By BRANDON SMITH Barton Sports Info

Amidst a grueling stretch facing three straight nationally ranked opponents, the Barton Community College women's soccer team had one slip away Saturday afternoon as an equalizing goal with 17:34 remaining furnished a 1-1 draw with No. 18 Hutchinson Community College at the Cougar Soccer Complex.

The result leaves Barton 1-2-2 in league play and 3-2-2 on the season while the Blue Dragons sit 3-1-2 in conference and 4-1-2 overall. The Cougars will conclude their three-match stretch against ranked opponents traveling to No. 14 Cowley Wednesday night at 5:00 p.m.

Controlling possession for much of the first half, Barton finally broke through on the scoreboard with 1:27 remaining in the first stanza as&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bartonsports.com/sports/wsoc/2024-25/bios/jolly_fiona_g347">Fiona Jolly</a>&nbsp;rattled the nets for the fifth time this season going unmarked inside the 6' cleaning up&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bartonsports.com/sports/wsoc/2024-25/bios/silva_leticia_f680">Leticia Quadros</a>&nbsp;denied free kick shot attempt.

Outshooting the Blue Dragons 11-0 in the opening 45-minutes, the two teams combined for six shots apiece over the final 45-minutes.

Much like Barton's goal, the Blue Dragons benefitted behind a free kick attempt in the 73rd minute, as Kira Artmann's sent in ball found Kaitlyn Edwards in front of the net for a near post-strike to knot the game even at 1-1.

The Cougars created multiple chances for the go-ahead goal behind its 17-6 shot advantage, but the Blue Dragons goalkeeper Karsyn Siothower denied nine of 10 shots faced on frame.

Barton netminder&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bartonsports.com/sports/wsoc/2024-25/bios/tanaka_mio_fiw7">Mio Tanaka</a>&nbsp;was solid between the pipes rejecting four of the five Hutchinson shots faced with a key save coming on Katharina Marx 1-v-1 opportunity with 68:19 remaining.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1726493297287.jpeg" alt="Barton's Katy Potter battles with Hutchinson defender." />
 <figcaption>Barton's Katy Potter battles with Hutchinson defender.</figcaption>
 </figure>By BRANDON SMITH Barton Sports InfoAmidst a grueling stretch facing three straight nationally ranked opponents, the Barton Community College women's soccer team had one slip away Saturday afternoon as an equalizing goal with 17:34 remaining furnished a 1-1 draw with No. 18 Hutchinson Community College at the Cougar Soccer Complex.The result leaves Barton 1-2-2 in league play and 3-2-2 on the season while the Blue Dragons sit 3-1-2 in conference and 4-1-2 overall. The Cougars will conclude their three-match stretch against ranked opponents traveling to No. 14 Cowley Wednesday night at 5:00 p.m.Controlling possession for much of the first half, Barton finally broke through on the scoreboard with 1:27 remaining in the first stanza as&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bartonsports.com/sports/wsoc/2024-25/bios/jolly_fiona_g347">Fiona Jolly</a>&nbsp;rattled the nets for the fifth time this season going unmarked inside the 6' cleaning up&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bartonsports.com/sports/wsoc/2024-25/bios/silva_leticia_f680">Leticia Quadros</a>&nbsp;denied free kick shot attempt.Outshooting the Blue Dragons 11-0 in the opening 45-minutes, the two teams combined for six shots apiece over the final 45-minutes.Much like Barton's goal, the Blue Dragons benefitted behind a free kick attempt in the 73rd minute, as Kira Artmann's sent in ball found Kaitlyn Edwards in front of the net for a near post-strike to knot the game even at 1-1.The Cougars created multiple chances for the go-ahead goal behind its 17-6 shot advantage, but the Blue Dragons goalkeeper Karsyn Siothower denied nine of 10 shots faced on frame.Barton netminder&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bartonsports.com/sports/wsoc/2024-25/bios/tanaka_mio_fiw7">Mio Tanaka</a>&nbsp;was solid between the pipes rejecting four of the five Hutchinson shots faced with a key save coming on Katharina Marx 1-v-1 opportunity with 68:19 remaining.

Barton Women's Soccer plays to 1-1 draw with No. 18 Hutchinson 

The Lady Panther volleyball team pushed its win streak to eight matches to open the season. Great Bend powered past its first four opponents of the Riley County Tournament on Saturday before falling to fourth-ranked Clay Center (4A) in the title match. 

The Lady Panthers dominated Chapman 25-8, 25-13 in the opener. Senior Kara Feist put down seven kills in the win. Senior Cassie Ellegood and freshman Mikala Minton each added five kills, and sophomore Kya Behr finished with four. Ellegood had a strong service game with five aces. Behr and junior Ava Kaiser led the back row with four digs, and Behr had 15 assists in the win.

Great Bend needed three sets to get by No. 4 Valley Heights (2A) 21-25, 25-19, 27-25. Behr led the attack with 12 kills followed by nine from Ellegood. Ellegood and Feist each had two aces, and Feist and Ellegood each had four blocks. A busy back row dug up 77 balls. Kaiser led the charge with 22, followed by 14 from sophomore Alex Mayers, 12 from Behr, 10 from Minton, and nine from junior Kimberly Hofflinger. Behr added 21 assists.

The Lady Panthers downed perennially-tough Jefferson County North 25-9, 25-13. Feist led the way with six kills, followed by five each from Hofflinger and Mayers. Feist also had four blocks and Hofflinger led the defense with eight digs. Behr finished with 14 assists.

Momentum continued to roll with a 25-17, 25-21 win over host Riley County. Feist again led the attack with eight kills, followed by six from Ellegood. Feist again led the team at the net defensively with three blocks. Behr finished with 10 digs in the back, followed by Minton and Kaiser with nine each. Behr tacked on 16 more assists.

Clay Center got nine kills from sophomore Raimee Lipker in their 25-20, 25-15 win over the Panthers. Behr put down six kills for Great Bend, followed by five each from Ellegood and Feist. Hofflinger and Minton paced the back row with eight digs each and Behr added seven digs to go along with 14 assists.

Great Bend takes an 8-1 record to Manhattan for triangular action against the Indians and Hays on Tuesday.

Great Bend Post SportsThe Lady Panther volleyball team pushed its win streak to eight matches to open the season. Great Bend powered past its first four opponents of the Riley County Tournament on Saturday before falling to fourth-ranked Clay Center (4A) in the title match. The Lady Panthers dominated Chapman 25-8, 25-13 in the opener. Senior Kara Feist put down seven kills in the win. Senior Cassie Ellegood and freshman Mikala Minton each added five kills, and sophomore Kya Behr finished with four. Ellegood had a strong service game with five aces. Behr and junior Ava Kaiser led the back row with four digs, and Behr had 15 assists in the win.Great Bend needed three sets to get by No. 4 Valley Heights (2A) 21-25, 25-19, 27-25. Behr led the attack with 12 kills followed by nine from Ellegood. Ellegood and Feist each had two aces, and Feist and Ellegood each had four blocks. A busy back row dug up 77 balls. Kaiser led the charge with 22, followed by 14 from sophomore Alex Mayers, 12 from Behr, 10 from Minton, and nine from junior Kimberly Hofflinger. Behr added 21 assists.The Lady Panthers downed perennially-tough Jefferson County North 25-9, 25-13. Feist led the way with six kills, followed by five each from Hofflinger and Mayers. Feist also had four blocks and Hofflinger led the defense with eight digs. Behr finished with 14 assists.Momentum continued to roll with a 25-17, 25-21 win over host Riley County. Feist again led the attack with eight kills, followed by six from Ellegood. Feist again led the team at the net defensively with three blocks. Behr finished with 10 digs in the back, followed by Minton and Kaiser with nine each. Behr tacked on 16 more assists.Clay Center got nine kills from sophomore Raimee Lipker in their 25-20, 25-15 win over the Panthers. Behr put down six kills for Great Bend, followed by five each from Ellegood and Feist. Hofflinger and Minton paced the back row with eight digs each and Behr added seven digs to go along with 14 assists.Great Bend takes an 8-1 record to Manhattan for triangular action against the Indians and Hays on Tuesday.

Lady Panther volleyball team finishes Riley County tourney at 4-1

The 4th ranked Barton Community College volleyball team wrapped up the tournament portion of the schedule on Saturday going 3-1 this weekend participating at the Sheila Worley Tournament held in Sterling, Colorado.

Barton fell from the unbeatens on Friday going 1-1, sweeping Laramie County Community College (25-21, 25-18, 25-23) before falling for the first time this season to No. 13 Odessa College in four sets (17-25, 23-25, 25-18, 20-25).

Facing a pair of ranked opponents in Saturday's action, the Cougars dropped the opening set 22-25 to No. 10 Indian Hills Community College before recovering to win the next three 25-22, 25-19, and 25-12. Barton concluded the weekend with a straight set victory (25-23, 25-20, 25-6) over No. 17 Western Nebraska Community College.

The results move Barton's record to 15-1 on the season while heading back into conference play Wednesday with a trip to Seward County Community College for a 6:30 p.m. first serve inside the Greenhouse.

Posting a trio of double-doubles on the weekend,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bartonsports.com/sports/wvball/2024-25/bios/nixon_kassidy_bbcx">Kassidy Nixon</a>&nbsp;led the attack over the weekend recording double-digit kills in three of the four matches with 49 total kills in 14 sets on a .390 efficiency including a season high 17 kills in the four set win over Indian Hills. Nixon reached double-digit digs in all four matches leading the way with 58 while&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bartonsports.com/sports/wvball/2024-25/bios/kaneko_mina_z3c5">Mina Kaneko</a>&nbsp;also helped anchor the backline with 52 digs, 18 coming against Odessa.

Defensively a trio of Cougars posted double-digit blocks led by&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bartonsports.com/sports/wvball/2024-25/bios/olander_aubrey_49pp">Aubrey Olander</a>'s 14 total blockages to go along with 15 kills,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bartonsports.com/sports/wvball/2024-25/bios/reyes_phoebe_zp2h">Phoebe Reyes</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bartonsports.com/sports/wvball/2024-25/bios/wierzbicki_anna_emil">Anna Wierzbicki</a>&nbsp;were next in line with 11 and 10 walls of denials respectfully.

The sophomore setters of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bartonsports.com/sports/wvball/2024-25/bios/stankovic_elena_icdc">Elena Stankovic</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bartonsports.com/sports/wvball/2024-25/bios/reyes_maurin_5w3d">Maurin Reyes</a>&nbsp;keyed the 6-2 offense to an overall .283 efficiency, Stankovic averaging 5.64 assists per set while Reyes was just behind with 70 assists at 5.00 per set with a pair of double-double performances against Odessa and Indian Hills.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1726493218412.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>By BRANDON SMITH Barton Sports InfoThe 4th ranked Barton Community College volleyball team wrapped up the tournament portion of the schedule on Saturday going 3-1 this weekend participating at the Sheila Worley Tournament held in Sterling, Colorado.Barton fell from the unbeatens on Friday going 1-1, sweeping Laramie County Community College (25-21, 25-18, 25-23) before falling for the first time this season to No. 13 Odessa College in four sets (17-25, 23-25, 25-18, 20-25).Facing a pair of ranked opponents in Saturday's action, the Cougars dropped the opening set 22-25 to No. 10 Indian Hills Community College before recovering to win the next three 25-22, 25-19, and 25-12. Barton concluded the weekend with a straight set victory (25-23, 25-20, 25-6) over No. 17 Western Nebraska Community College.The results move Barton's record to 15-1 on the season while heading back into conference play Wednesday with a trip to Seward County Community College for a 6:30 p.m. first serve inside the Greenhouse.Posting a trio of double-doubles on the weekend,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bartonsports.com/sports/wvball/2024-25/bios/nixon_kassidy_bbcx">Kassidy Nixon</a>&nbsp;led the attack over the weekend recording double-digit kills in three of the four matches with 49 total kills in 14 sets on a .390 efficiency including a season high 17 kills in the four set win over Indian Hills. Nixon reached double-digit digs in all four matches leading the way with 58 while&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bartonsports.com/sports/wvball/2024-25/bios/kaneko_mina_z3c5">Mina Kaneko</a>&nbsp;also helped anchor the backline with 52 digs, 18 coming against Odessa.Defensively a trio of Cougars posted double-digit blocks led by&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bartonsports.com/sports/wvball/2024-25/bios/olander_aubrey_49pp">Aubrey Olander</a>'s 14 total blockages to go along with 15 kills,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bartonsports.com/sports/wvball/2024-25/bios/reyes_phoebe_zp2h">Phoebe Reyes</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bartonsports.com/sports/wvball/2024-25/bios/wierzbicki_anna_emil">Anna Wierzbicki</a>&nbsp;were next in line with 11 and 10 walls of denials respectfully.The sophomore setters of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bartonsports.com/sports/wvball/2024-25/bios/stankovic_elena_icdc">Elena Stankovic</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bartonsports.com/sports/wvball/2024-25/bios/reyes_maurin_5w3d">Maurin Reyes</a>&nbsp;keyed the 6-2 offense to an overall .283 efficiency, Stankovic averaging 5.64 assists per set while Reyes was just behind with 70 assists at 5.00 per set with a pair of double-double performances against Odessa and Indian Hills.

No. 4 Barton Volleyball goes 3-1 at the Sheila Worley Tournament

<a target="_blank" href="http://www.bartonsports.com/sports/mxc/2024-25/bios/limo_lel_nec1">Lel Limo</a>&nbsp;guided the Barton Community College men's cross country team in their second meet of the season Friday morning at the FHSU Tiger Open held at Hays, Kansas Rolling Ridge Course.

Participating in a 4-mile race for the second time this season, Limo guided the four pack of Cougars with a fourth-place finish in the 49-participant field. The freshman displayed a solid effort turning in the program's third quickest 4-mile time 20:30.7, shaving over eight minutes off his season opening run two-weeks ago at the Terry Masterson Twilight Classic.

<a target="_blank" href="http://www.bartonsports.com/sports/mxc/2024-25/bios/kiprono_lisbon_o9fe">Lisbon Kiprono</a>&nbsp;was Barton's second to cross the finish line adding a new personal best 23:44.3 for 34th place while&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="http://www.bartonsports.com/sports/mxc/2024-25/bios/woods_korbin_k587">Korbin Woods</a>&nbsp;navigated the 4-mile course 42nd quickest in 25:04.6 falling three seconds off his personal best.

<a target="_blank" href="http://www.bartonsports.com/sports/mxc/2024-25/bios/cole_jack_6980">Jack Cole</a>&nbsp;rounded out the Cougar four pack in 47th with a time of 26:49.1.

Claiming the team title was host school Fort Hays State University compiling 27 points while Jayhawk Conference foes Fort Hays Tech Northwest and Garden City Community College finished second and third with 43 and 58 points respectfully.

Kabelo Maja of Fort Hays Tech Northwest bested the 49-entrée field setting a course record 19:57.2 to edge out Fort Hays State University's Jaret Pfizenmaier's 20:07.2 and Christian Darrah's 20:27.2.

Barton will have some time off before their next meet coming in a tune-up at the Tiger Preview held October 12th at the Kansas Veterans Home in Arkansas City, Kansas before returning two-weeks later for the KJCCC/Region VI Championships.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1726493550783.jpeg" alt="Barton Men's Cross County team competing at the FHSU Tiger Open." />
 <figcaption>Barton Men's Cross County team competing at the FHSU Tiger Open.</figcaption>
 </figure>By BRANDON SMITH Barton Sports Info<a target="_blank" href="http://www.bartonsports.com/sports/mxc/2024-25/bios/limo_lel_nec1">Lel Limo</a>&nbsp;guided the Barton Community College men's cross country team in their second meet of the season Friday morning at the FHSU Tiger Open held at Hays, Kansas Rolling Ridge Course.Participating in a 4-mile race for the second time this season, Limo guided the four pack of Cougars with a fourth-place finish in the 49-participant field. The freshman displayed a solid effort turning in the program's third quickest 4-mile time 20:30.7, shaving over eight minutes off his season opening run two-weeks ago at the Terry Masterson Twilight Classic.<a target="_blank" href="http://www.bartonsports.com/sports/mxc/2024-25/bios/kiprono_lisbon_o9fe">Lisbon Kiprono</a>&nbsp;was Barton's second to cross the finish line adding a new personal best 23:44.3 for 34th place while&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="http://www.bartonsports.com/sports/mxc/2024-25/bios/woods_korbin_k587">Korbin Woods</a>&nbsp;navigated the 4-mile course 42nd quickest in 25:04.6 falling three seconds off his personal best.<a target="_blank" href="http://www.bartonsports.com/sports/mxc/2024-25/bios/cole_jack_6980">Jack Cole</a>&nbsp;rounded out the Cougar four pack in 47th with a time of 26:49.1.Claiming the team title was host school Fort Hays State University compiling 27 points while Jayhawk Conference foes Fort Hays Tech Northwest and Garden City Community College finished second and third with 43 and 58 points respectfully.Kabelo Maja of Fort Hays Tech Northwest bested the 49-entrée field setting a course record 19:57.2 to edge out Fort Hays State University's Jaret Pfizenmaier's 20:07.2 and Christian Darrah's 20:27.2.Barton will have some time off before their next meet coming in a tune-up at the Tiger Preview held October 12th at the Kansas Veterans Home in Arkansas City, Kansas before returning two-weeks later for the KJCCC/Region VI Championships.

Limo's program third best time paces Barton Men's Cross Country at FHSU Tiger Open

HOUSTON (AP) — In a second half where C.J. Stroud and the Houston offense struggled to move the ball, the Texans’ defense stepped up Sunday night to secure a win over the Chicago Bears. Houston picked off rookie Caleb Williams twice after halftime and the Texans held on for a 19-13 victory. Stroud threw for 260 yards and a touchdown and Ka′imi Fairbairn kicked four field goals to help the Houston to the win. Fairbairn connected from 56, 47, 59 and 53 yards, and Houston’s defense put heavy pressure on Williams for much of the game.

ATLANTA (AP) — Mookie Betts had a tiebreaking RBI single with two outs in a seven-run ninth inning and the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Atlanta Braves 9-2 on Sunday night. The loss dropped the Braves into a tie with the Mets for the third wild-card spot in the National League with 13 games to play. The Dodgers hold a two-game lead on the Brewers in their pursuit of the National League’s No. 2 seed and first-round bye in the playoffs. They lead the Padres by four games in the N.L. West.

The projected College Football Playoff field has a new top seed. Using&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll">The Associated Press Top 25 college football poll</a>&nbsp;to fill out the 12-team bracket, Texas now holds the No. 1 seed after taking the top spot in the rankings Sunday. Ohio State is still the projected No. 2 seed as the Big Ten champion, with Miami as the third seed as Atlantic Coast Conference champ and Utah of the Big 12 as the fourth seed. There was little other significant movement in the projections with the same 12 teams in the field this week as last. Tennessee and Missouri swapped spots in what would be an 8-9 game in the first round. Now the Volunteers are the eighth seed and projected home team. Penn State and Oregon also swapped seeds with the Ducks at 10 and Nittany Lions at 11.

BOLINGBROOK, Ill. (AP) — Jon Rahm ended his first year in the LIV Golf League by closing with a 4-under 66 to win the final individual event Sunday and the season points title with its $18 million bonus. Rahm missed a pair of short birdie putts on the back nine that kept Joaquin Niemann and Sergio Garcia in the mix. But then he holed a 12-foot birdie putt on the 17th hole that gave him a three-shot going to the last at Bolingbrook Golf Course. Rahm won for the second time in the Saudi-funded league, adding to his title in England last month. In between those wins, he lost in a playoff to Brooks Koepka.

SUNDAY'S SCORES National Football League Minnesota 23, San Francisco 17

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1714991701059.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>HOUSTON (AP) — In a second half where C.J. Stroud and the Houston offense struggled to move the ball, the Texans’ defense stepped up Sunday night to secure a win over the Chicago Bears. Houston picked off rookie Caleb Williams twice after halftime and the Texans held on for a 19-13 victory. Stroud threw for 260 yards and a touchdown and Ka′imi Fairbairn kicked four field goals to help the Houston to the win. Fairbairn connected from 56, 47, 59 and 53 yards, and Houston’s defense put heavy pressure on Williams for much of the game.ATLANTA (AP) — Mookie Betts had a tiebreaking RBI single with two outs in a seven-run ninth inning and the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Atlanta Braves 9-2 on Sunday night. The loss dropped the Braves into a tie with the Mets for the third wild-card spot in the National League with 13 games to play. The Dodgers hold a two-game lead on the Brewers in their pursuit of the National League’s No. 2 seed and first-round bye in the playoffs. They lead the Padres by four games in the N.L. West.The projected College Football Playoff field has a new top seed. Using&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll">The Associated Press Top 25 college football poll</a>&nbsp;to fill out the 12-team bracket, Texas now holds the No. 1 seed after taking the top spot in the rankings Sunday. Ohio State is still the projected No. 2 seed as the Big Ten champion, with Miami as the third seed as Atlantic Coast Conference champ and Utah of the Big 12 as the fourth seed. There was little other significant movement in the projections with the same 12 teams in the field this week as last. Tennessee and Missouri swapped spots in what would be an 8-9 game in the first round. Now the Volunteers are the eighth seed and projected home team. Penn State and Oregon also swapped seeds with the Ducks at 10 and Nittany Lions at 11.BOLINGBROOK, Ill. (AP) — Jon Rahm ended his first year in the LIV Golf League by closing with a 4-under 66 to win the final individual event Sunday and the season points title with its $18 million bonus. Rahm missed a pair of short birdie putts on the back nine that kept Joaquin Niemann and Sergio Garcia in the mix. But then he holed a 12-foot birdie putt on the 17th hole that gave him a three-shot going to the last at Bolingbrook Golf Course. Rahm won for the second time in the Saudi-funded league, adding to his title in England last month. In between those wins, he lost in a playoff to Brooks Koepka.SUNDAY'S SCORES National Football League Minnesota 23, San Francisco 17Seattle 23, New England 20Washington 21, NY Giants 18LA Chargers 26, Carolina 3New Orleans 44, Dallas 19Cleveland 18, Jacksonville 13Green Bay 16, Indianapolis 10Tampa Bay 20, Detroit 16NY Jets 24, Tennessee 17Las Vegas 26, Baltimore 23Arizona 41, LA Rams 10Pittsburgh 13, Denver 6Kansas City 26, Cincinnati 25Houston 19, Chicago 13

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

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Harrison Butker kicked a 51-yard field goal as time expired and the Kansas City Chiefs, kept alive by a pass interference call on Bengals safety Daijahn Anthony on fourth down in the final minute, rallied to beat Cincinnati 26-25 on Sunday.

Patrick Mahomes threw for 151 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions, but it was his incomplete pass to Rashee Rice on fourth-and-16 from the Kansas City 35 that turned out to be decisive. Anthony arrived a split-second early and hit Rice from behind with his body, and flags flew with 38 seconds remaining as the crowd in Arrowhead Stadium erupted.

The penalty came just after the Chiefs had a long gain on fourth down wiped out by a penalty of their own.

The pass interference call moved the Chiefs to the Cincinnati 36, and the Chiefs ran a couple of plays to bleed the clock for the big-legged Butker, who turned around and started walking off the field even before his kick went through the uprights.

Joe Burrow threw for 258 yards and two touchdowns, both to Andrei Iosivas, as the Bengals (0-2) came up empty against one of their biggest nemeses for the third straight time. That includes a loss to Kansas City in the AFC championship game.

Chamarri Conner returned a fumble 37 yards for a touchdown for the Chiefs, and big offensive tackle Wanya Morris — who had the penalty that nearly cost them in the final minute — had a touchdown reception on a day full of bizarre plays.

It was the second win for Kansas City decided on the final play after its 27-20 victory over Baltimore on opening night.

The Chiefs struggled in their first game with Ravens tight end Isaiah Likely, who had nine catches for 111 yards and a score. And with Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins absent with an ailing hamstring, Burrow leaned heavily on his own tight ends — Drew Sample, Mike Gesicki and rookie Erick All Jr. — to move an offense that never got going last weekend against New England.

Sample and Gesicki accounted for most of the yardage on an opening drive that produced a field goal. A few minutes later, after Mahomes was picked by Akeem Davis-Gaither, All's catch helped set up Iosivas' touchdown reception.

Mahomes eventually atoned for the interception when he found Rice over the outstretched fingers of Cam Taylor-Britt for a tying 44-yard touchdown pass. But otherwise, Andy Reid's potent offense was stuck in neutral and trailed 16-10 at the half.

All that and the hijinks were just beginning.

The Chiefs pulled ahead early in the second half, when Mahomes popped a pass to his 310-pound tackle-eligible Morris for a touchdown. The Bengals answered on fourth-and-goal when Burrow connected with Iosivas for a second time, only to see Burrow get stripped a few minutes later and Conner return the fumble 37 yards for another touchdown.

Evan McPherson's fourth field goal gave the Bengals a 25-23 lead with 5:12 to go, and their defense gave them the ball back. But the Chiefs forced a punt with 2:59 remaining, giving Mahomes and Co. the opportunity to decide the game.

Bengals: DT B.J. Hill (hamstring) left in the second quarter. DT Sheldon Rankins (hamstring) left in the fourth.

Kansas City heads to Atlanta on Sunday night.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1726444020143.jpeg" alt="Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) scrambles as Cincinnati Bengals defensive end Trey Hendrickson (91) and cornerback Dax Hill (23) defend during the second half of an NFL football game Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Ed Zurga)" />
 <figcaption>Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) scrambles as Cincinnati Bengals defensive end Trey Hendrickson (91) and cornerback Dax Hill (23) defend during the second half of an NFL football game Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Ed Zurga)</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Harrison Butker kicked a 51-yard field goal as time expired and the Kansas City Chiefs, kept alive by a pass interference call on Bengals safety Daijahn Anthony on fourth down in the final minute, rallied to beat Cincinnati 26-25 on Sunday.Patrick Mahomes threw for 151 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions, but it was his incomplete pass to Rashee Rice on fourth-and-16 from the Kansas City 35 that turned out to be decisive. Anthony arrived a split-second early and hit Rice from behind with his body, and flags flew with 38 seconds remaining as the crowd in Arrowhead Stadium erupted.The penalty came just after the Chiefs had a long gain on fourth down wiped out by a penalty of their own.The pass interference call moved the Chiefs to the Cincinnati 36, and the Chiefs ran a couple of plays to bleed the clock for the big-legged Butker, who turned around and started walking off the field even before his kick went through the uprights.Joe Burrow threw for 258 yards and two touchdowns, both to Andrei Iosivas, as the Bengals (0-2) came up empty against one of their biggest nemeses for the third straight time. That includes a loss to Kansas City in the AFC championship game.Chamarri Conner returned a fumble 37 yards for a touchdown for the Chiefs, and big offensive tackle Wanya Morris — who had the penalty that nearly cost them in the final minute — had a touchdown reception on a day full of bizarre plays.It was the second win for Kansas City decided on the final play after its 27-20 victory over Baltimore on opening night.The Chiefs struggled in their first game with Ravens tight end Isaiah Likely, who had nine catches for 111 yards and a score. And with Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins absent with an ailing hamstring, Burrow leaned heavily on his own tight ends — Drew Sample, Mike Gesicki and rookie Erick All Jr. — to move an offense that never got going last weekend against New England.Sample and Gesicki accounted for most of the yardage on an opening drive that produced a field goal. A few minutes later, after Mahomes was picked by Akeem Davis-Gaither, All's catch helped set up Iosivas' touchdown reception.Mahomes eventually atoned for the interception when he found Rice over the outstretched fingers of Cam Taylor-Britt for a tying 44-yard touchdown pass. But otherwise, Andy Reid's potent offense was stuck in neutral and trailed 16-10 at the half.All that and the hijinks were just beginning.The Chiefs pulled ahead early in the second half, when Mahomes popped a pass to his 310-pound tackle-eligible Morris for a touchdown. The Bengals answered on fourth-and-goal when Burrow connected with Iosivas for a second time, only to see Burrow get stripped a few minutes later and Conner return the fumble 37 yards for another touchdown.Evan McPherson's fourth field goal gave the Bengals a 25-23 lead with 5:12 to go, and their defense gave them the ball back. But the Chiefs forced a punt with 2:59 remaining, giving Mahomes and Co. the opportunity to decide the game.<h2>Injuries</h2>Bengals: DT B.J. Hill (hamstring) left in the second quarter. DT Sheldon Rankins (hamstring) left in the fourth.<h2>Up next</h2>Kansas City heads to Atlanta on Sunday night.

Butker hits 51-yard winner after penalty on Bengals defense keeps Chiefs alive

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Isiah Kiner-Falefa had three hits, including a go-ahead single in the fifth inning, as the Pittsburgh Pirates avoided a three-game sweep with a 4-3 win over the Kansas City Royals on Sunday.

Billy Cook lined a single to left to start the fifth and&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/AlexJStumpf/status/1835395599278948756">scored from first on a hit and run</a>&nbsp;when Kiner-Falefa shot one to center past a diving Bobby Witt Jr. at short to put the Pirates ahead 3-2. Kiner-Falefa also singled in the first and sixth innings.

“Billy never hesitates. He never breaks stride,” Pittsburgh manager Derek Shelton said. “We get a run on a groundball to center field just because of the fact of his awareness. Outstanding.”

Kansas City's Brady Singer (9-11), who gave up four runs on six hits and four walks with six strikeouts in five innings, later walked Rowdy Tellez with the bases loaded to bring the Pittsburgh lead to 4-2.

“In the fifth, (Singer) just kind of lost command a little bit there,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said. “Unlike him. But overall, I thought his stuff was fine, just his command was a little bit off.”

Carmen Mlodzinski (3-5) pitched a perfect fifth inning in relief of Pirates starter Jared Jones, who allowed two runs and six hits in the first four. Aroldis Chapman struck out one in a perfect ninth for his ninth save.

The Royals, four games back of first-place Cleveland in the AL Central, had the bases loaded with two outs in the sixth. Colin Holderman walked Witt Jr. to bring in a run but Dennis Santana entered to get Salvador Perez to fly out and limit the damage.

“We needed to capitalize more,” Quatraro said. “We put a lot of pressure on them. We drove up the pitch count early. We had baserunners in several innings and just couldn't come up with the big hit to really take the lead or break it open.”

Bryan Reynolds gave the Pirates an initial lead on a double into the left-field corner after Kiner-Falefa led off the first with a base hit.

Yuli Gurriel tied it 1-1 on a sacrifice fly in the second after Kansas City started the inning with a Paul DeJong single between two walks.

Tommy Pham opened the third with a triple off the top of the Clemente Wall in right.

Witt Jr. then flew out to Cook,&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/Pirates/status/1835384264319275295">whose throw home from right field beat Pham to preserve the tie</a>. It came from near the line to the right of a No. 21 etched into the outfield grass on Roberto Clemente Day, observed across the majors.

“It was great seeing the 21 and, I think, even more special because it was just out in right field,” said Cook, who wore Clemente's No. 21 along with his Pirates teammates. “He played an amazing right field. To just be able to play the game the right way out there as a tribute to him while wearing the number, really special.”

Gurriel and Maikel Garcia hit consecutive one-out doubles to put the Royals ahead 2-1 the next inning.

Oneil Cruz led off the Pirates’ half of the fourth with a single and scored the tying run when Nick Gonzales grounded to third with the bases loaded.

UP NEXT Royals: RHP Seth Lugo (16-8, 2.94 ERA) will start Monday to open a three-game home series against the Tigers. Detroit has not announced a starter.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1726442056981.jpeg" alt="Pittsburgh Pirates' Isiah Kiner-Falefa, lower right, scores on a double by Bryan Reynolds past Kansas City Royals catcher Salvador Perez, left, with umpire Ryan Wills, upper right, watching the play during the first inning of a baseball game in Pittsburgh, Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)" />
 <figcaption>Pittsburgh Pirates' Isiah Kiner-Falefa, lower right, scores on a double by Bryan Reynolds past Kansas City Royals catcher Salvador Perez, left, with umpire Ryan Wills, upper right, watching the play during the first inning of a baseball game in Pittsburgh, Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)</figcaption>
 </figure>PITTSBURGH (AP) — Isiah Kiner-Falefa had three hits, including a go-ahead single in the fifth inning, as the Pittsburgh Pirates avoided a three-game sweep with a 4-3 win over the Kansas City Royals on Sunday.Billy Cook lined a single to left to start the fifth and&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/AlexJStumpf/status/1835395599278948756">scored from first on a hit and run</a>&nbsp;when Kiner-Falefa shot one to center past a diving Bobby Witt Jr. at short to put the Pirates ahead 3-2. Kiner-Falefa also singled in the first and sixth innings.“Billy never hesitates. He never breaks stride,” Pittsburgh manager Derek Shelton said. “We get a run on a groundball to center field just because of the fact of his awareness. Outstanding.”Kansas City's Brady Singer (9-11), who gave up four runs on six hits and four walks with six strikeouts in five innings, later walked Rowdy Tellez with the bases loaded to bring the Pittsburgh lead to 4-2.“In the fifth, (Singer) just kind of lost command a little bit there,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said. “Unlike him. But overall, I thought his stuff was fine, just his command was a little bit off.”Carmen Mlodzinski (3-5) pitched a perfect fifth inning in relief of Pirates starter Jared Jones, who allowed two runs and six hits in the first four. Aroldis Chapman struck out one in a perfect ninth for his ninth save.The Royals, four games back of first-place Cleveland in the AL Central, had the bases loaded with two outs in the sixth. Colin Holderman walked Witt Jr. to bring in a run but Dennis Santana entered to get Salvador Perez to fly out and limit the damage.“We needed to capitalize more,” Quatraro said. “We put a lot of pressure on them. We drove up the pitch count early. We had baserunners in several innings and just couldn't come up with the big hit to really take the lead or break it open.”Bryan Reynolds gave the Pirates an initial lead on a double into the left-field corner after Kiner-Falefa led off the first with a base hit.Yuli Gurriel tied it 1-1 on a sacrifice fly in the second after Kansas City started the inning with a Paul DeJong single between two walks.Tommy Pham opened the third with a triple off the top of the Clemente Wall in right.Witt Jr. then flew out to Cook,&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/Pirates/status/1835384264319275295">whose throw home from right field beat Pham to preserve the tie</a>. It came from near the line to the right of a No. 21 etched into the outfield grass on Roberto Clemente Day, observed across the majors.“It was great seeing the 21 and, I think, even more special because it was just out in right field,” said Cook, who wore Clemente's No. 21 along with his Pirates teammates. “He played an amazing right field. To just be able to play the game the right way out there as a tribute to him while wearing the number, really special.”Gurriel and Maikel Garcia hit consecutive one-out doubles to put the Royals ahead 2-1 the next inning.Oneil Cruz led off the Pirates’ half of the fourth with a single and scored the tying run when Nick Gonzales grounded to third with the bases loaded.UP NEXT Royals: RHP Seth Lugo (16-8, 2.94 ERA) will start Monday to open a three-game home series against the Tigers. Detroit has not announced a starter.

Kiner-Falefa has 3 hits to lead Pirates past Royals 4-3, avoid series sweep

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Bobby Witt Jr. drove in his 100th run of the season with a solo homer in the first inning, and the Kansas City Royals beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 5-1 on Saturday.

Witt also hit a sacrifice fly in the fifth and a run-scoring double in the sixth. He went 2 for 3 to raise his MLB-leading batting average to .333. He also has 31 homers and 102 RBIs.

“It’s hard to set personal goals because you never know what might happen during the season,” Witt said. “So, I just take it day by day, play the game and let things happen on their own. But 100 RBIs does mean a lot. I’m happy to be able to do that.”

Michael Wacha (13-7) gave up one run in five innings to improve to 9-1 with a 2.68 ERA in 13 starts since the beginning of July. He allowed four hits, walked three and struck out eight.

“The first two innings were really efficient then in the third inning they started working some walks and long counts, working some good ABs and really made me work,” Wacha said. “I wish I could have gone a little deeper, but the bullpen came in and did a great job.”

John Schreiber, Sam Long, James McArthur, Kris Bubic and Lucas Erceg combined for four innings of five-hit ball for Kansas City.

The Royals won for the seventh time in nine games since a seven-game losing streak as they try to reach the postseason for the first time since winning the World Series in 2015. The Royals also assured themselves of their first winning season since 2015 by raising their record to 82-67.

“It really doesn’t mean that much to me,” manager Matt Quatraro said of having a winning record after going 56-106 last season. “Our guys have set the bar much higher than that. They’ve wanted to win the division since the first day of spring training and we might need 90-some wins to do that.”

Kansas City began the day with a 2½-game lead over Minnesota for the second AL wild card. The Royals trailed first-place Cleveland by three games in the AL Central.

The Royals had five stolen bases, three by Maikol Garcia and two by Kyle Isbel.

Mitch Keller (11-10) lost for the fifth time in his last six decisions, allowing four runs — three earned — and four hits with six strikeouts and one walk. The Pirates made three errors behind Keller.

“We gave up a couple runs that were situations he couldn’t control,” Pirates manager Derek Shelton said. “I didn’t think he had his best stuff, but I thought he was able to grind through it and continue to get outs.”

After Witt staked the Royals to the early 1-0 lead, the Royals scored twice in the fifth. Adam Frazier tripled past diving center field Oneil Cruz and scored on Garcia’s double before Witt hit a sacrifice fly.

The Pirates scored their lone run in the fifth on an RBI single by Cruz. They are 14-24 since Aug. 4.

Kansas City’s Michael Massey doubled and scored on third baseman Jared Triolo’s error in the fifth. Witt’s RBI double in the sixth that was misplayed by Cruz made it 5-1.

Bryan Reynolds and Triolo each had two hits for the Pirates.

TRAINER’S ROOM Royals: RHP Chris Stratton (right forearm flexor strain) was placed on the 15-day injured list and LHP Angel Zerpa was recalled from Triple-A Omaha. Stratton will undergo imaging Monday when the Royals return home from their road trip.

UP NEXT The series concludes Sunday with Royals RHP Brady Singer (9-10, 3.42 ERA) facing rookie RHP Jared Jones (6-7, 3.82 ERA). Singer is 1-4 with a 5.17 ERA in his last seven starts.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1726374983652.jpeg" alt="Kansas City Royals' Bobby Witt Jr. (7) rounds third to greetings from third base coach Vance Wilson (25) after hitting a solo home run off Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Mitch Keller during the first inning of a baseball game in Pittsburgh, Saturday, Sept. 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)" />
 <figcaption>Kansas City Royals' Bobby Witt Jr. (7) rounds third to greetings from third base coach Vance Wilson (25) after hitting a solo home run off Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Mitch Keller during the first inning of a baseball game in Pittsburgh, Saturday, Sept. 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)</figcaption>
 </figure>PITTSBURGH (AP) — Bobby Witt Jr. drove in his 100th run of the season with a solo homer in the first inning, and the Kansas City Royals beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 5-1 on Saturday.Witt also hit a sacrifice fly in the fifth and a run-scoring double in the sixth. He went 2 for 3 to raise his MLB-leading batting average to .333. He also has 31 homers and 102 RBIs.“It’s hard to set personal goals because you never know what might happen during the season,” Witt said. “So, I just take it day by day, play the game and let things happen on their own. But 100 RBIs does mean a lot. I’m happy to be able to do that.”Michael Wacha (13-7) gave up one run in five innings to improve to 9-1 with a 2.68 ERA in 13 starts since the beginning of July. He allowed four hits, walked three and struck out eight.“The first two innings were really efficient then in the third inning they started working some walks and long counts, working some good ABs and really made me work,” Wacha said. “I wish I could have gone a little deeper, but the bullpen came in and did a great job.”John Schreiber, Sam Long, James McArthur, Kris Bubic and Lucas Erceg combined for four innings of five-hit ball for Kansas City.The Royals won for the seventh time in nine games since a seven-game losing streak as they try to reach the postseason for the first time since winning the World Series in 2015. The Royals also assured themselves of their first winning season since 2015 by raising their record to 82-67.“It really doesn’t mean that much to me,” manager Matt Quatraro said of having a winning record after going 56-106 last season. “Our guys have set the bar much higher than that. They’ve wanted to win the division since the first day of spring training and we might need 90-some wins to do that.”Kansas City began the day with a 2½-game lead over Minnesota for the second AL wild card. The Royals trailed first-place Cleveland by three games in the AL Central.The Royals had five stolen bases, three by Maikol Garcia and two by Kyle Isbel.Mitch Keller (11-10) lost for the fifth time in his last six decisions, allowing four runs — three earned — and four hits with six strikeouts and one walk. The Pirates made three errors behind Keller.“We gave up a couple runs that were situations he couldn’t control,” Pirates manager Derek Shelton said. “I didn’t think he had his best stuff, but I thought he was able to grind through it and continue to get outs.”After Witt staked the Royals to the early 1-0 lead, the Royals scored twice in the fifth. Adam Frazier tripled past diving center field Oneil Cruz and scored on Garcia’s double before Witt hit a sacrifice fly.The Pirates scored their lone run in the fifth on an RBI single by Cruz. They are 14-24 since Aug. 4.Kansas City’s Michael Massey doubled and scored on third baseman Jared Triolo’s error in the fifth. Witt’s RBI double in the sixth that was misplayed by Cruz made it 5-1.Bryan Reynolds and Triolo each had two hits for the Pirates.TRAINER’S ROOM Royals: RHP Chris Stratton (right forearm flexor strain) was placed on the 15-day injured list and LHP Angel Zerpa was recalled from Triple-A Omaha. Stratton will undergo imaging Monday when the Royals return home from their road trip.UP NEXT The series concludes Sunday with Royals RHP Brady Singer (9-10, 3.42 ERA) facing rookie RHP Jared Jones (6-7, 3.82 ERA). Singer is 1-4 with a 5.17 ERA in his last seven starts.

Bobby Witt Jr. passes 100 RBIs for the season as the Royals beat the Pirates 5-1

More than 200 girls ran in the varsity race Saturday evening at the Olathe Twilight Meet, yet it was a pair of names familiar to Central Kansas that took the top two spots. Salina Central senior Katelyn Rupe, coming off a win at Lake Barton last Thursday, won Saturday's race in 16:52.70. Her sophomore teammate, Kaylie Schultz, ran second in 17:28.50. No other Kansas runner finished under 18 minutes.

The Lady Panther runners scored 222 points to finish eighth out of 27 full teams in action. Washburn Rural won the team side with 90 points, followed by Olathe West with 120 points. Class 5A St. James Academy scored 172 points for third, and 5A Aquinas placed seventh with 213 points.

Senior Marissa Boone paced Great Bend in 19:18.90 for 31st, just half a second out of the top-30. Junior Sienna Smith rounded out the top-40 in 19:33.90. Bella Long ran 54th in 19:56.20, Reese Bullard placed 59th in 19:58.40, and Teah King rounded out team scoring in 79th with a time of 20:25.90. Kate Welcher finished 139th in 21:47.40.

Class 5A Blue Valley Southwest won the boys' race with 128 points. Out-of-state teams took the next four spots, and 5A's Spring Hill placed fifth with 188 points. Great Bend scored 717 points to finish 27th out of 34 teams.

Bentonville's (Ark.) Owen Kelley won the boys' race by five seconds in 14:50.00. Tavon Stroup led the Panther boys in 35th with a time of 15:56.50 to miss the top 30 by just four seconds. Diego Pasos ran 177th in 17:48.30, followed by Anthony Lawrence and Isaac Aldana, both in 192nd with a time of 18:02.60. Brogan Lashley scored the final team points in 238th with a time of 18:46.00. Parker Coleman ran 250th in 18:54, and Sullivan Luttrell placed 311th in 19:40. The boys' varsity race featured 463 athletes.

Great Bend Post SportsMore than 200 girls ran in the varsity race Saturday evening at the Olathe Twilight Meet, yet it was a pair of names familiar to Central Kansas that took the top two spots. Salina Central senior Katelyn Rupe, coming off a win at Lake Barton last Thursday, won Saturday's race in 16:52.70. Her sophomore teammate, Kaylie Schultz, ran second in 17:28.50. No other Kansas runner finished under 18 minutes.The Lady Panther runners scored 222 points to finish eighth out of 27 full teams in action. Washburn Rural won the team side with 90 points, followed by Olathe West with 120 points. Class 5A St. James Academy scored 172 points for third, and 5A Aquinas placed seventh with 213 points.Senior Marissa Boone paced Great Bend in 19:18.90 for 31st, just half a second out of the top-30. Junior Sienna Smith rounded out the top-40 in 19:33.90. Bella Long ran 54th in 19:56.20, Reese Bullard placed 59th in 19:58.40, and Teah King rounded out team scoring in 79th with a time of 20:25.90. Kate Welcher finished 139th in 21:47.40.Class 5A Blue Valley Southwest won the boys' race with 128 points. Out-of-state teams took the next four spots, and 5A's Spring Hill placed fifth with 188 points. Great Bend scored 717 points to finish 27th out of 34 teams.Bentonville's (Ark.) Owen Kelley won the boys' race by five seconds in 14:50.00. Tavon Stroup led the Panther boys in 35th with a time of 15:56.50 to miss the top 30 by just four seconds. Diego Pasos ran 177th in 17:48.30, followed by Anthony Lawrence and Isaac Aldana, both in 192nd with a time of 18:02.60. Brogan Lashley scored the final team points in 238th with a time of 18:46.00. Parker Coleman ran 250th in 18:54, and Sullivan Luttrell placed 311th in 19:40. The boys' varsity race featured 463 athletes.

Boone, Stroup lead Panther runners at large Olathe Twilight meet

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Chiefs wide receiver Marquise Brown will have surgery on his dislocated shoulder joint next week and be placed on injured reserve, keeping one of their biggest free-agent acquisitions out for at least four weeks and perhaps much longer.

Brown, who signed a $7 million contract with Kansas City for this season, dislocated his sternoclavicular joint when he was tackled upon making a catch on Aug. 10 in Jacksonville. The team did not put him on IR when they cut their roster after training camp, hoping that he would be back around the start of the season, but the injury did not heal properly.

“The protocol is you look at that in a week and make sure it's still in place. It was," Chiefs trainer Rick Burkholder said after a final practice for Sunday's game against Cincinnati. “He was doing great in rehab, we were talking a return-to-play plan. He had one last check of another image to do at four weeks out from the injury, and it looked like the bone had moved.”

The Chiefs consulted with several doctors before deciding on surgery. The procedure will take place Monday in Vail, Colorado.

“Everybody involved through it was a little too risky for him to play without having this operated on,” Burkholder said. “He'll have it fixed and we'll go from there. There's no timelines because we don't know (how surgery will go) yet.”

Brown has been slowed by injuries throughout his six-year NFL career. He had foot and ankle injuries as a rookie with Baltimore in 2019, a knee injury the following season, and ankle and hamstring problems in 2021. He was traded in April 2022 to Arizona, where he had more hamstring and foot problems the past two seasons.

His latest injury is similar to the dislocation sustained by then-Chiefs wide receiver Tyreek Hill in Week 1 of the 2019 season, causing him to miss the next four weeks. Coincidentally, that injury also happened in Jacksonville.

“Next time we play down there, I'm not going to use any receivers,” Reid quipped.

Brown was hoping that a healthy season with Reid — and with Patrick Mahomes throwing the ball to him — would allow him to parlay a relatively modest one-year contract in Kansas City into a lucrative multiyear deal next offseason.

“Disappointed, frustrated and sad was the first wave of emotions once I realized I would need surgery, but that only lasted a day or so because of my faith in God,” Brown&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/Primetime_jet/status/1834652804805247267">said on social media</a>. “This too shall pass.”

Brown has been a dynamic playmaker when he's been healthy. He caught 98 passes for 1,008 yards when he appeared in all 16 games for the Ravens in 2021, and he has 313 catches for 3,644 yards and 28 touchdowns in 72 career games.

“He's a great kid, boy I tell you, and nobody wanted to do this more than he did," Reid said. “Our hearts go out to him but he'll get himself back and ready to go whenever that is. It does take a pretty extended amount of time to take place.”

Rather than an in-season injury that would have required the Chiefs to adjust on the fly, they spent much of training camp and the start of the regular season without Brown available anyway. And they play to move forward with their current group, led by second-year pro Rashee Rice and first-round draft pick Xavier Worthy.

Rice had seven catches for 103 yards and Worthy scored twice in last week's 27-20 victory over Baltimore.

The Chiefs also have veterans JuJu Smith-Schuster, Justin Watson, Mecole Hardman and Skyy Moore on the roster. They also could add Justyn Ross, Nikko Remigio or Montrell Washington from their practice squad.

“We'd love to have (Brown). You know that,” Reid said, “but on the other hand, I think we have some guys at that position. We have some depth there and feel good about that.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1726291617671.jpeg" alt="Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid speaks during a news conference following an NFL football game against the Baltimore Ravens Thursday, Sept. 5, 2024, in Kansas City, Mo. The Chiefs won 27-20. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)" />
 <figcaption>Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid speaks during a news conference following an NFL football game against the Baltimore Ravens Thursday, Sept. 5, 2024, in Kansas City, Mo. The Chiefs won 27-20. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Chiefs wide receiver Marquise Brown will have surgery on his dislocated shoulder joint next week and be placed on injured reserve, keeping one of their biggest free-agent acquisitions out for at least four weeks and perhaps much longer.Brown, who signed a $7 million contract with Kansas City for this season, dislocated his sternoclavicular joint when he was tackled upon making a catch on Aug. 10 in Jacksonville. The team did not put him on IR when they cut their roster after training camp, hoping that he would be back around the start of the season, but the injury did not heal properly.“The protocol is you look at that in a week and make sure it's still in place. It was," Chiefs trainer Rick Burkholder said after a final practice for Sunday's game against Cincinnati. “He was doing great in rehab, we were talking a return-to-play plan. He had one last check of another image to do at four weeks out from the injury, and it looked like the bone had moved.”The Chiefs consulted with several doctors before deciding on surgery. The procedure will take place Monday in Vail, Colorado.“Everybody involved through it was a little too risky for him to play without having this operated on,” Burkholder said. “He'll have it fixed and we'll go from there. There's no timelines because we don't know (how surgery will go) yet.”Brown has been slowed by injuries throughout his six-year NFL career. He had foot and ankle injuries as a rookie with Baltimore in 2019, a knee injury the following season, and ankle and hamstring problems in 2021. He was traded in April 2022 to Arizona, where he had more hamstring and foot problems the past two seasons.His latest injury is similar to the dislocation sustained by then-Chiefs wide receiver Tyreek Hill in Week 1 of the 2019 season, causing him to miss the next four weeks. Coincidentally, that injury also happened in Jacksonville.“Next time we play down there, I'm not going to use any receivers,” Reid quipped.Brown was hoping that a healthy season with Reid — and with Patrick Mahomes throwing the ball to him — would allow him to parlay a relatively modest one-year contract in Kansas City into a lucrative multiyear deal next offseason.“Disappointed, frustrated and sad was the first wave of emotions once I realized I would need surgery, but that only lasted a day or so because of my faith in God,” Brown&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/Primetime_jet/status/1834652804805247267">said on social media</a>. “This too shall pass.”Brown has been a dynamic playmaker when he's been healthy. He caught 98 passes for 1,008 yards when he appeared in all 16 games for the Ravens in 2021, and he has 313 catches for 3,644 yards and 28 touchdowns in 72 career games.“He's a great kid, boy I tell you, and nobody wanted to do this more than he did," Reid said. “Our hearts go out to him but he'll get himself back and ready to go whenever that is. It does take a pretty extended amount of time to take place.”Rather than an in-season injury that would have required the Chiefs to adjust on the fly, they spent much of training camp and the start of the regular season without Brown available anyway. And they play to move forward with their current group, led by second-year pro Rashee Rice and first-round draft pick Xavier Worthy.Rice had seven catches for 103 yards and Worthy scored twice in last week's 27-20 victory over Baltimore.The Chiefs also have veterans JuJu Smith-Schuster, Justin Watson, Mecole Hardman and Skyy Moore on the roster. They also could add Justyn Ross, Nikko Remigio or Montrell Washington from their practice squad.“We'd love to have (Brown). You know that,” Reid said, “but on the other hand, I think we have some guys at that position. We have some depth there and feel good about that.”

Chiefs WR Brown to have shoulder surgery next week, will be placed on IR

KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — Kylin James scored on fourth-and-goal from the 1-yard line with 1:51 left to lift UNLV past Kansas 23-20 Friday night at Children's Mercy Park.

The Jayhawks are playing all their games away from Lawrence, Kan., this season because of construction on their stadium.

UNLV (3-0) used an 18-play, 75-yard drive to take the lead late. All 18 plays on the drive were rushes.

“I'm really proud of our team,” UNLV coach Barry Odom said. “I'm proud of our assistant coaches for putting together what I thought was a great plan in all three phases.

"Early on it was tough sledding. It was ugly. I think Kansas is a good football team. We had to stay in the fight. We just found a way.”

UNLV quarterback Matthew Sluka was just 7-for-18 passing for 86 yards, but he rushed for 113 yards.

“It was a matter of going down and scoring,” Sluka said of the final drive. “We knew what we had to do. We were down by 4, so a field goal wouldn't do it. It was just a matter of getting in the end zone.

"We were able to get some yards (on the ground). Some of the RPO (run-pass option) looks I didn't love, so it was a safer decision to keep moving the ball on the ground.”

Jalon Daniels was 12-for-23 passing for 153 yards, with two interceptions for Kansas (1-2). He had two rushing touchdowns.

“It’s become a fragile situation at the moment,” Kansas coach Lance Leipold said of Daniels' confidence.

But Leipold took some of the blame as well.

“I think we became a little predictable there," he said. "In those backed-up situations, it’s extremely disappointing. Penalties didn’t help either. You’re hurting yourself in some execution areas, your turnover areas and penalties. That’s hard to win football games (that way).”

Daniels' second interception of the game gave UNLV the ball at the KU 4-yard line, but the Rebels only got a 23-yard field goal from Caden Chittenden.

Kansas answered with a 41-yard field goal by Tabor Allen to stretch the lead to 20-16 in the fourth quarter.

But UNLV's game-winning drive, one that UNLV center Jack Hasz called a “must-have drive” — took 9:22 off the clock and left Kansas with less than two minutes to come back.

“That was a great job of our offense doing exactly what they needed to do,” Odom said. “A number of guys had big-time performances and they trusted each other.

"Collectively in the fourth quarter, we out-teamed them.”

UNLV now has a bye before opening conference play against Fresno State, but Odom says his team is ready for whatever comes its way.

“We're going to have to win a lot of ugly games,” he said. “That's okay. You've got to stay in the arena, continue to trust your preparation and your habits, and you've got to play six seconds at a time. When you do those things, you have an opportunity to win games in the fourth quarter.”

After forcing an opening three-and-out, Kansas responded with a 12-play, 81-yard touchdown drive, capped by Daniels' 11-yard run. The Rebels responded with an 11-play drive but had to settle for a Chittenden 38-yard field goal.

Daniels then scampered 33 yards, untouched off the right tackle, to cap a 94-yard drive to give Kansas a 14-3 lead early in the second quarter.

Kansas' defense stiffened again, stopping UNLV on third-and-7, forcing a 27-yard field goal by Chittenden. Allen then extended the lead to 17-6 with a 35-yard field goal with 3:17 left in the first half.

Kansas was driving for another score when Daniels threw his fifth interception of the season. It was returned 46 yards to the Kansas 33. With the first-half clock running down, Sluka found Jai'Den Thomas in the flat and Thomas turned it into a 27-yard touchdown with no time left on the clock to pull within 17-13 at halftime.

THE TAKEAWAY UNLV: The Rebels need to work on the long passing game. Sluka attempted seven passes of at least 20 yards — several significantly longer — and missed on all seven.

Kansas: Daniels has the talent to be a star, but he has to cut down on the turnovers. He threw one interception in the season opener and had three picks in the loss at Illinois. His first-half pick Friday kept UNLV in the game and his second-half interception set up the Rebels for a chip-shot field goal.

UP NEXT Kansas: The Jayhawks will open Big 12 Conference play with a road contest at West Virginia on Sept. 21.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1726282858713.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — Kylin James scored on fourth-and-goal from the 1-yard line with 1:51 left to lift UNLV past Kansas 23-20 Friday night at Children's Mercy Park.The Jayhawks are playing all their games away from Lawrence, Kan., this season because of construction on their stadium.UNLV (3-0) used an 18-play, 75-yard drive to take the lead late. All 18 plays on the drive were rushes.“I'm really proud of our team,” UNLV coach Barry Odom said. “I'm proud of our assistant coaches for putting together what I thought was a great plan in all three phases."Early on it was tough sledding. It was ugly. I think Kansas is a good football team. We had to stay in the fight. We just found a way.”UNLV quarterback Matthew Sluka was just 7-for-18 passing for 86 yards, but he rushed for 113 yards.“It was a matter of going down and scoring,” Sluka said of the final drive. “We knew what we had to do. We were down by 4, so a field goal wouldn't do it. It was just a matter of getting in the end zone."We were able to get some yards (on the ground). Some of the RPO (run-pass option) looks I didn't love, so it was a safer decision to keep moving the ball on the ground.”Jalon Daniels was 12-for-23 passing for 153 yards, with two interceptions for Kansas (1-2). He had two rushing touchdowns.“It’s become a fragile situation at the moment,” Kansas coach Lance Leipold said of Daniels' confidence.But Leipold took some of the blame as well.“I think we became a little predictable there," he said. "In those backed-up situations, it’s extremely disappointing. Penalties didn’t help either. You’re hurting yourself in some execution areas, your turnover areas and penalties. That’s hard to win football games (that way).”Daniels' second interception of the game gave UNLV the ball at the KU 4-yard line, but the Rebels only got a 23-yard field goal from Caden Chittenden.Kansas answered with a 41-yard field goal by Tabor Allen to stretch the lead to 20-16 in the fourth quarter.But UNLV's game-winning drive, one that UNLV center Jack Hasz called a “must-have drive” — took 9:22 off the clock and left Kansas with less than two minutes to come back.“That was a great job of our offense doing exactly what they needed to do,” Odom said. “A number of guys had big-time performances and they trusted each other."Collectively in the fourth quarter, we out-teamed them.”UNLV now has a bye before opening conference play against Fresno State, but Odom says his team is ready for whatever comes its way.“We're going to have to win a lot of ugly games,” he said. “That's okay. You've got to stay in the arena, continue to trust your preparation and your habits, and you've got to play six seconds at a time. When you do those things, you have an opportunity to win games in the fourth quarter.”After forcing an opening three-and-out, Kansas responded with a 12-play, 81-yard touchdown drive, capped by Daniels' 11-yard run. The Rebels responded with an 11-play drive but had to settle for a Chittenden 38-yard field goal.Daniels then scampered 33 yards, untouched off the right tackle, to cap a 94-yard drive to give Kansas a 14-3 lead early in the second quarter.Kansas' defense stiffened again, stopping UNLV on third-and-7, forcing a 27-yard field goal by Chittenden. Allen then extended the lead to 17-6 with a 35-yard field goal with 3:17 left in the first half.Kansas was driving for another score when Daniels threw his fifth interception of the season. It was returned 46 yards to the Kansas 33. With the first-half clock running down, Sluka found Jai'Den Thomas in the flat and Thomas turned it into a 27-yard touchdown with no time left on the clock to pull within 17-13 at halftime.THE TAKEAWAY UNLV: The Rebels need to work on the long passing game. Sluka attempted seven passes of at least 20 yards — several significantly longer — and missed on all seven.Kansas: Daniels has the talent to be a star, but he has to cut down on the turnovers. He threw one interception in the season opener and had three picks in the loss at Illinois. His first-half pick Friday kept UNLV in the game and his second-half interception set up the Rebels for a chip-shot field goal.UP NEXT Kansas: The Jayhawks will open Big 12 Conference play with a road contest at West Virginia on Sept. 21.

James' late touchdown run lifts UNLV over Kansas 23-20

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Salvador Perez and Kyle Isbel hit home runs and drove in two runs each, Alec Marsh struck out 11 in 5 1/3 innings, and the Kansas City Royals snapped Pittsburgh’s four-game winning streak with an 8-3 victory over the Pirates on Friday night.

Perez’s two-run shot to the bullpens in left-center capped a six-run second inning when the Royals broke a scoreless tie. Isbel’s solo homer in the fourth pushed the lead to 7-0. Adam Frazier added a solo home run in the eighth.

“We just got the momentum rolling early and it was fun to watch,” Isbel said.

The 34-year-old Perez, a nine-time All-Star catcher, has 27 home runs and 103 RBIs this season.

“He’s incredible,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said. “That’s why he’s in the discussion to be a Hall of Famer. “You don’t see players produce the way he does at that position on a year-in and year-out basis. He’s clearly a leader in the community and on this team with the way he goes about his business.”

Marsh (8-8) allowed only one run and the 11 strikeouts matched a career high. It was the second-year right-hander’s first win since July 10.

With Minnesota's loss Friday, the Royals moved 2 1/2-games ahead of the Twins for the second American League wild card. With Cleveland’s loss, the second-place Royals pulled within three games of the Guardians in the AL Central.

The Royals are in contention a year after going 56-106.

“It’s amazing,’ Marsh said of pitching in a pennant race. “There is no other team I’d rather do it with. This team is amazing. Everyone comes here and treats it just like another game. No one is putting any pressure on anyone. We know it’s September and these games mean a little more than earlier in the season but we’re just having fun.”

The Pirates fell to 14-23 since Aug. 4, when their record was 56-54 and they were 2 1/2 games out of the National League’s third wild card.

“Good breaking ball,” Pirates manager Derek Shelton said of Marsh. “Did a really nice job with it, kept us off balance, was able to use it in-zone and then use it as a chase.”

Luis Ortiz (6-6) was tagged for seven runs — four earned — on five hits in four innings. His throwing error on Frazier’s chopper helped set up the Royals’ big second-inning.

Yuli Gurriel hit an RBI single, and Isbel drove in a run with a double before Tommy Pham’s two-run single made it 4-0. After Bobby Witt Jr. struck out, Perez homered.

Witt went 1 for 5, dropping his major league leading batting average to .332.

The Pirates scored in the sixth when Oneil Cruz doubled and scored on Joey Bart’s single. Bryan Reynolds hit a sacrifice fly and Cruz added an RBI single in the ninth.

TRAINER’S ROOM Royals: RHP Michael Lorenzen (strained left hamstring) allowed one run in 3 1/3 innings on Friday for Triple-A Omaha in his second minor league outing since going on the injured list on Aug. 28. Lorenzen will likely be activated next week. … RHP Hunter Harvey (tightness in mid-back) has resumed throwing but there is no timetable for his return.

UP NEXT Royals RHP Michael Wacha (12-7, 3.34 ERA) faces RHP Mitch Keller (11-9, 3.85) on Saturday. Wacha is 11-3 with a 2.62 ERA in his last 19 starts since May 9. Keller has lost four of his last five decisions.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1726291818391.jpeg" alt="Kansas City Royals' Salvador Perez (13) follows through on a two-run home run off Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Luis L. Ortiz during the second inning of a baseball game in Pittsburgh, Friday, Sept. 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)" />
 <figcaption>Kansas City Royals' Salvador Perez (13) follows through on a two-run home run off Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Luis L. Ortiz during the second inning of a baseball game in Pittsburgh, Friday, Sept. 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)</figcaption>
 </figure>PITTSBURGH (AP) — Salvador Perez and Kyle Isbel hit home runs and drove in two runs each, Alec Marsh struck out 11 in 5 1/3 innings, and the Kansas City Royals snapped Pittsburgh’s four-game winning streak with an 8-3 victory over the Pirates on Friday night.Perez’s two-run shot to the bullpens in left-center capped a six-run second inning when the Royals broke a scoreless tie. Isbel’s solo homer in the fourth pushed the lead to 7-0. Adam Frazier added a solo home run in the eighth.“We just got the momentum rolling early and it was fun to watch,” Isbel said.The 34-year-old Perez, a nine-time All-Star catcher, has 27 home runs and 103 RBIs this season.“He’s incredible,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said. “That’s why he’s in the discussion to be a Hall of Famer. “You don’t see players produce the way he does at that position on a year-in and year-out basis. He’s clearly a leader in the community and on this team with the way he goes about his business.”Marsh (8-8) allowed only one run and the 11 strikeouts matched a career high. It was the second-year right-hander’s first win since July 10.With Minnesota's loss Friday, the Royals moved 2 1/2-games ahead of the Twins for the second American League wild card. With Cleveland’s loss, the second-place Royals pulled within three games of the Guardians in the AL Central.The Royals are in contention a year after going 56-106.“It’s amazing,’ Marsh said of pitching in a pennant race. “There is no other team I’d rather do it with. This team is amazing. Everyone comes here and treats it just like another game. No one is putting any pressure on anyone. We know it’s September and these games mean a little more than earlier in the season but we’re just having fun.”The Pirates fell to 14-23 since Aug. 4, when their record was 56-54 and they were 2 1/2 games out of the National League’s third wild card.“Good breaking ball,” Pirates manager Derek Shelton said of Marsh. “Did a really nice job with it, kept us off balance, was able to use it in-zone and then use it as a chase.”Luis Ortiz (6-6) was tagged for seven runs — four earned — on five hits in four innings. His throwing error on Frazier’s chopper helped set up the Royals’ big second-inning.Yuli Gurriel hit an RBI single, and Isbel drove in a run with a double before Tommy Pham’s two-run single made it 4-0. After Bobby Witt Jr. struck out, Perez homered.Witt went 1 for 5, dropping his major league leading batting average to .332.The Pirates scored in the sixth when Oneil Cruz doubled and scored on Joey Bart’s single. Bryan Reynolds hit a sacrifice fly and Cruz added an RBI single in the ninth.TRAINER’S ROOM Royals: RHP Michael Lorenzen (strained left hamstring) allowed one run in 3 1/3 innings on Friday for Triple-A Omaha in his second minor league outing since going on the injured list on Aug. 28. Lorenzen will likely be activated next week. … RHP Hunter Harvey (tightness in mid-back) has resumed throwing but there is no timetable for his return.UP NEXT Royals RHP Michael Wacha (12-7, 3.34 ERA) faces RHP Mitch Keller (11-9, 3.85) on Saturday. Wacha is 11-3 with a 2.62 ERA in his last 19 starts since May 9. Keller has lost four of his last five decisions.

Perez homers, Marsh strikes out 11 as Royals beat Pirates 8-3

MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) — Kansas State delivered Arizona a rude welcome to the Big 12 on Friday night.

Even if it won't count in the conference standings.

Avery Johnson threw two touchdown passes, Dylan Edwards returned a punt 71 yards for a score, and No. 14 Kansas State shut out No. 20 Arizona in the second half of a 31-7 victory in a rare nonconference matchup of new Big 12 rivals rivals.

The loss ended Arizona’s nine-game winning streak, the longest active streak in the Football Bowl Subdivision.

“I don't know what we're trying to prove to everyone else. We're trying to prove to ourselves that we can sustain this and play at a high level,” Kansas State coach Chris Klieman said. “That was a great week of preparation. Now we have to do it again.”

The schools had agreed to the matchup before Arizona left the Pac-12 for the Big 12. With neither able to secure a replacement opponent, Kansas State and Arizona kept the game but without it counting in the race for the league title game.

Johnson finished with 156 yards passing and 110 yards rushing, and D.J. Giddens added 86 yards rushing and a score, as Kansas State (3-0) rebounded from a lackluster road with over Tulane with an emphatic victory over the desert Wildcats.

“Everybody wanted to get back on the field,” said Jayce Brown, who had three catches for 60 yards. “We wanted to show everybody what we could do.”

Noah Fifita had 268 yards passing for Arizona (2-1) with an interception. Tetairoa McMillan had 11 catches for 138 yards, but the potential first-round NFL draft pick was unable to turn any of those grabs into a big play or touchdown.

“Those guys just play good football,” Arizona coach Brent Brennan said. “They tackle well. They're in coverage, they do a good job. I give that staff a lot of credit. They have a well-coached football team, their kids play really hard. They're impressive.”

The teams traded grinding, time-consuming touchdown drives to start the game, but otherwise the first 30 minutes was plagued by penalties, mental mistakes and dumbfounding miscues from two teams trying to make a statement.

Arizona failed to cover a poor punt that Edwards returned untouched for a touchdown. On the next drive, Fifita lazily threw over the middle into double coverage and was picked off by Kansas State's Keenan Garber in the end zone.

Johnson made perhaps the most embarrassing gaffe. He was sacked at the Arizona 19 with 24 seconds left in the first half. On the next play, the freshman needed only to step out of bounds to stop the clock and bring on the field-goal team, but he instead reversed field and ran the other way, allowing the clock to expire without the chance for an attempt.

“It is all on me at the end of the first half,” Klieman said. “I should have called timeout. That isn't on the kid."

Kansas State still led 14-7 at the break, and the mistake didn't matter in the end.

The fleet-footed Johnson began to sling it in the second half, leading his team on back-to-back TD drives. The first featured a 48-yard pass to Jayce Brown on third-and-12, setting up Johnson's scoring toss to Brayden Loftin. The next included a 21-yard throw to Loftin before Giddens plowed into the end zone to give Kansas State a 28-7 lead.

Kansas State stuffed Arizona on fourth down a few minutes later, and merely had to run out the fourth quarter.

“(Johnson) is a pretty good player, and he rose up tonight when we needed him,” Klieman said. “He played really good football and was really calm, and made some plays with his feet. Made some plays with his legs. That was a fun performance to watch.”

Arizona might have fared better had it not repeatedly hurt itself with flags. It committed 30 yards worth of penalties on a single drive in the first half, and finished with nine penalties for 74 yards in the game.

Kansas State had something to prove after allowing Tulane to throw for 342 yards and pile up 491 total in last week's 34-27 comeback win. The Wildcats held Arizona to 324 yards of total offense Friday night.

Kansas State: At BYU next Saturday night.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1726284868191.png" alt="Kansas State quarterback Avery Johnson passes during the first half of an NCAA college football game against Arizona Friday, Sept. 13, 2024, in Manhattan, Kan. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)" />
 <figcaption>Kansas State quarterback Avery Johnson passes during the first half of an NCAA college football game against Arizona Friday, Sept. 13, 2024, in Manhattan, Kan. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)</figcaption>
 </figure>MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) — Kansas State delivered Arizona a rude welcome to the Big 12 on Friday night.Even if it won't count in the conference standings.Avery Johnson threw two touchdown passes, Dylan Edwards returned a punt 71 yards for a score, and No. 14 Kansas State shut out No. 20 Arizona in the second half of a 31-7 victory in a rare nonconference matchup of new Big 12 rivals rivals.The loss ended Arizona’s nine-game winning streak, the longest active streak in the Football Bowl Subdivision.“I don't know what we're trying to prove to everyone else. We're trying to prove to ourselves that we can sustain this and play at a high level,” Kansas State coach Chris Klieman said. “That was a great week of preparation. Now we have to do it again.”The schools had agreed to the matchup before Arizona left the Pac-12 for the Big 12. With neither able to secure a replacement opponent, Kansas State and Arizona kept the game but without it counting in the race for the league title game.Good thing for Arizona.Johnson finished with 156 yards passing and 110 yards rushing, and D.J. Giddens added 86 yards rushing and a score, as Kansas State (3-0) rebounded from a lackluster road with over Tulane with an emphatic victory over the desert Wildcats.“Everybody wanted to get back on the field,” said Jayce Brown, who had three catches for 60 yards. “We wanted to show everybody what we could do.”Noah Fifita had 268 yards passing for Arizona (2-1) with an interception. Tetairoa McMillan had 11 catches for 138 yards, but the potential first-round NFL draft pick was unable to turn any of those grabs into a big play or touchdown.“Those guys just play good football,” Arizona coach Brent Brennan said. “They tackle well. They're in coverage, they do a good job. I give that staff a lot of credit. They have a well-coached football team, their kids play really hard. They're impressive.”The teams traded grinding, time-consuming touchdown drives to start the game, but otherwise the first 30 minutes was plagued by penalties, mental mistakes and dumbfounding miscues from two teams trying to make a statement.Arizona failed to cover a poor punt that Edwards returned untouched for a touchdown. On the next drive, Fifita lazily threw over the middle into double coverage and was picked off by Kansas State's Keenan Garber in the end zone.Johnson made perhaps the most embarrassing gaffe. He was sacked at the Arizona 19 with 24 seconds left in the first half. On the next play, the freshman needed only to step out of bounds to stop the clock and bring on the field-goal team, but he instead reversed field and ran the other way, allowing the clock to expire without the chance for an attempt.“It is all on me at the end of the first half,” Klieman said. “I should have called timeout. That isn't on the kid."Kansas State still led 14-7 at the break, and the mistake didn't matter in the end.The fleet-footed Johnson began to sling it in the second half, leading his team on back-to-back TD drives. The first featured a 48-yard pass to Jayce Brown on third-and-12, setting up Johnson's scoring toss to Brayden Loftin. The next included a 21-yard throw to Loftin before Giddens plowed into the end zone to give Kansas State a 28-7 lead.Kansas State stuffed Arizona on fourth down a few minutes later, and merely had to run out the fourth quarter.“(Johnson) is a pretty good player, and he rose up tonight when we needed him,” Klieman said. “He played really good football and was really calm, and made some plays with his feet. Made some plays with his legs. That was a fun performance to watch.”<h2>The takeaway</h2>Arizona might have fared better had it not repeatedly hurt itself with flags. It committed 30 yards worth of penalties on a single drive in the first half, and finished with nine penalties for 74 yards in the game.Kansas State had something to prove after allowing Tulane to throw for 342 yards and pile up 491 total in last week's 34-27 comeback win. The Wildcats held Arizona to 324 yards of total offense Friday night.<h2>Up next</h2>Kansas State: At BYU next Saturday night.

Johnson helps No. 14 K-State dump No. 20 Arizona 31-7 

By MIKE COURSON Great Bend Post

Two fumble recoveries and two touchdowns on just three offensive plays. That's how Great Bend opened Friday's home opener against a Class 6A Olathe South program that scored 35 points and lost by just a touchdown to five-time reigning state champion Mill Valley in week one. The Falcons got as close as 20-14 in the second quarter before the Panthers scored the final points of the night early in the third quarter to win 26-14.

"The way the game started was about perfect for us, to come out and have some of those big plays to start this thing off to give us that confidence we needed because that's a really good football team," said Panther coach Erin Beck. "That's one of those football teams where you knew if you got behind the sticks with them, you were going to be in trouble."

Great Bend won the toss, deferred, and capitalized on a Falcon fumble just seconds into the game. Two plays later, junior Daxton Minton was able to get around the edge from four yards out for a 6-0 lead just 45 seconds in the night.

Panther senior Owen Kaiser recovered a fumble on the next Falcon drive. Great Bend pulled out some trickery with sophomore Cooper Ohnmacht completing a 40-yard pass to senior Jacob Hall on the first play of the ensuing drive. The Panther lead grew to 12-0 less than three minutes after the opening kick.

"We've been working on that play for a couple of weeks," said Beck. "It's our double-reverse pass. The guys, tHeir ball-handling skills are something we don't even have to coach. They just did it naturally. Being able to hand it off to Ian (Premer) to flip it back to Coop, to throw it to Jake, it was a thing of beauty. To get it after a quick change of possession is what we all wanted."

The Panther defense remained stout on the next South possession. After a Falcon punt, Great Bend needed just six plays before Ohnmacht took a contested ball out of the air to complete a 32-yard touchdown pass from Minton. Great Bend led 20-0 less than seven minutes into the game.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1726286523127.jpeg" alt="Panther sophomore Cooper Ohnmacht threw a 40-yard touchdown pass to Jacob Hall on the third offensive play of the game Friday night. Ohnmacht added a 32-yard touchdown reception in the first quarter as Great Bend held off Olathe South 26-14 to move to 2-0 on the season." />
 <figcaption>Panther sophomore Cooper Ohnmacht threw a 40-yard touchdown pass to Jacob Hall on the third offensive play of the game Friday night. Ohnmacht added a 32-yard touchdown reception in the first quarter as Great Bend held off Olathe South 26-14 to move to 2-0 on the season.</figcaption>
 </figure>By MIKE COURSON Great Bend PostTwo fumble recoveries and two touchdowns on just three offensive plays. That's how Great Bend opened Friday's home opener against a Class 6A Olathe South program that scored 35 points and lost by just a touchdown to five-time reigning state champion Mill Valley in week one. The Falcons got as close as 20-14 in the second quarter before the Panthers scored the final points of the night early in the third quarter to win 26-14."The way the game started was about perfect for us, to come out and have some of those big plays to start this thing off to give us that confidence we needed because that's a really good football team," said Panther coach Erin Beck. "That's one of those football teams where you knew if you got behind the sticks with them, you were going to be in trouble."Great Bend won the toss, deferred, and capitalized on a Falcon fumble just seconds into the game. Two plays later, junior Daxton Minton was able to get around the edge from four yards out for a 6-0 lead just 45 seconds in the night.Panther senior Owen Kaiser recovered a fumble on the next Falcon drive. Great Bend pulled out some trickery with sophomore Cooper Ohnmacht completing a 40-yard pass to senior Jacob Hall on the first play of the ensuing drive. The Panther lead grew to 12-0 less than three minutes after the opening kick."We've been working on that play for a couple of weeks," said Beck. "It's our double-reverse pass. The guys, tHeir ball-handling skills are something we don't even have to coach. They just did it naturally. Being able to hand it off to Ian (Premer) to flip it back to Coop, to throw it to Jake, it was a thing of beauty. To get it after a quick change of possession is what we all wanted."The Panther defense remained stout on the next South possession. After a Falcon punt, Great Bend needed just six plays before Ohnmacht took a contested ball out of the air to complete a 32-yard touchdown pass from Minton. Great Bend led 20-0 less than seven minutes into the game.South kept things close in the first half. Senior Max Armstrong, who rushed for 224 yards in week one, scored from a yard out. Junior quarterback Gage Lee had the big play of the night on a 65-yard completion to sophomore Anthony Harris over the middle. The Panthers held on to a 20-14 lead at the intermission.Minton led the Panthers down the field on the first drive of the second half, completing his first four passes of the third quarter to set up his own 8-yard run for the final points of the night. The junior finished the night with 153 yards, two rushing touchdowns and a passing touchdown, and an interception, on 12-of-20 passing. "How about the play of some of those other kids outside of Ian Premer," Beck said. "They were taking him away. They had two over him all night. He was frustrated because he wanted the ball. He wants to be that type of kid. To have Cooper Ohnmacht, to have Jacob Hall, to have Daxton Minton step up and do the things we needed and run the football effectively behind that offensive line was unreal."The Panther defense continued to control the game, forcing a turnover on downs inside their own five yard line late in the third quarter. Later in the fourth quarter, Premer and Hall ended Falcon comeback attempts with interceptions. Armstrong was held to just 74 yards on 21 carries. Lee added 95 yards on 15 carries and threw for 149 yards and two picks on 14-of-27 passing. "Fourteen points," Beck said. "If our defense can hold an offense like that with a skill kid like Max Armstrong is, you're going to have a chance to win a football game. Our defense just played unreal. After a few of those drives, they really just settled in."Senior Jace Schartz paced the Panther ground attack with 65 yards on 14 carries. Ohnmacht opened the season with a touchdown return and caught six passes for 73 yards with a touchdown and threw for another. Hall caught four passes for 55 yards, and Premer had two receptions for 46 yards.