<figure>
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 <figcaption>Tuesday show lineup with hosts Steve Webster, Mike Courson, and Mike Hesher</figcaption>
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Tuesday on Sports Day(Watch)

GUADALAJARA, México (AP) — Guadalajara is the capital of a Mexican state that is home to tequila and Mariachi music. It is also considered the birthplace of a less flattering tradition – a homophobic soccer chant that has cost Mexico hundreds of thousands of dollars in fines over the past two decades.

It’s no wild guess that the chant, a one-word slur which literally means male prostitute in Spanish, will be heard from the crowd in Guadalajara’s Akron stadium when Mexico hosts the United States in a friendly on Tuesday.

Multiple sanctions from FIFA and campaigns by Mexican soccer officials to educate fans have not been able to stamp it out. The chant persists in both club and national team soccer in Mexico, not least in games between the two North American rivals who will co-host the 2026 World Cup together with Canada.

The last time the U.S. men’s team played Mexico, in the CONCACAF Nations League final in Texas in March, the referee&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mexico-concacaf-homophobic-chants-c0a7e21a3303875b8d4facc9e959e4ff">stopped the game twice</a>&nbsp;due to homophobic chanting by Mexico fans. Last year, a game in Las Vegas between the two sides was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-mexico-nations-league-ad90f5404dce6b94da3f677d4d0f7b49">cut short</a>&nbsp;for the same reason.

In Guadalajara, a city with a strong soccer tradition which has two teams in Mexico’s top soccer league and another two in the second division, many local fans told The Associated Press that they considered the chant to be harmless and only meant to poke fun at opposing teams.

“Soccer is still a party, and the chant is just for fun. People who yell it mean no offense to the rival,” said Luis Gallardo, a 38-year-old who was wearing the Mexico national team’s black away shirt. “It’s been going on for years and I don’t think it’s going to change.”

The slur, typically used when the opposing goalkeeper takes a goal kick, is hardly the only offensive chant heard in soccer stadiums worldwide, but its persistent use at international tournaments has become a costly embarrassment for the Mexican soccer federation.

The federation has been fined countless times by FIFA for “discriminatory behavior” by supporters, including 100,000 Swiss francs ($114,000) for two incidents during the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. Mexico has appealed those penalties.

The Mexican soccer federation long argued that the chant wasn’t aimed at gays and that the word had different connotations in contemporary Mexican culture. However, in recent years the federation launched campaigns to make it go away, with stadium announcers urging the crowd to refrain from discriminatory chants and eliciting the help of soccer stars and other celebrities to get the message across.

The federation in 2022 threatened fans shouting the slur at games with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/soccer-sports-mexico-mexico-city-fifa-0661871618a16acb28fca8255fe1c9fc">five-year stadium bans</a>. At the time, then-federation president Yon de Luisa said regardless of the intention of those using the slur, what matters is how it’s received by others.

“If it is discriminatory, we should avoid it,” said De Luisa, who later resigned after Mexico’s poor performance in Qatar where the team was eliminated in the group stage.

The origin of the chant is somewhat unclear, but it’s been traced back to a 2004 Olympic qualifier between Mexico and the U.S. in Guadalajara, the capital of the state of Jalisco. It then spread to stadiums across Mexico with fans of Guadalajara soccer club Atlas.

Francisco Acuña, a 55-year-old Atlas fan, said the chant was a way for fans to express emotion during the game and shouldn’t be taken too seriously.

“The people who know soccer they know that the game is intense and even players get hot-headed on the field and then they hug each other at the end of the match,” he said.

Alejandro Oliva, a 40-year-old soccer fan in downtown Guadalajara, said he didn't understand why some people find the chant offensive.

“It amazes me that outside of Mexico people believe that it’s a homophobic chant. In Mexico it’s normal and it does not offend anyone,” he said. “I think that even people from the gay community use the word, and they don’t get aggravated.”

“It’s clearly homophobic because you are degrading a person with an insult of sexual and negative connotation,” said Andoni Bello, an LGBTQ+ activist and outspoken critic of the chant who played for Mexico in amateur soccer tournaments organized by the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.iglfa.org/">International Gay and Lesbian Football Association.</a>

He said Mexico must get rid of the chant by the 2026 World Cup when the world’s eyes will be on the country. Mexico is set to host 13 World Cup games, including four in Guadalajara.

Bello urged tournament organizers to reach out to the LGBTQ+ community for help in dealing with the issue.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1728993277471.jpeg" alt="FILE - A message on the video board warns fans to not chant a homophobic slur during an international friendly soccer match between Mexico and Iceland, May 29, 2021, in Arlington, Texas. Mexico won 2-1. (AP Photo/Brandon Wade, File)" />
 <figcaption>FILE - A message on the video board warns fans to not chant a homophobic slur during an international friendly soccer match between Mexico and Iceland, May 29, 2021, in Arlington, Texas. Mexico won 2-1. (AP Photo/Brandon Wade, File)</figcaption>
 </figure>GUADALAJARA, México (AP) — Guadalajara is the capital of a Mexican state that is home to tequila and Mariachi music. It is also considered the birthplace of a less flattering tradition – a homophobic soccer chant that has cost Mexico hundreds of thousands of dollars in fines over the past two decades.It’s no wild guess that the chant, a one-word slur which literally means male prostitute in Spanish, will be heard from the crowd in Guadalajara’s Akron stadium when Mexico hosts the United States in a friendly on Tuesday.Multiple sanctions from FIFA and campaigns by Mexican soccer officials to educate fans have not been able to stamp it out. The chant persists in both club and national team soccer in Mexico, not least in games between the two North American rivals who will co-host the 2026 World Cup together with Canada.The last time the U.S. men’s team played Mexico, in the CONCACAF Nations League final in Texas in March, the referee&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mexico-concacaf-homophobic-chants-c0a7e21a3303875b8d4facc9e959e4ff">stopped the game twice</a>&nbsp;due to homophobic chanting by Mexico fans. Last year, a game in Las Vegas between the two sides was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-mexico-nations-league-ad90f5404dce6b94da3f677d4d0f7b49">cut short</a>&nbsp;for the same reason.In Guadalajara, a city with a strong soccer tradition which has two teams in Mexico’s top soccer league and another two in the second division, many local fans told The Associated Press that they considered the chant to be harmless and only meant to poke fun at opposing teams.“Soccer is still a party, and the chant is just for fun. People who yell it mean no offense to the rival,” said Luis Gallardo, a 38-year-old who was wearing the Mexico national team’s black away shirt. “It’s been going on for years and I don’t think it’s going to change.”The slur, typically used when the opposing goalkeeper takes a goal kick, is hardly the only offensive chant heard in soccer stadiums worldwide, but its persistent use at international tournaments has become a costly embarrassment for the Mexican soccer federation.The federation has been fined countless times by FIFA for “discriminatory behavior” by supporters, including 100,000 Swiss francs ($114,000) for two incidents during the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. Mexico has appealed those penalties.The Mexican soccer federation long argued that the chant wasn’t aimed at gays and that the word had different connotations in contemporary Mexican culture. However, in recent years the federation launched campaigns to make it go away, with stadium announcers urging the crowd to refrain from discriminatory chants and eliciting the help of soccer stars and other celebrities to get the message across.The federation in 2022 threatened fans shouting the slur at games with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/soccer-sports-mexico-mexico-city-fifa-0661871618a16acb28fca8255fe1c9fc">five-year stadium bans</a>. At the time, then-federation president Yon de Luisa said regardless of the intention of those using the slur, what matters is how it’s received by others.“If it is discriminatory, we should avoid it,” said De Luisa, who later resigned after Mexico’s poor performance in Qatar where the team was eliminated in the group stage.The origin of the chant is somewhat unclear, but it’s been traced back to a 2004 Olympic qualifier between Mexico and the U.S. in Guadalajara, the capital of the state of Jalisco. It then spread to stadiums across Mexico with fans of Guadalajara soccer club Atlas.Francisco Acuña, a 55-year-old Atlas fan, said the chant was a way for fans to express emotion during the game and shouldn’t be taken too seriously.“The people who know soccer they know that the game is intense and even players get hot-headed on the field and then they hug each other at the end of the match,” he said.Alejandro Oliva, a 40-year-old soccer fan in downtown Guadalajara, said he didn't understand why some people find the chant offensive.“It amazes me that outside of Mexico people believe that it’s a homophobic chant. In Mexico it’s normal and it does not offend anyone,” he said. “I think that even people from the gay community use the word, and they don’t get aggravated.”Not everyone sees it that way.“It’s clearly homophobic because you are degrading a person with an insult of sexual and negative connotation,” said Andoni Bello, an LGBTQ+ activist and outspoken critic of the chant who played for Mexico in amateur soccer tournaments organized by the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.iglfa.org/">International Gay and Lesbian Football Association.</a>He said Mexico must get rid of the chant by the 2026 World Cup when the world’s eyes will be on the country. Mexico is set to host 13 World Cup games, including four in Guadalajara.Bello urged tournament organizers to reach out to the LGBTQ+ community for help in dealing with the issue.

Mexico struggling to stamp out homophobic chant ahead of the World Cup

Kansas was picked first in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll">the AP Top 25 preseason men’s basketball poll</a>&nbsp;Monday, getting the No. 1 nod on half of the 60 ballots from a national media panel to start the season ahead of Alabama and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/video/mens-college-basketball-dan-hurley-connecticut-huskies-los-angeles-lakers-national-98d96d5729ff40aeb71f472991b07a4b">two-time defending national champion UConn</a>.

Kansas scooped up 30 first-place votes from the AP panel. The Crimson Tide, led by All-American guard Mark Sears and Jarin Stevenson, earned 14 first-place votes and UConn, which is trying to become the first school since&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ap-top-25-kentucky-duke-unlv-carolina-d62e3f34683ee1177fbd58503de93c43">John Wooden’s teams at UCLA</a>&nbsp;to win three straight titles, received 11 first-place votes and is third.

Houston earned four first-place votes and is fourth ahead of Iowa State, which returns its top four scorers from a team that was a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament. Gonzaga received one first-place vote and is the sixth.

Duke,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/cooper-flagg-usa-basketball-9ec122d7302ae3849d7868688cb21024">led by consensus No. 1 recruit Cooper Flagg</a>, is seventh ahead of Baylor, North Carolina and Arizona in the top 10.

The Jayhawks were preseason No. 1 a year ago, too, but the season hardly went as planned. They were dragged down by injuries and struggled in Big 12 play, and a team led by All-American center Hunter Dickinson ultimately was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/cincinnati-kansas-big-12-tournament-score-96270c4ca82dd48e4bd1ef647ed08f9a">routed by Cincinnati</a>&nbsp;in the conference tournament and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/march-madness-gonzaga-kansas-score-a2be8748062ebe44c91db46d782c9432">Gonzaga in the second round of the NCAA Tournament</a>.

Kansas coach&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-jayhawks-mens-basketball-kansas-nba-march-madness-mens-college-basketball-3d6a952411b766f0627842734242cf7c">Bill Self retooled</a>&nbsp;in the offseason, landing one of the nation's top transfer classes. A.J. Storr of Wisconsin, South Dakota State guard Zeke Mayo and Rylan Griffen from Alabama are part of a versatile bunch joining Dickinson and fellow seniors Dajuan Harris Jr. and KJ Adams Jr. — both part of their 2022 national title squad — to form a deeper and more talented team.

“We welcome being No. 1, especially with our returning players like Hunter, Dajuan and KJ, and then you add the players we brought in,” Self said. “The goal is to be No. 1 at the end of the season, and though we welcome this, it is not the end goal.”

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ucla-arizona-basketball-series-358d5e05147001546b771bdcc97e9aac">The new-look Big 12</a>, which lost Oklahoma and Texas but welcomed Arizona, Arizona State, Utah and Colorado, has three of the top five and five of the top 10 in the preseason AP poll. The SEC leads the way with nine in the Top 25.

“To have three Big 12 teams in the top five and five in the top 10 just shows how competitive this league will be,” Self said. “Every year we talk about the Big 12 being the toughest conference in the nation and with the four additions it became even stronger.”

No. 11 Auburn, Tennessee and Texas A&amp;M start off the second 10, followed by Purdue and Creighton. John Calipari has Arkansas at No. 16 with Indiana, Marquette, Texas and Cincinnati — making its first poll appearance since 2019 — in the top 20.

The Boilermakers are trying to win a third straight Big Ten title after the departure of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nba-draft-zach-edey-6a7f3184d13c40b76bf9b41b45d1aa31">AP player of the year Zach Edey</a>.

“We have three starters back from a Final Four team. We have five freshmen. We have a lot of guys with experience outside of those three starters,” Purdue coach Matt Painter said. “We’re excited about it. We’re excited about this group.”

Florida, UCLA, Kentucky, Ole Miss and Rutgers round out the preseason Top 25.

“I’m excited about the expectations,” said Rutgers coach Steve Pikiell, whose team is ranked in the preseason poll for the first time since 1978. “We always had high expectations, and now in a league with 18 teams, you know, people are saying, ‘How good are you? There’s 18 teams. They’re great coaches.’ I don’t know where we sit. If you came to our practice yesterday, you would say, ‘Oh, boy.’ And if you came a couple of days earlier, you might think, ‘Hey, they’re going to be pretty good.'”

Illinois is tops among others receiving votes after reaching the Elite Eight. Rick Pitino has St. John's on the doorstep along with Xavier, Texas Tech and Wake Forest. The first regular-season poll is due out Nov. 11.

Four schools that have never appeared in the Top 25 received preseason votes, led by McNeese State, which went back to the NCAA Tournament last season. Little Rock, Grand Canyon and High Point also received votes.

Kansas is ranked No. 1 in the preseason poll for the fifth time, trailing only North Carolina (10), Duke (9) and UCLA (8) for the most since the preseason rankings debuted in 1962. ... Houston has the longest active Top 25 streak at 86 weeks. The Jayhawks are second at 65. ... Iowa State has its best preseason ranking in school history. Texas A&amp;M matched its best. ... Kentucky is in the preseason poll for a record 57th time. The Tar Heels appear for the 55th time.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1728993176495.jpeg" alt="FILE - Kansas center Hunter Dickinson (1) shoots as Gonzaga forward Braden Huff (34) defends during the first half of a second-round college basketball game in the NCAA Tournament in Salt Lake City, Saturday, March 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer, File)" />
 <figcaption>FILE - Kansas center Hunter Dickinson (1) shoots as Gonzaga forward Braden Huff (34) defends during the first half of a second-round college basketball game in the NCAA Tournament in Salt Lake City, Saturday, March 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer, File)</figcaption>
 </figure>Kansas was picked first in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll">the AP Top 25 preseason men’s basketball poll</a>&nbsp;Monday, getting the No. 1 nod on half of the 60 ballots from a national media panel to start the season ahead of Alabama and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/video/mens-college-basketball-dan-hurley-connecticut-huskies-los-angeles-lakers-national-98d96d5729ff40aeb71f472991b07a4b">two-time defending national champion UConn</a>.Kansas scooped up 30 first-place votes from the AP panel. The Crimson Tide, led by All-American guard Mark Sears and Jarin Stevenson, earned 14 first-place votes and UConn, which is trying to become the first school since&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ap-top-25-kentucky-duke-unlv-carolina-d62e3f34683ee1177fbd58503de93c43">John Wooden’s teams at UCLA</a>&nbsp;to win three straight titles, received 11 first-place votes and is third.Houston earned four first-place votes and is fourth ahead of Iowa State, which returns its top four scorers from a team that was a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament. Gonzaga received one first-place vote and is the sixth.Duke,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/cooper-flagg-usa-basketball-9ec122d7302ae3849d7868688cb21024">led by consensus No. 1 recruit Cooper Flagg</a>, is seventh ahead of Baylor, North Carolina and Arizona in the top 10.The Jayhawks were preseason No. 1 a year ago, too, but the season hardly went as planned. They were dragged down by injuries and struggled in Big 12 play, and a team led by All-American center Hunter Dickinson ultimately was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/cincinnati-kansas-big-12-tournament-score-96270c4ca82dd48e4bd1ef647ed08f9a">routed by Cincinnati</a>&nbsp;in the conference tournament and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/march-madness-gonzaga-kansas-score-a2be8748062ebe44c91db46d782c9432">Gonzaga in the second round of the NCAA Tournament</a>.Kansas coach&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-jayhawks-mens-basketball-kansas-nba-march-madness-mens-college-basketball-3d6a952411b766f0627842734242cf7c">Bill Self retooled</a>&nbsp;in the offseason, landing one of the nation's top transfer classes. A.J. Storr of Wisconsin, South Dakota State guard Zeke Mayo and Rylan Griffen from Alabama are part of a versatile bunch joining Dickinson and fellow seniors Dajuan Harris Jr. and KJ Adams Jr. — both part of their 2022 national title squad — to form a deeper and more talented team.“We welcome being No. 1, especially with our returning players like Hunter, Dajuan and KJ, and then you add the players we brought in,” Self said. “The goal is to be No. 1 at the end of the season, and though we welcome this, it is not the end goal.”<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ucla-arizona-basketball-series-358d5e05147001546b771bdcc97e9aac">The new-look Big 12</a>, which lost Oklahoma and Texas but welcomed Arizona, Arizona State, Utah and Colorado, has three of the top five and five of the top 10 in the preseason AP poll. The SEC leads the way with nine in the Top 25.“To have three Big 12 teams in the top five and five in the top 10 just shows how competitive this league will be,” Self said. “Every year we talk about the Big 12 being the toughest conference in the nation and with the four additions it became even stronger.”No. 11 Auburn, Tennessee and Texas A&amp;M start off the second 10, followed by Purdue and Creighton. John Calipari has Arkansas at No. 16 with Indiana, Marquette, Texas and Cincinnati — making its first poll appearance since 2019 — in the top 20.The Boilermakers are trying to win a third straight Big Ten title after the departure of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nba-draft-zach-edey-6a7f3184d13c40b76bf9b41b45d1aa31">AP player of the year Zach Edey</a>.“We have three starters back from a Final Four team. We have five freshmen. We have a lot of guys with experience outside of those three starters,” Purdue coach Matt Painter said. “We’re excited about it. We’re excited about this group.”Florida, UCLA, Kentucky, Ole Miss and Rutgers round out the preseason Top 25.“I’m excited about the expectations,” said Rutgers coach Steve Pikiell, whose team is ranked in the preseason poll for the first time since 1978. “We always had high expectations, and now in a league with 18 teams, you know, people are saying, ‘How good are you? There’s 18 teams. They’re great coaches.’ I don’t know where we sit. If you came to our practice yesterday, you would say, ‘Oh, boy.’ And if you came a couple of days earlier, you might think, ‘Hey, they’re going to be pretty good.'”<h2>Outside looking in</h2>Illinois is tops among others receiving votes after reaching the Elite Eight. Rick Pitino has St. John's on the doorstep along with Xavier, Texas Tech and Wake Forest. The first regular-season poll is due out Nov. 11.<h2>Trying to make history</h2>Four schools that have never appeared in the Top 25 received preseason votes, led by McNeese State, which went back to the NCAA Tournament last season. Little Rock, Grand Canyon and High Point also received votes.<h2>Stats and streaks</h2>Kansas is ranked No. 1 in the preseason poll for the fifth time, trailing only North Carolina (10), Duke (9) and UCLA (8) for the most since the preseason rankings debuted in 1962. ... Houston has the longest active Top 25 streak at 86 weeks. The Jayhawks are second at 65. ... Iowa State has its best preseason ranking in school history. Texas A&amp;M matched its best. ... Kentucky is in the preseason poll for a record 57th time. The Tar Heels appear for the 55th time.

Jayhawks will enter 2024-25 basketball season as No.1  team in AP Poll

NEW YORK (AP) — Juan Soto’s home run punctured Cleveland pitching, which then went wild. Soto put New York ahead in a three-run third inning,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/alcs-yankees-rodon-39dae72971f0427d2e64bd95dca7d0ef">Carlos Rodón got his first postseason win</a>&nbsp;and the Yankees beat the Guardians 5-2 on Monday night in an AL Championship Series opener that included&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/alcs-guardians-yankees-cantillo-35cda9e261e3cb137a4097dff2b80afa">Cleveland throwing five wild pitches and walking nine batters</a>. Giancarlo Stanton added his 13th career postseason homer for the Yankees, who are seeking a record 41st AL pennant and their first since winning the 2009 title. “Getting the start-off win is big,” Stanton said. “It’s a message in its own.” Cleveland became the second team to throw a pair of run-scoring wild pitches in a postseason inning and tied a postseason record with five overall. Guardians pitchers walked six in a nine-batter span and nine overall.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The New York Mets weren’t sure what they were going to get with the Los Angeles Dodgers sending out a parade of relievers in a bullpen game. They found out right away.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mlb-playoffs-mets-phillies-lindor-a8cfa664e372fee34c1717a983e40ad6">Francisco Lindor</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.mlb.com/gameday/mets-vs-dodgers/2024/10/14/775306/final/video" target="_blank">Mark Vientos</a>&nbsp;homered as the Mets stopped the Dodgers’ record-tying postseason scoreless streak in a 7-3 victory on Monday, tying the NL Championship Series at a game apiece. Lindor added to his&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mlb-playoffs-mets-dodgers-nlcs-7feb68aad6633cef8dcde42d281a39a4">storybook season</a>&nbsp;with a leadoff homer in the first inning against Ryan Brasier. Viento delivered during New York’s five-run second, connecting for a grand slam against Landon Knack.

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills were expecting to go into halftime against the New York Jets with a 10-point lead and all the momentum. That changed with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jets-rodgers-hail-mary-lazard-49f7dbe5569749c60e9878cc7ea5d606">one eye-popping pass by Aaron Rodgers</a>&nbsp;that sent the Jets and their fans into a frenzy and had social media buzzing. The Bills overcame&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/nyjets/status/1846004713923170600" target="_blank">Rodgers’ 52-yard Hail Mary touchdown throw</a>&nbsp;as the first half ended to outlast the Jets 23-20 on Monday night and take early season control of the AFC East. Allen threw two touchdown passes and ran for another score and Tyler Bass made up for an earlier miss by kicking a go-ahead 22-yard field goal with 3:43 left to help the Bills (4-2) snap a two-game skid. They have never lost three straight with Allen starting at quarterback.

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. (AP) — Leave it to Jim Harbaugh to call an audible when addressing his health. The&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/NFLonCBS/status/1845591559204491407" target="_blank">Los Angeles Chargers</a>&nbsp;coach wasn’t supposed to do his Monday news conference because he was undergoing medical testing after he experienced an irregular heartbeat during&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/broncos-chargers-score-e3ac8992926f5a5f399c406d7f4d9a9d">Sunday’s 23-16 win at Denver</a>. Harbaugh, though, got back from his appointment with a cardiologist earlier than planned and decided it would be better to address the subject immediately instead of waiting until Wednesday. Harbaugh said he is taking steps to address the arrhythmia he has had for many years. That includes wearing a heart monitor for the next two weeks and taking a blood thinner so his heart doesn’t go out of rhythm.

STILLWATER, Okla. (AP) — Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy said Monday that he “had a run-in” with his cattle last weekend, leaving him with an eye injury that caused him to hold his weekly media conference on Zoom without a camera. “I’ve got a bad eye that I didn’t think would be particularly enjoyable for people when they were looking at my pretty face in a live interview,” Gundy joked. “But more importantly, it’s full of blood, and I get dizzy. So it’s not easy to be upright and be in a normal function. But other than that, I’m doing great.” Gundy’s Cowboys are 3-3 heading into a Friday night game at No. 13 BYU. If he was a player, he’d likely be listed as probable on an injury report. “I’m fine, and it should get better every day,” he said. “Hopefully it’ll get a little better. But I’m fine. I’m working the same hours. I mean, it’s no big deal. I just didn’t think it was very appealing.”

MONDAY'S SCORES Major League Baseball playoffs American League Championship Series NY Yankees 5, Cleveland 2&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;(Yankees lead best-of-seven series 1-0)

National League Championship Series NY Mets 7, LA Dodgers 3&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;(Series is tied 1-1)

National Football League Buffalo 23, NY Jets 20

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1714991701059.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>NEW YORK (AP) — Juan Soto’s home run punctured Cleveland pitching, which then went wild. Soto put New York ahead in a three-run third inning,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/alcs-yankees-rodon-39dae72971f0427d2e64bd95dca7d0ef">Carlos Rodón got his first postseason win</a>&nbsp;and the Yankees beat the Guardians 5-2 on Monday night in an AL Championship Series opener that included&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/alcs-guardians-yankees-cantillo-35cda9e261e3cb137a4097dff2b80afa">Cleveland throwing five wild pitches and walking nine batters</a>. Giancarlo Stanton added his 13th career postseason homer for the Yankees, who are seeking a record 41st AL pennant and their first since winning the 2009 title. “Getting the start-off win is big,” Stanton said. “It’s a message in its own.” Cleveland became the second team to throw a pair of run-scoring wild pitches in a postseason inning and tied a postseason record with five overall. Guardians pitchers walked six in a nine-batter span and nine overall.LOS ANGELES (AP) — The New York Mets weren’t sure what they were going to get with the Los Angeles Dodgers sending out a parade of relievers in a bullpen game. They found out right away.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mlb-playoffs-mets-phillies-lindor-a8cfa664e372fee34c1717a983e40ad6">Francisco Lindor</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.mlb.com/gameday/mets-vs-dodgers/2024/10/14/775306/final/video" target="_blank">Mark Vientos</a>&nbsp;homered as the Mets stopped the Dodgers’ record-tying postseason scoreless streak in a 7-3 victory on Monday, tying the NL Championship Series at a game apiece. Lindor added to his&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mlb-playoffs-mets-dodgers-nlcs-7feb68aad6633cef8dcde42d281a39a4">storybook season</a>&nbsp;with a leadoff homer in the first inning against Ryan Brasier. Viento delivered during New York’s five-run second, connecting for a grand slam against Landon Knack.EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills were expecting to go into halftime against the New York Jets with a 10-point lead and all the momentum. That changed with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jets-rodgers-hail-mary-lazard-49f7dbe5569749c60e9878cc7ea5d606">one eye-popping pass by Aaron Rodgers</a>&nbsp;that sent the Jets and their fans into a frenzy and had social media buzzing. The Bills overcame&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/nyjets/status/1846004713923170600" target="_blank">Rodgers’ 52-yard Hail Mary touchdown throw</a>&nbsp;as the first half ended to outlast the Jets 23-20 on Monday night and take early season control of the AFC East. Allen threw two touchdown passes and ran for another score and Tyler Bass made up for an earlier miss by kicking a go-ahead 22-yard field goal with 3:43 left to help the Bills (4-2) snap a two-game skid. They have never lost three straight with Allen starting at quarterback.EL SEGUNDO, Calif. (AP) — Leave it to Jim Harbaugh to call an audible when addressing his health. The&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/NFLonCBS/status/1845591559204491407" target="_blank">Los Angeles Chargers</a>&nbsp;coach wasn’t supposed to do his Monday news conference because he was undergoing medical testing after he experienced an irregular heartbeat during&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/broncos-chargers-score-e3ac8992926f5a5f399c406d7f4d9a9d">Sunday’s 23-16 win at Denver</a>. Harbaugh, though, got back from his appointment with a cardiologist earlier than planned and decided it would be better to address the subject immediately instead of waiting until Wednesday. Harbaugh said he is taking steps to address the arrhythmia he has had for many years. That includes wearing a heart monitor for the next two weeks and taking a blood thinner so his heart doesn’t go out of rhythm.STILLWATER, Okla. (AP) — Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy said Monday that he “had a run-in” with his cattle last weekend, leaving him with an eye injury that caused him to hold his weekly media conference on Zoom without a camera. “I’ve got a bad eye that I didn’t think would be particularly enjoyable for people when they were looking at my pretty face in a live interview,” Gundy joked. “But more importantly, it’s full of blood, and I get dizzy. So it’s not easy to be upright and be in a normal function. But other than that, I’m doing great.” Gundy’s Cowboys are 3-3 heading into a Friday night game at No. 13 BYU. If he was a player, he’d likely be listed as probable on an injury report. “I’m fine, and it should get better every day,” he said. “Hopefully it’ll get a little better. But I’m fine. I’m working the same hours. I mean, it’s no big deal. I just didn’t think it was very appealing.”MONDAY'S SCORES Major League Baseball playoffs American League Championship Series NY Yankees 5, Cleveland 2&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;(Yankees lead best-of-seven series 1-0)National League Championship Series NY Mets 7, LA Dodgers 3&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;(Series is tied 1-1)National Football League Buffalo 23, NY Jets 20

Tuesday's Sports Headlines and Scores presented by Barton Community College

Ellinwood cross country traveled to Wichita Saturday morning to compete in the Wild Wind Fest. The bulk of the schools were from the metro area but also included teams from as far west as Liberal and as far east as Joplin, Mo.

The high school fed off the energy of a course packed with rowdy spectators for seven personal records (PRs). Jenna Borror, Ali Gonzalez, Madison Dombroski, Shae Hoskins, Ethan Robl, Grey Ringwald, and Jonas Kern all set new bests for themselves.

Some of our points of focus this year have been staying engaged and aggressive late in the race and being fast finishers. The high school did that very well and with the timing system scoring the teams at the halfway point we were able to get evidence of that focus. The girls' team moved up two places in the last half of the race and the boys' team gained one spot.&nbsp;

This was the last meet for the middle school, and they had a great morning. Eden Ringwald (5), Addilyn Joiner (24), Caleb Herrman (22), and Cody Knop (29) all medaled. All middle school races were combined into two large fields, 6-8 girls and 6-8 boys. In addition to these medalists, nearly all middle schoolers had PR's (Personal Records) in the 2 mile. Eden Ringwald, Addilyn Joiner, Leah Steffan, Lauren Rugan, Emmalynn Perron, Maggie Kern, and Victoria Recinos all had PRs. Chloe Vaupel also ran a gutsy race finishing in the middle of our pack and only seconds off her PR after battling some sickness midweek.

The middle school boys squad all with PRs included Caleb Herrman, Cody Knop, Josh Zook, Kaden Clawson, Zarron Luker, and Jace Drake. 

Great work! We look forward to more great racing over the next few weeks.&nbsp;Pictured - Middle school boys walking to the line one last time. Cody Knop, Kaden Clawson, Josh Zook, Caleb Herrman, Zarron Luker, and Jace Drake.&nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1728911098981.jpeg" alt="Ellinwood Middle school boys walking to the line one last time Saturday in Wichita: Cody Knop, Kaden Clawson, Josh Zook, Caleb Herrman, Zarron Luker, and Jace Drake. " />
 <figcaption>Ellinwood Middle school boys walking to the line one last time Saturday in Wichita: Cody Knop, Kaden Clawson, Josh Zook, Caleb Herrman, Zarron Luker, and Jace Drake. </figcaption>
 </figure>Ellinwood cross country traveled to Wichita Saturday morning to compete in the Wild Wind Fest. The bulk of the schools were from the metro area but also included teams from as far west as Liberal and as far east as Joplin, Mo.The high school fed off the energy of a course packed with rowdy spectators for seven personal records (PRs). Jenna Borror, Ali Gonzalez, Madison Dombroski, Shae Hoskins, Ethan Robl, Grey Ringwald, and Jonas Kern all set new bests for themselves.Some of our points of focus this year have been staying engaged and aggressive late in the race and being fast finishers. The high school did that very well and with the timing system scoring the teams at the halfway point we were able to get evidence of that focus. The girls' team moved up two places in the last half of the race and the boys' team gained one spot.&nbsp;This was the last meet for the middle school, and they had a great morning. Eden Ringwald (5), Addilyn Joiner (24), Caleb Herrman (22), and Cody Knop (29) all medaled. All middle school races were combined into two large fields, 6-8 girls and 6-8 boys. In addition to these medalists, nearly all middle schoolers had PR's (Personal Records) in the 2 mile. Eden Ringwald, Addilyn Joiner, Leah Steffan, Lauren Rugan, Emmalynn Perron, Maggie Kern, and Victoria Recinos all had PRs. Chloe Vaupel also ran a gutsy race finishing in the middle of our pack and only seconds off her PR after battling some sickness midweek.The middle school boys squad all with PRs included Caleb Herrman, Cody Knop, Josh Zook, Kaden Clawson, Zarron Luker, and Jace Drake. Great work! We look forward to more great racing over the next few weeks.&nbsp;Pictured - Middle school boys walking to the line one last time. Cody Knop, Kaden Clawson, Josh Zook, Caleb Herrman, Zarron Luker, and Jace Drake.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Ellinwood runners set several new personal bests Saturday in Wichita

By TODD MOORE Barton Sports Info

Posting a program third best time the last time on the course,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="http://www.bartonsports.com/sports/mxc/2024-25/bios/limo_lel_nec1">Lel Limo</a>&nbsp;once again made a program impact leading the Barton Community College men's cross country team Saturday at the Cowley Tiger Preview held at the Kansas Veterans' Home in Winfield, Kansas.

Following a month layoff from competition, four Cougars were competing in their first 8k race of the year being led by Limo placing 10th overall of the 86-man field in a time of 24:40.23. The clocking was good for a program 8th fastest in following up his program 3rd best effort the last time on the course a month ago at the FHSU Tiger Open.

<a target="_blank" href="http://www.bartonsports.com/sports/mxc/2024-25/bios/kiprono_lisbon_o9fe">Lisbon Kiprono</a>&nbsp;crossed next for the Cougars in the 53rd position in 28:30.52 as four seconds separated the remaining two Cougars with&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="http://www.bartonsports.com/sports/mxc/2024-25/bios/gordon_keandro_4v0r">Keandro Gordon</a>'s 31:21.76 beating out&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="http://www.bartonsports.com/sports/mxc/2024-25/bios/woods_korbin_k587">Korbin Woods</a>' 31:25.34 for the 77th placing.

Barton will have the next two weeks of training before returning to Winfield for the KJCCC/Region 6 Championships held Friday, October 25.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1728874856379.jpeg" alt="Lel Limo" />
 <figcaption>Lel Limo</figcaption>
 </figure>By TODD MOORE Barton Sports InfoPosting a program third best time the last time on the course,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="http://www.bartonsports.com/sports/mxc/2024-25/bios/limo_lel_nec1">Lel Limo</a>&nbsp;once again made a program impact leading the Barton Community College men's cross country team Saturday at the Cowley Tiger Preview held at the Kansas Veterans' Home in Winfield, Kansas.Following a month layoff from competition, four Cougars were competing in their first 8k race of the year being led by Limo placing 10th overall of the 86-man field in a time of 24:40.23. The clocking was good for a program 8th fastest in following up his program 3rd best effort the last time on the course a month ago at the FHSU Tiger Open.<a target="_blank" href="http://www.bartonsports.com/sports/mxc/2024-25/bios/kiprono_lisbon_o9fe">Lisbon Kiprono</a>&nbsp;crossed next for the Cougars in the 53rd position in 28:30.52 as four seconds separated the remaining two Cougars with&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="http://www.bartonsports.com/sports/mxc/2024-25/bios/gordon_keandro_4v0r">Keandro Gordon</a>'s 31:21.76 beating out&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="http://www.bartonsports.com/sports/mxc/2024-25/bios/woods_korbin_k587">Korbin Woods</a>' 31:25.34 for the 77th placing.Barton will have the next two weeks of training before returning to Winfield for the KJCCC/Region 6 Championships held Friday, October 25.

Limo again makes impact leading Barton Men’s Cross Country at Tiger Preview

A pair of Barton Community College women's cross country team members had their last regular season tune-up Saturday competing at the Cowley Tiger Preview held at the Kansas Veterans' Home in Winfield, Kansas.

Fielding just the two runners,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="http://www.bartonsports.com/sports/wxc/2024-25/bios/schultz_lakota_kjdl">Lakota Schultz</a>, who competed for host Cowley last year, recorded a season best 5k race time of 20:10.43 in placing 20th of the 53-entry race.

Freshman&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="http://www.bartonsports.com/sports/wxc/2024-25/bios/sleichter_lainie_fhns">Lainie Sleichter</a>&nbsp;also had a solid race by taking off over two minutes from her best time in posting a 24:18.94 clocking to place 48th overall.

Training for the next two weeks, Barton returns to Winfield for the KJCCC/Region 6 Championships held Friday, October 25.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1728874684787.jpeg" alt="Lainie Sleichter" />
 <figcaption>Lainie Sleichter</figcaption>
 </figure>By TODD MOORE Barton Sports InfoA pair of Barton Community College women's cross country team members had their last regular season tune-up Saturday competing at the Cowley Tiger Preview held at the Kansas Veterans' Home in Winfield, Kansas.Fielding just the two runners,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="http://www.bartonsports.com/sports/wxc/2024-25/bios/schultz_lakota_kjdl">Lakota Schultz</a>, who competed for host Cowley last year, recorded a season best 5k race time of 20:10.43 in placing 20th of the 53-entry race.Freshman&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="http://www.bartonsports.com/sports/wxc/2024-25/bios/sleichter_lainie_fhns">Lainie Sleichter</a>&nbsp;also had a solid race by taking off over two minutes from her best time in posting a 24:18.94 clocking to place 48th overall.Training for the next two weeks, Barton returns to Winfield for the KJCCC/Region 6 Championships held Friday, October 25.

Barton Women’s Cross Country competes at Tiger Preview

- Great Bend Panther football analyst Shawn Behr joins the crew to recap Friday's road game at Liberal, with the first preview of next Friday's huge matchup with Hays at Memorial Stadium.

- Great Bend Tribune Sports Editor Jim Misunas

- Mike Courson goes "On the Prowl" with Great Bend cross country coach Lyles Lashley

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1693997740304.jpeg" alt="Monday show lineup with hosts Steve Webster, Mike Courson, and Mike Hesher" />
 <figcaption>Monday show lineup with hosts Steve Webster, Mike Courson, and Mike Hesher</figcaption>
 </figure><div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/T5vhOVfjCz4?si=fwBcVnHXK0GVwoiR" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>- Great Bend Panther football analyst Shawn Behr joins the crew to recap Friday's road game at Liberal, with the first preview of next Friday's huge matchup with Hays at Memorial Stadium.- Great Bend Tribune Sports Editor Jim Misunas- Mike Courson goes "On the Prowl" with Great Bend cross country coach Lyles Lashley- Weekend Sports Headlines- Sounds of the weekend

Monday on Sports Day(Watch)

By BRANDON SMITH Barton Sports Info

The Barton Community College swimming programs opened the dual portion of the season Saturday afternoon at the Reiver Triangular held at the Titan Hill Intermediate Pool in Council Bluffs, Iowa.

Competing against Maryville University and host Iowa Western Community College, the Lady Cougars claimed the dual with five first place finishes to rack up 549.0 points with Maryville finishing runner up scoring 538.50 while the Reivers of Iowa Western compiled 445.50.

On the men's side, Iowa Western garnered six golds for a top team score 922 with the Saints of Maryville falling 29 points back in the runner-up slot and Barton falling in the third spot behind six first place finishers and final 881 point accumulation.

The Cougars will have next weekend off before returning to the pool in Conway, Arkansas for the 61st Hendrix Relays on Friday October 25th before concluding the weekend in the 56th Annual Hendrix Classic on Saturday October 26th.

Women's Recap Claiming five golds throughout the afternoon, the Barton women accounted for four personal best times with two new season best marks and a new program top-10 time.

Leading the team individually was&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="http://www.bartonsports.com/sports/wswimdive/2024-25/bios/baxter_makayla_7lh3">Makayla Baxter</a>'s pair of gold medals, as the freshman mended two new personal best times first coming in 100 backstroke with a stoppage of 1:14.51 before concluding her day with the fastest wall touch of 2:38.71 in the 200 backstroke.

<a target="_blank" href="http://www.bartonsports.com/sports/wswimdive/2024-25/bios/alvarez_katy_w1y9">Katy Alvarez</a>&nbsp;sustained her early season success as the freshman rewrote her program top-10 time in the 200-breaststroke besting the field with the program's ninth quickest time 2:48.08.

Sophomores&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="http://www.bartonsports.com/sports/wswimdive/2024-25/bios/cicha_aleksandra_l8hj">Aleksandra Cicha</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="http://www.bartonsports.com/sports/wswimdive/2024-25/bios/lara_elena_5nm4">Elena Lara</a>&nbsp;pocketed the final individual titles for the Cougars, Cicha capturing her gold in the 1000-freestyle in 11:46.29 with Lara out touching Cicha in the 200-butterfly with a 2:24.09 stoppage.

Barton's final personal best time came in the 50-freestyle behind&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="http://www.bartonsports.com/sports/wswimdive/2024-25/bios/naldoza_mia_qk6f">Mia Naldoza</a>'s third place wall touch in 30.32.

Men's Recap<a target="_blank" href="http://www.bartonsports.com/sports/mswimdive/2024-25/bios/guimaraes_arnaldo_6ayy">Arnaldo Guimaraes</a>&nbsp;highlighted the men's six gold medals claiming a pair behind a personal best 59.54 in the 100-breaststroke and adding his second individual crown in the 200-IM besting the five-entry field in 2:00.40.

Freshman&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="http://www.bartonsports.com/sports/mswimdive/2024-25/bios/ribeiro_joao_m0f9">Joao Ribeiro</a>&nbsp;led a four pack of Cougars in the 100-freestyle paving the waves quickest in the seven-competitor field with a best time 48.84 while&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="http://www.bartonsports.com/sports/mswimdive/2024-25/bios/sein_cameron_yvef">Cameron Sein</a>&nbsp;mended a runner-up 49.08 with&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="http://www.bartonsports.com/sports/mswimdive/2024-25/bios/fair_skyler_uid5">Skyler Fair</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="http://www.bartonsports.com/sports/mswimdive/2024-25/bios/silmon-_jr._juwayne_jq3m">Juwayne Silmon, Jr.</a>&nbsp;finishing sixth and seventh respectfully.

Barton's final individual victory came in the lone distance event with&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="http://www.bartonsports.com/sports/mswimdive/2024-25/bios/wallet_mateo_ja6u">Mateo Wallet</a>&nbsp;leading the field of four in 5:04.85.

In team events the Cougars mended both fields with Wallet, Guimaraes, Sein, and Ribeiro setting a season best 1:39.59 in the 200-Medley before the four pack concluded the 28-event afternoon outlasting the 200-freestyle field in 1:29.05.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1728875361681.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>By BRANDON SMITH Barton Sports InfoThe Barton Community College swimming programs opened the dual portion of the season Saturday afternoon at the Reiver Triangular held at the Titan Hill Intermediate Pool in Council Bluffs, Iowa.Competing against Maryville University and host Iowa Western Community College, the Lady Cougars claimed the dual with five first place finishes to rack up 549.0 points with Maryville finishing runner up scoring 538.50 while the Reivers of Iowa Western compiled 445.50.On the men's side, Iowa Western garnered six golds for a top team score 922 with the Saints of Maryville falling 29 points back in the runner-up slot and Barton falling in the third spot behind six first place finishers and final 881 point accumulation.The Cougars will have next weekend off before returning to the pool in Conway, Arkansas for the 61st Hendrix Relays on Friday October 25th before concluding the weekend in the 56th Annual Hendrix Classic on Saturday October 26th.Women's Recap Claiming five golds throughout the afternoon, the Barton women accounted for four personal best times with two new season best marks and a new program top-10 time.Leading the team individually was&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="http://www.bartonsports.com/sports/wswimdive/2024-25/bios/baxter_makayla_7lh3">Makayla Baxter</a>'s pair of gold medals, as the freshman mended two new personal best times first coming in 100 backstroke with a stoppage of 1:14.51 before concluding her day with the fastest wall touch of 2:38.71 in the 200 backstroke.<a target="_blank" href="http://www.bartonsports.com/sports/wswimdive/2024-25/bios/alvarez_katy_w1y9">Katy Alvarez</a>&nbsp;sustained her early season success as the freshman rewrote her program top-10 time in the 200-breaststroke besting the field with the program's ninth quickest time 2:48.08.Sophomores&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="http://www.bartonsports.com/sports/wswimdive/2024-25/bios/cicha_aleksandra_l8hj">Aleksandra Cicha</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="http://www.bartonsports.com/sports/wswimdive/2024-25/bios/lara_elena_5nm4">Elena Lara</a>&nbsp;pocketed the final individual titles for the Cougars, Cicha capturing her gold in the 1000-freestyle in 11:46.29 with Lara out touching Cicha in the 200-butterfly with a 2:24.09 stoppage.Barton's final personal best time came in the 50-freestyle behind&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="http://www.bartonsports.com/sports/wswimdive/2024-25/bios/naldoza_mia_qk6f">Mia Naldoza</a>'s third place wall touch in 30.32.Men's Recap<a target="_blank" href="http://www.bartonsports.com/sports/mswimdive/2024-25/bios/guimaraes_arnaldo_6ayy">Arnaldo Guimaraes</a>&nbsp;highlighted the men's six gold medals claiming a pair behind a personal best 59.54 in the 100-breaststroke and adding his second individual crown in the 200-IM besting the five-entry field in 2:00.40.Freshman&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="http://www.bartonsports.com/sports/mswimdive/2024-25/bios/ribeiro_joao_m0f9">Joao Ribeiro</a>&nbsp;led a four pack of Cougars in the 100-freestyle paving the waves quickest in the seven-competitor field with a best time 48.84 while&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="http://www.bartonsports.com/sports/mswimdive/2024-25/bios/sein_cameron_yvef">Cameron Sein</a>&nbsp;mended a runner-up 49.08 with&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="http://www.bartonsports.com/sports/mswimdive/2024-25/bios/fair_skyler_uid5">Skyler Fair</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="http://www.bartonsports.com/sports/mswimdive/2024-25/bios/silmon-_jr._juwayne_jq3m">Juwayne Silmon, Jr.</a>&nbsp;finishing sixth and seventh respectfully.Barton's final individual victory came in the lone distance event with&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="http://www.bartonsports.com/sports/mswimdive/2024-25/bios/wallet_mateo_ja6u">Mateo Wallet</a>&nbsp;leading the field of four in 5:04.85.In team events the Cougars mended both fields with Wallet, Guimaraes, Sein, and Ribeiro setting a season best 1:39.59 in the 200-Medley before the four pack concluded the 28-event afternoon outlasting the 200-freestyle field in 1:29.05.

Barton women's swimming wins Reiver Triangular; Cougar men finish third

An early second half goal on Saturday afternoon proved to be the difference maker as the Barton Community College men's soccer team fell 1-0 to Kansas City Kansas Community College at the Cougar Soccer Complex.

Suffering their second straight loss, the Cougars drop to third in the conference standings at 5-4-0 and 9-6-1 overall while the victory moves the Blue Devils into second place in the league standings at 5-2-3 and 5-2-4 on the season.

Barton will have the week to rest up before closing out the home portion of the regular season next Saturday hosting No. 7 Cowley College in a 1:00 p.m. kickoff from the Cougar Soccer Complex.

Limited possession over the opening 45-minutes carried over early into the second half with the Blue Devils benefitting 50-seconds into the final frame as Payson Hoffstatter's long throw in placed inside the box deflecting off the unmarked body of Noah Conover and into the back of the net.

The Cougars were outshot for the second straight game and third time this season as the Blue Devils held the final edge 17-10.

<a target="_blank" href="http://www.bartonsports.com/sports/msoc/2024-25/bios/ludemann-ravit_emil_9x58">Emil Ludemann-Ravit</a>&nbsp;took the hard decision in net falling to 4-2-1 on the year denying six of the seven shot attempts faced.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1728875202617.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>By BRANDON SMITH Barton Sports InfoAn early second half goal on Saturday afternoon proved to be the difference maker as the Barton Community College men's soccer team fell 1-0 to Kansas City Kansas Community College at the Cougar Soccer Complex.Suffering their second straight loss, the Cougars drop to third in the conference standings at 5-4-0 and 9-6-1 overall while the victory moves the Blue Devils into second place in the league standings at 5-2-3 and 5-2-4 on the season.Barton will have the week to rest up before closing out the home portion of the regular season next Saturday hosting No. 7 Cowley College in a 1:00 p.m. kickoff from the Cougar Soccer Complex.Limited possession over the opening 45-minutes carried over early into the second half with the Blue Devils benefitting 50-seconds into the final frame as Payson Hoffstatter's long throw in placed inside the box deflecting off the unmarked body of Noah Conover and into the back of the net.The Cougars were outshot for the second straight game and third time this season as the Blue Devils held the final edge 17-10.<a target="_blank" href="http://www.bartonsports.com/sports/msoc/2024-25/bios/ludemann-ravit_emil_9x58">Emil Ludemann-Ravit</a>&nbsp;took the hard decision in net falling to 4-2-1 on the year denying six of the seven shot attempts faced.

Early second half goal sends Barton Men's Soccer to 1-0 loss to KCK

The Barton Community College women's soccer team led for nearly 63-minutes over No. 7 Kansas City Kansas Community College on Saturday but wasn't enough as an equalizing goal with 21:46 remaining furnished a 1-1 draw at the Cougar Soccer Complex.

The result leaves the Cougars in third place in the Jayhawk conference standings at 5-4-3 and 7-4-3 overall while the Blue Devils remain unbeaten moving to 9-0-4 in league play and 11-0-4 overall.

Barton will return to the pitch Wednesday night with a road trip to No. 16 Hutchinson Community College for a 6:00 p.m. kickoff at the Salthawk Sports Complex.

It took just 5:29 before the Cougars netted the game's opening marker on&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="http://www.bartonsports.com/sports/wsoc/2024-25/bios/jolly_fiona_g347">Fiona Jolly</a>'s rise and shine header going near post off&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="http://www.bartonsports.com/sports/wsoc/2024-25/bios/silva_leticia_f680">Leticia Quadros</a>&nbsp;corner kick for her team tying eighth net finder of the season.

The lead held until just under 22-minutes remaining with a Blue Devil counterattack breaking behind the Cougar defensive backline setting up Kiara Carr's through ball placed inside the 6' finding Cora Ellermann in front for an empty net soft tap in.

Both teams created 13 shot attempts with Barton holding a slight 9-7 edge in shots on target.

The draw moves&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="http://www.bartonsports.com/sports/wsoc/2024-25/bios/tanaka_mio_fiw7">Mio Tanaka</a>'s record in net to 7-4-3 on the season after rejecting eight of the nine shots faced.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1728875006538.jpeg" alt="Sara Aguirre Lancheros dribbling ball against KCK." />
 <figcaption>Sara Aguirre Lancheros dribbling ball against KCK.</figcaption>
 </figure>By BRANDON SMITH Barton Sports InfoThe Barton Community College women's soccer team led for nearly 63-minutes over No. 7 Kansas City Kansas Community College on Saturday but wasn't enough as an equalizing goal with 21:46 remaining furnished a 1-1 draw at the Cougar Soccer Complex.The result leaves the Cougars in third place in the Jayhawk conference standings at 5-4-3 and 7-4-3 overall while the Blue Devils remain unbeaten moving to 9-0-4 in league play and 11-0-4 overall.Barton will return to the pitch Wednesday night with a road trip to No. 16 Hutchinson Community College for a 6:00 p.m. kickoff at the Salthawk Sports Complex.It took just 5:29 before the Cougars netted the game's opening marker on&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="http://www.bartonsports.com/sports/wsoc/2024-25/bios/jolly_fiona_g347">Fiona Jolly</a>'s rise and shine header going near post off&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="http://www.bartonsports.com/sports/wsoc/2024-25/bios/silva_leticia_f680">Leticia Quadros</a>&nbsp;corner kick for her team tying eighth net finder of the season.The lead held until just under 22-minutes remaining with a Blue Devil counterattack breaking behind the Cougar defensive backline setting up Kiara Carr's through ball placed inside the 6' finding Cora Ellermann in front for an empty net soft tap in.Both teams created 13 shot attempts with Barton holding a slight 9-7 edge in shots on target.The draw moves&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="http://www.bartonsports.com/sports/wsoc/2024-25/bios/tanaka_mio_fiw7">Mio Tanaka</a>'s record in net to 7-4-3 on the season after rejecting eight of the nine shots faced.

Barton Women's Soccer plays to 1-1 draw with No. 7 KCK

The second-ranked 2A Ellinwood Eagles continued their reign of dominance in the Central Prairie League (CPL) volleyball tournament, clinching their eighth-straight league title Saturday. The Eagles went a perfect 6-0 on the day, not dropping a single set, and pushed their season record to 32-2.

“I was proud of the girls’ level of consistency all day,” said Ellinwood head coach Greg Maxwell. “We’re working on key aspects on our side of the net to raise our standard of play moving forward. It was a successful day, and I really liked how the team reacted in pressure situations in the finals, making the plays we needed to when it mattered most.”

Ellinwood’s dominance was on full display throughout the tournament as they overwhelmed their opponents with both precision and power. With every player contributing, the Eagles showcased the depth and determination that have made them one of the top 2A teams in Kansas.

Coach Maxwell also acknowledged the significance of the program’s success over the past decade. “It’s special for our program to earn an eighth-straight title. I’m proud of all the girls who have been part of these CPL Tournament Championships,” Maxwell added.

As the Eagles prepare to enter the postseason, they’ll look to carry this momentum forward and make another deep run, keeping their eyes on a potential state championship.

For Ellinwood, this CPL title win is not just another trophy but a testament to years of hard work, commitment, and excellence—qualities that continue to define the Eagles’ volleyball program.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1728907730331.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>The second-ranked 2A Ellinwood Eagles continued their reign of dominance in the Central Prairie League (CPL) volleyball tournament, clinching their eighth-straight league title Saturday. The Eagles went a perfect 6-0 on the day, not dropping a single set, and pushed their season record to 32-2.“I was proud of the girls’ level of consistency all day,” said Ellinwood head coach Greg Maxwell. “We’re working on key aspects on our side of the net to raise our standard of play moving forward. It was a successful day, and I really liked how the team reacted in pressure situations in the finals, making the plays we needed to when it mattered most.”Ellinwood’s dominance was on full display throughout the tournament as they overwhelmed their opponents with both precision and power. With every player contributing, the Eagles showcased the depth and determination that have made them one of the top 2A teams in Kansas.Coach Maxwell also acknowledged the significance of the program’s success over the past decade. “It’s special for our program to earn an eighth-straight title. I’m proud of all the girls who have been part of these CPL Tournament Championships,” Maxwell added.As the Eagles prepare to enter the postseason, they’ll look to carry this momentum forward and make another deep run, keeping their eyes on a potential state championship.For Ellinwood, this CPL title win is not just another trophy but a testament to years of hard work, commitment, and excellence—qualities that continue to define the Eagles’ volleyball program.

No. 2 Ellinwood volleyball team claims eighth-straight league title

LOS ANGELES (AP) — After spending the first seven years of his big league career back East,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/dodgers-athletics-score-74c24e5d450a564a2325ba5e8de5dbce">Jack Flaherty</a>&nbsp;came home. He joined a winning team in the Los Angeles Dodgers and helped make a bit of playoff history. Flaherty combined on a three-hitter and Los Angeles Dodgers pitchers tied the postseason record of 33 consecutive scoreless innings by routing the New York Mets 9-0 Sunday night in the NL Championship Series opener. Los Angeles knocked out&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mlb-playoffs-mets-senga-542e8760ccce39ef3fe0edd491c83919">a wild Kodai Senga</a>&nbsp;in the second inning, built a six-run lead by the fourth and matched the scoreless record set by Baltimore Orioles pitchers over the first four games of the 1966 World Series against the Dodgers.

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — Joe Burrow made just enough plays and the maligned Bengals defense stepped up and delivered a much-needed victory that gave Cincinnati some hope after a dismal start. Burrow&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/NFL/status/1845623117395480673" target="_blank">scored on a career-long 47-yard run</a>&nbsp;on the opening possession, and Chase Brown added a game-clinching 30-yard touchdown run one play after his fumble luckily rolled out of bounds in a 17-7 victory over the New York Giants on Sunday night. Evan McPherson made a go-ahead 37-yard field goal in the third quarter after a botched snap and hold contributed to him missing a potential game-winning kick a week earlier.

Oregon and Penn State each moved up a spot in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll">The Associated Press college football poll</a>&nbsp;on Sunday following thrilling wins in high-profile games, and Top 25 newcomers&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/army-navy-undefeated-football-bbb0b86caa8ae81aa8f7ca8d3d0b3ed7">Navy and Army</a>&nbsp;are in the rankings together for the first time since 1960. Texas strengthened its hold on No. 1 with its&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/texas-oklahoma-college-football-score-ewers-fdde647e2a9dd15a1a768d244301bad2">31-point victory over Oklahoma.</a>&nbsp;The Longhorns received 56 of 62 first-place votes, four more than last week and their most since they were a unanimous No. 1 in October 2008. This weekend wasn’t as crazy as the week before, when&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/college-football-poll-upset-vanderbilt-alabama-51130c6ccebf2dd35c62988a3bfcd653">four of the top 11 teams were upset</a>&nbsp;and only two teams held their spots in the ensuing rankings shuffle. That’s not to say Week 7 was devoid of excitement.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ohio-state-oregon-score-68fb7b786ae40ca2630bb3bafd68830d">Oregon’s 32-31 home win over Ohio State</a>&nbsp;featured seven lead changes and moved the Ducks to No. 2 with the other six first-place votes. It’s their highest ranking since they ended the 2014 season at No. 2 after losing to the Buckeyes in the inaugural College Football Playoff championship game.

CONCORD, N.C. (AP) — When rain disrupted Kyle Larson’s bid to complete both the Indianapolis 500 and the Coca-Cola 600 on the same day — leaving him unable to turn a single lap at Charlotte Motor Speedway — he returned to the track determined to put on a show. Larson raced to his Cup Series-high sixth victory of the season Sunday to easily advance to the third round of NASCAR’s playoffs, winning on The Roval — the hybrid road course/oval at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Larson led a race-high 62 laps in the No. 5 Chevrolet to win in a runaway. He beat longtime rival and title contender Christopher Bell by 1.511 seconds.

SUNDAY'S SCORES Major League Baseball Playoffs

LA Dodgers 9, NY Mets 0&nbsp; (Dodgers lead best-of-seven series 1-0)

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1723542041782.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>LOS ANGELES (AP) — After spending the first seven years of his big league career back East,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/dodgers-athletics-score-74c24e5d450a564a2325ba5e8de5dbce">Jack Flaherty</a>&nbsp;came home. He joined a winning team in the Los Angeles Dodgers and helped make a bit of playoff history. Flaherty combined on a three-hitter and Los Angeles Dodgers pitchers tied the postseason record of 33 consecutive scoreless innings by routing the New York Mets 9-0 Sunday night in the NL Championship Series opener. Los Angeles knocked out&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mlb-playoffs-mets-senga-542e8760ccce39ef3fe0edd491c83919">a wild Kodai Senga</a>&nbsp;in the second inning, built a six-run lead by the fourth and matched the scoreless record set by Baltimore Orioles pitchers over the first four games of the 1966 World Series against the Dodgers.EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — Joe Burrow made just enough plays and the maligned Bengals defense stepped up and delivered a much-needed victory that gave Cincinnati some hope after a dismal start. Burrow&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/NFL/status/1845623117395480673" target="_blank">scored on a career-long 47-yard run</a>&nbsp;on the opening possession, and Chase Brown added a game-clinching 30-yard touchdown run one play after his fumble luckily rolled out of bounds in a 17-7 victory over the New York Giants on Sunday night. Evan McPherson made a go-ahead 37-yard field goal in the third quarter after a botched snap and hold contributed to him missing a potential game-winning kick a week earlier.Oregon and Penn State each moved up a spot in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll">The Associated Press college football poll</a>&nbsp;on Sunday following thrilling wins in high-profile games, and Top 25 newcomers&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/army-navy-undefeated-football-bbb0b86caa8ae81aa8f7ca8d3d0b3ed7">Navy and Army</a>&nbsp;are in the rankings together for the first time since 1960. Texas strengthened its hold on No. 1 with its&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/texas-oklahoma-college-football-score-ewers-fdde647e2a9dd15a1a768d244301bad2">31-point victory over Oklahoma.</a>&nbsp;The Longhorns received 56 of 62 first-place votes, four more than last week and their most since they were a unanimous No. 1 in October 2008. This weekend wasn’t as crazy as the week before, when&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/college-football-poll-upset-vanderbilt-alabama-51130c6ccebf2dd35c62988a3bfcd653">four of the top 11 teams were upset</a>&nbsp;and only two teams held their spots in the ensuing rankings shuffle. That’s not to say Week 7 was devoid of excitement.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ohio-state-oregon-score-68fb7b786ae40ca2630bb3bafd68830d">Oregon’s 32-31 home win over Ohio State</a>&nbsp;featured seven lead changes and moved the Ducks to No. 2 with the other six first-place votes. It’s their highest ranking since they ended the 2014 season at No. 2 after losing to the Buckeyes in the inaugural College Football Playoff championship game.CONCORD, N.C. (AP) — When rain disrupted Kyle Larson’s bid to complete both the Indianapolis 500 and the Coca-Cola 600 on the same day — leaving him unable to turn a single lap at Charlotte Motor Speedway — he returned to the track determined to put on a show. Larson raced to his Cup Series-high sixth victory of the season Sunday to easily advance to the third round of NASCAR’s playoffs, winning on The Roval — the hybrid road course/oval at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Larson led a race-high 62 laps in the No. 5 Chevrolet to win in a runaway. He beat longtime rival and title contender Christopher Bell by 1.511 seconds.SUNDAY'S SCORES Major League Baseball PlayoffsLA Dodgers 9, NY Mets 0&nbsp; (Dodgers lead best-of-seven series 1-0)National Football LeagueChicago 35, Jacksonville 16Tampa Bay 51, New Orleans 27Baltimore 30, Washington 23Indianapolis 20, Tennessee 17Green Bay 34, Arizona 13Houston 41, New England 21Philadelphia 20, Cleveland 16Pittsburgh 32, Las Vegas 13LA Chargers 23, Denver 16Detroit 47, Dallas 9Atlanta 38, Carolina 20Cincinnati 17, NY Giants 7

Monday's sports headlines and scores presented by Barton Community College

The Lady Panther tennis team will have a representative at the Class 5A state championships after sophomore Paige Stacey finished fourth in the singles bracket Saturday in Salina. The doubles team of Darcy Feist and Mac Lindberg came up one win shy of state qualification.

The top six finishers from each bracket head to the state tournament, which for Class 5A, means a trip to Andover on Friday and Saturday. Stacey entered the bracket as the No. 4 seed, promptly dumping the No. 13 seed from Hutchinson 6-2, 6-0. Stacey punched her ticket to state with a 6-3, 4-6, 11-9 battle against the No. 5 seed from Newton. Kali Keough, the No. 1 seed and eventual runner-up, downed Stacey 6-1, 6-1 in the semifinals. Stacey fell 6-4, 6-0 to the No. 6 seed from Newton in the consolation finals.

Feist and Lindberg entered the doubles bracket as the No. 8 seed and needed three sets to get by the No. 9 seed from Hays 4-6, 6-3, 10-6. The girls lost 6-0, 6-0 to Salina Central's powerhouse Renfro duo that blanked three opponents on the way to a regional title. Needing one more win to advance to state, Feist and Lindberg dropped a 6-4, 6-2 match to the No. 5 seed from Newton.

As the No. 15 seed in the singles bracket, Clarise Snapp had a tough draw with a 6-0, 6-0 loss to the No. 2 seed from Valley Center, who blanked three of her four opponents on the way to a regional title. Likewise, Mackenzie LaViolette and Beth Hammeke entered the doubles bracket opposite Central's Renfro girls, losing 6-0, 6-0 in the first round.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1727270029460.jpeg" alt="Great Bend sophomore Paige Stacey qualified for the Class 5A State Tennis Championships after a fourth-place finish in regional action Saturday in Salina." />
 <figcaption>Great Bend sophomore Paige Stacey qualified for the Class 5A State Tennis Championships after a fourth-place finish in regional action Saturday in Salina.</figcaption>
 </figure>Great Bend Post SportsThe Lady Panther tennis team will have a representative at the Class 5A state championships after sophomore Paige Stacey finished fourth in the singles bracket Saturday in Salina. The doubles team of Darcy Feist and Mac Lindberg came up one win shy of state qualification.The top six finishers from each bracket head to the state tournament, which for Class 5A, means a trip to Andover on Friday and Saturday. Stacey entered the bracket as the No. 4 seed, promptly dumping the No. 13 seed from Hutchinson 6-2, 6-0. Stacey punched her ticket to state with a 6-3, 4-6, 11-9 battle against the No. 5 seed from Newton. Kali Keough, the No. 1 seed and eventual runner-up, downed Stacey 6-1, 6-1 in the semifinals. Stacey fell 6-4, 6-0 to the No. 6 seed from Newton in the consolation finals.Feist and Lindberg entered the doubles bracket as the No. 8 seed and needed three sets to get by the No. 9 seed from Hays 4-6, 6-3, 10-6. The girls lost 6-0, 6-0 to Salina Central's powerhouse Renfro duo that blanked three opponents on the way to a regional title. Needing one more win to advance to state, Feist and Lindberg dropped a 6-4, 6-2 match to the No. 5 seed from Newton.As the No. 15 seed in the singles bracket, Clarise Snapp had a tough draw with a 6-0, 6-0 loss to the No. 2 seed from Valley Center, who blanked three of her four opponents on the way to a regional title. Likewise, Mackenzie LaViolette and Beth Hammeke entered the doubles bracket opposite Central's Renfro girls, losing 6-0, 6-0 in the first round.

Stacey heads to state; Lady Panther netters end season at Salina regional

Since dropping back-to-back matches to Manhattan and fourth-ranked Clay Center (4A) in mid-September, the No. 9 Lady Panther volleyball team has now rattled off 19 consecutive wins. Great Bend posted a 5-0 record Saturday in El Dorado to win that tournament and improve to 27-2 on the season. Three of the five wins came in straight sets.

Four of the five opponents Saturday have .500 records or better. Class 4A Chanute sits a 20-8 on the season after a 25-14, 19-25, 25-17 win by Great Bend. The Lady Panther seniors were big at the net offensively as Kara Feist pounded out 13 kills and Cassie Ellegood added 12. Feist also had a pair of blocks. Junior Ava Kaiser served up a pair of aces, and sophomore Kya Behr finished with 33 assists. The back row was busy with 66 digs in the three sets. Sophomore Alex Mayers led the way with 17, followed by 16 from Kaiser and 15 from Behr.

Great Bend needed just two sets to get by 15-9 Valley Center 25-18, 25-19. Ellegood led the offense with seven kills, followed by six from Behr and four from freshman Mikala Minton. Ellegood finished with three blocks on the defensive side. Mayers served up two of the team's three aces in the win, and Behr finished with 15 assists. Kaiser was huge in the back row with 16 of the team's 41 digs. Minton and Mayers combined for 15 more.

Great Bend also defeated Wichita West and Arkansas City in straight sets and beat Buhler in three sets. The Lady Panthers travel to Smith Center on Tuesday for triangular action against the Phillipsburg and Smith Center.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1728873496405.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Great Bend Post SportsSince dropping back-to-back matches to Manhattan and fourth-ranked Clay Center (4A) in mid-September, the No. 9 Lady Panther volleyball team has now rattled off 19 consecutive wins. Great Bend posted a 5-0 record Saturday in El Dorado to win that tournament and improve to 27-2 on the season. Three of the five wins came in straight sets.Four of the five opponents Saturday have .500 records or better. Class 4A Chanute sits a 20-8 on the season after a 25-14, 19-25, 25-17 win by Great Bend. The Lady Panther seniors were big at the net offensively as Kara Feist pounded out 13 kills and Cassie Ellegood added 12. Feist also had a pair of blocks. Junior Ava Kaiser served up a pair of aces, and sophomore Kya Behr finished with 33 assists. The back row was busy with 66 digs in the three sets. Sophomore Alex Mayers led the way with 17, followed by 16 from Kaiser and 15 from Behr.Great Bend needed just two sets to get by 15-9 Valley Center 25-18, 25-19. Ellegood led the offense with seven kills, followed by six from Behr and four from freshman Mikala Minton. Ellegood finished with three blocks on the defensive side. Mayers served up two of the team's three aces in the win, and Behr finished with 15 assists. Kaiser was huge in the back row with 16 of the team's 41 digs. Minton and Mayers combined for 15 more.Great Bend also defeated Wichita West and Arkansas City in straight sets and beat Buhler in three sets. The Lady Panthers travel to Smith Center on Tuesday for triangular action against the Phillipsburg and Smith Center.

No. 9 Lady Panther volleyball moves to 27-2 with 5-0 run at El Dorado

The top six individual finishers from Friday and Saturday's regional tennis tournaments qualified for the state tournament. Here are the area qualifiers:

Class 5A Salina 4th place - Paige Stacey, Great Bend, sophomore

Class 3-2-1A Ashland 1st place - Chelsie Brown, Sterling, junior 2nd&nbsp; place - Camila Sanchez-Rojas, St. John, senior 4th place - Danika Bingle-Zimmerman, Sterling, sophomore 6th place - Jennifer Gracia, St. John, junior

Doubles 1st place - Emily Wellman (sr.) and Jaiden Jaeger (jr.), Sterling

Class 3-2-1A Wakeeney 1st place - Karlie Haase, Ellsworth, sophomore 2nd place - Claire Crutcher, Hoisington, senior 3rd place - Lauren Sleder, Larned, freshman 4th place - Reese Merlau, Hoisington, senior 5th place - Hannah Vague, Ellsworth, sophomore

Doubles 1st place - Inarie Rippert (jr.) and Reygan Coonrod (soph.), Ellsworth 2nd place - Ryann Metro (sr.) and Grace Lamatsch (sr.), Central Plains 3rd place - Elena Jundt (sr.) and Felis De la Cruz (jr.), Ellsworth 4th place - Grace Sturtz (sr.) and Mahra Johnston (sr.), Ellinwood

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1726501002625.jpeg" alt="Great Bend sophomore Paige Stacey was one of several area players to qualify for next weekend's state tennis tournaments." />
 <figcaption>Great Bend sophomore Paige Stacey was one of several area players to qualify for next weekend's state tennis tournaments.</figcaption>
 </figure>Great Bend Post SportsThe top six individual finishers from Friday and Saturday's regional tennis tournaments qualified for the state tournament. Here are the area qualifiers:Class 5A Salina 4th place - Paige Stacey, Great Bend, sophomoreClass 3-2-1A Ashland 1st place - Chelsie Brown, Sterling, junior 2nd&nbsp; place - Camila Sanchez-Rojas, St. John, senior 4th place - Danika Bingle-Zimmerman, Sterling, sophomore 6th place - Jennifer Gracia, St. John, juniorDoubles 1st place - Emily Wellman (sr.) and Jaiden Jaeger (jr.), SterlingClass 3-2-1A Wakeeney 1st place - Karlie Haase, Ellsworth, sophomore 2nd place - Claire Crutcher, Hoisington, senior 3rd place - Lauren Sleder, Larned, freshman 4th place - Reese Merlau, Hoisington, senior 5th place - Hannah Vague, Ellsworth, sophomoreDoubles 1st place - Inarie Rippert (jr.) and Reygan Coonrod (soph.), Ellsworth 2nd place - Ryann Metro (sr.) and Grace Lamatsch (sr.), Central Plains 3rd place - Elena Jundt (sr.) and Felis De la Cruz (jr.), Ellsworth 4th place - Grace Sturtz (sr.) and Mahra Johnston (sr.), Ellinwood

Area tennis state qualifiers

BOULDER, Colo. (AP) — Avery Johnson rebounded from throwing a late interception by&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/RGIII/status/1845343431058420074">finding Jayce Brown</a>&nbsp;for a 50-yard touchdown with 2:14 remaining as&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/KStateFB/status/1845352115549471225">No. 18 Kansas State</a>&nbsp;escaped with a 31-28 win over Colorado on Saturday night.

The dual-threat quarterback for the Wildcats (5-1, 2-1 Big 12) finished with a rushing score and two passing TDs, both to Brown.

Leading 21-7 in the third quarter, the Wildcats saw the Buffaloes (4-2, 2-1) steadily chip away. Colorado took the lead when Shedeur Sanders threw an 11-yard touchdown pass to LaJohntay Wester with 3:12 left.

The score was set up when Johnson’s tipped pass resulted in a 59-yard interception return by cornerback Colton Hood, who was filling in after two-way star&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/travis-hunter-colorado-buffaloes-2b1dccbb45f5b415191c8672729d1389">Travis Hunter</a>&nbsp;left the game in the first half with an apparent shoulder injury.

Johnson needed only three plays to help Kansas State retake the lead. The Wildcats defense stopped the Buffaloes on downs to cement the win.

“Ultimately you’ve just got to make plays in big moments,” Johnson said. “Ultimately, that’s what our guys did.”

It was nearly the second straight magical comeback at Folsom Field for the Buffaloes. They beat Baylor on Sept. 21 in overtime after tying it up on a Hail Mary pass with no time left in regulation.

“Sometimes when you lose in life, you get your butt kicked and you've just got to take. Sometimes you lose, you say, ‘Dang, we should’ve won that. We should've had that,'” Colorado coach Deion Sanders said. “That was one of those types of games. That's not taking anything away from our opponents because they played their butts off.”

<a href="https://x.com/KStateFB/status/1845353222946341164">DJ Giddens</a>&nbsp;finished with 182 yards to become the first tailback this season to break 100 against the Buffaloes. Kansas State outgained Colorado 185 to minus-29 on the ground.

<a href="https://x.com/ESPNWichita/status/1845310769484775745">For Wildcats tailback Dylan Edwards,</a>&nbsp;it was a successful return to Folsom Field with a 1-yard TD run. He was a true freshman with the Buffaloes last season before transferring to Kansas State.

The Buffaloes' three-game winning streak came to a halt. More concerning, the health of Hunter, who appeared to hurt his shoulder catching a Shedeur Sanders pass and running full speed into safety Daniel Cobbs in the second quarter. The team also lost receivers Jimmy Horn Jr., Omarion Miller and Terrell Timmons Jr. to injuries.

Hunter is a Heisman hopeful for his play as a cornerback and receiver. Before leaving, he showed off his blocking skills by picking a defender and allowing Wester to score on a 25-yard pass.

Prior to the interception and the comeback, Johnson was having all sorts of fun on the field. He broke out the “Deion Shuffle” after a score. The cameras also caught Johnson taking a selfie with a fan in the stands who handed him their phone as he rode a stationary bike.

Johnson briefly went to the locker room in the third quarter holding his left side but returned to throw a TD pass to make it 21-7.

Shedeur Sanders finished 34 of 40 for 388 yards and three scores. He completed a school-best 16 straight passes and nearly had a 17th in a row but Will Sheppard dropped a pass in his hands. Soon after,&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/CUBuffsFootball/status/1845326551191060763">Sheppard made up for it</a>&nbsp;with a difficult 7-yard TD reception to make it 21-14.

“Yeah, we made a statement — that we lost,” the Colorado QB said.

Kansas State: Johnson and the Wildcats didn't panic after losing the lead and found a way to respond. “Some of the things that happened will help us down the road,” coach Chris Klieman said.

Colorado: Safety Shilo Sanders made his return after missing three games with a forearm injury. “I thought he was rusty," his father/coach said.

Longtime NBA standout Carmelo Anthony was on the sideline wearing a Colorado Avalanche jersey.&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/CUBuffsFootball/status/1845300543486402843">Kevin Durant showed</a>&nbsp;up near Colorado's bench, too. The Phoenix Suns play the Denver Nuggets in a preseason game Sunday night.

Also on hand was Nuggets guard Russell Westbrook.

Kansas State: At West Virginia next Saturday.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1728805522456.jpeg" alt="Kansas State quarterback Avery Johnson rushed for a touchdown and passed for two more, including one with 2:14 to play, in Saturday's 31-28 win over Colorado. (photo by Mike Courson/Great Bend Post)" />
 <figcaption>Kansas State quarterback Avery Johnson rushed for a touchdown and passed for two more, including one with 2:14 to play, in Saturday's 31-28 win over Colorado. (photo by Mike Courson/Great Bend Post)</figcaption>
 </figure>BOULDER, Colo. (AP) — Avery Johnson rebounded from throwing a late interception by&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/RGIII/status/1845343431058420074">finding Jayce Brown</a>&nbsp;for a 50-yard touchdown with 2:14 remaining as&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/KStateFB/status/1845352115549471225">No. 18 Kansas State</a>&nbsp;escaped with a 31-28 win over Colorado on Saturday night.The dual-threat quarterback for the Wildcats (5-1, 2-1 Big 12) finished with a rushing score and two passing TDs, both to Brown.Leading 21-7 in the third quarter, the Wildcats saw the Buffaloes (4-2, 2-1) steadily chip away. Colorado took the lead when Shedeur Sanders threw an 11-yard touchdown pass to LaJohntay Wester with 3:12 left.The score was set up when Johnson’s tipped pass resulted in a 59-yard interception return by cornerback Colton Hood, who was filling in after two-way star&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/travis-hunter-colorado-buffaloes-2b1dccbb45f5b415191c8672729d1389">Travis Hunter</a>&nbsp;left the game in the first half with an apparent shoulder injury.Johnson needed only three plays to help Kansas State retake the lead. The Wildcats defense stopped the Buffaloes on downs to cement the win.“Ultimately you’ve just got to make plays in big moments,” Johnson said. “Ultimately, that’s what our guys did.”It was nearly the second straight magical comeback at Folsom Field for the Buffaloes. They beat Baylor on Sept. 21 in overtime after tying it up on a Hail Mary pass with no time left in regulation.“Sometimes when you lose in life, you get your butt kicked and you've just got to take. Sometimes you lose, you say, ‘Dang, we should’ve won that. We should've had that,'” Colorado coach Deion Sanders said. “That was one of those types of games. That's not taking anything away from our opponents because they played their butts off.”<a href="https://x.com/KStateFB/status/1845353222946341164">DJ Giddens</a>&nbsp;finished with 182 yards to become the first tailback this season to break 100 against the Buffaloes. Kansas State outgained Colorado 185 to minus-29 on the ground.<a href="https://x.com/ESPNWichita/status/1845310769484775745">For Wildcats tailback Dylan Edwards,</a>&nbsp;it was a successful return to Folsom Field with a 1-yard TD run. He was a true freshman with the Buffaloes last season before transferring to Kansas State.The Buffaloes' three-game winning streak came to a halt. More concerning, the health of Hunter, who appeared to hurt his shoulder catching a Shedeur Sanders pass and running full speed into safety Daniel Cobbs in the second quarter. The team also lost receivers Jimmy Horn Jr., Omarion Miller and Terrell Timmons Jr. to injuries.Deion Sanders had no immediate updates.Hunter is a Heisman hopeful for his play as a cornerback and receiver. Before leaving, he showed off his blocking skills by picking a defender and allowing Wester to score on a 25-yard pass.Prior to the interception and the comeback, Johnson was having all sorts of fun on the field. He broke out the “Deion Shuffle” after a score. The cameras also caught Johnson taking a selfie with a fan in the stands who handed him their phone as he rode a stationary bike.Johnson briefly went to the locker room in the third quarter holding his left side but returned to throw a TD pass to make it 21-7.Shedeur Sanders finished 34 of 40 for 388 yards and three scores. He completed a school-best 16 straight passes and nearly had a 17th in a row but Will Sheppard dropped a pass in his hands. Soon after,&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/CUBuffsFootball/status/1845326551191060763">Sheppard made up for it</a>&nbsp;with a difficult 7-yard TD reception to make it 21-14.“Yeah, we made a statement — that we lost,” the Colorado QB said.<h2>The Takeaway</h2>Kansas State: Johnson and the Wildcats didn't panic after losing the lead and found a way to respond. “Some of the things that happened will help us down the road,” coach Chris Klieman said.Colorado: Safety Shilo Sanders made his return after missing three games with a forearm injury. “I thought he was rusty," his father/coach said.<h2>Celebrity sightings</h2>Longtime NBA standout Carmelo Anthony was on the sideline wearing a Colorado Avalanche jersey.&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/CUBuffsFootball/status/1845300543486402843">Kevin Durant showed</a>&nbsp;up near Colorado's bench, too. The Phoenix Suns play the Denver Nuggets in a preseason game Sunday night.Also on hand was Nuggets guard Russell Westbrook.<h2>Up next</h2>Kansas State: At West Virginia next Saturday.Colorado: At Arizona on Saturday.

Johnson shrugs off late interception, throws for late TD in 31-28 win at Colorado

BOULDER, Colo. (AP) — Kansas State&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/deion-sanders-colorado-bf8fda5ec574d183a368f6cebf0af771">is looking for</a>&nbsp;ways to limit the impact of Colorado's top receiver. Same with the Buffaloes' top cornerback.

That it just so happens to be the same person only impresses Wildcats coach Chris Klieman all the more.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/travis-hunter-colorado-deion-2d7637e9a080ddb48eb1d5fd8d8930b4">Travis Hunter is the</a>&nbsp;rare two-way athlete who's on the field for 93% of the plays from scrimmage this season.

“He's doing this at such a high level, on both sides of the ball, and playing fast on both sides of the ball,” said Klieman, whose&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/oklahoma-state-kansas-state-football-score-6377d5636a50703e4e6fea6906eaf4e2">18th-ranked Wildcats</a>&nbsp;(4-1, 1-1 Big 12) make their first trek to Folsom Field since 2010 on Saturday night to face the surging Buffaloes (4-1, 2-0). “It’s really impressive to watch, because he’s making plays in both phases — and big-time plays.”

Hunter leads the team in receptions (46), yards receiving (561) and TDs (6). On defense, he has two interceptions despite being rarely targeted, including zero times against Baylor.

“Travis Hunter is one of the Heisman favorites for a reason,” Kansas State dual-threat quarterback Avery Johnson said. “He’s a really talented player, and what he does on both sides of the ball is really special, and doesn’t get enough credit.”

Just don't compare him to Colorado coach Deion Sanders, who was a multidimensional threat over his Hall of Fame NFL career. Sanders wants Hunter to have the spotlight all to himself.

“I've had my turn. I’m that old boxing coach in the corner that says, ‘Left, right, left, right. Hit him right here. All right, come over to the corner,'" Sanders cracked. “That’s who I am right now. I’ve had my turn. It’s not me against him.”

Both teams will be well-rested after coming off a bye week. It's a late kickoff, too, with the game starting around 10:15 p.m. ET. This is a big conference game for the Wildcats, who've dropped one league contest at BYU. The Buffaloes began their return to Big 12 league play with an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/baylor-colorado-deion-sanders-98fba794868800261a38cdaa70cafa49">overtime victory over</a>&nbsp;Baylor, followed by a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/colorado-ucf-football-score-d86d8e8865d311ef3fdb22368ebdb704">win at Central Florida</a>.

“We are on our way to where we’re headed,” Sanders said. “I love the direction.”

A year ago, highly touted recruit Dylan Edwards was in the Buffaloes backfield. A transfer later and he's now part of a powerful ground game for the Wildcats. Kansas State is averaging 6.93 yards per carry, trailing only Boise State (8.18). Sanders turned playful when asked about facing off against Edwards.

“They changed their name to Dylan Edwards? That's what the team is called now — the Dylan Edwards'?" Sanders quipped. "We ain’t playing against Dylan Edwards. We're playing against a darn good football team, man. Dylan happens to be on their team. I love the young man.”

Through five games, Shedeur Sanders is just behind his pace of last season when he broke the Colorado single-season yards passing mark. But he also sat out the last game of the year due to a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/deion-shedeur-sanders-colorado-87d73956da669f0fb8161bfe28ad8106">fracture in his back</a>. Behind a new offensive line, Sanders has thrown for 1,630 yards with 14 TDs. He’s been sacked 17 times this season. Through five games last season, he’d been sacked 25 times.

“I think Sanders will be the first quarterback picked off the board" in the NFL draft, Klieman said. “He should be in the film that I’ve seen of a lot of the top guys.”

The Wildcats are a sure bet to put points on the board — they've scored 28 or more in 12 of their last 13 games. Colorado's defense will be at full strength with the return of safety Shilo Sanders, who missed the last three games because of a forearm injury that required surgery.

“I can’t wait to see him back there,” his father/coach said.

BOULDER, Colo. (AP) — Kansas State&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/deion-sanders-colorado-bf8fda5ec574d183a368f6cebf0af771">is looking for</a>&nbsp;ways to limit the impact of Colorado's top receiver. Same with the Buffaloes' top cornerback.That it just so happens to be the same person only impresses Wildcats coach Chris Klieman all the more.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/travis-hunter-colorado-deion-2d7637e9a080ddb48eb1d5fd8d8930b4">Travis Hunter is the</a>&nbsp;rare two-way athlete who's on the field for 93% of the plays from scrimmage this season.Ironman football, indeed.“He's doing this at such a high level, on both sides of the ball, and playing fast on both sides of the ball,” said Klieman, whose&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/oklahoma-state-kansas-state-football-score-6377d5636a50703e4e6fea6906eaf4e2">18th-ranked Wildcats</a>&nbsp;(4-1, 1-1 Big 12) make their first trek to Folsom Field since 2010 on Saturday night to face the surging Buffaloes (4-1, 2-0). “It’s really impressive to watch, because he’s making plays in both phases — and big-time plays.”Hunter leads the team in receptions (46), yards receiving (561) and TDs (6). On defense, he has two interceptions despite being rarely targeted, including zero times against Baylor.“Travis Hunter is one of the Heisman favorites for a reason,” Kansas State dual-threat quarterback Avery Johnson said. “He’s a really talented player, and what he does on both sides of the ball is really special, and doesn’t get enough credit.”Just don't compare him to Colorado coach Deion Sanders, who was a multidimensional threat over his Hall of Fame NFL career. Sanders wants Hunter to have the spotlight all to himself.“I've had my turn. I’m that old boxing coach in the corner that says, ‘Left, right, left, right. Hit him right here. All right, come over to the corner,'" Sanders cracked. “That’s who I am right now. I’ve had my turn. It’s not me against him.”<h2>Late night show</h2>Both teams will be well-rested after coming off a bye week. It's a late kickoff, too, with the game starting around 10:15 p.m. ET. This is a big conference game for the Wildcats, who've dropped one league contest at BYU. The Buffaloes began their return to Big 12 league play with an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/baylor-colorado-deion-sanders-98fba794868800261a38cdaa70cafa49">overtime victory over</a>&nbsp;Baylor, followed by a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/colorado-ucf-football-score-d86d8e8865d311ef3fdb22368ebdb704">win at Central Florida</a>.“We are on our way to where we’re headed,” Sanders said. “I love the direction.”<h2>The Dylan Edwards Wildcats?</h2>A year ago, highly touted recruit Dylan Edwards was in the Buffaloes backfield. A transfer later and he's now part of a powerful ground game for the Wildcats. Kansas State is averaging 6.93 yards per carry, trailing only Boise State (8.18). Sanders turned playful when asked about facing off against Edwards.“They changed their name to Dylan Edwards? That's what the team is called now — the Dylan Edwards'?" Sanders quipped. "We ain’t playing against Dylan Edwards. We're playing against a darn good football team, man. Dylan happens to be on their team. I love the young man.”<h2>Slowing Shedeur</h2>Through five games, Shedeur Sanders is just behind his pace of last season when he broke the Colorado single-season yards passing mark. But he also sat out the last game of the year due to a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/deion-shedeur-sanders-colorado-87d73956da669f0fb8161bfe28ad8106">fracture in his back</a>. Behind a new offensive line, Sanders has thrown for 1,630 yards with 14 TDs. He’s been sacked 17 times this season. Through five games last season, he’d been sacked 25 times.“I think Sanders will be the first quarterback picked off the board" in the NFL draft, Klieman said. “He should be in the film that I’ve seen of a lot of the top guys.”<h2>Slowing the Wildcats</h2>The Wildcats are a sure bet to put points on the board — they've scored 28 or more in 12 of their last 13 games. Colorado's defense will be at full strength with the return of safety Shilo Sanders, who missed the last three games because of a forearm injury that required surgery.“I can’t wait to see him back there,” his father/coach said.<h2>Slowing Avery &amp; Co.</h2>

K-State faces tough task of containing Colorado 2-way standout Hunter

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — As the Yankees were celebrating their win over his Royals to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mlb-playoffs-yankees-royals-238cb93d771ddb975e59f58dfee11839">clinch their AL Division Series</a>&nbsp;on Thursday night at Kauffman Stadium, Bobby Witt Jr. snuck back to the home dugout to watch. He was the only one there, hanging over the railing, taking in the revelry that he thought should have belonged to him.

It left the Royals'&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/bobby-witt-jr">budding superstar</a>&nbsp;with a burning desire to not just return to the playoffs next year but go much farther.

“It's motivation. That's really all there is to it,” said Witt, whose exceptional year landed him in the All-Star Game and will likely land him second behind Yankees slugger Aaron Judge in MVP voting. “Because now that you get a taste of the postseason, you want to keep doing it. It's going to make everyone in this clubhouse work even harder.”

Unlike most offseasons — including the last one, when Kansas City had just finished a 106-loss campaign that ranked among the worst in franchise history — the Royals are headed into this one with momentum for the first time in years.

Behind a rebuilt starting rotation, improved bullpen and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mlb-playoffs-royals-yankees-4bef8446e83d4cd098172bb9bc87571b">breakout performances</a>&nbsp;by the likes of Witt and first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino, the Royals contended for the AL Central until the final week of the season. Then, in the wild-card round, they won two straight in Baltimore to advance to the divisional round and meet the AL East champion Yankees.

They had New York on the ropes, too, splitting the first two games at Yankee Stadium. But the Royals were unable to take care of business at home, where they had been so good most of the year, losing a pair of nail-biters to end their season.

The three games they lost to the Yankees in their best-of-five series were decided by four runs total.

“I'm happy for the city. I'm happy for the organization that we did what we did this year,” Kansas City manager Matt Quatraro said, "but it doesn't matter what other people thought we were able to accomplish this year. Our guys had bigger expectations for themselves, and that's how you should approach this game. You don't come here thinking, ‘Oh, I hope we get a little better.’ That is not how this works at the big-league level."

Yet the Royals got much better this season, engineering one of the biggest turnarounds in major league history.

When it ended with a 3-1 loss to the Yankees on Thursday night, it left Witt and the rest of the Royals wanting more, especially given how close they came to returning to the American League Championship Series.

“That's not even the goal. That's really who we are. That's what Royals baseball is,” Witt said. “We're going to keep getting better, each and every day. That's what we're going to work on in the offseason. This feels like a letdown, so there's a lot of bad tastes in peoples' mouths, so it's just going to be more motivation for a lot of time to come.”

All-Star picks Seth Lugo and Cole Ragans along with Brady Singer will be back to anchor the rotation next season. Michael Wacha could return, though he is likely to decline his player option. Kyle Wright could fill one of the open spots after he spent the season recovering from shoulder surgery, while Alec Marsh and others will compete for a starting role.

The Royals rebuilt their relief corps last offseason, and it was vastly improved despite dismal seasons from veterans such as Will Smith. They landed a bona fide closer in Lucas Erceg at the trade deadline, though, and also traded for Hunter Harvey, who threw for just 5 2/3 innings for them because of an injury but should be ready for a full 2025 season.

Hunter Renfroe holds a player option for next season and could be back, and Kyle Isbel played well in center field despite some modest numbers at the plate. But left fielder MJ Melendez was a black hole in the lineup and Nelson Velázquez hit so poorly that he was relegated to the minors. The Royals will be looking for more pop from the outfield in the offseason.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — As the Yankees were celebrating their win over his Royals to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mlb-playoffs-yankees-royals-238cb93d771ddb975e59f58dfee11839">clinch their AL Division Series</a>&nbsp;on Thursday night at Kauffman Stadium, Bobby Witt Jr. snuck back to the home dugout to watch. He was the only one there, hanging over the railing, taking in the revelry that he thought should have belonged to him.It left the Royals'&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/bobby-witt-jr">budding superstar</a>&nbsp;with a burning desire to not just return to the playoffs next year but go much farther.“It's motivation. That's really all there is to it,” said Witt, whose exceptional year landed him in the All-Star Game and will likely land him second behind Yankees slugger Aaron Judge in MVP voting. “Because now that you get a taste of the postseason, you want to keep doing it. It's going to make everyone in this clubhouse work even harder.”Unlike most offseasons — including the last one, when Kansas City had just finished a 106-loss campaign that ranked among the worst in franchise history — the Royals are headed into this one with momentum for the first time in years.Behind a rebuilt starting rotation, improved bullpen and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mlb-playoffs-royals-yankees-4bef8446e83d4cd098172bb9bc87571b">breakout performances</a>&nbsp;by the likes of Witt and first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino, the Royals contended for the AL Central until the final week of the season. Then, in the wild-card round, they won two straight in Baltimore to advance to the divisional round and meet the AL East champion Yankees.They had New York on the ropes, too, splitting the first two games at Yankee Stadium. But the Royals were unable to take care of business at home, where they had been so good most of the year, losing a pair of nail-biters to end their season.The three games they lost to the Yankees in their best-of-five series were decided by four runs total.“I'm happy for the city. I'm happy for the organization that we did what we did this year,” Kansas City manager Matt Quatraro said, "but it doesn't matter what other people thought we were able to accomplish this year. Our guys had bigger expectations for themselves, and that's how you should approach this game. You don't come here thinking, ‘Oh, I hope we get a little better.’ That is not how this works at the big-league level."Yet the Royals got much better this season, engineering one of the biggest turnarounds in major league history.When it ended with a 3-1 loss to the Yankees on Thursday night, it left Witt and the rest of the Royals wanting more, especially given how close they came to returning to the American League Championship Series.“That's not even the goal. That's really who we are. That's what Royals baseball is,” Witt said. “We're going to keep getting better, each and every day. That's what we're going to work on in the offseason. This feels like a letdown, so there's a lot of bad tastes in peoples' mouths, so it's just going to be more motivation for a lot of time to come.”<h2>Rotation situation</h2>All-Star picks Seth Lugo and Cole Ragans along with Brady Singer will be back to anchor the rotation next season. Michael Wacha could return, though he is likely to decline his player option. Kyle Wright could fill one of the open spots after he spent the season recovering from shoulder surgery, while Alec Marsh and others will compete for a starting role.<h2>Bullish on the bullpen</h2>The Royals rebuilt their relief corps last offseason, and it was vastly improved despite dismal seasons from veterans such as Will Smith. They landed a bona fide closer in Lucas Erceg at the trade deadline, though, and also traded for Hunter Harvey, who threw for just 5 2/3 innings for them because of an injury but should be ready for a full 2025 season.<h2>Offense from the outfield</h2>Hunter Renfroe holds a player option for next season and could be back, and Kyle Isbel played well in center field despite some modest numbers at the plate. But left fielder MJ Melendez was a black hole in the lineup and Nelson Velázquez hit so poorly that he was relegated to the minors. The Royals will be looking for more pop from the outfield in the offseason.<h2>Infield stability</h2>