<h2>Class 3A</h2>1. Andale (4-0) 2. Topeka Hayden (4-0) 3. Holcomb (4-0) 4. Rock Creek (4-0) 5. Scott City (3-0)<h2>Class 2A</h2>1. Southeast of Saline (4-0) 2. Nemaha Central (4-0) 3. Osage City (4-0) 4. Hoisington (3-0) 5. Garden Plain (3-1)<h2>Class 1A</h2>1. Jackson Heights (4-0) 2. Sterling (4-0) 3. Rossville (3-1) 4. St. Mary's Colgan (4-0) 5. Smith Center (4-0)<h2>8-Man Division I</h2>1. South Central (3-0) 2. Little River (4-0) 3. WaKeeney-Trego (4-0) 4. Central Plains (3-1) 5. Lyndon (3-0)<h2>8-Man Division II</h2>1. Axtell (4-0) 2. Victoria (4-0) 3. Hanover (4-0) 4. Hodgeman County (4-0) 5. Hutchinson-Central Christian (4-0)<h2>6-Man</h2>1. Weskan (3-1) 2. Cunningham (3-1) 3. Ingalls (4-0) 4. Tescott (3-1) 5. South Barber (3-1)

🏈 Kpreps rankings ahead of Week 5

Tuesday, September 30
 none

KAYS - (1400/94.3) KFIX - (96.9) KHAZ - (99.5) KJLS - (103.3) KKQY - (101.9)Tuesday, September 30
 noneWednesday, October 1
 KAYS: Hawk Talk with
Lance Leipold, 6:00pmThursday, October 2
 noneFriday, October 3
 KKQY: LaCrosse FB at
Quinter, 6:00pm KFIX: Hays High FB vs. Junction City, 6:30pm
 KHAZ: TMP-Marian FB at Smith Center, 6:30pmSaturday, October 4
 KJLS: Fort Hays State
FB at Missouri Southern State, 12:00pm KAYS: Kansas FB at UCF, 5:00pmSunday, October 5
 none

By ARNIE STAPLETON AP Pro Football Writer

DENVER (AP) — Bo Nix and the Denver Broncos finally justified their head coach's talking them up all offseason.

Nix threw for two touchdowns and ran for another to atone for his end zone interception and the Broncos snapped a two-game skid by sending the Cincinnati Bengals to their second straight blowout loss, 28-3 Monday night.

The Bengals (2-2) never crossed midfield after an opening-drive field goal for a 3-0 lead as Denver's defense limited Cincinnati to a mere 159 yards of offense — to the Broncos' 512 — and two third-down conversions all night.

With 101 yards on 16 carries, J.K. Dobbins recorded Denver's first 100-yard rushing game since Latavius Murray did it against the Chargers in the 2022 season finale, a span of 38 games, including the playoffs.

“Nobody can stop us if we keep doing what we did tonight,” Dobbins said.

Nix threw for 326 yards and the Broncos piled up 29 first downs to Cincinnati's nine.

“We showed that we’re a tough team,” Dobbins said. “And we can be even tougher."

The Bengals (2-2) lost their second straight game behind backup quarterback Jake Browning, who is filling in with star Joe Burrow recovering from toe surgery. They were coming off their biggest blowout in their history, a 48-10 drubbing at Minnesota, and this one wasn’t much better.

“The last two weeks just feels like never really had momentum,” Browning said, "haven’t really been explosive, have one or two good plays and then and then we’ll get into the first-and-20. And then you’re fighting a hard battle with one arm behind your back when you end up in longer situations, second-and-long, first-and-long, leading to third-and-long. Good offenses don’t do that, so we need to clean it up.”

The Broncos (2-2) still haven't trailed in the fourth quarter and for the first time since the opener, the outcome wasn't decided on a walk-off field goal as time expired.

Cincinnati went up 3-0 on Evan McPherson's short field goal, but then gained just two first downs the rest of the first half and committed eight penalties, the franchise's most before halftime in at least 15 years.

The Bengals punted on all eight possessions after their opening field goal, save for a kneel-down at halftime when the Broncos led 21-3.

Another flag negated the Bengals' biggest play when PJ Jules snatched the ball from punt returner Marvin Mims Jr. at the Denver 15-yard line after a bobble. But because Mims had waved for a fair catch, the call was interference and Denver maintained possession.

After a three-and-out to start the game, during which Nix burned a timeout, the Broncos grabbed control with three touchdown drives. Nix ran it in from 6 yards out, Mims scored on a 16-yard end-around and Courtland Sutton hauled in a 20-yard scoring pass on the drive following Nix's end zone interception.

“If you get into any trouble, just find me,” said Sutton, whose TD came with 8 seconds left in the first half.

Denver's only major blemish was Nix throwing the ball right to linebacker Demetrius Knight Jr. on fouth-and-1 from the Bengals 2.

Nix's second touchdown throw went to rookie RJ Harvey, a 12-yarder in the fourth quarter. Harvey ran for 58 yards to go with his 40 receiving yards.

Browning threw for just 125 yards on 14 of 25 passing and his big targets had a quiet night — Tee Higgins had 32 yards on three receptions and Ja'Marr Chase managed just 23 yards on five catches.

“The game plan was Patrick Surtain,” Denver defensive back Ja'Quan McMillian said.

“Overall, the whole performance on offense was very poor and we left our defense out to dry. A lot,” Browning said. "On offense we’re all part of the problem and we all need to be a part of the solution.”

The Broncos still have plenty to clean up themselves, but this was their best game so far, especially on offense.

“It certainly was a step in the right direction,” coach Sean Payton said. “I would say there were a lot of things that we were able to do tonight that hopefully we can carry over. Now we change quickly to a team that just won the Super Bowl.”

Among the bundle of flags were four on Broncos center Luke Wattenberg. The Broncos had seven accepted penalties for 72 yards and the Bengals had 11 accepted flags for 65 yards.

“It is a lack of discipline,” Cincinnati coach Zac Taylor said. "Pre-snap penalties, as a whole it’s not good enough. We’re a team that should not be having that problem. We have to get it corrected. We can’t just hand the other team five yards and put us behind the eight ball, especially dealing with some of the stuff that we got to deal with on the road. And so we got to get it cleaned up.”

Bengals WR Charlie Jones sprained his right ankle in the second half.

Broncos WR Marvin Mims Jr. started after injuring a hip Saturday and being listed as questionable.

Bengals: Host the Detroit Lions on Sunday.

Broncos: Visit the unbeaten Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1759227270222.jpeg" alt="Denver Broncos running back RJ Harvey (12) runs against the Cincinnati Bengals during the second half of an NFL football game Monday, Sept. 29, 2025, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)" />
 <figcaption>Denver Broncos running back RJ Harvey (12) runs against the Cincinnati Bengals during the second half of an NFL football game Monday, Sept. 29, 2025, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)</figcaption>
 </figure>By ARNIE STAPLETON AP Pro Football WriterDENVER (AP) — Bo Nix and the Denver Broncos finally justified their head coach's talking them up all offseason.Nix threw for two touchdowns and ran for another to atone for his end zone interception and the Broncos snapped a two-game skid by sending the Cincinnati Bengals to their second straight blowout loss, 28-3 Monday night.The Bengals (2-2) never crossed midfield after an opening-drive field goal for a 3-0 lead as Denver's defense limited Cincinnati to a mere 159 yards of offense — to the Broncos' 512 — and two third-down conversions all night.With 101 yards on 16 carries, J.K. Dobbins recorded Denver's first 100-yard rushing game since Latavius Murray did it against the Chargers in the 2022 season finale, a span of 38 games, including the playoffs.“Nobody can stop us if we keep doing what we did tonight,” Dobbins said.Nix threw for 326 yards and the Broncos piled up 29 first downs to Cincinnati's nine.“We showed that we’re a tough team,” Dobbins said. “And we can be even tougher."The Bengals (2-2) lost their second straight game behind backup quarterback Jake Browning, who is filling in with star Joe Burrow recovering from toe surgery. They were coming off their biggest blowout in their history, a 48-10 drubbing at Minnesota, and this one wasn’t much better.“The last two weeks just feels like never really had momentum,” Browning said, "haven’t really been explosive, have one or two good plays and then and then we’ll get into the first-and-20. And then you’re fighting a hard battle with one arm behind your back when you end up in longer situations, second-and-long, first-and-long, leading to third-and-long. Good offenses don’t do that, so we need to clean it up.”The Broncos (2-2) still haven't trailed in the fourth quarter and for the first time since the opener, the outcome wasn't decided on a walk-off field goal as time expired.Cincinnati went up 3-0 on Evan McPherson's short field goal, but then gained just two first downs the rest of the first half and committed eight penalties, the franchise's most before halftime in at least 15 years.The Bengals punted on all eight possessions after their opening field goal, save for a kneel-down at halftime when the Broncos led 21-3.Another flag negated the Bengals' biggest play when PJ Jules snatched the ball from punt returner Marvin Mims Jr. at the Denver 15-yard line after a bobble. But because Mims had waved for a fair catch, the call was interference and Denver maintained possession.After a three-and-out to start the game, during which Nix burned a timeout, the Broncos grabbed control with three touchdown drives. Nix ran it in from 6 yards out, Mims scored on a 16-yard end-around and Courtland Sutton hauled in a 20-yard scoring pass on the drive following Nix's end zone interception.“If you get into any trouble, just find me,” said Sutton, whose TD came with 8 seconds left in the first half.Denver's only major blemish was Nix throwing the ball right to linebacker Demetrius Knight Jr. on fouth-and-1 from the Bengals 2.Nix's second touchdown throw went to rookie RJ Harvey, a 12-yarder in the fourth quarter. Harvey ran for 58 yards to go with his 40 receiving yards.Browning threw for just 125 yards on 14 of 25 passing and his big targets had a quiet night — Tee Higgins had 32 yards on three receptions and Ja'Marr Chase managed just 23 yards on five catches.The Gameplan on Chase?“The game plan was Patrick Surtain,” Denver defensive back Ja'Quan McMillian said.“Overall, the whole performance on offense was very poor and we left our defense out to dry. A lot,” Browning said. "On offense we’re all part of the problem and we all need to be a part of the solution.”The Broncos still have plenty to clean up themselves, but this was their best game so far, especially on offense.“It certainly was a step in the right direction,” coach Sean Payton said. “I would say there were a lot of things that we were able to do tonight that hopefully we can carry over. Now we change quickly to a team that just won the Super Bowl.”<h2>Flag football</h2>Among the bundle of flags were four on Broncos center Luke Wattenberg. The Broncos had seven accepted penalties for 72 yards and the Bengals had 11 accepted flags for 65 yards.“It is a lack of discipline,” Cincinnati coach Zac Taylor said. "Pre-snap penalties, as a whole it’s not good enough. We’re a team that should not be having that problem. We have to get it corrected. We can’t just hand the other team five yards and put us behind the eight ball, especially dealing with some of the stuff that we got to deal with on the road. And so we got to get it cleaned up.”<h2>Injuries</h2>Bengals WR Charlie Jones sprained his right ankle in the second half.Broncos WR Marvin Mims Jr. started after injuring a hip Saturday and being listed as questionable.<h2>Up next</h2>Bengals: Host the Detroit Lions on Sunday.Broncos: Visit the unbeaten Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday.

🏈 Broncos snap skid with win over Bengals

FHSU Athletics KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Fort Hays State senior linebacker John Johnson was named the MIAA Defensive Athlete of the Week, presented by FieldTurf, on Monday, September 29 for his performance in a win over Missouri Western this past Saturday. This is the second time Johnson has earned the honor this year, after being named Defensive Athlete of the Week on September 8 following a win at CSU Pueblo.

Johnson recorded a career-high 16 tackles and also had a forced fumble in the 31-23 win over Missouri Western in Hays. In the third quarter with Missouri Western leading 20-14, he made a solo stop on 4th-and-1 at the FHSU 30 for a turnover on downs, which led into a field-goal scoring drive for FHSU to make it 20-17. He had three stops in the fourth quarter, helping FHSU force punts on two straight drives after taking a 24-23 lead in the game.

Johnson joined Cleo Chandler, Jr. of Pittsburg State (Offensive Athlete of the Week) and Jaylen Fuksa of Pittsburg State (Special Teams Athlete of the Week) as the weekly honorees from the conference office.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1759196185667.png" alt="FHSU Athletics image" />
 <figcaption>FHSU Athletics image</figcaption>
 </figure>FHSU Athletics KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Fort Hays State senior linebacker John Johnson was named the MIAA Defensive Athlete of the Week, presented by FieldTurf, on Monday, September 29 for his performance in a win over Missouri Western this past Saturday. This is the second time Johnson has earned the honor this year, after being named Defensive Athlete of the Week on September 8 following a win at CSU Pueblo.Johnson recorded a career-high 16 tackles and also had a forced fumble in the 31-23 win over Missouri Western in Hays. In the third quarter with Missouri Western leading 20-14, he made a solo stop on 4th-and-1 at the FHSU 30 for a turnover on downs, which led into a field-goal scoring drive for FHSU to make it 20-17. He had three stops in the fourth quarter, helping FHSU force punts on two straight drives after taking a 24-23 lead in the game.Johnson joined Cleo Chandler, Jr. of Pittsburg State (Offensive Athlete of the Week) and Jaylen Fuksa of Pittsburg State (Special Teams Athlete of the Week) as the weekly honorees from the conference office.

🏈 FHSU's Johnson named MIAA Defensive Athlete of the Week

WICHITA - Trinity evened the score just before halftime, then scored the winning goal in the final minute of the game en route to a 2-1 home victory over Hays High boys’ soccer on Monday.

Hays High’s lone goal against its non-conference opponent came from junior Camden Luck.

It was the third win in a row for Trinity, the defending state champs in Class 4-1A, after starting this season with a tie and five straight losses.

Hays High will return to Western Athletic Conference action Thursday in a home match with WAC power Liberal (8-1 overall, 2-1 WAC).

Starting time for the match with the Redskins, ranked seventh in the state in Class 6A, is 5 p.m.for the junior varsity game, followed by the varsity.

Hays High (4-4 overall, 2-2 conference) will be at home again on Saturday with a 1 p.m. non-conference matchup with Hesston.

Hays Post SportsWICHITA - Trinity evened the score just before halftime, then scored the winning goal in the final minute of the game en route to a 2-1 home victory over Hays High boys’ soccer on Monday.Hays High’s lone goal against its non-conference opponent came from junior Camden Luck.It was the third win in a row for Trinity, the defending state champs in Class 4-1A, after starting this season with a tie and five straight losses.Hays High will return to Western Athletic Conference action Thursday in a home match with WAC power Liberal (8-1 overall, 2-1 WAC).Starting time for the match with the Redskins, ranked seventh in the state in Class 6A, is 5 p.m.for the junior varsity game, followed by the varsity.Hays High (4-4 overall, 2-2 conference) will be at home again on Saturday with a 1 p.m. non-conference matchup with Hesston.

⚽ Indian soccer loses close road match

BARTON COUNTY - The TMP-Marian girls' golf team shot an even 200 and won the nine-hole Hoisington Invitational Monday by five shots over Pratt at the Lake Barton Golf Course.

Brynn Schoepf was the top medalists with a 4-over-par 40, four shots ahead of Larned's Ariana Reynolds. Emma Wasinger shot a 50 and placed sixth for TMP.

Team Results Place Team Score 1. TMP-Marian - 200 2. Pratt - 205 3. Larned - 208 4. Hays JV - 246 5. Hoisington - 252 6. Plainville - 267

Top-10 Individuals #	Player	School	Total	To Par 1 Brynn Schoepf	TMP	40	+4 2 Ariana Meyer	LND	44	+8 3 Taeten Reynolds	LND	48	+12 4	Lexi Simmons	PRT	48	+12 5	Hayden Riffey	PRT	49	+13 6	Emma Wasinger	TMP	50	+14 7	Ava Simmons	PRT	51	+15 8	Avery Grebowiec	PL	51	+15 9	Aubree Nikkel	NICK	53	+17 10	Khloe Smith	LND	54	+18

Hays Post SportsBARTON COUNTY - The TMP-Marian girls' golf team shot an even 200 and won the nine-hole Hoisington Invitational Monday by five shots over Pratt at the Lake Barton Golf Course.Brynn Schoepf was the top medalists with a 4-over-par 40, four shots ahead of Larned's Ariana Reynolds. Emma Wasinger shot a 50 and placed sixth for TMP.Team Results Place Team Score 1. TMP-Marian - 200 2. Pratt - 205 3. Larned - 208 4. Hays JV - 246 5. Hoisington - 252 6. Plainville - 267Top-10 Individuals #	Player	School	Total	To Par 1 Brynn Schoepf	TMP	40	+4 2 Ariana Meyer	LND	44	+8 3 Taeten Reynolds	LND	48	+12 4	Lexi Simmons	PRT	48	+12 5	Hayden Riffey	PRT	49	+13 6	Emma Wasinger	TMP	50	+14 7	Ava Simmons	PRT	51	+15 8	Avery Grebowiec	PL	51	+15 9	Aubree Nikkel	NICK	53	+17 10	Khloe Smith	LND	54	+18

⛳ Monarchs, Schoepf win Hoisington Invitational

LIBERAL - The Hays High girls' golf team finished second at the Liberal Invitational at the&nbsp;Willow Tree Golf Course. 

The Indians fired a 370, 33 shots behind first place Garden City. Kinley Pfannenstiel shot a 10-over-par 82 and placed second, five shots behind Garden City's Brooke Savolt. Ava Erbert finished sixth with a 91 and Brooklyn Koerner was eighth with a 96.

Varsity Team Finish Place: School: Score: 1. Garden City 337 2. Hays High 370 3. Dodge City 401 4. Liberal 458 5. Great Bend 470

Top 10 Medalists Place: Name: School: Score: 1. Brooke Savolt Garden City 77 2. Kinley Pfannenstiel Hays 82 3. Ailynn Anderson Garden City 83 4. Breckyn Lucas Garden City 84 5. Breckyn Putnam Dodge City 88 6. Ava Erbert Hays 91 7. Megan Burr Garden City 93 8. Brooklynn Koerner Hays 96 9. Kale Culwell Dodge City 99 10. Alexis Cunningham Dodge City 101

Hays Post SportsLIBERAL - The Hays High girls' golf team finished second at the Liberal Invitational at the&nbsp;Willow Tree Golf Course. The Indians fired a 370, 33 shots behind first place Garden City. Kinley Pfannenstiel shot a 10-over-par 82 and placed second, five shots behind Garden City's Brooke Savolt. Ava Erbert finished sixth with a 91 and Brooklyn Koerner was eighth with a 96.Varsity Team Finish Place: School: Score: 1. Garden City 337 2. Hays High 370 3. Dodge City 401 4. Liberal 458 5. Great Bend 470 Top 10 Medalists Place: Name: School: Score: 1. Brooke Savolt Garden City 77 2. Kinley Pfannenstiel Hays 82 3. Ailynn Anderson Garden City 83 4. Breckyn Lucas Garden City 84 5. Breckyn Putnam Dodge City 88 6. Ava Erbert Hays 91 7. Megan Burr Garden City 93 8. Brooklynn Koerner Hays 96 9. Kale Culwell Dodge City 99 10. Alexis Cunningham Dodge City 101

⛳ Hays High girls' second in Liberal

🎥🏈 Watch This Week's Tiger Talk

Fort Hays State Football moved up one spot to No. 21 in the latest D2Football.com Top 25 Poll, released on Monday. The Tigers are coming off a 31-23 win over Missouri Western this past Saturday and moved to 3-2 overall for the season.

The MIAA continues to be represented by three teams in the D2Football.com Top 25, but there is a change this week as Northwest Missouri State replaces Central Oklahoma. The Bronchos fell all the way from No. 8 to out of the Top 25 after a loss to Northwest Missouri State team this past Saturday. Northwest Missouri's 4-1 start to the season puts the Bearcats in the poll for the first time this year at No. 20, just one spot in front of FHSU. Pittsburg State moved up to No. 8 after a win over Emporia State. The Gorillas are 3-2 overall for the season.

Fort Hays State goes on the road to Missouri Southern (2-2, 0-2 MIAA) this Saturday (Oct. 4). Northwest Missouri State has a bye week, while Pittsburg State will host Nebraska-Kearney (4-1, 2-1 MIAA).

In the latest AFCA Top 25 Poll, the MIAA has two teams among the rankings with Pittsburg State at No. 17 and Northwest Missouri State at No. 24. Fort Hays State, Central Oklahoma, and Nebraska-Kearney were all among the receiving votes list.

Below are the Division II Top 25 Polls for Monday, September 29, 2025.

D2Football.com Top 25 Poll – September 29, 2025 Rank	Team	Record	Prev 1	Ferris State	4-0	1 2	Harding	4-0	2 3	Kutztown	4-0	3 4	West Florida	4-0	4 5	Western Colorado	4-0	5 6	Angelo State	4-0	6 7	UT Permian Basin	4-0	7 8	Pittsburg State	3-2	10 9	Minnesota Duluth	5-0	11 10	Minnesota State	4-1	14 11	California	4-0	16 12	CSU Pueblo	4-1	12 13	Augustana	5-0	13 14	Grand Valley State	2-1	15 15	West Alabama	5-0	17 16	Slippery Rock	3-1	9 17	Central Washington	3-1	18 18	Indianapolis	3-1	19 19	Virginia Union	3-1	21 20	Northwest Missouri State	4-1	NR 21	Fort Hays State	3-2	22 22	Carson-Newman	3-1	NR 23	Findlay	4-0	24 24	UNC Pembroke	4-1	NR 25	Ashland	3-1	25

AFCA Top 25 Poll – September 29, 2025 Rank	Team	Record	Pts	Prev 1	Ferris St. (31)	4-0	775	1 2	Harding	4-0	744	2 3	West Florida	4-0	709	3 4	Kutztown	4-0	676	5 5	Angelo St.	4-0	648	6 6	California (Pa.)	4-0	582	8 7	Western Colorado	4-0	576	7 8	Augustana (S.D.)	5-0	533	9 9	UT-Permian Basin	4-0	503	11 10	Grand Valley St.	2-1	474	10 11	West Alabama	5-0	418	13 12	Colorado St.-Pueblo	4-1	414	12 13	Minnesota-Duluth	5-0	394	16 14	Slippery Rock	3-1	390	4 15	Minnesota St.	4-1	353	14 16	Central Washington	3-1	317	17 17	Pittsburg St.	3-2	293	18 18	Virginia Union	3-1	217	21 19	UIndy	4-1	215	22 20	Delta St.	4-1	178	23 21	Findlay	4-0	161	25 22	Carson-Newman	3-1	97	NR 23	Frostburg St.	4-0	75	NR 24	Northwest Missouri St.	4-1	74	NR 25	UNC Pembroke	4-1	66	NR

Receiving Votes: Central Oklahoma, 30; Wingate, 26; Ashland, 25; Johnson C. Smith, 19; Charleston, 16; Nebraska-Kearney, 15; Indiana (Pa.), 11; Fort Hays St., 10; Walsh, 9; Colorado School of Mines, 8; Edward Waters, 7; Clarion, 4; Southern Arkansas, 4; Catawba, 2; Henderson St., 2; Upper Iowa, 2; Albany St., 1; Benedict, 1; Lenoir-Rhyne, 1.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1759183116651.png" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>FHSU AthleticsFort Hays State Football moved up one spot to No. 21 in the latest D2Football.com Top 25 Poll, released on Monday. The Tigers are coming off a 31-23 win over Missouri Western this past Saturday and moved to 3-2 overall for the season.The MIAA continues to be represented by three teams in the D2Football.com Top 25, but there is a change this week as Northwest Missouri State replaces Central Oklahoma. The Bronchos fell all the way from No. 8 to out of the Top 25 after a loss to Northwest Missouri State team this past Saturday. Northwest Missouri's 4-1 start to the season puts the Bearcats in the poll for the first time this year at No. 20, just one spot in front of FHSU. Pittsburg State moved up to No. 8 after a win over Emporia State. The Gorillas are 3-2 overall for the season.Fort Hays State goes on the road to Missouri Southern (2-2, 0-2 MIAA) this Saturday (Oct. 4). Northwest Missouri State has a bye week, while Pittsburg State will host Nebraska-Kearney (4-1, 2-1 MIAA).In the latest AFCA Top 25 Poll, the MIAA has two teams among the rankings with Pittsburg State at No. 17 and Northwest Missouri State at No. 24. Fort Hays State, Central Oklahoma, and Nebraska-Kearney were all among the receiving votes list.Below are the Division II Top 25 Polls for Monday, September 29, 2025.D2Football.com Top 25 Poll – September 29, 2025 Rank	Team	Record	Prev 1	Ferris State	4-0	1 2	Harding	4-0	2 3	Kutztown	4-0	3 4	West Florida	4-0	4 5	Western Colorado	4-0	5 6	Angelo State	4-0	6 7	UT Permian Basin	4-0	7 8	Pittsburg State	3-2	10 9	Minnesota Duluth	5-0	11 10	Minnesota State	4-1	14 11	California	4-0	16 12	CSU Pueblo	4-1	12 13	Augustana	5-0	13 14	Grand Valley State	2-1	15 15	West Alabama	5-0	17 16	Slippery Rock	3-1	9 17	Central Washington	3-1	18 18	Indianapolis	3-1	19 19	Virginia Union	3-1	21 20	Northwest Missouri State	4-1	NR 21	Fort Hays State	3-2	22 22	Carson-Newman	3-1	NR 23	Findlay	4-0	24 24	UNC Pembroke	4-1	NR 25	Ashland	3-1	25AFCA Top 25 Poll – September 29, 2025 Rank	Team	Record	Pts	Prev 1	Ferris St. (31)	4-0	775	1 2	Harding	4-0	744	2 3	West Florida	4-0	709	3 4	Kutztown	4-0	676	5 5	Angelo St.	4-0	648	6 6	California (Pa.)	4-0	582	8 7	Western Colorado	4-0	576	7 8	Augustana (S.D.)	5-0	533	9 9	UT-Permian Basin	4-0	503	11 10	Grand Valley St.	2-1	474	10 11	West Alabama	5-0	418	13 12	Colorado St.-Pueblo	4-1	414	12 13	Minnesota-Duluth	5-0	394	16 14	Slippery Rock	3-1	390	4 15	Minnesota St.	4-1	353	14 16	Central Washington	3-1	317	17 17	Pittsburg St.	3-2	293	18 18	Virginia Union	3-1	217	21 19	UIndy	4-1	215	22 20	Delta St.	4-1	178	23 21	Findlay	4-0	161	25 22	Carson-Newman	3-1	97	NR 23	Frostburg St.	4-0	75	NR 24	Northwest Missouri St.	4-1	74	NR 25	UNC Pembroke	4-1	66	NRReceiving Votes: Central Oklahoma, 30; Wingate, 26; Ashland, 25; Johnson C. Smith, 19; Charleston, 16; Nebraska-Kearney, 15; Indiana (Pa.), 11; Fort Hays St., 10; Walsh, 9; Colorado School of Mines, 8; Edward Waters, 7; Clarion, 4; Southern Arkansas, 4; Catawba, 2; Henderson St., 2; Upper Iowa, 2; Albany St., 1; Benedict, 1; Lenoir-Rhyne, 1.

🏈 Tigers up to No. 21 in D2Football.com poll, continue to receive votes in AFCA poll

🎥🏈 Redeem Designs Plays Of The Week HHS vs Garden City

Tiger Talk with Fort Hays State football coach Chris Brown. This week's player guest is Josh Shaw.

Tiger Talk with Fort Hays State football coach Chris Brown. This week's player guest is Josh Shaw.<div><iframe title="Tiger Talk (September 29, 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=zureu-197b7e3-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 (September 29, 2025)

Fort Hays State (2-2, 1-1 MIAA) hosts Missouri Western State (1-2, 0-1 MIAA) for their Homecoming game on Saturday, September 27, 2025 at Lewis Field in Hays, Kan.

Fort Hays State (2-2, 1-1 MIAA) hosts Missouri Western State (1-2, 0-1 MIAA) for their Homecoming game on Saturday, September 27, 2025 at Lewis Field in Hays, Kan.<div><iframe title="FHSU Rewind-RB vs. Missouri Western (September 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=f7exp-197b059-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 vs. Missouri Western

Monday, September 29
 KJLS: Tiger Talk,
9:00am KFIX: Chiefs Kingdom, 6:00pm

KAYS - (1400/94.3) KFIX - (96.9) KHAZ - (99.5) KJLS - (103.3) KKQY - (101.9)Monday, September 29
 KJLS: Tiger Talk,
9:00am KFIX: Chiefs Kingdom, 6:00pmTuesday, September 30
 noneWednesday, October 1
 KAYS: Hawk Talk with
Lance Leipold, 6:00pmThursday, October 2
 noneFriday, October 3
 KKQY: LaCrosse FB at
Quinter, 6:00pm KFIX: Hays High FB vs. Junction City, 6:30pm
 KHAZ: TMP-Marian FB at Smith Center, 6:30pmSaturday, October 4
 KJLS: Fort Hays State
FB at Missouri Southern State, 12:00pm KAYS: Kansas FB at UCF, 5:00pmSunday, October 5
 none

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Chiefs are getting healthier, deeper and more dynamic as the season presses on.

The Baltimore Ravens? Pretty much the opposite of all of that.

Patrick Mahomes threw for 270 yards and four touchdowns in a turn-back-the-clock kind of performance, and the Chiefs jumped on a Ravens team&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ravens-chiefs-injuries-af1317927ff33522a590d3cc7c5f84c9">missing seven defensive starters</a>&nbsp;by the end — to say nothing of quarterback Lamar Jackson, who had to leave with a hamstring injury — for a 37-20 victory in a matchup of AFC behemoths desperate for a win.

Four different players caught TD passes for the Chiefs, while Xavier Worthy returned from a shoulder injury to catch five passes for 83 yards, igniting a Kansas City offense that had been struggling to find its footing through the first three weeks.

“We've been making little mistakes here and there and that causes frustration,” Mahomes said, “but we've been learning from them. I've been proud of the guys for the way they've responded, getting better every week.”

The Chiefs (2-2) built a 20-10 halftime lead against Baltimore before cruising to their seventh win in the past eight meetings. The most recent time the Ravens (1-3) beat them was September 2021, and their previous win in Kansas City was on Oct. 7, 2021.

Jackson threw for 147 yards with a touchdown and his first interception of the season before hurting his hamstring midway through the third quarter, though by that point the game was mostly decided. Cooper Rush played the rest of the way for the Ravens, who suddenly find themselves in a dire situation just four weeks into the season.

Only five teams in the 14-team playoff era have started 1-3 and made the postseason.

“I'm concerned but I'm not overwhelmed by it. Three losses to probably three of the top teams in the league,” said Ravens coach John Harbaugh, who explained that Jackson sustained a strain to his hamstring and will be evaluated further on Monday.

“We've got to win the next game, and then once you win the next game, then you have a chance to start stacking some wins."

Derrick Henry finished with just eight carries for 42 yards. Justice Hill had a late 71-yard touchdown run. Otherwise, the Chiefs shut down a Baltimore offense that had scored an NFL-best 111 points over the first three weeks.

“It was a big step forward for us,” said Chiefs defensive tackle Chris Jones, who flew back from&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-city-chiefs-chris-jones-da9b5b2a0b2f18857ad1c6e39401ccb2">a family funeral in Mississippi</a>&nbsp;on Sunday, and whose police escort got him to Arrowhead Stadium with about 20 minutes left before kickoff.

While the Chiefs were getting healthier with the return of Worthy, the Ravens defense — already decimated by injuries — thinned even more when linebacker Roquan Smith, Marlon Humphrey and Nate Wiggins got hurt. That left the Ravens without seven defensive starters — among them two-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle Nnamdi Madubuike and pass rusher Broderick Washington Jr., who went on injured reserve Saturday — by the early minutes of the fourth quarter.

“It's part of the game,” Hill said of the injuries. “I mean, not everything would be sunshine and rainbows. Last year we started off slow and (made the) playoffs and went deep. So I don't think it's difficult. We just know what we need to do going forward to be in the place we want to be. It just kind of shows you the character of the team.”

Still, the Chiefs took advantage of a team that was wounded.

Their own offense had been inconsistent through the first three weeks but scored on its first four possessions on Sunday. Harrison Butker knocked through a pair of field goals, then Mahomes hit JuJu Smith-Schuster with a short TD throw and Isiah Pacheco with another touchdown pass to give Kansas City a 20-7 lead late in the first half.

The Chiefs nearly made it 5 for 5 on scoring drives, but Butker missed a 56-yarder wide left. That opened the door for Baltimore to get a 43-yard field goal from Tyler Loop and make it a 10-point game at the break.

But the mounting injuries, coupled with a red-hot Kansas City offense, were far too much to overcome.

The Chiefs needed just six plays to drive 65 yards for Tyquan Thornton's touchdown reception to start the second half. And after the Ravens added Loop's second field goal, the Chiefs answered with one of their own, before Mahomes threw a nifty pass to Marquise Brown in the end zone early in the fourth quarter to put the game well out of reach.

“These two teams, I mean, the competition — you love it,” Chiefs coach Andy Reid said. “That's why we play this game.”

Ravens: Along with Jackson, Smith, Humphrey and Wiggins, LT Ronnie Stanley (ankle) also left the game and did not return.

Chiefs: There were no injuries for Kansas City.

Baltimore plays Houston next Sunday. Kansas City visits Jacksonville next Monday night.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1759107806319.png" alt="Photo Kansas City Chiefs" />
 <figcaption>Photo Kansas City Chiefs</figcaption>
 </figure>By DAVE SKRETTA AP Sports WriterKANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Chiefs are getting healthier, deeper and more dynamic as the season presses on.The Baltimore Ravens? Pretty much the opposite of all of that.Patrick Mahomes threw for 270 yards and four touchdowns in a turn-back-the-clock kind of performance, and the Chiefs jumped on a Ravens team&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ravens-chiefs-injuries-af1317927ff33522a590d3cc7c5f84c9">missing seven defensive starters</a>&nbsp;by the end — to say nothing of quarterback Lamar Jackson, who had to leave with a hamstring injury — for a 37-20 victory in a matchup of AFC behemoths desperate for a win.Four different players caught TD passes for the Chiefs, while Xavier Worthy returned from a shoulder injury to catch five passes for 83 yards, igniting a Kansas City offense that had been struggling to find its footing through the first three weeks.“We've been making little mistakes here and there and that causes frustration,” Mahomes said, “but we've been learning from them. I've been proud of the guys for the way they've responded, getting better every week.”<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1759107771703.png" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>The Chiefs (2-2) built a 20-10 halftime lead against Baltimore before cruising to their seventh win in the past eight meetings. The most recent time the Ravens (1-3) beat them was September 2021, and their previous win in Kansas City was on Oct. 7, 2021.Jackson threw for 147 yards with a touchdown and his first interception of the season before hurting his hamstring midway through the third quarter, though by that point the game was mostly decided. Cooper Rush played the rest of the way for the Ravens, who suddenly find themselves in a dire situation just four weeks into the season.Only five teams in the 14-team playoff era have started 1-3 and made the postseason.“I'm concerned but I'm not overwhelmed by it. Three losses to probably three of the top teams in the league,” said Ravens coach John Harbaugh, who explained that Jackson sustained a strain to his hamstring and will be evaluated further on Monday.“We've got to win the next game, and then once you win the next game, then you have a chance to start stacking some wins."Derrick Henry finished with just eight carries for 42 yards. Justice Hill had a late 71-yard touchdown run. Otherwise, the Chiefs shut down a Baltimore offense that had scored an NFL-best 111 points over the first three weeks.“It was a big step forward for us,” said Chiefs defensive tackle Chris Jones, who flew back from&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-city-chiefs-chris-jones-da9b5b2a0b2f18857ad1c6e39401ccb2">a family funeral in Mississippi</a>&nbsp;on Sunday, and whose police escort got him to Arrowhead Stadium with about 20 minutes left before kickoff.While the Chiefs were getting healthier with the return of Worthy, the Ravens defense — already decimated by injuries — thinned even more when linebacker Roquan Smith, Marlon Humphrey and Nate Wiggins got hurt. That left the Ravens without seven defensive starters — among them two-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle Nnamdi Madubuike and pass rusher Broderick Washington Jr., who went on injured reserve Saturday — by the early minutes of the fourth quarter.“It's part of the game,” Hill said of the injuries. “I mean, not everything would be sunshine and rainbows. Last year we started off slow and (made the) playoffs and went deep. So I don't think it's difficult. We just know what we need to do going forward to be in the place we want to be. It just kind of shows you the character of the team.”Still, the Chiefs took advantage of a team that was wounded.Their own offense had been inconsistent through the first three weeks but scored on its first four possessions on Sunday. Harrison Butker knocked through a pair of field goals, then Mahomes hit JuJu Smith-Schuster with a short TD throw and Isiah Pacheco with another touchdown pass to give Kansas City a 20-7 lead late in the first half.The Chiefs nearly made it 5 for 5 on scoring drives, but Butker missed a 56-yarder wide left. That opened the door for Baltimore to get a 43-yard field goal from Tyler Loop and make it a 10-point game at the break.But the mounting injuries, coupled with a red-hot Kansas City offense, were far too much to overcome.The Chiefs needed just six plays to drive 65 yards for Tyquan Thornton's touchdown reception to start the second half. And after the Ravens added Loop's second field goal, the Chiefs answered with one of their own, before Mahomes threw a nifty pass to Marquise Brown in the end zone early in the fourth quarter to put the game well out of reach.“These two teams, I mean, the competition — you love it,” Chiefs coach Andy Reid said. “That's why we play this game.”<h2>Injuries</h2>Ravens: Along with Jackson, Smith, Humphrey and Wiggins, LT Ronnie Stanley (ankle) also left the game and did not return.Chiefs: There were no injuries for Kansas City.<h2>Up next</h2>Baltimore plays Houston next Sunday. Kansas City visits Jacksonville next Monday night.