SAN DIEGO (AP) — The Chicago White Sox tied the post-1900 MLB record of 120 losses by the 1962 expansion New York Mets on Sunday when the San Diego Padres won 4-2 by rallying for three runs in the eighth inning, capped by Fernando Tatis Jr.'s towering home run.

The White Sox (36-120) had taken a 2-1 lead on home runs by Korey Lee and Miguel Vargas off Yu Darvish, but that lead quickly disappeared in the eighth.

This defeat came a day after the White Sox tied the American League record of 119 losses set by the 2003 Detroit Tigers.

The 1899 Cleveland Spiders hold the major league record for losses at 20-134.

Interim manager Grady Sizemore didn’t address the team afterward.

“No loss is good,” he said. “It’s not something that we’re focused on. I think everyone outside this clubhouse is more obsessed with it than us. The way we spin is to put this one behind us and get ready for the series back home.”

With one more loss in their final six games, the White Sox will hold the modern-day record outright. They finish with three at home against the Los Angeles Angels beginning Tuesday night and finish with three at Detroit, which is in the AL wild-card hunt.

“I guess when you lose 120 it’s easier to brush it off, but it (stinks) to go through it, but that’s where we’re at,” veteran Andrew Benintendi said.

The Padres (90-66) clinched their first 90-win season since 2010, when they finished 90-72 but missed the postseason thanks to a brutal September collapse.

The Padres reduced their magic number to one for clinching their third postseason berth since 2020.

The Padres control their own destiny going into a three-game series at the NL West-leading Los Angeles Dodgers starting Tuesday night, but would have to win out to clinch the division title. While the Dodgers have a three-game lead over the Padres, San Diego owns the tiebreaker. San Diego has a three-game lead over Arizona for the NL's top wild card. The Padres finish with three games at Arizona next weekend.

Some in the sellout crowd of 45,197 began chanting “Beat L.A.!” as the Padres players and staff saluted the fans after the final home regular-season game. San Diego set the franchise attendance record of 3,314,593 in 80 games.

“We're never out and that's probably since the first week that we played baseball this year,” Tatis said. “What we have been doing over here is really special. We have the talent to go all the way. But it's time to take care of business one day at a time.”

The Padres tied it at 2 when Donovan Solano and pinch-hitter Luis Arraez hit consecutive doubles opening the eighth against Fraser Ellard (2-3). Arraez advanced on a wild pitch and scored the go-ahead run on Jurickson Profar’s sacrifice fly.

Tatis then drove a towering shot into the left field stands, his 20th homer of the season.

“It felt amazing. It felt like I showed it that way after I hit it,” said Tatis, who had an exuberant trot after the 389-foot blast, including stutter-stepping into third base.

White Sox rookie Sean Burke held the Padres to one run and two hits in six innings in just his third big league appearance and second start. He struck out eight and walked one.

“Burke threw a hell of a game,” Benintendi said. “They’ve got a lot of good bats up and down that lineup, guys that have played a long time and once they get the lead with that bullpen, it seems like its pretty much over at this point."

Lee, who grew up in northern San Diego County, hit a line shot homer to left with one out in the third, his 11th.

Profar tied it when he hit an opposite-field shot to left with one out in the bottom of the inning. It was his 24th, extending his career-best.

The White Sox jumped back ahead on Vargas’ homer to left-center with one out in the sixth, his fifth.

Darvish became the first Japanese-born player to reach 2,000 career strikeouts when he fanned Jacob Amaya in the third. With nine strikeouts in 6 1/3 innings on Sunday, he pushed his 12-season MLB total to (2003). He walked nine while allowing two runs and three hits.

Robert Suarez, who has struggled lately, pitched the ninth for his 34th save.

SAN DIEGO (AP) — The Chicago White Sox tied the post-1900 MLB record of 120 losses by the 1962 expansion New York Mets on Sunday when the San Diego Padres won 4-2 by rallying for three runs in the eighth inning, capped by Fernando Tatis Jr.'s towering home run.The White Sox (36-120) had taken a 2-1 lead on home runs by Korey Lee and Miguel Vargas off Yu Darvish, but that lead quickly disappeared in the eighth.This defeat came a day after the White Sox tied the American League record of 119 losses set by the 2003 Detroit Tigers.The 1899 Cleveland Spiders hold the major league record for losses at 20-134.Interim manager Grady Sizemore didn’t address the team afterward.“No loss is good,” he said. “It’s not something that we’re focused on. I think everyone outside this clubhouse is more obsessed with it than us. The way we spin is to put this one behind us and get ready for the series back home.”With one more loss in their final six games, the White Sox will hold the modern-day record outright. They finish with three at home against the Los Angeles Angels beginning Tuesday night and finish with three at Detroit, which is in the AL wild-card hunt.“I guess when you lose 120 it’s easier to brush it off, but it (stinks) to go through it, but that’s where we’re at,” veteran Andrew Benintendi said.The Padres (90-66) clinched their first 90-win season since 2010, when they finished 90-72 but missed the postseason thanks to a brutal September collapse.The Padres reduced their magic number to one for clinching their third postseason berth since 2020.The Padres control their own destiny going into a three-game series at the NL West-leading Los Angeles Dodgers starting Tuesday night, but would have to win out to clinch the division title. While the Dodgers have a three-game lead over the Padres, San Diego owns the tiebreaker. San Diego has a three-game lead over Arizona for the NL's top wild card. The Padres finish with three games at Arizona next weekend.Some in the sellout crowd of 45,197 began chanting “Beat L.A.!” as the Padres players and staff saluted the fans after the final home regular-season game. San Diego set the franchise attendance record of 3,314,593 in 80 games.“We're never out and that's probably since the first week that we played baseball this year,” Tatis said. “What we have been doing over here is really special. We have the talent to go all the way. But it's time to take care of business one day at a time.”The Padres tied it at 2 when Donovan Solano and pinch-hitter Luis Arraez hit consecutive doubles opening the eighth against Fraser Ellard (2-3). Arraez advanced on a wild pitch and scored the go-ahead run on Jurickson Profar’s sacrifice fly.Tatis then drove a towering shot into the left field stands, his 20th homer of the season.“It felt amazing. It felt like I showed it that way after I hit it,” said Tatis, who had an exuberant trot after the 389-foot blast, including stutter-stepping into third base.White Sox rookie Sean Burke held the Padres to one run and two hits in six innings in just his third big league appearance and second start. He struck out eight and walked one.“Burke threw a hell of a game,” Benintendi said. “They’ve got a lot of good bats up and down that lineup, guys that have played a long time and once they get the lead with that bullpen, it seems like its pretty much over at this point."Lee, who grew up in northern San Diego County, hit a line shot homer to left with one out in the third, his 11th.Profar tied it when he hit an opposite-field shot to left with one out in the bottom of the inning. It was his 24th, extending his career-best.The White Sox jumped back ahead on Vargas’ homer to left-center with one out in the sixth, his fifth.Darvish became the first Japanese-born player to reach 2,000 career strikeouts when he fanned Jacob Amaya in the third. With nine strikeouts in 6 1/3 innings on Sunday, he pushed his 12-season MLB total to (2003). He walked nine while allowing two runs and three hits.Robert Suarez, who has struggled lately, pitched the ninth for his 34th save.UP NEXT

White Sox lose 120th game to tie record by the 1962 expansion Mets

ATLANTA (AP) — Patrick Mahomes knows he must get better.

Thanks to a couple of stifling stands from Kansas City's defense, the two-time reigning Super Bowl champs are still unbeaten.

Mahomes shook off another interception to throw a pair of touchdown passes and the Chiefs defense stopped Atlanta twice on fourth down in the closing minutes, preserving a 22-17 victory over the Falcons on Sunday night.

“It helps when you have a defense that’s been in those moments before and is able to make those big plays,” Mahomes said. “It’s a team game and we’re winning games and I feel like we’re gonna start getting better and better each and every week.”

The Chiefs (3-0) have been far from perfect, that's for sure — Mahomes points to himself more than anyone — but their record has remained unblemished by a combined 13 points.

Coming off an upset victory at Philadelphia, the Falcons (1-2) had a couple of shots at the go-ahead touchdown in the closing minutes.

Kirk Cousins threw a pair of incompletions in the end zone from the Chiefs 6 after the Falcons passed up a shot at a field goal with just over 4 minute remaining.

Atlanta got the ball back, drove down the field with help from a couple of penalties, and had third-and-1 at the Kansas City 13. Tyler Allgeier was stuffed for no gain and Bijan Robinson was thrown for&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/i/status/1838055793762963661">a 3-yard loss</a>&nbsp;by Nick Bolton on fourth down with less than a minute remaining.

Bolton said he recognized what play the Falcons were running before they snapped the ball.

“Trust my keys, trust my eyes, trust the play call we had,” he said. “I already knew where I was going.”

Mahomes threw for 217 yards, including scoring throws to Rashee Rice and&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/i/status/1838043830265819572">JuJu Smith-Schuster</a>, and Harrison Butker booted three field goals for the Chiefs.

Cousins was 20 of 29 for 230 yards with a 13-yard touchdown pass to Drake London and a 50-yard completion to Kyle Pitts that set up Robinson's 1-yard scoring run.

“I feel like we’ve left a lot of opportunities out there on the field,” Cousins said. “I look forward to getting better.”

Riding the momentum from their last-minute stunner at Philadelphia, the Falcons took the opening kickoff and quickly drove 70 yards for a touchdown.

Cousins completed all five of his passes for 66 yards, including a 14-yard scoring toss to Drake London — who also caught the winning score against the Eagles. London wound up all alone in the end zone on a busted coverage by the Chiefs.

Mahomes bounced back from his fourth interception of the season to take Kansas City on a 13-play, 79-yard drive that ended with a 13-yard touchdown pass to Rice.

The Falcons reclaimed the lead on Robinson’s 1-yard touchdown run, which was set up by Cousins’ 50-yard pass to Kyle Pitts.

But Atlanta’s offensive line took a pair of hits when right tackle Kaleb McGary and center Drew Dalman both went out with injuries. With a pair of backups joining their ranks, the guys up from struggled to keep the pressure off Cousins, who was sacked twice and hit 10 more times as he threw, spending much of the night picking himself off the turf at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

One of those hits resulted in a wobbly pass that was picked off by Chamarri Conner, setting up Butker's 44-yard field goal that sliced the Falcons’ edge to 14-13 at halftime.

Butker put the Chiefs ahead to stay on a 21-yard chip shot in the third quarter, and Kansas City stretched the lead on Mahomes’ 13-yard touchdown pass to Smith-Schuster late in the third quarter.

For the third game in a row, Travis Kelce was not much of a factor. The star tight end had four catches for 30 yards.

With Kansas City running back&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/chiefs-pacheco-injury-5a299988d5e757e798571eaffe8fc1fe">Isiah Pacheco</a>&nbsp;sidelined with an ankle injury, the Chiefs got good production from his replacements.

Carson Steele, an undrafted rookie, led the way with 17 bruising carries for 72 yards. Samaje Perine chipped in with six carries for 25 yards, to go along with three catches for 15 yards.

“I had a lot of trust there,” Mahomes said. “You lose some of that juice that Isaiah has. I mean, there’s not a lot of people that are that fired up after every run. But I thought the guys did a great job.”

After a disputed pass interference penalty on fourth-and-long set up their victory over Cincinnati the previous week, the Chiefs might have gotten away with one against the Falcons.

On third-and-goal from the Kansas City 6, Cousins looked toward Pitts in the back of the end zone. With his back to the quarterback, safety Bryan Cook appeared to collide with Pitts just before the ball arrived.

But the officials did not throw a flag, and Cousins' fourth-down pass also fell incomplete.

“That is a real-time call that officials have to make a judgment on," referee Tra Blake told a pool reporter. "We do the best we can to make that decision.”

Chiefs: Bolton hobbled off the field early in the fourth quarter after an awkward landing, but he came back to make the big stop on Robinson.

Chiefs: Stay on the road for another week when they visit Los Angeles next Sunday to face the Chargers (2-1) in an AFC West matchup.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1727085618674.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>ATLANTA (AP) — Patrick Mahomes knows he must get better.Not to worry.Thanks to a couple of stifling stands from Kansas City's defense, the two-time reigning Super Bowl champs are still unbeaten.Mahomes shook off another interception to throw a pair of touchdown passes and the Chiefs defense stopped Atlanta twice on fourth down in the closing minutes, preserving a 22-17 victory over the Falcons on Sunday night.“It helps when you have a defense that’s been in those moments before and is able to make those big plays,” Mahomes said. “It’s a team game and we’re winning games and I feel like we’re gonna start getting better and better each and every week.”The Chiefs (3-0) have been far from perfect, that's for sure — Mahomes points to himself more than anyone — but their record has remained unblemished by a combined 13 points.Coming off an upset victory at Philadelphia, the Falcons (1-2) had a couple of shots at the go-ahead touchdown in the closing minutes.Kirk Cousins threw a pair of incompletions in the end zone from the Chiefs 6 after the Falcons passed up a shot at a field goal with just over 4 minute remaining.Atlanta got the ball back, drove down the field with help from a couple of penalties, and had third-and-1 at the Kansas City 13. Tyler Allgeier was stuffed for no gain and Bijan Robinson was thrown for&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/i/status/1838055793762963661">a 3-yard loss</a>&nbsp;by Nick Bolton on fourth down with less than a minute remaining.Bolton said he recognized what play the Falcons were running before they snapped the ball.“Trust my keys, trust my eyes, trust the play call we had,” he said. “I already knew where I was going.”Mahomes threw for 217 yards, including scoring throws to Rashee Rice and&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/i/status/1838043830265819572">JuJu Smith-Schuster</a>, and Harrison Butker booted three field goals for the Chiefs.Cousins was 20 of 29 for 230 yards with a 13-yard touchdown pass to Drake London and a 50-yard completion to Kyle Pitts that set up Robinson's 1-yard scoring run.“I feel like we’ve left a lot of opportunities out there on the field,” Cousins said. “I look forward to getting better.”Riding the momentum from their last-minute stunner at Philadelphia, the Falcons took the opening kickoff and quickly drove 70 yards for a touchdown.Cousins completed all five of his passes for 66 yards, including a 14-yard scoring toss to Drake London — who also caught the winning score against the Eagles. London wound up all alone in the end zone on a busted coverage by the Chiefs.Mahomes bounced back from his fourth interception of the season to take Kansas City on a 13-play, 79-yard drive that ended with a 13-yard touchdown pass to Rice.The Falcons reclaimed the lead on Robinson’s 1-yard touchdown run, which was set up by Cousins’ 50-yard pass to Kyle Pitts.But Atlanta’s offensive line took a pair of hits when right tackle Kaleb McGary and center Drew Dalman both went out with injuries. With a pair of backups joining their ranks, the guys up from struggled to keep the pressure off Cousins, who was sacked twice and hit 10 more times as he threw, spending much of the night picking himself off the turf at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.One of those hits resulted in a wobbly pass that was picked off by Chamarri Conner, setting up Butker's 44-yard field goal that sliced the Falcons’ edge to 14-13 at halftime.Butker put the Chiefs ahead to stay on a 21-yard chip shot in the third quarter, and Kansas City stretched the lead on Mahomes’ 13-yard touchdown pass to Smith-Schuster late in the third quarter.For the third game in a row, Travis Kelce was not much of a factor. The star tight end had four catches for 30 yards.<h2>Running back replacements</h2>With Kansas City running back&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/chiefs-pacheco-injury-5a299988d5e757e798571eaffe8fc1fe">Isiah Pacheco</a>&nbsp;sidelined with an ankle injury, the Chiefs got good production from his replacements.Carson Steele, an undrafted rookie, led the way with 17 bruising carries for 72 yards. Samaje Perine chipped in with six carries for 25 yards, to go along with three catches for 15 yards.“I had a lot of trust there,” Mahomes said. “You lose some of that juice that Isaiah has. I mean, there’s not a lot of people that are that fired up after every run. But I thought the guys did a great job.”<h2>Controversial no-call</h2>After a disputed pass interference penalty on fourth-and-long set up their victory over Cincinnati the previous week, the Chiefs might have gotten away with one against the Falcons.On third-and-goal from the Kansas City 6, Cousins looked toward Pitts in the back of the end zone. With his back to the quarterback, safety Bryan Cook appeared to collide with Pitts just before the ball arrived.But the officials did not throw a flag, and Cousins' fourth-down pass also fell incomplete.“That is a real-time call that officials have to make a judgment on," referee Tra Blake told a pool reporter. "We do the best we can to make that decision.”<h2>Injury report</h2>Chiefs: Bolton hobbled off the field early in the fourth quarter after an awkward landing, but he came back to make the big stop on Robinson.<h2>Up next</h2>Chiefs: Stay on the road for another week when they visit Los Angeles next Sunday to face the Chargers (2-1) in an AFC West matchup.

Mahomes throws 2 TD passes and the Chiefs' defense preserves a 22-17 win

A'ja Wilson and Caitlin Clark had&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/wnba-caitlin-clark-historic-season-e1ee6dc9d943089b9aef72a76ca06a46">record-breaking seasons</a>, putting up stats the WNBA had never seen before.

Wilson became the first player in league history to score more than 1,000 points in a season, and she averaged a record 26.9 points. Clark broke the league's single-season assist mark and scored the most points ever for a rookie.

So it's no surprise the two were honored Sunday as the unanimous choices for the AP Player and Rookie of the Year awards, respectively, by a 15-member media panel.

“It means a lot," Wilson said in a phone interview with The Associated Press. “The preparation you put in, the approach I set myself up for this season.”

The Las Vegas Aces star was named the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/wnba-mvp-wilson-aces-5aca3d5ce060653d2ecbc6dfff53fa2e">league's MVP</a>&nbsp;earlier Sunday, also unanimously. The WNBA will announce the rest of its awards over the course of the postseason, which begins Sunday.

Wilson finished the regular season with 1,021 points and 451 rebounds and led the league with 98 blocks. She finished third in the WNBA MVP voting last season, receiving one fourth-place vote that she said fueled her in the offseason to get better.

“It propelled me a little bit as I started my offseason workouts, but around February I was over it," Wilson said. "I didn’t want to give that person that energy, that’s when I started to lock in.”

Clark came into the league with quite possibly more hype than any rookie ever and she delivered, leading the Indiana Fever to the playoffs for the first time since 2016. She broke the WNBA single-season record with 337 assists, including a league-record 19 in one game. She also broke the single-season rookie scoring mark as she averaged 19.2 points.

“This is a tremendous honor to be named The Associated Press Rookie of the Year,” she said. “This recognition wouldn't be possible without an incredible group of teammates and coaches, and we are looking forward to continuing an exciting regular season in the postseason.”

Off the court she helped lift the WNBA to record ratings and attendance.

Clark headlined the all-rookie team along with Angel Reese of the Chicago Sky, who broke the rebounds-per-game record by averaging 13.1. She would have had the overall rebounding record as well had she not gotten hurt at the end of the season. Other rookies on the team were New York's Leonie Fiebich, Los Angeles' Rickea Jackson and Chicago's Kamilla Cardoso.

Wilson's teammate Tiffany Hayes earned AP Sixth Woman of the Year honors.

“She’s our difference-maker in a lot of ways, what she brings on the court and in the locker room,” Wilson said. “Tiff doesn’t have to be the vocal leader, but everyone listens when she speaks — shows the great player she is.”

Wilson and Clark headlined the AP All-WNBA first team. They were joined by Napheesa Collier, Breanna Stewart and Alyssa Thomas. Sabrina Ionescu, Kahleah Copper, Nneka Ogwumike, Kayla McBride and Arike Ogunbowale were on the second team.

Other AP winners included: —Coach of the Year: Cheryl Reeve. She helped Minnesota finish second in the regular season with a team that was picked ninth in the preseason. The Lynx won the Commissioner's Cup and finished the regular season with 13 wins in their final 15 games.

—Comeback Player of the Year: Skylar Diggins-Smith. The Seattle Storm guard missed last season after giving birth to her second child. Diggins-Smith averaged 15.1 points and 6.4 assists this season.

—Most Improved Player: Dearica Hamby. The Los Angeles Sparks forward made a huge jump this season by averaging 17.3 points — 8.4 more than last season. She also improved her rebounding by more than three a game. Hamby edged Connecticut's DiJonai Carrington by one vote.

—Defensive Player: Collier. The Lynx star had an incredible season on both ends of the court, but she was an anchor especially for Minnesota's stellar defense. The team had the best defense in the WNBA this season and Collier’s play was the main reason why. Wilson finished second, three votes behind Collier.

“I’m so proud of Phee’s defensive work in 2024. Her commitment to all aspects of our defense — deflections, denials, steals, blocks, rebounds — anchored one of the top defensive teams in the league and led to her best season yet as a pro," Reeve said.

Minnesota finished atop the power poll, with New York second. Las Vegas and Connecticut were the next two teams. They were followed by Seattle, Indiana, Atlanta and Phoenix. Washington, Chicago, Dallas and Los Angeles finished off the poll.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1727043957318.jpeg" alt="Las Vegas Aces center A'ja Wilson (22) poses after an WNBA basketball game against the Connecticut Sun, Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024, in Las Vegas.(Steve Marcus/Las Vegas Sun via AP)" />
 <figcaption>Las Vegas Aces center A'ja Wilson (22) poses after an WNBA basketball game against the Connecticut Sun, Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024, in Las Vegas.(Steve Marcus/Las Vegas Sun via AP)</figcaption>
 </figure>A'ja Wilson and Caitlin Clark had&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/wnba-caitlin-clark-historic-season-e1ee6dc9d943089b9aef72a76ca06a46">record-breaking seasons</a>, putting up stats the WNBA had never seen before.Wilson became the first player in league history to score more than 1,000 points in a season, and she averaged a record 26.9 points. Clark broke the league's single-season assist mark and scored the most points ever for a rookie.So it's no surprise the two were honored Sunday as the unanimous choices for the AP Player and Rookie of the Year awards, respectively, by a 15-member media panel.“It means a lot," Wilson said in a phone interview with The Associated Press. “The preparation you put in, the approach I set myself up for this season.”The Las Vegas Aces star was named the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/wnba-mvp-wilson-aces-5aca3d5ce060653d2ecbc6dfff53fa2e">league's MVP</a>&nbsp;earlier Sunday, also unanimously. The WNBA will announce the rest of its awards over the course of the postseason, which begins Sunday.Wilson finished the regular season with 1,021 points and 451 rebounds and led the league with 98 blocks. She finished third in the WNBA MVP voting last season, receiving one fourth-place vote that she said fueled her in the offseason to get better.“It propelled me a little bit as I started my offseason workouts, but around February I was over it," Wilson said. "I didn’t want to give that person that energy, that’s when I started to lock in.”Clark came into the league with quite possibly more hype than any rookie ever and she delivered, leading the Indiana Fever to the playoffs for the first time since 2016. She broke the WNBA single-season record with 337 assists, including a league-record 19 in one game. She also broke the single-season rookie scoring mark as she averaged 19.2 points.“This is a tremendous honor to be named The Associated Press Rookie of the Year,” she said. “This recognition wouldn't be possible without an incredible group of teammates and coaches, and we are looking forward to continuing an exciting regular season in the postseason.”Off the court she helped lift the WNBA to record ratings and attendance.Clark headlined the all-rookie team along with Angel Reese of the Chicago Sky, who broke the rebounds-per-game record by averaging 13.1. She would have had the overall rebounding record as well had she not gotten hurt at the end of the season. Other rookies on the team were New York's Leonie Fiebich, Los Angeles' Rickea Jackson and Chicago's Kamilla Cardoso.Wilson's teammate Tiffany Hayes earned AP Sixth Woman of the Year honors.“She’s our difference-maker in a lot of ways, what she brings on the court and in the locker room,” Wilson said. “Tiff doesn’t have to be the vocal leader, but everyone listens when she speaks — shows the great player she is.”Wilson and Clark headlined the AP All-WNBA first team. They were joined by Napheesa Collier, Breanna Stewart and Alyssa Thomas. Sabrina Ionescu, Kahleah Copper, Nneka Ogwumike, Kayla McBride and Arike Ogunbowale were on the second team.Other AP winners included: —Coach of the Year: Cheryl Reeve. She helped Minnesota finish second in the regular season with a team that was picked ninth in the preseason. The Lynx won the Commissioner's Cup and finished the regular season with 13 wins in their final 15 games.—Comeback Player of the Year: Skylar Diggins-Smith. The Seattle Storm guard missed last season after giving birth to her second child. Diggins-Smith averaged 15.1 points and 6.4 assists this season.—Most Improved Player: Dearica Hamby. The Los Angeles Sparks forward made a huge jump this season by averaging 17.3 points — 8.4 more than last season. She also improved her rebounding by more than three a game. Hamby edged Connecticut's DiJonai Carrington by one vote.—Defensive Player: Collier. The Lynx star had an incredible season on both ends of the court, but she was an anchor especially for Minnesota's stellar defense. The team had the best defense in the WNBA this season and Collier’s play was the main reason why. Wilson finished second, three votes behind Collier.“I’m so proud of Phee’s defensive work in 2024. Her commitment to all aspects of our defense — deflections, denials, steals, blocks, rebounds — anchored one of the top defensive teams in the league and led to her best season yet as a pro," Reeve said.<h2>AP WNBA Power Poll</h2>Minnesota finished atop the power poll, with New York second. Las Vegas and Connecticut were the next two teams. They were followed by Seattle, Indiana, Atlanta and Phoenix. Washington, Chicago, Dallas and Los Angeles finished off the poll.

Wilson and Clark are unanimous choices for WNBA AP Player and Rookie of the Year

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Blake Snell struck out nine in six strong innings and the San Francisco Giants completed a three-game series sweep with a 2-0 win over the Kansas City Royals on Sunday.

Kansas City dropped into a tie with Detroit (82-74) in the race for an AL wild card. Minnesota is a half-game back of Kansas City and the Tigers, pending the outcome of its second game of a doubleheader against Boston.

The Royals were shut out for the second straight game and lost their seventh straight, dropping all six games of their homestand.

“It couldn’t have been a worse homestand,” Kansas City manager Matt Quatraro said. “It’s really disappointing.”

Snell (5-3) allowed two singles and a walk and didn’t allow a runner past first base. In his last 14 starts, he is 5-0 with a 1.23 ERA and 114 strikeouts.

Working with an effective curveball, Snell held Royals’ batters to 1 for 13 when throwing a first-pitch strike. Opponents are hitting .121 this season when the 31-year-old left-hander gets ahead in the count.

“I was going to throw change-ups, but they were so on it,” Snell said. “So, I adjusted. (The curveball) was just there more today.”

With one out in the second, Grant McCray lined an&nbsp;<a href="https://www.mlb.com/video/seth-lugo-in-play-run-s-to-grant-mccray">RBI triple to right-center</a>&nbsp;and scored on Brett Wisely’s two-out hit. McCray snapped an 0-for-13 skid with his first extra-base hit since Sept. 7.

“That was a huge hit for us because (Seth) Lugo looked like he was on his game,” Giants manager Bob Melvin said.

Lugo (16-9) retired the next 16 batters and finished with five strikeouts and two runs allowed through seven innings.

“His command was impeccable today,” Quatraro said. “His stuff was really good.”

With two out and runners at second and third, the Giants intentionally walked Bobby Witt Jr. to load the bases. Tyler Rogers induced a pop fly from Salvador Perez to end the threat.

“Witt’s numbers against righties are off the charts,” Melvin said. “But it’s still not an easy thing to do because Salvy’s really good.”

Ryan Walker struck out one in the ninth, earning his ninth save.

San Francisco completed its first series sweep of Kansas City and its first series sweep against an American League opponent since April 15-17, 2022, at Cleveland.

“It’s nice to get a sweep against a good team,” Melvin said. “We’re playing pretty good right now.”

The Royals have scored four runs in their last five games and have held a lead in just one of their last 50 innings.

“We’ve got to put ourselves in more opportunities,” Quatraro said. “There’s plenty of ways to score runs.”

Kansas City lost by shutout in consecutive games for the second time this season and the first time since June 22-23 at Texas.

“Every time we lose it’s hard,” Perez said. “We still have one more week. What happened at home, we’ll forget about that and try to win the next two series.”

UP NEXT Royals: LHP Cole Ragans (11-9, 3.24) opposes Nationals LHP Mitchell Parker (7-10, 4.44) in Washington on Tuesday.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1727043841247.jpeg" alt="San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Blake Snell throws during the first inning of a baseball game against the Kansas City Royals Sunday, Sept. 22, 2024, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)" />
 <figcaption>San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Blake Snell throws during the first inning of a baseball game against the Kansas City Royals Sunday, Sept. 22, 2024, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Blake Snell struck out nine in six strong innings and the San Francisco Giants completed a three-game series sweep with a 2-0 win over the Kansas City Royals on Sunday.Kansas City dropped into a tie with Detroit (82-74) in the race for an AL wild card. Minnesota is a half-game back of Kansas City and the Tigers, pending the outcome of its second game of a doubleheader against Boston.The Royals were shut out for the second straight game and lost their seventh straight, dropping all six games of their homestand.“It couldn’t have been a worse homestand,” Kansas City manager Matt Quatraro said. “It’s really disappointing.”Snell (5-3) allowed two singles and a walk and didn’t allow a runner past first base. In his last 14 starts, he is 5-0 with a 1.23 ERA and 114 strikeouts.Working with an effective curveball, Snell held Royals’ batters to 1 for 13 when throwing a first-pitch strike. Opponents are hitting .121 this season when the 31-year-old left-hander gets ahead in the count.“I was going to throw change-ups, but they were so on it,” Snell said. “So, I adjusted. (The curveball) was just there more today.”With one out in the second, Grant McCray lined an&nbsp;<a href="https://www.mlb.com/video/seth-lugo-in-play-run-s-to-grant-mccray">RBI triple to right-center</a>&nbsp;and scored on Brett Wisely’s two-out hit. McCray snapped an 0-for-13 skid with his first extra-base hit since Sept. 7.“That was a huge hit for us because (Seth) Lugo looked like he was on his game,” Giants manager Bob Melvin said.Lugo (16-9) retired the next 16 batters and finished with five strikeouts and two runs allowed through seven innings.“His command was impeccable today,” Quatraro said. “His stuff was really good.”With two out and runners at second and third, the Giants intentionally walked Bobby Witt Jr. to load the bases. Tyler Rogers induced a pop fly from Salvador Perez to end the threat.“Witt’s numbers against righties are off the charts,” Melvin said. “But it’s still not an easy thing to do because Salvy’s really good.”Ryan Walker struck out one in the ninth, earning his ninth save.San Francisco completed its first series sweep of Kansas City and its first series sweep against an American League opponent since April 15-17, 2022, at Cleveland.“It’s nice to get a sweep against a good team,” Melvin said. “We’re playing pretty good right now.”The Royals have scored four runs in their last five games and have held a lead in just one of their last 50 innings.“We’ve got to put ourselves in more opportunities,” Quatraro said. “There’s plenty of ways to score runs.”Kansas City lost by shutout in consecutive games for the second time this season and the first time since June 22-23 at Texas.“Every time we lose it’s hard,” Perez said. “We still have one more week. What happened at home, we’ll forget about that and try to win the next two series.”UP NEXT Royals: LHP Cole Ragans (11-9, 3.24) opposes Nationals LHP Mitchell Parker (7-10, 4.44) in Washington on Tuesday.

Snell strikes out 9, Royals skid now sits at seven games

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (AP) — Garrett Greene threw a 15-yard touchdown pass to Rodney Gallagher with 26 seconds left to lift West Virginia to a 32-28 victory over Kansas in their lightning-delayed Big 12 opener Saturday.

The Mountaineers (2-2) overcame an 11-point deficit with two touchdown passes by Greene in the final 3:27. It came a week after the Mountaineers&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/west-virginia-pitt-score-74df4aa149c7fb92e25ef8a0f77b0f8e">squandered a 10-point lead in the final three minutes</a>&nbsp;of a heartbreaking loss at Pittsburgh.

But Saturday's outcome wasn't decided until West Virginia's Tyrin Bradley stripped the ball from Jalon Daniels on a pass attempt and Bradley recovered it with 8 seconds left.

Kansas appeared to be in control when wide receiver Luke Grimm went 32 yards down the left sideline for a touchdown with 5:39 left for a 28-17 lead.

But Greene, who had been shaky up until that point, took over. He hit Kole Taylor with an 8-yard TD toss, and Taylor caught the two-point conversion pass from Traylon Ray.

After Kansas was forced to punt, Greene ran for 25 yards on the winning drive. A pass interference call in the end zone on Mello Dotson of Kansas gave the Mountaineers first-and-goal at the 10. A false start pushed the ball back to the 15 before Greene hit Gallagher in the end zone for the final margin.

Greene, who also had a 5-yard scoring run, completed 15 of 30 passes for 295 yards. Hudson Clement caught seven passes for 150 yards.

Devin Neal rushed for 110 yards for Kansas (1-3). It was his fourth straight 100-yard game this season.

The game was delayed nearly two hours early in the fourth quarter by lightning.

Kansas: KU has lost three straight. The Jayhawks are in a free fall after starting the season ranked.

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (AP) — Garrett Greene threw a 15-yard touchdown pass to Rodney Gallagher with 26 seconds left to lift West Virginia to a 32-28 victory over Kansas in their lightning-delayed Big 12 opener Saturday.The Mountaineers (2-2) overcame an 11-point deficit with two touchdown passes by Greene in the final 3:27. It came a week after the Mountaineers&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/west-virginia-pitt-score-74df4aa149c7fb92e25ef8a0f77b0f8e">squandered a 10-point lead in the final three minutes</a>&nbsp;of a heartbreaking loss at Pittsburgh.But Saturday's outcome wasn't decided until West Virginia's Tyrin Bradley stripped the ball from Jalon Daniels on a pass attempt and Bradley recovered it with 8 seconds left.Kansas appeared to be in control when wide receiver Luke Grimm went 32 yards down the left sideline for a touchdown with 5:39 left for a 28-17 lead.But Greene, who had been shaky up until that point, took over. He hit Kole Taylor with an 8-yard TD toss, and Taylor caught the two-point conversion pass from Traylon Ray.After Kansas was forced to punt, Greene ran for 25 yards on the winning drive. A pass interference call in the end zone on Mello Dotson of Kansas gave the Mountaineers first-and-goal at the 10. A false start pushed the ball back to the 15 before Greene hit Gallagher in the end zone for the final margin.Greene, who also had a 5-yard scoring run, completed 15 of 30 passes for 295 yards. Hudson Clement caught seven passes for 150 yards.Devin Neal rushed for 110 yards for Kansas (1-3). It was his fourth straight 100-yard game this season.The game was delayed nearly two hours early in the fourth quarter by lightning.<h2>The takeaway</h2>Kansas: KU has lost three straight. The Jayhawks are in a free fall after starting the season ranked.<h2>Up next</h2>Kansas: Hosts TCU next Saturday.

Greene throws two late TD passes and West Virginia beats Kansas 32-28

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Royals' late-season losing streak stretched to five on Friday night with a 2-1 loss to the San Francisco Giants, who got three hits from Heliot Ramos.

Kansas City dropped four games behind Baltimore for the first AL wild card spot and saw its lead cut to one game over Minnesota for the second of the three wild cards.

“You've got to make your own breaks,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said. “We had every opportunity to hit a ball in the gap or a line drive through the middle. We've got to keep putting ourselves in the opportunities to get guys on base and force the action. Hopefully we break through.”

Mason Black (1-4) pitched shutout ball over a career-high 5 2/3 innings for already eliminated San Francisco, limiting the Royals to four hits.

“He pitched great,” San Francisco manager Bob Melvin said. “He seems like the last few times he's been a little bit more comfortable and confident with what he's doing out there.”

Camilo Doval allowed Garrett Hampson's sacrifice fly before striking out Tommy Pham with runners on second and third to get his 23rd save in 28 chances.

"That was a little stressful, but he got out of it," Melvin said.

Hampson came close to a bases-clearing double down the left-field line that would have won the game with one out in the ninth, but the ball was ruled foul. Quatraro asked to challenge the ruling but was denied.

“I was surprised it was called foul,” Quatraro said. “I didn't have a great angle from where I was sitting, but they called it foul and it's not reviewable.”

Quatraro felt like the ball was behind third-base umpire John Bacon, but he was told that the replay umpire in New York said it wasn't.

“I've argued that one a million times,” Melvin said. “You can't review it unless it's behind him.”

Kansas City went 0 for 6 with runners in scoring position and stranded nine runners, including three runners in scoring position in the first two innings.

“You want to score every time you get those opportunities,” Quatraro said. "It just didn't go our way.”

“We hit the ball hard but didn't have anything to show for it,” Adam Frazier said. “We just need a timely hit or two. The pitchers kept us in the game.”

Michael Wacha (13-8) gave up two runs on six hits in 5 2/3 innings, dropping to 9-2 in 15 starts since June 22.

“I feel like they made me work, especially in the first,” Wacha said. “I feel like I was able to settle in there, but the sixth was frustrating."

Mike Yastrzemski led off the first with a bloop single, advanced to second on a walk and to third on a flyout, then scored on Ramos' infield hit.

Ramos hit a two-out double to the wall in right-center in the sixth and scored on Patrick Bailey's single for a 2-0 lead.

Giants right-hander Jordan Hicks was placed on the 15-day injured list retroactive to Tuesday with right-shoulder inflammation and right-hander Austin Warren was recalled from Triple-A Sacramento.

UP NEXT In a game moved up to 4:10 p.m. CDT because of a forecast of bad weather, San Francisco RHP Landen Roupp (0-1, 3.02 ERA) is to start Saturday against Kansas CIty RHP Brady Singer (9-11, 3.53 ERA).

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Royals' late-season losing streak stretched to five on Friday night with a 2-1 loss to the San Francisco Giants, who got three hits from Heliot Ramos.Kansas City dropped four games behind Baltimore for the first AL wild card spot and saw its lead cut to one game over Minnesota for the second of the three wild cards.“You've got to make your own breaks,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said. “We had every opportunity to hit a ball in the gap or a line drive through the middle. We've got to keep putting ourselves in the opportunities to get guys on base and force the action. Hopefully we break through.”Mason Black (1-4) pitched shutout ball over a career-high 5 2/3 innings for already eliminated San Francisco, limiting the Royals to four hits.“He pitched great,” San Francisco manager Bob Melvin said. “He seems like the last few times he's been a little bit more comfortable and confident with what he's doing out there.”Camilo Doval allowed Garrett Hampson's sacrifice fly before striking out Tommy Pham with runners on second and third to get his 23rd save in 28 chances."That was a little stressful, but he got out of it," Melvin said.Hampson came close to a bases-clearing double down the left-field line that would have won the game with one out in the ninth, but the ball was ruled foul. Quatraro asked to challenge the ruling but was denied.“I was surprised it was called foul,” Quatraro said. “I didn't have a great angle from where I was sitting, but they called it foul and it's not reviewable.”Quatraro felt like the ball was behind third-base umpire John Bacon, but he was told that the replay umpire in New York said it wasn't.“I've argued that one a million times,” Melvin said. “You can't review it unless it's behind him.”Kansas City went 0 for 6 with runners in scoring position and stranded nine runners, including three runners in scoring position in the first two innings.“You want to score every time you get those opportunities,” Quatraro said. "It just didn't go our way.”“We hit the ball hard but didn't have anything to show for it,” Adam Frazier said. “We just need a timely hit or two. The pitchers kept us in the game.”Michael Wacha (13-8) gave up two runs on six hits in 5 2/3 innings, dropping to 9-2 in 15 starts since June 22.“I feel like they made me work, especially in the first,” Wacha said. “I feel like I was able to settle in there, but the sixth was frustrating."Mike Yastrzemski led off the first with a bloop single, advanced to second on a walk and to third on a flyout, then scored on Ramos' infield hit.Ramos hit a two-out double to the wall in right-center in the sixth and scored on Patrick Bailey's single for a 2-0 lead.Giants right-hander Jordan Hicks was placed on the 15-day injured list retroactive to Tuesday with right-shoulder inflammation and right-hander Austin Warren was recalled from Triple-A Sacramento.UP NEXT In a game moved up to 4:10 p.m. CDT because of a forecast of bad weather, San Francisco RHP Landen Roupp (0-1, 3.02 ERA) is to start Saturday against Kansas CIty RHP Brady Singer (9-11, 3.53 ERA).

Royals' late-season skid reaches 5 with 2-1 loss to Giants

By MIKE COURSON Great Bend Post

Buhler's ability to shut down Great Bend's run game Friday night came at a cost: the secondary went one-on-one with junior Ian Premer, who caught five touchdown passes for 168 yards. Premer's third touchdown came in the final minute of the first half for a 29-19 Panther lead at the break. He caught two more touchdown passes in the second half, and the Panther defense pitched another second-half shutout to pull away for a 43-26 win.

Early-evening storms canceled a much-anticipated flyover as part of Great Bend Airfest festivities and pushed back the kick 45 minutes. 

Great Bend was held to just three total rushing yards on the night but Premer was a big factor early on. He went 18 yards on a Daxton Minton pass less than four minutes into the game. Buhler scored the next two touchdowns on a 31-yard run from junior Ben Clause, and a 14-yard touchdown pass from senior Brendan Scripsick to Clause. The Crusaders led 13-6 early in the second quarter.

After another Panther drive failed, junior Jacob Hall came up with the heroics, picking off a Scripsick pass and running 60 yards to the end zone for a go-ahead score. Buhler answered right back with a 43-yard touchdown pass from Scripsick to senior Cash Carson.

Minton and Premer had the final say in the first half. Just two plays after Buhler's big score, the Panthers were facing second-and-20 when Premer ran 86 yards untouched on a Minton pass. The duo connected from 14 yards in the final minute of the half. Sophomore Cooper Ohnmacht had a big touchdown pass to Hall in week two and that nearly worked again as a 34-yard pass from Ohnmacht to Hall set up the final points of the half. Premer had little trouble beating the man-coverage.

"That's what they're known for," he said. "They're usually a good defensive pass team. They play a lot of cover-zero and cover-one. That's what they play and they don't really adjust. That didn't work for them tonight but they're truly a great team and their defense is pretty solid."

Hall had a big night all around. That included a fumble recovery just a few plays into the third quarter. Great Bend needed just two plays on the ensuing short field before Premer picked up his fourth touchdown reception from Minton, this time from 24 yards out, just 93 seconds into the second half.

Panther senior Aiden Davidson and junior Trent Kern both had big sacks in the second half. Great Bend's defense again pitched a shutout in the second half, but the Crusaders did pick up points via a 55-yard interception return from senior Mitchell McDaniel late in the third quarter.

Kern's sack late in the game resulted in a turnover on downs. Four plays later, with the game still up for grabs, Premer was able to beat his defender off the line for a 30-yard touchdown catch to seal the win with 3:13 remaining.

Clause rushed for 67 yards in the first half but finished the night with 66 yards on 13 carries for Buhler. Scripsick threw for 156 yards with two interceptions and a touchdown on 14-of-23 passing. Hall and Premer had the interceptions for Great Bend.

Minton finished with 227 yards, five touchdowns, and two picks on 9-of-21 passing. Premer caught five passes, all for scores, for 168 yards. Hall had two receptions for 56 yards, and Ohnmacht caught three passes for 39 yards.

Buhler suffers its first loss of the season. Great Bend moves to 3-0.

"I think we're feeling pretty good heading into week four," said Premer. "We know we have to keep our heads on and we can't get too high. We want to win every game, obviously, but we have to treat every game like it's the most important so that's what we plan to do." 

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1726893121086.jpeg" alt="Panther junior Ian Premer caught five touchdown passes and intercepted a pass in Friday's 43-26 win over Buhler." />
 <figcaption>Panther junior Ian Premer caught five touchdown passes and intercepted a pass in Friday's 43-26 win over Buhler.</figcaption>
 </figure>By MIKE COURSON Great Bend PostBuhler's ability to shut down Great Bend's run game Friday night came at a cost: the secondary went one-on-one with junior Ian Premer, who caught five touchdown passes for 168 yards. Premer's third touchdown came in the final minute of the first half for a 29-19 Panther lead at the break. He caught two more touchdown passes in the second half, and the Panther defense pitched another second-half shutout to pull away for a 43-26 win.Early-evening storms canceled a much-anticipated flyover as part of Great Bend Airfest festivities and pushed back the kick 45 minutes. Great Bend was held to just three total rushing yards on the night but Premer was a big factor early on. He went 18 yards on a Daxton Minton pass less than four minutes into the game. Buhler scored the next two touchdowns on a 31-yard run from junior Ben Clause, and a 14-yard touchdown pass from senior Brendan Scripsick to Clause. The Crusaders led 13-6 early in the second quarter.After another Panther drive failed, junior Jacob Hall came up with the heroics, picking off a Scripsick pass and running 60 yards to the end zone for a go-ahead score. Buhler answered right back with a 43-yard touchdown pass from Scripsick to senior Cash Carson.Minton and Premer had the final say in the first half. Just two plays after Buhler's big score, the Panthers were facing second-and-20 when Premer ran 86 yards untouched on a Minton pass. The duo connected from 14 yards in the final minute of the half. Sophomore Cooper Ohnmacht had a big touchdown pass to Hall in week two and that nearly worked again as a 34-yard pass from Ohnmacht to Hall set up the final points of the half. Premer had little trouble beating the man-coverage."That's what they're known for," he said. "They're usually a good defensive pass team. They play a lot of cover-zero and cover-one. That's what they play and they don't really adjust. That didn't work for them tonight but they're truly a great team and their defense is pretty solid."Hall had a big night all around. That included a fumble recovery just a few plays into the third quarter. Great Bend needed just two plays on the ensuing short field before Premer picked up his fourth touchdown reception from Minton, this time from 24 yards out, just 93 seconds into the second half.Panther senior Aiden Davidson and junior Trent Kern both had big sacks in the second half. Great Bend's defense again pitched a shutout in the second half, but the Crusaders did pick up points via a 55-yard interception return from senior Mitchell McDaniel late in the third quarter.Kern's sack late in the game resulted in a turnover on downs. Four plays later, with the game still up for grabs, Premer was able to beat his defender off the line for a 30-yard touchdown catch to seal the win with 3:13 remaining.Clause rushed for 67 yards in the first half but finished the night with 66 yards on 13 carries for Buhler. Scripsick threw for 156 yards with two interceptions and a touchdown on 14-of-23 passing. Hall and Premer had the interceptions for Great Bend.Minton finished with 227 yards, five touchdowns, and two picks on 9-of-21 passing. Premer caught five passes, all for scores, for 168 yards. Hall had two receptions for 56 yards, and Ohnmacht caught three passes for 39 yards.Buhler suffers its first loss of the season. Great Bend moves to 3-0."I think we're feeling pretty good heading into week four," said Premer. "We know we have to keep our heads on and we can't get too high. We want to win every game, obviously, but we have to treat every game like it's the most important so that's what we plan to do."

Premer catches 5 TD passes; Panthers move to 3-0 with win over Buhler

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Great Bend 43 Buhler 26

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Scott City 29 Hoisington 7

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Pratt 70 Larned 0

Things have been trending in the right direction for Brett Stindt's Ellinwood High School football team. The Eagles posted a 2-25 record in the three seasons before Stindt took over the program in 2022. Ellinwood won three games that season, finished last year at 4-5 overall, and has started the 2024 season with a pair of easy wins. 

"The seniors last year, I think that's the group that really started this," said Stindt. "I told them all year last year, whatever happens in the future, it's going to be with this group. Them going 4-5 last year was a huge step." 

Last year, the Eagles opened the season at 3-0 for the first time since 1986. Craig Schneider coached Ellinwood to a 26-10 record from 1983-86 with three 3-0 starts in those four seasons. The 1986 defense shut out four of its first six opponents.

This year's Eagle squad opened the season with a 32-0 win against Syracuse, then blanked Herington 47-0 in week two. No Ellinwood squad has opened a season with back-to-back shutouts since Robert Shandy's 1978 team opened the season with shutout wins against Lyons and Ellsworth.

"We try to work on defense as much as possible," Stindt said. "A lot of credit goes to our scout team. When they show up during the week, it makes their lives just a little bit better. Overall, we've been able to rotate kids in and get new kids out there, young kids. Just this last game, I think we actually had 18 kids make a tackle in the game. That's huge."

The 1979 Eagles shutout four opponents to open the season but only after losing to Lyons 20-18 in week one. Jack Bowman's 1966 team outscored its first seven opponents 200-7 and shutout seven of nine offenses it saw to finish the season at 8-1. Jason Duvall's 2015 Eagle team blanked two of its first three opponents but Victoria spoiled the fun with a 38-12 in week two. Sterling similarly ruined a perfect start that included two shutouts with a 12-6 win in week two of the 2003 season under Monte Doll and Bill Maddy. 

Senior Landon Simpson and sophomore Nick Miller lead this year's defense with 10 tackles each, and senior Tavian McCaffery and junior Austin Brack have combined for 15 more. Simpson has also picked off three passes.

Ellinwood will look to continue its win and shutout streaks Friday at Stanton County. <a href="https://www.kansashsfootballhistory.com/teams.cfm?school=Ellinwood">Kansashsfootballhistory.com</a> tracks the football team's history dating back to 1949. No Eagle team since 1949 has shutout its first three opponents.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1726769677720.jpeg" alt="The Ellinwood High School football team has shutout its first two opponents of the season for the first time since 1978. The Eagles travel to Stanton County tonight. (photo by Jonell Niles)" />
 <figcaption>The Ellinwood High School football team has shutout its first two opponents of the season for the first time since 1978. The Eagles travel to Stanton County tonight. (photo by Jonell Niles)</figcaption>
 </figure>By MIKE COURSON Great Bend PostThings have been trending in the right direction for Brett Stindt's Ellinwood High School football team. The Eagles posted a 2-25 record in the three seasons before Stindt took over the program in 2022. Ellinwood won three games that season, finished last year at 4-5 overall, and has started the 2024 season with a pair of easy wins. "The seniors last year, I think that's the group that really started this," said Stindt. "I told them all year last year, whatever happens in the future, it's going to be with this group. Them going 4-5 last year was a huge step." Last year, the Eagles opened the season at 3-0 for the first time since 1986. Craig Schneider coached Ellinwood to a 26-10 record from 1983-86 with three 3-0 starts in those four seasons. The 1986 defense shut out four of its first six opponents.This year's Eagle squad opened the season with a 32-0 win against Syracuse, then blanked Herington 47-0 in week two. No Ellinwood squad has opened a season with back-to-back shutouts since Robert Shandy's 1978 team opened the season with shutout wins against Lyons and Ellsworth.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1726760020970.jpeg" alt="The 2015 Eagles shutout two of their first three opponents but allowed 38 points in week two. This year's defense has opened the season with back-to-back shutouts for the first time since 1978." />
 <figcaption>The 2015 Eagles shutout two of their first three opponents but allowed 38 points in week two. This year's defense has opened the season with back-to-back shutouts for the first time since 1978.</figcaption>
 </figure>"We try to work on defense as much as possible," Stindt said. "A lot of credit goes to our scout team. When they show up during the week, it makes their lives just a little bit better. Overall, we've been able to rotate kids in and get new kids out there, young kids. Just this last game, I think we actually had 18 kids make a tackle in the game. That's huge."The 1979 Eagles shutout four opponents to open the season but only after losing to Lyons 20-18 in week one. Jack Bowman's 1966 team outscored its first seven opponents 200-7 and shutout seven of nine offenses it saw to finish the season at 8-1. Jason Duvall's 2015 Eagle team blanked two of its first three opponents but Victoria spoiled the fun with a 38-12 in week two. Sterling similarly ruined a perfect start that included two shutouts with a 12-6 win in week two of the 2003 season under Monte Doll and Bill Maddy. Senior Landon Simpson and sophomore Nick Miller lead this year's defense with 10 tackles each, and senior Tavian McCaffery and junior Austin Brack have combined for 15 more. Simpson has also picked off three passes.Ellinwood will look to continue its win and shutout streaks Friday at Stanton County. <a href="https://www.kansashsfootballhistory.com/teams.cfm?school=Ellinwood">Kansashsfootballhistory.com</a> tracks the football team's history dating back to 1949. No Eagle team since 1949 has shutout its first three opponents.

Ellinwood's defense looking to do something historic in week three of season

AdventHealth Sports Park at Bluhawk in Overland Park will host the 6A KSHSAA Boys and Girls State Wrestling Championship, February 28 - March 1, 2025. This marks the first time a KSHSAA State Wrestling Championship has been hosted east of Topeka since 1983 and the first time in the Kansas City Metro since 1978 when the 5A competition took place in Shawnee Mission.

<a target="_blank" href="https://bluhawksports.com/">AdventHealth Sports Park at Bluhawk</a>&nbsp;is designed to host a variety of sports including basketball, volleyball, hockey, ice skating, dance, cheer, pickleball, 5v5 soccer, wrestling, gymnastics, bowling, and so much more.

“With the growth of girl’s wrestling and the increase of classifications, more sites will be used to accommodate crowd size and lodging. The KSHSAA will evaluate this on a yearly basis,” said KSHSAA Assistant Executive Director Mark Lentz.

The&nbsp; Class 3-1A competition will return to Gross Memorial Stadum in Hays. Fort Hays State has hosted 50 KSHSAA State Wrestling Championships, the return comes after a one year hiatus due to scheduling conflicts.

Class 4A will return to Salina and Class 5A will stay in Park City.

The state tournaments will be held at four different sites on February 28 – March 1, 2025.

-Class 6A girls and boys at the AdventHealth Sports Park at Bluhawk in Overland Park.

-Class 5A girls and boys at The Park City Arena, in Park City.

-Class 4A girls and boys at The Tony’s Pizza Events Center in Salina.

-Class 3-1A girls and boys at Fort Hays State University in Hays.

1) The girls regional tournaments are super regionals for each classification. Schools will be assigned to an east or west regional, that will be held on Friday, February 14 – Saturday, February 15, 2025. If the number of participants permits, then this will be a Saturday only tournament.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; -The top 8 finishers from each weight class in each regional will qualify for the state tournament.

2) The 6A and 5A boys regional tournaments will be held on February 21-22.&nbsp; These are also super regionals.

AdventHealth Sports Park at Bluhawk in Overland Park will host the 6A KSHSAA Boys and Girls State Wrestling Championship, February 28 - March 1, 2025. This marks the first time a KSHSAA State Wrestling Championship has been hosted east of Topeka since 1983 and the first time in the Kansas City Metro since 1978 when the 5A competition took place in Shawnee Mission.<a target="_blank" href="https://bluhawksports.com/">AdventHealth Sports Park at Bluhawk</a>&nbsp;is designed to host a variety of sports including basketball, volleyball, hockey, ice skating, dance, cheer, pickleball, 5v5 soccer, wrestling, gymnastics, bowling, and so much more.“With the growth of girl’s wrestling and the increase of classifications, more sites will be used to accommodate crowd size and lodging. The KSHSAA will evaluate this on a yearly basis,” said KSHSAA Assistant Executive Director Mark Lentz.The&nbsp; Class 3-1A competition will return to Gross Memorial Stadum in Hays. Fort Hays State has hosted 50 KSHSAA State Wrestling Championships, the return comes after a one year hiatus due to scheduling conflicts.Class 4A will return to Salina and Class 5A will stay in Park City.Full site details for 2025:The state tournaments will be held at four different sites on February 28 – March 1, 2025.-Class 6A girls and boys at the AdventHealth Sports Park at Bluhawk in Overland Park.-Class 5A girls and boys at The Park City Arena, in Park City.-Class 4A girls and boys at The Tony’s Pizza Events Center in Salina.-Class 3-1A girls and boys at Fort Hays State University in Hays.Regional Wrestling Information1) The girls regional tournaments are super regionals for each classification. Schools will be assigned to an east or west regional, that will be held on Friday, February 14 – Saturday, February 15, 2025. If the number of participants permits, then this will be a Saturday only tournament.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; -The top 8 finishers from each weight class in each regional will qualify for the state tournament.2) The 6A and 5A boys regional tournaments will be held on February 21-22.&nbsp; These are also super regionals.

State wrestling sites selected in Kansas

MIAMI (AP) — Shohei Ohtani looked up at a visiting crowd that turned out to cheer him and the Los Angeles Dodgers — and ended up getting to witness one of the greatest individual performances, and seasons, in major league history.&nbsp;Fans lifted their phones to capture the moment and chanted “M-V-P!” as Ohtani rounded the bases after he cleared the fence for the 50th time, becoming the first major league player with at least 50 home runs and and 50 stolen bases in a season. The most amazing thing about it? Ohtani’s day wasn’t even finished. Ohtani raced past the 50-50 milestone in the most spectacular game of his history-making career, becoming the first big league player to hit three homers and steal two bases in a game during&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/dodgers-marlins-score-96c84607d3f2c147c9105e0a71ab18af">a 20-4 rout of the Miami Marlins</a>&nbsp;on Thursday that also secured a playoff spot for the Dodgers.

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — Aaron Rodgers was in total control in a superb homecoming performance that kept the cheers and chants going from the giddy New York Jets fans. And this time, Rodgers was able to walk off the field — healthy and a winner. The star quarterback threw two touchdown passes while being showered with “Aa-ron! Rod-gers!” chants throughout, New York’s defense was dominant and the Jets rolled to a 24-3 victory over the New England Patriots in their home opener Thursday night.

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — No. 1 Texas will start Arch Manning at quarterback Saturday&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/louisiana-monroe-texas-manning-preview-52d9da1d9fadf6c1c0270867f549ebc9">against Louisiana-Monroe</a>&nbsp;while regular starter Quinn Ewers&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/quinn-ewers-texas-injury-manning-c866b0c6172f7aa5f65e60e5e857b46f">continues to recover</a>&nbsp;from a strained muscle in his abdomen, coach Steve Sarkisian said Thursday.&nbsp;It will be the first career start for Manning, a second year freshman. He relieved Ewers in the second quarter last week against UTSA, and passed for four touchdowns and ran for another in a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/texas-utsa-score-arch-manning-e775a279816aff198aa9812b8160944f">56-7 Texas victory</a>. Manning is the son of Cooper Manning, the grandson of former NFL quarterback Archie Manning, and the nephew of Super Bowl-winning QBs Peyton and Eli Manning. He was one of the highest-rated recruits in the country coming out of high school after the 2022 season.

CHICAGO (AP) — Seiya Suzuki homered, Cody Bellinger drove in three runs and the Chicago Cubs topped the Washington Nationals 7-6 on Thursday night to stave off elimination from the postseason. Joey Gallo hit a three-run home run for Washington, which has dropped four straight. The Cubs trailed 6-5 after Gallo’s shot in the sixth off reliever Drew Smyly, but took the lead for good with a two-run seventh.&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/Cubs/status/1836950555115110642" target="_blank">Bellinger singled in the tying run</a>&nbsp;and Isaac Paredes came up next to tag reliever Robert Garcia (3-6) with an RBI groundout. Dansby Swanson added three hits and scored four times for Chicago, which remained seven games out of the final NL wild card berth with nine to play after New York and Arizona won earlier Thursday.

THURSDAY'S SCORES National Football League NY Jets 24, New England 3

Major League Baseball American League

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1721294994442.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>MIAMI (AP) — Shohei Ohtani looked up at a visiting crowd that turned out to cheer him and the Los Angeles Dodgers — and ended up getting to witness one of the greatest individual performances, and seasons, in major league history.&nbsp;Fans lifted their phones to capture the moment and chanted “M-V-P!” as Ohtani rounded the bases after he cleared the fence for the 50th time, becoming the first major league player with at least 50 home runs and and 50 stolen bases in a season. The most amazing thing about it? Ohtani’s day wasn’t even finished. Ohtani raced past the 50-50 milestone in the most spectacular game of his history-making career, becoming the first big league player to hit three homers and steal two bases in a game during&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/dodgers-marlins-score-96c84607d3f2c147c9105e0a71ab18af">a 20-4 rout of the Miami Marlins</a>&nbsp;on Thursday that also secured a playoff spot for the Dodgers.EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — Aaron Rodgers was in total control in a superb homecoming performance that kept the cheers and chants going from the giddy New York Jets fans. And this time, Rodgers was able to walk off the field — healthy and a winner. The star quarterback threw two touchdown passes while being showered with “Aa-ron! Rod-gers!” chants throughout, New York’s defense was dominant and the Jets rolled to a 24-3 victory over the New England Patriots in their home opener Thursday night.AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — No. 1 Texas will start Arch Manning at quarterback Saturday&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/louisiana-monroe-texas-manning-preview-52d9da1d9fadf6c1c0270867f549ebc9">against Louisiana-Monroe</a>&nbsp;while regular starter Quinn Ewers&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/quinn-ewers-texas-injury-manning-c866b0c6172f7aa5f65e60e5e857b46f">continues to recover</a>&nbsp;from a strained muscle in his abdomen, coach Steve Sarkisian said Thursday.&nbsp;It will be the first career start for Manning, a second year freshman. He relieved Ewers in the second quarter last week against UTSA, and passed for four touchdowns and ran for another in a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/texas-utsa-score-arch-manning-e775a279816aff198aa9812b8160944f">56-7 Texas victory</a>. Manning is the son of Cooper Manning, the grandson of former NFL quarterback Archie Manning, and the nephew of Super Bowl-winning QBs Peyton and Eli Manning. He was one of the highest-rated recruits in the country coming out of high school after the 2022 season.CHICAGO (AP) — Seiya Suzuki homered, Cody Bellinger drove in three runs and the Chicago Cubs topped the Washington Nationals 7-6 on Thursday night to stave off elimination from the postseason. Joey Gallo hit a three-run home run for Washington, which has dropped four straight. The Cubs trailed 6-5 after Gallo’s shot in the sixth off reliever Drew Smyly, but took the lead for good with a two-run seventh.&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/Cubs/status/1836950555115110642" target="_blank">Bellinger singled in the tying run</a>&nbsp;and Isaac Paredes came up next to tag reliever Robert Garcia (3-6) with an RBI groundout. Dansby Swanson added three hits and scored four times for Chicago, which remained seven games out of the final NL wild card berth with nine to play after New York and Arizona won earlier Thursday.THURSDAY'S SCORES National Football League NY Jets 24, New England 3Major League Baseball American LeagueCleveland 3, Minnesota 2Toronto 4, Texas 0Seattle 3, NY Yankees 2Tampa Bay 2, Boston 0Houston 3, LA Angels 1National LeagueAtlanta 15, Cincinnati 3Pittsburgh 3, St. Louis 2LA Dodgers 20, Miami 4InterleagueBaltimore 5, San Francisco 3Chicago Cubs 7, Washington 6Arizona 5, Milwaukee 1NY Mets 10, Philadelphia 6

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

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1726759863071.jpeg" alt="&nbsp;2024 Great Bend Panthers 4th Grade" />
 <figcaption>&nbsp;2024 Great Bend Panthers 4th Grade</figcaption>
 </figure>1	Lincoln	Cale	Jefferson7	Kymper	Vonfeldt	Lincoln8	Colson 	Kelly	Holy Family10	Brecken	Ochs	Lincoln12	Callahan	Luttrell	Jefferson13	Tyson 	Bauer	Jefferson14	Connor	Steffan	Lincoln15	Zander	Holinde	Jefferson17	Treacyn	Williams	CKCA18	Cooper	Dreiling	Jefferson29	Colton	Klein	Jefferson32	Max 	Meyerhoff	Holy Family34	Derek	Devine	Lincoln35	Easton	Hammeke	CKCA39	Jaxston	Schreiner	Jefferson67	Landon	Horner	Jefferson87	Rowley 	Burkes	Jefferson95	Kipton 	Burroughs	Lincoln99	Connor	Piland	JeffersonHead Coach Cody KellyAssistant CoachesCody CaleKurt MeyerhoffHayden KellyRex KernZack Kaiser

2024 Great Bend Panthers 4th Grade

MIAMI (AP) — Shohei Ohtani looked up at a visiting crowd that turned out to cheer him and the Los Angeles Dodgers — and ended up getting to witness one of the greatest individual performances, and seasons, in major league history.

Fans lifted their phones to capture the moment and chanted “M-V-P!” as Ohtani rounded the bases after he cleared the fence for the 50th time, becoming the first major league player with at least 50 home runs and and 50 stolen bases in a season.

The most amazing thing about it? Ohtani's day wasn't even finished.

Ohtani raced past the 50-50 milestone in the most spectacular game of his history-making career, becoming the first big league player to hit three homers and steal two bases in a game during&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/dodgers-marlins-score-96c84607d3f2c147c9105e0a71ab18af">a 20-4 rout of the Miami Marlins</a>&nbsp;on Thursday that also secured a playoff spot for the Dodgers.

“I almost cried, to be honest,” Dodgers shortstop Miguel Rojas said. “It was a lot of emotions because of everything that happens behind the scenes that we got to witness every single day.”

MIAMI (AP) — Shohei Ohtani looked up at a visiting crowd that turned out to cheer him and the Los Angeles Dodgers — and ended up getting to witness one of the greatest individual performances, and seasons, in major league history.Fans lifted their phones to capture the moment and chanted “M-V-P!” as Ohtani rounded the bases after he cleared the fence for the 50th time, becoming the first major league player with at least 50 home runs and and 50 stolen bases in a season.The most amazing thing about it? Ohtani's day wasn't even finished.Ohtani raced past the 50-50 milestone in the most spectacular game of his history-making career, becoming the first big league player to hit three homers and steal two bases in a game during&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/dodgers-marlins-score-96c84607d3f2c147c9105e0a71ab18af">a 20-4 rout of the Miami Marlins</a>&nbsp;on Thursday that also secured a playoff spot for the Dodgers.“I almost cried, to be honest,” Dodgers shortstop Miguel Rojas said. “It was a lot of emotions because of everything that happens behind the scenes that we got to witness every single day.”Los Angeles' $700 million Japanese superstar hit his 49th homer in the sixth inning, his 50th in the seventh and his 51st in the ninth. He finished 6 for 6 with 10 RBIs while becoming the first big league player to hit three homers and steal two bases in a game."It was something I wanted to get over as quickly as possible. And, you know, it’s something that I’m going to cherish for a very long time,” Ohtani said through an interpreter in a televised interview.Ohtani reached the second deck in right-center on two of his three homers at LoanDepot Park. In the sixth inning, he&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/MLB/status/1836895406971654186">launched a 1-1 slider</a>&nbsp;from George Soriano 438 feet for his 49th.<a href="https://twitter.com/MLB/status/1836902468216561815">Ohtani hit his 50th homer</a>&nbsp;in the seventh, an opposite-field, two-run shot to left against Marlins reliever Mike Baumann. Then, in the ninth,&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/MLB/status/1836910075715215750">his 51st traveled 440 feet</a>&nbsp;to right-center, a three-run shot against Marlins second baseman Vidal Brujan, who came in to pitch with the game out of hand.“To be honest, I’m the one probably most surprised,” Ohtani said. “I have no idea where this came from, but I’m glad that it was going well today.”Ohtani came into the game with 48 homers and 49 steals. He took care of the stolen bases early,&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/MLB/status/1836870236881994002">swiping his 50th in the first</a>&nbsp;and his 51st in the second. He has been successful on his last 28 stolen base attempts.He broke the Dodgers' franchise record of 49 homers set by Shawn Green in 2001. And he became the third player in major league history with at least six hits, three homers and 10 RBIs in a game, joining Cincinnati's Walker Cooper in 1949 and Washington's Anthony Rendon in 2017.Ohtani has 120 RBIs, trailing only Aaron Judge of the New York Yankees (53 homers, 136 RBIs) in both categories.Ohtani reached the 50-50 milestone in his 150th game. He was already the sixth player in major league history and the fastest ever to reach 40 home runs and 40 stolen bases in a season, needing just 126 games.His previous career high in homers was 46 for the Los Angeles Angels in 2021, when he also made 23 starts on the mound and won his first of two American League MVP awards.It was another memorable night for Ohtani at LoanDepot Park,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NMfBdEV03j8">where he struck out then-Angels teammate Mike Trout</a>&nbsp;of the United States for the final out of the 2023 World Baseball Classic championship while playing for Japan.“I’ve had perhaps the most memorable moments here in my career," Ohtani said, "and this stadium has become one of my favorite stadiums.”Already the consensus best player in baseball whose accomplishments as a pitcher and batter outpaced even Babe Ruth, Ohtani reached new heights as an offensive player while taking the year off from pitching.Ohtani signed his $700 million, 10-year deal with the Dodgers last December. The two-way star, who previously spent six years with the Los Angeles Angels, has played exclusively at designated hitter this season as he rehabilitates after surgery a year ago for an injured elbow ligament.He finished a triple shy of the cycle on Thursday, adding a run-scoring single and two doubles. He was thrown out at third base while trying to stretch his second double into a triple.“There’s nothing you really can say because there’s nothing anybody can do about it,” teammate and former MVP Mookie Betts said. “He’s just too good.”First base was open when Ohtani came up to bat in the seventh, but Marlins manager Skip Schumaker decided against intentionally walking him with the Marlins trailing 11-3.“If it was a tight game, one-run lead or we’re down one, I probably put him on,” Schumaker said. “Down that many runs, that’s a bad move baseball-wise, karma-wise, baseball god-wise. ... I think out of respect for the game, we were going to go after him. He hit the home run. That’s just part of the deal. He’s hit (51) of them. He’s the most talented player I’ve ever seen.”Preparation was a key to Ohtani becoming the first member of the 50-50 club. He regularly huddled with the team’s hitting coaches and studied video of opposing pitchers to understand their tendencies with hitters and baserunners.“I see all the work he puts in,” catcher Will Smith said recently. “It’s not like he goes out there and it’s too easy for him. He works harder than anybody. He scouts really hard. He’s playing a different game so it’s fun to see.”Ohtani appeared to make the 50-50 mark his mission. He increased the frequency of his base-stealing attempts, and in turn his success rate went up.But that may not be the case next year when he returns to the mound.“He’s not pitching this year so I think he is emptying the tank offensively,” manager Dave Roberts said. “I do think the power, the on-base (percentage), the average, I think he can do that as a pitcher. He’s done something pretty similar like that with his OPS. But as far as the stolen bases go, I’m not sure about that.”Ohtani’s teammates have enjoyed watching him crush home runs and scamper around the bases.“I’m honestly kind of trying to learn from him just seeing the way he goes about his day-to-day business. He’s very consistent, the same demeanor throughout,” outfielder Tommy Edman said recently. “I think that’s why he’s such a good player.”Third baseman Max Muncy added, “Every night I feel like he does something that we haven’t seen.”What’s next for Ohtani?The Dodgers are headed to the postseason in October, which will be another first for Ohtani. He never made it there with the Angels, who never had a winning record during his tenure in Anaheim.Another potential first could be earning National League MVP honors as a designated hitter. No player who got most of his playing time as a DH — without pitching — has ever won MVP, although Don Baylor, Edgar Martinez and David Ortiz placed high in the vote.