
The Great Bend Panthers opened the 2020-2021 wresting season by
almost pulling off an upset over Manhattan on the road. 



The Panthers fell 42-39 to the 3rd ranked team in Class
6A. The Indians were aided by two forfeits at 220 and 285.


The Panthers return to action Friday with a tournament at Valley
Center.


The Great Bend girls wrestling team begins their season Saturday in a
tournament at McPherson.

Manhattan (MANH) 42.0 Great Bend (GRBE) 39.0


106: Kaden Spragis (GRBE) over Charles Fitzgerald (MANH) (Fall 2:26) 



113: Avery Wolf (GRBE) over Issac Lopez (MANH) (Fall 3:38) 



120: Skyler McMullen (GRBE) over Jantzen Borge (MANH) (Fall 1:54) 



126: Cooper Liles (GRBE) over Jameal Agnew (MANH) (Fall 1:38) 



132: Easton Taylor (MANH) over Austin Moore (GRBE) (Fall 0:53) 



138: Wyatt Weber (GRBE) over Tucker Brunner (MANH) (Fall 4:27) 



145: Blaisen Bammes (MANH) over Jorge Aguilara (GRBE) (Fall 1:18) 



152: Devin Seibert (MANH) over Mario Enriquez (GRBE) (Fall 4:30) 



160: Saben  Williams (MANH) over Matthew  Johnson (GRBE) (Fall 4:54) 



170: Gage Reimer (GRBE) over Jaxon Vikander (MANH) (Dec 7-6) 



182: Scott Heilman (GRBE) over Jeramiah Eustaquio (MANH) (Fall 1:08) 



195: TJ Tiede (MANH) over Keyven Schroeder (GRBE) (Fall 4:44) 



220: Talique Houston (MANH) over   (GRBE) (For.) 



285: Damion Ilalio (MANH) over   (GRBE) (For.)


Manhattan (MANH) 57.0 Great Bend (GRBE) 18.0


106: Jerek McClellan (MANH) over Emanuel Prieto (GRBE) (Fall 1:53) 



120: Kaiden Hoffman (GRBE) over Kameron Banks (MANH) (Fall 4:58) 



126: John Szot (GRBE) over Jaxon Hayes (MANH) (Fall 0:50) 



126: Jacob Anderson (MANH) over Jonathan Lira (GRBE) (Fall 1:00) 



126: Robby Gutierrez (GRBE) over Jaxon Hayes (MANH) (Fall 3:07) 



132: Jaydin Vargas (MANH) over Adrian Fabela (GRBE) (Fall 1:07) 



132: Jaxson Radi (MANH) over Ramiro Rocha (GRBE) (Fall 3:00) 



132: Jaydin Vargas (MANH) over Ramiro Rocha (GRBE) (Dec 6-3) 



132: Jaxson Radi (MANH) over Adrian Fabela (GRBE) (Fall 0:48) 



138: Bryant Salas (MANH) over Yahir Flores (GRBE) (Fall 0:17) 



145: Jacques Toliver (MANH) over Yahir Flores (GRBE) (Fall 2:16) 



152: Landon Machor (MANH) over Xavier Ehster (GRBE) (Fall 0:15) 



160: Isaac Sinks (MANH) over Xavier Ehster (GRBE) (Fall 0:47)

The Great Bend Panthers opened the 2020-2021 wresting season by
almost pulling off an upset over Manhattan on the road. 

The Panthers fell 42-39 to the 3rd ranked team in Class
6A. The Indians were aided by two forfeits at 220 and 285.
The Panthers return to action Friday with a tournament at Valley
Center.
The Great Bend girls wrestling team begins their season Saturday in a
tournament at McPherson.
Manhattan (MANH) 42.0 Great Bend (GRBE) 39.0
106: Kaden Spragis (GRBE) over Charles Fitzgerald (MANH) (Fall 2:26) 

113: Avery Wolf (GRBE) over Issac Lopez (MANH) (Fall 3:38) 

120: Skyler McMullen (GRBE) over Jantzen Borge (MANH) (Fall 1:54) 

126: Cooper Liles (GRBE) over Jameal Agnew (MANH) (Fall 1:38) 

132: Easton Taylor (MANH) over Austin Moore (GRBE) (Fall 0:53) 

138: Wyatt Weber (GRBE) over Tucker Brunner (MANH) (Fall 4:27) 

145: Blaisen Bammes (MANH) over Jorge Aguilara (GRBE) (Fall 1:18) 

152: Devin Seibert (MANH) over Mario Enriquez (GRBE) (Fall 4:30) 

160: Saben Williams (MANH) over Matthew Johnson (GRBE) (Fall 4:54) 

170: Gage Reimer (GRBE) over Jaxon Vikander (MANH) (Dec 7-6) 

182: Scott Heilman (GRBE) over Jeramiah Eustaquio (MANH) (Fall 1:08) 

195: TJ Tiede (MANH) over Keyven Schroeder (GRBE) (Fall 4:44) 

220: Talique Houston (MANH) over (GRBE) (For.) 

285: Damion Ilalio (MANH) over (GRBE) (For.)
Junior Varsity Results
Manhattan (MANH) 57.0 Great Bend (GRBE) 18.0
106: Jerek McClellan (MANH) over Emanuel Prieto (GRBE) (Fall 1:53) 

120: Kaiden Hoffman (GRBE) over Kameron Banks (MANH) (Fall 4:58) 

126: John Szot (GRBE) over Jaxon Hayes (MANH) (Fall 0:50) 

126: Jacob Anderson (MANH) over Jonathan Lira (GRBE) (Fall 1:00) 

126: Robby Gutierrez (GRBE) over Jaxon Hayes (MANH) (Fall 3:07) 

132: Jaydin Vargas (MANH) over Adrian Fabela (GRBE) (Fall 1:07) 

132: Jaxson Radi (MANH) over Ramiro Rocha (GRBE) (Fall 3:00) 

132: Jaydin Vargas (MANH) over Ramiro Rocha (GRBE) (Dec 6-3) 

132: Jaxson Radi (MANH) over Adrian Fabela (GRBE) (Fall 0:48) 

138: Bryant Salas (MANH) over Yahir Flores (GRBE) (Fall 0:17) 

145: Jacques Toliver (MANH) over Yahir Flores (GRBE) (Fall 2:16) 

152: Landon Machor (MANH) over Xavier Ehster (GRBE) (Fall 0:15) 

160: Isaac Sinks (MANH) over Xavier Ehster (GRBE) (Fall 0:47)

Manhattan edges Great Bend 42-39

Lee's Summit Community Christian, Mo. 63, Metro Academy 48

Bishop Miege 79, Central (St. Joseph), Mo. 54

Central (St. Joseph), Mo. 58, Bishop Miege 49

BOYS PREP BASKETBALLBV Randolph 52, Linn 51Holton 52, Burlington 48Jefferson West 53, Silver Lake 49, OTLee's Summit Community Christian, Mo. 63, Metro Academy 48Southern Coffey 48, Crest 33Hays City ShootoutHays 77, Hugoton 55Hays-TMP-Marian 70, Wichita Life Prep 55GIRLS PREP BASKETBALLBaxter Springs 39, Liberal 28Bishop Miege 79, Central (St. Joseph), Mo. 54Central (St. Joseph), Mo. 58, Bishop Miege 49Linn 47, BV Randolph 42, OTSouthern Coffey 48, Crest 33Hays City ShootoutHays-TMP-Marian 37, Wichita Life Prep 33Hugoton 47, Hays 26

Thursday High School Basketball Scores

Big 12-leading Iowa State has wins over Oklahoma and Texas in the same season for the first time, and is on the verge of reaching its first conference championship game in any league.

Those might not even be the most remarkable accomplishments for the No. 12 Cyclones in a season so defined by the coronavirus pandemic.

“I think forever it will be this group’s ability to stay the course and be able to certainly stay on the field and continue to work and improve,” Iowa State coach Matt Campbell said. “I think that challenge still exists. I think that’s something that’ll be really interesting to see, if we can continue to stay the course, and I think that continues to get harder when our environment around us continues to be more of a challenge.”

The Cyclones are one of three Big 12 teams, along with Kansas State and Texas Tech, set to play the final game of their reduced 10-game regular seasons on Saturday. The Big 12 title game is two weeks after that.

Iowa State (7-2, 7-1 Big 12, No. 9 CFP) is home against West Virginia, which is coming off an unexpected open date after its home game last week against No. 13 Oklahoma was postponed because of positive COVID-19 cases in the Sooners program.

“We’ve done relatively well managing it here, but that could change at any moment,” Mountaineers coach Neal Brown said. “I’m not naive.”

Former Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops even returned to the practice field this week to help his successor, Lincoln Riley, after virus issues led the five-time defending Big 12 champions to pause team activities last week after their Nov. 21 win over Oklahoma State. Positive tests and contact tracing affected some of the assistant coaches, though Riley isn’t sure what led to the recent spike.

“We’ve stuck to our protocols throughout the year, our players, staff, everybody,” Riley said. “That’s the hard thing with this, especially with guys on college campuses. It can originate so many places and it doesn’t take much for it to really spread. It can just happen so quickly.”

While the Big 12 made it through November only having to reschedule three conference games — all the makeups are scheduled for Dec. 12 — every team has faced weekly and even daily uncertainty when it comes to which players and staff members, all being tested three times a week for COVID-19, might be available for practices or games.

“I cross my fingers each time we have tests,” Kansas State coach Chris Klieman said.

Even when not missing games, all teams have been short of players because of positive tests, contact tracing and the usual injuries of a season. TCU coach Gary Patterson said the most frustrating part is losing a player for 14 days because of close contact, even when that player continues to test negative.

The season was thrown out of whack in mid-March, before most teams had even had a spring practice session. Players spent months apart, on their own away from campus for conditioning work and only able to communicate through countless virtual meetings.

Asterisks could be put on the 2020 season for many reasons, but those could also make a conference title more significant.

“When you look back on this year, just the ability for all of these teams, and all of these coaches and all of those programs that have stayed the course and have gotten their young men to get on the field, I think just a huge win there first and foremost,” Campbell said. “So its certainly been a really challenging year from that regard, and in a lot of ways just rewarding to be able to go play the game on Saturday.”

Klieman estimated that he has used about 80 players in games this season, more than he has as a coach, along with the numerous starting combinations. Two expected Wildcats starters didn’t go to Baylor last week after positive tests the day before the game.

“Without the ability to put the starting lineup together Saturday after Saturday, just the ability to get quickly better just doesn’t happen,” said Les Miles, the 66-year-old Kansas coach who tested positive in October and skipped the game at West Virginia. “I thought that it was going to be a lot easier than it is. To play the same guys time and time again is what you want, and you don’t have that opportunity.”

Big 12-leading Iowa State has wins over Oklahoma and Texas in the same season for the first time, and is on the verge of reaching its first conference championship game in any league.Those might not even be the most remarkable accomplishments for the No. 12 Cyclones in a season so defined by the coronavirus pandemic.“I think forever it will be this group’s ability to stay the course and be able to certainly stay on the field and continue to work and improve,” Iowa State coach Matt Campbell said. “I think that challenge still exists. I think that’s something that’ll be really interesting to see, if we can continue to stay the course, and I think that continues to get harder when our environment around us continues to be more of a challenge.”The Cyclones are one of three Big 12 teams, along with Kansas State and Texas Tech, set to play the final game of their reduced 10-game regular seasons on Saturday. The Big 12 title game is two weeks after that.Iowa State (7-2, 7-1 Big 12, No. 9 CFP) is home against West Virginia, which is coming off an unexpected open date after its home game last week against No. 13 Oklahoma was postponed because of positive COVID-19 cases in the Sooners program.“We’ve done relatively well managing it here, but that could change at any moment,” Mountaineers coach Neal Brown said. “I’m not naive.”Former Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops even returned to the practice field this week to help his successor, Lincoln Riley, after virus issues led the five-time defending Big 12 champions to pause team activities last week after their Nov. 21 win over Oklahoma State. Positive tests and contact tracing affected some of the assistant coaches, though Riley isn’t sure what led to the recent spike.“We’ve stuck to our protocols throughout the year, our players, staff, everybody,” Riley said. “That’s the hard thing with this, especially with guys on college campuses. It can originate so many places and it doesn’t take much for it to really spread. It can just happen so quickly.”While the Big 12 made it through November only having to reschedule three conference games — all the makeups are scheduled for Dec. 12 — every team has faced weekly and even daily uncertainty when it comes to which players and staff members, all being tested three times a week for COVID-19, might be available for practices or games.“I cross my fingers each time we have tests,” Kansas State coach Chris Klieman said.Even when not missing games, all teams have been short of players because of positive tests, contact tracing and the usual injuries of a season. TCU coach Gary Patterson said the most frustrating part is losing a player for 14 days because of close contact, even when that player continues to test negative.The season was thrown out of whack in mid-March, before most teams had even had a spring practice session. Players spent months apart, on their own away from campus for conditioning work and only able to communicate through countless virtual meetings.Asterisks could be put on the 2020 season for many reasons, but those could also make a conference title more significant.“When you look back on this year, just the ability for all of these teams, and all of these coaches and all of those programs that have stayed the course and have gotten their young men to get on the field, I think just a huge win there first and foremost,” Campbell said. “So its certainly been a really challenging year from that regard, and in a lot of ways just rewarding to be able to go play the game on Saturday.”Klieman estimated that he has used about 80 players in games this season, more than he has as a coach, along with the numerous starting combinations. Two expected Wildcats starters didn’t go to Baylor last week after positive tests the day before the game.“Without the ability to put the starting lineup together Saturday after Saturday, just the ability to get quickly better just doesn’t happen,” said Les Miles, the 66-year-old Kansas coach who tested positive in October and skipped the game at West Virginia. “I thought that it was going to be a lot easier than it is. To play the same guys time and time again is what you want, and you don’t have that opportunity.”

‘Change at any moment’ - Virus upends season for Big 12

LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Bryce Thompson remembers watching the annual “Late Night” festivities that kick off every basketball season at Kansas, and how the students and fans packed Allen Fieldhouse to the rafters to watch a glorified practice.

He never anticipated his first game in the Phog would be played with a couple hundred people in the stands.

The talented freshman must have found some energy on his own, though. Thompson scored 11 points to complement big nights from David McCormack, Ochai Agbaji and Jalen Wilson, helping the seventh-ranked Jayhawks cruise to an 89-54 victory over lower-division Washburn on Thursday night in their long-awaited home opener.

“It was definitely different. Not what I was used to,” Thompson said. “I came to ‘Late Night’ and saw all the fans, and it was a little different. But I just had to get used to it, catch a rhythm and build some energy from my teammates.”

McCormack scored 17 points, Agbaji added 16 points and Wilson had 12 as the Jayhawks shot 52.5% from the field.

Kansas (3-1) had opened with a pair of games in Florida and beat Kentucky in Indianapolis before returning to the friendly Phog. But their first game played in the old barn since the COVID-19 pandemic started lacked much of the atmosphere that has made the building one of the toughest — and most hallowed — in all of college basketball.

Players sat apart from each other, like they have at other venues, and the recent surge in positive cases forced school officials to limit attendance to a couple hundred staff and family members. Even the pregame montage on the video boards and the haunting chants of “Rock Chalk” that so often disquiet opponents were somewhat muted.

“I don’t know if you can say it doesn’t feel weird,” McCormack said. “We’ve definitely accommodated to it, but playing a game your whole life and having fans cheering you to not having them at all, or lessened — it’s going to feel weird.”

Jayhawks coach Bill Self was a little more succinct.

“I thought that it was not great, by any stretch,” he said. “But the atmosphere here was 10 times better than what it was in Indy. In Indy, there was none at all. At least we had some cutouts and a few people in here. But it’s not the same.”

The practice-like atmosphere might be why Washburn (3-1), coached by former Jayhawks guard and Self assistant Brett Ballard, wasn’t rattled in the first half. Levi Braun hit a trio of early 3-points, Jonny Clausing bulled his way to a couple easy baskets, and the Ichabods managed to hang within 27-22 at the under-8 timeout of the first half.

McCormack and Wilson began to be too much, though.

McCormack, a junior forward, was 5 of 6 from the field on his way to 13 first-half points, and Wilson drilled three 3s and had 12 points as Kansas used a late run to stretch its lead to 49-32 heading into the locker room.

Both teams were sloppy to start the second half, each errant pass resulting in coaching from the sideline that seemed to echo off the walls. But the Jayhawks eventually began to pull away with Agbaji starting a big run that pushed the lead to 61-34, allowing Self’s bunch to cruise to their 48th consecutive home-opening win.

Braun and Tyler Geiman led the Ichabods with nine points apiece. Clausing finished with eight.

“I think there’s some positives from this. I thought we scrapped and competed in spurts,” Ballard said. “As a whole, I wasn’t overly satisfied. I thought we could play a little tougher and our compete wasn’t where I’d like it.”

Kansas announced before tipoff that fans would return in limited amounts Tuesday night against No. 9 Creighton, continuing through games against Omaha on Dec. 11 and Tarleton State two days later. At that point, a decision will be made on the next batch of home games. “This remains a very fluid situation that changes daily with the rise and fall of COVID-19 infection rates,” Jayhawks athletic director Jeff Long said in a statement.

Washburn hung around as long as it hit open 3-pointers, and exceptional ball movement for the Division II powerhouse meant there were plenty of them. The Ichabods finished 9 of 26 from beyond the arc.

Kansas, which prefers to run its offense through its post players, tried to get McCormack involved early. He had averaged just 7.7 points and 4.7 rebounds in wins over Saint Joseph’s and Kentucky and a season-opening loss to No. 1 Gonzaga.

Washburn returns to the MIAA play against Newman on Saturday. The Jayhawks play North Dakota State that afternoon.

LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Bryce Thompson remembers watching the annual “Late Night” festivities that kick off every basketball season at Kansas, and how the students and fans packed Allen Fieldhouse to the rafters to watch a glorified practice.He never anticipated his first game in the Phog would be played with a couple hundred people in the stands.The talented freshman must have found some energy on his own, though. Thompson scored 11 points to complement big nights from David McCormack, Ochai Agbaji and Jalen Wilson, helping the seventh-ranked Jayhawks cruise to an 89-54 victory over lower-division Washburn on Thursday night in their long-awaited home opener.“It was definitely different. Not what I was used to,” Thompson said. “I came to ‘Late Night’ and saw all the fans, and it was a little different. But I just had to get used to it, catch a rhythm and build some energy from my teammates.”McCormack scored 17 points, Agbaji added 16 points and Wilson had 12 as the Jayhawks shot 52.5% from the field.Kansas (3-1) had opened with a pair of games in Florida and beat Kentucky in Indianapolis before returning to the friendly Phog. But their first game played in the old barn since the COVID-19 pandemic started lacked much of the atmosphere that has made the building one of the toughest — and most hallowed — in all of college basketball.Players sat apart from each other, like they have at other venues, and the recent surge in positive cases forced school officials to limit attendance to a couple hundred staff and family members. Even the pregame montage on the video boards and the haunting chants of “Rock Chalk” that so often disquiet opponents were somewhat muted.“I don’t know if you can say it doesn’t feel weird,” McCormack said. “We’ve definitely accommodated to it, but playing a game your whole life and having fans cheering you to not having them at all, or lessened — it’s going to feel weird.”Jayhawks coach Bill Self was a little more succinct.“I thought that it was not great, by any stretch,” he said. “But the atmosphere here was 10 times better than what it was in Indy. In Indy, there was none at all. At least we had some cutouts and a few people in here. But it’s not the same.”The practice-like atmosphere might be why Washburn (3-1), coached by former Jayhawks guard and Self assistant Brett Ballard, wasn’t rattled in the first half. Levi Braun hit a trio of early 3-points, Jonny Clausing bulled his way to a couple easy baskets, and the Ichabods managed to hang within 27-22 at the under-8 timeout of the first half.McCormack and Wilson began to be too much, though.McCormack, a junior forward, was 5 of 6 from the field on his way to 13 first-half points, and Wilson drilled three 3s and had 12 points as Kansas used a late run to stretch its lead to 49-32 heading into the locker room.Both teams were sloppy to start the second half, each errant pass resulting in coaching from the sideline that seemed to echo off the walls. But the Jayhawks eventually began to pull away with Agbaji starting a big run that pushed the lead to 61-34, allowing Self’s bunch to cruise to their 48th consecutive home-opening win.Braun and Tyler Geiman led the Ichabods with nine points apiece. Clausing finished with eight.“I think there’s some positives from this. I thought we scrapped and competed in spurts,” Ballard said. “As a whole, I wasn’t overly satisfied. I thought we could play a little tougher and our compete wasn’t where I’d like it.”PHOGGY FANSKansas announced before tipoff that fans would return in limited amounts Tuesday night against No. 9 Creighton, continuing through games against Omaha on Dec. 11 and Tarleton State two days later. At that point, a decision will be made on the next batch of home games. “This remains a very fluid situation that changes daily with the rise and fall of COVID-19 infection rates,” Jayhawks athletic director Jeff Long said in a statement.BIG PICTUREWashburn hung around as long as it hit open 3-pointers, and exceptional ball movement for the Division II powerhouse meant there were plenty of them. The Ichabods finished 9 of 26 from beyond the arc.Kansas, which prefers to run its offense through its post players, tried to get McCormack involved early. He had averaged just 7.7 points and 4.7 rebounds in wins over Saint Joseph’s and Kentucky and a season-opening loss to No. 1 Gonzaga.UP NEXTWashburn returns to the MIAA play against Newman on Saturday. The Jayhawks play North Dakota State that afternoon.

McCormack, Agbaji lead No. 7 Kansas past Washburn, 89-54

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Chiefs’ Patrick Mahomes is putting together one of the best seasons of any quarterback in NFL history. The Broncos? Well, they’re just happy to HAVE a quarterback. Drew Lock will be back under center when Denver visits Kansas City in the latest edition of their long-simmering AFC West rivalry Sunday night. Lock was deemed a high-risk close contact of infected quarterback Jeff Driskel — along with the rest of the Broncos’ quarterbacks — and left his team without a true QB to face New Orleans last week. The Broncos turned to a practice squad wide receiver to take most of the snaps in a 31-3 rout.

LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — David McCormack scored 17 points, Ochai Agbaji added 16 and Jalen Wilson had 12, helping seventh-ranked Kansas cruise to a 89-54 victory over lower-division Washburn in the Jayhawks' long-delayed home opener. Kansas had opened with a pair of games in Florida and beat Kentucky in Indianapolis before returning to Allen Fieldhouse. But their first game played in the Phog since the COVID-19 pandemic began lacked much of the atmosphere that has made the building one of the toughest in college basketball. Levi Braun and Tyler Geiman scored nine points apiece to lead the Ichabods.

NORMAN, Okla. (AP) — Brady Manek made a career-high eight 3-pointers and finished with 29 points as Oklahoma won its season opener with an 105-66 rout of UTSA. Manek, a 6-foot-9 senior forward who averaged 14.4 points last season, was 9 of 15 from the floor and missed only three 3s. His eighth 3-pointer of the game stretched the Sooners’ lead to 74-44 with 10:35 remaining. De’Vion Harmon had 22 points for Oklahoma (1-0), which has won 18 consecutive season openers dating to the 2003-04 season. Jhivvan Jackson led UTSA (1-2) with 28 points, on 10-of-21 shooting, including four 3-pointers. 

FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) — RJ Nembhard had 23 points, Kevin Samuel added 12 points and 15 rebounds, and TCU held off Northwestern State for a 74-68 win. PJ Fuller scored 13 points on 5-of-7 shooting and Jaedon LeDee scored 11 for the Horned Frogs. TCU pulled away with a 15-3 run to take its largest lead at 70-56 on Mike Miles’ 3-pointer with 3:57 left in the game. Trenton Massner scored 21 points on 8-of-14 shooting for the Demons.

MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) —  Tom Herman’s tenure as the coach at Texas could be decided in the Sunflower State. The Longhorns begin a two-game finishing stretch against Kansas State and the Jayhawks with a trip to Manhattan on Saturday. The dominant storyline this week is whether Texas athletic director Chris Del Conte is counting down the days on Herman’s time in Austin.

FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) — Big 12 receiving leader Tylan Wallace never wants to come out of the game for No. 19 Oklahoma State. The senior now gets one more college game in his hometown of Fort Worth when the Cowboys play Saturday at TCU. Wallace missed the end of last season because of a torn ACL. Coach Mike Gundy says Wallace has done his team a huge favor with how he competes. The coach says Wallace has also proven to NFL scouts that he is healthy after the injury. TCU has won three of its last four games after a 1-3 start.

UNDATED (AP) — No. 13 Oklahoma will try to get rolling again after last week's game at West Virginia got postponed due to COVID-19 cases and contact tracing in the Sooner program. Oklahoma looks to build on a five-game win streak when it hosts Baylor. The Sooners blew past Oklahoma State 41-13 in their most recent game to boost their chances of playing in the Big 12 championship game. Baylor is coming off a dramatic win over Kansas State last week that snapped a five-game losing streak. Baylor made a 30-yard field goal as time expired to claim a 32-31 win.

UNDATED (AP) — No. 12 Iowa State's most remarkable accomplishment this season might not be beating Oklahoma and Texas in the same season for the first time. Or reaching the conference championship game if they do. It could be staying on the field in a season dominated by the pandemic. The Cyclones are one of three Big 12 teams set to finish their 10-game regular season Saturday. The others are Kansas State and Texas Tech. While the Big 12 has only had to reschedule three games so far, there are still the weekly and even daily COVID-19 issues for every team. 

PASADENA, Calif. (AP) — No spectators will be allowed at the Rose Bowl for the College Football Playoff semifinal on Jan. 1 because of state, county and city of Pasadena COVID-19 restrictions. The Tournament of Roses says it requested special permission to allow for a limited number of spectators or a select number of guests of players and coaches at the 90,888-seat stadium but was denied. Los Angeles County is under a stay-home order that took effect this week and runs through mid-December. Pasadena has its own public health department and can set its own rules, but has mostly followed the county's lead during the pandemic.

Temple	at	(12)Villanova	7 p.m.	(Canceled)

St. John's	at	(17)Texas Tech	9 p.m.	(Canceled)

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/11/1606214132440.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Chiefs’ Patrick Mahomes is putting together one of the best seasons of any quarterback in NFL history. The Broncos? Well, they’re just happy to HAVE a quarterback. Drew Lock will be back under center when Denver visits Kansas City in the latest edition of their long-simmering AFC West rivalry Sunday night. Lock was deemed a high-risk close contact of infected quarterback Jeff Driskel — along with the rest of the Broncos’ quarterbacks — and left his team without a true QB to face New Orleans last week. The Broncos turned to a practice squad wide receiver to take most of the snaps in a 31-3 rout.LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — David McCormack scored 17 points, Ochai Agbaji added 16 and Jalen Wilson had 12, helping seventh-ranked Kansas cruise to a 89-54 victory over lower-division Washburn in the Jayhawks' long-delayed home opener. Kansas had opened with a pair of games in Florida and beat Kentucky in Indianapolis before returning to Allen Fieldhouse. But their first game played in the Phog since the COVID-19 pandemic began lacked much of the atmosphere that has made the building one of the toughest in college basketball. Levi Braun and Tyler Geiman scored nine points apiece to lead the Ichabods.NORMAN, Okla. (AP) — Brady Manek made a career-high eight 3-pointers and finished with 29 points as Oklahoma won its season opener with an 105-66 rout of UTSA. Manek, a 6-foot-9 senior forward who averaged 14.4 points last season, was 9 of 15 from the floor and missed only three 3s. His eighth 3-pointer of the game stretched the Sooners’ lead to 74-44 with 10:35 remaining. De’Vion Harmon had 22 points for Oklahoma (1-0), which has won 18 consecutive season openers dating to the 2003-04 season. Jhivvan Jackson led UTSA (1-2) with 28 points, on 10-of-21 shooting, including four 3-pointers. FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) — RJ Nembhard had 23 points, Kevin Samuel added 12 points and 15 rebounds, and TCU held off Northwestern State for a 74-68 win. PJ Fuller scored 13 points on 5-of-7 shooting and Jaedon LeDee scored 11 for the Horned Frogs. TCU pulled away with a 15-3 run to take its largest lead at 70-56 on Mike Miles’ 3-pointer with 3:57 left in the game. Trenton Massner scored 21 points on 8-of-14 shooting for the Demons.MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) — Tom Herman’s tenure as the coach at Texas could be decided in the Sunflower State. The Longhorns begin a two-game finishing stretch against Kansas State and the Jayhawks with a trip to Manhattan on Saturday. The dominant storyline this week is whether Texas athletic director Chris Del Conte is counting down the days on Herman’s time in Austin.FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) — Big 12 receiving leader Tylan Wallace never wants to come out of the game for No. 19 Oklahoma State. The senior now gets one more college game in his hometown of Fort Worth when the Cowboys play Saturday at TCU. Wallace missed the end of last season because of a torn ACL. Coach Mike Gundy says Wallace has done his team a huge favor with how he competes. The coach says Wallace has also proven to NFL scouts that he is healthy after the injury. TCU has won three of its last four games after a 1-3 start.UNDATED (AP) — No. 13 Oklahoma will try to get rolling again after last week's game at West Virginia got postponed due to COVID-19 cases and contact tracing in the Sooner program. Oklahoma looks to build on a five-game win streak when it hosts Baylor. The Sooners blew past Oklahoma State 41-13 in their most recent game to boost their chances of playing in the Big 12 championship game. Baylor is coming off a dramatic win over Kansas State last week that snapped a five-game losing streak. Baylor made a 30-yard field goal as time expired to claim a 32-31 win.UNDATED (AP) — No. 12 Iowa State's most remarkable accomplishment this season might not be beating Oklahoma and Texas in the same season for the first time. Or reaching the conference championship game if they do. It could be staying on the field in a season dominated by the pandemic. The Cyclones are one of three Big 12 teams set to finish their 10-game regular season Saturday. The others are Kansas State and Texas Tech. While the Big 12 has only had to reschedule three games so far, there are still the weekly and even daily COVID-19 issues for every team. PASADENA, Calif. (AP) — No spectators will be allowed at the Rose Bowl for the College Football Playoff semifinal on Jan. 1 because of state, county and city of Pasadena COVID-19 restrictions. The Tournament of Roses says it requested special permission to allow for a limited number of spectators or a select number of guests of players and coaches at the 90,888-seat stadium but was denied. Los Angeles County is under a stay-home order that took effect this week and runs through mid-December. Pasadena has its own public health department and can set its own rules, but has mostly followed the county's lead during the pandemic.THURSDAY SCORESTOP-25 COLLEGE BASKETBALLTemple	at	(12)Villanova	7 p.m.	(Canceled)St. John's	at	(17)Texas Tech	9 p.m.	(Canceled)Final	(3)Iowa	99	W. Illinois	58	Final	(7)Kansas	89	Washburn	54	Final	(16)Virginia Tech	64	VMI	57	Final	(25)Arizona St.	70	California	62

Friday Sports Headlines and Scores presented by Barton Community College

By SAM ZEFF <a href="https://www.kcur.org/sports/2020-12-03/coach-at-the-center-of-the-death-of-a-kansas-college-football-player-fired-from-missouri-southern">Kansas News Service</a>

The football coach at the center of the death of a 19-year-old player
 at Garden City Community College in 2018 was fired Wednesday 
from his new job at Missouri Southern State University in Joplin.

"Jeff Sims, head football coach, has been relieved of his duties," Director of Athletics Jared Bruggeman said in a statement.

Sims
 was 2-9 with the Lions in 2019, and games this year were postponed due 
to the pandemic. He still had two years left on his contract. But the 
university refuses to say whether Sims was fired for cause or without 
cause. If MSSU decided to just release Sims, the school would owe him 
$90,000, according to the contract he signed in November 2018. But, if 
he was fired for cause, the university would not owe him.

When 
KCUR asked if Sims would be paid, MSSU Director of News Services &amp; 
Messaging, Mike Olmstead, responded with a statement that read, in part,
 "The details of him being relieved of his duties cannot be discussed as
 they represent an ongoing personnel situation." 

Olmstead did not elaborate on why Sims' firing is an "ongoing personnel situation."

Braeden Bradforth, the teenager from Neptune, New Jersey, died of exertional heatstroke <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2019-02-17/monday-in-jersey-tuesday-in-garden-city-wednesday-dead-after-a-football-practice-in-kansas" target="_blank">after a grueling Sims-led workout on a hot August day in Garden City. </a>An investigation paid for by GCCC a year after Bradforth's death blamed <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2019-11-14/investigation-into-kansas-football-players-death-blames-the-coach-athletic-director" target="_blank"> "a striking lack of leadership" by top college officials, including Sims.</a>

Earlier
 this year the family settled with the college for $500,000, the maximum
 allowed under Kansas law because Sims and other GCCC officials were 
protected by qualified immunity.

"We may never know whether 
Braeden’s death played a role in Missouri Southern‘s decision to end 
their relationship with Sims," said family lawyer Jill Greene. "But one 
can only hope that it was a factor."

Sims seemed confused by his firing. "I don't think there was a reason," <a href="https://www.joplinglobe.com/sports/mssu-dismisses-head-football-coach-jeff-sims/article_2960b41c-34e8-11eb-93e5-bf73646635c4.html?fbclid=IwAR2c4xkwL6pddmpkzuGfbLbxqf8DmcC2UG1qv1leuRnzmyKiv0cn3VplZbc" target="_blank">he told the Joplin Globe. </a>"I had a contract, and they exercised their options in the contract. We shook hands and went opposite directions."

Controversy has followed Sims in his career. A year after Bradforth's death he told KCUR that <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2019-08-01/a-year-after-a-football-player-died-at-a-kansas-college-his-coach-still-says-god-has-a-plan" target="_blank">“It’s unfortunate what happened, but God has a plan."</a>

<a href="https://www.kcur.org/education/2019-04-29/why-kansas-junior-colleges-are-again-capping-scholarships-for-out-of-state-players" target="_blank">Also, Sims' feud with another junior college football</a> coach played out in public during the Netflix series Last Chance U.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/12/1607020579308.png" alt="Jeff Sims at a news conference before his first season as head coach at Missouri Southern State University. Christina Elias / KCUR 89.3" />
 <figcaption>Jeff Sims at a news conference before his first season as head coach at Missouri Southern State University. Christina Elias / KCUR 89.3</figcaption>
 </figure>By SAM ZEFF <a href="https://www.kcur.org/sports/2020-12-03/coach-at-the-center-of-the-death-of-a-kansas-college-football-player-fired-from-missouri-southern">Kansas News Service</a>The football coach at the center of the death of a 19-year-old player
 at Garden City Community College in 2018 was fired Wednesday 
from his new job at Missouri Southern State University in Joplin."Jeff Sims, head football coach, has been relieved of his duties," Director of Athletics Jared Bruggeman said in a statement.Sims
 was 2-9 with the Lions in 2019, and games this year were postponed due 
to the pandemic. He still had two years left on his contract. But the 
university refuses to say whether Sims was fired for cause or without 
cause. If MSSU decided to just release Sims, the school would owe him 
$90,000, according to the contract he signed in November 2018. But, if 
he was fired for cause, the university would not owe him.When 
KCUR asked if Sims would be paid, MSSU Director of News Services &amp; 
Messaging, Mike Olmstead, responded with a statement that read, in part,
 "The details of him being relieved of his duties cannot be discussed as
 they represent an ongoing personnel situation." Olmstead did not elaborate on why Sims' firing is an "ongoing personnel situation."The death of Braeden BradforthBraeden Bradforth, the teenager from Neptune, New Jersey, died of exertional heatstroke <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2019-02-17/monday-in-jersey-tuesday-in-garden-city-wednesday-dead-after-a-football-practice-in-kansas" target="_blank">after a grueling Sims-led workout on a hot August day in Garden City. </a>An investigation paid for by GCCC a year after Bradforth's death blamed <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2019-11-14/investigation-into-kansas-football-players-death-blames-the-coach-athletic-director" target="_blank"> "a striking lack of leadership" by top college officials, including Sims.</a> Earlier
 this year the family settled with the college for $500,000, the maximum
 allowed under Kansas law because Sims and other GCCC officials were 
protected by qualified immunity."We may never know whether 
Braeden’s death played a role in Missouri Southern‘s decision to end 
their relationship with Sims," said family lawyer Jill Greene. "But one 
can only hope that it was a factor."Sims seemed confused by his firing. "I don't think there was a reason," <a href="https://www.joplinglobe.com/sports/mssu-dismisses-head-football-coach-jeff-sims/article_2960b41c-34e8-11eb-93e5-bf73646635c4.html?fbclid=IwAR2c4xkwL6pddmpkzuGfbLbxqf8DmcC2UG1qv1leuRnzmyKiv0cn3VplZbc" target="_blank">he told the Joplin Globe. </a>"I had a contract, and they exercised their options in the contract. We shook hands and went opposite directions."Controversy has followed Sims in his career. A year after Bradforth's death he told KCUR that <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2019-08-01/a-year-after-a-football-player-died-at-a-kansas-college-his-coach-still-says-god-has-a-plan" target="_blank">“It’s unfortunate what happened, but God has a plan."</a><a href="https://www.kcur.org/education/2019-04-29/why-kansas-junior-colleges-are-again-capping-scholarships-for-out-of-state-players" target="_blank">Also, Sims' feud with another junior college football</a> coach played out in public during the Netflix series Last Chance U.

Coach at center of the death of Kan. football player fired from Missouri Southern 

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/12/1607015825604.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>BOYS RANKINGS6A Boys1. Blue Valley Northwest2. Blue Valley North3. Lawrence4. Haysville - Campus5. Blue Valley6. Derby7. Shawnee Mission East8. Lawrence Free State9. Olathe South10. Shawnee Mission NW 5A Boys1. Andover2. Basehor Linwood3. Bishop Carroll4. Maize5. St. James Academy6. Kapaun Mt. Carmel7. Topeka West8. De Soto9. Goddard Eisenhower10. Emporia4A Boys1. Bishop Miege2. Augusta3. Parsons4. McPherson5. Tonganoxie6. Ottawa7. Buhler8. Paola9. Independence10. Clearwater3A Boys1. Hesston2. Wichita Collegiate3. Cheney4. Rock Creek5. Royal Valley6. Galena7. Haven8. St. Mary’s9. Beloit10. Hoisington2A Boys1. Hoxie2. Berean Academy3. Sterling4. Lyndon5. Belle Plaine6. Hillsboro7. Garden Plain8. Hutch Trinity9. Erie10. Ellinwood1A Division l Boys1. St. John-Hudson2. Madison/Hamilton3. Osborne4. Montezuma – South Gray5. Centralia6. Lebo7. Meade8. Udall9. Little River10. Olpe 1A Division ll Boys1. St. Francis2. Logan/Palco3. Attica4. Wheatland/Grinnell5. Greeley County6. South Haven7. Northern Valley8. Triplains/Brewster9. Pawnee Heights10. Beloit/St. John’s-TiptonGIRLS RANKINGS6A Girls1. Topeka High2. Olathe North3. Shawnee Mission NW4. Wichita Heights5. Derby6. Washburn Rural7. Olathe West8. Dodge City9. Shawnee Mission West10. Olathe East5A Girls1. St. Thomas Aquinas2. Andover Central 3. KC-Piper 4. Maize5. Salina Central 6. KC Schlagle 7. Topeka - Seaman 8. Bishop Carroll 9. Blue Valley Southwest10. Maize South4A Girls1. Bishop Miege2. McPherson3. Nickerson4. Eudora5. Clay Center6. Andale7. Circle8. Louisburg9. Wellington10. Clearwater3A Girls1. Cheney2. Halstead3. Nemaha Central4. Wichita Trinity5. Sabetha6. Hugoton7. Riley County8. Phillipsburg9. Jefferson West10. Eureka2A Girls1. Sterling2. Spearville3. Garden Plain4. Trego Community5. Valley Heights6. Wabaunsee7. West Elk8. Jefferson County North9. Hillsboro10. Bennington1A Division l Girls1. Olpe2. Centralia3. Clifton-Clyde4. Lebo5. Burlingame6. Pratt-Skyline7. Holton-Jackson Heights8. Rural Vista9. Pretty Prairie10. St. John-Hudson1A Division ll Girls1. Central Plains2. Hanover3. Cunningham4. Golden Plains5. Beloit/St. John-Tipton6. St. Paul7. Hutchinson-CentralChristian8. Attica9. Waverly10. St. Francis

20-21 KBCA Pre-Season Basketball Rankings

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Tampa Bay Buccaneers kept rolling single coverage onto Tyreek Hill, and Patrick Mahomes kept zinging passes deep downfield to the fleet-footed Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver, who proceeded to waltz into the end zone three times while piling up 269 yards in a record-setting afternoon.

It was just the latest example of the conundrum faced by Kansas City’s opposing defenses.

When the Buffalo Bills steadfastly refused to let Mahomes beat them through the air, Clyde Edwards-Helaire led a ground game that ran 46 times for 245 yards. When the Las Vegas Raiders attempted to slow down Hill, tight end Travis Kelce beat them for back-to-back 100-yard receiving games. When the New York Jets managed to hold all those guys in check, third-string wide receiver Mecole Hardman pulled in seven passes for 96 yards and a score.

Indeed, the Chiefs are an old cliché taken to an extreme: pick your poison.

“They can line up the ’85 Bears,” said Chiefs wide receiver Sammy Watkins, who only recently returned from a hamstring injury, “and as long as we’re doing our thing, we’re going to be OK.”

Or exceptional. The Chiefs lead the league in scoring, passing offense and total offense. Mahomes leads the NFL in yards passing, ranks second in quarterback rating and third with 30 touchdown throws. Hill has 1,021 yards receiving, trailing D.K. Metcalf of the Seattle Seahawks for the league lead by a mere 17 yards, and Kelce is third with 978 yards receiving.

That’s just through the air, too. Edwards-Helaire is among the top 10 in yards rushing with 692 during his rookie year, even though he’s split time with Darrel Williams and LeVeon Bell much of the season.

“Getting everybody comfortable within the offense helps us to execute at a high level,” Mahomes explained, “so that’s why you’re seeing guys like Kelce and Tyreek get off more and more as the season goes on. When you have other playmakers out there, you can’t put all your guys on top of those guys. When you do, we have guys like Sammy and Mecole and (Demarcus Robinson) and LeVeon and Clyde that can go out there and make plays as well.”

Nobody has been able to make plays quite like Hill and Kelce, though.

With all that single coverage in Tampa Bay, Hill merely set the Chiefs record with six receptions of at least 20 yards. He also made it five straight games with a touchdown catch and three straight games with 100 yards receiving, and has proved over the course of the season that he’s a complete wide receiver rather than just a downfield speedster.

“He’s the fastest wide receiver I’ve seen in all my time,” acknowledged Denver Broncos coach Vic Fangio, who will try to slow him down Sunday night. “And he’s not just a speed guy. He runs great routes. He gets in and out of things. He’s a great runner after the catch. He’s a special player and they use him well.”

They also put Kelce in all the right places — or rather, Kelce finds all the right places himself. He has an uncanny ability to find the soft spot in a defense, and the result has been a streak of 106 games with at least one reception, and he needs just 22 yards receiving to reach 1,000 yards for the fifth consecutive year.

“The greatest thing about him is he identifies coverage very well and can sit in zones and find those creases and turn them into big plays,” Broncos tight end Noah Fant said. “He’s one of the greatest to do it.”

The good thing for Fant? He doesn’t have to figure out a way to stop his counterpart. That will fall on the Denver defense, which actually fared reasonably well against Kansas City when they met last month.

“That’s just a problem the defensives have when they go against us. We have so many weapons,” Mahomes said. “Last week it was Tyreek’s week, but I’m sure other guys will make big plays the rest of the season.”

NOTES: CB Bashaud Breeland (stomach virus) and LB Dorian O’Daniel (sprained ankle) did not practice Wednesday. ... Reid said he’s confident the Chiefs won’t have the same problem with their entire quarterback room being forced into quarantine that the Broncos had last week, when Denver was forced to use a practice squad quarterback under center for a game against New Orleans. “Those guys are flawless about wearing their masks. They keep those things on relentlessly,” Reid said.&nbsp;

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Tampa Bay Buccaneers kept rolling single coverage onto Tyreek Hill, and Patrick Mahomes kept zinging passes deep downfield to the fleet-footed Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver, who proceeded to waltz into the end zone three times while piling up 269 yards in a record-setting afternoon.It was just the latest example of the conundrum faced by Kansas City’s opposing defenses.When the Buffalo Bills steadfastly refused to let Mahomes beat them through the air, Clyde Edwards-Helaire led a ground game that ran 46 times for 245 yards. When the Las Vegas Raiders attempted to slow down Hill, tight end Travis Kelce beat them for back-to-back 100-yard receiving games. When the New York Jets managed to hold all those guys in check, third-string wide receiver Mecole Hardman pulled in seven passes for 96 yards and a score.Indeed, the Chiefs are an old cliché taken to an extreme: pick your poison.“They can line up the ’85 Bears,” said Chiefs wide receiver Sammy Watkins, who only recently returned from a hamstring injury, “and as long as we’re doing our thing, we’re going to be OK.”Or exceptional. The Chiefs lead the league in scoring, passing offense and total offense. Mahomes leads the NFL in yards passing, ranks second in quarterback rating and third with 30 touchdown throws. Hill has 1,021 yards receiving, trailing D.K. Metcalf of the Seattle Seahawks for the league lead by a mere 17 yards, and Kelce is third with 978 yards receiving.That’s just through the air, too. Edwards-Helaire is among the top 10 in yards rushing with 692 during his rookie year, even though he’s split time with Darrel Williams and LeVeon Bell much of the season.“Getting everybody comfortable within the offense helps us to execute at a high level,” Mahomes explained, “so that’s why you’re seeing guys like Kelce and Tyreek get off more and more as the season goes on. When you have other playmakers out there, you can’t put all your guys on top of those guys. When you do, we have guys like Sammy and Mecole and (Demarcus Robinson) and LeVeon and Clyde that can go out there and make plays as well.”Nobody has been able to make plays quite like Hill and Kelce, though.With all that single coverage in Tampa Bay, Hill merely set the Chiefs record with six receptions of at least 20 yards. He also made it five straight games with a touchdown catch and three straight games with 100 yards receiving, and has proved over the course of the season that he’s a complete wide receiver rather than just a downfield speedster.“He’s the fastest wide receiver I’ve seen in all my time,” acknowledged Denver Broncos coach Vic Fangio, who will try to slow him down Sunday night. “And he’s not just a speed guy. He runs great routes. He gets in and out of things. He’s a great runner after the catch. He’s a special player and they use him well.”They also put Kelce in all the right places — or rather, Kelce finds all the right places himself. He has an uncanny ability to find the soft spot in a defense, and the result has been a streak of 106 games with at least one reception, and he needs just 22 yards receiving to reach 1,000 yards for the fifth consecutive year.“The greatest thing about him is he identifies coverage very well and can sit in zones and find those creases and turn them into big plays,” Broncos tight end Noah Fant said. “He’s one of the greatest to do it.”The good thing for Fant? He doesn’t have to figure out a way to stop his counterpart. That will fall on the Denver defense, which actually fared reasonably well against Kansas City when they met last month.The Broncos still lost 43-16.“That’s just a problem the defensives have when they go against us. We have so many weapons,” Mahomes said. “Last week it was Tyreek’s week, but I’m sure other guys will make big plays the rest of the season.”NOTES: CB Bashaud Breeland (stomach virus) and LB Dorian O’Daniel (sprained ankle) did not practice Wednesday. ... Reid said he’s confident the Chiefs won’t have the same problem with their entire quarterback room being forced into quarantine that the Broncos had last week, when Denver was forced to use a practice squad quarterback under center for a game against New Orleans. “Those guys are flawless about wearing their masks. They keep those things on relentlessly,” Reid said.&nbsp;

Chiefs offense takes ‘pick your poison’ adage to extreme

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/11/1606589794091.jpeg" alt="Schedule subject to change due to Covid" />
 <figcaption>Schedule subject to change due to Covid</figcaption>
 </figure>Western Athletic ConferenceMaize @ Dodge CityGuymon OK @ Garden CityLiberal @ ColbyNewton @ Dodge City (Sat)Central Kansas LeagueHoisington @ Central PlainsPratt @ LarnedEllsworth @ LyonsAbilene @ Smoky ValleyHesston @ S.E. SalineHutch-Trinity @ HavenSterling @ HillsboroCentral Prairie LeagueLa Crosse @ EllinwoodStafford @ St. JohnMacksville @ Ness CityOtis-Bison @ WilsonKinsley @ SubletteVictoria @ QuinterOthersStockton @ RussellMeade @ Pawnee HeightsChase @ Thunder RidgeKiowa County @ Pratt-SkylineHodgeman County @ Deerfield

Friday Area High School Basketball Schedule

Thursday 12/36:30PM KBGL - College Basketball - Washburn @ KansasFriday 12/46:00PM KHOK - High School Basketball - Hoisington @ Central Plains6:00PM KBGL - High School Basketball - Pratt @ LarnedSaturday 12/510:30AM KBGL - College Football - Kansas @ Texas Tech2:30PM KBGL - College Basketball - North Dakota State @ Kansas6:30PM 1590 KVGB/95.5FM - College Football - Alabama @ LSUSunday 12/63:00PM 1590 KVGB/95.5FM - NFL Football - New York Giants @ Seattle Seahawks6:00PM B104 - NFL Football - Denver Broncos @ Kansas City ChiefsMonday 12/74:45PM KBGL - Keady Classic - Larned Girls vs Kinsley6:45PM KBGL - Keady Classic - Larned Boys vs KinsleyTuesday 12/83:30PM KBGL - College Basketball - Creighton @ Kansas4:45PM KHOK - Keady Classic - Hoisington Girls vs Macksville6:45PM KHOK - Keady Classic - Hoisington Boys vs Macksville6:00PM B104 - High School Basketball - Great Bend Girls and Boys @ Scott City&nbsp;Thursday 12/106:00PM B104 - High School Basketball - Holcomb Girls and Boys @ Great Bend

Eagle Radio and Hull Broadcasting PBP Schedule

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Royals agreed to one-year deals with outfielders Jorge Soler and Franchy Cordero, first baseman Hunter Dozier and right-handers Jesse Hahn and Jakob Junis on Wednesday as they brought arbitration-eligible players under contract during a busy week of roster management.

The Royals also cut third baseman Maikel Franco, failing to offer a contract to a player who would have been due a substantial salary increase after hitting .278 with eight homers and 38 RBIs while playing on a $2.95 million deal last season.

The only remaining arbitration-eligible players are two big ones: shortstop Adalberto Mondesi, their defensive linchpin and best all-around athlete, and No. 1 starter Brad Keller, who was 5-3 with a 2.47 ERA in nine starts last season.

The 28-year-old Soler agreed to an $8.05 million contract that includes up to $250,000 in incentives, a big bump from prorated pay of $2,703,704 from his $7.3 million base salary last season. It came after the slugging outfielder, who shattered the club record with 48 homers in 2019, hit .228 with eight homers and 24 RBIs in 43 games during the pandemic-shortened 2020 season.

Soler would get $50,000 for 350 plate appearances and each additional 50 through 550.

He fits a crucial role in the Royals lineup by providing a big bat in an otherwise hit-and-run offense.

Dozier, who agreed to a $2.72 million deal plus incentives, is the other big bat in the lineup. The 29-year-old hit just .228 with six homers and 12 RBIs in 44 games last season, but the Royals believe his offense — and power — can bounce back to their previous levels. Dozier hit .278 with 26 homers and 84 RBIs during the 2019 season.

His defensive versatility is also important. Dozier can play both corner outfield spots along with first base and third base, and the likely departure of Franco means he could be headed to a more permanent role in the infield.

“He played a lot more infield the last two years than he has outfield, so we understand that,” Royals general manager Dayton Moore said, “but we’re not going to close the door on his potential to play the outfield as well.”

Dozier was eligible for arbitration for the first time after earning $226,111 in prorated pay from a $610,500 salary.

Hahn, who allowed one earned run in 17 1/3 innings last season, will make $1.75 million with up to $350,000 in bonuses — $50,000 each for 25 games and each additional five up to 50. Junis will earn $1.7 million after making six starts and eight appearances while finishing with a 6.39 ERA last season.

Both of them have the ability to start or pitch out of the bullpen, the same kind of versatility that led the Royals to bring back right-hander Mike Minor on an $18 million, two-year deal earlier this week. Minor spent parts of four seasons in Kansas City before spending parts of the past three seasons with Texas and Oakland.

“Mike is committed to a big workload,” Moore said. “He threw over 200 innings in 2019 with 200 strikeouts, I believe. We just feel really good about how he blends in with the young starters we have on the horizon.”

Hahn earned $222,222 prorated from $600,000 and Junis $225,185 from $608,000.

Cordero will earn $800,000 after he was limited to just 16 games because of injuries last season, when he took home $211,519 from $571,100.

Along with Franco, the Royals also non-tendered former first-round pick Bubba Starling, infielders Jeison Guzman and Erick Mejia, and pitchers Foster Griffin and Carlos Sanabria, both of whom were designated for assignment earlier this week.

Starling was the No. 5 overall pick in the 2011 amateur draft out of nearby Gardner-Edgerton High School, choosing to sign with the Royals rather than play quarterback at Nebraska. But despite flashing a solid glove, the hometown kid never developed the bat to match it. He hit just .169 with one homer and five RBIs while spending two stints on the injured list last season.

Mejia appeared in eight games after making the opening day roster for the first time last season, but he had just one hit in 14 at-bats. Guzman did not appear in a game after he was recalled from the alternate training site for three days in August.

The roster moves left the Royals with 36 players on their active roster, and Moore said this week that the Royals could be a bit more active than in years past trying to plug their remaining holes. They are still in search of an impact bat, particularly in the outfielder, where Dozier could be moving to the infield and Alex Gordon has faded into retirement.

The Royals already have added former Washington Nationals outfielder Michael Taylor on a $1.75 million contract.

“Look, opening day is several months away. “You’re constantly making adjustments to your roster,” Moore said, “not only throughout the offseason but also spring training, once the season begins. We’re going to continue to stay open minded.”

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Royals agreed to one-year deals with outfielders Jorge Soler and Franchy Cordero, first baseman Hunter Dozier and right-handers Jesse Hahn and Jakob Junis on Wednesday as they brought arbitration-eligible players under contract during a busy week of roster management.The Royals also cut third baseman Maikel Franco, failing to offer a contract to a player who would have been due a substantial salary increase after hitting .278 with eight homers and 38 RBIs while playing on a $2.95 million deal last season.The only remaining arbitration-eligible players are two big ones: shortstop Adalberto Mondesi, their defensive linchpin and best all-around athlete, and No. 1 starter Brad Keller, who was 5-3 with a 2.47 ERA in nine starts last season.The 28-year-old Soler agreed to an $8.05 million contract that includes up to $250,000 in incentives, a big bump from prorated pay of $2,703,704 from his $7.3 million base salary last season. It came after the slugging outfielder, who shattered the club record with 48 homers in 2019, hit .228 with eight homers and 24 RBIs in 43 games during the pandemic-shortened 2020 season.Soler would get $50,000 for 350 plate appearances and each additional 50 through 550.He fits a crucial role in the Royals lineup by providing a big bat in an otherwise hit-and-run offense.Dozier, who agreed to a $2.72 million deal plus incentives, is the other big bat in the lineup. The 29-year-old hit just .228 with six homers and 12 RBIs in 44 games last season, but the Royals believe his offense — and power — can bounce back to their previous levels. Dozier hit .278 with 26 homers and 84 RBIs during the 2019 season.His defensive versatility is also important. Dozier can play both corner outfield spots along with first base and third base, and the likely departure of Franco means he could be headed to a more permanent role in the infield.“He played a lot more infield the last two years than he has outfield, so we understand that,” Royals general manager Dayton Moore said, “but we’re not going to close the door on his potential to play the outfield as well.”Dozier was eligible for arbitration for the first time after earning $226,111 in prorated pay from a $610,500 salary.Hahn, who allowed one earned run in 17 1/3 innings last season, will make $1.75 million with up to $350,000 in bonuses — $50,000 each for 25 games and each additional five up to 50. Junis will earn $1.7 million after making six starts and eight appearances while finishing with a 6.39 ERA last season.Both of them have the ability to start or pitch out of the bullpen, the same kind of versatility that led the Royals to bring back right-hander Mike Minor on an $18 million, two-year deal earlier this week. Minor spent parts of four seasons in Kansas City before spending parts of the past three seasons with Texas and Oakland.“Mike is committed to a big workload,” Moore said. “He threw over 200 innings in 2019 with 200 strikeouts, I believe. We just feel really good about how he blends in with the young starters we have on the horizon.”Hahn earned $222,222 prorated from $600,000 and Junis $225,185 from $608,000.Cordero will earn $800,000 after he was limited to just 16 games because of injuries last season, when he took home $211,519 from $571,100.Along with Franco, the Royals also non-tendered former first-round pick Bubba Starling, infielders Jeison Guzman and Erick Mejia, and pitchers Foster Griffin and Carlos Sanabria, both of whom were designated for assignment earlier this week.Starling was the No. 5 overall pick in the 2011 amateur draft out of nearby Gardner-Edgerton High School, choosing to sign with the Royals rather than play quarterback at Nebraska. But despite flashing a solid glove, the hometown kid never developed the bat to match it. He hit just .169 with one homer and five RBIs while spending two stints on the injured list last season.Mejia appeared in eight games after making the opening day roster for the first time last season, but he had just one hit in 14 at-bats. Guzman did not appear in a game after he was recalled from the alternate training site for three days in August.The roster moves left the Royals with 36 players on their active roster, and Moore said this week that the Royals could be a bit more active than in years past trying to plug their remaining holes. They are still in search of an impact bat, particularly in the outfielder, where Dozier could be moving to the infield and Alex Gordon has faded into retirement.The Royals already have added former Washington Nationals outfielder Michael Taylor on a $1.75 million contract.“Look, opening day is several months away. “You’re constantly making adjustments to your roster,” Moore said, “not only throughout the offseason but also spring training, once the season begins. We’re going to continue to stay open minded.”

Royals agree to several deals, cut Franco on busy day

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Tyson Etienne had a career-high 26 points as Wichita State narrowly defeated Oral Roberts 85-80 on Wednesday night.

Alterique Gilbert had 18 points for Wichita State (1-0). Morris Udeze added 10 points and three blocks. Clarence Jackson had eight rebounds.

Max Abmas scored a career-high 28 points plus eight assists and six rebounds for the Golden Eagles (1-2). Kevin Obanor added 27 points and seven rebounds. Kareem Thompson had eight rebounds.

The Shockers opened their season amid chaos within the program. Gregg Marshall resigned on Nov. 17 following an internal investigation into allegations of physical and verbal abuse and Isaac Brown was named interim coach.

The first-time head coach had about a week to prepare for the opener against Utah State on Nov. 25 at the Crossover Classic. The team made the trip to Sioux Falls, South Dakota, but did not play after several members of Wichita State’s traveling team tested positive for COVID-19 upon arrival.

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Tyson Etienne had a career-high 26 points as Wichita State narrowly defeated Oral Roberts 85-80 on Wednesday night.Alterique Gilbert had 18 points for Wichita State (1-0). Morris Udeze added 10 points and three blocks. Clarence Jackson had eight rebounds.Max Abmas scored a career-high 28 points plus eight assists and six rebounds for the Golden Eagles (1-2). Kevin Obanor added 27 points and seven rebounds. Kareem Thompson had eight rebounds.The Shockers opened their season amid chaos within the program. Gregg Marshall resigned on Nov. 17 following an internal investigation into allegations of physical and verbal abuse and Isaac Brown was named interim coach.The first-time head coach had about a week to prepare for the opener against Utah State on Nov. 25 at the Crossover Classic. The team made the trip to Sioux Falls, South Dakota, but did not play after several members of Wichita State’s traveling team tested positive for COVID-19 upon arrival.

Etienne leads Wichita St. past Oral Roberts 85-80

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Left-hander Mike Minor and the Kansas City Royals have finalized an $18 million, two-year deal, reuniting the 32-year-old starter with the club that helped him revive his career.

Kansas City announced the signing Monday, bringing in the 2019 All-Star to boost a rotation that leaned largely on unproven youngsters in 2020. The contract includes salaries of $7 million in 2021 and $10 million in 2022 plus a $13 million club option for 2023 with a $1 million buyout. If traded, the option becomes mutual with the buyout owed if either side declines.

He would earn bonuses of $50,000 each for 180 and 200 innings during the first two seasons.

“We know we needed to add a starter to our young rotation,” Royals general manager Dayton Moore said. “We feel like Mikey gives us a lot of stability, a lot of focus. Somebody who has been successful, can provide us innings, and so it’s just a really, really good fit for us, and we’re grateful that he’s once again going to be a Kansas City Royal.”

The 32-year-old Minor split 2020 between the Texas Rangers and Oakland Athletics, going 1-6 with a 5.56 ERA and diminished velocity after posting the best numbers of his career a year earlier. In 2019, he was 14-10 with a 3.59 ERA and struck out 200 batters for the first time in his career.

A first round pick by Atlanta in 2009, Minor spent five seasons in the Braves’ rotation before a torn labrum in his left shoulder kept him out of the majors for two years.

The Royals signed Minor to a two-year deal following surgery, allowing him to spend 2016 rehabbing before using him successfully as a reliever in 2017.

“Of course we have a history with Mikey,” Moore said. “A history and a relationship we felt was important. We have a special history with Mike, and he has great trust in our medical people, our coaching staff.”

Minor signed a $28 million, three-year deal with Texas after the 2017 season, returned to the rotation and emerged as one of the American League’s steadiest starters.

Kansas City also agreed to one-year deals with right-handers Jesse Hahn ($1.75 million) and Jakob Junis ($1.7 million) and outfielder Franchy Cordero ($800,000) that avoided arbitration.

Hahn can earn $350,000 in performance bonuses based on games: $50,000 each for 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, 50 and 55.

Cordero can earn $25,000 in performance bonuses for plate appearances: $5,000 apiece for 300, 350, 400, 450 and 500.

Right-handed pitcher Carlos Sanabria was designated for assignment, opening a roster spot for Minor.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Left-hander Mike Minor and the Kansas City Royals have finalized an $18 million, two-year deal, reuniting the 32-year-old starter with the club that helped him revive his career.Kansas City announced the signing Monday, bringing in the 2019 All-Star to boost a rotation that leaned largely on unproven youngsters in 2020. The contract includes salaries of $7 million in 2021 and $10 million in 2022 plus a $13 million club option for 2023 with a $1 million buyout. If traded, the option becomes mutual with the buyout owed if either side declines.He would earn bonuses of $50,000 each for 180 and 200 innings during the first two seasons.“We know we needed to add a starter to our young rotation,” Royals general manager Dayton Moore said. “We feel like Mikey gives us a lot of stability, a lot of focus. Somebody who has been successful, can provide us innings, and so it’s just a really, really good fit for us, and we’re grateful that he’s once again going to be a Kansas City Royal.”The 32-year-old Minor split 2020 between the Texas Rangers and Oakland Athletics, going 1-6 with a 5.56 ERA and diminished velocity after posting the best numbers of his career a year earlier. In 2019, he was 14-10 with a 3.59 ERA and struck out 200 batters for the first time in his career.A first round pick by Atlanta in 2009, Minor spent five seasons in the Braves’ rotation before a torn labrum in his left shoulder kept him out of the majors for two years.The Royals signed Minor to a two-year deal following surgery, allowing him to spend 2016 rehabbing before using him successfully as a reliever in 2017.“Of course we have a history with Mikey,” Moore said. “A history and a relationship we felt was important. We have a special history with Mike, and he has great trust in our medical people, our coaching staff.”Minor signed a $28 million, three-year deal with Texas after the 2017 season, returned to the rotation and emerged as one of the American League’s steadiest starters.Kansas City also agreed to one-year deals with right-handers Jesse Hahn ($1.75 million) and Jakob Junis ($1.7 million) and outfielder Franchy Cordero ($800,000) that avoided arbitration.Hahn can earn $350,000 in performance bonuses based on games: $50,000 each for 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, 50 and 55.Cordero can earn $25,000 in performance bonuses for plate appearances: $5,000 apiece for 300, 350, 400, 450 and 500.Right-handed pitcher Carlos Sanabria was designated for assignment, opening a roster spot for Minor.

Royals sign lefty starter Mike Minor to 2 year, $18M deal

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP) — Quarterbacks Drew Lock, Brett Rypien and Blake Bortles will be allowed to rejoin their teammates at practice Wednesday after the Denver Broncos activated them from the reserve/COVID-19 list on Tuesday.

Their return means practice squad receiver Kendall Hinton won't have to be the one taking the snaps at Kansas City (10-1) next weekend as he did in Denver's 31-3 loss to New Orleans on Sunday.

The Broncos (4-7) were forced to play the Saints without any of their quarterbacks after Lock, Rypien and Bortles were deemed high-risk close contacts 24 hours earlier for having been mask-less around QB Jeff Driskel before he tested positive for the coronavirus on Thanksgiving.

The NFL denied Denver's request to push the Saints game back 48 hours, which would have allowed their QBs to return to action. So they turned to Hinton, a former quarterback in college, and sprinkled in some direct snaps to running backs Royce Freeman and Phillip Lindsay.

Lock, Rypien and Bortles were removed from the reserve/COVID-19 list after testing negative Tuesday for a fifth consecutive day.

The NFL didn’t allow teams to gather at their facilities Monday or Tuesday so Lock, Rypien and Bortles will be able to rejoin their teammates Wednesday at practice (meetings are being conducted remotely).

Lock and Rypien return to the Broncos’ active roster, and Bortles returns to the practice squad.

Denver coach Vic Fangio said Monday that the Broncos would discuss isolating Bortles in case another quarterback quandary arises, but he stressed the team should “be fine” if players would just follow the league’s COVID-19 protocols.

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP) — Quarterbacks Drew Lock, Brett Rypien and Blake Bortles will be allowed to rejoin their teammates at practice Wednesday after the Denver Broncos activated them from the reserve/COVID-19 list on Tuesday.Their return means practice squad receiver Kendall Hinton won't have to be the one taking the snaps at Kansas City (10-1) next weekend as he did in Denver's 31-3 loss to New Orleans on Sunday.The Broncos (4-7) were forced to play the Saints without any of their quarterbacks after Lock, Rypien and Bortles were deemed high-risk close contacts 24 hours earlier for having been mask-less around QB Jeff Driskel before he tested positive for the coronavirus on Thanksgiving.The NFL denied Denver's request to push the Saints game back 48 hours, which would have allowed their QBs to return to action. So they turned to Hinton, a former quarterback in college, and sprinkled in some direct snaps to running backs Royce Freeman and Phillip Lindsay.Lock, Rypien and Bortles were removed from the reserve/COVID-19 list after testing negative Tuesday for a fifth consecutive day.The NFL didn’t allow teams to gather at their facilities Monday or Tuesday so Lock, Rypien and Bortles will be able to rejoin their teammates Wednesday at practice (meetings are being conducted remotely).Lock and Rypien return to the Broncos’ active roster, and Bortles returns to the practice squad.Denver coach Vic Fangio said Monday that the Broncos would discuss isolating Bortles in case another quarterback quandary arises, but he stressed the team should “be fine” if players would just follow the league’s COVID-19 protocols.

Broncos activate 3 QBs following COVID-19 rules violations

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Andy Reid was gushing after watching his Kansas City Chiefs beat Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and for good reason: Patrick Mahomes and Tyreek Hill had an eye-popping day and the defense came through in the clutch.

The Chiefs coach also acknowledged there is plenty of room for improvement.

The reigning Super Bowl champions were penalized 10 times for the second consecutive week, and were flagged eight times the week before that. They were 0 for 3 converting touchdowns in the red zone, including one instance in which they threw a pair of incomplete passes from the half-yard line and had to kick a field goal. And that defense also gave up more than 400 yards, including Brady’s line of 345 yards passing and three touchdowns.

Talk about a buzzkill. Or a reality check.

“I was proud of our guys for stepping up, particularly after an emotional game like the Raiders game. That’s a difficult thing to do,” Reid said following the 27-24 victory Sunday, which pushed the Chiefs to 10-1 this season. “Obviously there’s things we can get better at, but it was a heck of a performance by our guys.”

Especially by the offense — red zone performance notwithstanding.

Start with Mahomes, who was 37 of 49 for 462 yards with three TDs and no interceptions. He passed Bill Kenney for third in franchise history with his 106th touchdown throw, stretched his franchise record to 21 straight games with a TD pass and is now the only player in league history with at least 30 completions and 300 yards passing in four straight games.

“I think it’s just taking what’s there,” Mahomes said. “That’s just the maturity of this offense as a whole, of knowing how to run routes based on the coverages they’re getting, and I try to get them the ball to make plays.”

His favorite target was Hill, who had 13 catches for 269 yards and three touchdowns. The receptions tied for second most in Chiefs history, and the yardage trailed only Stephone Paige, who had 309 yards receiving against San Diego in 1985.

The superlatives could go on, but given all those gaudy numbers it’s hardly a surprise that Reid was gushing after the game.

“I felt like we played well. It’s always tough to go on the road and play against a quality team, and not just a quality team — these guys have weapons all over the place,” Chiefs safety Tyrann Mathieu said.

“We did a great job of playing our style of football. There were a couple of drives we’d like to have back ... but I’m proud of the way we bounced back, coming off the Raiders game. There were a lot of opinions about us and we forgot about all that. It was all about us.”

The Mahomes-to-Hill connection has been working for a while. Hill has eclipsed 100 yards receiving in three straight games, matching the third-longest streak in Chiefs history, and he’s caught a touchdown pass in five consecutive games.

“I feel like there’s still a lot of work for me to do,” said Hill, who leads the league with 1,021 yards and 13 TDs receiving. “I missed a few plays that I could have made, the one Pat threw to me on the wheel — I could have made that play.”

The Chiefs have struggled to cover tight ends this season, and that has become especially apparent in the past couple of weeks. Darren Waller had seven catches for 88 yards and a score for Las Vegas, and Rob Gronkowski had six catches for 106 yards for Tampa Bay.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Andy Reid was gushing after watching his Kansas City Chiefs beat Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and for good reason: Patrick Mahomes and Tyreek Hill had an eye-popping day and the defense came through in the clutch.The Chiefs coach also acknowledged there is plenty of room for improvement.The reigning Super Bowl champions were penalized 10 times for the second consecutive week, and were flagged eight times the week before that. They were 0 for 3 converting touchdowns in the red zone, including one instance in which they threw a pair of incomplete passes from the half-yard line and had to kick a field goal. And that defense also gave up more than 400 yards, including Brady’s line of 345 yards passing and three touchdowns.Talk about a buzzkill. Or a reality check.“I was proud of our guys for stepping up, particularly after an emotional game like the Raiders game. That’s a difficult thing to do,” Reid said following the 27-24 victory Sunday, which pushed the Chiefs to 10-1 this season. “Obviously there’s things we can get better at, but it was a heck of a performance by our guys.”Especially by the offense — red zone performance notwithstanding.Start with Mahomes, who was 37 of 49 for 462 yards with three TDs and no interceptions. He passed Bill Kenney for third in franchise history with his 106th touchdown throw, stretched his franchise record to 21 straight games with a TD pass and is now the only player in league history with at least 30 completions and 300 yards passing in four straight games.“I think it’s just taking what’s there,” Mahomes said. “That’s just the maturity of this offense as a whole, of knowing how to run routes based on the coverages they’re getting, and I try to get them the ball to make plays.”His favorite target was Hill, who had 13 catches for 269 yards and three touchdowns. The receptions tied for second most in Chiefs history, and the yardage trailed only Stephone Paige, who had 309 yards receiving against San Diego in 1985.The superlatives could go on, but given all those gaudy numbers it’s hardly a surprise that Reid was gushing after the game.“I felt like we played well. It’s always tough to go on the road and play against a quality team, and not just a quality team — these guys have weapons all over the place,” Chiefs safety Tyrann Mathieu said.“We did a great job of playing our style of football. There were a couple of drives we’d like to have back ... but I’m proud of the way we bounced back, coming off the Raiders game. There were a lot of opinions about us and we forgot about all that. It was all about us.”WHAT’S WORKINGThe Mahomes-to-Hill connection has been working for a while. Hill has eclipsed 100 yards receiving in three straight games, matching the third-longest streak in Chiefs history, and he’s caught a touchdown pass in five consecutive games.“I feel like there’s still a lot of work for me to do,” said Hill, who leads the league with 1,021 yards and 13 TDs receiving. “I missed a few plays that I could have made, the one Pat threw to me on the wheel — I could have made that play.”WHAT NEEDS HELPThe Chiefs have struggled to cover tight ends this season, and that has become especially apparent in the past couple of weeks. Darren Waller had seven catches for 88 yards and a score for Las Vegas, and Rob Gronkowski had six catches for 106 yards for Tampa Bay.STOCK UPSammy Watkins returned to the field for the first time since hurting his hamstring against the Raiders in Week 5. He only caught four passes for 38 yards, but the attention he demanded helped to allow Hill and tight end Travis Kelce to have big days. Kelce finished with eight catches for 82 yards.STOCK DOWNMecole Hardman has just four catches over the past two games and he dropped what would have been a walk-in touchdown pass. His drop rate of 12.8% is better only than Tampa Bay’s Leonard Fournette among 154 qualifying players.INJURIESBackup linebacker and special teams regular Dorian O’Daniel sprained his ankle against Tampa Bay.KEY NUMBER9 — That’s the number of consecutive road games won by the Chiefs, whose last loss away from Arrowhead Stadium came against the Los Angeles Chargers on Nov. 18, 2019, in Mexico City. That is tied for the longest streak in club history.NEXT STEPSThe Chiefs play their first home game in nearly a month against Denver on Sunday night.