KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Harrison Butker kicked a 51-yard field goal as time expired and the Kansas City Chiefs, kept alive by a pass interference call on Bengals safety Daijahn Anthony on fourth down in the final minute, rallied to beat Cincinnati 26-25 on Sunday.

Patrick Mahomes threw for 151 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions, but it was his incomplete pass to Rashee Rice on fourth-and-16 from the Kansas City 35 that turned out to be decisive. Anthony arrived a split-second early and hit Rice from behind with his body, and flags flew with 38 seconds remaining as the crowd in Arrowhead Stadium erupted.

The penalty came just after the Chiefs had a long gain on fourth down wiped out by a penalty of their own.

The pass interference call moved the Chiefs to the Cincinnati 36, and the Chiefs ran a couple of plays to bleed the clock for the big-legged Butker, who turned around and started walking off the field even before his kick went through the uprights.

Joe Burrow threw for 258 yards and two touchdowns, both to Andrei Iosivas, as the Bengals (0-2) came up empty against one of their biggest nemeses for the third straight time. That includes a loss to Kansas City in the AFC championship game.

Chamarri Conner returned a fumble 37 yards for a touchdown for the Chiefs, and big offensive tackle Wanya Morris — who had the penalty that nearly cost them in the final minute — had a touchdown reception on a day full of bizarre plays.

It was the second win for Kansas City decided on the final play after its 27-20 victory over Baltimore on opening night.

The Chiefs struggled in their first game with Ravens tight end Isaiah Likely, who had nine catches for 111 yards and a score. And with Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins absent with an ailing hamstring, Burrow leaned heavily on his own tight ends — Drew Sample, Mike Gesicki and rookie Erick All Jr. — to move an offense that never got going last weekend against New England.

Sample and Gesicki accounted for most of the yardage on an opening drive that produced a field goal. A few minutes later, after Mahomes was picked by Akeem Davis-Gaither, All's catch helped set up Iosivas' touchdown reception.

Mahomes eventually atoned for the interception when he found Rice over the outstretched fingers of Cam Taylor-Britt for a tying 44-yard touchdown pass. But otherwise, Andy Reid's potent offense was stuck in neutral and trailed 16-10 at the half.

All that and the hijinks were just beginning.

The Chiefs pulled ahead early in the second half, when Mahomes popped a pass to his 310-pound tackle-eligible Morris for a touchdown. The Bengals answered on fourth-and-goal when Burrow connected with Iosivas for a second time, only to see Burrow get stripped a few minutes later and Conner return the fumble 37 yards for another touchdown.

Evan McPherson's fourth field goal gave the Bengals a 25-23 lead with 5:12 to go, and their defense gave them the ball back. But the Chiefs forced a punt with 2:59 remaining, giving Mahomes and Co. the opportunity to decide the game.

Bengals: DT B.J. Hill (hamstring) left in the second quarter. DT Sheldon Rankins (hamstring) left in the fourth.

Cincinnati returns home to play Washington on Sept. 23.

Kansas City heads to Atlanta on Sunday night.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1726444020143.jpeg" alt="Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) scrambles as Cincinnati Bengals defensive end Trey Hendrickson (91) and cornerback Dax Hill (23) defend during the second half of an NFL football game Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Ed Zurga)" />
 <figcaption>Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) scrambles as Cincinnati Bengals defensive end Trey Hendrickson (91) and cornerback Dax Hill (23) defend during the second half of an NFL football game Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Ed Zurga)</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Harrison Butker kicked a 51-yard field goal as time expired and the Kansas City Chiefs, kept alive by a pass interference call on Bengals safety Daijahn Anthony on fourth down in the final minute, rallied to beat Cincinnati 26-25 on Sunday.Patrick Mahomes threw for 151 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions, but it was his incomplete pass to Rashee Rice on fourth-and-16 from the Kansas City 35 that turned out to be decisive. Anthony arrived a split-second early and hit Rice from behind with his body, and flags flew with 38 seconds remaining as the crowd in Arrowhead Stadium erupted.The penalty came just after the Chiefs had a long gain on fourth down wiped out by a penalty of their own.The pass interference call moved the Chiefs to the Cincinnati 36, and the Chiefs ran a couple of plays to bleed the clock for the big-legged Butker, who turned around and started walking off the field even before his kick went through the uprights.Joe Burrow threw for 258 yards and two touchdowns, both to Andrei Iosivas, as the Bengals (0-2) came up empty against one of their biggest nemeses for the third straight time. That includes a loss to Kansas City in the AFC championship game.Chamarri Conner returned a fumble 37 yards for a touchdown for the Chiefs, and big offensive tackle Wanya Morris — who had the penalty that nearly cost them in the final minute — had a touchdown reception on a day full of bizarre plays.It was the second win for Kansas City decided on the final play after its 27-20 victory over Baltimore on opening night.The Chiefs struggled in their first game with Ravens tight end Isaiah Likely, who had nine catches for 111 yards and a score. And with Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins absent with an ailing hamstring, Burrow leaned heavily on his own tight ends — Drew Sample, Mike Gesicki and rookie Erick All Jr. — to move an offense that never got going last weekend against New England.Sample and Gesicki accounted for most of the yardage on an opening drive that produced a field goal. A few minutes later, after Mahomes was picked by Akeem Davis-Gaither, All's catch helped set up Iosivas' touchdown reception.Mahomes eventually atoned for the interception when he found Rice over the outstretched fingers of Cam Taylor-Britt for a tying 44-yard touchdown pass. But otherwise, Andy Reid's potent offense was stuck in neutral and trailed 16-10 at the half.All that and the hijinks were just beginning.The Chiefs pulled ahead early in the second half, when Mahomes popped a pass to his 310-pound tackle-eligible Morris for a touchdown. The Bengals answered on fourth-and-goal when Burrow connected with Iosivas for a second time, only to see Burrow get stripped a few minutes later and Conner return the fumble 37 yards for another touchdown.Evan McPherson's fourth field goal gave the Bengals a 25-23 lead with 5:12 to go, and their defense gave them the ball back. But the Chiefs forced a punt with 2:59 remaining, giving Mahomes and Co. the opportunity to decide the game.<h2>Injuries</h2>Bengals: DT B.J. Hill (hamstring) left in the second quarter. DT Sheldon Rankins (hamstring) left in the fourth.<h2>Up next</h2>Cincinnati returns home to play Washington on Sept. 23.Kansas City heads to Atlanta on Sunday night.

🏈 Butker hits 51-yard winner after penalty on Bengals safety keeps Chiefs alive

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Isiah Kiner-Falefa had three hits, including a go-ahead single in the fifth inning, as the Pittsburgh Pirates avoided a three-game sweep with a 4-3 win over the Kansas City Royals on Sunday.

Billy Cook lined a single to left to start the fifth and&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/AlexJStumpf/status/1835395599278948756">scored from first on a hit and run</a>&nbsp;when Kiner-Falefa shot one to center past a diving Bobby Witt Jr. at short to put the Pirates ahead 3-2. Kiner-Falefa also singled in the first and sixth innings.

“Billy never hesitates. He never breaks stride,” Pittsburgh manager Derek Shelton said. “We get a run on a groundball to center field just because of the fact of his awareness. Outstanding.”

Kansas City's Brady Singer (9-11), who gave up four runs on six hits and four walks with six strikeouts in five innings, later walked Rowdy Tellez with the bases loaded to bring the Pittsburgh lead to 4-2.

“In the fifth, (Singer) just kind of lost command a little bit there,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said. “Unlike him. But overall, I thought his stuff was fine, just his command was a little bit off.”

Carmen Mlodzinski (3-5) pitched a perfect fifth inning in relief of Pirates starter Jared Jones, who allowed two runs and six hits in the first four. Aroldis Chapman struck out one in a perfect ninth for his ninth save.

The Royals, four games back of first-place Cleveland in the AL Central, had the bases loaded with two outs in the sixth. Colin Holderman walked Witt Jr. to bring in a run but Dennis Santana entered to get Salvador Perez to fly out and limit the damage.

“We needed to capitalize more,” Quatraro said. “We put a lot of pressure on them. We drove up the pitch count early. We had baserunners in several innings and just couldn't come up with the big hit to really take the lead or break it open.”

Bryan Reynolds gave the Pirates an initial lead on a double into the left-field corner after Kiner-Falefa led off the first with a base hit.

Yuli Gurriel tied it 1-1 on a sacrifice fly in the second after Kansas City started the inning with a Paul DeJong single between two walks.

Tommy Pham opened the third with a triple off the top of the Clemente Wall in right.

Witt Jr. then flew out to Cook,&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/Pirates/status/1835384264319275295">whose throw home from right field beat Pham to preserve the tie</a>. It came from near the line to the right of a No. 21 etched into the outfield grass on Roberto Clemente Day, observed across the majors.

“It was great seeing the 21 and, I think, even more special because it was just out in right field,” said Cook, who wore Clemente's No. 21 along with his Pirates teammates. “He played an amazing right field. To just be able to play the game the right way out there as a tribute to him while wearing the number, really special.”

Gurriel and Maikel Garcia hit consecutive one-out doubles to put the Royals ahead 2-1 the next inning.

Oneil Cruz led off the Pirates’ half of the fourth with a single and scored the tying run when Nick Gonzales grounded to third with the bases loaded.

Royals: RHP Seth Lugo (16-8, 2.94 ERA) will start Monday to open a three-game home series against the Tigers. Detroit has not announced a starter.

Pirates: Rookie RHP Paul Skenes (10-2, 2.10) will take the mound Monday to start a four-game series in St. Louis, opposite Cardinals RHP Andre Pallante (6-8, 4.13).

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1726442056981.jpeg" alt="Pittsburgh Pirates' Isiah Kiner-Falefa, lower right, scores on a double by Bryan Reynolds past Kansas City Royals catcher Salvador Perez, left, with umpire Ryan Wills, upper right, watching the play during the first inning of a baseball game in Pittsburgh, Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)" />
 <figcaption>Pittsburgh Pirates' Isiah Kiner-Falefa, lower right, scores on a double by Bryan Reynolds past Kansas City Royals catcher Salvador Perez, left, with umpire Ryan Wills, upper right, watching the play during the first inning of a baseball game in Pittsburgh, Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)</figcaption>
 </figure>PITTSBURGH (AP) — Isiah Kiner-Falefa had three hits, including a go-ahead single in the fifth inning, as the Pittsburgh Pirates avoided a three-game sweep with a 4-3 win over the Kansas City Royals on Sunday.Billy Cook lined a single to left to start the fifth and&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/AlexJStumpf/status/1835395599278948756">scored from first on a hit and run</a>&nbsp;when Kiner-Falefa shot one to center past a diving Bobby Witt Jr. at short to put the Pirates ahead 3-2. Kiner-Falefa also singled in the first and sixth innings.“Billy never hesitates. He never breaks stride,” Pittsburgh manager Derek Shelton said. “We get a run on a groundball to center field just because of the fact of his awareness. Outstanding.”Kansas City's Brady Singer (9-11), who gave up four runs on six hits and four walks with six strikeouts in five innings, later walked Rowdy Tellez with the bases loaded to bring the Pittsburgh lead to 4-2.“In the fifth, (Singer) just kind of lost command a little bit there,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said. “Unlike him. But overall, I thought his stuff was fine, just his command was a little bit off.”Carmen Mlodzinski (3-5) pitched a perfect fifth inning in relief of Pirates starter Jared Jones, who allowed two runs and six hits in the first four. Aroldis Chapman struck out one in a perfect ninth for his ninth save.The Royals, four games back of first-place Cleveland in the AL Central, had the bases loaded with two outs in the sixth. Colin Holderman walked Witt Jr. to bring in a run but Dennis Santana entered to get Salvador Perez to fly out and limit the damage.“We needed to capitalize more,” Quatraro said. “We put a lot of pressure on them. We drove up the pitch count early. We had baserunners in several innings and just couldn't come up with the big hit to really take the lead or break it open.”Bryan Reynolds gave the Pirates an initial lead on a double into the left-field corner after Kiner-Falefa led off the first with a base hit.Yuli Gurriel tied it 1-1 on a sacrifice fly in the second after Kansas City started the inning with a Paul DeJong single between two walks.Tommy Pham opened the third with a triple off the top of the Clemente Wall in right.Witt Jr. then flew out to Cook,&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/Pirates/status/1835384264319275295">whose throw home from right field beat Pham to preserve the tie</a>. It came from near the line to the right of a No. 21 etched into the outfield grass on Roberto Clemente Day, observed across the majors.“It was great seeing the 21 and, I think, even more special because it was just out in right field,” said Cook, who wore Clemente's No. 21 along with his Pirates teammates. “He played an amazing right field. To just be able to play the game the right way out there as a tribute to him while wearing the number, really special.”Gurriel and Maikel Garcia hit consecutive one-out doubles to put the Royals ahead 2-1 the next inning.Oneil Cruz led off the Pirates’ half of the fourth with a single and scored the tying run when Nick Gonzales grounded to third with the bases loaded.UP NEXTRoyals: RHP Seth Lugo (16-8, 2.94 ERA) will start Monday to open a three-game home series against the Tigers. Detroit has not announced a starter.Pirates: Rookie RHP Paul Skenes (10-2, 2.10) will take the mound Monday to start a four-game series in St. Louis, opposite Cardinals RHP Andre Pallante (6-8, 4.13).

⚾ Kiner-Falefa has 3 hits to lead Pirates past Royals, avoid series sweep

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. - The Fort Hays State women's soccer team secured its first win of the season, 3-1 on Sunday against Southwest Minnesota State, capping their weekend in South Dakota. Britney Arneson&nbsp;tallied her first two-goal match as a Tiger, while Allison Worley&nbsp;had the goal to break a tie in the second half. Gracen Chaney&nbsp;recorded two assists in the match off of corner kicks.

Fort Hays State struck first when Arneson&nbsp;found the back of the net, thanks to a well-placed corner from Chaney. She charged into the middle of the box and put a strike on the quick moving ball from Chaney.

Southwest Minnesota State quickly equalized with a goal from Haley Mason and the teams played to a 1-1 tie by halftime. The first half saw the Tigers controlling much of the play, outshooting the Mustangs 6-3 and registering four shots on goal. They also dominated corner kicks with six before halftime.

In the second half, the Tigers capitalized on their offensive chances, firing nine shots and placing three on target. Worley&nbsp;tallied her first goal of the season in the 50th minute, assisted again by a Chaney corner kick. Worley got a head on another well-placed ball in the box, lifting the Tigers back into the lead.

Arneson solidified the Tigers victory with her second goal of the match in the 86th minute, assisted by both Worley and Kenzee Godwin. The Tiger defense conceded just five shots for the match and Mackenzie Caldwell&nbsp;made three saves in goal.

The Tigers go back on the road next week to Southwestern Oklahoma State on Thursday, then travel to Northwestern Oklahoma State on Saturday. FHSU is 1-1-2 through four matches this season.&nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1726432532427.png" alt="FHSU Athletics photo/Ryan Prickett" />
 <figcaption>FHSU Athletics photo/Ryan Prickett</figcaption>
 </figure>FHSU AthleticsSIOUX FALLS, S.D. - The Fort Hays State women's soccer team secured its first win of the season, 3-1 on Sunday against Southwest Minnesota State, capping their weekend in South Dakota. Britney Arneson&nbsp;tallied her first two-goal match as a Tiger, while Allison Worley&nbsp;had the goal to break a tie in the second half. Gracen Chaney&nbsp;recorded two assists in the match off of corner kicks.Fort Hays State struck first when Arneson&nbsp;found the back of the net, thanks to a well-placed corner from Chaney. She charged into the middle of the box and put a strike on the quick moving ball from Chaney.Southwest Minnesota State quickly equalized with a goal from Haley Mason and the teams played to a 1-1 tie by halftime. The first half saw the Tigers controlling much of the play, outshooting the Mustangs 6-3 and registering four shots on goal. They also dominated corner kicks with six before halftime.In the second half, the Tigers capitalized on their offensive chances, firing nine shots and placing three on target. Worley&nbsp;tallied her first goal of the season in the 50th minute, assisted again by a Chaney corner kick. Worley got a head on another well-placed ball in the box, lifting the Tigers back into the lead.Arneson solidified the Tigers victory with her second goal of the match in the 86th minute, assisted by both Worley and Kenzee Godwin. The Tiger defense conceded just five shots for the match and Mackenzie Caldwell&nbsp;made three saves in goal.UP NEXT The Tigers go back on the road next week to Southwestern Oklahoma State on Thursday, then travel to Northwestern Oklahoma State on Saturday. FHSU is 1-1-2 through four matches this season.&nbsp;&nbsp;

⚽ Arneson and Worley net goals in FHSU women's win over SMSU

Sunday, September 15
 KAYS: Kansas City Royals at Pittsburgh Pirates,
12:00pm
 KFIX: Kansas City Chiefs vs. Cincinnati Bengals, 2:00pm

Sunday, September 15
 KAYS: Kansas City Royals at Pittsburgh Pirates,
12:00pm
 KFIX: Kansas City Chiefs vs. Cincinnati Bengals, 2:00pm

🎧 Eagle Radio, Hull sports broadcast schedule

By GERARD WELLBROCK Hays Post

MARYVILLE, Mo. – Fort Hays State jumped out to an early 14-0 first quarter lead but couldn't hold on to the early momentum and lost 32-20 at Northwest Missouri State Saturday night at Bearcat Stadium.

The loss was the first of the season for the 24th-ranked Tigers and dropped then to 2-1 overall and 1-1 in the MIAA.&nbsp; The Bearcats, who avoided their first 0-3 start since 1994 moved to 1-2 and 1-1 in the MIAA.

For a second-straight game, the Tigers scored on the fist possession of the game. Shane Watts capped an&nbsp;8-play, 75-yard drive with a 5-yard run. Benyon Willimas picked off a pass on NWMSU's first possession which set up a short 11-yard field for FHSU. Watts cashed in another touchdown three plays later on a 1-yard run.

The Bearcats responded on the next possession with an 11-play scoring drive to pull within 14-7 late in the first quarter on a Tank Young 10-yard touchdown run.

Carson Arndt&nbsp;converted a 25-yard field goal to extend the FHSU lead back to 17-7 in the second quarter but the Bearcats answered with a Noah Guastella field goal on the heels of a 14-play drive. 

The game would turn on the next four possessions. Fort Hays State went 3-and-out, but a booming punt from Parker Janky pinned Northwest at their own nine yard line. The Bearcats took advantage of a third-down roughing passing penalty and pass interference penalty and scored a touchdown with five seconds left in the half to tie the game 17-17 at halftime.

The Bearcats had the ball first out of halftime and chewed up the first 7:35 of the half with a 14-play, 75-yard touchdown drive. Tank Young's 4-yard run gave the Bearcats the lead for good. Moments later, Fort Hays State quarterback Jack Dawson was called for intentional grounding in the endzone which resulted in a safety and pushed the Bearcats lead to 26-17. 

The Tigers scored their only points of the half on a 44-yard field goal by Arndt in the third quarter, but the Bearcats took full control on their final touchdown early in the fourth quarter for the final margin.

FHSU was held to just 245 yards of total offense, which included 213 passing yards by Jack Dawson&nbsp;and 32 rushing yards as a team. Shane Watts&nbsp;led the ground game with 39 yards. Trevor Watts&nbsp;had eight catches for 59 yards, while Jabari Lewis&nbsp;had a team-high 64 receiving yards on just three catches. Makel Williams&nbsp;led the Tiger defense with 12 tackles, while Sam Brandt&nbsp;had nine to go with two interceptions.

Though the Tigers had three interceptions in the game, the Bearcats were still able to muster 411 yards of total offense with 273 passing yards and 138 rushing yards. Chris Ruhnke completed 33-of-41 attempts for all 273 yards through the air. Young had a team-high 57 rushing yards. Luke Mathews led the Bearcats in receiving yards with 62. Holden Zigmant, Shane Fredrickson, and Carter Edwards led NWMSU with six tackles each.

The Tigers return home to face Northeastern State in a non-conference game next weekend in Hays. The RiverHawks are playing independent this year in football. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. at Lewis Field Stadium in Hays.&nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1726413801165.png" alt="FHSU Athletics photo/Coryn Hahn" />
 <figcaption>FHSU Athletics photo/Coryn Hahn</figcaption>
 </figure>By GERARD WELLBROCK Hays PostMARYVILLE, Mo. – Fort Hays State jumped out to an early 14-0 first quarter lead but couldn't hold on to the early momentum and lost 32-20 at Northwest Missouri State Saturday night at Bearcat Stadium.The loss was the first of the season for the 24th-ranked Tigers and dropped then to 2-1 overall and 1-1 in the MIAA.&nbsp; The Bearcats, who avoided their first 0-3 start since 1994 moved to 1-2 and 1-1 in the MIAA.<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/1916840147&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/chris-brown-post-v-nwmsu-sept-14-2024" title="Chris Brown Postgame vs. NW Missouri State (Sep. 14, 2024)" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Chris Brown Postgame vs. NW Missouri State (Sep. 14, 2024)</a></div></div>For a second-straight game, the Tigers scored on the fist possession of the game. Shane Watts capped an&nbsp;8-play, 75-yard drive with a 5-yard run. Benyon Willimas picked off a pass on NWMSU's first possession which set up a short 11-yard field for FHSU. Watts cashed in another touchdown three plays later on a 1-yard run.The Bearcats responded on the next possession with an 11-play scoring drive to pull within 14-7 late in the first quarter on a Tank Young 10-yard touchdown run.<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/1916840288&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/trevor-watts-post-v-nwmsu-sept-14-2024" title="Trevor Watts Postgame vs. NW Missouri State (Sep. 14, 2024)" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Trevor Watts Postgame vs. NW Missouri State (Sep. 14, 2024)</a></div></div>Carson Arndt&nbsp;converted a 25-yard field goal to extend the FHSU lead back to 17-7 in the second quarter but the Bearcats answered with a Noah Guastella field goal on the heels of a 14-play drive. The game would turn on the next four possessions. Fort Hays State went 3-and-out, but a booming punt from Parker Janky pinned Northwest at their own nine yard line. The Bearcats took advantage of a third-down roughing passing penalty and pass interference penalty and scored a touchdown with five seconds left in the half to tie the game 17-17 at halftime.<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/1916840201&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/sam-brandt-post-v-nwmsu-sept-14-2024" title="Sam Brandt Postgame vs. NW Missouri State (Sep. 14, 2024)" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Sam Brandt Postgame vs. NW Missouri State (Sep. 14, 2024)</a></div></div>The Bearcats had the ball first out of halftime and chewed up the first 7:35 of the half with a 14-play, 75-yard touchdown drive. Tank Young's 4-yard run gave the Bearcats the lead for good. Moments later, Fort Hays State quarterback Jack Dawson was called for intentional grounding in the endzone which resulted in a safety and pushed the Bearcats lead to 26-17. The Tigers scored their only points of the half on a 44-yard field goal by Arndt in the third quarter, but the Bearcats took full control on their final touchdown early in the fourth quarter for the final margin.<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/1916839976&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-fb-highlights-v-nwmsu-sept-14-2024" title="#25 Fort Hays State FB Highlights vs NW Missouri State (Sep. 14 2024)" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">#25 Fort Hays State FB Highlights vs NW Missouri State (Sep. 14 2024)</a></div></div>FHSU was held to just 245 yards of total offense, which included 213 passing yards by Jack Dawson&nbsp;and 32 rushing yards as a team. Shane Watts&nbsp;led the ground game with 39 yards. Trevor Watts&nbsp;had eight catches for 59 yards, while Jabari Lewis&nbsp;had a team-high 64 receiving yards on just three catches. Makel Williams&nbsp;led the Tiger defense with 12 tackles, while Sam Brandt&nbsp;had nine to go with two interceptions.Though the Tigers had three interceptions in the game, the Bearcats were still able to muster 411 yards of total offense with 273 passing yards and 138 rushing yards. Chris Ruhnke completed 33-of-41 attempts for all 273 yards through the air. Young had a team-high 57 rushing yards. Luke Mathews led the Bearcats in receiving yards with 62. Holden Zigmant, Shane Fredrickson, and Carter Edwards led NWMSU with six tackles each.UP NEXTThe Tigers return home to face Northeastern State in a non-conference game next weekend in Hays. The RiverHawks are playing independent this year in football. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. at Lewis Field Stadium in Hays.&nbsp;&nbsp;

🏈 FHSU suffer first loss of the season at NW Missouri State

HAYS, Kan. - The Fort Hays State volleyball team picked up a pair of wins on Saturday, defending its home turf with victories over Truman State and Northwestern Oklahoma State on the final day of the 2024 Tiger Classic. FHSU fought off the Bulldogs of TSU in four tight sets early in the afternoon before holding off a surging Rangers squad in five sets in the nightcap.

The Tigers are now 5-1 on the season, while Truman State moves to 0-8 overall and Northwestern Oklahoma State dips to 3-5.

Fort Hays State will be on the road for the next two weeks, playing three more non-conference contests in Bolivar, Mo. September 20-21 as part of the SBU Invitational before opening league action at Missouri Southern on September 27. The Tigers will next play at home during homecoming weekend when they host Northwest Missouri State on Friday, October 4.

Fort Hays State 3, Truman State 1 (25-20, 23-25, 25-18, 25-23) The Tigers opened the day with a tight battle against Truman State. The teams traded punches in each sets, including 12 ties and six lead changes in the first set, seven ties and three lead changes in the second set and six ties and three lead changes in the fourth frame.

Trailing 19-18 in the first set, FHSU scored seven of the next eight points to take the frame, 25-20.&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-volleyball/roster/avery-eshleman/8177">Avery Eshleman</a>&nbsp;gave the Tigers the lead with back-to-back kills before&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-volleyball/roster/tallon-rentschler/7951">Tallon Rentschler</a>&nbsp;dropped in a service ace. Eshleman later finished things off with another kill.

Truman State pulled away late in the second set, leveling the score at one set each, before FHSU took control early in the third set and held on to win 25-18.

FHSU mounted one final rally late in the fourth set to seal the deal, scoring five in a row to turn a 23-20 deficit into a 25-23 victory.&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-volleyball/roster/ashlyn-reeves/7949">Ashlyn Reeves</a>&nbsp;got things going with a block before a Bulldog error tied the score at 23. Reeves then dropped in a kill to reach match point before&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-volleyball/roster/gracie-rains/7948">Gracie Rains</a>&nbsp;closed the door with her team-leading 18th kill of the match.

The Tigers combined for a season-high 13 service aces in the win, including six from&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-volleyball/roster/kirsten-evans/7943">Kirsten Evans</a>. Rains totaled 18 kills on 32 swings while adding one solo block.&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-volleyball/roster/grace-schmedding/8180">Grace Schmedding</a>&nbsp;and Eshleman both had 12 kills each alongside two blocks.&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-volleyball/roster/caiya-stucky/7954">Caiya Stucky</a>&nbsp;dished out 41 assists while adding three kills and eight digs. Evans racked up a team-high 25 digs, with&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-volleyball/roster/haylee-wolf/8181">Haylee Wolf</a>&nbsp;adding 15 digs.

Fort Hays State 3, Northwestern Oklahoma State 2 (26-24, 25-21, 17-25, 21-25, 15-6) The Tigers took control early in the last of nine matches inside Gross Memorial Coliseum on the weekend, taking the first set against NWOSU 26-24 and taking the second frame 25-21. FHSU led 12-10 midway through the third set before a big Ranger run kept the visitors in the match.

Fort Hays State trailed by as many as five in the fourth set before battling back to tie the score at 19. Northwestern Oklahoma State responded by scoring five of the last six points, taking the fourth 25-21 to send things to a deciding fifth set.

The Tigers left nothing to chance in the final stanza, scoring five in a row to take the lead for good following a 2-2 tie. Schmedding put FHSU in front with back-to-back kills before Rentschler added a back row kill. Kills from Reeves and Olson helped the Tigers reach match point before a Ranger service error sailed wide, securing the FHSU victory.

Fort Hays State notched a season-high 68 kills in the win, including 19 from Rains and 18 from Schmedding. Schmedding also led the team with 19 digs. Olson totaled 11 kills and two blocks. Stucky dished out 48 assists and tied with&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-volleyball/roster/taytum-lovesee/7946">Taytum Lovesee</a>&nbsp;for the team lead with three blocks. Evans added three more service aces in the second win, giving her nine on the day.&nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1726413597672.png" alt="FHSU Athletics photo/Ryan Prickett" />
 <figcaption>FHSU Athletics photo/Ryan Prickett</figcaption>
 </figure>FHSU AthleticsHAYS, Kan. - The Fort Hays State volleyball team picked up a pair of wins on Saturday, defending its home turf with victories over Truman State and Northwestern Oklahoma State on the final day of the 2024 Tiger Classic. FHSU fought off the Bulldogs of TSU in four tight sets early in the afternoon before holding off a surging Rangers squad in five sets in the nightcap.The Tigers are now 5-1 on the season, while Truman State moves to 0-8 overall and Northwestern Oklahoma State dips to 3-5.Fort Hays State will be on the road for the next two weeks, playing three more non-conference contests in Bolivar, Mo. September 20-21 as part of the SBU Invitational before opening league action at Missouri Southern on September 27. The Tigers will next play at home during homecoming weekend when they host Northwest Missouri State on Friday, October 4.Fort Hays State 3, Truman State 1 (25-20, 23-25, 25-18, 25-23) The Tigers opened the day with a tight battle against Truman State. The teams traded punches in each sets, including 12 ties and six lead changes in the first set, seven ties and three lead changes in the second set and six ties and three lead changes in the fourth frame.Trailing 19-18 in the first set, FHSU scored seven of the next eight points to take the frame, 25-20.&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-volleyball/roster/avery-eshleman/8177">Avery Eshleman</a>&nbsp;gave the Tigers the lead with back-to-back kills before&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-volleyball/roster/tallon-rentschler/7951">Tallon Rentschler</a>&nbsp;dropped in a service ace. Eshleman later finished things off with another kill.Truman State pulled away late in the second set, leveling the score at one set each, before FHSU took control early in the third set and held on to win 25-18.FHSU mounted one final rally late in the fourth set to seal the deal, scoring five in a row to turn a 23-20 deficit into a 25-23 victory.&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-volleyball/roster/ashlyn-reeves/7949">Ashlyn Reeves</a>&nbsp;got things going with a block before a Bulldog error tied the score at 23. Reeves then dropped in a kill to reach match point before&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-volleyball/roster/gracie-rains/7948">Gracie Rains</a>&nbsp;closed the door with her team-leading 18th kill of the match.The Tigers combined for a season-high 13 service aces in the win, including six from&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-volleyball/roster/kirsten-evans/7943">Kirsten Evans</a>. Rains totaled 18 kills on 32 swings while adding one solo block.&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-volleyball/roster/grace-schmedding/8180">Grace Schmedding</a>&nbsp;and Eshleman both had 12 kills each alongside two blocks.&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-volleyball/roster/caiya-stucky/7954">Caiya Stucky</a>&nbsp;dished out 41 assists while adding three kills and eight digs. Evans racked up a team-high 25 digs, with&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-volleyball/roster/haylee-wolf/8181">Haylee Wolf</a>&nbsp;adding 15 digs.Fort Hays State 3, Northwestern Oklahoma State 2 (26-24, 25-21, 17-25, 21-25, 15-6) The Tigers took control early in the last of nine matches inside Gross Memorial Coliseum on the weekend, taking the first set against NWOSU 26-24 and taking the second frame 25-21. FHSU led 12-10 midway through the third set before a big Ranger run kept the visitors in the match.Fort Hays State trailed by as many as five in the fourth set before battling back to tie the score at 19. Northwestern Oklahoma State responded by scoring five of the last six points, taking the fourth 25-21 to send things to a deciding fifth set.The Tigers left nothing to chance in the final stanza, scoring five in a row to take the lead for good following a 2-2 tie. Schmedding put FHSU in front with back-to-back kills before Rentschler added a back row kill. Kills from Reeves and Olson helped the Tigers reach match point before a Ranger service error sailed wide, securing the FHSU victory.Fort Hays State notched a season-high 68 kills in the win, including 19 from Rains and 18 from Schmedding. Schmedding also led the team with 19 digs. Olson totaled 11 kills and two blocks. Stucky dished out 48 assists and tied with&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-volleyball/roster/taytum-lovesee/7946">Taytum Lovesee</a>&nbsp;for the team lead with three blocks. Evans added three more service aces in the second win, giving her nine on the day.&nbsp;&nbsp;

🏐 Tigers sweep day two of Tiger Classic

SALINA - Hays High soccer finished runner-up in the inaugural Salina South Invitational. The Indians fell 2-1 to the host Cougars in Saturday afternoon's championship match.

Hays took the lead in the 37th minute on a goal by Mason Schleicher. South tied it up two minutes later for a halftime score of 1-1. The Cougars scored the lone second half goal in the 60th minute for the 2-1 final.

Hays is 2-2 on the season. They defeated Topeka West and Emporia earlier in the tournament. The Indians host Great Bend on Tuesday.

Hays PostSALINA - Hays High soccer finished runner-up in the inaugural Salina South Invitational. The Indians fell 2-1 to the host Cougars in Saturday afternoon's championship match.Hays took the lead in the 37th minute on a goal by Mason Schleicher. South tied it up two minutes later for a halftime score of 1-1. The Cougars scored the lone second half goal in the 60th minute for the 2-1 final.Hays is 2-2 on the season. They defeated Topeka West and Emporia earlier in the tournament. The Indians host Great Bend on Tuesday.

⚽ Hays falls to Salina South in title game

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Bobby Witt Jr. drove in his 100th run of the season with a solo homer in the first inning, and the Kansas City Royals beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 5-1 on Saturday.

Witt also hit a sacrifice fly in the fifth and a run-scoring double in the sixth. He went 2 for 3 to raise his MLB-leading batting average to .333. He also has 31 homers and 102 RBIs.

“It’s hard to set personal goals because you never know what might happen during the season,” Witt said. “So, I just take it day by day, play the game and let things happen on their own. But 100 RBIs does mean a lot. I’m happy to be able to do that.”

Michael Wacha (13-7) gave up one run in five innings to improve to 9-1 with a 2.68 ERA in 13 starts since the beginning of July. He allowed four hits, walked three and struck out eight.

“The first two innings were really efficient then in the third inning they started working some walks and long counts, working some good ABs and really made me work,” Wacha said. “I wish I could have gone a little deeper, but the bullpen came in and did a great job.”

John Schreiber, Sam Long, James McArthur, Kris Bubic and Lucas Erceg combined for four innings of five-hit ball for Kansas City.

The Royals won for the seventh time in nine games since a seven-game losing streak as they try to reach the postseason for the first time since winning the World Series in 2015. The Royals also assured themselves of their first winning season since 2015 by raising their record to 82-67.

“It really doesn’t mean that much to me,” manager Matt Quatraro said of having a winning record after going 56-106 last season. “Our guys have set the bar much higher than that. They’ve wanted to win the division since the first day of spring training and we might need 90-some wins to do that.”

Kansas City began the day with a 2½-game lead over Minnesota for the second AL wild card. The Royals trailed first-place Cleveland by three games in the AL Central.

The Royals had five stolen bases, three by Maikol Garcia and two by Kyle Isbel.

Mitch Keller (11-10) lost for the fifth time in his last six decisions, allowing four runs — three earned — and four hits with six strikeouts and one walk. The Pirates made three errors behind Keller.

“We gave up a couple runs that were situations he couldn’t control,” Pirates manager Derek Shelton said. “I didn’t think he had his best stuff, but I thought he was able to grind through it and continue to get outs.”

After Witt staked the Royals to the early 1-0 lead, the Royals scored twice in the fifth. Adam Frazier tripled past diving center field Oneil Cruz and scored on Garcia’s double before Witt hit a sacrifice fly.

The Pirates scored their lone run in the fifth on an RBI single by Cruz. They are 14-24 since Aug. 4.

Kansas City’s Michael Massey doubled and scored on third baseman Jared Triolo’s error in the fifth. Witt’s RBI double in the sixth that was misplayed by Cruz made it 5-1.

Bryan Reynolds and Triolo each had two hits for the Pirates.

Royals: RHP Chris Stratton (right forearm flexor strain) was placed on the 15-day injured list and LHP Angel Zerpa was recalled from Triple-A Omaha. Stratton will undergo imaging Monday when the Royals return home from their road trip.

The series concludes Sunday with Royals RHP Brady Singer (9-10, 3.42 ERA) facing rookie RHP Jared Jones (6-7, 3.82 ERA). Singer is 1-4 with a 5.17 ERA in his last seven starts.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1726355257593.png" alt="Photo Kansas City Royals" />
 <figcaption>Photo Kansas City Royals</figcaption>
 </figure>PITTSBURGH (AP) — Bobby Witt Jr. drove in his 100th run of the season with a solo homer in the first inning, and the Kansas City Royals beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 5-1 on Saturday.Witt also hit a sacrifice fly in the fifth and a run-scoring double in the sixth. He went 2 for 3 to raise his MLB-leading batting average to .333. He also has 31 homers and 102 RBIs.“It’s hard to set personal goals because you never know what might happen during the season,” Witt said. “So, I just take it day by day, play the game and let things happen on their own. But 100 RBIs does mean a lot. I’m happy to be able to do that.”Michael Wacha (13-7) gave up one run in five innings to improve to 9-1 with a 2.68 ERA in 13 starts since the beginning of July. He allowed four hits, walked three and struck out eight.“The first two innings were really efficient then in the third inning they started working some walks and long counts, working some good ABs and really made me work,” Wacha said. “I wish I could have gone a little deeper, but the bullpen came in and did a great job.”John Schreiber, Sam Long, James McArthur, Kris Bubic and Lucas Erceg combined for four innings of five-hit ball for Kansas City.The Royals won for the seventh time in nine games since a seven-game losing streak as they try to reach the postseason for the first time since winning the World Series in 2015. The Royals also assured themselves of their first winning season since 2015 by raising their record to 82-67.“It really doesn’t mean that much to me,” manager Matt Quatraro said of having a winning record after going 56-106 last season. “Our guys have set the bar much higher than that. They’ve wanted to win the division since the first day of spring training and we might need 90-some wins to do that.”Kansas City began the day with a 2½-game lead over Minnesota for the second AL wild card. The Royals trailed first-place Cleveland by three games in the AL Central.The Royals had five stolen bases, three by Maikol Garcia and two by Kyle Isbel.Mitch Keller (11-10) lost for the fifth time in his last six decisions, allowing four runs — three earned — and four hits with six strikeouts and one walk. The Pirates made three errors behind Keller.“We gave up a couple runs that were situations he couldn’t control,” Pirates manager Derek Shelton said. “I didn’t think he had his best stuff, but I thought he was able to grind through it and continue to get outs.”After Witt staked the Royals to the early 1-0 lead, the Royals scored twice in the fifth. Adam Frazier tripled past diving center field Oneil Cruz and scored on Garcia’s double before Witt hit a sacrifice fly.The Pirates scored their lone run in the fifth on an RBI single by Cruz. They are 14-24 since Aug. 4.Kansas City’s Michael Massey doubled and scored on third baseman Jared Triolo’s error in the fifth. Witt’s RBI double in the sixth that was misplayed by Cruz made it 5-1.Bryan Reynolds and Triolo each had two hits for the Pirates.TRAINER’S ROOMRoyals: RHP Chris Stratton (right forearm flexor strain) was placed on the 15-day injured list and LHP Angel Zerpa was recalled from Triple-A Omaha. Stratton will undergo imaging Monday when the Royals return home from their road trip.UP NEXTThe series concludes Sunday with Royals RHP Brady Singer (9-10, 3.42 ERA) facing rookie RHP Jared Jones (6-7, 3.82 ERA). Singer is 1-4 with a 5.17 ERA in his last seven starts.

⚾ Bobby Witt Jr. passes 100 RBIs for the season; Royals beat the Pirates

#25/21 Fort Hays State (2-0, 1-0 MIAA) at Northwest Missouri State (0-2, 0-1 MIAA) Saturday, September 14 - 6 p.m. Maryville, Mo. - Bearcat Stadium

Radio:&nbsp;KJLS (103.3)&nbsp;<a href="https://mix103fm.com/">CLICK HERE TO LISTEN</a> Video:&nbsp;MIAA Network:&nbsp;<a href="https://themiaanetwork.com/fhsutigers/">CLICK HERE TO WATCH ($)</a>

Fort Hays State will face its first road test of the season on Saturday evening when it takes on Northwest Missouri State in Maryville at 6 p.m. The Tigers are ranked No. 25 (AFCA)/No. 21 (D2Football.com) in the latest national polls. This is the first time since FHSU joined the MIAA in 2006 the Bearcats will not have a national ranking when facing the Tigers after starting the season 0-2. The Tigers are one of four teams in the MIAA currently with a 2-0 record on the season, and one of four teams in the MIAA currently holding an AFCA Top 25 ranking.

Fort Hays State won last year's meeting in Hays by a score of 17-6 over a then No. 15 ranked Bearcat team. That snapped a three-game losing skid to the Bearcats. FHSU won two of the last three meetings between the teams in Maryville, winning in 2017 and 2018 on its way to back-to-back MIAA titles. The Bearcats won the last game contested between the teams in Maryville by a count of 33-19 in 2022. The teams have split the last six meetings going back to 2017.

Fort Hays State has returned to the Top 25 of the AFCA and D2Football.com Polls since the 2019 season. This is the first time these teams are meeting when the Tigers hold a national ranking and the Bearcats do not.

Success for the Tigers so far this year has been a combination of solid defense and balanced offense. The Tigers have five players with 12 or more tackles on the season, led by Makel Williams with 18. Sam Brandt and Benyon Williams&nbsp;each have 15. Myles Menges&nbsp;has 2.0 sacks to pace a Tiger team with five on the season. Kobe Rome&nbsp;has the team's lone interception of the season. Offensively, Shane Watts&nbsp;leads the Tigers in both rushing (221) and receiving yards (96), averaging 158.5 all-purpose yards per game. Jack Dawson&nbsp;has thrown for 429 yards overall.

The Bearcats started the season with losses to then No. 13 Minnesota State (now ranked 11th) and Nebraska-Kearney. They have struggled to run the ball in the early going, with just 15 rushing yards as a team for the season. Chris Ruhnke has 579 passing yards on the season, and his top target Luke Mathews has 207 receiving yards. The Bearcats have four players with double-figure tackles on the season, led by Shane Fredrickson with 14.

The Tigers are seeking their first 3-0 start since the 2017 season, while the Bearcats are looking to avoid their first 0-3 start since the 1994 season.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1726168368071.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>FHSU Athletics#25/21 Fort Hays State (2-0, 1-0 MIAA) at Northwest Missouri State (0-2, 0-1 MIAA) Saturday, September 14 - 6 p.m. Maryville, Mo. - Bearcat StadiumRadio:&nbsp;KJLS (103.3)&nbsp;<a href="https://mix103fm.com/">CLICK HERE TO LISTEN</a> Video:&nbsp;MIAA Network:&nbsp;<a href="https://themiaanetwork.com/fhsutigers/">CLICK HERE TO WATCH ($)</a>Fort Hays State will face its first road test of the season on Saturday evening when it takes on Northwest Missouri State in Maryville at 6 p.m. The Tigers are ranked No. 25 (AFCA)/No. 21 (D2Football.com) in the latest national polls. This is the first time since FHSU joined the MIAA in 2006 the Bearcats will not have a national ranking when facing the Tigers after starting the season 0-2. The Tigers are one of four teams in the MIAA currently with a 2-0 record on the season, and one of four teams in the MIAA currently holding an AFCA Top 25 ranking.Fort Hays State won last year's meeting in Hays by a score of 17-6 over a then No. 15 ranked Bearcat team. That snapped a three-game losing skid to the Bearcats. FHSU won two of the last three meetings between the teams in Maryville, winning in 2017 and 2018 on its way to back-to-back MIAA titles. The Bearcats won the last game contested between the teams in Maryville by a count of 33-19 in 2022. The teams have split the last six meetings going back to 2017.Fort Hays State has returned to the Top 25 of the AFCA and D2Football.com Polls since the 2019 season. This is the first time these teams are meeting when the Tigers hold a national ranking and the Bearcats do not.Success for the Tigers so far this year has been a combination of solid defense and balanced offense. The Tigers have five players with 12 or more tackles on the season, led by Makel Williams with 18. Sam Brandt and Benyon Williams&nbsp;each have 15. Myles Menges&nbsp;has 2.0 sacks to pace a Tiger team with five on the season. Kobe Rome&nbsp;has the team's lone interception of the season. Offensively, Shane Watts&nbsp;leads the Tigers in both rushing (221) and receiving yards (96), averaging 158.5 all-purpose yards per game. Jack Dawson&nbsp;has thrown for 429 yards overall.The Bearcats started the season with losses to then No. 13 Minnesota State (now ranked 11th) and Nebraska-Kearney. They have struggled to run the ball in the early going, with just 15 rushing yards as a team for the season. Chris Ruhnke has 579 passing yards on the season, and his top target Luke Mathews has 207 receiving yards. The Bearcats have four players with double-figure tackles on the season, led by Shane Fredrickson with 14.The Tigers are seeking their first 3-0 start since the 2017 season, while the Bearcats are looking to avoid their first 0-3 start since the 1994 season..

🏈🎧 LISTEN: #25 Tigers face Bearcats in first road test Saturday night

Voice of the Chiefs Mitch Holthus talks about the Chiefs mini bye week and previews Sunday's big showdown with the Bengals.

The Holthus Hotline airs Saturday morning at 8:00 a.m. on 96.9, KFIX.

Voice of the Chiefs Mitch Holthus talks about the Chiefs mini bye week and previews Sunday's big showdown with the Bengals.The Holthus Hotline airs Saturday morning at 8:00 a.m. on 96.9, KFIX.<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/1916020400%3Fsecret_token%3Ds-hDh4OSVpno8&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/holthus-hotline-september-14-2024/s-hDh4OSVpno8" title="Holthus Hotline (September 14, 2024)" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Holthus Hotline (September 14, 2024)</a></div></div>

🎧 Holthus Hotline with Voice of the Chiefs Mitch Holthus

Saturday, September 14
 KAYS: Kansas City Royals at Pittsburgh Pirates, 11:30am
 KJLS: Fort Hays State FB at Northwest Missouri State, 5:00pm

Saturday, September 14
 KAYS: Kansas City Royals at Pittsburgh Pirates, 11:30am
 KJLS: Fort Hays State FB at Northwest Missouri State, 5:00pmSunday, September 15
 KAYS: Kansas City Royals at Pittsburgh Pirates,
12:00pm
 KFIX: Kansas City Chiefs vs. Cincinnati Bengals, 2:00pm

By JONATHAN ZWEYGARDT Hays Post

HAYS – The TMP-Marian Monarchs held tough with the top ranked team in 2A, the Norton Bluejays
in the first half but Norton used a big third quarter to pull away for their 10th
straight win over the Monarchs 47-22 Friday at Lewis Field in Hays.

The game was a tight one early with neither team finding the
endzone in the first quarter.

TMP (1-1, 1-1 MCL) fumbled the snap on the fifth play of the
game and that allowed Norton (2-0, 2-0 MCL) to take possession and drive inside the redzone on
their opening drive. 

But on fourth and goal the Bluejays were turned away
when Isaac Purinton batted the ball from the intended receiver in the endzone forcing
Norton into a turnover on downs.

Following a TMP punt, on their second possession of the
game, Norton strung together an eight-play touchdown drive that was set up by a
22-yard pass from quarterback Eli Jones to receiver Tyce Melvin. Jones scored
on a one-yard touchdown run on the next play as Norton took a 7-0 lead just 14
seconds into the second quarter.

TMP answered with a Grant Nehls kickoff return to midfield
and then they proceeded to drive inside the Norton redzone, all the way to the
10 yard line. But the Monarchs committed three straight penalties and were
facing a third down and long from the Norton 26 yard-line.

That's when Carson Liles found Purinton, who slipped out of a tackle and
took it to the endzone for a 26-yard touchdown, making it 7-6 Norton.

The Monarchs failed on the two-point conversion but trailed
by just one with just under eight minutes remaining in the first half.

Norton added a second touchdown late in the first half when
Jones capped off a 12-play 82-yard drive with a five-yard touchdown run putting
Norton up 13-6 at halftime.

Jones started the second half right where he left off in the
first half, scoring on a 57-yard touchdown run making it 21-0.

The Bluejays went on to score two more third quarter
touchdowns and one early in the fourth quarter building a 40-6 lead. 

TMP scored a pair of fourth quarter touchdowns, a Jacob Seib
72-yard kickoff return for a touchdown and a Carson Liles touchdown pass to Caden
Dinkel eight-yard touchdown pass but Norton proved to be too much in a 47-22
victory.

Eli Jones led Norton with four rushing touchdowns and an
interception return for a score. He amassed 143 yard rushing and 126 yards
passing.

TMP’s Carson Liles finished 14-for-25 for 150 yards with two touchdown s and an interception.

TMP will travel to Phillipsburg next Friday while Norton
will host Smith Center.

By JONATHAN ZWEYGARDT Hays PostHAYS – The TMP-Marian Monarchs held tough with the top ranked team in 2A, the Norton Bluejays
in the first half but Norton used a big third quarter to pull away for their 10th
straight win over the Monarchs 47-22 Friday at Lewis Field in Hays.<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/1916375969&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/tmp-fb-postgame-coach-inv-vs-norton-september-13th-24" title="TMP FB Postgame Coach Inv VS Norton September 13th 24" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">TMP FB Postgame Coach Inv VS Norton September 13th 24</a></div></div>The game was a tight one early with neither team finding the
endzone in the first quarter.TMP (1-1, 1-1 MCL) fumbled the snap on the fifth play of the
game and that allowed Norton (2-0, 2-0 MCL) to take possession and drive inside the redzone on
their opening drive. But on fourth and goal the Bluejays were turned away
when Isaac Purinton batted the ball from the intended receiver in the endzone forcing
Norton into a turnover on downs.Following a TMP punt, on their second possession of the
game, Norton strung together an eight-play touchdown drive that was set up by a
22-yard pass from quarterback Eli Jones to receiver Tyce Melvin. Jones scored
on a one-yard touchdown run on the next play as Norton took a 7-0 lead just 14
seconds into the second quarter.TMP answered with a Grant Nehls kickoff return to midfield
and then they proceeded to drive inside the Norton redzone, all the way to the
10 yard line. But the Monarchs committed three straight penalties and were
facing a third down and long from the Norton 26 yard-line.That's when Carson Liles found Purinton, who slipped out of a tackle and
took it to the endzone for a 26-yard touchdown, making it 7-6 Norton.The Monarchs failed on the two-point conversion but trailed
by just one with just under eight minutes remaining in the first half.Norton added a second touchdown late in the first half when
Jones capped off a 12-play 82-yard drive with a five-yard touchdown run putting
Norton up 13-6 at halftime.Jones started the second half right where he left off in the
first half, scoring on a 57-yard touchdown run making it 21-0.The Bluejays went on to score two more third quarter
touchdowns and one early in the fourth quarter building a 40-6 lead. TMP scored a pair of fourth quarter touchdowns, a Jacob Seib
72-yard kickoff return for a touchdown and a Carson Liles touchdown pass to Caden
Dinkel eight-yard touchdown pass but Norton proved to be too much in a 47-22
victory.<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/1916376389&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/tmp-fb-highlights-vs-norton-september-13th-24" title="TMP FB Highlights VS Norton September 13th 24" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">TMP FB Highlights VS Norton September 13th 24</a></div></div>Eli Jones led Norton with four rushing touchdowns and an
interception return for a score. He amassed 143 yard rushing and 126 yards
passing.TMP’s Carson Liles finished 14-for-25 for 150 yards with two touchdown s and an interception.TMP will travel to Phillipsburg next Friday while Norton
will host Smith Center.

🏈 Monarchs come up short in home opener against Norton

MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) — Kansas State delivered Arizona a rude welcome to the Big 12 on Friday night.

Even if it won't count in the conference standings.

Avery Johnson threw two touchdown passes, Dylan Edwards returned a punt 71 yards for a score, and No. 14 Kansas State shut out No. 20 Arizona in the second half of a 31-7 victory in a rare nonconference matchup of new Big 12 rivals rivals.

The loss ended Arizona’s nine-game winning streak, the longest active streak in the Football Bowl Subdivision.

“I don't know what we're trying to prove to everyone else. We're trying to prove to ourselves that we can sustain this and play at a high level,” Kansas State coach Chris Klieman said. “That was a great week of preparation. Now we have to do it again.”

The schools had agreed to the matchup before Arizona left the Pac-12 for the Big 12. With neither able to secure a replacement opponent, Kansas State and Arizona kept the game but without it counting in the race for the league title game.

Johnson finished with 156 yards passing and 110 yards rushing, and D.J. Giddens added 86 yards rushing and a score, as Kansas State (3-0) rebounded from a lackluster road with over Tulane with an emphatic victory over the desert Wildcats.

“Everybody wanted to get back on the field,” said Jayce Brown, who had three catches for 60 yards. “We wanted to show everybody what we could do.”

Noah Fifita had 268 yards passing for Arizona (2-1) with an interception. Tetairoa McMillan had 11 catches for 138 yards, but the potential first-round NFL draft pick was unable to turn any of those grabs into a big play or touchdown.

“Those guys just play good football,” Arizona coach Brent Brennan said. “They tackle well. They're in coverage, they do a good job. I give that staff a lot of credit. They have a well-coached football team, their kids play really hard. They're impressive.”

The teams traded grinding, time-consuming touchdown drives to start the game, but otherwise the first 30 minutes was plagued by penalties, mental mistakes and dumbfounding miscues from two teams trying to make a statement.

Arizona failed to cover a poor punt that Edwards returned untouched for a touchdown. On the next drive, Fifita lazily threw over the middle into double coverage and was picked off by Kansas State's Keenan Garber in the end zone.

Johnson made perhaps the most embarrassing gaffe. He was sacked at the Arizona 19 with 24 seconds left in the first half. On the next play, the freshman needed only to step out of bounds to stop the clock and bring on the field-goal team, but he instead reversed field and ran the other way, allowing the clock to expire without the chance for an attempt.

“It is all on me at the end of the first half,” Klieman said. “I should have called timeout. That isn't on the kid."

Kansas State still led 14-7 at the break, and the mistake didn't matter in the end.

The fleet-footed Johnson began to sling it in the second half, leading his team on back-to-back TD drives. The first featured a 48-yard pass to Jayce Brown on third-and-12, setting up Johnson's scoring toss to Brayden Loftin. The next included a 21-yard throw to Loftin before Giddens plowed into the end zone to give Kansas State a 28-7 lead.

Kansas State stuffed Arizona on fourth down a few minutes later, and merely had to run out the fourth quarter.

“(Johnson) is a pretty good player, and he rose up tonight when we needed him,” Klieman said. “He played really good football and was really calm, and made some plays with his feet. Made some plays with his legs. That was a fun performance to watch.”

Arizona might have fared better had it not repeatedly hurt itself with flags. It committed 30 yards worth of penalties on a single drive in the first half, and finished with nine penalties for 74 yards in the game.

Kansas State had something to prove after allowing Tulane to throw for 342 yards and pile up 491 total in last week's 34-27 comeback win. The Wildcats held Arizona to 324 yards of total offense Friday night.

Arizona: At No. 12 Utah on Sept. 28 in the Wildcats' first true Big 12 game.

Kansas State: At BYU next Saturday night.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1726284868191.png" alt="Kansas State quarterback Avery Johnson passes during the first half of an NCAA college football game against Arizona Friday, Sept. 13, 2024, in Manhattan, Kan. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)" />
 <figcaption>Kansas State quarterback Avery Johnson passes during the first half of an NCAA college football game against Arizona Friday, Sept. 13, 2024, in Manhattan, Kan. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)</figcaption>
 </figure>MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) — Kansas State delivered Arizona a rude welcome to the Big 12 on Friday night.Even if it won't count in the conference standings.Avery Johnson threw two touchdown passes, Dylan Edwards returned a punt 71 yards for a score, and No. 14 Kansas State shut out No. 20 Arizona in the second half of a 31-7 victory in a rare nonconference matchup of new Big 12 rivals rivals.The loss ended Arizona’s nine-game winning streak, the longest active streak in the Football Bowl Subdivision.“I don't know what we're trying to prove to everyone else. We're trying to prove to ourselves that we can sustain this and play at a high level,” Kansas State coach Chris Klieman said. “That was a great week of preparation. Now we have to do it again.”The schools had agreed to the matchup before Arizona left the Pac-12 for the Big 12. With neither able to secure a replacement opponent, Kansas State and Arizona kept the game but without it counting in the race for the league title game.Good thing for Arizona.Johnson finished with 156 yards passing and 110 yards rushing, and D.J. Giddens added 86 yards rushing and a score, as Kansas State (3-0) rebounded from a lackluster road with over Tulane with an emphatic victory over the desert Wildcats.“Everybody wanted to get back on the field,” said Jayce Brown, who had three catches for 60 yards. “We wanted to show everybody what we could do.”Noah Fifita had 268 yards passing for Arizona (2-1) with an interception. Tetairoa McMillan had 11 catches for 138 yards, but the potential first-round NFL draft pick was unable to turn any of those grabs into a big play or touchdown.“Those guys just play good football,” Arizona coach Brent Brennan said. “They tackle well. They're in coverage, they do a good job. I give that staff a lot of credit. They have a well-coached football team, their kids play really hard. They're impressive.”The teams traded grinding, time-consuming touchdown drives to start the game, but otherwise the first 30 minutes was plagued by penalties, mental mistakes and dumbfounding miscues from two teams trying to make a statement.Arizona failed to cover a poor punt that Edwards returned untouched for a touchdown. On the next drive, Fifita lazily threw over the middle into double coverage and was picked off by Kansas State's Keenan Garber in the end zone.Johnson made perhaps the most embarrassing gaffe. He was sacked at the Arizona 19 with 24 seconds left in the first half. On the next play, the freshman needed only to step out of bounds to stop the clock and bring on the field-goal team, but he instead reversed field and ran the other way, allowing the clock to expire without the chance for an attempt.“It is all on me at the end of the first half,” Klieman said. “I should have called timeout. That isn't on the kid."Kansas State still led 14-7 at the break, and the mistake didn't matter in the end.The fleet-footed Johnson began to sling it in the second half, leading his team on back-to-back TD drives. The first featured a 48-yard pass to Jayce Brown on third-and-12, setting up Johnson's scoring toss to Brayden Loftin. The next included a 21-yard throw to Loftin before Giddens plowed into the end zone to give Kansas State a 28-7 lead.Kansas State stuffed Arizona on fourth down a few minutes later, and merely had to run out the fourth quarter.“(Johnson) is a pretty good player, and he rose up tonight when we needed him,” Klieman said. “He played really good football and was really calm, and made some plays with his feet. Made some plays with his legs. That was a fun performance to watch.”<h2>The takeaway</h2>Arizona might have fared better had it not repeatedly hurt itself with flags. It committed 30 yards worth of penalties on a single drive in the first half, and finished with nine penalties for 74 yards in the game.Kansas State had something to prove after allowing Tulane to throw for 342 yards and pile up 491 total in last week's 34-27 comeback win. The Wildcats held Arizona to 324 yards of total offense Friday night.<h2>Up next</h2>Arizona: At No. 12 Utah on Sept. 28 in the Wildcats' first true Big 12 game.Kansas State: At BYU next Saturday night.

🏈 Avery Johnson helps No. 14 K-State dump Arizona

Frontenac 26, Pittsburg St Mary's-Colgan 0

Hutchinson Central Christian 48, Canton-Galva 0

Lee's Summit North, Mo. 26, Mill Valley 13

Pawnee Heights 52, Western Plains-Healy 6

St. Thomas Aquinas 28, St. James Academy 7

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1726285481171.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1726290356905.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Abilene 42, Chapman 8Andale 56, Wellington 48Anderson County 33, Jayhawk Linn 30Andover 27, Maize 14Andover Central 50, Newton 7Atchison 55, KC Harmon 6Axtell 70, Washington County 0Basehor-Linwood 48, KC Piper 14Baxter Springs 13, Afton, Okla. 8Beloit 28, Concordia 0Blue Valley 34, Washburn Rural 7Blue Valley Randolph 54, Linn 28Buhler 43, Augusta 14Burlingame 60, Waverly 12Chanute 34, Coffeyville 7Chase County 70, Wichita Independent 14Cheney 40, Kingman 8Clearwater 42, El Dorado 13Crest 46, Arma-Northeast 0Cunningham 54, Peabody-Burns 6De Soto 46, KC Turner 13Derby 77, Wichita Campus 0Dighton 44, Oberlin-Decatur 40Doniphan West 14, Pleasant Ridge 0Ell-Saline 38, Osborne 20Ellinwood 47, Herington 0Ellis 54, Hill City 48, 2OTEudora 54, Bonner Springs 0Eureka 20, Fredonia 14Fort Scott 22, Parsons 6Frankfort 72, Lyndon 22Frontenac 26, Pittsburg St Mary's-Colgan 0Girard 29, Riverton 14Goddard-Eisenhower 32, Goddard 21Great Bend 26, Olathe South 14Hanover 50, Clifton-Clyde 0Hays 42, Wheat Ridge, Colo. 7Hesston 28, Hoisington 24Hugoton 35, Ulysses 0Humboldt 52, Cherryvale 14Hutchinson 13, Valley Center 0Hutchinson Central Christian 48, Canton-Galva 0Ingalls 52, Golden Plains 21Inman 25, Wichita Trinity 6Kapaun Mount Carmel 69, Wichita North 0Lakeside 46, Stockton 0Lakin 57, Syracuse 6Lansing 31, Leavenworth 7Lebo 54, Northern Heights 8Lee's Summit North, Mo. 26, Mill Valley 13Liberal 18, Wichita South 6Lincoln 64, Pike Valley 12Little River 58, Rural Vista 12Logan 62, La Crosse 34Louisburg 34, Paola 13Macksville 20, Kinsley 16Maize South 55, Salina South 22Marion 28, Douglass 0Marmaton Valley 72, Yates Center 8Marysville 38, Hiawatha 0McLouth 28, Troy 12McPherson 28, Circle 14Mid-Buchanan, Mo. 41, Centralia 6Mulvane 61, Independence 14Nemaha Central 35, Silver Lake 7Norton 47, Hays-TMP-Marian 22Olathe East 21, Dodge City 7Olathe Northwest 36, Garden City 14Olpe 27, South Sumner 7Oswego 53, St Paul 8Ottawa 42, Baldwin 7Pawnee Heights 52, Western Plains-Healy 6Perry-Lecompton 12, Sabetha 9Phillipsburg 26, Smith Center 6Plainville 34, Salina Sacred Heart 6Pleasanton 19, Central Heights 16Prairie View 46, Santa Fe Trail 20Pratt 34, Halstead 21Remington 61, Bennington 22Riley County 21, Holton 20Riverside 20, Atchison County 0Rockhurst, Mo. 42, Olathe North 25Royal Valley 30, Jefferson West 2SM East 35, Topeka Seaman 7SM South 33, Pittsburg 15SM West 42, Lincoln, Mo. 13Sedgwick 15, Hutchinson Trinity 2Shawnee Heights 53, Topeka West 8South Barber 37, Otis-Bison 19Southeast of Saline 22, Clay Center 20Spring Hill 18, Tonganoxie 14St John 54, Ness City 40St Marys 24, Rossville 19St. Thomas Aquinas 28, St. James Academy 7Stafford 30, Pretty Prairie 14Sublette 48, Deerfield 0Topeka Hayden 42, St Michael, Mo. 14Valley Heights 42, Onaga 20Victoria 62, Central Plains 12Wabaunsee 40, West Franklin 0Wallace County 48, Quinter 0Wamego 20, Rock Creek 0Wellsville 48, Iola 0Weskan 56, Rolla 2Wichita Bishop Carroll 45, Wichita Southeast 6Wichita Collegiate 42, Rose Hill 6Wichita Northwest 7, Wichita East 0Wichita West 40, Emporia 12Winfield 38, Labette County 15

🏈 Friday night high school scoreboard (September 13)

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Salvador Perez and Kyle Isbel hit home runs and drove in two runs each, Alec Marsh struck out 11 in 5 1/3 innings, and the Kansas City Royals snapped Pittsburgh's four-game winning streak with an 8-3 victory over the Pirates on Friday night.

Perez’s two-run shot to the bullpens in left-center capped a six-run second inning when the Royals broke a scoreless tie. Isbel’s solo homer in the fourth pushed the lead to 7-0. Adam Frazier added a solo home run in the eighth.

Marsh (8-8) allowed only one run and the 11 strikeouts matched a career high. It was the second-year right-hander's first win since July 10.

The Royals had lost two of three games to the Yankees earlier in the week in New York but had a 1 1/2-game lead over Minnesota for the second American League wild card entering the game. With Cleveland's loss on Friday, the second-place Royals pulled within three games of the Guardians on the AL Central.

The Pirates fell to 14-23 since Aug. 4, when their record was 56-54 and they were 2 1/2 games out of the National League’s third wild card.

Luis Ortiz (6-6) was tagged for seven runs – four earned – on five hits in four innings. His throwing error on Frazier’s chopper helped set up the Royals’ big second-inning.

Yuli Gurriel hit an RBI single, and Isbel drove in a run with a double before Tommy Pham’s two-run single made it 4-0. After Bobby Witt Jr. struck out, Perez hit his 27th home run of the season while raising his RBI total to 103.

Witt went 1 for 5, dropping his major league leading batting average one point to .332.

The Pirates scored in the sixth when Oneil Cruz doubled and scored on Joey Bart’s single. Bryan Reynolds hit a sacrifice fly and Cruz added an RBI single in the ninth.

Royals: RHP Michael Lorenzen (strained left hamstring) allowed one run in 3 1/3 innings on Friday for Triple-A Omaha in his second minor-league outing since going on the injured list on Aug. 28. Lorenzen will likely be activated next week. … RHP Hunter Harvey (tightness in mid-back) has resumed throwing but there is no timetable for his return.

Pirates: LHP Marco Gonzales (strained left forearm) had left flexor tendon repair surgery, and an internal brace placed in his left ulnar collateral ligament. Eligible for free agency after the World Series, Gonzales is expected to miss most of next season. … 3B Ke’Bryan Hayes (lower back inflammation) could begin playing catch next week but the Pirates are unsure if he will return this season.

Royals RHP Michael Wacha (12-7, 3.34 ERA) faces RHP Mitch Keller (11-9, 3.85) on Saturday. Wacha is 11-3 with a 2.62 ERA in his last 19 starts since May 9. Keller has lost four of his last five decisions.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1726278944155.jpeg" alt="Photo Kansas City Royals" />
 <figcaption>Photo Kansas City Royals</figcaption>
 </figure>PITTSBURGH (AP) — Salvador Perez and Kyle Isbel hit home runs and drove in two runs each, Alec Marsh struck out 11 in 5 1/3 innings, and the Kansas City Royals snapped Pittsburgh's four-game winning streak with an 8-3 victory over the Pirates on Friday night.Perez’s two-run shot to the bullpens in left-center capped a six-run second inning when the Royals broke a scoreless tie. Isbel’s solo homer in the fourth pushed the lead to 7-0. Adam Frazier added a solo home run in the eighth.Marsh (8-8) allowed only one run and the 11 strikeouts matched a career high. It was the second-year right-hander's first win since July 10.The Royals had lost two of three games to the Yankees earlier in the week in New York but had a 1 1/2-game lead over Minnesota for the second American League wild card entering the game. With Cleveland's loss on Friday, the second-place Royals pulled within three games of the Guardians on the AL Central.The Pirates fell to 14-23 since Aug. 4, when their record was 56-54 and they were 2 1/2 games out of the National League’s third wild card.Luis Ortiz (6-6) was tagged for seven runs – four earned – on five hits in four innings. His throwing error on Frazier’s chopper helped set up the Royals’ big second-inning.Yuli Gurriel hit an RBI single, and Isbel drove in a run with a double before Tommy Pham’s two-run single made it 4-0. After Bobby Witt Jr. struck out, Perez hit his 27th home run of the season while raising his RBI total to 103.Witt went 1 for 5, dropping his major league leading batting average one point to .332.The Pirates scored in the sixth when Oneil Cruz doubled and scored on Joey Bart’s single. Bryan Reynolds hit a sacrifice fly and Cruz added an RBI single in the ninth.TRAINER’S ROOMRoyals: RHP Michael Lorenzen (strained left hamstring) allowed one run in 3 1/3 innings on Friday for Triple-A Omaha in his second minor-league outing since going on the injured list on Aug. 28. Lorenzen will likely be activated next week. … RHP Hunter Harvey (tightness in mid-back) has resumed throwing but there is no timetable for his return.Pirates: LHP Marco Gonzales (strained left forearm) had left flexor tendon repair surgery, and an internal brace placed in his left ulnar collateral ligament. Eligible for free agency after the World Series, Gonzales is expected to miss most of next season. … 3B Ke’Bryan Hayes (lower back inflammation) could begin playing catch next week but the Pirates are unsure if he will return this season.UP NEXTRoyals RHP Michael Wacha (12-7, 3.34 ERA) faces RHP Mitch Keller (11-9, 3.85) on Saturday. Wacha is 11-3 with a 2.62 ERA in his last 19 starts since May 9. Keller has lost four of his last five decisions.___

⚾Perez homers, Marsh strikes out 11 as Royals beat the Pirates 

By DUSTIN ARMBRUSTER Hays Post

ARVADA, Colo. - Hays High played an out-of-state opponent for just the third time in program history as they traveled to Colorado on Friday. The Indians took on Wheat Ridge High School with the game being played in Arvada, Colorado.

Hays High threw 35 points onto the scoreboard in the first quarter on five rushing touchdowns to take firm control of the contest. Ian McGuire and Holden Lind each scored two of the touchdowns and Johnny Cano added the fifth rushing score.

The lone touchdown in the second quarter was a 33 yard pass from Carter Graham to Lind for a 42-0 lead. The rest of the 10:30 remaining of the half was played with a continuous clock.

The Hays defense produced two turnovers, including a Caleb Thompson interception and Jack Zeller recovered a fumble forced by Wyatt Kirkpatrick. The Indians also held on downs on two drives.

The Farmers scored the only points of the second half on a 14 yard pass for the final difference of 42-7.

The Indians forced four turnovers in the game. The total included three fumble recoveries and one interception.

Hays evens their record at 1-1. Wheat Ridge suffers their first loss and is also 1-1.

The Indians return home to face Manhattan (2-0) next week.

Hays had previously played two out of state opponents.&nbsp; The Indians faces McCook, Nebraska in 1987 and Omaha Roncalli (NE) in 1988 falling in both games.

By DUSTIN ARMBRUSTER Hays PostARVADA, Colo. - Hays High played an out-of-state opponent for just the third time in program history as they traveled to Colorado on Friday. The Indians took on Wheat Ridge High School with the game being played in Arvada, Colorado.Hays High threw 35 points onto the scoreboard in the first quarter on five rushing touchdowns to take firm control of the contest. Ian McGuire and Holden Lind each scored two of the touchdowns and Johnny Cano added the fifth rushing score.The lone touchdown in the second quarter was a 33 yard pass from Carter Graham to Lind for a 42-0 lead. The rest of the 10:30 remaining of the half was played with a continuous clock.The Hays defense produced two turnovers, including a Caleb Thompson interception and Jack Zeller recovered a fumble forced by Wyatt Kirkpatrick. The Indians also held on downs on two drives.Highlights<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/1916313911&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/hays-high-fb-highlights-v-wheat-ridge-colo-sept-13-2024" title="Hays High FB Highlights v Wheat Ridge Colo Sept 13 2024" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Hays High FB Highlights v Wheat Ridge Colo Sept 13 2024</a></div></div>The Farmers scored the only points of the second half on a 14 yard pass for the final difference of 42-7.The Indians forced four turnovers in the game. The total included three fumble recoveries and one interception.Hays evens their record at 1-1. Wheat Ridge suffers their first loss and is also 1-1.The Indians return home to face Manhattan (2-0) next week.Coach Tony Crough<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/1916316554&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/hays-high-fb-postgame-v-wheat-ridge-colo-sept-13-2024" title="Hays High FB Postgame v Wheat Ridge Colo Sept 13, 2024" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Hays High FB Postgame v Wheat Ridge Colo Sept 13, 2024</a></div></div>Hays had previously played two out of state opponents.&nbsp; The Indians faces McCook, Nebraska in 1987 and Omaha Roncalli (NE) in 1988 falling in both games.

🏈 Hays High wins big against Wheat Ridge

HAYS, Kan. - The Fort Hays State volleyball team opened the 2024 Tiger Classic with a three-set sweep against the University of Colorado Colorado Springs Friday evening (Sept. 13), 27-25, 25-10, 25-14. The Tigers, now 3-1 on the season, avenged their only loss of the season in the process, while the Mountain Lions are now 4-2 this season.

The Tigers led for much of the first set, but each time the home side would go on a small run the visitors would answer back. FHSU led by as many as six early, 8-2, before the Mountain Lions scored six in a row to tie things up. The Tigers later led 16-12 and 23-18, but UCCS managed to fight back and tie the score each time.

A combo block from&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-volleyball/roster/claire-olson/7947">Claire Olson</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-volleyball/roster/taytum-lovesee/7946">Taytum Lovesee</a>&nbsp;helped FHSU reach match point at 24-22 before the Mountain Lions scored two in a row to extend the set. Back-to-back kills from&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-volleyball/roster/gracie-rains/7948">Gracie Rains</a>&nbsp;eventually finished things off, 27-25.The second set was close early on, with the lead changing hands four times. Fort Hays State flipped a switch at the midway point of the frame, turning an 8-7 deficit into a 25-10 rout thanks to a 18-2 run. Rains and Olson both contributed three kills during the run, while FHSU added four blocks and three service aces to complete the rally. The Tigers posted a blistering .565 attack percentage in the second set thanks to 15 kills and just two errors on 23 swings.

The third set was nearly a carbon copy of the second, with FHSU trailing 8-7 early before going on a 12-2 run to jump in front 19-10. A kill from&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-volleyball/roster/grace-schmedding/8180">Grace Schmedding</a>&nbsp;gave the Tigers the lead for good at 9-8 before&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-volleyball/roster/ashlyn-reeves/7949">Ashlyn Reeves</a>&nbsp;added two kills and a block during the run.&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-volleyball/roster/tallon-rentschler/7951">Tallon Rentschler</a>&nbsp;later dropped in back-to-back service aces before Schmedding ended the match with her eighth kill of the evening.

Fort Hays State posted an efficient .340 attack percentage thanks to a season-low 11 errors. The Tiger defense totaled eight blocks while limiting UCCS to a swing rate of .098.Rains totaled 13 kills while adding one block assist. Olson recorded 11 kills and four blocks, including one solo swat. Schmedding had eight kills and zero errors on 17 attempts, leading the team with an attack percentage of .471. Reeves totaled five blocks (two solo) and added eight kills.

<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-volleyball/roster/kirsten-evans/7943">Kirsten Evans</a>&nbsp;paced the team with 15 digs and added one service ace.&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-volleyball/roster/haylee-wolf/8181">Haylee Wolf</a>&nbsp;added nine digs and two assists.&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-volleyball/roster/caiya-stucky/7954">Caiya Stucky</a>&nbsp;tossed up 33 assists to go along with four kills, two service aces and six digs. Rentschler dropped in a team-best three service aces.

The Tigers will wrap up the weekend with two matches on Saturday (Sept. 14). FHSU will first take on Truman State at noon before facing off with Northwestern Oklahoma State at 6 p.m.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1726277564580.png" alt="FHSU Athletics photo/Nicole Heitmann" />
 <figcaption>FHSU Athletics photo/Nicole Heitmann</figcaption>
 </figure>FHSU AthleticsHAYS, Kan. - The Fort Hays State volleyball team opened the 2024 Tiger Classic with a three-set sweep against the University of Colorado Colorado Springs Friday evening (Sept. 13), 27-25, 25-10, 25-14. The Tigers, now 3-1 on the season, avenged their only loss of the season in the process, while the Mountain Lions are now 4-2 this season.The Tigers led for much of the first set, but each time the home side would go on a small run the visitors would answer back. FHSU led by as many as six early, 8-2, before the Mountain Lions scored six in a row to tie things up. The Tigers later led 16-12 and 23-18, but UCCS managed to fight back and tie the score each time.A combo block from&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-volleyball/roster/claire-olson/7947">Claire Olson</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-volleyball/roster/taytum-lovesee/7946">Taytum Lovesee</a>&nbsp;helped FHSU reach match point at 24-22 before the Mountain Lions scored two in a row to extend the set. Back-to-back kills from&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-volleyball/roster/gracie-rains/7948">Gracie Rains</a>&nbsp;eventually finished things off, 27-25.The second set was close early on, with the lead changing hands four times. Fort Hays State flipped a switch at the midway point of the frame, turning an 8-7 deficit into a 25-10 rout thanks to a 18-2 run. Rains and Olson both contributed three kills during the run, while FHSU added four blocks and three service aces to complete the rally. The Tigers posted a blistering .565 attack percentage in the second set thanks to 15 kills and just two errors on 23 swings.The third set was nearly a carbon copy of the second, with FHSU trailing 8-7 early before going on a 12-2 run to jump in front 19-10. A kill from&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-volleyball/roster/grace-schmedding/8180">Grace Schmedding</a>&nbsp;gave the Tigers the lead for good at 9-8 before&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-volleyball/roster/ashlyn-reeves/7949">Ashlyn Reeves</a>&nbsp;added two kills and a block during the run.&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-volleyball/roster/tallon-rentschler/7951">Tallon Rentschler</a>&nbsp;later dropped in back-to-back service aces before Schmedding ended the match with her eighth kill of the evening.Fort Hays State posted an efficient .340 attack percentage thanks to a season-low 11 errors. The Tiger defense totaled eight blocks while limiting UCCS to a swing rate of .098.Rains totaled 13 kills while adding one block assist. Olson recorded 11 kills and four blocks, including one solo swat. Schmedding had eight kills and zero errors on 17 attempts, leading the team with an attack percentage of .471. Reeves totaled five blocks (two solo) and added eight kills.<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-volleyball/roster/kirsten-evans/7943">Kirsten Evans</a>&nbsp;paced the team with 15 digs and added one service ace.&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-volleyball/roster/haylee-wolf/8181">Haylee Wolf</a>&nbsp;added nine digs and two assists.&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-volleyball/roster/caiya-stucky/7954">Caiya Stucky</a>&nbsp;tossed up 33 assists to go along with four kills, two service aces and six digs. Rentschler dropped in a team-best three service aces.UP NEXTThe Tigers will wrap up the weekend with two matches on Saturday (Sept. 14). FHSU will first take on Truman State at noon before facing off with Northwestern Oklahoma State at 6 p.m.

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