USD 475 has announced that Junction City High School freshman Linden Pickler claimed the 2024 <a href="https://www.facebook.com/KSHSAA?__cft__[0]=AZUmXyVn_xdpkBFTme3QIpuK8l1oUnol778IZYWMXM7vR4HdPi_he_JnMlkASk6wtlvN3vdW3D8rQVyNJxG5td7lXhvJrSaAWpXqqRQV0z-TBzfgcyYdtbU0UjSckbhDSMSGItoOMfuO2VROR2kbyFhoxmY-SE9gEvsh1q4nQ8tIUxvy_hI1YVNYbZHG850LU2w&amp;__tn__=-]K-R">Kansas State High School Activities Association</a> Class 6A Girls Cross Country Championship on Saturday at Rim Rock Farm in Lawrence. Pickler clocked a blistering time of 18:37.27 to cross the finish line in first place and bring home the programs first girls state title in school history.

&nbsp;Sophomore Anna Fontaine followed in eighth place out of 100 competitors with a time of 19:13.73, while Brittney Dibben wrapped-up competition 47th overall. 

On the boys’ side, the Blue Jays just missed capturing a team title, earning Class 6A State Runner-Up honors with 101 points. Ethan Fontaine led JCHS by finishing 16th overall with a time of 16:28.03, while Anthony Testa placed No. 20, clocking a time of 16:33.81. Other notables included William Dee and Everett Pickler finishing 27th and 28th overall, respectively.&nbsp;

USD 475 has announced that Junction City High School freshman Linden Pickler claimed the 2024 <a href="https://www.facebook.com/KSHSAA?__cft__[0]=AZUmXyVn_xdpkBFTme3QIpuK8l1oUnol778IZYWMXM7vR4HdPi_he_JnMlkASk6wtlvN3vdW3D8rQVyNJxG5td7lXhvJrSaAWpXqqRQV0z-TBzfgcyYdtbU0UjSckbhDSMSGItoOMfuO2VROR2kbyFhoxmY-SE9gEvsh1q4nQ8tIUxvy_hI1YVNYbZHG850LU2w&amp;__tn__=-]K-R">Kansas State High School Activities Association</a> Class 6A Girls Cross Country Championship on Saturday at Rim Rock Farm in Lawrence. Pickler clocked a blistering time of 18:37.27 to cross the finish line in first place and bring home the programs first girls state title in school history. &nbsp;Sophomore Anna Fontaine followed in eighth place out of 100 competitors with a time of 19:13.73, while Brittney Dibben wrapped-up competition 47th overall. On the boys’ side, the Blue Jays just missed capturing a team title, earning Class 6A State Runner-Up honors with 101 points. Ethan Fontaine led JCHS by finishing 16th overall with a time of 16:28.03, while Anthony Testa placed No. 20, clocking a time of 16:33.81. Other notables included William Dee and Everett Pickler finishing 27th and 28th overall, respectively.&nbsp;

JCHS shines in cross country, Linden Pickler takes first

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Chiefs coach Andy Reid watched as the Buccaneers drove down the field in the final minute of regulation, and Baker Mayfield threw a touchdown pass that put Tampa Bay within a 2-point conversion of ending Kansas City's perfect start to the season.

Bucs coach Todd Bowles admitted to giving “very minor” thought to going for 2 before kicking the extra point that sent the game to overtime.

“I'm glad he didn't,” Reid said with a smile.

That's because the Chiefs won the ensuing coin toss, and Patrick Mahomes capped a big day —&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ctinsider.com/sports/article/chiefs-lose-mecole-hardman-to-shoulder-injury-in-19887630.php">291 yards passing and three touchdowns on a gimpy ankle</a>&nbsp;— by going 5 for 5 on the only drive of overtime. Kareem Hunt finished it off, along with his 106-yard rushing performance, by plunging into the end zone from 2 yards out to give Kansas City a 30-24 victory on Monday night.

“Everybody had a piece of this,” Reid said.

DeAndre Hopkins had eight catches for 86 yards and two TDs. Travis Kelce had 14 catches for 100 yards with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/chiefs-taylor-swift-kansas-city-1aca48cb971d6d232186c5d73a2c4244">Taylor Swift watching from a suite</a>. And a defense missing a couple of key players to injuries held Mayfield to 200 yards passing and two touchdowns, and shut down a Tampa Bay running game that managed just 95 yards.

The result was familiar: The Chiefs won their 14th straight dating to last season, the longest streak since Carolina started 14-0 in 2014, and they became just the sixth Super Bowl champ to start 8-0 the following season. They also have won their last eight games when trailing in the second half, including the postseason.

The Buccaneers had their chance when Mayfield hit Ryan Miller in the end zone with 27 seconds to go. But rather than go for the win, Bowles decided to kick the extra point — and Bucs ended up losing for the fourth time in five games.

“We’ve got guys who are not going to quit fighting to the end,” Tampa Bay wide receiver Sterling Shepard said. “I’m really proud of the group and the way everybody fought. We’ve just got to clean up some little stuff. And that’s what this league is all about.”

It was a memorable first half for two players who'd been waiting to play in Arrowhead Stadium.

The Bucs' Rachaad White grew up about 10 minutes away in a tough part of Kansas City, but his family could never afford a ticket for him to see a game. He wound up taking a circuitous path through Division II Nebraska-Kearney and a California junior college to Arizona State, where he eventually became of a third-round pick of Tampa Bay in the 2022 draft.

Two year later, White finally got into Arrowhead — and the end zone. He punctuated&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/NFL/status/1853616868726358412">his 7-yard scoring run</a>&nbsp;in the second quarter, which gave the Bucs a 7-3 lead, by nearly tossing the football all the way into the second deck.

“I can’t even count right now,” White said, when asked how many friends and family were watching from those stands.

Then it was Hopkins' turn in his first home game since arriving in Kansas City from a trade with the Titans.

The three-time All-Pro, who already had caught four passes at that point, reeled in a third-down heave from Mahomes amid triple coverage for a 35-yard gain that put the Chiefs inside the Tampa Bay 5. Three plays later, Mahomes found him in the back of the end zone, and Hopkins celebrated his first TD with the Chiefs with a dance from “Remember the Titans.”

“That's one of my favorite movies," he said. “I knew if I got in the end zone I was going to remember the Titans.”

Tampa Bay tried to seize control with consecutive scoring drives to start the second half. The first ended with a TD pass to Cade Otton, the latest tight end to shred the Chiefs, and Chase McLaughlin's 47-yard field goal gave the Bucs a 17-10 lead.

The Chiefs answered in the fourth quarter, though. Mahomes marched them through the driving rain 70 yards for the tying touchdown pass, which he delivered to Samaje Perine while landing awkwardly and tweaking his left ankle, and then threw a laser to Hopkins on third-and-goal from the Buccaneers 5 to give Kansas City the lead.

Mahomes said later the ankle injury scared him more than hurt him. He was checked in the sideline tent but was quickly back to throwing balls in an effort to stay loose, and he never gave Reid an opportunity to pull him from the game.

“You feel the pain and that scares you,” Mahomes said, “because I've dealt with ankles before. But I just kind of laid there and as time went on the pain subsided. I just kind of got to it, and got moving again and felt comfortable going out there.”

Tampa Bay promptly went three-and-out after Kansas City took the lead, but its defense got the ball right back, and this time Mayfield calmly led his team down the field. His capped the drive with a touchdown toss to Miller — his first career TD catch — with 27 seconds to go, and Tampa Bay elected to play for overtime.

It wound up being a decision the Buccaneers would regret.

Buccaneers: LB Yaya Diaby (chest) briefly left the game. CB Josh Hayes (calf) dealt with cramps in the second half.

Chiefs: WR Mecole Hardman (shoulder) and DE George Karlaftis (hip) were hurt but returned to the game.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1730803809119.png" alt="Photo courtesy Kansas City Chiefs" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy Kansas City Chiefs</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Chiefs coach Andy Reid watched as the Buccaneers drove down the field in the final minute of regulation, and Baker Mayfield threw a touchdown pass that put Tampa Bay within a 2-point conversion of ending Kansas City's perfect start to the season.Bucs coach Todd Bowles admitted to giving “very minor” thought to going for 2 before kicking the extra point that sent the game to overtime.“I'm glad he didn't,” Reid said with a smile.That's because the Chiefs won the ensuing coin toss, and Patrick Mahomes capped a big day —&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ctinsider.com/sports/article/chiefs-lose-mecole-hardman-to-shoulder-injury-in-19887630.php">291 yards passing and three touchdowns on a gimpy ankle</a>&nbsp;— by going 5 for 5 on the only drive of overtime. Kareem Hunt finished it off, along with his 106-yard rushing performance, by plunging into the end zone from 2 yards out to give Kansas City a 30-24 victory on Monday night.“Everybody had a piece of this,” Reid said.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1730783915868.jpeg" alt="The Chiefs DeAndre Hopkins is congratulated by Patrick Mahomes after scoring a touchdown in Kansas City's Monday Night game with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. (" />
 <figcaption>The Chiefs DeAndre Hopkins is congratulated by Patrick Mahomes after scoring a touchdown in Kansas City's Monday Night game with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. (</figcaption>
 </figure>DeAndre Hopkins had eight catches for 86 yards and two TDs. Travis Kelce had 14 catches for 100 yards with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/chiefs-taylor-swift-kansas-city-1aca48cb971d6d232186c5d73a2c4244">Taylor Swift watching from a suite</a>. And a defense missing a couple of key players to injuries held Mayfield to 200 yards passing and two touchdowns, and shut down a Tampa Bay running game that managed just 95 yards.The result was familiar: The Chiefs won their 14th straight dating to last season, the longest streak since Carolina started 14-0 in 2014, and they became just the sixth Super Bowl champ to start 8-0 the following season. They also have won their last eight games when trailing in the second half, including the postseason.The Buccaneers had their chance when Mayfield hit Ryan Miller in the end zone with 27 seconds to go. But rather than go for the win, Bowles decided to kick the extra point — and Bucs ended up losing for the fourth time in five games.“We’ve got guys who are not going to quit fighting to the end,” Tampa Bay wide receiver Sterling Shepard said. “I’m really proud of the group and the way everybody fought. We’ve just got to clean up some little stuff. And that’s what this league is all about.”It was a memorable first half for two players who'd been waiting to play in Arrowhead Stadium.The Bucs' Rachaad White grew up about 10 minutes away in a tough part of Kansas City, but his family could never afford a ticket for him to see a game. He wound up taking a circuitous path through Division II Nebraska-Kearney and a California junior college to Arizona State, where he eventually became of a third-round pick of Tampa Bay in the 2022 draft.Two year later, White finally got into Arrowhead — and the end zone. He punctuated&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/NFL/status/1853616868726358412">his 7-yard scoring run</a>&nbsp;in the second quarter, which gave the Bucs a 7-3 lead, by nearly tossing the football all the way into the second deck.“I can’t even count right now,” White said, when asked how many friends and family were watching from those stands.Then it was Hopkins' turn in his first home game since arriving in Kansas City from a trade with the Titans.The three-time All-Pro, who already had caught four passes at that point, reeled in a third-down heave from Mahomes amid triple coverage for a 35-yard gain that put the Chiefs inside the Tampa Bay 5. Three plays later, Mahomes found him in the back of the end zone, and Hopkins celebrated his first TD with the Chiefs with a dance from “Remember the Titans.”“That's one of my favorite movies," he said. “I knew if I got in the end zone I was going to remember the Titans.”Tampa Bay tried to seize control with consecutive scoring drives to start the second half. The first ended with a TD pass to Cade Otton, the latest tight end to shred the Chiefs, and Chase McLaughlin's 47-yard field goal gave the Bucs a 17-10 lead.The Chiefs answered in the fourth quarter, though. Mahomes marched them through the driving rain 70 yards for the tying touchdown pass, which he delivered to Samaje Perine while landing awkwardly and tweaking his left ankle, and then threw a laser to Hopkins on third-and-goal from the Buccaneers 5 to give Kansas City the lead.Mahomes said later the ankle injury scared him more than hurt him. He was checked in the sideline tent but was quickly back to throwing balls in an effort to stay loose, and he never gave Reid an opportunity to pull him from the game.“You feel the pain and that scares you,” Mahomes said, “because I've dealt with ankles before. But I just kind of laid there and as time went on the pain subsided. I just kind of got to it, and got moving again and felt comfortable going out there.”Tampa Bay promptly went three-and-out after Kansas City took the lead, but its defense got the ball right back, and this time Mayfield calmly led his team down the field. His capped the drive with a touchdown toss to Miller — his first career TD catch — with 27 seconds to go, and Tampa Bay elected to play for overtime.It wound up being a decision the Buccaneers would regret.<h2>Injuries</h2>Buccaneers: LB Yaya Diaby (chest) briefly left the game. CB Josh Hayes (calf) dealt with cramps in the second half.Chiefs: WR Mecole Hardman (shoulder) and DE George Karlaftis (hip) were hurt but returned to the game.<h2>Up next</h2>Tampa Bay hosts San Francisco on Sunday.Kansas City hosts Denver on Sunday.

🏈 Hunt scores TD in overtime as Chiefs beat Buccaneers 

LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Zeke Mayo, a grad transfer from South Dakota State, had 19 points in his Kansas debut and the top-ranked Jayhawks beat Howard 87-57 on Monday night in the season-opener for both teams.

Kansas led 46-19 at halftime and its biggest lead was 38 points.

The game was the second annual McClendon Classic, named in honor of Kansas graduate and Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame honoree John McClendon.

Kansas (1-0) used the game as a tune-up before a top-10 showdown with North Carolina on Friday night. The Jayhawks had 10 players score, with three in double-figures. Hunter Dickinson, who missed Kansas' scrimmage and exhibition games, had 16 points and six rebounds, and Flory Bidunga added 13 points and a game-high eight rebounds.

Blake Harper had 16 points to lead Howard.

Howard: The Bison will take away plenty from the contest, mostly measured in guaranteed money they received from Kansas.

Kansas: The Jayhawks won their 52nd consecutive home opener, dating back to the final 10 years of Ted Owens’ career, through five years under Larry Brown, 15 under Roy Williams and 22 straight under Bill Self.

After falling behind 4-3 early, the Jayhawks used a 12-3 run to eliminate any thoughts of a Howard victory. Howard went almost nine minutes without a field goal, missing 10 straight shot attempts as Kansas methodically pulled away.

Howard shot just 24.1 percent (7 for 29) in the first half.

Howard visits Missouri on Friday, while Kansas hosts No. 9 North Carolina.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1730772620373.png" alt="photo courtesy Kansas Athletics" />
 <figcaption>photo courtesy Kansas Athletics</figcaption>
 </figure>LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Zeke Mayo, a grad transfer from South Dakota State, had 19 points in his Kansas debut and the top-ranked Jayhawks beat Howard 87-57 on Monday night in the season-opener for both teams.Kansas led 46-19 at halftime and its biggest lead was 38 points.The game was the second annual McClendon Classic, named in honor of Kansas graduate and Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame honoree John McClendon.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1730776571014.png" alt="Photo Kansas Athletics" />
 <figcaption>Photo Kansas Athletics</figcaption>
 </figure>Kansas (1-0) used the game as a tune-up before a top-10 showdown with North Carolina on Friday night. The Jayhawks had 10 players score, with three in double-figures. Hunter Dickinson, who missed Kansas' scrimmage and exhibition games, had 16 points and six rebounds, and Flory Bidunga added 13 points and a game-high eight rebounds.Blake Harper had 16 points to lead Howard.<h2>Takeaways</h2>Howard: The Bison will take away plenty from the contest, mostly measured in guaranteed money they received from Kansas.Kansas: The Jayhawks won their 52nd consecutive home opener, dating back to the final 10 years of Ted Owens’ career, through five years under Larry Brown, 15 under Roy Williams and 22 straight under Bill Self.<h2>Key moment</h2>After falling behind 4-3 early, the Jayhawks used a 12-3 run to eliminate any thoughts of a Howard victory. Howard went almost nine minutes without a field goal, missing 10 straight shot attempts as Kansas methodically pulled away.<h2>Key stat</h2>Howard shot just 24.1 percent (7 for 29) in the first half.<h2>Up Next</h2>Howard visits Missouri on Friday, while Kansas hosts No. 9 North Carolina.___

🏀 Mayo scores 19 as No. 1 Kansas beats Howard in season-opener

<a>MANHATTAN, Kan.&nbsp;–</a>&nbsp;The Big 12 Conference and its television partners announced Monday that Kansas State’s November 16 home game against new conference member Arizona State will kick at either 6 p.m. or 7 p.m. on a network to be announced. This will be the Wildcats’ seventh game this year to kick at 6 p.m. local time, including the fourth in the last five games.

<a>MANHATTAN, Kan.&nbsp;–</a>&nbsp;The Big 12 Conference and its television partners announced Monday that Kansas State’s November 16 home game against new conference member Arizona State will kick at either 6 p.m. or 7 p.m. on a network to be announced. This will be the Wildcats’ seventh game this year to kick at 6 p.m. local time, including the fourth in the last five games.

K-State’s November 16 Game vs. Arizona State to Kick at Night

HOUSTON (AP) — Zeon Chriss threw for 103 yards and a touchdown without an incompletion as Houston rallied in fourth quarter to beat No. 17 Kansas State 24-19 on Saturday.

Trailing 19-10 to start the fourth quarter, Chriss threw a 1-yard touchdown to Maliq Carr with 11 minutes left. After forcing a punt, Chriss rushed for a 41-yard touchdown with 2:31 to go.

Chriss, who finished 11 of 11, also rushed for 75 yards and caught a pass for eight yards.

“We’ve experienced a lot (of adversity) this season,” Chriss said. “We were trying to be positive about it, and trust in the defense. The defense told us ‘We got y’all,’ and we got them.”

Linebacker Michael Batton intercepted Kansas State quarterback Avery Johnson on the next drive.

After Houston (4-5, 3-3 Big 12) was forced to punt with 40 seconds left, the Wildcats drove to the Cougars’ 39 with 4 seconds left, but Johnson’s heave was knocked out of the end zone.

“We didn’t play a perfect game, but we played well enough to win, and that’s what matters,” Houston coach Willie Fritz said.

The win was Houston’s first win over a ranked team since beating No. 19 SMU 44-37 on Oct. 30, 2021.

“They’re going to start believing,” Fritz said about Houston’s second straight one-possession win. “We got to keep going.”

The loss snapped Kansas State’s four-game winning streak.

Wildcats coach Chris Klieman said his team didn’t play “with good enough fundamentals and techniques" and pointed to Kansas State’s inability to run the ball, as they finished with 89 yards rushing.

“We weren’t running the ball a lick,” Klieman said. “Our inability to rush the football makes it harder to throw.”

Johnson finished 23 of 39 for 238 yards, a touchdown and two interceptions and found Keagan Johnson for a 7-yard touchdown pass with nine seconds left in the first half to give the Wildcats (7-2, 4-2) a 16-10 halftime lead. Johnson finished with 76 yards receiving.

“It just felt like we were flat offensively,” Avery Johnson said. “We couldn’t get anything going. We stalled a lot in the second half. We didn’t really play collectively as well as we wanted to.”

DJ Giddens rushed for 50 yards and a touchdown as Kansas State outgained the Cougars 327-232.

“I don’t want to take anything away from them, but I feel like the words to describe it was we let it slip away,” Keagan Johnson said. “They’re a good team. They played better today. It comes down to that. We didn’t execute when we needed to.”

The game was delayed 55 minutes to start because of lightning.

Kansas State: The loss hurts the chances of the Wildcats making the Big 12 championship and the College Football Playoff.

Houston: The Cougars finished 3 for 3 in the red zone after struggling last week against Utah.

Kansas State could potentially drop out of the rankings after the loss.

Kansas State hosts Arizona State on Nov. 16, while Houston plays at Arizona on Nov. 15.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1730594141398.jpeg" alt="Houston quarterback Zeon Chriss rousts the crowd as he celebrates after his game winning touchdown run to upset Kansas State during the second half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Nov. 2, 2024, in Houston. (AP Photo/Michael Wyke)" />
 <figcaption>Houston quarterback Zeon Chriss rousts the crowd as he celebrates after his game winning touchdown run to upset Kansas State during the second half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Nov. 2, 2024, in Houston. (AP Photo/Michael Wyke)</figcaption>
 </figure>HOUSTON (AP) — Zeon Chriss threw for 103 yards and a touchdown without an incompletion as Houston rallied in fourth quarter to beat No. 17 Kansas State 24-19 on Saturday.Trailing 19-10 to start the fourth quarter, Chriss threw a 1-yard touchdown to Maliq Carr with 11 minutes left. After forcing a punt, Chriss rushed for a 41-yard touchdown with 2:31 to go.Chriss, who finished 11 of 11, also rushed for 75 yards and caught a pass for eight yards.“We’ve experienced a lot (of adversity) this season,” Chriss said. “We were trying to be positive about it, and trust in the defense. The defense told us ‘We got y’all,’ and we got them.”<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1730596853416.png" alt="Photo courtesy K-State Athletics" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy K-State Athletics</figcaption>
 </figure>Linebacker Michael Batton intercepted Kansas State quarterback Avery Johnson on the next drive.After Houston (4-5, 3-3 Big 12) was forced to punt with 40 seconds left, the Wildcats drove to the Cougars’ 39 with 4 seconds left, but Johnson’s heave was knocked out of the end zone.“We didn’t play a perfect game, but we played well enough to win, and that’s what matters,” Houston coach Willie Fritz said.The win was Houston’s first win over a ranked team since beating No. 19 SMU 44-37 on Oct. 30, 2021.“They’re going to start believing,” Fritz said about Houston’s second straight one-possession win. “We got to keep going.”The loss snapped Kansas State’s four-game winning streak.Wildcats coach Chris Klieman said his team didn’t play “with good enough fundamentals and techniques" and pointed to Kansas State’s inability to run the ball, as they finished with 89 yards rushing.“We weren’t running the ball a lick,” Klieman said. “Our inability to rush the football makes it harder to throw.”Johnson finished 23 of 39 for 238 yards, a touchdown and two interceptions and found Keagan Johnson for a 7-yard touchdown pass with nine seconds left in the first half to give the Wildcats (7-2, 4-2) a 16-10 halftime lead. Johnson finished with 76 yards receiving.“It just felt like we were flat offensively,” Avery Johnson said. “We couldn’t get anything going. We stalled a lot in the second half. We didn’t really play collectively as well as we wanted to.”DJ Giddens rushed for 50 yards and a touchdown as Kansas State outgained the Cougars 327-232.“I don’t want to take anything away from them, but I feel like the words to describe it was we let it slip away,” Keagan Johnson said. “They’re a good team. They played better today. It comes down to that. We didn’t execute when we needed to.”The game was delayed 55 minutes to start because of lightning.<h2>The takeaway</h2>Kansas State: The loss hurts the chances of the Wildcats making the Big 12 championship and the College Football Playoff.Houston: The Cougars finished 3 for 3 in the red zone after struggling last week against Utah.<h2>Poll implications</h2>Kansas State could potentially drop out of the rankings after the loss.<h2>Up next</h2>Kansas State hosts Arizona State on Nov. 16, while Houston plays at Arizona on Nov. 15.

🏈 Houston scores twice in 4th quarter to beat Kansas State

The Junction City Blue Jays beat the Topeka Trojans 47-14 on Friday night at Blue Jay Stadium.

After Junction City fumbled the opening kickoff, the Topeka Trojans connected on a 29-yard field goal to lead 3-0. After a back-and-forth first quarter that featured several turnovers, the Blue Jays led 7-3 at the end of one, thanks to a 43-yard touchdown connection between junior quarterback Conrad Gomez and junior wide receiver JaMarcus Vornes.

After Topeka senior Jaden Norman connected on a 27-yard field goal to cut the Blue Jay lead to 7-6, Junction City junior running back Justice Fonoti had a three-yard touchdown run to extend the lead to 14-6. Junction City senior kicker Ethan Hileman connected on two field goals late in the first half to give the Blue Jays a 20-6 halftime lead. 

Topeka High punted on its first possession of the second half, and Junction City junior Lovell Autry had an 89-yard punt return for a touchdown that gave the Blue Jays a 27-6 lead. On the ensuing kickoff, the Trojans fumbled, and three plays later, the Blue Jays were back in the endzone on a two-yard quarterback sneak for a touchdown. At this point, Junction City led 34-6 and cruised to a 47-14 victory in round one of the playoffs.

The Blue Jays will now travel to Derby, the number one seed in class 6A West, next Friday night for the second round of the playoffs.

By Anthony GorgesJC PostThe Junction City Blue Jays beat the Topeka Trojans 47-14 on Friday night at Blue Jay Stadium.After Junction City fumbled the opening kickoff, the Topeka Trojans connected on a 29-yard field goal to lead 3-0. After a back-and-forth first quarter that featured several turnovers, the Blue Jays led 7-3 at the end of one, thanks to a 43-yard touchdown connection between junior quarterback Conrad Gomez and junior wide receiver JaMarcus Vornes.After Topeka senior Jaden Norman connected on a 27-yard field goal to cut the Blue Jay lead to 7-6, Junction City junior running back Justice Fonoti had a three-yard touchdown run to extend the lead to 14-6. Junction City senior kicker Ethan Hileman connected on two field goals late in the first half to give the Blue Jays a 20-6 halftime lead. Topeka High punted on its first possession of the second half, and Junction City junior Lovell Autry had an 89-yard punt return for a touchdown that gave the Blue Jays a 27-6 lead. On the ensuing kickoff, the Trojans fumbled, and three plays later, the Blue Jays were back in the endzone on a two-yard quarterback sneak for a touchdown. At this point, Junction City led 34-6 and cruised to a 47-14 victory in round one of the playoffs.The Blue Jays will now travel to Derby, the number one seed in class 6A West, next Friday night for the second round of the playoffs.

Blue Jays blowout Trojans for round one playoff win

Postseason football has arrived, and the Junction City Blue Jays will host a familiar foe in round one.

Junction City will host the Topeka Trojans. The Blue Jays are the eighth seed, while the Trojans are the ninth seed.

The two Centennial league teams met three weeks ago, with Junction City winning 50-21 in the first meeting.

Kickoff will be at 7:00 on Friday night at Blue Jay Stadium.

You can hear the game on 107.9 FM/1420 KJCK Radio or by clicking <a href="https://streamdb9web.securenetsystems.net/cirrusencore/KJCKAM">here</a>.

By Anthony GorgesJC PostPostseason football has arrived, and the Junction City Blue Jays will host a familiar foe in round one.Junction City will host the Topeka Trojans. The Blue Jays are the eighth seed, while the Trojans are the ninth seed.The two Centennial league teams met three weeks ago, with Junction City winning 50-21 in the first meeting.Kickoff will be at 7:00 on Friday night at Blue Jay Stadium.You can hear the game on 107.9 FM/1420 KJCK Radio or by clicking <a href="https://streamdb9web.securenetsystems.net/cirrusencore/KJCKAM">here</a>.

Blue Jays host Topeka Trojans in round 1 of playoffs

<a target="_blank" href="https://www.kstatesports.com/watch/?Archive=23672&amp;type=Archive">Watch Conor Riley’s Press Conference</a>&nbsp; |&nbsp;&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.kstatesports.com/watch/?Archive=23673&amp;type=Archive">Watch Joe Klanderman’s Press Conference</a>&nbsp; |&nbsp;&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.kstatesports.com/podcasts/coordinator-press-conference-october-31-2024/4917">Listen on Wildcats Uncut</a>&nbsp; |&nbsp;&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1EumD2G5yXNgLSarXhsUzllnCQ7-ea9GjrtXuVomWN3U/edit#gid=0">Media Download</a>

<a target="_blank" href="https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1EumD2G5yXNgLSarXhsUzllnCQ7-ea9GjrtXuVomWN3U/edit#gid=0"></a>MANHATTAN, Kan.&nbsp;– Kansas State offensive coordinator&nbsp;Conor Riley&nbsp;and defensive coordinator&nbsp;Joe Klanderman&nbsp;met with members of the media on Thursday at the Vanier Family Football Complex prior to Kansas State’s game on Saturday at Houston. Links to video and audio of both press conferences are above, and a transcript of select quotes are below.

CONOR RILEY, OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR

On what needs to happen to have the run game ramp back up…

“Consistency. That's probably the biggest issue I see, is where we're at consistently. You keep things in relative terms. I think last week we may have averaged 5.9 yards per carry, and you take out the three kneel downs, and it goes up to 6.5, and you take out the two sacks, it goes up to 7.5. But, there's explosives, and what's happening, what we've talked about is that there have been those instances where a lot of times it's good defense, and credit KU on them. Sometimes it's not a great calling on a particular pressure, whatever the case might be, and that's part of it. Then part of it, we got to do a better job of staying on and finishing. So, I think it's collective responsibility on my part, not only as one calling the plays, but then it's on them for doing their job. Then, it's on me of not saying, ‘Okay, hey, does this concept confuse with this concept? Hey, this call, we want to leave the ID right here, but then, if they do this, then we got to push it.’ So, is there too much confusion and not allowing those guys to play fast? So that's probably the biggest part of it, but relatively speaking, right now it's keep things in perspective as well.”

On if there is an effort to get Dylan Edwards more touches…

“Yeah, there’s always a plan that we have for him. We still have to go through a progression, and we may do our best as an offensive staff to design some to say, ‘Hey, it's going to go here, it's going to go there.’ Then a defensive look changes. Maybe something else changes, maybe that changes. One thing that we've recognized is everybody knows where he's at on field when he’s on the football field. So, every week you've got to try to find ways to get him the ball, but the other guy is pretty good as well. This past week we did, as you guys could see, we did have a couple more designed quarterback runs in some situations, and that's real as well. So, part of it is, yeah, we do need to find a way to get the ball a little bit more.”

On what makes Houston’s defense good…

“Number one, you look at their coaching staff and their head coach. Their head coach, obviously we competed against here in 2022. I can go back to when I was coaching football at Nebraska Omaha in the Division II ranks, and he was at Central Missouri. One thing that has not changed in 20 years is guys who are physical, guys who are well coached, and guys who run to the football. So, you look at them from a scope of a record, no different than last week's opponent, and that's right now what the Big 12 is. KU, our last opponent, got after them. Well, I think there might have been four or five turnovers in that particular game that helped them, and credit KU, they made some great plays. But you look at their front seven, they're thick, they're active, they’re well coached. They run to the football, they get off blocks, and they present significant challenges for an offense Houston.’

“they do a good job of going into multiple fronts. They really do. They'll stem in and out of those multiple fronts. Front or not front, you still need the players in order to play a particular front. They've got the personnel, and they've got the players and the schemes that do make it a little bit challenging. So, we've got a plan, and just like every single week, we'll have to adjust that plan – against Colorado, we had to adjust a little bit of the plan, against West Virginia, we had to adjust a little bit of our plan, and then obviously against KU there towards the latter part of it, there were some adjustments. Some of those adjustments weren't executed extremely well, and that falls directly on my shoulders, but I know that we're going to have to play a little bit of that game because there's too much respect I have for that coaching staff.”

On who has emerged as a leader on the offensive line…

“It's still Taylor Poitier and Hadley Panzer. Those are the two biggest leaders that we've had. I mentioned Taylor because he's really becoming more and more vocal, and I think that his play is backing that up. Hadley's always been that leader. He's going out there, he's busting his rear end. Hadley came out of that West Virginia game, and my plan going into the Kansas game was you saw Andrew Leingang go in for a series there in the first half. I was playing on getting Hadley probably a couple other series off, and what he told me was, ‘I'm not coming out of this game.’ For a Kansas kid, that goes a long way. So, those are the guys to me that are a lot of leaders.”

JOE KLANDERMAN, DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR

On if he expects Houston to run the ball a lot…

“Everybody's got their own recipe to win, and I think that their recipe is play good defense and try to control the ball, limit possessions, limit plays. So, if they're able to turn out first downs like they did against Utah and keep their offense off the field and keep it a manageable game, they probably figured that at the end of the day they can be within striking distance, and hope the team craps the bed, so to speak. So, I think that's kind of been their formula offensively and seems like they're picking up a little theme with it.”

On if Houston’s two quarterbacks are similar…

“We’ve got a lot of experience with Donovan Smith, both at (Texas) Tech and then at Houston last year. So, I have a lot of respect for him as a thrower and as a runner. That was something that always scared us in the past with him. So, he's a good player. I think we know what we're seeing there. It's interesting to see. I don't think their styles are that much different where it’s two drastically different things for us, but they are both good players.”

On taking on another running quarterback…

“It’s a heck of a stretch we've had against these guys, about the four best in the country. Last week we had a couple of errors with contain, and it cost us in a couple instances, especially early in the game on third down. Our guys are very aware of it, and we're coaching the heck out of it. They know, but it's just sometimes you get out there in the heat and things happen. Sometimes it’s scenarios that are boneheaded and sometimes the scenarios that just come up because they come up. So, all we do is talk about it and hope that they are aware of it when the moment comes.”

On what makes VJ Payne an effective blitzer…

“I think, one is he studies. He times things up really well. That's part of it, especially coming from where he's coming from. It's one thing if you're a linebacker and you're coming from linebacker depth. It's another thing if you're coming from 10 to 12 yards away. You have to have an element of timing. There's some blitzes that we've designed here in the past that kids have come clean but didn't get there because they just didn't get there. They didn't get it blocked, they didn't time it up well enough to get there. So, we kind of have some parameters that we talk about with where we want them to be when the ball is snapped, and, boy, was he there a couple times we called his number last week.”

On if he rewatches VJ Payne’s final defensive play against Kansas…

“That's something that's fun to watch, and I see that frequently. I don't know that everybody gets a chance to see that.&nbsp; He's a 22-plus mile per hour guy, and sometimes within a game you don't get opportunities to hit that just because you're working in small spaces or whatever. So, for him to hit that in that little amount of space on a blitz, 21 whatever it was, is incredible. He was flying.”

On what makes defensive tackle Damian Ilalio a great player…

“Just because he's solid, he doesn't make mistakes. It's hard to find a lot of flaws with what he's doing. Great understanding of what we're doing, great understanding what an offense is doing. For example, a couple weeks ago when we played West Virginia, screens were an issue for us against Colorado. We kind of figured that that was going to be in West Virginia's plan. Sure enough, it was. I think he had three TFLs on screens. He has just great feel for the game. I think that comes with maturity, experience and reps.”

Associate Athletics Director for Communications

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1730406123197.png" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure><a target="_blank" href="https://www.kstatesports.com/watch/?Archive=23672&amp;type=Archive">Watch Conor Riley’s Press Conference</a>&nbsp; |&nbsp;&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.kstatesports.com/watch/?Archive=23673&amp;type=Archive">Watch Joe Klanderman’s Press Conference</a>&nbsp; |&nbsp;&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.kstatesports.com/podcasts/coordinator-press-conference-october-31-2024/4917">Listen on Wildcats Uncut</a>&nbsp; |&nbsp;&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1EumD2G5yXNgLSarXhsUzllnCQ7-ea9GjrtXuVomWN3U/edit#gid=0">Media Download</a><a target="_blank" href="https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1EumD2G5yXNgLSarXhsUzllnCQ7-ea9GjrtXuVomWN3U/edit#gid=0"></a>MANHATTAN, Kan.&nbsp;– Kansas State offensive coordinator&nbsp;Conor Riley&nbsp;and defensive coordinator&nbsp;Joe Klanderman&nbsp;met with members of the media on Thursday at the Vanier Family Football Complex prior to Kansas State’s game on Saturday at Houston. Links to video and audio of both press conferences are above, and a transcript of select quotes are below.CONOR RILEY, OFFENSIVE COORDINATOROn what needs to happen to have the run game ramp back up…“Consistency. That's probably the biggest issue I see, is where we're at consistently. You keep things in relative terms. I think last week we may have averaged 5.9 yards per carry, and you take out the three kneel downs, and it goes up to 6.5, and you take out the two sacks, it goes up to 7.5. But, there's explosives, and what's happening, what we've talked about is that there have been those instances where a lot of times it's good defense, and credit KU on them. Sometimes it's not a great calling on a particular pressure, whatever the case might be, and that's part of it. Then part of it, we got to do a better job of staying on and finishing. So, I think it's collective responsibility on my part, not only as one calling the plays, but then it's on them for doing their job. Then, it's on me of not saying, ‘Okay, hey, does this concept confuse with this concept? Hey, this call, we want to leave the ID right here, but then, if they do this, then we got to push it.’ So, is there too much confusion and not allowing those guys to play fast? So that's probably the biggest part of it, but relatively speaking, right now it's keep things in perspective as well.”On if there is an effort to get Dylan Edwards more touches…“Yeah, there’s always a plan that we have for him. We still have to go through a progression, and we may do our best as an offensive staff to design some to say, ‘Hey, it's going to go here, it's going to go there.’ Then a defensive look changes. Maybe something else changes, maybe that changes. One thing that we've recognized is everybody knows where he's at on field when he’s on the football field. So, every week you've got to try to find ways to get him the ball, but the other guy is pretty good as well. This past week we did, as you guys could see, we did have a couple more designed quarterback runs in some situations, and that's real as well. So, part of it is, yeah, we do need to find a way to get the ball a little bit more.”On what makes Houston’s defense good…“Number one, you look at their coaching staff and their head coach. Their head coach, obviously we competed against here in 2022. I can go back to when I was coaching football at Nebraska Omaha in the Division II ranks, and he was at Central Missouri. One thing that has not changed in 20 years is guys who are physical, guys who are well coached, and guys who run to the football. So, you look at them from a scope of a record, no different than last week's opponent, and that's right now what the Big 12 is. KU, our last opponent, got after them. Well, I think there might have been four or five turnovers in that particular game that helped them, and credit KU, they made some great plays. But you look at their front seven, they're thick, they're active, they’re well coached. They run to the football, they get off blocks, and they present significant challenges for an offense Houston.’On Houston’s defensive front…“they do a good job of going into multiple fronts. They really do. They'll stem in and out of those multiple fronts. Front or not front, you still need the players in order to play a particular front. They've got the personnel, and they've got the players and the schemes that do make it a little bit challenging. So, we've got a plan, and just like every single week, we'll have to adjust that plan – against Colorado, we had to adjust a little bit of the plan, against West Virginia, we had to adjust a little bit of our plan, and then obviously against KU there towards the latter part of it, there were some adjustments. Some of those adjustments weren't executed extremely well, and that falls directly on my shoulders, but I know that we're going to have to play a little bit of that game because there's too much respect I have for that coaching staff.”On who has emerged as a leader on the offensive line…“It's still Taylor Poitier and Hadley Panzer. Those are the two biggest leaders that we've had. I mentioned Taylor because he's really becoming more and more vocal, and I think that his play is backing that up. Hadley's always been that leader. He's going out there, he's busting his rear end. Hadley came out of that West Virginia game, and my plan going into the Kansas game was you saw Andrew Leingang go in for a series there in the first half. I was playing on getting Hadley probably a couple other series off, and what he told me was, ‘I'm not coming out of this game.’ For a Kansas kid, that goes a long way. So, those are the guys to me that are a lot of leaders.”JOE KLANDERMAN, DEFENSIVE COORDINATOROn if he expects Houston to run the ball a lot…“Everybody's got their own recipe to win, and I think that their recipe is play good defense and try to control the ball, limit possessions, limit plays. So, if they're able to turn out first downs like they did against Utah and keep their offense off the field and keep it a manageable game, they probably figured that at the end of the day they can be within striking distance, and hope the team craps the bed, so to speak. So, I think that's kind of been their formula offensively and seems like they're picking up a little theme with it.”On if Houston’s two quarterbacks are similar…“We’ve got a lot of experience with Donovan Smith, both at (Texas) Tech and then at Houston last year. So, I have a lot of respect for him as a thrower and as a runner. That was something that always scared us in the past with him. So, he's a good player. I think we know what we're seeing there. It's interesting to see. I don't think their styles are that much different where it’s two drastically different things for us, but they are both good players.”On taking on another running quarterback…“It’s a heck of a stretch we've had against these guys, about the four best in the country. Last week we had a couple of errors with contain, and it cost us in a couple instances, especially early in the game on third down. Our guys are very aware of it, and we're coaching the heck out of it. They know, but it's just sometimes you get out there in the heat and things happen. Sometimes it’s scenarios that are boneheaded and sometimes the scenarios that just come up because they come up. So, all we do is talk about it and hope that they are aware of it when the moment comes.”On what makes VJ Payne an effective blitzer…“I think, one is he studies. He times things up really well. That's part of it, especially coming from where he's coming from. It's one thing if you're a linebacker and you're coming from linebacker depth. It's another thing if you're coming from 10 to 12 yards away. You have to have an element of timing. There's some blitzes that we've designed here in the past that kids have come clean but didn't get there because they just didn't get there. They didn't get it blocked, they didn't time it up well enough to get there. So, we kind of have some parameters that we talk about with where we want them to be when the ball is snapped, and, boy, was he there a couple times we called his number last week.”On if he rewatches VJ Payne’s final defensive play against Kansas…“That's something that's fun to watch, and I see that frequently. I don't know that everybody gets a chance to see that.&nbsp; He's a 22-plus mile per hour guy, and sometimes within a game you don't get opportunities to hit that just because you're working in small spaces or whatever. So, for him to hit that in that little amount of space on a blitz, 21 whatever it was, is incredible. He was flying.”On what makes defensive tackle Damian Ilalio a great player…“Just because he's solid, he doesn't make mistakes. It's hard to find a lot of flaws with what he's doing. Great understanding of what we're doing, great understanding what an offense is doing. For example, a couple weeks ago when we played West Virginia, screens were an issue for us against Colorado. We kind of figured that that was going to be in West Virginia's plan. Sure enough, it was. I think he had three TFLs on screens. He has just great feel for the game. I think that comes with maturity, experience and reps.”– k-statesports.com –&nbsp;RYAN LACKEYAssociate Athletics Director for Communications

   K-State Coordinators Discuss Contest at Houston

NEW YORK (AP) — You gotta hand it to Freddie Freeman, Shohei Ohtani and the Los Angeles Dodgers.

And not just because the Yankees certainly did.

When New York let LA back into World Series Game 5, the Dodgers did what they’ve done all year — kept on going.

After taking advantage of three miscues to erase a five-run, fifth-inning deficit during one of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/world-series-yankees-errors-ff3ca215e6064c1983e4cce4f41a97e0">most memorable midgame meltdowns in baseball history</a>, the Dodgers used eighth-inning sacrifice flies from Gavin Lux and Mookie Betts to beat New York 7-6 on Wednesday night.

"In spring training this is what we said we were going to do and we did it,” Betts proclaimed, champagne stinging his eyes.

Aaron Judge and Jazz Chisholm Jr. hit back-to-back home runs in the first inning for New York. Alex Verdugo’s RBI single&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/8475f75a8d70496adacb51f7b18cc9bf">chased Jack Flaherty in the second</a>, and Giancarlo Stanton’s third-inning homer against Ryan Brasier built a 5-0 Yankees lead.

In the dugout, the Dodgers remained focused.

“We were like just get one, chip away, chip away,” Freeman said.

Errors by Judge in center and Anthony Volpe at shortstop, combined with pitcher Gerrit Cole failing to cover first on Betts' grounder, helped Los Angeles score five unearned runs in the fifth.

Of the 234 teams to trail by five or more runs in a Series game, the Dodgers became just the seventh to win.

“This is going to sting forever,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. “I'm heartbroken.”

After Stanton’s sixth-inning sacrifice fly put the Yankees back ahead 6-5, the Dodgers loaded the bases against loser Tommy Kahnle in the eighth before the sacrifice flies off Luke Weaver.

Judge doubled off winner Blake Treinen with one out in the bottom half and Chisholm walked. Manager Dave Roberts walked to the mound with Treinen at 37 pitches.

“I looked in his eyes. I said how you feeling? How much more you got?" Roberts recalled. “He said: `I want it.' I trust him.”

Treinen retired Stanton on a flyout and struck out Anthony Rizzo.

Walker Buehler, making his&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/7c697f8d5b3444019845eba0503874d9">first relief appearance since his rookie season in 2018</a>, pitched a perfect ninth for his first major league save.

When Buehler struck out Verdugo to end the game, the Dodgers poured onto the field to celebrate between the mound and first base, capping a season in which they led the big leagues with 98 wins.

With several thousand Dodgers fans remaining in a mostly empty stadium, baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred presented the trophy on a platform quickly erected over second base.

Ohtani, the Dodgers’ record-setting $700 million signing and baseball’s first 50-homer, 50-steal player, went 2 for 19 with no RBIs and had one single after separating his left shoulder during a stolen base attempt in Game 2. Ohtani went through the clubhouse pouring champagne on teammates and having it sprayed on him

“We were able to get through the regular season, I think, because of the strength of this team, this organization,” he said through a translator. “The success of the postseason is very similar.”

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/world-series-freddie-freeman-dodgers-yankees-69c512cf5db1053d10f39e9012068293">Freeman hit a two-run single to tie the Series record of 12 RBIs</a>, set by Bobby Richardson over seven games in 1960, and was voted Series MVP. With the Dodgers one out from losing Friday’s opener, Freeman hit a game-ending grand slam reminiscent of Kirk Gibson’s homer off Oakland’s Dennis Eckersley in 1988’s Game 1 that sparked Los Angeles to the title.

The Dodgers earned their eighth championship and seventh since leaving Brooklyn for Los Angeles — their first in a non-shortened season since 1988. They won a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/world-series-los-angeles-dodgers-win-3f933853d5b790b87788142fc58adbd9">neutral-site World Series against Tampa Bay in 2020</a>&nbsp;after a 60-game regular season and couldn’t have a parade because of the coronavirus pandemic.

These Dodgers of Ohtani, Freeman and Betts joined the 1955 Duke Snider and Roy Campanella Boys of Summer, the Sandy Koufax and Don Drysdale era that spanned the three titles from 1959-65, the Tommy Lasorda-led groups 1981 and ’88, and the Betts and Clayton Kershaw champions of 2020.

Ending a season that started with a gambling scandal involving Ohtani's interpreter during the opening series in South Korea, Roberts won his second championship in nine years as Dodgers manager, matching Lasorda and trailing the four of Walter Alston. The Dodgers won for the fourth time in 12 Series meetings with the Yankees.

New York remained without a title since its record 27th in 2009. The Yankees acquired Juan Soto from San Diego in December knowing he would be eligible for free agency after the 2024 Series. The 26-year-old star went 5 for 16 with one RBI in the Series heading into what will be intensely followed bidding on the open market.

“I'll be open to listen to every single team," Soto said. "I don't have any doors closed or anything like that, so I'm going to be available to all 30 teams.”

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/world-series-aaron-judge-yankees-3109939e98406dd0ef094d364068c7da">Judge finished 4 for 18 with three RBIs</a>.

“You can't give a good team like that extra outs,” Judge said. “It starts with me there in the line drive coming in, misplay that. So that doesn't happen then I think we got a different story tonight.”

Cole didn’t allow a hit until Kiké Hernández singled leading off the fifth. Judge, who an inning earlier made a leaping catch at the left-center wall to deny Freeman an extra-base hit, dropped Tommy Edman’s fly to center. Volpe then bounced a throw to third on Will Smith’s grounder, allowing the Dodgers to load the bases with no outs.

Cole struck out Lux and Ohtani, and Betts hit a grounder to Rizzo — a slow grounder by a Mookie turned the 1986 World Series, by the Mets' Mookie Wilson against Boston.

Cole didn’t cover first, pointing at Rizzo, who didn't charge because he was afraid the spinning ball might get past him. Betts outraced Rizzo to the bag.

“I took a bad angle to the ball,” Cole said. “I wasn't sure really off the bat how hard he hit it. ... By the time the ball got by me, I was not in a position to cover first.”

Freeman followed with a two-run single and Teoscar Hernández hit a tying two-run double.

“When you’re given extra outs and you capitalize in that kind of game, that’s huge," Freeman said. “For us to get it back to even, you could just feel the momentum just coming along.”

Stanton’s sixth-inning sacrifice fly off Brusdar Graterol put the Yankees ahead 6-5, but the Dodgers rallied one last time in the eighth after Kiké Hernández singled off Kahnle leading off, Edman followed with an infield hit, and Smith walked on four pitches.

“We faced every adversity possible and we overcame every single one,” Freeman said, who won his second title after 2021 with Atlanta, and rebounded from a sprained ankle to homer in each of the first four Series games.

<a href="https://apnews.com/ddce0cc3fd284b9f96d69ee457230df7">Purchased by Guggenheim Baseball Management in 2012</a>, the Dodgers hired Andrew Friedman from Tampa Bay to head their baseball operations two years later. He boosted the front office with a multitude of analytics and performance science staff, and ownership supplied the cash.

Los Angeles went on an unprecedented $1.25 billion spending spree last offseason on deals with Ohtani, pitchers Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Tyler Glasnow and James Paxton, and outfielder Teoscar Hernández. Much of the money was future obligations that raised the Dodgers’ deferred compensation to $915.5 million owed from 2028-44.

Faced with injuries, the Dodgers acquired Flaherty, Edman and reliever Michael Kopech ahead of the trade deadline, and all became important cogs in the title run. The additions boosted payroll to $266 million, third behind the Mets and the Yankees, plus a projected $43 million luxury tax.

Los Angeles will celebrate&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/los-angeles-dodgers-world-series-parade-b50eef167a230b92b29ae725f69f2236">with a parade</a>&nbsp;Friday on what would have been the 64th birthday for Dodgers great Fernando Valenzuela, who died three days before the Series opener.

“It’s going to be emotional for all of us," Roberts said.

Los Angeles opens its spring schedule on Feb. 20 against the Chicago Cubs at Camelback Ranch, and the Yankees start the next day against Tampa Bay in Tampa, Florida.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1730348282298.jpeg" alt="The Los Angeles Dodgers celebrate their win against the New York Yankees in Game 5 to win the baseball World Series, Wednesday, Oct. 30, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)" />
 <figcaption>The Los Angeles Dodgers celebrate their win against the New York Yankees in Game 5 to win the baseball World Series, Wednesday, Oct. 30, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)</figcaption>
 </figure>NEW YORK (AP) — You gotta hand it to Freddie Freeman, Shohei Ohtani and the Los Angeles Dodgers.And not just because the Yankees certainly did.When New York let LA back into World Series Game 5, the Dodgers did what they’ve done all year — kept on going.After taking advantage of three miscues to erase a five-run, fifth-inning deficit during one of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/world-series-yankees-errors-ff3ca215e6064c1983e4cce4f41a97e0">most memorable midgame meltdowns in baseball history</a>, the Dodgers used eighth-inning sacrifice flies from Gavin Lux and Mookie Betts to beat New York 7-6 on Wednesday night."In spring training this is what we said we were going to do and we did it,” Betts proclaimed, champagne stinging his eyes.Aaron Judge and Jazz Chisholm Jr. hit back-to-back home runs in the first inning for New York. Alex Verdugo’s RBI single&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/8475f75a8d70496adacb51f7b18cc9bf">chased Jack Flaherty in the second</a>, and Giancarlo Stanton’s third-inning homer against Ryan Brasier built a 5-0 Yankees lead.In the dugout, the Dodgers remained focused.“We were like just get one, chip away, chip away,” Freeman said.Errors by Judge in center and Anthony Volpe at shortstop, combined with pitcher Gerrit Cole failing to cover first on Betts' grounder, helped Los Angeles score five unearned runs in the fifth.Of the 234 teams to trail by five or more runs in a Series game, the Dodgers became just the seventh to win.“This is going to sting forever,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. “I'm heartbroken.”After Stanton’s sixth-inning sacrifice fly put the Yankees back ahead 6-5, the Dodgers loaded the bases against loser Tommy Kahnle in the eighth before the sacrifice flies off Luke Weaver.Judge doubled off winner Blake Treinen with one out in the bottom half and Chisholm walked. Manager Dave Roberts walked to the mound with Treinen at 37 pitches.“I looked in his eyes. I said how you feeling? How much more you got?" Roberts recalled. “He said: `I want it.' I trust him.”Treinen retired Stanton on a flyout and struck out Anthony Rizzo.Walker Buehler, making his&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/7c697f8d5b3444019845eba0503874d9">first relief appearance since his rookie season in 2018</a>, pitched a perfect ninth for his first major league save.When Buehler struck out Verdugo to end the game, the Dodgers poured onto the field to celebrate between the mound and first base, capping a season in which they led the big leagues with 98 wins.With several thousand Dodgers fans remaining in a mostly empty stadium, baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred presented the trophy on a platform quickly erected over second base.Ohtani, the Dodgers’ record-setting $700 million signing and baseball’s first 50-homer, 50-steal player, went 2 for 19 with no RBIs and had one single after separating his left shoulder during a stolen base attempt in Game 2. Ohtani went through the clubhouse pouring champagne on teammates and having it sprayed on him“We were able to get through the regular season, I think, because of the strength of this team, this organization,” he said through a translator. “The success of the postseason is very similar.”<a href="https://apnews.com/article/world-series-freddie-freeman-dodgers-yankees-69c512cf5db1053d10f39e9012068293">Freeman hit a two-run single to tie the Series record of 12 RBIs</a>, set by Bobby Richardson over seven games in 1960, and was voted Series MVP. With the Dodgers one out from losing Friday’s opener, Freeman hit a game-ending grand slam reminiscent of Kirk Gibson’s homer off Oakland’s Dennis Eckersley in 1988’s Game 1 that sparked Los Angeles to the title.The Dodgers earned their eighth championship and seventh since leaving Brooklyn for Los Angeles — their first in a non-shortened season since 1988. They won a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/world-series-los-angeles-dodgers-win-3f933853d5b790b87788142fc58adbd9">neutral-site World Series against Tampa Bay in 2020</a>&nbsp;after a 60-game regular season and couldn’t have a parade because of the coronavirus pandemic.These Dodgers of Ohtani, Freeman and Betts joined the 1955 Duke Snider and Roy Campanella Boys of Summer, the Sandy Koufax and Don Drysdale era that spanned the three titles from 1959-65, the Tommy Lasorda-led groups 1981 and ’88, and the Betts and Clayton Kershaw champions of 2020.Ending a season that started with a gambling scandal involving Ohtani's interpreter during the opening series in South Korea, Roberts won his second championship in nine years as Dodgers manager, matching Lasorda and trailing the four of Walter Alston. The Dodgers won for the fourth time in 12 Series meetings with the Yankees.New York remained without a title since its record 27th in 2009. The Yankees acquired Juan Soto from San Diego in December knowing he would be eligible for free agency after the 2024 Series. The 26-year-old star went 5 for 16 with one RBI in the Series heading into what will be intensely followed bidding on the open market.“I'll be open to listen to every single team," Soto said. "I don't have any doors closed or anything like that, so I'm going to be available to all 30 teams.”<a href="https://apnews.com/article/world-series-aaron-judge-yankees-3109939e98406dd0ef094d364068c7da">Judge finished 4 for 18 with three RBIs</a>.“You can't give a good team like that extra outs,” Judge said. “It starts with me there in the line drive coming in, misplay that. So that doesn't happen then I think we got a different story tonight.”Cole didn’t allow a hit until Kiké Hernández singled leading off the fifth. Judge, who an inning earlier made a leaping catch at the left-center wall to deny Freeman an extra-base hit, dropped Tommy Edman’s fly to center. Volpe then bounced a throw to third on Will Smith’s grounder, allowing the Dodgers to load the bases with no outs.Cole struck out Lux and Ohtani, and Betts hit a grounder to Rizzo — a slow grounder by a Mookie turned the 1986 World Series, by the Mets' Mookie Wilson against Boston.Cole didn’t cover first, pointing at Rizzo, who didn't charge because he was afraid the spinning ball might get past him. Betts outraced Rizzo to the bag.“I took a bad angle to the ball,” Cole said. “I wasn't sure really off the bat how hard he hit it. ... By the time the ball got by me, I was not in a position to cover first.”Freeman followed with a two-run single and Teoscar Hernández hit a tying two-run double.“When you’re given extra outs and you capitalize in that kind of game, that’s huge," Freeman said. “For us to get it back to even, you could just feel the momentum just coming along.”Stanton’s sixth-inning sacrifice fly off Brusdar Graterol put the Yankees ahead 6-5, but the Dodgers rallied one last time in the eighth after Kiké Hernández singled off Kahnle leading off, Edman followed with an infield hit, and Smith walked on four pitches.“We faced every adversity possible and we overcame every single one,” Freeman said, who won his second title after 2021 with Atlanta, and rebounded from a sprained ankle to homer in each of the first four Series games.<a href="https://apnews.com/ddce0cc3fd284b9f96d69ee457230df7">Purchased by Guggenheim Baseball Management in 2012</a>, the Dodgers hired Andrew Friedman from Tampa Bay to head their baseball operations two years later. He boosted the front office with a multitude of analytics and performance science staff, and ownership supplied the cash.Los Angeles went on an unprecedented $1.25 billion spending spree last offseason on deals with Ohtani, pitchers Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Tyler Glasnow and James Paxton, and outfielder Teoscar Hernández. Much of the money was future obligations that raised the Dodgers’ deferred compensation to $915.5 million owed from 2028-44.Faced with injuries, the Dodgers acquired Flaherty, Edman and reliever Michael Kopech ahead of the trade deadline, and all became important cogs in the title run. The additions boosted payroll to $266 million, third behind the Mets and the Yankees, plus a projected $43 million luxury tax.Los Angeles will celebrate&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/los-angeles-dodgers-world-series-parade-b50eef167a230b92b29ae725f69f2236">with a parade</a>&nbsp;Friday on what would have been the 64th birthday for Dodgers great Fernando Valenzuela, who died three days before the Series opener.“It’s going to be emotional for all of us," Roberts said.UP NEXTLos Angeles opens its spring schedule on Feb. 20 against the Chicago Cubs at Camelback Ranch, and the Yankees start the next day against Tampa Bay in Tampa, Florida.

⚾ Dodgers win World Series in 5 games over the Yankees

LAWRENCE, Kan. –&nbsp;<a href="https://kuathletics.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/david-coit/15715">David Coit</a>&nbsp;scored 19 points,&nbsp;<a href="https://kuathletics.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/zeke-mayo/15498">Zeke Mayo</a>&nbsp;had 16 points and&nbsp;<a href="https://kuathletics.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/rylan-griffen/15499">Rylan Griffen</a>&nbsp;had 14 points as Kansas defeated Washburn 84-53 inside Allen Fieldhouse Tuesday night in the team's final exhibition contest of 2024-25.

The 70th season of Allen Fieldhouse kicked off as Kansas hosted their second and final exhibition game of the season and&nbsp;welcoming Washburn. Washburn is led by head coach Brett Ballard, who played for Kansas from 2000-02 and was a member of&nbsp;<a href="https://kuathletics.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/coaches/bill-self/727">Bill Self</a>'s staff for the 2008 National Championship.

The top-ranked Jayhawks got off to an early 11-2 lead with 15:08 left in the first half. The Jayhawk lead stretched to 16 points thanks to a three-pointer from Coit, who had 13 first-half points and finished with 19 in the contest. Coit went 5-of-10 (50.0 percent) from beyond the arc in his first game at Allen Fieldhouse.

Kansas entered halftime up 38-22 after firing a 15-of-28 (53.6 percent) shooting. Five different Jayhawks hit a three-pointer in the opening half with&nbsp;Coit,&nbsp;who hit three from downtown.

Kansas shot 8-of-19 (42.1 percent) from beyond the arc in the first half.An alley-oop from&nbsp;<a href="https://kuathletics.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/dajuan-harris-jr-/15490">Dajuan Harris Jr.</a>&nbsp;to&nbsp;<a href="https://kuathletics.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/kj-adams-jr-/15494">KJ Adams Jr.</a>&nbsp;led to a&nbsp;<a href="https://kuathletics.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/flory-bidunga/15502">Flory Bidunga</a>&nbsp;block on the other end, resulting in a made three pointer by Griffen to force a Washburn timeout with 18:38 left in the second half.

Kansas' lead stretched to 63-28 with 13:30 left in the second half after Mayo drilled back-to-back three pointers. Kansas would cruise to the finish line from that point on, finishing the game shooting 30-of-59 (50.8 percent) from the field, and holding Washburn to just 34.4 percent shooting.

Bidunga&nbsp;was the fourth Jayhawk in double figures, adding 10 points, a game-high tying seven rebounds and a game-high four blocks. Adams&nbsp;shot a perfect 4-of-4 (100.0 percent) and logged eight points, six boards and four assists.

Kansas will host Howard in the 2024-25 regular-season opener inside Allen Fieldhouse next Monday, Nov. 4&nbsp;with tipoff set for 7 p.m. CT. 

The game will be broadcast&nbsp;via ESPN+.The Howard game will mark the second annual McLendon Classic as KU begins the season hosting an HBCU opponent. The contest celebrates University of Kansas alum and legendary coach John McLendon and the McLendon Leadership Initiative.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1730253958484.png" alt="Photo Kansas Athletics" />
 <figcaption>Photo Kansas Athletics</figcaption>
 </figure>LAWRENCE, Kan. –&nbsp;<a href="https://kuathletics.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/david-coit/15715">David Coit</a>&nbsp;scored 19 points,&nbsp;<a href="https://kuathletics.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/zeke-mayo/15498">Zeke Mayo</a>&nbsp;had 16 points and&nbsp;<a href="https://kuathletics.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/rylan-griffen/15499">Rylan Griffen</a>&nbsp;had 14 points as Kansas defeated Washburn 84-53 inside Allen Fieldhouse Tuesday night in the team's final exhibition contest of 2024-25.The 70th season of Allen Fieldhouse kicked off as Kansas hosted their second and final exhibition game of the season and&nbsp;welcoming Washburn. Washburn is led by head coach Brett Ballard, who played for Kansas from 2000-02 and was a member of&nbsp;<a href="https://kuathletics.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/coaches/bill-self/727">Bill Self</a>'s staff for the 2008 National Championship.The top-ranked Jayhawks got off to an early 11-2 lead with 15:08 left in the first half. The Jayhawk lead stretched to 16 points thanks to a three-pointer from Coit, who had 13 first-half points and finished with 19 in the contest. Coit went 5-of-10 (50.0 percent) from beyond the arc in his first game at Allen Fieldhouse.Kansas entered halftime up 38-22 after firing a 15-of-28 (53.6 percent) shooting. Five different Jayhawks hit a three-pointer in the opening half with&nbsp;Coit,&nbsp;who hit three from downtown. Kansas shot 8-of-19 (42.1 percent) from beyond the arc in the first half.An alley-oop from&nbsp;<a href="https://kuathletics.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/dajuan-harris-jr-/15490">Dajuan Harris Jr.</a>&nbsp;to&nbsp;<a href="https://kuathletics.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/kj-adams-jr-/15494">KJ Adams Jr.</a>&nbsp;led to a&nbsp;<a href="https://kuathletics.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/flory-bidunga/15502">Flory Bidunga</a>&nbsp;block on the other end, resulting in a made three pointer by Griffen to force a Washburn timeout with 18:38 left in the second half.Kansas' lead stretched to 63-28 with 13:30 left in the second half after Mayo drilled back-to-back three pointers. Kansas would cruise to the finish line from that point on, finishing the game shooting 30-of-59 (50.8 percent) from the field, and holding Washburn to just 34.4 percent shooting.Bidunga&nbsp;was the fourth Jayhawk in double figures, adding 10 points, a game-high tying seven rebounds and a game-high four blocks. Adams&nbsp;shot a perfect 4-of-4 (100.0 percent) and logged eight points, six boards and four assists.UP NEXTKansas will host Howard in the 2024-25 regular-season opener inside Allen Fieldhouse next Monday, Nov. 4&nbsp;with tipoff set for 7 p.m. CT. The game will be broadcast&nbsp;via ESPN+.The Howard game will mark the second annual McLendon Classic as KU begins the season hosting an HBCU opponent. The contest celebrates University of Kansas alum and legendary coach John McLendon and the McLendon Leadership Initiative.

🏀  No. 1 Kansas routs Washburn in final exhibition contest

MANHATTAN, Kan.&nbsp;– Junior&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/brendan-hausen/12175">Brendan Hausen</a>&nbsp;led four Wildcats in double figures with a game-high 15 points, as Kansas State ran its home exhibition winning streak to 30 games with a 70-56 win over Division II Fort Hays State on Tuesday night before 9,526 fans at Bramlage Coliseum.

Hausen was joined in double figures by senior&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/coleman-hawkins/12179">Coleman Hawkins</a>&nbsp;(13 points), sophomore&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/macaleab-rich/12169">Macaleab Rich</a>&nbsp;(11 points) and senior&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/david-n-guessan/12168">David N'Guessan</a>&nbsp;(10 points). N'Guessan had a near double-double with a game-high 9 rebounds.

K-State led from start to finish despite a spirited effort from Fort Hays State, which is coming off a 23-win campaign and was recently ranked No. 16 in the preseason NCAA Division II Coaches poll. The Wildcats led by as many as 20 points early in the second half before the Tigers cut the lead in half with 8:24 to play, prompting a timeout by head coach&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/coaches/jerome-tang/2541">Jerome Tang</a>.An 8-2 spurt capped by a 3-pointer from Hawkins pushed the lead back out to 60-44 with less than 6 minutes to play and the lead never dipped below 12 points the rest of the way.

Hawkins was stellar all-around in his first action as a Wildcat, adding a team-high 6 assists, 7 rebounds and 2 steals to go with his 13 points in nearly 32 minutes of action.K-State scored its 70 points on 41.1 percent (23-of-56) shooting, including 28.6 percent (8-of-28) from 3-point range, and 72.7 percent (16-of-22) from the free throw line. The team had 18 assists on 23 made field goals and posted a 42-34 advantage on the glass, including 14 offensive boards.Defensively, the Wildcats held the Tigers to 36.9 percent (24-of-65) shooting, including 25.7 percent (9-of-35) in the first half.In addition to the four double-digit scorers, the squad got a big boost from junior&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/c-j-jones/12181">C.J. Jones</a>, who finished the night with 9 points on 4-of-6 shooting to go with 5 rebounds and 2 steals.

K-State is now 75-21 all-time in exhibition play, including a 58-9 mark at home. It was the fifth straight such win over FHSU, following victories in 2007, 2011, 2015 and 2017.Hausen stalked the Wildcats to a 7-0 lead after knocking down his first two 3-point attempts, as they built as much as a 14-point lead in the first half. 

He duplicated the feat to start the second half, canning his first two 3-pointers to ignite an 8-0 run and push the lead to 42-22 with 17 minutes to play. However, the Tigers wouldn't go away, as they used an 18-8 run over the next 8 minutes to cut the deficit to 52-42.Rich, who earned additional playing time with senior&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/max-jones/12171">Max Jones</a>&nbsp;out due to injury, was another bright spot down the stretch, scoring 4 of his 11 points in the last 8 minutes. He finished the night 5-of-7 from the field to go with 4 rebounds in nearly 20 minutes of action.

Fort Hays State was led by 9 points each from graduate&nbsp;Kaleb Hammeke&nbsp;and sophomore&nbsp;Kyle Grill.K-State officially opens the 2024-25 season on Tuesday, Nov. 4 when the Wildcats welcome New Orleans to Bramlage Coliseum for 7 p.m., CT tip. Tickets are available by calling the K-State Athletics Ticket Office at (800) 221.CATS or online at&nbsp;<a href="https://kstatesports.evenue.net/events/MBSG?_gl=1*fjor90*_gcl_au*ODUwNjE5NjguMTcyODUxMjY2Nw..*_ga*NjA0NzEyODM1LjE3MjA3MzUyNjg.*_ga_1ZXMBEL67G*MTczMDI1Njk5Ni42NjQuMS4xNzMwMjU3MzM4LjQxLjAuMA..&amp;_ga=2.228836185.45498979.1724528033-604712835.1720735268">kstatesports.com/tickets</a>.

HEAD COACH JEROME TANGOpening statement…

"First of all, I lost a friend this past week, [South Florida's head coach] Amir Abdur-Rahim. 43 years old, young guy, got a wife and three kids, and that team still had to take the court, or is getting ready to take the court the next day or so. It's just a tough time. In this coaching circle, there are not a lot of guys who have no enemies, and he had none. The man poured into his guys and loved people. The thing that he always said is love wins. So, it was just hard on me, hard on our staff and a moment like this allows you to be so thankful for life, health, and strength. So, I would just like Amir's family to know that we are praying for them, we're always here for them and we'll support them in any way that we can."

On&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/brendan-hausen/12175">Brendan Hausen's</a>&nbsp;three-point volume…"I say this all of the time, like, coaches want guys to shoot 40% from three, but they can't live with the six misses, right? He was two for nine in the first half, but he was two for five in the second half. I think he's a two-for-five shooter. He did a better job of being on balance [in the second half], like he hit his first two, and then he didn't fight for his feet anymore. He just felt it was going to be his night and it was going to go in, so what he has to do is make sure that he is focused and concentrated. When he's concentrated, using the right mechanics, and fighting for his feet so he's on balance, he's a 40-plus percent three-point shooter."

On&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/max-jones/12171">Max Jones'</a>&nbsp;injury status…"He had a little toe injury. It's not anything serious, but it wasn't worth it to risk. It was better to let him rest."On lineup experimentation…"Not having Max out there today kind of messed up the rotation of what we wanted to do. It forced us to maybe do some things that we wouldn't have done or hadn't done yet. But, I think every dude on the roster, if you put them on the floor, they'll provide something positive. So everyone has to be ready."

On&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/dug-mcdaniel/12170">Dug McDaniel</a>&nbsp;&amp;&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/c-j-jones/12181">C.J. Jones'</a>&nbsp;role"Dug's a talent and he's learning how to be a point guard and lead. There's so much more to being a point guard than just dribbling and passing, but like running the team, and he's embracing that. I think he still allows the ball going in the hole to affect him on the other end and in other things. But, he's a talent, he's going to be a major part of us being successful this year. [C.J.] it's not that [he] started in [Dug's] place, C.J. started. He's been our best point guard. He has an incredible assist-to-turnover ratio in practice, and you saw it today. He gets guys shots, defends the ball, rebounds, and makes the right play. So, C.J. earned where he's at."TEAM NOTES

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1730254113259.png" alt="Photo courtesy K-State Athletics" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy K-State Athletics</figcaption>
 </figure>MANHATTAN, Kan.&nbsp;– Junior&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/brendan-hausen/12175">Brendan Hausen</a>&nbsp;led four Wildcats in double figures with a game-high 15 points, as Kansas State ran its home exhibition winning streak to 30 games with a 70-56 win over Division II Fort Hays State on Tuesday night before 9,526 fans at Bramlage Coliseum.Hausen was joined in double figures by senior&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/coleman-hawkins/12179">Coleman Hawkins</a>&nbsp;(13 points), sophomore&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/macaleab-rich/12169">Macaleab Rich</a>&nbsp;(11 points) and senior&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/david-n-guessan/12168">David N'Guessan</a>&nbsp;(10 points). N'Guessan had a near double-double with a game-high 9 rebounds.K-State led from start to finish despite a spirited effort from Fort Hays State, which is coming off a 23-win campaign and was recently ranked No. 16 in the preseason NCAA Division II Coaches poll. The Wildcats led by as many as 20 points early in the second half before the Tigers cut the lead in half with 8:24 to play, prompting a timeout by head coach&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/coaches/jerome-tang/2541">Jerome Tang</a>.An 8-2 spurt capped by a 3-pointer from Hawkins pushed the lead back out to 60-44 with less than 6 minutes to play and the lead never dipped below 12 points the rest of the way. Hawkins was stellar all-around in his first action as a Wildcat, adding a team-high 6 assists, 7 rebounds and 2 steals to go with his 13 points in nearly 32 minutes of action.K-State scored its 70 points on 41.1 percent (23-of-56) shooting, including 28.6 percent (8-of-28) from 3-point range, and 72.7 percent (16-of-22) from the free throw line. The team had 18 assists on 23 made field goals and posted a 42-34 advantage on the glass, including 14 offensive boards.Defensively, the Wildcats held the Tigers to 36.9 percent (24-of-65) shooting, including 25.7 percent (9-of-35) in the first half.In addition to the four double-digit scorers, the squad got a big boost from junior&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/c-j-jones/12181">C.J. Jones</a>, who finished the night with 9 points on 4-of-6 shooting to go with 5 rebounds and 2 steals.K-State is now 75-21 all-time in exhibition play, including a 58-9 mark at home. It was the fifth straight such win over FHSU, following victories in 2007, 2011, 2015 and 2017.Hausen stalked the Wildcats to a 7-0 lead after knocking down his first two 3-point attempts, as they built as much as a 14-point lead in the first half. He duplicated the feat to start the second half, canning his first two 3-pointers to ignite an 8-0 run and push the lead to 42-22 with 17 minutes to play. However, the Tigers wouldn't go away, as they used an 18-8 run over the next 8 minutes to cut the deficit to 52-42.Rich, who earned additional playing time with senior&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/max-jones/12171">Max Jones</a>&nbsp;out due to injury, was another bright spot down the stretch, scoring 4 of his 11 points in the last 8 minutes. He finished the night 5-of-7 from the field to go with 4 rebounds in nearly 20 minutes of action.Fort Hays State was led by 9 points each from graduate&nbsp;Kaleb Hammeke&nbsp;and sophomore&nbsp;Kyle Grill.K-State officially opens the 2024-25 season on Tuesday, Nov. 4 when the Wildcats welcome New Orleans to Bramlage Coliseum for 7 p.m., CT tip. Tickets are available by calling the K-State Athletics Ticket Office at (800) 221.CATS or online at&nbsp;<a href="https://kstatesports.evenue.net/events/MBSG?_gl=1*fjor90*_gcl_au*ODUwNjE5NjguMTcyODUxMjY2Nw..*_ga*NjA0NzEyODM1LjE3MjA3MzUyNjg.*_ga_1ZXMBEL67G*MTczMDI1Njk5Ni42NjQuMS4xNzMwMjU3MzM4LjQxLjAuMA..&amp;_ga=2.228836185.45498979.1724528033-604712835.1720735268">kstatesports.com/tickets</a>.HEAD COACH JEROME TANGOpening statement…"First of all, I lost a friend this past week, [South Florida's head coach] Amir Abdur-Rahim. 43 years old, young guy, got a wife and three kids, and that team still had to take the court, or is getting ready to take the court the next day or so. It's just a tough time. In this coaching circle, there are not a lot of guys who have no enemies, and he had none. The man poured into his guys and loved people. The thing that he always said is love wins. So, it was just hard on me, hard on our staff and a moment like this allows you to be so thankful for life, health, and strength. So, I would just like Amir's family to know that we are praying for them, we're always here for them and we'll support them in any way that we can."On&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/brendan-hausen/12175">Brendan Hausen's</a>&nbsp;three-point volume…"I say this all of the time, like, coaches want guys to shoot 40% from three, but they can't live with the six misses, right? He was two for nine in the first half, but he was two for five in the second half. I think he's a two-for-five shooter. He did a better job of being on balance [in the second half], like he hit his first two, and then he didn't fight for his feet anymore. He just felt it was going to be his night and it was going to go in, so what he has to do is make sure that he is focused and concentrated. When he's concentrated, using the right mechanics, and fighting for his feet so he's on balance, he's a 40-plus percent three-point shooter."On&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/max-jones/12171">Max Jones'</a>&nbsp;injury status…"He had a little toe injury. It's not anything serious, but it wasn't worth it to risk. It was better to let him rest."On lineup experimentation…"Not having Max out there today kind of messed up the rotation of what we wanted to do. It forced us to maybe do some things that we wouldn't have done or hadn't done yet. But, I think every dude on the roster, if you put them on the floor, they'll provide something positive. So everyone has to be ready."On&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/dug-mcdaniel/12170">Dug McDaniel</a>&nbsp;&amp;&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/c-j-jones/12181">C.J. Jones'</a>&nbsp;role"Dug's a talent and he's learning how to be a point guard and lead. There's so much more to being a point guard than just dribbling and passing, but like running the team, and he's embracing that. I think he still allows the ball going in the hole to affect him on the other end and in other things. But, he's a talent, he's going to be a major part of us being successful this year. [C.J.] it's not that [he] started in [Dug's] place, C.J. started. He's been our best point guard. He has an incredible assist-to-turnover ratio in practice, and you saw it today. He gets guys shots, defends the ball, rebounds, and makes the right play. So, C.J. earned where he's at."TEAM NOTES<ul>
 <li>Four Wildcats scored in double figures, as K-State won its lone exhibition game of the 2024-25 season with a 70-56 win over Division II foe Fort Hays State.</li><li>With the win, K-State extended its winning streak in home exhibition games to 30.</li><li>K-State is now 75-21 all-time in exhibition play, including 58-9 at home and 52-9 at Bramlage Coliseum.</li><li>Junior&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/brendan-hausen/12175">Brendan Hausen</a>&nbsp;led all scorers with 15 points, connecting on 5-of-14 from 3-point range, in 21 minutes.</li><li>Senior&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/coleman-hawkins/12179">Coleman Hawkins</a>&nbsp;had a strong all-around game with 13 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists and 2 steals in 32 minutes.</li>
 </ul><ul>
 <li>Senior&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/david-n-guessan/12168">David N'Guessan</a>&nbsp;had a near double-double with 10 points and a game-high 9 rebounds in 21 minutes.</li>
 </ul><ul>
 <li>Sophomore&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/macaleab-rich/12169">Macaleab Rich</a>&nbsp;scored 11 points off the bench, connecting on 5-of-7 shots.</li>
 </ul><ul>
 <li>K-State started a lineup of juniors&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/c-j-jones/12181">C.J. Jones</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/brendan-hausen/12175">Brendan Hausen</a>&nbsp;and seniors&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/coleman-hawkins/12179">Coleman Hawkins</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/achor-achor/12177">Achor Achor</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/david-n-guessan/12168">David N'Guessan</a>.</li>
 </ul>

🏀  K-State eases past Fort Hays State in lone exhibition

<a>MANHATTAN, Kan.&nbsp;–</a>&nbsp;Kansas State sophomore&nbsp;Avery Johnson&nbsp;is one of 35 quarterbacks in the nation to be named to the Davey O’Brien QB Class of 2024, the award’s committee announced Tuesday.

Johnson, who is one of six Big 12 quarterbacks named to the list, is now in the running to be named a semifinalist for the 2024 Davey O’Brien Award. The semifinalists will be chosen based on voting from the Davey O’Brien National Selection Committee as well as bonus ballots awarded from the first round of the Davey O’Brien Fan Vote.

For the fifth straight year, the Fan Vote will take place on the award’s three social media platforms –&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.facebook.com/daveyobrien">Facebook</a>,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.instagram.com/daveyobrien/?hl=en">Instagram</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/daveyobrien">Twitter (X)</a>&nbsp;– and the top five vote getters on each platform will receive bonus committee member ballots which will be added to the votes cast by the National Selection Committee.

To participate in the Fan Vote, fans must like the original Davey O’Brien Award (@daveyobrien) post highlighting their quarterback. First-round voting will close Friday, November 8 at 11:59 p.m. (ET). The semifinalists will be named on Tuesday, November 12. Looking ahead, the three finalists will be tabbed on Tuesday, November 26, while the winner will be announced live on Thursday, December 12, on&nbsp;The Home Depot College Football Awards on ESPN.

Johnson, a native of Wichita, Kansas, has helped lead the 17th-ranked Wildcats to a 7-1 overall record and a 4-1 record in the Big 12, which includes four-straight victories. He has thrown for 1,654 yards and 16 touchdowns on 130-of-212 (61.3%) aim while running for 373 yards and four touchdowns. Johnson is one of only five quarterbacks in the nation and the only Big 12 signal caller to throw for 1,600 yards and rush for 370 yards this season.

Johnson enters plays this week ranked 19th&nbsp;nationally in total points responsible for (120) and 20th&nbsp;in passing touchdowns. He ranks second and third in school history in passing touchdowns and yards, respectively, by a sophomore. He is also just two touchdown passes shy of entering the school’s overall single-season top-10 list.

No. 17 Kansas State travels to face Houston inside TDECU Stadium in Houston, Texas, on Saturday in a 2:30 p.m., contest that will be shown on FOX. Following the game against the Cougars and a bye week, the Wildcats finish out their home schedule with games against Arizona State (November 16) and Cincinnati (November 23). Tickets to the games against both the Sun Devils and Bearcats can be purchased online at&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="http://www.kstatesports.com/tickets">www.kstatesports.com/tickets</a>.

<a>MANHATTAN, Kan.&nbsp;–</a>&nbsp;Kansas State sophomore&nbsp;Avery Johnson&nbsp;is one of 35 quarterbacks in the nation to be named to the Davey O’Brien QB Class of 2024, the award’s committee announced Tuesday.Johnson, who is one of six Big 12 quarterbacks named to the list, is now in the running to be named a semifinalist for the 2024 Davey O’Brien Award. The semifinalists will be chosen based on voting from the Davey O’Brien National Selection Committee as well as bonus ballots awarded from the first round of the Davey O’Brien Fan Vote.For the fifth straight year, the Fan Vote will take place on the award’s three social media platforms –&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.facebook.com/daveyobrien">Facebook</a>,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.instagram.com/daveyobrien/?hl=en">Instagram</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/daveyobrien">Twitter (X)</a>&nbsp;– and the top five vote getters on each platform will receive bonus committee member ballots which will be added to the votes cast by the National Selection Committee.To participate in the Fan Vote, fans must like the original Davey O’Brien Award (@daveyobrien) post highlighting their quarterback. First-round voting will close Friday, November 8 at 11:59 p.m. (ET). The semifinalists will be named on Tuesday, November 12. Looking ahead, the three finalists will be tabbed on Tuesday, November 26, while the winner will be announced live on Thursday, December 12, on&nbsp;The Home Depot College Football Awards on ESPN.Johnson, a native of Wichita, Kansas, has helped lead the 17th-ranked Wildcats to a 7-1 overall record and a 4-1 record in the Big 12, which includes four-straight victories. He has thrown for 1,654 yards and 16 touchdowns on 130-of-212 (61.3%) aim while running for 373 yards and four touchdowns. Johnson is one of only five quarterbacks in the nation and the only Big 12 signal caller to throw for 1,600 yards and rush for 370 yards this season.Johnson enters plays this week ranked 19th&nbsp;nationally in total points responsible for (120) and 20th&nbsp;in passing touchdowns. He ranks second and third in school history in passing touchdowns and yards, respectively, by a sophomore. He is also just two touchdown passes shy of entering the school’s overall single-season top-10 list.No. 17 Kansas State travels to face Houston inside TDECU Stadium in Houston, Texas, on Saturday in a 2:30 p.m., contest that will be shown on FOX. Following the game against the Cougars and a bye week, the Wildcats finish out their home schedule with games against Arizona State (November 16) and Cincinnati (November 23). Tickets to the games against both the Sun Devils and Bearcats can be purchased online at&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="http://www.kstatesports.com/tickets">www.kstatesports.com/tickets</a>.– k-statesports.com –RYAN LACKEY

K-State’s Johnson Named to Davey O’Brien Award’s QB Class of 2024

The Junction City High School boys’ cross-country team claimed the Kansas State High School Activities Association Class 6A Regional Championship on Saturday.

Individually, Ethan Fontaine crossed the finish line in first place at 15:51.08 to win the regional at Hummer Park in Topeka. Anthony Testa also had a solid outing, wrapping up the competition in seventh place.

On the girl’s side, Linden Pickler claimed runner-up honors with a time of 18:15.51, while Anna Fontaine closed the competition in fourth place. Brittney Dibben also had a banner day in Topeka, finishing 15th overall. The trio will represent the Blue Jays at the Class 6A State Cross Country Championships in Lawrence on Saturday, Nov. 2.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1730234978537.jpeg" alt="Photo courtesy of USD 475" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy of USD 475</figcaption>
 </figure>The Junction City High School boys’ cross-country team claimed the Kansas State High School Activities Association Class 6A Regional Championship on Saturday.Individually, Ethan Fontaine crossed the finish line in first place at 15:51.08 to win the regional at Hummer Park in Topeka. Anthony Testa also had a solid outing, wrapping up the competition in seventh place.On the girl’s side, Linden Pickler claimed runner-up honors with a time of 18:15.51, while Anna Fontaine closed the competition in fourth place. Brittney Dibben also had a banner day in Topeka, finishing 15th overall. The trio will represent the Blue Jays at the Class 6A State Cross Country Championships in Lawrence on Saturday, Nov. 2.

Cross Country boy's teams wins 6A Regional, several athletes qualify for state

<a>MANHATTAN, Kan.&nbsp;–</a>&nbsp;Following his game-winning, 51-yard field goal to help Kansas State secure a 29-27 victory over in-state rival Kansas, kicker&nbsp;Chris Tennant&nbsp;has been named the Big 12 Special Teams Player of the Week, the conference office announced Monday.

It is the first weekly honor in Tennant’s career, while he is just the second K-State kicker to earn Big 12 Special Teams Player of the Week accolades since 2019 (Ty Zentner vs. Oklahoma State, 2022). It is the third time this season a Wildcat has earned a weekly conference accolade as&nbsp;Dylan Edwards&nbsp;(special teams) and&nbsp;Avery Johnson&nbsp;(offensive) were honored after the Arizona and Oklahoma State games, respectively.

Tennant produced the longest game-winning field goal with under two minutes remaining in regulation in school history, while it was the third-longest game-winner in the nation this season. It was his third-career field goal of 50 or more yards – which ranks fifth in school history – and it tied his career long originally set in 2021 at Texas and matched last season against SEMO.

It was one of two fourth-quarter field goals by Tennant, who also got K-State to within one point at 27-26 with a 28-yard field goal with 13:23 remaining in the contest.

A product of Shawnee, Kansas, Tennant enters plays this week tied for 24th&nbsp;nationally and third in the Big 12 in field goals per game (1.50), while he is tied for 26th&nbsp;in the country and third in the Big 12 in field goal percentage (85.7%).

Now in his fourth season in the program, Tennant ranks fourth in K-State history career extra point percentage (97.7%), fifth in career kick scoring (238), extra points made (127) and extra points attempted (130), sixth in field goals made (37), eighth in field goals attempted (50) and ninth in points scored among all players.

No. 17 Kansas State takes on Houston inside TDECU Stadium in Houston, Texas, on Saturday. The game kicks off at 2:30 p.m. and will be shown on FOX.&nbsp;

<a>MANHATTAN, Kan.&nbsp;–</a>&nbsp;Following his game-winning, 51-yard field goal to help Kansas State secure a 29-27 victory over in-state rival Kansas, kicker&nbsp;Chris Tennant&nbsp;has been named the Big 12 Special Teams Player of the Week, the conference office announced Monday.It is the first weekly honor in Tennant’s career, while he is just the second K-State kicker to earn Big 12 Special Teams Player of the Week accolades since 2019 (Ty Zentner vs. Oklahoma State, 2022). It is the third time this season a Wildcat has earned a weekly conference accolade as&nbsp;Dylan Edwards&nbsp;(special teams) and&nbsp;Avery Johnson&nbsp;(offensive) were honored after the Arizona and Oklahoma State games, respectively.Tennant produced the longest game-winning field goal with under two minutes remaining in regulation in school history, while it was the third-longest game-winner in the nation this season. It was his third-career field goal of 50 or more yards – which ranks fifth in school history – and it tied his career long originally set in 2021 at Texas and matched last season against SEMO.It was one of two fourth-quarter field goals by Tennant, who also got K-State to within one point at 27-26 with a 28-yard field goal with 13:23 remaining in the contest.A product of Shawnee, Kansas, Tennant enters plays this week tied for 24th&nbsp;nationally and third in the Big 12 in field goals per game (1.50), while he is tied for 26th&nbsp;in the country and third in the Big 12 in field goal percentage (85.7%).Now in his fourth season in the program, Tennant ranks fourth in K-State history career extra point percentage (97.7%), fifth in career kick scoring (238), extra points made (127) and extra points attempted (130), sixth in field goals made (37), eighth in field goals attempted (50) and ninth in points scored among all players.No. 17 Kansas State takes on Houston inside TDECU Stadium in Houston, Texas, on Saturday. The game kicks off at 2:30 p.m. and will be shown on FOX.&nbsp;

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