The Junction City Blue Jays beat the Topeka Trojans 50-21 on senior night at Blue Jay Stadium.

A strong performance by the offense and defense helped Junction City jump out to a 35-0 lead at halftime.  Despite three first-half turnovers from both teams, the Blue Jays connected on several big plays throughout the first half. 

Junior Jamarcus Tyson started the scoring with an 11-yard touchdown run on the first offensive drive of the game for the Blue Jays. Junior quarterback Conrad Gomez also had a strong night, with four touchdown passes. Gomez had two touchdown passes to Lovell Autry and another to Scholar Brown and Jamarcus Vornes. 

Topeka scored three touchdowns late in the second half, and the Blue Jays cruised to victory winning their second game of the season and their seventh straight over Topeka. 

Due to the size of the lead, several younger Blue Jay players also saw the field on senior night.  

With the win, Junction City is now 2-4 on the season. Topeka High falls to 4-2 on the year. Next up for the Blue Jays is a few road games. Junction City will play at Washburn Rural next Friday and at Emporia to close out the regular season.

By Anthony GorgesJC PostThe Junction City Blue Jays beat the Topeka Trojans 50-21 on senior night at Blue Jay Stadium.A strong performance by the offense and defense helped Junction City jump out to a 35-0 lead at halftime. Despite three first-half turnovers from both teams, the Blue Jays connected on several big plays throughout the first half. Junior Jamarcus Tyson started the scoring with an 11-yard touchdown run on the first offensive drive of the game for the Blue Jays. Junior quarterback Conrad Gomez also had a strong night, with four touchdown passes. Gomez had two touchdown passes to Lovell Autry and another to Scholar Brown and Jamarcus Vornes. Topeka scored three touchdowns late in the second half, and the Blue Jays cruised to victory winning their second game of the season and their seventh straight over Topeka. Due to the size of the lead, several younger Blue Jay players also saw the field on senior night. With the win, Junction City is now 2-4 on the season. Topeka High falls to 4-2 on the year. Next up for the Blue Jays is a few road games. Junction City will play at Washburn Rural next Friday and at Emporia to close out the regular season.

Blue Jays win big over Topeka on Senior Night

The Lady Jay Tennis team traveled to Wichita for their 6A Regional Tennis tournament on Thursday.&nbsp; The Lady Jays put together very good all around performance from all of the entries to finish as the Regional Runner Ups as a team.&nbsp; The Lady Jays qualified a singles and a doubles entry to the 6A Girls State Tennis Tournament next week at Harmon Park.

In singles, Hannah Micheel won the regional championship with 4-0 record on the day, winning the championship match 6-3, 6-2.&nbsp;&nbsp; This will be the second year Micheel has qualified for the state tournament.&nbsp;

In doubles, the Lady Jays qualified the doubles team of Julia Cho and Gracie Erichsen.&nbsp; The Lady Jay duo went 3-1 in the tournament and brought home third place.&nbsp; This will be the second year Cho has qualified for the state tournament and Erichsen’s first year.&nbsp;

The Lady Jays also had the doubles team of Leila Etheridge and Emma Young contribute the runner up finish as they won their opening round of the tournament.&nbsp; Skylor O’Sullivan won the play in match before losing to the top seed of the singles bracket.&nbsp;

The Lady Jay Tennis team traveled to Wichita for their 6A Regional Tennis tournament on Thursday.&nbsp; The Lady Jays put together very good all around performance from all of the entries to finish as the Regional Runner Ups as a team.&nbsp; The Lady Jays qualified a singles and a doubles entry to the 6A Girls State Tennis Tournament next week at Harmon Park.In singles, Hannah Micheel won the regional championship with 4-0 record on the day, winning the championship match 6-3, 6-2.&nbsp;&nbsp; This will be the second year Micheel has qualified for the state tournament.&nbsp;In doubles, the Lady Jays qualified the doubles team of Julia Cho and Gracie Erichsen.&nbsp; The Lady Jay duo went 3-1 in the tournament and brought home third place.&nbsp; This will be the second year Cho has qualified for the state tournament and Erichsen’s first year.&nbsp;The Lady Jays also had the doubles team of Leila Etheridge and Emma Young contribute the runner up finish as they won their opening round of the tournament.&nbsp; Skylor O’Sullivan won the play in match before losing to the top seed of the singles bracket.&nbsp;

Lady Jay Tennis competes at Regional

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Gerrit Cole pitched like a postseason ace Thursday night, holding the Kansas City Royals to a single run over seven innings and sending the New York Yankees to a 3-1 victory that put them back in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/MLB">the American League Championship Series</a>.

The six-time All-Star scattered six hits and struck out four before handing the ball to the New York bullpen, which dominated&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mlb-playoffs-yankees-royals-new-york-kansas-city-8bad4d90f6891eda52d67b0aa4e4c44d">a tense AL Division Series</a>. Clay Holmes tossed a perfect eighth inning and Luke Weaver breezed through the ninth, extending the scoreless streak by Yankees relievers to 15 2/3 innings this postseason.

New York will play Cleveland or Detroit of the ALCS starting Monday night at Yankee Stadium.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mlb-playoffs-yankees-soto-royals-new-york-0e67745813372aaca6bc33b027b4c669">Juan Soto, Gleyber Torres</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mlb-playoffs-yankees-royals-new-york-kansas-city-e5552ac80a6c03f893b1da38a804f8bf">Game 3 star Giancarlo Stanton</a>&nbsp;drove in runs for the Yankees, who fittingly clinched a spot in their fourth ALCS in eight years on the road. They won 50 games away from home in the regular season, their most in 21 years.

Michael Wacha&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mlb-playoffs-yankees-royals-new-york-kansas-city-417218832d775dd13038728c98244dd4">failed to get through five innings</a>&nbsp;for Kansas City, allowing two runs, six hits and a walk. He didn't get much help from a long-scuffling offense that managed just five runs total over the final three games of the series.

Still, it was a remarkable turnaround for a club that went from 106-loss laughingstock a year ago to making its first postseason appearance since winning the 2015 World Series. And with young stars such as Bobby Witt Jr. signed to long-term deals, there is hope in Kansas City that this was a beginning rather than an ending.

New York set the tone from the start, pouncing on Wacha like it did in the series opener. Torres hit the veteran right-hander's first pitch of the game for a double, and Soto followed with an RBI single on just the third pitch of the night.

Anthony Volpe kept on the pressure with his single in the fifth. And after Alex Verdugo grounded into a forceout and Jon Berti singled to put runners on the corners, Torres lined a two-out single to make it 2-0 and put an end to Wacha's night.

Meanwhile, Cole only seemed to get stronger as he clicked off innings.

The reigning Cy Young Award winner retired his first six batters, worked around a leadoff single in the third and retired eight more before Tommy Pham's single in the fifth. Cole promptly struck out Kyle Isbel on three pitches to end that inning.

Stanton, who hit the go-ahead homer in the eighth inning in Game 3, extended the lead to 3-0 with his single in the sixth.

Tensions that had simmered all night — and all series, after Yankees third baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. called the Royals' Game 2 win “lucky” — finally boiled over in the sixth. Volpe slapped a hard tag on Maikel Garcia at second base to complete a double play, and the Royals third baseman took umbrage with it. Players spilled out of both dugouts before order was restored.

The near-fracas nearly ignited Kansas City, too. Witt, who had been 1 for 15 in the series, followed with a base hit and Vinnie Pasquantino — who'd been 0 for 14 — had an RBI double. But with the sellout crowd of 39,012 in Kauffman Stadium whipped into a sudden frenzy, Cole got Salvador Perez to pop out lazily to second base to end the inning.

Cole's night ended after he got Isbel to fly out to the warning track with a runner aboard to end the seventh, a deep shot to right field that would have been a tying homer had it been hit to that part of Yankee Stadium.

The Yankees are headed to the ALCS for the 19th time to face the Guardians or Tigers, who play the decisive game of their AL Division Series on Saturday night in Cleveland.

The Royals head into the offseason with some momentum. Most of their key players are signed for next season or under club control, though a couple of decisions loom. Wacha could opt out of his deal after a strong season while 2B Adam Frazier has a mutual option and OF Hunter Renfroe a player option for 2025.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1728616643757.jpeg" alt="New York Yankees' Aaron Judge doubles during the sixth inning in Game 4 of an American League Division baseball playoff series against the Kansas City Royals Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Reed Hoffmann)" />
 <figcaption>New York Yankees' Aaron Judge doubles during the sixth inning in Game 4 of an American League Division baseball playoff series against the Kansas City Royals Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Reed Hoffmann)</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Gerrit Cole pitched like a postseason ace Thursday night, holding the Kansas City Royals to a single run over seven innings and sending the New York Yankees to a 3-1 victory that put them back in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/MLB">the American League Championship Series</a>.The six-time All-Star scattered six hits and struck out four before handing the ball to the New York bullpen, which dominated&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mlb-playoffs-yankees-royals-new-york-kansas-city-8bad4d90f6891eda52d67b0aa4e4c44d">a tense AL Division Series</a>. Clay Holmes tossed a perfect eighth inning and Luke Weaver breezed through the ninth, extending the scoreless streak by Yankees relievers to 15 2/3 innings this postseason.New York will play Cleveland or Detroit of the ALCS starting Monday night at Yankee Stadium.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mlb-playoffs-yankees-soto-royals-new-york-0e67745813372aaca6bc33b027b4c669">Juan Soto, Gleyber Torres</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mlb-playoffs-yankees-royals-new-york-kansas-city-e5552ac80a6c03f893b1da38a804f8bf">Game 3 star Giancarlo Stanton</a>&nbsp;drove in runs for the Yankees, who fittingly clinched a spot in their fourth ALCS in eight years on the road. They won 50 games away from home in the regular season, their most in 21 years.Michael Wacha&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mlb-playoffs-yankees-royals-new-york-kansas-city-417218832d775dd13038728c98244dd4">failed to get through five innings</a>&nbsp;for Kansas City, allowing two runs, six hits and a walk. He didn't get much help from a long-scuffling offense that managed just five runs total over the final three games of the series.Still, it was a remarkable turnaround for a club that went from 106-loss laughingstock a year ago to making its first postseason appearance since winning the 2015 World Series. And with young stars such as Bobby Witt Jr. signed to long-term deals, there is hope in Kansas City that this was a beginning rather than an ending.New York set the tone from the start, pouncing on Wacha like it did in the series opener. Torres hit the veteran right-hander's first pitch of the game for a double, and Soto followed with an RBI single on just the third pitch of the night.Anthony Volpe kept on the pressure with his single in the fifth. And after Alex Verdugo grounded into a forceout and Jon Berti singled to put runners on the corners, Torres lined a two-out single to make it 2-0 and put an end to Wacha's night.Meanwhile, Cole only seemed to get stronger as he clicked off innings.The reigning Cy Young Award winner retired his first six batters, worked around a leadoff single in the third and retired eight more before Tommy Pham's single in the fifth. Cole promptly struck out Kyle Isbel on three pitches to end that inning.Stanton, who hit the go-ahead homer in the eighth inning in Game 3, extended the lead to 3-0 with his single in the sixth.Tensions that had simmered all night — and all series, after Yankees third baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. called the Royals' Game 2 win “lucky” — finally boiled over in the sixth. Volpe slapped a hard tag on Maikel Garcia at second base to complete a double play, and the Royals third baseman took umbrage with it. Players spilled out of both dugouts before order was restored.The near-fracas nearly ignited Kansas City, too. Witt, who had been 1 for 15 in the series, followed with a base hit and Vinnie Pasquantino — who'd been 0 for 14 — had an RBI double. But with the sellout crowd of 39,012 in Kauffman Stadium whipped into a sudden frenzy, Cole got Salvador Perez to pop out lazily to second base to end the inning.Cole's night ended after he got Isbel to fly out to the warning track with a runner aboard to end the seventh, a deep shot to right field that would have been a tying homer had it been hit to that part of Yankee Stadium.New York's bullpen did the rest.UP NEXTThe Yankees are headed to the ALCS for the 19th time to face the Guardians or Tigers, who play the decisive game of their AL Division Series on Saturday night in Cleveland.The Royals head into the offseason with some momentum. Most of their key players are signed for next season or under club control, though a couple of decisions loom. Wacha could opt out of his deal after a strong season while 2B Adam Frazier has a mutual option and OF Hunter Renfroe a player option for 2025.

⚾ Cole shuts down the Royals and sends Yankees back to ALCS 

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Giancarlo Stanton hit a go-ahead homer in the eighth inning amid a battle of the bullpens, and the New York Yankees beat the Kansas City Royals 3-2 on Wednesday night in Game 3 of their AL Division Series at Kauffman Stadium.

Stanton finished with three hits, drove in two runs and stole a base for the first time in four years for the Yankees, who will turn to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2024-mlb-playoffs-royals-yankees-55c69e03da0c418a922ad02831ea0610">six-time All-Star pitcher Gerrit Cole on Thursday night</a>&nbsp;with a chance to reach&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/mlb">the American League Championship Series</a>.

The Royals used four relievers before Kris Bubic took over for the eighth. The left-hander struck out Austin Wells before Stanton hit his 3-1 pitch nearly 420 feet to left to give New York the lead.

The Royals tried to answer off Luke Weaver in the bottom half, getting&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/royals-chiefs-kansas-city-patrick-mahomes-bobby-witt-25b56b7e0ed73261a13434168c102551">Bobby Witt Jr.'s first hit of the series</a>&nbsp;and a two-out single by franchise stalwart Salvador Perez. Weaver recovered to get Yuli Gurriel to fly out to end the threat, and he also handled the ninth to earn the save and cap 4 1/3 scoreless innings by the New York bullpen.

The Yankees won despite another frustrating night in the postseason for MVP front-runner Aaron Judge. He went 0 for 4 with a walk, and is now 1 for 11 with only an infield single through three games against the Royals.

It helped that the powerful Yankees drew nine walks Wednesday night, giving them 22 for the series.

It was the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/yankees-royals-new-york-kansas-city-mlb-playoffs-a71e04dca396f35402287621911ad50e">first playoff game at the K in 3,268 days</a>, since the Royals beat the Mets in Game 2 of the 2015 World Series. They won their first title in 30 years a few days later in New York.

The first baseman on that Royals team, Eric Hosmer, was on hand to deliver the first pitch for a crowd that included Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes.

The Yankees had some good swings against Seth Lugo's dizzying array of nine pitches, but they had nothing to show for it early on.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mlb-playoffs-yankees-soto-royals-new-york-0e67745813372aaca6bc33b027b4c669">Juan Soto flew out to center in the first</a>&nbsp;on what would have been a homer in 17 ballparks. Judge followed with a liner snared by Witt at shortstop that had an exit velocity of 114 mph. And in the third, Gleyber Torres hit a ball to the warning track in right, moments after a review confirmed that his would-be RBI blooper down the line had landed foul.

The Yankees broke through in the fourth on Stanton's double — Soto came around from first to score, though he might well have been out had Witt delivered a better relay throw to the plate. And in the fifth, Soto added a bases-loaded sacrifice fly.

The Royals answered with two in the fifth. Kyle Isbel got them on the board with a two-out double to left, and Michael Massey ripped a sinking liner that somehow missed Soto's glove in right for an RBI triple.

Yankees starter Clarke Schmidt was dinged for both runs on four hits and a walk in 4 2/3 innings. Lugo went five for Kansas City, allowing two hits and walking four against the team that led the league in free passes this season.

Yankees: Cole (8-5, 3.41 ERA) heads back to the mound Thursday night. He allowed four runs — three earned — over five innings in the opener Saturday night but got no decision in the 6-5 win for New York.

Royals: RHP Michael Wacha (13-8, 3.35 ERA) will face Cole again after pitching just four innings Saturday. He allowed three runs but was long gone by the time the Yankees scored the go-ahead run in the seventh.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1728527218078.png" alt="Giancarlo Stanton finished with three hits, drove in two runs and stole a base for the first time in four years for the Yankees-Photo courtesy New York Yankees" />
 <figcaption>Giancarlo Stanton finished with three hits, drove in two runs and stole a base for the first time in four years for the Yankees-Photo courtesy New York Yankees</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Giancarlo Stanton hit a go-ahead homer in the eighth inning amid a battle of the bullpens, and the New York Yankees beat the Kansas City Royals 3-2 on Wednesday night in Game 3 of their AL Division Series at Kauffman Stadium.Stanton finished with three hits, drove in two runs and stole a base for the first time in four years for the Yankees, who will turn to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2024-mlb-playoffs-royals-yankees-55c69e03da0c418a922ad02831ea0610">six-time All-Star pitcher Gerrit Cole on Thursday night</a>&nbsp;with a chance to reach&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/mlb">the American League Championship Series</a>.The Royals used four relievers before Kris Bubic took over for the eighth. The left-hander struck out Austin Wells before Stanton hit his 3-1 pitch nearly 420 feet to left to give New York the lead.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1728527435203.png" alt="Kansas City Royals' Yuli Gurriel celebrates after hitting a double during the second inning in Game 3 of an American League Division baseball playoff series against the New York Yankees Wednesday, Oct. 9, 2024, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)" />
 <figcaption>Kansas City Royals' Yuli Gurriel celebrates after hitting a double during the second inning in Game 3 of an American League Division baseball playoff series against the New York Yankees Wednesday, Oct. 9, 2024, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)</figcaption>
 </figure>The Royals tried to answer off Luke Weaver in the bottom half, getting&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/royals-chiefs-kansas-city-patrick-mahomes-bobby-witt-25b56b7e0ed73261a13434168c102551">Bobby Witt Jr.'s first hit of the series</a>&nbsp;and a two-out single by franchise stalwart Salvador Perez. Weaver recovered to get Yuli Gurriel to fly out to end the threat, and he also handled the ninth to earn the save and cap 4 1/3 scoreless innings by the New York bullpen.The Yankees won despite another frustrating night in the postseason for MVP front-runner Aaron Judge. He went 0 for 4 with a walk, and is now 1 for 11 with only an infield single through three games against the Royals.It helped that the powerful Yankees drew nine walks Wednesday night, giving them 22 for the series.It was the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/yankees-royals-new-york-kansas-city-mlb-playoffs-a71e04dca396f35402287621911ad50e">first playoff game at the K in 3,268 days</a>, since the Royals beat the Mets in Game 2 of the 2015 World Series. They won their first title in 30 years a few days later in New York.<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FRoyals%2Fposts%2Fpfbid0Yv1Jn9vedfcT3GwueeHbHf6MDDoLXMTS4bQC73jW8ha9XjZEQfLT7f5NfYCLGF7Bl&show_text=true&width=500" width="500" height="645" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share"></iframe></div>The first baseman on that Royals team, Eric Hosmer, was on hand to deliver the first pitch for a crowd that included Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes.The Yankees had some good swings against Seth Lugo's dizzying array of nine pitches, but they had nothing to show for it early on.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mlb-playoffs-yankees-soto-royals-new-york-0e67745813372aaca6bc33b027b4c669">Juan Soto flew out to center in the first</a>&nbsp;on what would have been a homer in 17 ballparks. Judge followed with a liner snared by Witt at shortstop that had an exit velocity of 114 mph. And in the third, Gleyber Torres hit a ball to the warning track in right, moments after a review confirmed that his would-be RBI blooper down the line had landed foul.The Yankees broke through in the fourth on Stanton's double — Soto came around from first to score, though he might well have been out had Witt delivered a better relay throw to the plate. And in the fifth, Soto added a bases-loaded sacrifice fly.The Royals answered with two in the fifth. Kyle Isbel got them on the board with a two-out double to left, and Michael Massey ripped a sinking liner that somehow missed Soto's glove in right for an RBI triple.Yankees starter Clarke Schmidt was dinged for both runs on four hits and a walk in 4 2/3 innings. Lugo went five for Kansas City, allowing two hits and walking four against the team that led the league in free passes this season.UP NEXTYankees: Cole (8-5, 3.41 ERA) heads back to the mound Thursday night. He allowed four runs — three earned — over five innings in the opener Saturday night but got no decision in the 6-5 win for New York.Royals: RHP Michael Wacha (13-8, 3.35 ERA) will face Cole again after pitching just four innings Saturday. He allowed three runs but was long gone by the time the Yankees scored the go-ahead run in the seventh.___

⚾ Stanton's homer in the 8th lifts Yankees over Royals in Game 3 of the ALDS

The Lady Jay Tennis team competed in the Centennial League Varsity Tennis Tournament hosted by Junction City High School on Monday at the Blue Jay Tennis Complex.&nbsp; The Lady Jays had strong showings from the entire team as they finished 4th&nbsp;in the team standings.&nbsp;&nbsp; Topeka Hayden won the team title.

The Lady Jays were led in the standings by singles player, Hannah Micheel, who went 2-1 on the day finishing in 3rd place earning the bronze medal.&nbsp; Skylor O’Sullivan also competed in the open singles bracket and after losing her first round, came back to win her final 3 matches earning 9th&nbsp;place.&nbsp;

&nbsp;In doubles, Julia Cho and Gracie Erichson medaled, earning 6th&nbsp;place by winning their first round and going 2-2 on the day.&nbsp; In the same bracket, Leila Etheridge and Emma Young teamed up to go 2-2 on the day earning 10th&nbsp;place.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The Lady Jays will continue their season with the 6A Regional Tournament this Thursday, October 10.&nbsp; Wichita Southeast will host the Regional tournament at Riverside Tennis Complex in Wichita.&nbsp; Matches will start at 9:30 am.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1728394113784.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>The Lady Jay Tennis team competed in the Centennial League Varsity Tennis Tournament hosted by Junction City High School on Monday at the Blue Jay Tennis Complex.&nbsp; The Lady Jays had strong showings from the entire team as they finished 4th&nbsp;in the team standings.&nbsp;&nbsp; Topeka Hayden won the team title.The Lady Jays were led in the standings by singles player, Hannah Micheel, who went 2-1 on the day finishing in 3rd place earning the bronze medal.&nbsp; Skylor O’Sullivan also competed in the open singles bracket and after losing her first round, came back to win her final 3 matches earning 9th&nbsp;place.&nbsp;&nbsp;In doubles, Julia Cho and Gracie Erichson medaled, earning 6th&nbsp;place by winning their first round and going 2-2 on the day.&nbsp; In the same bracket, Leila Etheridge and Emma Young teamed up to go 2-2 on the day earning 10th&nbsp;place.&nbsp;&nbsp;The Lady Jays will continue their season with the 6A Regional Tournament this Thursday, October 10.&nbsp; Wichita Southeast will host the Regional tournament at Riverside Tennis Complex in Wichita.&nbsp; Matches will start at 9:30 am.&nbsp;

Lady Jay Tennis hosted Centennial League Varsity Tennis Tournament

<a target="_blank" href="https://www.kstatesports.com/watch/?Archive=23603&amp;type=Archive">Watch Coach Klieman’s Press Conference</a>&nbsp; |&nbsp;&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.kstatesports.com/podcasts/chris-klieman-press-conference-october-7-2024/4905">Listen to Coach Klieman’s Press Conference</a>&nbsp; |&nbsp;&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.kstatesports.com/podcasts/player-breakout-interviews-october-7-2024/4906">Listen to Player Breakout Interviews</a>

MANHATTAN, Kan.&nbsp;– Kansas State head coach&nbsp;Chris Klieman&nbsp;and select players met with members of the media on Monday inside the Vanier Family Football Complex to preview Saturday’s game at Colorado. Links to video and audio of Klieman’s press conference – which was streamed live on ESPN+ – are above in addition to an audio link of player breakout interviews. A transcript of Klieman’s opening statement is below.

“Good afternoon, everyone. I hope everybody had a good weekend. It was good to give the guys a weekend off and try to recharge a little bit mentally and physically. We're back at it with a normal week of prep, normal stuff. We'll be on the grass fields the first half of this week, so we'll see the guys at 2:40 today. I know Coach Tru (Trumain Carroll) saw them this morning, and we're excited about getting back to work. We know it's going to be a big task going to Colorado. We have to continue on from our game planning from last week and really hone in on a lot of the details of the game plan this week.”

<a target="_blank" href="https://www.kstatesports.com/watch/?Archive=23603&amp;type=Archive">Watch Coach Klieman’s Press Conference</a>&nbsp; |&nbsp;&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.kstatesports.com/podcasts/chris-klieman-press-conference-october-7-2024/4905">Listen to Coach Klieman’s Press Conference</a>&nbsp; |&nbsp;&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.kstatesports.com/podcasts/player-breakout-interviews-october-7-2024/4906">Listen to Player Breakout Interviews</a>MANHATTAN, Kan.&nbsp;– Kansas State head coach&nbsp;Chris Klieman&nbsp;and select players met with members of the media on Monday inside the Vanier Family Football Complex to preview Saturday’s game at Colorado. Links to video and audio of Klieman’s press conference – which was streamed live on ESPN+ – are above in addition to an audio link of player breakout interviews. A transcript of Klieman’s opening statement is below.CHRIS KLIEMAN, HEAD COACHOpening Statement…“Good afternoon, everyone. I hope everybody had a good weekend. It was good to give the guys a weekend off and try to recharge a little bit mentally and physically. We're back at it with a normal week of prep, normal stuff. We'll be on the grass fields the first half of this week, so we'll see the guys at 2:40 today. I know Coach Tru (Trumain Carroll) saw them this morning, and we're excited about getting back to work. We know it's going to be a big task going to Colorado. We have to continue on from our game planning from last week and really hone in on a lot of the details of the game plan this week.”

K-State Discusses Matchup at Colorado During Weekly Press Conference   

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Patrick Mahomes threw for a bunch of yards. Travis Kelce caught a whole lot of his passes. And Kareem Hunt plowed into the end zone once again, sending a torrent of red fireworks flying over Arrowhead Stadium on Monday night.

It might as well have been six years ago, the last time that trio of Chiefs played in a home game together.

But with injuries having ravaged their offense, the Chiefs were forced to lean on two of their stalwarts and the return of their erstwhile star running back to beat the Saints, 26-13. Mahomes finished with 331 yards through the air, Kelce had a game-high nine catches for 70 yards, and Hunt ran 27 times for 102 yards and a touchdown.

“It was a great feeling to get back in the end zone. I missed it very much,” said Hunt, who only returned to the Chiefs a couple of weeks ago, after an injury to starter Isiah Pacheco. “That's why I threw up a heart. To show my love for Kansas City.”

There was a lot of love flowing inside Arrowhead Stadium.

Just as the Chiefs were moving to 5-0 behind another defensive gem, the Royals were beating the Yankees in Game 2 of their AL Division Series in New York. There were frequent chants of “Let's go Royals!” throughout the game, and when&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mlb-playoffs-yankees-royals-973e1a65ef5ba6bede4b849f3329d924">the Royals finished off a 4-2 victory</a>&nbsp;to send the series back to Kansas City tied at a game apiece, a roar ripped through Arrowhead.

“There was kind of a lull there toward the end of the game, and I was like, ‘They’re not showing the score. The Yankees came back,'” said Mahomes, who owns a part of the Royals. “But they picked it up and got the win, and it was extremely exciting.”

The Chiefs held Saints quarterback Derek Carr to 185 yards passing with two touchdowns and an interception before leaving with an oblique injury. It occurred with about 9 1/2 minutes left, when Carr was hit by blitzing defensive back Chamarri Conner on a fourth-down incompletion as he tried to rally New Orleans from a 23-13 deficit.

“I couldn’t do what I needed to do in the simplest form," said Carr, who plans to get an MRI exam on Tuesday.

The Saints' Alvin Kamara managed 26 yards rushing on 11 carries, becoming the latest high-profile running back to struggle against the Chiefs. They held the Ravens' Derrick Henry to 46 yards rushing, Zack Moss of the Bengals to 34, Falcons star Bijan Robinson to 31 and J.K. Dobbins to 32 in last week's win over the Chargers.

“We got outplayed,” Saints coach Dennis Allen said. "We really couldn't get a whole lot going on either side of the ball.”

The first half Monday night featured a bit of everything: Hunt's first TD since returning to Kansas City, where his once-promising career was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/chiefs-kansas-city-kareem-hunt-e02c86492982355676e0be2548b95914">derailed by an off-the-field incident</a>; a 43-yard touchdown pass from Carr to Rashid Shaheed, the shortest of the three Shaheed has caught this season; and yet another lateral by Kelce, which came on the most bizarre of drives.

The Chiefs were leading 10-7 when a fumbled pitch and a holding penalty left them facing second-and-34. They got some of it back on a pass to JuJu Smith-Schuster, and then Mahomes hit Kelce over the middle. Kelce lateraled to Samaje Perine, who got within a yard of a first down, and Kansas City converted the fourth-and-short play to set up an eventual field goal.

It was exactly that — field goals — that kept New Orleans in the game, though. The Chiefs have struggled to score TDs in the red zone all season, and they were forced to let Harrison Butker kick a trio of chip shots to lead 16-7 at the break.

Their red-zone woes continued in the third quarter. On second-and-goal, Smith-Schuster had a pass bounce off his hands at the goal line and into the arms of 324-pound former Chiefs defensive tackle Khalen Saunders, who made his first career interception.

The Saints promptly marched 65 yards with Foster Moreau's TD catch getting them within 16-13 with 14:16 to play.

But unlike every other game for the Chiefs, which had been decided in the final minutes — if not the final play — they answered the blow by delivering one of their own. Smith-Schuster hauled in a 50-yard pass moments later, and Xavier Worthy took a handoff on first-and-goal at the 3 for a touchdown that extended their cushion early in the fourth quarter.

After the Chiefs stopped the Saints on fourth down, they tacked on another field goal with 3:03 left to put away the game.

"It’s pretty cool to get the band back together,” said Smith-Schuster, who is also back with the Chiefs after a couple of years spent in New England. “Man, I’m telling you, there is no place like this. What we have here is special. It’s unreal.”

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/chiefs-taylor-swift-travis-kelce-arrowhead-b386bd5deb5b6588f255d62068417cae">Taylor Swift was back at Arrowhead Stadium</a>&nbsp;to see Kelce and the Chiefs after missing her boyfriend's previous two road games. She resumes her record-setting Eras Tour on Friday night with the first of three shows in Miami.

Saints: CB Will Harris hurt his hamstring in the first half. C Lucas Patrick left briefly in the third quarter with a collarbone injury,

Chiefs: LT Wanya Morris left in the first half with a lower leg injury but returned to the game.

Kansas City has a week off before visiting San Francisco on Oct. 20.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1728358707794.jpeg" alt="Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes throws during the second half of an NFL football game against the New Orleans Saints Monday, Oct. 7, 2024, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Ed Zurga)" />
 <figcaption>Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes throws during the second half of an NFL football game against the New Orleans Saints Monday, Oct. 7, 2024, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Ed Zurga)</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Patrick Mahomes threw for a bunch of yards. Travis Kelce caught a whole lot of his passes. And Kareem Hunt plowed into the end zone once again, sending a torrent of red fireworks flying over Arrowhead Stadium on Monday night.It might as well have been six years ago, the last time that trio of Chiefs played in a home game together.But with injuries having ravaged their offense, the Chiefs were forced to lean on two of their stalwarts and the return of their erstwhile star running back to beat the Saints, 26-13. Mahomes finished with 331 yards through the air, Kelce had a game-high nine catches for 70 yards, and Hunt ran 27 times for 102 yards and a touchdown.“It was a great feeling to get back in the end zone. I missed it very much,” said Hunt, who only returned to the Chiefs a couple of weeks ago, after an injury to starter Isiah Pacheco. “That's why I threw up a heart. To show my love for Kansas City.”There was a lot of love flowing inside Arrowhead Stadium.Just as the Chiefs were moving to 5-0 behind another defensive gem, the Royals were beating the Yankees in Game 2 of their AL Division Series in New York. There were frequent chants of “Let's go Royals!” throughout the game, and when&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mlb-playoffs-yankees-royals-973e1a65ef5ba6bede4b849f3329d924">the Royals finished off a 4-2 victory</a>&nbsp;to send the series back to Kansas City tied at a game apiece, a roar ripped through Arrowhead.“There was kind of a lull there toward the end of the game, and I was like, ‘They’re not showing the score. The Yankees came back,'” said Mahomes, who owns a part of the Royals. “But they picked it up and got the win, and it was extremely exciting.”The Chiefs held Saints quarterback Derek Carr to 185 yards passing with two touchdowns and an interception before leaving with an oblique injury. It occurred with about 9 1/2 minutes left, when Carr was hit by blitzing defensive back Chamarri Conner on a fourth-down incompletion as he tried to rally New Orleans from a 23-13 deficit.“I couldn’t do what I needed to do in the simplest form," said Carr, who plans to get an MRI exam on Tuesday.The Saints' Alvin Kamara managed 26 yards rushing on 11 carries, becoming the latest high-profile running back to struggle against the Chiefs. They held the Ravens' Derrick Henry to 46 yards rushing, Zack Moss of the Bengals to 34, Falcons star Bijan Robinson to 31 and J.K. Dobbins to 32 in last week's win over the Chargers.“We got outplayed,” Saints coach Dennis Allen said. "We really couldn't get a whole lot going on either side of the ball.”The first half Monday night featured a bit of everything: Hunt's first TD since returning to Kansas City, where his once-promising career was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/chiefs-kansas-city-kareem-hunt-e02c86492982355676e0be2548b95914">derailed by an off-the-field incident</a>; a 43-yard touchdown pass from Carr to Rashid Shaheed, the shortest of the three Shaheed has caught this season; and yet another lateral by Kelce, which came on the most bizarre of drives.The Chiefs were leading 10-7 when a fumbled pitch and a holding penalty left them facing second-and-34. They got some of it back on a pass to JuJu Smith-Schuster, and then Mahomes hit Kelce over the middle. Kelce lateraled to Samaje Perine, who got within a yard of a first down, and Kansas City converted the fourth-and-short play to set up an eventual field goal.It was exactly that — field goals — that kept New Orleans in the game, though. The Chiefs have struggled to score TDs in the red zone all season, and they were forced to let Harrison Butker kick a trio of chip shots to lead 16-7 at the break.Their red-zone woes continued in the third quarter. On second-and-goal, Smith-Schuster had a pass bounce off his hands at the goal line and into the arms of 324-pound former Chiefs defensive tackle Khalen Saunders, who made his first career interception.The Saints promptly marched 65 yards with Foster Moreau's TD catch getting them within 16-13 with 14:16 to play.But unlike every other game for the Chiefs, which had been decided in the final minutes — if not the final play — they answered the blow by delivering one of their own. Smith-Schuster hauled in a 50-yard pass moments later, and Xavier Worthy took a handoff on first-and-goal at the 3 for a touchdown that extended their cushion early in the fourth quarter.After the Chiefs stopped the Saints on fourth down, they tacked on another field goal with 3:03 left to put away the game."It’s pretty cool to get the band back together,” said Smith-Schuster, who is also back with the Chiefs after a couple of years spent in New England. “Man, I’m telling you, there is no place like this. What we have here is special. It’s unreal.”<h2>Tay-Tay returns</h2><a href="https://apnews.com/article/chiefs-taylor-swift-travis-kelce-arrowhead-b386bd5deb5b6588f255d62068417cae">Taylor Swift was back at Arrowhead Stadium</a>&nbsp;to see Kelce and the Chiefs after missing her boyfriend's previous two road games. She resumes her record-setting Eras Tour on Friday night with the first of three shows in Miami.<h2>Injuries</h2>Saints: CB Will Harris hurt his hamstring in the first half. C Lucas Patrick left briefly in the third quarter with a collarbone injury,Chiefs: LT Wanya Morris left in the first half with a lower leg injury but returned to the game.<h2>Up next</h2>New Orleans hosts Tampa Bay on Sunday.Kansas City has a week off before visiting San Francisco on Oct. 20.

🏈 Mahomes throws for 331 yards, Derek Carr hurt as Chiefs shut down Saints 

NEW YORK (AP) — Salvador Perez homered leading off the fourth inning to spark a four-run rally against Carlos Rodón, and the Kansas City Royals beat the New York Yankees 4-2 on Monday night to even their AL Division Series at one game apiece.

Four relievers held New York in check after an inconsistent&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mlb-playoffs-ragans-royals-yankees-central-park-42adddaee4675c8a204b14873548dd2a">Cole Ragans lasted four innings.</a>&nbsp;Tommy Pham, Garrett Hampson and Maikel Garcia singled in runs for the Royals.

Garcia, moved up from ninth to first in Kansas City's batting order, had four hits.

Game 3 in the best-of-five playoff is Wednesday night at Kansas City, the Royals’ first postseason home game since the 2015 World Series.

“It’s basically like a brand-new series when we get to the K,” Ragans said, referring to Kauffman Stadium.

Yankees slugger&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mlb-playoffs-yankees-royals-judge-rodon-db7f25b5abe73eba553ee18d1974b14f">Aaron Judge went 1 for 3 with an infield single and is 1 for 7 with four strikeouts</a>&nbsp;in the series. Kansas City star Bobby Witt Jr., expected to finish second to Judge in AL MVP voting, was 0 for 5 with three strikeouts, dropping to 0 for 10 in the series.

All four Division Series opened 1-1 for the first time since the round started in 1995.

Giancarlo Stanton put the Yankees ahead with an RBI single in the third, but New York went 1 for 6 with runners in scoring position and is 3 for 19 in the two games.

“They were making their pitches when they needed to,” Judge said. “We've got to come through in those situations to kind of break it open.”

Ragans allowed just the one run and three hits, striking out five and walking four. Winning pitcher Angel Zerpa and John Schreiber each followed with a hitless inning before Kris Bubic threw two scoreless innings. Lucas Erceg worked the ninth for his third save this postseason.

Erceg gave up a leadoff homer to Jazz Chisholm Jr. and a two-out single to Jon Berti but retired Gleyber Torres on a grounder to end it with slugger Juan Soto on deck. Chisholm's homer was the first off Erceg since June 12, when he was still pitching for Oakland.

Perez, at 34 the only remaining Royals player from their 2015 championship team, tied the score when he drove a 2-0 slider into the left-field seats. The nine-time All-Star entered 12 for 26 (.462) with three homers off Rodón, an old AL Central rival when he pitched for the Chicago White Sox.

“He falls behind him, and from there started making some mistakes with his secondary (pitches) just in the heart of the plate," Yankees manager Aaron Boone said.

Yuli Gurriel singled, advanced on a wild pitch and scored on Pham’s one-out single for a 2-1 lead, prompting cheers from NFL fans at the Kansas City Chiefs' home game against New Orleans at Arrowhead Stadium. Pham stole second and scored on a two-out single by Hampson.

Garcia greeted Ian Hamilton with an RBI single that put the Royals ahead 4-1.

Rodón, lined up to pitch a potential Game 5, gave up four runs and seven hits in 3 2/3 innings with seven strikeouts and no walks. Twenty-four of the 32 home runs he has allowed this season have been solo shots.

“Obviously, I want to be better than that — especially how the first three innings went,” Rodón said. “I wouldn’t say I tired out. Just got to be better with those pitches, just more fine with them and get to better spots.”

Yankees: LHP Nestor Cortes (left flexor strain) took a step forward when he played catch Sunday, Boone said.

Yankees RHP Clarke Schmidt (5-5, 2.85 ERA) makes his first postseason start Wednesday. He was 0-2 with an 11.75 ERA in three relief appearances during the 2022 playoffs.

Seth Lugo (16-9, 3.00) is scheduled to start for the Royals. He struck out 10 over seven innings of three-hit ball in a 5-0 win at Yankee Stadium on Sept. 10.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1728355383355.png" alt="Photo Kansas City Royals" />
 <figcaption>Photo Kansas City Royals</figcaption>
 </figure>NEW YORK (AP) — Salvador Perez homered leading off the fourth inning to spark a four-run rally against Carlos Rodón, and the Kansas City Royals beat the New York Yankees 4-2 on Monday night to even their AL Division Series at one game apiece.Four relievers held New York in check after an inconsistent&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mlb-playoffs-ragans-royals-yankees-central-park-42adddaee4675c8a204b14873548dd2a">Cole Ragans lasted four innings.</a>&nbsp;Tommy Pham, Garrett Hampson and Maikel Garcia singled in runs for the Royals.Garcia, moved up from ninth to first in Kansas City's batting order, had four hits.Game 3 in the best-of-five playoff is Wednesday night at Kansas City, the Royals’ first postseason home game since the 2015 World Series.“It’s basically like a brand-new series when we get to the K,” Ragans said, referring to Kauffman Stadium.Yankees slugger&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mlb-playoffs-yankees-royals-judge-rodon-db7f25b5abe73eba553ee18d1974b14f">Aaron Judge went 1 for 3 with an infield single and is 1 for 7 with four strikeouts</a>&nbsp;in the series. Kansas City star Bobby Witt Jr., expected to finish second to Judge in AL MVP voting, was 0 for 5 with three strikeouts, dropping to 0 for 10 in the series.All four Division Series opened 1-1 for the first time since the round started in 1995.Giancarlo Stanton put the Yankees ahead with an RBI single in the third, but New York went 1 for 6 with runners in scoring position and is 3 for 19 in the two games.“They were making their pitches when they needed to,” Judge said. “We've got to come through in those situations to kind of break it open.”Ragans allowed just the one run and three hits, striking out five and walking four. Winning pitcher Angel Zerpa and John Schreiber each followed with a hitless inning before Kris Bubic threw two scoreless innings. Lucas Erceg worked the ninth for his third save this postseason.Erceg gave up a leadoff homer to Jazz Chisholm Jr. and a two-out single to Jon Berti but retired Gleyber Torres on a grounder to end it with slugger Juan Soto on deck. Chisholm's homer was the first off Erceg since June 12, when he was still pitching for Oakland.Perez, at 34 the only remaining Royals player from their 2015 championship team, tied the score when he drove a 2-0 slider into the left-field seats. The nine-time All-Star entered 12 for 26 (.462) with three homers off Rodón, an old AL Central rival when he pitched for the Chicago White Sox.“He falls behind him, and from there started making some mistakes with his secondary (pitches) just in the heart of the plate," Yankees manager Aaron Boone said.Yuli Gurriel singled, advanced on a wild pitch and scored on Pham’s one-out single for a 2-1 lead, prompting cheers from NFL fans at the Kansas City Chiefs' home game against New Orleans at Arrowhead Stadium. Pham stole second and scored on a two-out single by Hampson.Garcia greeted Ian Hamilton with an RBI single that put the Royals ahead 4-1.Rodón, lined up to pitch a potential Game 5, gave up four runs and seven hits in 3 2/3 innings with seven strikeouts and no walks. Twenty-four of the 32 home runs he has allowed this season have been solo shots.“Obviously, I want to be better than that — especially how the first three innings went,” Rodón said. “I wouldn’t say I tired out. Just got to be better with those pitches, just more fine with them and get to better spots.”TRAINER’S ROOMYankees: LHP Nestor Cortes (left flexor strain) took a step forward when he played catch Sunday, Boone said.UP NEXTYankees RHP Clarke Schmidt (5-5, 2.85 ERA) makes his first postseason start Wednesday. He was 0-2 with an 11.75 ERA in three relief appearances during the 2022 playoffs.Seth Lugo (16-9, 3.00) is scheduled to start for the Royals. He struck out 10 over seven innings of three-hit ball in a 5-0 win at Yankee Stadium on Sept. 10.

⚾ Perez's homer lifts Royals over Yankees in Game 2 to tie ALDS

&nbsp;USD 475 announced via social media that the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/JCHSUSD475?__cft__[0]=AZUZ0wtcOpCCA3AmRkwI12slrpHCl4VWWmTjGKgd3EORh5_aiPVu7_rmR6gXD2ChqLxwk0LwPXmHFwY1kZGMfsy7uR0RROxsom3l8BSmKACRrG6iLYkQRpTJL2sXNBDprAZkwHG8wUVIofqThGY7ZU1AvenyGbSCtq0jKn9cFQPDjUFgIqFiLoA3M6iiws8yL5A&amp;__tn__=-]K-R">Junction City High School USD 475</a> boys' and girls' cross country teams had a banner weekend as the Blue Jays claimed first overall at the Bob Schmoekel Invitational. Individually, sophomore Anthony Testa and freshman Linden Pickler both crossed the finish line in fourth place to pace the Blue Jays at Milford State Park. Results:

<a href="https://tinyurl.com/3hmfwbmm?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAAR20h_ghHsjDaccMlEN9h7ii7tKxvNDVdj6TGQZHT4FoNUfaVQWEOF0xC74_aem__2qjjnfvHuLjcIs_Pzw0nw" target="_blank">https://tinyurl.com/3hmfwbmm</a><a href="https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/thrivein475?__eep__=6&amp;__cft__[0]=AZUZ0wtcOpCCA3AmRkwI12slrpHCl4VWWmTjGKgd3EORh5_aiPVu7_rmR6gXD2ChqLxwk0LwPXmHFwY1kZGMfsy7uR0RROxsom3l8BSmKACRrG6iLYkQRpTJL2sXNBDprAZkwHG8wUVIofqThGY7ZU1AvenyGbSCtq0jKn9cFQPDjUFgIqFiLoA3M6iiws8yL5A&amp;__tn__=*NK-R">#ThriveIn475</a>

&nbsp;USD 475 announced via social media that the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/JCHSUSD475?__cft__[0]=AZUZ0wtcOpCCA3AmRkwI12slrpHCl4VWWmTjGKgd3EORh5_aiPVu7_rmR6gXD2ChqLxwk0LwPXmHFwY1kZGMfsy7uR0RROxsom3l8BSmKACRrG6iLYkQRpTJL2sXNBDprAZkwHG8wUVIofqThGY7ZU1AvenyGbSCtq0jKn9cFQPDjUFgIqFiLoA3M6iiws8yL5A&amp;__tn__=-]K-R">Junction City High School USD 475</a> boys' and girls' cross country teams had a banner weekend as the Blue Jays claimed first overall at the Bob Schmoekel Invitational. Individually, sophomore Anthony Testa and freshman Linden Pickler both crossed the finish line in fourth place to pace the Blue Jays at Milford State Park. Results: <a href="https://tinyurl.com/3hmfwbmm?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAAR20h_ghHsjDaccMlEN9h7ii7tKxvNDVdj6TGQZHT4FoNUfaVQWEOF0xC74_aem__2qjjnfvHuLjcIs_Pzw0nw" target="_blank">https://tinyurl.com/3hmfwbmm</a><a href="https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/thrivein475?__eep__=6&amp;__cft__[0]=AZUZ0wtcOpCCA3AmRkwI12slrpHCl4VWWmTjGKgd3EORh5_aiPVu7_rmR6gXD2ChqLxwk0LwPXmHFwY1kZGMfsy7uR0RROxsom3l8BSmKACRrG6iLYkQRpTJL2sXNBDprAZkwHG8wUVIofqThGY7ZU1AvenyGbSCtq0jKn9cFQPDjUFgIqFiLoA3M6iiws8yL5A&amp;__tn__=*NK-R">#ThriveIn475</a>

Bob Schmoeckel Invitational results

<a>MANHATTAN, Kan.&nbsp;–</a>&nbsp;The Big 12 Conference and FOX Sports announced Monday that Kansas State’s October 19 game at West Virginia will kick at 6:30 p.m. (CT) and will be shown on either FOX or FS1.

<a>MANHATTAN, Kan.&nbsp;–</a>&nbsp;The Big 12 Conference and FOX Sports announced Monday that Kansas State’s October 19 game at West Virginia will kick at 6:30 p.m. (CT) and will be shown on either FOX or FS1.

FB: K-State at West Virginia to Kick at Night

TEMPE, Ariz. (AP) — Sam Leavitt threw four touchdowns passes, including&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/ASUFootball/status/1842776268573446194">a 3-yard strike to Jordyn Tyson with 16 seconds left</a>, and Arizona State rallied for a thrilling 35-31 victory over Kansas on Saturday night.

The Sun Devils (4-1, 1-1 Big 12) outlasted the Jayhawks in a back-and-forth game that featured six lead changes in the second half. Cam Skattebo ran for a team-high 186 yards, including a crucial 39-yard dash on the game-winning drive.

“Good job by our guys just executing,” Sun Devils coach Kenny Dillingham said. “That was it. We just played the next play. We didn't get rattled. We just responded.”

Leavitt completed 14 of 24 passes for 157 yards. His consistent play helped the Sun Devils bounce back from their first loss of the season, a 30-22 setback to Texas Tech on Sept. 21.

“It was just back to what we do,” Leavitt said. “The last game we played wasn't our brand of football, so we got back to that.”

Kansas (1-5, 0-3) has lost five straight, including four by a touchdown or less. Jalon Daniels threw for a season-high 260 yards and two touchdowns. Devin Neal ran for 71 yards and a touchdown.

The teams battled each other along with some record-setting heat in front of a sellout crowd of 54,639 on Saturday. The temperature at kickoff was 107 degrees, which set the mark for the hottest October game in Tempe dating back to 2000.

The Jayhawks didn't seem fazed by the heat, pushing ahead 31-28 with 2:04 left when Daniels hit Quentin Skinner for his second touchdown catch of the night, this one on a diving completion that went for 34 yards.

But the Jayhawks couldn't close it out, allowing the Sun Devils to drive eight plays for 75 yards in less than two minutes.

“At the end of the day, our job is to stop the offense,” Kansas defensive end Dean Miller said. “Unfortunately, we came up short. We've got to do better as a team and as a unit.”

Leavitt capped the decisive drive by floating the 3-yard touchdown pass to Tyson, who had slipped past a defender. It was Tyson's second touchdown catch of the night and a proud moment for the sophomore, who missed all of last season with a knee injury.

Kansas took a 24-17 lead with 10:49 left in the game when Neal made a nifty cut before running untouched for the 31-yard touchdown.

The Sun Devils went up 21-17 early in the fourth quarter on a direct snap to Skattebo, who ran for the 1-yard touchdown. Leavitt converted on a crucial third-and-18 during the drive, rifling a precise pass over the middle to Tyson.

Arizona State tied the game at 14-all just before halftime when Leavitt threw a short pass Chamon Metayer, who ran 20 yards for the end zone. Kansas was hurt by two penalties over a three-play stretch on cornerback Cobee Bryant, who was flagged for holding and pass interference.

Arizona State's Keyshaun Elliott and Clayton Smith were ejected in the second half for targeting. The two — who are among the Sun Devils' best defensive players — must also miss the first half of Friday's game against No. 18 Utah.

Kansas: It's another brutal loss for the Jayhawks, who had high expectations entering the season but have just one win midway through the schedule. Kansas was ranked No. 19 in the nation after their season-opening win just five weeks ago.

Arizona State: It's another galvanizing win for the Sun Devils, who are much improved under coach Kenny Dillingham in Year 2. They'll have their biggest test of the year on Friday against No. 18 Utah.

Arizona State: Host No. 18 Utah on Friday.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1728200068762.jpeg" alt="Kansas wide receiver Quentin Skinner (0) had six catches for 130 yards and a touchdown in a 35-31 loss against Arizona State -photo courtesy KU Athletics" />
 <figcaption>Kansas wide receiver Quentin Skinner (0) had six catches for 130 yards and a touchdown in a 35-31 loss against Arizona State -photo courtesy KU Athletics</figcaption>
 </figure>TEMPE, Ariz. (AP) — Sam Leavitt threw four touchdowns passes, including&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/ASUFootball/status/1842776268573446194">a 3-yard strike to Jordyn Tyson with 16 seconds left</a>, and Arizona State rallied for a thrilling 35-31 victory over Kansas on Saturday night.The Sun Devils (4-1, 1-1 Big 12) outlasted the Jayhawks in a back-and-forth game that featured six lead changes in the second half. Cam Skattebo ran for a team-high 186 yards, including a crucial 39-yard dash on the game-winning drive.“Good job by our guys just executing,” Sun Devils coach Kenny Dillingham said. “That was it. We just played the next play. We didn't get rattled. We just responded.”Leavitt completed 14 of 24 passes for 157 yards. His consistent play helped the Sun Devils bounce back from their first loss of the season, a 30-22 setback to Texas Tech on Sept. 21.“It was just back to what we do,” Leavitt said. “The last game we played wasn't our brand of football, so we got back to that.”Kansas (1-5, 0-3) has lost five straight, including four by a touchdown or less. Jalon Daniels threw for a season-high 260 yards and two touchdowns. Devin Neal ran for 71 yards and a touchdown.The teams battled each other along with some record-setting heat in front of a sellout crowd of 54,639 on Saturday. The temperature at kickoff was 107 degrees, which set the mark for the hottest October game in Tempe dating back to 2000.The Jayhawks didn't seem fazed by the heat, pushing ahead 31-28 with 2:04 left when Daniels hit Quentin Skinner for his second touchdown catch of the night, this one on a diving completion that went for 34 yards.But the Jayhawks couldn't close it out, allowing the Sun Devils to drive eight plays for 75 yards in less than two minutes.“At the end of the day, our job is to stop the offense,” Kansas defensive end Dean Miller said. “Unfortunately, we came up short. We've got to do better as a team and as a unit.”Leavitt capped the decisive drive by floating the 3-yard touchdown pass to Tyson, who had slipped past a defender. It was Tyson's second touchdown catch of the night and a proud moment for the sophomore, who missed all of last season with a knee injury.“It means everything,” Tyson said.Kansas took a 24-17 lead with 10:49 left in the game when Neal made a nifty cut before running untouched for the 31-yard touchdown.The Sun Devils went up 21-17 early in the fourth quarter on a direct snap to Skattebo, who ran for the 1-yard touchdown. Leavitt converted on a crucial third-and-18 during the drive, rifling a precise pass over the middle to Tyson.Arizona State tied the game at 14-all just before halftime when Leavitt threw a short pass Chamon Metayer, who ran 20 yards for the end zone. Kansas was hurt by two penalties over a three-play stretch on cornerback Cobee Bryant, who was flagged for holding and pass interference.Arizona State's Keyshaun Elliott and Clayton Smith were ejected in the second half for targeting. The two — who are among the Sun Devils' best defensive players — must also miss the first half of Friday's game against No. 18 Utah.<h2>The takeaway</h2>Kansas: It's another brutal loss for the Jayhawks, who had high expectations entering the season but have just one win midway through the schedule. Kansas was ranked No. 19 in the nation after their season-opening win just five weeks ago.Arizona State: It's another galvanizing win for the Sun Devils, who are much improved under coach Kenny Dillingham in Year 2. They'll have their biggest test of the year on Friday against No. 18 Utah.<h2>Up next</h2>Kansas: Home vs. Houston on Oct. 19.Arizona State: Host No. 18 Utah on Friday.___

🏈 Leavitt throws 4 TDs to lift Arizona State past Kansas

NEW YORK (AP) — Alex Verdugo hit a tiebreaking single in the seventh inning and saved at least one run with a sliding catch along the left-field line, boosting the New York Yankees over the Kansas City Royals 6-5 on Saturday night in their AL Division Series opener.

New York’s Gleyber Torres and Kansas City’s MJ Melendez hit two-run homers in a back-and-forth game in which the Royals wasted leads of 1-0, 3-2 and 5-4 and the Yankees failed to hold 2-1 and 4-3 margins. It was the first postseason game with five lead changes, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.

Kansas City pitchers tied their season high with eight walks, forcing in a pair of runs in the fifth inning. The Yankees were just 1 for 11 with runners in scoring position before Verdugo lined a single off loser Michael Lorenzen.

Verdugo’s hit scored Jazz Chisholm Jr., who singled leading off and stole second on a play allowed to stand following a video review. Yankees manager Aaron Boone started Verdugo in left over rookie Jasson Domínguez in a defense-influenced decision. Verdugo entered the game in a 2-for-34 skid at the plate

With the Yankees trailing 3-2, Verdugo made a sliding catch on Michael Massey’s fourth-inning fly just inside the line to strand two runners. The ball hit Verdugo’s right wrist just below his glove and bounced off his chest before he grabbed it with his bare left hand.

Chisholm, playing third base this year for the first time after the Yankees acquired him from Miami at the July trade deadline, made three fine defensive plays, two with the help of first baseman Oswaldo Cabrera, starting because of Anthony Rizzo’s fractured fingers.

Four Yankees relievers combined to allow only an unearned run over four innings after ace Gerrit Cole came out, unhappy with his performance. Clay Holmes, dropped from his closer’s job last month, worked 1 2/3 innings for the win. Luke Weaver got four straight outs for the save in his postseason debut.

Yankees star Aaron Judge went 0 for 4 with three strikeouts, and Royals standout Bobby Witt Jr. was 0 for 5, barking at plate umpire Adam Hamari after a called third strike in the ninth.

Juan Soto went 3 for 5 and threw out Salvador Perez in the second inning trying to score from second on Melendez’s single to right. Kansas City first baseman Yuli Gurriel threw out runners at the plate on grounders in the first and fifth.

After a day off between Games 1 and 2, the series between the AL-best Yankees and wild-card Royals resumes Monday night. These teams met in four playoffs from 1976-80, with the Yankees winning the first three and getting swept in the last.

Cole allowed four runs — three earned — and seven hits in five-plus innings. Royals starter Michael Wacha gave up three runs, four hits and three walks in four-plus innings.

Tommy Pham hit a second-inning sacrifice fly, and Torres put the Yankees ahead 2-1 in the third with a 339-foot home run just over the right-field short porch.

Melendez’s two-run homer in the fourth gave Kansas City a 3-2 lead, but Royals pitchers issued four seven-pitch walks in the fifth, forcing in runs with walks by Angel Zerpa to Austin Wells and by John Schreiber to Anthony Volpe. The Yankees had not gotten a pair of bases-loaded walks in a postseason game since Bullet Joe Bush and Joe Dugan against the New York Giants’ Rosy Ryan in Game 6 of the 1923 World Series.

Volpe's throwing error at shortstop set up pinch-hitter Garrett Hampson's two-run, sixth-inning single through a drawn-in infield that put the Royals ahead 5-4. Wells’ two-out RBI single off Lorenzen tied the score in the bottom half.

New York's Carlos Rodón (16-9, 3.96 ERA) starts against the Royals' Cole Ragans (11-9, 3.14) in a matchup of left-handers. Rodón made a pair of postseason appearances for the Chicago White Sox, in relief against Oakland in 2020 and a start against Houston in 2021 which he pitched 2 2/3 innings, allowing Carlos Correa's go-ahead, two-run double. Ragans won the Wild Card Series opener at Baltimore on Tuesday with six scoreless innings of four-hit ball.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1728181357575.jpeg" alt="New York Yankees' Alex Verdugo reacts after driving in a run on a double against the Kansas City Royals during the seventh inning of Game 1 of the American League baseball division series, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)" />
 <figcaption>New York Yankees' Alex Verdugo reacts after driving in a run on a double against the Kansas City Royals during the seventh inning of Game 1 of the American League baseball division series, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)</figcaption>
 </figure>NEW YORK (AP) — Alex Verdugo hit a tiebreaking single in the seventh inning and saved at least one run with a sliding catch along the left-field line, boosting the New York Yankees over the Kansas City Royals 6-5 on Saturday night in their AL Division Series opener.New York’s Gleyber Torres and Kansas City’s MJ Melendez hit two-run homers in a back-and-forth game in which the Royals wasted leads of 1-0, 3-2 and 5-4 and the Yankees failed to hold 2-1 and 4-3 margins. It was the first postseason game with five lead changes, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.Kansas City pitchers tied their season high with eight walks, forcing in a pair of runs in the fifth inning. The Yankees were just 1 for 11 with runners in scoring position before Verdugo lined a single off loser Michael Lorenzen.Verdugo’s hit scored Jazz Chisholm Jr., who singled leading off and stole second on a play allowed to stand following a video review. Yankees manager Aaron Boone started Verdugo in left over rookie Jasson Domínguez in a defense-influenced decision. Verdugo entered the game in a 2-for-34 skid at the plateWith the Yankees trailing 3-2, Verdugo made a sliding catch on Michael Massey’s fourth-inning fly just inside the line to strand two runners. The ball hit Verdugo’s right wrist just below his glove and bounced off his chest before he grabbed it with his bare left hand.Chisholm, playing third base this year for the first time after the Yankees acquired him from Miami at the July trade deadline, made three fine defensive plays, two with the help of first baseman Oswaldo Cabrera, starting because of Anthony Rizzo’s fractured fingers.Four Yankees relievers combined to allow only an unearned run over four innings after ace Gerrit Cole came out, unhappy with his performance. Clay Holmes, dropped from his closer’s job last month, worked 1 2/3 innings for the win. Luke Weaver got four straight outs for the save in his postseason debut.Yankees star Aaron Judge went 0 for 4 with three strikeouts, and Royals standout Bobby Witt Jr. was 0 for 5, barking at plate umpire Adam Hamari after a called third strike in the ninth.Juan Soto went 3 for 5 and threw out Salvador Perez in the second inning trying to score from second on Melendez’s single to right. Kansas City first baseman Yuli Gurriel threw out runners at the plate on grounders in the first and fifth.After a day off between Games 1 and 2, the series between the AL-best Yankees and wild-card Royals resumes Monday night. These teams met in four playoffs from 1976-80, with the Yankees winning the first three and getting swept in the last.Cole allowed four runs — three earned — and seven hits in five-plus innings. Royals starter Michael Wacha gave up three runs, four hits and three walks in four-plus innings.Tommy Pham hit a second-inning sacrifice fly, and Torres put the Yankees ahead 2-1 in the third with a 339-foot home run just over the right-field short porch.Melendez’s two-run homer in the fourth gave Kansas City a 3-2 lead, but Royals pitchers issued four seven-pitch walks in the fifth, forcing in runs with walks by Angel Zerpa to Austin Wells and by John Schreiber to Anthony Volpe. The Yankees had not gotten a pair of bases-loaded walks in a postseason game since Bullet Joe Bush and Joe Dugan against the New York Giants’ Rosy Ryan in Game 6 of the 1923 World Series.Volpe's throwing error at shortstop set up pinch-hitter Garrett Hampson's two-run, sixth-inning single through a drawn-in infield that put the Royals ahead 5-4. Wells’ two-out RBI single off Lorenzen tied the score in the bottom half.UP NEXTNew York's Carlos Rodón (16-9, 3.96 ERA) starts against the Royals' Cole Ragans (11-9, 3.14) in a matchup of left-handers. Rodón made a pair of postseason appearances for the Chicago White Sox, in relief against Oakland in 2020 and a start against Houston in 2021 which he pitched 2 2/3 innings, allowing Carlos Correa's go-ahead, two-run double. Ragans won the Wild Card Series opener at Baltimore on Tuesday with six scoreless innings of four-hit ball.

⚾ Verdugo's go-ahead single lifts Yankees over Royals in ALDS opener

By MIKE COURSON Great Bend Post

There may be no standard definition of a sports "superfan," but everyone knows one when they see one. Cleveland's John Adams comes to mind. The Guardians fan attended every home baseball game from 1973 until his death, at the age of 71, in 2023. He literally beat the drum from the stands for 48 seasons, or more than 3,500 games.

Kansas City has its own Superfan. Chris Coats, a United States Postal Service employee from Raytown, Mo., has been attending Royals games for most of his life, including 31 of the team's 33 playoff games since 2014. Coats attended the two American League Wild Card games in Baltimore earlier this week and is sticking around on the east coast for the Divisional Series that begins Saturday at Yankee Stadium. The goal is to make it back to Kauffman Stadium for Wednesday's game three in the series.

"It's going to be about 18 hours after Monday night to try to get back by Wednesday," Coats said in a Friday appearance on 1590 KVGB/95.5 FM's "Sports Day" show. "I think we can manage. We did 16 to Baltimore and we did okay. I've got a home-game streak going of over 1,600 games. I've got to make it."

With 81 home games a season, Coats' streak dates back more than 20 seasons. Things picked up around 2009 when Coats began following the Royals to other stadiums. Wearing a promotional Royals flag as a cape, he made the Fox Sports Kansas City broadcast at a game in Houston. The nickname "Superfan Chris" was christened.

"I was walking back and I found Ryan Lefebvre," Coats said. "We just got to talking. I had driven to Houston and I told him I was driving to Pittsburgh. He said, 'Oh wow, we'll have to get you on TV there, too. That's a heck of a drive.'"

Coats became a regular on Royals broadcasts as the team continued to struggle with losing seasons from 2004 to 2012. The Royals finished the 2013 season at 86-76, then made it to Game Seven of the 2014 World Series. Coats was one of several fans that postseason featured on the side of buses in downtown Kansas City.

Coats has now been to all 30 Major League Baseball cities but has yet to visit the new Truist Park in Atlanta or LoanDepot Park in Miami. Also a Kansas City Chiefs and Missouri Tigers fan, he frequently attends football games in the fall.

"I get five weeks off every year but I've been saving a lot of that every year for something like this," Coats said of the MLB playoffs. "I asked for the whole month of October off and they gave it to me. I told them I'd come back as long as the Royals aren't playing. I don't expect to use all the time, but I guess I will if they make it to the World Series."

During his streak, Coats has married and had two boys. The youngest son, at just five years old, has attended between 50 and 60 Royals games this year and made the 16-hour trip to Baltimore with his father.

"I wanted to include him on the ride," Coats said. "I worked Monday, then I packed up the car and we drove. We had about 24 hours to get there. We made it work and what an incredible series to watch."

Coats has watched games from the old Yankee Stadium and the new park that is already 15 years old. As discussion in Kansas City turns to a new downtown stadium, Coats said there are plenty of good examples to choose from.

"A lot of the National League ballparks are pretty good," he said. "Pittsburgh and San Diego, there's just something about the background. Even St. Louis, with the Arch in the background, the downtown atmosphere is pretty cool. I know the Royals are pushing for it and the fans don't like it but it's something else."

Kansas City will play games one and two of the American League Divisional Series at Yankee Stadium on Saturday and Monday evenings. Game three moves to Kansas City with a time to be determined.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1728052435978.jpeg" alt="Royals "Superfan" Chris Coats (left) has attended more than 1,600 consecutive Royals games at Kauffman Stadium, and has attended 31 of the team's last 33 playoff games dating back to 2014." />
 <figcaption>Royals "Superfan" Chris Coats (left) has attended more than 1,600 consecutive Royals games at Kauffman Stadium, and has attended 31 of the team's last 33 playoff games dating back to 2014.</figcaption>
 </figure>By MIKE COURSON Great Bend PostThere may be no standard definition of a sports "superfan," but everyone knows one when they see one. Cleveland's John Adams comes to mind. The Guardians fan attended every home baseball game from 1973 until his death, at the age of 71, in 2023. He literally beat the drum from the stands for 48 seasons, or more than 3,500 games.Kansas City has its own Superfan. Chris Coats, a United States Postal Service employee from Raytown, Mo., has been attending Royals games for most of his life, including 31 of the team's 33 playoff games since 2014. Coats attended the two American League Wild Card games in Baltimore earlier this week and is sticking around on the east coast for the Divisional Series that begins Saturday at Yankee Stadium. The goal is to make it back to Kauffman Stadium for Wednesday's game three in the series."It's going to be about 18 hours after Monday night to try to get back by Wednesday," Coats said in a Friday appearance on 1590 KVGB/95.5 FM's "Sports Day" show. "I think we can manage. We did 16 to Baltimore and we did okay. I've got a home-game streak going of over 1,600 games. I've got to make it."<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1728051719002.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>With 81 home games a season, Coats' streak dates back more than 20 seasons. Things picked up around 2009 when Coats began following the Royals to other stadiums. Wearing a promotional Royals flag as a cape, he made the Fox Sports Kansas City broadcast at a game in Houston. The nickname "Superfan Chris" was christened."I was walking back and I found Ryan Lefebvre," Coats said. "We just got to talking. I had driven to Houston and I told him I was driving to Pittsburgh. He said, 'Oh wow, we'll have to get you on TV there, too. That's a heck of a drive.'"Coats became a regular on Royals broadcasts as the team continued to struggle with losing seasons from 2004 to 2012. The Royals finished the 2013 season at 86-76, then made it to Game Seven of the 2014 World Series. Coats was one of several fans that postseason featured on the side of buses in downtown Kansas City.Coats has now been to all 30 Major League Baseball cities but has yet to visit the new Truist Park in Atlanta or LoanDepot Park in Miami. Also a Kansas City Chiefs and Missouri Tigers fan, he frequently attends football games in the fall."I get five weeks off every year but I've been saving a lot of that every year for something like this," Coats said of the MLB playoffs. "I asked for the whole month of October off and they gave it to me. I told them I'd come back as long as the Royals aren't playing. I don't expect to use all the time, but I guess I will if they make it to the World Series."During his streak, Coats has married and had two boys. The youngest son, at just five years old, has attended between 50 and 60 Royals games this year and made the 16-hour trip to Baltimore with his father."I wanted to include him on the ride," Coats said. "I worked Monday, then I packed up the car and we drove. We had about 24 hours to get there. We made it work and what an incredible series to watch."Coats has watched games from the old Yankee Stadium and the new park that is already 15 years old. As discussion in Kansas City turns to a new downtown stadium, Coats said there are plenty of good examples to choose from."A lot of the National League ballparks are pretty good," he said. "Pittsburgh and San Diego, there's just something about the background. Even St. Louis, with the Arch in the background, the downtown atmosphere is pretty cool. I know the Royals are pushing for it and the fans don't like it but it's something else."Kansas City will play games one and two of the American League Divisional Series at Yankee Stadium on Saturday and Monday evenings. Game three moves to Kansas City with a time to be determined.

Kansas City 'Superfan' looking to keep attendance streak alive during playoffs

The Hays Indians beat the Junction City Blue Jays 27-17 Friday night at Blue Jay Stadium. 

The game started with both teams fumbling on their opening possession. Junction City started the scoring with a 67-yard touchdown connection between junior quarterback Conrad Gomez and junior wide receiver Lovell Autry. 

Hays responded with a six-yard touchdown run by running back Holden Lind to tie the game at 7-7 after the first quarter. 

Junction City led 10-7 at halftime, following a 28-yard field goal from senior kicker Ethan Hileman. 

Hays scored two touchdowns in the third quarter to lead 21-10 at the end of the third. 

Junction City scored on a 27-yard connection between Gomez and senior receiver Xander Caldwell with 2:13 to go in the game to cut the Hays lead to 21-17.&nbsp; The Blue Jays did not recover the kick and Hays scored with less than a minute to go to win the game 27-17. 

Hays improves to 3-2 on the season, while the Blue Jays fall to 1-4.  Junction City will host Topeka High next Friday night at Blue Jay Stadium.

By Anthony GorgesJC PostThe Hays Indians beat the Junction City Blue Jays 27-17 Friday night at Blue Jay Stadium. The game started with both teams fumbling on their opening possession. Junction City started the scoring with a 67-yard touchdown connection between junior quarterback Conrad Gomez and junior wide receiver Lovell Autry. Hays responded with a six-yard touchdown run by running back Holden Lind to tie the game at 7-7 after the first quarter. Junction City led 10-7 at halftime, following a 28-yard field goal from senior kicker Ethan Hileman. Hays scored two touchdowns in the third quarter to lead 21-10 at the end of the third. Junction City scored on a 27-yard connection between Gomez and senior receiver Xander Caldwell with 2:13 to go in the game to cut the Hays lead to 21-17.&nbsp; The Blue Jays did not recover the kick and Hays scored with less than a minute to go to win the game 27-17. Hays improves to 3-2 on the season, while the Blue Jays fall to 1-4. Junction City will host Topeka High next Friday night at Blue Jay Stadium.

Hays edges out Junction City on Friday night

Week five of the high school football season has arrived, and the Junction City Blue Jays will host the Hays High Indians on Friday night at Blue Jay Stadium.

Junction City enters the matchup with a 1-3 record. For Hays, they enter even at 2-2.

The Blue Jays have had three consecutive losses against top-tier 6A teams. First in week two to Lawrence, then to Wichita Northwest in week three, and just last week, a shutout loss to Manhattan.

The Indians of Hays have also suffered losses against two top-tier 6A. Their first loss of the season was to 6A powerhouse Derby, and then they lost 34-30 in week three to Manhattan.

You can hear the game on 107.9 FM / 1420 KJCK Radio. Pregame coverage begins at 6:30; Kickoff will be at 7:00 p.m. 

You can also listen to the game by clicking <a href="https://streamdb9web.securenetsystems.net/cirrusencore/KJCKAM">here</a>.

By Anthony GorgesJC PostWeek five of the high school football season has arrived, and the Junction City Blue Jays will host the Hays High Indians on Friday night at Blue Jay Stadium.Junction City enters the matchup with a 1-3 record. For Hays, they enter even at 2-2.The Blue Jays have had three consecutive losses against top-tier 6A teams. First in week two to Lawrence, then to Wichita Northwest in week three, and just last week, a shutout loss to Manhattan.The Indians of Hays have also suffered losses against two top-tier 6A. Their first loss of the season was to 6A powerhouse Derby, and then they lost 34-30 in week three to Manhattan.You can hear the game on 107.9 FM / 1420 KJCK Radio. Pregame coverage begins at 6:30; Kickoff will be at 7:00 p.m. You can also listen to the game by clicking <a href="https://streamdb9web.securenetsystems.net/cirrusencore/KJCKAM">here</a>.

Blue Jays host Hays Indians in week 5

BALTIMORE (AP) — Bobby Witt Jr. beat out an infield single to drive in the go-ahead run and send the Kansas City Royals into an AL Division Series with a 2-1 victory over the Baltimore Orioles on Wednesday for a two-game sweep of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/royals-orioles-al-wild-card-b1a51520c564ba2d18ce0c95d6761758">their Wild Card Series</a>.

With two outs and runners at the corners in sixth inning, Witt hit a grounder to the edge of the dirt behind second base, where Jordan Westburg made a diving stop and throw to first. Witt was already there after zooming 90 feet in 4.14 seconds, allowing Kyle Isbel to score from third.

It was the second consecutive game in which the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/bobby-witt-jr">AL batting champion</a>&nbsp;provided the decisive hit. Witt's RBI single in Tuesday's series opener plated the only run&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mlb-baseball-playoffs-2024-royals-orioles-088619707dc5aed035f49ee0fbbce578">in a 1-0 victory</a>.

“You never know when this opportunity ever is going to happen again, so got to make the most of it while you have it,” Witt said. “That’s the fun part of this game. This is why we do it, these situations here.”

Kansas City, which endured two seven-game losing streaks over the final month of the season, advanced to face the AL East champion New York Yankees. Game 1 is Saturday in the Bronx.

Cedric Mullins homered for the Orioles, who fell to 0-5 during two quick playoff exits the past two years. Baltimore has dropped its last 10 postseason games.

The new-look Royals lost 106 games last season but used a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/97e7e58c4c2257c95fa0bebe10cc7144">30-win improvement</a>&nbsp;to get back to October for the first time since winning the 2015 World Series.

Second baseman Michael Massey, who led off the game with a double and scored on a single by Vinnie Pasquantino, said the front office bringing in experienced veterans with playoff experience like Tommy Pham, Yuli Gurriel, Michael Wacha and Will Smith made this possible.

“They’ve been there before, they’ve done it, so I think it’s helped a lot of guys,” Massey said. “It’s helped us, for sure me, to be around those guys and just watch them, more than anything, and see how they go about their business, has been — I think that’s helped us stay even keel.”

The Royals left 12 runners on base and got through another close game with a razor-thin margin for error thanks to some masterful managing by Matt Quatraro, himself a postseason rookie like Witt, Game 1 winner Cole Ragans and so many others.

Quatraro let starter Seth Lugo get an out after loading the bases with nobody out in the fifth before spinning up bullpen roulette, starting with winning pitcher Angel Zerpa, who got KC out of that jam and then got the first out of the sixth. John Schreiber got three more outs, Sam Long two, Kris Bubic three and Lucas Erceg the final three to earn his second save of the series.

“It’s so impressive that they believe in themselves and they trust their stuff and they just come after some of the best hitters in the world,” Quatraro said.

The Orioles were swept in their only playoff series for a second consecutive year, going 1 for 13 with runners in scoring position this time and 5 for 32 combined. They face numerous offseason questions, from the future of manager Brandon Hyde to the possibility of losing&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/2c5a9a7c148b2c2d84994ab3fcc705fd">pending free-agent starter Corbin Burnes</a>.

“Especially when you lose like this, there’s frustration, there’s anger, there’s disappointment because you felt like there was opportunities there in those couple games to change the score, and it didn’t happen,” Hyde said.

Orioles: LF Colton Cowser broke his left hand when it was hit by the ball as he struck out swinging in the fifth. He exited after six innings.

The Royals face&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/carlos-rodon-yankees-alds-ed2934c198986eff681314996cc63641">Yankees ace Gerrit Cole</a>&nbsp;in the opener of their ALDS, with any starter but Ragans or Lugo rested and ready to go. Wacha had been in line to start Game 3 against Baltimore.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1727914133285.png" alt="Kansas City Royals' Bobby Witt Jr. (7) hits a single as home plate umpire Ben May, left, and Baltimore Orioles catcher Adley Rutschman look on during the third inning in Game 2 of an AL Wild Card Series baseball game, Wednesday, Oct. 2, 2024 in Baltimore. (Stephanie Scarbrough/AP)" />
 <figcaption>Kansas City Royals' Bobby Witt Jr. (7) hits a single as home plate umpire Ben May, left, and Baltimore Orioles catcher Adley Rutschman look on during the third inning in Game 2 of an AL Wild Card Series baseball game, Wednesday, Oct. 2, 2024 in Baltimore. (Stephanie Scarbrough/AP)</figcaption>
 </figure>BALTIMORE (AP) — Bobby Witt Jr. beat out an infield single to drive in the go-ahead run and send the Kansas City Royals into an AL Division Series with a 2-1 victory over the Baltimore Orioles on Wednesday for a two-game sweep of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/royals-orioles-al-wild-card-b1a51520c564ba2d18ce0c95d6761758">their Wild Card Series</a>.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">🗣️ This never gets old! <a href="https://t.co/SiSDUcYYBA">pic.twitter.com/SiSDUcYYBA</a>&mdash; Kansas City Royals (@Royals) <a href="https://twitter.com/Royals/status/1841646441241968641?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 3, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>With two outs and runners at the corners in sixth inning, Witt hit a grounder to the edge of the dirt behind second base, where Jordan Westburg made a diving stop and throw to first. Witt was already there after zooming 90 feet in 4.14 seconds, allowing Kyle Isbel to score from third."I just had to try to run," Witt said.It was the second consecutive game in which the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/bobby-witt-jr">AL batting champion</a>&nbsp;provided the decisive hit. Witt's RBI single in Tuesday's series opener plated the only run&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mlb-baseball-playoffs-2024-royals-orioles-088619707dc5aed035f49ee0fbbce578">in a 1-0 victory</a>.“You never know when this opportunity ever is going to happen again, so got to make the most of it while you have it,” Witt said. “That’s the fun part of this game. This is why we do it, these situations here.”Kansas City, which endured two seven-game losing streaks over the final month of the season, advanced to face the AL East champion New York Yankees. Game 1 is Saturday in the Bronx.Cedric Mullins homered for the Orioles, who fell to 0-5 during two quick playoff exits the past two years. Baltimore has dropped its last 10 postseason games.The new-look Royals lost 106 games last season but used a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/97e7e58c4c2257c95fa0bebe10cc7144">30-win improvement</a>&nbsp;to get back to October for the first time since winning the 2015 World Series.Second baseman Michael Massey, who led off the game with a double and scored on a single by Vinnie Pasquantino, said the front office bringing in experienced veterans with playoff experience like Tommy Pham, Yuli Gurriel, Michael Wacha and Will Smith made this possible.“They’ve been there before, they’ve done it, so I think it’s helped a lot of guys,” Massey said. “It’s helped us, for sure me, to be around those guys and just watch them, more than anything, and see how they go about their business, has been — I think that’s helped us stay even keel.”The Royals left 12 runners on base and got through another close game with a razor-thin margin for error thanks to some masterful managing by Matt Quatraro, himself a postseason rookie like Witt, Game 1 winner Cole Ragans and so many others.Quatraro let starter Seth Lugo get an out after loading the bases with nobody out in the fifth before spinning up bullpen roulette, starting with winning pitcher Angel Zerpa, who got KC out of that jam and then got the first out of the sixth. John Schreiber got three more outs, Sam Long two, Kris Bubic three and Lucas Erceg the final three to earn his second save of the series.“It’s so impressive that they believe in themselves and they trust their stuff and they just come after some of the best hitters in the world,” Quatraro said.Cionel Pérez took the loss.The Orioles were swept in their only playoff series for a second consecutive year, going 1 for 13 with runners in scoring position this time and 5 for 32 combined. They face numerous offseason questions, from the future of manager Brandon Hyde to the possibility of losing&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/2c5a9a7c148b2c2d84994ab3fcc705fd">pending free-agent starter Corbin Burnes</a>.“Especially when you lose like this, there’s frustration, there’s anger, there’s disappointment because you felt like there was opportunities there in those couple games to change the score, and it didn’t happen,” Hyde said.TRAINER’S ROOMOrioles: LF Colton Cowser broke his left hand when it was hit by the ball as he struck out swinging in the fifth. He exited after six innings.UP NEXTThe Royals face&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/carlos-rodon-yankees-alds-ed2934c198986eff681314996cc63641">Yankees ace Gerrit Cole</a>&nbsp;in the opener of their ALDS, with any starter but Ragans or Lugo rested and ready to go. Wacha had been in line to start Game 3 against Baltimore.___