By TODD MOORE Barton Sports Info

A pair of goals in Wednesday evening's opening twenty minutes dug the Barton Community College women's soccer team a deflating blow with a second half late penalty kick concluding the 3-0 defeat to 11th ranked Kansas City Kansas Community College at the KCKCC Soccer Complex.

The loss drops Barton to 1-2-1 in KJCCC play and 3-2-1 on the season as KCK improves to 4-0-1 in conference and 6-0-1 overall.

In the midst of a tough three-game stretch against ranked league opponents, Barton next squares up against 18th ranked Hutchinson Community College on Saturday in a 1:00 p.m. kick at the Cougar Soccer Complex before a Wednesday road trip to Arkansas City for a 5:00 p.m. kick at 14th ranked Cowley College.

By TODD MOORE Barton Sports InfoA pair of goals in Wednesday evening's opening twenty minutes dug the Barton Community College women's soccer team a deflating blow with a second half late penalty kick concluding the 3-0 defeat to 11th ranked Kansas City Kansas Community College at the KCKCC Soccer Complex.The loss drops Barton to 1-2-1 in KJCCC play and 3-2-1 on the season as KCK improves to 4-0-1 in conference and 6-0-1 overall.In the midst of a tough three-game stretch against ranked league opponents, Barton next squares up against 18th ranked Hutchinson Community College on Saturday in a 1:00 p.m. kick at the Cougar Soccer Complex before a Wednesday road trip to Arkansas City for a 5:00 p.m. kick at 14th ranked Cowley College.

Early deficit sends Barton women to 3-0 loss at No. 11 KCK

- Great Bend Panther football coach Erin Beck previews Friday's home opener against Olathe South. He'll be joined by Panther players Conner Holladay and Jace Schartz.

- Ellinwood volleyball coach Greg Maxwell

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1693997740304.jpeg" alt="Thursday show lineup with hosts Steve Webster, Mike Courson, and Mike Hesher" />
 <figcaption>Thursday show lineup with hosts Steve Webster, Mike Courson, and Mike Hesher</figcaption>
 </figure><div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/xPCC5PHHOJU?si=09Y04J7C2VCjDL-D" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>- Great Bend Panther football coach Erin Beck previews Friday's home opener against Olathe South. He'll be joined by Panther players Conner Holladay and Jace Schartz.- Ellinwood volleyball coach Greg Maxwell-Barton soccer coach Rafael Simmons- Thursday Sports Headlines- Sounds of the past 24-hours

Thursday on Sports Day(Watch)

Here are the top-five football teams in each classification according to kpreps.com, and their opponent for week two.

6A 1. Derby (1-0) vs. Campus (0-1) 2. Gardner-Edgerton (1-0) vs Choctaw (Okla.) (1-0) 3. Blue Valley Northwest (1-0) vs. Shawnee Mission Northwest (1-0) 4. Lawrence (1-0) at Junction City (1-0) 5. Manhattan (1-0) vs. Lawrence Free State (1-0).

5A 1. Mill Valley (1-0) vs Lee's Summit North (2-0) 2. Blue Valley (1-0) vs. Washburn Rural (1-0) 3. St. Thomas Aquinas (1-0) vs. No. 5 St. James Academy (1-0) 4. Goddard-Eisenhower (1-0) vs Goddard (1-0) 5. Lenexa-St. James Academy (1-0) at No. 3 Aquinas (1-0)

4A 1. Andover Central (1-0) at Newton (0-1) 2. Bishop Miege (0-1) at Blue Valley Southwest (0-1) 3. Kapaun Mt. Carmel (1-0) at Wichita North (0-1) 4. Wamego (1-0) vs. Rock Creek (1-0) 5. Louisburg (1-0) at Paola (0-1)

3A 1. Andale (1-0) at Wellington (0-1) 2. Cheney (1-0) at Kingman (1-0) 3. Topeka Hayden (1-0) at St. Michael the Archangel (1-1) 4. Wichita Collegiate (1-0) at Rose Hill (0-1) 5. Scott City (1-0) at Wray (Colo.) (2-0)

2A 1. Norton (1-0) at TMP (1-0) 2. SE of Saline (1-0) at Clay Center (1-0) 3. St. Marys (1-0) at No. 3 (1A) Rossville (0-1) 4. Silver Lake (1-0) vs. No. 5 Nemaha Central (0-1) 5. Nemaha Central (0-1) at No. 4 Silver Lake (1-0)

1A. 1. Conway Springs (1-0) at Garden Plain (1-0) 2. Medicine Lodge (1-0) vs Chaparral (0-1) 3. Rossville (0-1) at No. 3 (2A) St. Marys 4. Sedgwick (1-0) at Hutchinson Trinity (0-1) 5. Jackson Heights (1-0) vs Maur Hill (1-0)

8-man, Div. I 1. Hoxie (1-0) vs Trego Community (0-1) 2. Little River (1-0) vs Rural Vista (1-0) 3. Wichita County (0-1) at Elkhart (0-1) 4. West Elk (1-0) at Oxford (1-0) 5. South Central (1-0) at Ashland (0-1)

8-man, Div. II 1. Axtell (1-0) vs Washington County (0-1) 2. Frankfort (1-0) vs Lyndon (1-0) 3. Victoria (1-0) vs Central Plains (1-0) 4. Dighton (1-0) at Decatur Community (1-0) 5. Burlingame (1-0) vs Waverly (1-0)

6-man 1. Cunningham (1-0) vs Peabody-Burns (1-0) 2. Ingalls (1-0) at Golden Plains (1-0) 3. Weskan (1-0) at Rolla (0-0) 4. Bird City-Cheylin (1-0) at Idalia (Colo.) (2-0) 5. Otis-Bison (1-0) at South Barber (0-1)

Here are the top-five football teams in each classification according to kpreps.com, and their opponent for week two.6A 1. Derby (1-0) vs. Campus (0-1) 2. Gardner-Edgerton (1-0) vs Choctaw (Okla.) (1-0) 3. Blue Valley Northwest (1-0) vs. Shawnee Mission Northwest (1-0) 4. Lawrence (1-0) at Junction City (1-0) 5. Manhattan (1-0) vs. Lawrence Free State (1-0).5A 1. Mill Valley (1-0) vs Lee's Summit North (2-0) 2. Blue Valley (1-0) vs. Washburn Rural (1-0) 3. St. Thomas Aquinas (1-0) vs. No. 5 St. James Academy (1-0) 4. Goddard-Eisenhower (1-0) vs Goddard (1-0) 5. Lenexa-St. James Academy (1-0) at No. 3 Aquinas (1-0)4A 1. Andover Central (1-0) at Newton (0-1) 2. Bishop Miege (0-1) at Blue Valley Southwest (0-1) 3. Kapaun Mt. Carmel (1-0) at Wichita North (0-1) 4. Wamego (1-0) vs. Rock Creek (1-0) 5. Louisburg (1-0) at Paola (0-1)3A 1. Andale (1-0) at Wellington (0-1) 2. Cheney (1-0) at Kingman (1-0) 3. Topeka Hayden (1-0) at St. Michael the Archangel (1-1) 4. Wichita Collegiate (1-0) at Rose Hill (0-1) 5. Scott City (1-0) at Wray (Colo.) (2-0)2A 1. Norton (1-0) at TMP (1-0) 2. SE of Saline (1-0) at Clay Center (1-0) 3. St. Marys (1-0) at No. 3 (1A) Rossville (0-1) 4. Silver Lake (1-0) vs. No. 5 Nemaha Central (0-1) 5. Nemaha Central (0-1) at No. 4 Silver Lake (1-0)1A. 1. Conway Springs (1-0) at Garden Plain (1-0) 2. Medicine Lodge (1-0) vs Chaparral (0-1) 3. Rossville (0-1) at No. 3 (2A) St. Marys 4. Sedgwick (1-0) at Hutchinson Trinity (0-1) 5. Jackson Heights (1-0) vs Maur Hill (1-0)8-man, Div. I 1. Hoxie (1-0) vs Trego Community (0-1) 2. Little River (1-0) vs Rural Vista (1-0) 3. Wichita County (0-1) at Elkhart (0-1) 4. West Elk (1-0) at Oxford (1-0) 5. South Central (1-0) at Ashland (0-1)8-man, Div. II 1. Axtell (1-0) vs Washington County (0-1) 2. Frankfort (1-0) vs Lyndon (1-0) 3. Victoria (1-0) vs Central Plains (1-0) 4. Dighton (1-0) at Decatur Community (1-0) 5. Burlingame (1-0) vs Waverly (1-0)6-man 1. Cunningham (1-0) vs Peabody-Burns (1-0) 2. Ingalls (1-0) at Golden Plains (1-0) 3. Weskan (1-0) at Rolla (0-0) 4. Bird City-Cheylin (1-0) at Idalia (Colo.) (2-0) 5. Otis-Bison (1-0) at South Barber (0-1)

High school football rankings and opponents (week 2)

By GARY VAN CLEAVE Special to Great Bend Post

CLAFLIN - Football players at Central Plains are in Hog Heaven these days.

Anchored by a three-man offensive line, the Oilers average 260 pounds each on an 8-man front in which the average line with most teams is around 200.

“Our O-line is huge this year so as a running back you actually feel safe,” senior running back Eli Hurley said. “They are also a bunch of dudes that just want to roll some people and just get to moving.”

“They’re really good and they go 100% all the time,” sophomore receiver Camden Stiles said. “They get off the ball fast, and they block to a whistle. They always know who they need to block on every play we run.”

Meet 250-pound junior right guard Landon Daniels, an all-state honorable mention choice as a freshman. He’s flanked on his left by senior center Devin Davison, who brings 295 pounds of force when blocking. At left guard is Logan Stroede, the lightweight at 230 pounds.

To get to quarterback Brodie Crites or one of the running backs, teams must plow through 775 pounds of Oiler mass dawgness.

“It means a lot to block for guys like Brodie Crites and Eli Hurley back there,” Daniels said. “I know that if we can do our job up front and get a helmet on a helmet, great things are gonna happen in the backfield.”

“I think our O-line stood out the most. They kept all their blocks up and they made huge holes for Eli, Richard (Stroud) and Joel (Schreiber) to get through,” Crites said.

Stroede likes the dual-threat combination the Oilers possess in the backfield.

“Eli and Brodie are the reasons we can be considered a dual-threat team,” Stroede said. “As long as the O-line does our job, between those two we can get yards however we want whether that’s on the ground or in the air.”

“Our O-line put in the work and made some holes, but I'd say my favorite was when I got a toss play to the outside and I cut up and put a kid on skates&nbsp;&nbsp;in the secondary and broke for a touchdown,” senior running back Joel Schreiber said.

The Oiler front-end dawgs take pride in their work.

“I take a lot of pride in making sure I do my job right,” Daniels said. “I’m always making sure us three up front are all on the same page and know who to go block.”

“We take a lot of pride in playing football and getting our blocks, as well as protecting our QB,” Davison said. “We are all connected and all share a love for the sport. We have a special bond which makes Brodie and Eli’s jobs much easier.”

Crites threw two touchdown passes in the Oilers’ 48-0 season-opening win over Macksville.

“When we passed they (line) gave plenty of time,” Crites said. “Overall I felt like I did a good job but still have a lot to improve and work on.”

“They were really good,” Hurley said. “They didn’t just make a hole they got up field and made it to where I only had to beat a couple people. It feels great because one, I’m not getting hit by other people and two, it gives me a lot more room to work so we can go score.”

Central Plains plays Friday at 1-0 Victoria, which bested Ness City 48-0 last week.

“This offense can do great things throughout the season,” Daniels said. “Having a O-line averaging 260 pounds is crazy. If everyone does their jobs right there’s gonna be no one that can stop us.”

“They all improved a lot,” Schreiber said. “They put in a lot more work to get better to help us out. They have gotten stronger and quicker and better at remembering their assignments on blocks.”

Schreiber and Hurley combined for five touchdowns last week and over 80 yards rushing each. Hurley went to the House on three occasions.

“It’s pretty awesome and they’re really good at protecting our quarterback and making big holes for our backs to run through,” Stiles said.

“I’ve personally never had a line that big and so I love it,” Hurley said.

The Oilers also love the experience of playing on Friday nights.

“The rush in the locker room (before the game) is crazy, the energy is very, very high,” Davison said. “The adrenaline is pumping and I would say almost everyone is bouncing off the walls ready to go lay the wood. We are very locked in and the words our coach gives us before the game just gives us that umph to go play our hardest and give it our all.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1726156290941.jpeg" alt="Landon Daniels, Devin Davison and Logan Stroede" />
 <figcaption>Landon Daniels, Devin Davison and Logan Stroede</figcaption>
 </figure>By GARY VAN CLEAVE Special to Great Bend PostCLAFLIN - Football players at Central Plains are in Hog Heaven these days.Anchored by a three-man offensive line, the Oilers average 260 pounds each on an 8-man front in which the average line with most teams is around 200.“Our O-line is huge this year so as a running back you actually feel safe,” senior running back Eli Hurley said. “They are also a bunch of dudes that just want to roll some people and just get to moving.”“They’re really good and they go 100% all the time,” sophomore receiver Camden Stiles said. “They get off the ball fast, and they block to a whistle. They always know who they need to block on every play we run.”Meet 250-pound junior right guard Landon Daniels, an all-state honorable mention choice as a freshman. He’s flanked on his left by senior center Devin Davison, who brings 295 pounds of force when blocking. At left guard is Logan Stroede, the lightweight at 230 pounds.To get to quarterback Brodie Crites or one of the running backs, teams must plow through 775 pounds of Oiler mass dawgness.“It means a lot to block for guys like Brodie Crites and Eli Hurley back there,” Daniels said. “I know that if we can do our job up front and get a helmet on a helmet, great things are gonna happen in the backfield.”“I think our O-line stood out the most. They kept all their blocks up and they made huge holes for Eli, Richard (Stroud) and Joel (Schreiber) to get through,” Crites said.Stroede likes the dual-threat combination the Oilers possess in the backfield.“Eli and Brodie are the reasons we can be considered a dual-threat team,” Stroede said. “As long as the O-line does our job, between those two we can get yards however we want whether that’s on the ground or in the air.”“Our O-line put in the work and made some holes, but I'd say my favorite was when I got a toss play to the outside and I cut up and put a kid on skates&nbsp;&nbsp;in the secondary and broke for a touchdown,” senior running back Joel Schreiber said.The Oiler front-end dawgs take pride in their work.“I take a lot of pride in making sure I do my job right,” Daniels said. “I’m always making sure us three up front are all on the same page and know who to go block.”“We take a lot of pride in playing football and getting our blocks, as well as protecting our QB,” Davison said. “We are all connected and all share a love for the sport. We have a special bond which makes Brodie and Eli’s jobs much easier.”Crites threw two touchdown passes in the Oilers’ 48-0 season-opening win over Macksville.“When we passed they (line) gave plenty of time,” Crites said. “Overall I felt like I did a good job but still have a lot to improve and work on.”“They were really good,” Hurley said. “They didn’t just make a hole they got up field and made it to where I only had to beat a couple people. It feels great because one, I’m not getting hit by other people and two, it gives me a lot more room to work so we can go score.”Central Plains plays Friday at 1-0 Victoria, which bested Ness City 48-0 last week.“This offense can do great things throughout the season,” Daniels said. “Having a O-line averaging 260 pounds is crazy. If everyone does their jobs right there’s gonna be no one that can stop us.”“They all improved a lot,” Schreiber said. “They put in a lot more work to get better to help us out. They have gotten stronger and quicker and better at remembering their assignments on blocks.”Schreiber and Hurley combined for five touchdowns last week and over 80 yards rushing each. Hurley went to the House on three occasions.“It’s pretty awesome and they’re really good at protecting our quarterback and making big holes for our backs to run through,” Stiles said.“I’ve personally never had a line that big and so I love it,” Hurley said.The Oilers also love the experience of playing on Friday nights.“The rush in the locker room (before the game) is crazy, the energy is very, very high,” Davison said. “The adrenaline is pumping and I would say almost everyone is bouncing off the walls ready to go lay the wood. We are very locked in and the words our coach gives us before the game just gives us that umph to go play our hardest and give it our all.”

Huge line protects Central Plains Oilers’ weapons 

By BRANDON SMITH Barton Sports Info

For a third consecutive week,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bartonsports.com/sports/msoc/2024-25/bios/voinier_maxence_ehjk">Maxence Voinier</a>&nbsp;of the 7th ranked Barton Community College men's soccer team has been tabbed as the KJCCC Division I Player of the Week.

Voinier guided the Cougars to a perfect week, picking up a 2-0 victory over Coffeyville Community College.

Despite having his five-game goal streak snapped, the sophomore forward extended his points streak to six straight contests providing the icing on the cake in the 2-0 victory over the Red Ravens creating&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bartonsports.com/sports/msoc/2024-25/bios/onofre_arthur_bfab">Arthur Onofre</a>'s first collegiate net shaker with a through ball pass.

Voinier currently sits tied 10th in the nation with 14 points over six games while ranking 12th in goals at five and ninth in assists with four.

Now 5-1-0 on the season and 1-1-0 in KJCCC play, Barton will return to conference play Wednesday night traveling to Kansas City Kansas Community College for a 7:30 p.m. kickoff. The Cougars will conclude its brief two-match road trip September 18th at No. 3 Cowley College.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1726145594546.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>By BRANDON SMITH Barton Sports InfoFor a third consecutive week,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bartonsports.com/sports/msoc/2024-25/bios/voinier_maxence_ehjk">Maxence Voinier</a>&nbsp;of the 7th ranked Barton Community College men's soccer team has been tabbed as the KJCCC Division I Player of the Week.Voinier guided the Cougars to a perfect week, picking up a 2-0 victory over Coffeyville Community College.Despite having his five-game goal streak snapped, the sophomore forward extended his points streak to six straight contests providing the icing on the cake in the 2-0 victory over the Red Ravens creating&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bartonsports.com/sports/msoc/2024-25/bios/onofre_arthur_bfab">Arthur Onofre</a>'s first collegiate net shaker with a through ball pass.Voinier currently sits tied 10th in the nation with 14 points over six games while ranking 12th in goals at five and ninth in assists with four.Now 5-1-0 on the season and 1-1-0 in KJCCC play, Barton will return to conference play Wednesday night traveling to Kansas City Kansas Community College for a 7:30 p.m. kickoff. The Cougars will conclude its brief two-match road trip September 18th at No. 3 Cowley College.

Voinier claims third straight KJCCC Division I Men's Soccer Player of the Week

A second half penalty kick Wednesday evening at the KCKCC Soccer Complex provided the difference maker as the 7th ranked Barton Community College men's soccer team were upset 2-1 at Kansas City Kansas Community College.

Barton falls to 1-2-0 in the KJCCC and 5-2-0 overall while KCK stays atop the standings at 3-0-1 and 3-0-2 overall.

The Cougars will have a week off from competition before heading to Arkansas City next Wednesday for a 7:00 p.m. kick at 4th ranked Cowley College.

<a target="_blank" href="http://www.bartonsports.com/sports/msoc/2024-25/bios/dos_santos_lucas_jzie">Lucas Dos Santos</a>' second goal of the season put the Cougars up top with 17:58 left in first half action, crashing the box to head in&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="http://www.bartonsports.com/sports/msoc/2024-25/bios/kanku_loic_7v7s">Loic Kanku</a>'s saved shot from the left wing.

The Cougars could have been up 2-0 after Dos Santos' goal but reigning three-time KJCCC Player of the Week&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="http://www.bartonsports.com/sports/msoc/2024-25/bios/voinier_maxence_ehjk">Maxence Voinier</a>&nbsp;was rejected on a penalty kick twelve minutes into the contest.

Nine minutes following Dos Santos' go-ahead goal, the Cougars cleared a KCK corner kick but the Ble Devils regrouped sending a second shot into the box with a backside goal tying it up with 9:01 left in the half.

With Barton unable to convert on the first half penalty opportunity, the Blue Devils capitalized on theirs with twenty-eight minutes remaining following the Cougars being whistled for a dangerous kick in the box setting up the game winning spot kick.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1720709277576.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>By TODD MOORE Barton Sports InfoA second half penalty kick Wednesday evening at the KCKCC Soccer Complex provided the difference maker as the 7th ranked Barton Community College men's soccer team were upset 2-1 at Kansas City Kansas Community College.Barton falls to 1-2-0 in the KJCCC and 5-2-0 overall while KCK stays atop the standings at 3-0-1 and 3-0-2 overall.The Cougars will have a week off from competition before heading to Arkansas City next Wednesday for a 7:00 p.m. kick at 4th ranked Cowley College.<a target="_blank" href="http://www.bartonsports.com/sports/msoc/2024-25/bios/dos_santos_lucas_jzie">Lucas Dos Santos</a>' second goal of the season put the Cougars up top with 17:58 left in first half action, crashing the box to head in&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="http://www.bartonsports.com/sports/msoc/2024-25/bios/kanku_loic_7v7s">Loic Kanku</a>'s saved shot from the left wing.The Cougars could have been up 2-0 after Dos Santos' goal but reigning three-time KJCCC Player of the Week&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="http://www.bartonsports.com/sports/msoc/2024-25/bios/voinier_maxence_ehjk">Maxence Voinier</a>&nbsp;was rejected on a penalty kick twelve minutes into the contest.Nine minutes following Dos Santos' go-ahead goal, the Cougars cleared a KCK corner kick but the Ble Devils regrouped sending a second shot into the box with a backside goal tying it up with 9:01 left in the half.With Barton unable to convert on the first half penalty opportunity, the Blue Devils capitalized on theirs with twenty-eight minutes remaining following the Cougars being whistled for a dangerous kick in the box setting up the game winning spot kick.

Second half penalty kick sends No. 7 Cougar men to loss at KCK 

The 4th ranked Barton Community College volleyball team stepped out of conference play Wednesday night hosting the varsity reserve squad from McPherson College.

The Cougars swept the Bulldogs on the evening, breaking the first set's 9th tie in closing out the opener winning 5-of-6 points for a 25-20 score before utilizing a 9-0 come-from-behind spurt in an eventual 25-22 second set victory. Barton put the wraps on its night by doubling up the Bulldogs 12-6 early on in riding out a 25-17 win capping its three-match homestand.

Improving to 12-0 on the season, Barton next heads to Sterling, Colorado, for the two-day Sheila Worley Tournament. The Cougars open play Friday at 10:30 a.m. against Laramie County Community College before taking on 13th ranked Odessa College in the 6:00 p.m. match. On Saturday, Barton hits the court at 1:00 p.m. against 10th ranked Indian Hills Community College followed by a 6:00 p.m. fellow Cougar tangle with 17th ranked Western Nebraska Community College.

Three Cougars recorded eight or more kills on the balanced .247 attack evening,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="http://www.bartonsports.com/sports/wvball/2024-25/bios/reyes_phoebe_zp2h">Phoebe Reyes</a>&nbsp;leading the way with 9 kills on a .450 efficiency.&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="http://www.bartonsports.com/sports/wvball/2024-25/bios/thompson_mya_yeos">Mya Thompson</a>&nbsp;recorded 8 kills on a .273 attack while&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="http://www.bartonsports.com/sports/wvball/2024-25/bios/wierzbicki_anna_emil">Anna Wierzbicki</a>&nbsp;hit .400 on the night with 8 kills and a team high tying 2 blocks.

Trailing 17-14 in the second set, the Cougars' 9-0 run was highlighted by&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="http://www.bartonsports.com/sports/wvball/2024-25/bios/kaneko_mina_z3c5">Mina Kaneko</a>'s four service aces along with a Reyes kill. Kaneko led Barton's 13 service aces with six total on the night, to go along with, a team high 12 digs.

Setters&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="http://www.bartonsports.com/sports/wvball/2024-25/bios/stankovic_elena_icdc">Elena Stankovic</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="http://www.bartonsports.com/sports/wvball/2024-25/bios/reyes_maurin_5w3d">Maurin Reyes</a>&nbsp;put up 17 and 16 assists each respectively while also combing for five aces, two from Stankovic and three from Reyes.

By TODD MOORE Barton Sports InfoThe 4th ranked Barton Community College volleyball team stepped out of conference play Wednesday night hosting the varsity reserve squad from McPherson College.The Cougars swept the Bulldogs on the evening, breaking the first set's 9th tie in closing out the opener winning 5-of-6 points for a 25-20 score before utilizing a 9-0 come-from-behind spurt in an eventual 25-22 second set victory. Barton put the wraps on its night by doubling up the Bulldogs 12-6 early on in riding out a 25-17 win capping its three-match homestand.Improving to 12-0 on the season, Barton next heads to Sterling, Colorado, for the two-day Sheila Worley Tournament. The Cougars open play Friday at 10:30 a.m. against Laramie County Community College before taking on 13th ranked Odessa College in the 6:00 p.m. match. On Saturday, Barton hits the court at 1:00 p.m. against 10th ranked Indian Hills Community College followed by a 6:00 p.m. fellow Cougar tangle with 17th ranked Western Nebraska Community College.Three Cougars recorded eight or more kills on the balanced .247 attack evening,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="http://www.bartonsports.com/sports/wvball/2024-25/bios/reyes_phoebe_zp2h">Phoebe Reyes</a>&nbsp;leading the way with 9 kills on a .450 efficiency.&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="http://www.bartonsports.com/sports/wvball/2024-25/bios/thompson_mya_yeos">Mya Thompson</a>&nbsp;recorded 8 kills on a .273 attack while&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="http://www.bartonsports.com/sports/wvball/2024-25/bios/wierzbicki_anna_emil">Anna Wierzbicki</a>&nbsp;hit .400 on the night with 8 kills and a team high tying 2 blocks.Trailing 17-14 in the second set, the Cougars' 9-0 run was highlighted by&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="http://www.bartonsports.com/sports/wvball/2024-25/bios/kaneko_mina_z3c5">Mina Kaneko</a>'s four service aces along with a Reyes kill. Kaneko led Barton's 13 service aces with six total on the night, to go along with, a team high 12 digs.Setters&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="http://www.bartonsports.com/sports/wvball/2024-25/bios/stankovic_elena_icdc">Elena Stankovic</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="http://www.bartonsports.com/sports/wvball/2024-25/bios/reyes_maurin_5w3d">Maurin Reyes</a>&nbsp;put up 17 and 16 assists each respectively while also combing for five aces, two from Stankovic and three from Reyes.

No. 4 Cougars stay unblemished on eleventh sweep of season

It took a few extra days as rain pushed back the finish of a tennis tournament that started in McPherson last week to Wednesday evening. With three McPherson teams in action, Great Bend finished sixth out of eight teams with 23 points. McPherson's red team won the tournament with 57 points, followed by Derby with 44 points.

The doubles team of Darcy Feist and Mac Lindberg finished sixth overall to secure 11 of the 23 team points. The girls opened with an 8-6 win against McPherson's white team before dropping an 8-4 set to the eventual runners-up from McPherson's red team. The pair dropped another McPherson team 8-6 before falling 8-5 to Derby in the fifth-place match.

Paige Stacey pulled out a ninth-place finish in the singles bracket. She opened with an 8-5 loss to the fifth-place finisher from Goddard-Eisenhower. Stacey cruised through the backside of the bracket, picking up an 8-0 win against Valley Center, an 8-4 win against McPherson, and an 8-3 win against another Bullpup in the ninth-place match.

Clarise Snapp also played in the singles bracket with a first-round match against the No. 4 seed, Dragon Martinez, of McPherson. Martinez defeated Snapp 8-0 en route to a third-place finish. Snapp dropped her next match to the 10th-place finisher 8-2, advanced on a bye, then fell 8-1 in the 13th-place match.

Mackenzie LaViolette and Kylie McCormick also drew the No. 4 seed in the doubles bracket, falling to McPherson in round one 8-1. The girls also fell to Valley Center 8-5 and McPherson 8-7 (5). The Panthers lost 8-1 to Valley Center in the 15th-place match.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/1/1673886492120.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Great Bend Post SportsIt took a few extra days as rain pushed back the finish of a tennis tournament that started in McPherson last week to Wednesday evening. With three McPherson teams in action, Great Bend finished sixth out of eight teams with 23 points. McPherson's red team won the tournament with 57 points, followed by Derby with 44 points.The doubles team of Darcy Feist and Mac Lindberg finished sixth overall to secure 11 of the 23 team points. The girls opened with an 8-6 win against McPherson's white team before dropping an 8-4 set to the eventual runners-up from McPherson's red team. The pair dropped another McPherson team 8-6 before falling 8-5 to Derby in the fifth-place match.Paige Stacey pulled out a ninth-place finish in the singles bracket. She opened with an 8-5 loss to the fifth-place finisher from Goddard-Eisenhower. Stacey cruised through the backside of the bracket, picking up an 8-0 win against Valley Center, an 8-4 win against McPherson, and an 8-3 win against another Bullpup in the ninth-place match.Clarise Snapp also played in the singles bracket with a first-round match against the No. 4 seed, Dragon Martinez, of McPherson. Martinez defeated Snapp 8-0 en route to a third-place finish. Snapp dropped her next match to the 10th-place finisher 8-2, advanced on a bye, then fell 8-1 in the 13th-place match.Mackenzie LaViolette and Kylie McCormick also drew the No. 4 seed in the doubles bracket, falling to McPherson in round one 8-1. The girls also fell to Valley Center 8-5 and McPherson 8-7 (5). The Panthers lost 8-1 to Valley Center in the 15th-place match.

Lady Panther tennis team finishes up McPherson tourney in sixth

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The NFL averaged 21.0 million viewers per game during the league’s opening week, making it the most-watched Week 1 on record. The league and Nielsen said Wednesday morning that the per-game average on TV and digital platforms was a 12% increase over last year. Nielsen began electronic measurement of viewing in 1988. All told, 123 million people saw at least part of one game, its highest total for an opening week since 2019.

LOS ANGELES (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://www.mlb.com/gameday/cubs-vs-dodgers/2024/09/11/746100/final/video" target="_blank">Gavin Lux</a>&nbsp;singled in the go-ahead run with two outs in the seventh inning and the Los Angeles Dodgers rallied after blowing a 7-3 lead to beat the Chicago Cubs 10-8 on Wednesday night and avoid a series sweep.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.mlb.com/gameday/cubs-vs-dodgers/2024/09/11/746100/final/video" target="_blank">Shohei Ohtani</a>&nbsp;hit his 47th home run and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.mlb.com/gameday/cubs-vs-dodgers/2024/09/11/746100/final/video" target="_blank">stole his 48th base</a>&nbsp;while three other Dodgers went deep in the first inning for the NL West leaders, whose magic number to clinch the division dropped to 11 after San Diego lost at Seattle. The Dodgers walked 10 batters, including four by starter Bobby Miller.

The Pac-12 is ready to begin its rebuild. The Conference of Champions is targeting Boise State, Fresno State, San Diego State and Colorado State of the Mountain West, with the schools on the verge of being accepted as members as soon as this week, two people with knowledge of the situation told The Associated Press on Wednesday night. The people spoke on condition of anonymity because the conference’s plans and discussions with possible new members were not being made public. They said, if an agreement is reached, the new schools would join in 2026. Yahoo! Sports first reported the four Mountain West schools were applying for Pac-12 membership. The Pac-12 is currently a two-school conference, with Oregon State and Washington State the only remaining members after the league was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pac12-big-ten-big12-conference-realignment-washington-oregon-f9f066d554b54ab600f798d91193aee4">picked apart</a>&nbsp;last year by other power conferences.

CONCORD, N.C. (AP) — Rick Hendrick, the winningest owner in NASCAR history, said Tuesday “I was just tired” of the lengthy negotiations over a new charter agreement and that played into his decision to sign NASCAR’s final offer. NASCAR gave teams a deadline of last Friday night to sign and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nascar-charters-michael-jordan-423f18857461af57fc7da7bd7f2dd130">13 teams — all but two — agreed to the deal</a>&nbsp;that now runs through 2031. The two holdouts are the Michael Jordan-owned 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports. Hendrick, at a news conference to announce Kyle Larson will run the Indianapolis 500 in 2025, said that more than two years of negotiations with NASCAR over extending team charters had been draining.

WEDNESDAY'S SCORES Major League Baseball American League

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1696502488214.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>LOS ANGELES (AP) — The NFL averaged 21.0 million viewers per game during the league’s opening week, making it the most-watched Week 1 on record. The league and Nielsen said Wednesday morning that the per-game average on TV and digital platforms was a 12% increase over last year. Nielsen began electronic measurement of viewing in 1988. All told, 123 million people saw at least part of one game, its highest total for an opening week since 2019.LOS ANGELES (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://www.mlb.com/gameday/cubs-vs-dodgers/2024/09/11/746100/final/video" target="_blank">Gavin Lux</a>&nbsp;singled in the go-ahead run with two outs in the seventh inning and the Los Angeles Dodgers rallied after blowing a 7-3 lead to beat the Chicago Cubs 10-8 on Wednesday night and avoid a series sweep.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.mlb.com/gameday/cubs-vs-dodgers/2024/09/11/746100/final/video" target="_blank">Shohei Ohtani</a>&nbsp;hit his 47th home run and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.mlb.com/gameday/cubs-vs-dodgers/2024/09/11/746100/final/video" target="_blank">stole his 48th base</a>&nbsp;while three other Dodgers went deep in the first inning for the NL West leaders, whose magic number to clinch the division dropped to 11 after San Diego lost at Seattle. The Dodgers walked 10 batters, including four by starter Bobby Miller.The Pac-12 is ready to begin its rebuild. The Conference of Champions is targeting Boise State, Fresno State, San Diego State and Colorado State of the Mountain West, with the schools on the verge of being accepted as members as soon as this week, two people with knowledge of the situation told The Associated Press on Wednesday night. The people spoke on condition of anonymity because the conference’s plans and discussions with possible new members were not being made public. They said, if an agreement is reached, the new schools would join in 2026. Yahoo! Sports first reported the four Mountain West schools were applying for Pac-12 membership. The Pac-12 is currently a two-school conference, with Oregon State and Washington State the only remaining members after the league was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pac12-big-ten-big12-conference-realignment-washington-oregon-f9f066d554b54ab600f798d91193aee4">picked apart</a>&nbsp;last year by other power conferences.CONCORD, N.C. (AP) — Rick Hendrick, the winningest owner in NASCAR history, said Tuesday “I was just tired” of the lengthy negotiations over a new charter agreement and that played into his decision to sign NASCAR’s final offer. NASCAR gave teams a deadline of last Friday night to sign and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nascar-charters-michael-jordan-423f18857461af57fc7da7bd7f2dd130">13 teams — all but two — agreed to the deal</a>&nbsp;that now runs through 2031. The two holdouts are the Michael Jordan-owned 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports. Hendrick, at a news conference to announce Kyle Larson will run the Indianapolis 500 in 2025, said that more than two years of negotiations with NASCAR over extending team charters had been draining.WEDNESDAY'S SCORES Major League Baseball American LeagueCleveland 6, Chicago White Sox 4NY Yankees 4, Kansas City 3 (11 inn)Boston 5, Baltimore 3Minnesota 5, LA Angels 4Oakland 5, Houston 4National LeaguePittsburgh 3, Miami 1Philadelphia 3, Tampa Bay 2Washington 5, Atlanta 1St. Louis 2, Cincinnati 1San Francisco 13, Milwaukee 2LA Dodgers 10, Chicago Cubs 8InterleagueNY Mets 6, Toronto 2Arizona 14, Texas 4Detroit 7, Colorado 4Seattle 5, San Diego 2

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

The Lady Panther volleyball team continued its hot streak to open the 2024 season with a pair of wins in Dodge City Tuesday. Great Bend opened with a 25-7, 25-18 win against Guymon (Okla.), then defeated the host Red Demons&nbsp; 25-11, 25-23.

The Lady Panthers saw a balanced attack against Guymon with freshman Mikala Minton leading the offense with eight kills. Senior Cassie Ellegood added six kills, and senior Kara Feist and sophomore Kya Behr each put down five balls. Great Bend served up 11 aces in the win, led by three from senior Adelyn Irwin and two each from Ellegood, Behr, and junior Ava Kaiser. Behr finished with 23 of the team's 27 assists. Feist and freshman Micah Ellegood led the defense at the net with a pair of blocks each. Kaiser paced the back row with six digs, followed by four from sophomore Alex Mayers.

Cassie Ellegood had a big finale at the net with 10 kills against Dodge City. Behr and Feist combined for 13 more kills. Behr had two of the team's four ace serves in the match and served up 19 assists. Feist did her work defensively at the net with three blocks, followed by two from Cassie Ellegood. Minton had a busy match in the back row with 10 digs, followed by nine from Mayers, six from Kaiser, and five from Behr.&nbsp;

Great Bend moves to 4-0 on the season with the last three wins coming in straight sets. The Lady Panthers will see tough competition Saturday in the Riley County tournament.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1726082452837.jpeg" alt="Lady Panther junior Kimberly Hofflinger." />
 <figcaption>Lady Panther junior Kimberly Hofflinger.</figcaption>
 </figure>Great Bend Post SportsThe Lady Panther volleyball team continued its hot streak to open the 2024 season with a pair of wins in Dodge City Tuesday. Great Bend opened with a 25-7, 25-18 win against Guymon (Okla.), then defeated the host Red Demons&nbsp; 25-11, 25-23.The Lady Panthers saw a balanced attack against Guymon with freshman Mikala Minton leading the offense with eight kills. Senior Cassie Ellegood added six kills, and senior Kara Feist and sophomore Kya Behr each put down five balls. Great Bend served up 11 aces in the win, led by three from senior Adelyn Irwin and two each from Ellegood, Behr, and junior Ava Kaiser. Behr finished with 23 of the team's 27 assists. Feist and freshman Micah Ellegood led the defense at the net with a pair of blocks each. Kaiser paced the back row with six digs, followed by four from sophomore Alex Mayers.Cassie Ellegood had a big finale at the net with 10 kills against Dodge City. Behr and Feist combined for 13 more kills. Behr had two of the team's four ace serves in the match and served up 19 assists. Feist did her work defensively at the net with three blocks, followed by two from Cassie Ellegood. Minton had a busy match in the back row with 10 digs, followed by nine from Mayers, six from Kaiser, and five from Behr.&nbsp;Great Bend moves to 4-0 on the season with the last three wins coming in straight sets. The Lady Panthers will see tough competition Saturday in the Riley County tournament.

Lady Panthers move to 4-0 with wins against Dodge City, Guymon

- Great Bend Panther volleyball coach Shelly Duvall and Junior's&nbsp;Kimmy Hofflinger and Ava Kaiser.

- Kansas PreGame Magazine Publisher John Baetz will have reaction from the first week of the High School Football season.

- The "Voice of the Tigers" Gerard Wellbrock talks about the Tigers 2-0 start to the 2024 season.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1693997740304.jpeg" alt="Wednesday show lineup" />
 <figcaption>Wednesday show lineup</figcaption>
 </figure><div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/yM3-pye4wGg?si=imdC-eoA_N_f2mMJ" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>- Great Bend Panther volleyball coach Shelly Duvall and Junior's&nbsp;Kimmy Hofflinger and Ava Kaiser.- Kansas PreGame Magazine Publisher John Baetz will have reaction from the first week of the High School Football season.- The "Voice of the Tigers" Gerard Wellbrock talks about the Tigers 2-0 start to the 2024 season.- Wednesday Sports Headlines- Sounds of the past 24-hours

Wednesday on Sports Day(Watch)

Did Shedeur Sanders throw his offensive line&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/shorts/e2Ny8VrYAdU">under the figurative bus</a>&nbsp;in his comments after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/college-football-score-colorado-nebraska-389d70cb3a2791542ff51328ea267b87">Colorado got clobbered</a>&nbsp;at Nebraska?

Was it poor form for Deion Sanders to&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/DeionSanders/status/1832792373878771795">post pictures of himself</a>&nbsp;on social media the next day?

And did “Coach Prime” really instruct the CU band to hold off playing the fight song after quarterback son Shedeur scores a touchdown so the song Shedeur recorded,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OS_UQ83R5gA">“Perfect Timing,”</a>&nbsp;can be played over the Folsom Field loudspeakers? The university issued a statement to say that wasn't true;&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/deion-sanders-band-colorado-504a094f717fb991bf6586723d22d6e0">Sanders called the notion “idiotic.”</a>

With the Buffs coming off their ninth loss in 11 games, and the Sanders brand the identity of the program, those were the subjects debated this week by their frustrated fans and the haters.

The bottom line is that CU (1-1) looks pretty much the same as last season's four-win team and fans' patience could be wearing thin. Now comes the Rocky Mountain Showdown against Colorado State (1-1), a rivalry game with a nasty history that will be played in Fort Collins on Saturday for the first time since 1996.

CSU led last year's game in Boulder 28-17 with eight minutes left in regulation and ended up&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/deion-prime-sanders-colorado-buffaloes-rams-514b427df90f6f5e736731e939aae7d8">losing 43-35 in overtime</a>. Things got ugly when Rams safety Henry Blackburn, who is still on the team,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/colorado-buffaloes-travis-hunter-d05cd57e60f8ea01675e3ff02f4abfee">received death threats</a>&nbsp;for a late hit that sent Travis Hunter to the hospital with a lacerated liver. Blackburn and Hunter&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/travis-hunter-colorado-henry-blackburn-bowling-ae613631471bf6926d63fb9ab1aceaac">went bowling together</a>&nbsp;a couple weeks later to show there were no hard feelings.

Last week's game at Nebraska was billed as a referendum on the jobs second-year coaches Deion Sanders and Matt Rhule are doing, and the way they are going about them. Advantage Rhule. The 28-10 loss raises the stakes for the Buffs' short trip to Fort Collins. CU is a 7 1/2-point favorite, according to&nbsp;<a href="https://sports.ia.betmgm.com/en/sports/football-11/betting/usa-9/college-football-211">BetMGM Sportsbook.</a>

There are three other important in-state rivalry games.

No. 9 Oregon (2-0) visits Oregon State (2-0) and Washington (2-0) visits Washington State (2-0) for their first meetings since the disintegration of the Pac-12. If it seems early for the Apple Cup and the formerly named Civil War, you're right, and both Oregon State and Washington State would love nothing better than grabbing bragging rights this particular season.

The Ducks are coming off close calls against Idaho and Boise State and have lost the last two times they visited Corvallis. The Huskies have won their first two games under new coach Jedd Fisch, but the emergence of Cougars quarterback John Mateer makes the trip to Pullman tricky.

No. 12 Utah (2-0) has allowed a combined 12 points in two games heading into its game at Utah State (1-1), which lost 48-0 at No. 11 Southern California last week and will be playing back-to-back Top 25 opponents for the first time since 2013.

No. 20 Arizona (2-0) at No. 14 Kansas State (2-0), Friday, 7 p.m. (Fox)

Yes, Arizona is in the Big 12 now, but this meeting and next year's in Tucson will be nonconference games. The home-and-home series was put on the schedule eight years ago, and neither school could find replacement nonconference games after Arizona was invited to join the Big 12 in August 2023.

This is the first big test for first-year Arizona coach Brent Brennan. QB Noah Fifita and star&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ap-football-player-of-week-mcmillan-355694505d32299c33383ad5f224f978">WR Tetairoa McMillan</a>&nbsp;will be a handful for a K-State pass defense that allowed 342 yards&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-state-tulane-7b7d07799348b3e3ec6f8f9f3a41a598">against Tulane last week</a>.

Alabama QB Jalen Milroe, who led his team to four straight fourth-quarter touchdowns to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/alabama-south-florida-score-16eb4028788d54db1acb6c0cba6fc94a">break open a close game</a>&nbsp;with South Florida, can become a serious contender with a strong performance at Wisconsin.

Milroe, sixth in 2023 Heisman Trophy voting, has accounted for nine touchdowns for the fourth-ranked Crimson Tide. His four rushing TDs are most by any FBS quarterback, and his five through the air rank fourth. The Badgers

9 — Teams averaging at least 50 points per game through Week 2, including four from the SEC.

47 — Oklahoma's consecutive wins against unranked nonconference opponents entering its home game against Tulane.

106 — Previous meetings between Pittsburgh and West Virginia, with the Panthers leading the Backyard Brawl rivalry 62-41-3.

1968 — The last time Indiana, which visits UCLA, played in the Rose Bowl stadium.

1992 — The last time Florida (1-1), which hosts Texas A&amp;M, lost two of three games to open a season.

The fact Florida State coach Mike Norvell is facing Memphis, the school he left in 2020, makes for an interesting matchup. The fact the Seminoles are in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/florida-state-boston-college-score-eeef9c95c5832eda558056c7aa0e1e3f">desperate need of a win</a>&nbsp;adds to the intrigue.

The Tigers head to FSU as 6 1/2-point underdogs and 2-2 in their last four games against power-conference opponents.

Memphis fourth-year starting quarterback Seth Henigan won't be intimidated at Doak Walker Stadium. The question is whether FSU's struggling DJ Uiagalelei will feel comfortable in front of the antsy home fans.

It was only three years ago Baylor won the Big 12 championship and was in the top 10 after going 12-2 under Dave Aranda. The next two years saw the Bears collapse the second half of the season, and they go into Saturday's home game against Air Force with losses in 10 of their last 14 games.

Air Force traditionally causes problems because of its rarely seen triple-option offense. The good news for Aranda is that this does not appear to be a vintage Falcons ground game. Air Force had only two plays from scrimmage go for more than 8 yards in a loss to San Jose State.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1726059008795.jpeg" alt="Kansas State running back Dylan Edwards (3) high steps in the end zone for a touchdown past Tulane safety Jack Tchienchou (29) during the second half of an NCAA college football game in New Orleans, Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Matthew Hinton)" />
 <figcaption>Kansas State running back Dylan Edwards (3) high steps in the end zone for a touchdown past Tulane safety Jack Tchienchou (29) during the second half of an NCAA college football game in New Orleans, Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Matthew Hinton)</figcaption>
 </figure>Did Shedeur Sanders throw his offensive line&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/shorts/e2Ny8VrYAdU">under the figurative bus</a>&nbsp;in his comments after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/college-football-score-colorado-nebraska-389d70cb3a2791542ff51328ea267b87">Colorado got clobbered</a>&nbsp;at Nebraska?Was it poor form for Deion Sanders to&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/DeionSanders/status/1832792373878771795">post pictures of himself</a>&nbsp;on social media the next day?And did “Coach Prime” really instruct the CU band to hold off playing the fight song after quarterback son Shedeur scores a touchdown so the song Shedeur recorded,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OS_UQ83R5gA">“Perfect Timing,”</a>&nbsp;can be played over the Folsom Field loudspeakers? The university issued a statement to say that wasn't true;&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/deion-sanders-band-colorado-504a094f717fb991bf6586723d22d6e0">Sanders called the notion “idiotic.”</a>With the Buffs coming off their ninth loss in 11 games, and the Sanders brand the identity of the program, those were the subjects debated this week by their frustrated fans and the haters.The bottom line is that CU (1-1) looks pretty much the same as last season's four-win team and fans' patience could be wearing thin. Now comes the Rocky Mountain Showdown against Colorado State (1-1), a rivalry game with a nasty history that will be played in Fort Collins on Saturday for the first time since 1996.CSU led last year's game in Boulder 28-17 with eight minutes left in regulation and ended up&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/deion-prime-sanders-colorado-buffaloes-rams-514b427df90f6f5e736731e939aae7d8">losing 43-35 in overtime</a>. Things got ugly when Rams safety Henry Blackburn, who is still on the team,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/colorado-buffaloes-travis-hunter-d05cd57e60f8ea01675e3ff02f4abfee">received death threats</a>&nbsp;for a late hit that sent Travis Hunter to the hospital with a lacerated liver. Blackburn and Hunter&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/travis-hunter-colorado-henry-blackburn-bowling-ae613631471bf6926d63fb9ab1aceaac">went bowling together</a>&nbsp;a couple weeks later to show there were no hard feelings.Last week's game at Nebraska was billed as a referendum on the jobs second-year coaches Deion Sanders and Matt Rhule are doing, and the way they are going about them. Advantage Rhule. The 28-10 loss raises the stakes for the Buffs' short trip to Fort Collins. CU is a 7 1/2-point favorite, according to&nbsp;<a href="https://sports.ia.betmgm.com/en/sports/football-11/betting/usa-9/college-football-211">BetMGM Sportsbook.</a>There are three other important in-state rivalry games.No. 9 Oregon (2-0) visits Oregon State (2-0) and Washington (2-0) visits Washington State (2-0) for their first meetings since the disintegration of the Pac-12. If it seems early for the Apple Cup and the formerly named Civil War, you're right, and both Oregon State and Washington State would love nothing better than grabbing bragging rights this particular season.The Ducks are coming off close calls against Idaho and Boise State and have lost the last two times they visited Corvallis. The Huskies have won their first two games under new coach Jedd Fisch, but the emergence of Cougars quarterback John Mateer makes the trip to Pullman tricky.No. 12 Utah (2-0) has allowed a combined 12 points in two games heading into its game at Utah State (1-1), which lost 48-0 at No. 11 Southern California last week and will be playing back-to-back Top 25 opponents for the first time since 2013.<h2>Best game</h2>No. 20 Arizona (2-0) at No. 14 Kansas State (2-0), Friday, 7 p.m. (Fox)Yes, Arizona is in the Big 12 now, but this meeting and next year's in Tucson will be nonconference games. The home-and-home series was put on the schedule eight years ago, and neither school could find replacement nonconference games after Arizona was invited to join the Big 12 in August 2023.This is the first big test for first-year Arizona coach Brent Brennan. QB Noah Fifita and star&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ap-football-player-of-week-mcmillan-355694505d32299c33383ad5f224f978">WR Tetairoa McMillan</a>&nbsp;will be a handful for a K-State pass defense that allowed 342 yards&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-state-tulane-7b7d07799348b3e3ec6f8f9f3a41a598">against Tulane last week</a>.<h2>Heisman watch</h2>Alabama QB Jalen Milroe, who led his team to four straight fourth-quarter touchdowns to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/alabama-south-florida-score-16eb4028788d54db1acb6c0cba6fc94a">break open a close game</a>&nbsp;with South Florida, can become a serious contender with a strong performance at Wisconsin.Milroe, sixth in 2023 Heisman Trophy voting, has accounted for nine touchdowns for the fourth-ranked Crimson Tide. His four rushing TDs are most by any FBS quarterback, and his five through the air rank fourth. The Badgers<h2>Numbers to know</h2>9 — Teams averaging at least 50 points per game through Week 2, including four from the SEC.47 — Oklahoma's consecutive wins against unranked nonconference opponents entering its home game against Tulane.106 — Previous meetings between Pittsburgh and West Virginia, with the Panthers leading the Backyard Brawl rivalry 62-41-3.1968 — The last time Indiana, which visits UCLA, played in the Rose Bowl stadium.1992 — The last time Florida (1-1), which hosts Texas A&amp;M, lost two of three games to open a season.<h2>Under the radar</h2>The fact Florida State coach Mike Norvell is facing Memphis, the school he left in 2020, makes for an interesting matchup. The fact the Seminoles are in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/florida-state-boston-college-score-eeef9c95c5832eda558056c7aa0e1e3f">desperate need of a win</a>&nbsp;adds to the intrigue.The Tigers head to FSU as 6 1/2-point underdogs and 2-2 in their last four games against power-conference opponents.Memphis fourth-year starting quarterback Seth Henigan won't be intimidated at Doak Walker Stadium. The question is whether FSU's struggling DJ Uiagalelei will feel comfortable in front of the antsy home fans.<h2>Hot seat</h2>It was only three years ago Baylor won the Big 12 championship and was in the top 10 after going 12-2 under Dave Aranda. The next two years saw the Bears collapse the second half of the season, and they go into Saturday's home game against Air Force with losses in 10 of their last 14 games.Air Force traditionally causes problems because of its rarely seen triple-option offense. The good news for Aranda is that this does not appear to be a vintage Falcons ground game. Air Force had only two plays from scrimmage go for more than 8 yards in a loss to San Jose State.

Arizona at Kansas State billed as top game in week 3 of NCAA football

By COLE REIF Great Bend Post

Major League Baseball's Pitch Hit &amp; Run was hosted by the Great Bend Recreation Commission and Optimist Club of Great Bend on July 3. Children, age 7-14, were tested in three categories at the Great Bend Sports Complex. Rec Commission Sports Director Shane Sandberg said three local winners will be moving on to the next level of competition based on their scores.

"I want to give a shoutout to the Optimist Club," said Sandberg. "They did a great job with the trophies for Pitch Hit &amp; Run. It's awesome that three of our division winners are going on to Kauffman Stadium to compete."

Gabriel Ringo will compete in the 7-8-year-old boys division. Andrea Martinez Batres will compete in the 9-10-year-old girls division. Dylan Sundahl will compete in the 9-10-year-old boys division. Baze Hogan will compete in the 13-14-year-old girls division at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City on Sept. 21. The Royals play the San Francisco Giants that evening at 6:10 p.m. Participants are judged on their pitching, hitting and running.

The top scores at the MLB stadiums will qualify for an all-expenses-paid trip for two to compete at the Finals, which is hosted at the World Series.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1726064945123.jpeg" alt="Gabriel Ringo, Andrea Martinez Batres and Baze Hogan will compete in the Pitch Hit &amp; Run competition at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City on Sept. 21. Not pictured: Dylan Sundahl." />
 <figcaption>Gabriel Ringo, Andrea Martinez Batres and Baze Hogan will compete in the Pitch Hit &amp; Run competition at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City on Sept. 21. Not pictured: Dylan Sundahl.</figcaption>
 </figure>By COLE REIF Great Bend PostMajor League Baseball's Pitch Hit &amp; Run was hosted by the Great Bend Recreation Commission and Optimist Club of Great Bend on July 3. Children, age 7-14, were tested in three categories at the Great Bend Sports Complex. Rec Commission Sports Director Shane Sandberg said three local winners will be moving on to the next level of competition based on their scores."I want to give a shoutout to the Optimist Club," said Sandberg. "They did a great job with the trophies for Pitch Hit &amp; Run. It's awesome that three of our division winners are going on to Kauffman Stadium to compete."Gabriel Ringo will compete in the 7-8-year-old boys division. Andrea Martinez Batres will compete in the 9-10-year-old girls division. Dylan Sundahl will compete in the 9-10-year-old boys division. Baze Hogan will compete in the 13-14-year-old girls division at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City on Sept. 21. The Royals play the San Francisco Giants that evening at 6:10 p.m. Participants are judged on their pitching, hitting and running.The top scores at the MLB stadiums will qualify for an all-expenses-paid trip for two to compete at the Finals, which is hosted at the World Series.<div><iframe title="Great Bend Post Podcast" allowtransparency="true" height="315" width="100%" style="border: none; min-width: min(100%, 430px);height:315px;" scrolling="no" data-name="pb-iframe-player" src="https://www.podbean.com/player-v2/?i=exg2z-fe3d77-pbblog-playlist&share=1&download=1&rtl=0&fonts=Arial&skin=f6f6f6&font-color=auto&logo_link=episode_page&order=episodic&limit=10&filter=all&ss=a713390a017602015775e868a2cf26b0&btn-skin=60a0c8&size=315" loading="lazy" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div>

Great Bend baseball qualifiers to compete at Kauffman Stadium

CLEVELAND (AP) — Deshaun Watson is again under a spotlight away from the field.

The NFL said Tuesday it is investigating the latest civil lawsuit filed against the Cleveland Browns quarterback for an alleged sexual assault that took place in 2020 while he played for Houston.

On Monday, a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/deshaun-watson-lawsuit-browns-b8363bddc1b70e367a94474d898de4ac">woman in Texas accused Watson of sexually assaulting her</a>&nbsp;during an incident at her apartment four years ago. She claims Watson sexually forced himself on her for several minutes. She's seeking $1 million in damages, according to the suit.

“We are reviewing the complaint and we will look into the matter under the personal conduct policy,” league spokesperson Brian McCarthy said. “Not looking at the commissioner’s exempt list as there’s been no formal charges and the league’s review has just begun.”

The exempt list allows Roger Goodell to place a player on paid leave while reviewing his case or unusual circumstances.

Browns rookie defensive tackle Mike Hall Jr. has been in the exempt list while his criminal charge for domestic violence plays out.

Watson, who is in his third season with Cleveland, was previously suspended 11 games by the league in 2022 after more than two dozen women accused him of sexual assault and inappropriate conduct during massage therapy sessions. Watson was also fined $5 million.

He settled 23 of 24 civil lawsuits brought by the women in 2022 before being disciplined by the league.

It's not known if Watson disclosed the newest allegation to the league — or the Browns — prior to the lawsuit being filed in Harris County, Texas. The woman's lawyer is Tony Buzbee, who represented most of the other therapists in their claims against the QB.

The Browns, who traded five draft picks — three in the first round — to the Texans for the three-time Pro Bowler, also released a statement.

“We will respect the due process our legal system affords regarding the recently filed civil suit and follow the NFL’s guidelines on this matter,” the team said.

Watson's&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/deshaun-watson-browns-third-season-dda84ddb82e824f244d193cd30bd7894">star-crossed career in Cleveland</a>&nbsp;began with the team giving him a fully guaranteed $230 million contract.

The Browns' hopes that he can become a long-term answer at quarterback for them has been sidetracked by his legal issues, the lengthy suspension and a shoulder injury that limited Watson to just six starts last season.

He also hasn't played up to expectations in 13 starts. The Browns made the playoffs last season after signing free agent Joe Flacco for the final month.

On Sunday, the 28-year-old Watson&nbsp;<a href="ttps://apnews.com/article/cleveland-browns-analysis-deshaun-watson-d1eea77b12dac7ccdcdab34220dbd2a0">had a rough performance in his first game</a>&nbsp;since breaking a bone in his throwing shoulder in November and undergoing surgery.

Watson, who didn't play at all in the preseason, completed 24 of 45 passes for 169 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions in a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/cowboys-browns-score-prescott-feb488f0ef615d78ae50c1935b93b58d">33-17 loss to the Dallas Cowboys</a>. He was also sacked six times and took several more hard shots.

At this point, Watson is expected to play this week when the Browns visit the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday. Watson typically talks to the media on Wednesdays during game week.

Watson's shaky performance against the Cowboys did little to diffuse concerns the Browns erred in signing him. He was also dealing with some personal hardship following the death of his biological father and a former Clemson teammate in the days leading up to the opener.

Despite numerous distractions, coach Kevin Stefanski said Monday he doesn't feel Watson has lost any confidence.

“Deshaun’s played at a very, very high level,” Stefanski said. "He’s won at every level of football. He does not lack for confidence.”

NOTES: As expected, the Browns signed WR Kadarius Toney to their practice squad. Toney was released by Kansas City in August after two seasons. A star in one of the Chiefs' Super Bowl wins, Toney gives Cleveland some experienced depth. ... CB Justin Hardee Sr. and WR Tulu Griffin were released from the practice squad.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1726058414053.jpeg" alt="Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson (4) throws a pass under pressure from Dallas Cowboys defensive tackle Osa Odighizuwa (97) in the first half of an NFL football game in Cleveland, Sunday, Sept. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/David Richard)" />
 <figcaption>Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson (4) throws a pass under pressure from Dallas Cowboys defensive tackle Osa Odighizuwa (97) in the first half of an NFL football game in Cleveland, Sunday, Sept. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/David Richard)</figcaption>
 </figure>CLEVELAND (AP) — Deshaun Watson is again under a spotlight away from the field.The NFL said Tuesday it is investigating the latest civil lawsuit filed against the Cleveland Browns quarterback for an alleged sexual assault that took place in 2020 while he played for Houston.On Monday, a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/deshaun-watson-lawsuit-browns-b8363bddc1b70e367a94474d898de4ac">woman in Texas accused Watson of sexually assaulting her</a>&nbsp;during an incident at her apartment four years ago. She claims Watson sexually forced himself on her for several minutes. She's seeking $1 million in damages, according to the suit.“We are reviewing the complaint and we will look into the matter under the personal conduct policy,” league spokesperson Brian McCarthy said. “Not looking at the commissioner’s exempt list as there’s been no formal charges and the league’s review has just begun.”The exempt list allows Roger Goodell to place a player on paid leave while reviewing his case or unusual circumstances.Browns rookie defensive tackle Mike Hall Jr. has been in the exempt list while his criminal charge for domestic violence plays out.Watson, who is in his third season with Cleveland, was previously suspended 11 games by the league in 2022 after more than two dozen women accused him of sexual assault and inappropriate conduct during massage therapy sessions. Watson was also fined $5 million.He settled 23 of 24 civil lawsuits brought by the women in 2022 before being disciplined by the league.It's not known if Watson disclosed the newest allegation to the league — or the Browns — prior to the lawsuit being filed in Harris County, Texas. The woman's lawyer is Tony Buzbee, who represented most of the other therapists in their claims against the QB.The Browns, who traded five draft picks — three in the first round — to the Texans for the three-time Pro Bowler, also released a statement.“We will respect the due process our legal system affords regarding the recently filed civil suit and follow the NFL’s guidelines on this matter,” the team said.Watson's&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/deshaun-watson-browns-third-season-dda84ddb82e824f244d193cd30bd7894">star-crossed career in Cleveland</a>&nbsp;began with the team giving him a fully guaranteed $230 million contract.The Browns' hopes that he can become a long-term answer at quarterback for them has been sidetracked by his legal issues, the lengthy suspension and a shoulder injury that limited Watson to just six starts last season.He also hasn't played up to expectations in 13 starts. The Browns made the playoffs last season after signing free agent Joe Flacco for the final month.On Sunday, the 28-year-old Watson&nbsp;<a href="ttps://apnews.com/article/cleveland-browns-analysis-deshaun-watson-d1eea77b12dac7ccdcdab34220dbd2a0">had a rough performance in his first game</a>&nbsp;since breaking a bone in his throwing shoulder in November and undergoing surgery.Watson, who didn't play at all in the preseason, completed 24 of 45 passes for 169 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions in a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/cowboys-browns-score-prescott-feb488f0ef615d78ae50c1935b93b58d">33-17 loss to the Dallas Cowboys</a>. He was also sacked six times and took several more hard shots.At this point, Watson is expected to play this week when the Browns visit the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday. Watson typically talks to the media on Wednesdays during game week.Watson's shaky performance against the Cowboys did little to diffuse concerns the Browns erred in signing him. He was also dealing with some personal hardship following the death of his biological father and a former Clemson teammate in the days leading up to the opener.Despite numerous distractions, coach Kevin Stefanski said Monday he doesn't feel Watson has lost any confidence.“Deshaun’s played at a very, very high level,” Stefanski said. "He’s won at every level of football. He does not lack for confidence.”NOTES: As expected, the Browns signed WR Kadarius Toney to their practice squad. Toney was released by Kansas City in August after two seasons. A star in one of the Chiefs' Super Bowl wins, Toney gives Cleveland some experienced depth. ... CB Justin Hardee Sr. and WR Tulu Griffin were released from the practice squad.

NFL investigating another lawsuit filed against Browns quarterback Watson

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Philadelphia Phillies slugger Kyle&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/i/status/1833639887091720369" target="_blank">Schwarber set the MLB single-season record with his 14th leadoff home</a>&nbsp;run Tuesday night against the Tampa Bay Rays before being removed from the game in the fourth inning due to a hyperextended left elbow. In the bottom of the first inning, Schwarber sent a 1-0 fastball from Rays starter Taj Bradley 437 feet to center field, moving ahead of Alfonso Soriano, who had 13 leadoff homers in 2003 with the New York Yankees, and giving the Phillies a 1-0 lead.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/rays-phillies-score-23679199e9e0d6e35125b5abf3f85110">Philadelphia went on to a 9-4 win</a>. Schwarber’s 35th homer of the season was the 45th leadoff homer of his career, with 32 coming since joining the Phillies in 2022.

NEW YORK (AP) — The NBA has expanded the permissible scope of coach’s challenge reviews on some out-of-bounds plays, saying Tuesday that if a foul should have been called on the play it now can be assessed shortly after the fact. The league’s Board of Governors approved the move on the second day of its two-day meeting in New York, after it was unanimously recommended by the league’s competition committee last week. The change will take effect this season. The review change could have come into play at least once in last season’s playoffs, when&nbsp;<a href="https://nam12.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nba.com%2Fwatch%2Fvideo%2Fdal-min-05-24-24&amp;data=05%7C02%7Ctreynolds%40ap.org%7Cab384fcc5a76469303cb08dcd1be7b43%7Ce442e1abfd6b4ba3abf3b020eb50df37%7C1%7C0%7C638615863268177548%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=KWIg8hX%2Fcj%2FEjMtmanDgVxlyyCPTqAQIVSqxXg730jw%3D&amp;reserved=0" target="_blank">Dallas’ Kyrie Irving fouled Minnesota’s Jaden McDaniels</a>&nbsp;and the ball went out of bounds. No foul was called on the play, and even though the review clearly showed Irving hitting McDaniels’ arm the ball was awarded to Dallas because it went out off of McDaniels. When such out-of-bounds plays have reviews triggered by coaches challenging now, on-court officials and the NBA Replay Center “will be able to review the video to determine whether a foul proximate to the violation should have been called,” the league said, providing that certain criteria are met.

WNBA players and their union spoke out against Commissioner Cathy Engelbert’s recent comments on a TV show that failed to condemn racist and bitter criticism from fans toward the Caitlin Clark-Angel Reese rivalry. Engelbert made an appearance on CNBC’s “Power Lunch” on Monday and was asked by anchor Tyler Mathisen about what he called the “darker” tone taken by fan bases on social media that brings race and sometimes sexuality into the conversation. “How do you try and stay ahead of that, try and tamp it down or act as a league when two of your most visible players are involved — not personally, it would seem, but their fan bases are involved — in saying some very uncharitable things about the other?” Mathisen asked. Engelbert responded by saying, “There’s no more apathy. Everybody cares. It is a little of that Bird-Magic moment if you recall from 1979, when those two rookies came in from a big college rivalry, one white, one Black. And so we have that moment with these two. But the one thing I know about sports, you need rivalry. That’s what makes people watch. They want to watch games of consequence between rivals. They don’t want everybody being nice to one another.”

Versatile running back Roger Craig, former MVP Ken Anderson and 2024 finalist Art Powell are among the players nominated in the Seniors category for the 2025 Pro Football Hall of Fame class. The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.profootballhof.com/news/2024/09/183-senior-player-nominees-announced-for-pro-football-hall-of-fame-class-of-2025/" target="_blank">Hall released a list</a>&nbsp;of 183 nominees on Tuesday to be considered by a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pro-football-hall-fame-belichick-0fe73f09cb065e78b0565492981ad542">newly created Seniors Screening Committee</a>. That group will reduce the list to 50 players over the next several weeks. A separate Seniors Blue Ribbon Committee will reduce that list to the three finalists to be considered by the full selection committee in early 2025. The three seniors will be grouped with one coach and contributor with at least one and no more than three of those finalists getting in based on voting. Craig, Anderson and Powell are among the 10 players on this year’s list of nominees who made it to the seminal stage of 12 candidates last year when Steve McMichael and Randy Gradishar were voted in as seniors. Powell made it to the final cut but didn’t get the 80% threshold needed for induction.

TUESDAY'S SCORES Major League Baseball American League

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1714991701059.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Philadelphia Phillies slugger Kyle&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/i/status/1833639887091720369" target="_blank">Schwarber set the MLB single-season record with his 14th leadoff home</a>&nbsp;run Tuesday night against the Tampa Bay Rays before being removed from the game in the fourth inning due to a hyperextended left elbow. In the bottom of the first inning, Schwarber sent a 1-0 fastball from Rays starter Taj Bradley 437 feet to center field, moving ahead of Alfonso Soriano, who had 13 leadoff homers in 2003 with the New York Yankees, and giving the Phillies a 1-0 lead.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/rays-phillies-score-23679199e9e0d6e35125b5abf3f85110">Philadelphia went on to a 9-4 win</a>. Schwarber’s 35th homer of the season was the 45th leadoff homer of his career, with 32 coming since joining the Phillies in 2022.NEW YORK (AP) — The NBA has expanded the permissible scope of coach’s challenge reviews on some out-of-bounds plays, saying Tuesday that if a foul should have been called on the play it now can be assessed shortly after the fact. The league’s Board of Governors approved the move on the second day of its two-day meeting in New York, after it was unanimously recommended by the league’s competition committee last week. The change will take effect this season. The review change could have come into play at least once in last season’s playoffs, when&nbsp;<a href="https://nam12.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nba.com%2Fwatch%2Fvideo%2Fdal-min-05-24-24&amp;data=05%7C02%7Ctreynolds%40ap.org%7Cab384fcc5a76469303cb08dcd1be7b43%7Ce442e1abfd6b4ba3abf3b020eb50df37%7C1%7C0%7C638615863268177548%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=KWIg8hX%2Fcj%2FEjMtmanDgVxlyyCPTqAQIVSqxXg730jw%3D&amp;reserved=0" target="_blank">Dallas’ Kyrie Irving fouled Minnesota’s Jaden McDaniels</a>&nbsp;and the ball went out of bounds. No foul was called on the play, and even though the review clearly showed Irving hitting McDaniels’ arm the ball was awarded to Dallas because it went out off of McDaniels. When such out-of-bounds plays have reviews triggered by coaches challenging now, on-court officials and the NBA Replay Center “will be able to review the video to determine whether a foul proximate to the violation should have been called,” the league said, providing that certain criteria are met.WNBA players and their union spoke out against Commissioner Cathy Engelbert’s recent comments on a TV show that failed to condemn racist and bitter criticism from fans toward the Caitlin Clark-Angel Reese rivalry. Engelbert made an appearance on CNBC’s “Power Lunch” on Monday and was asked by anchor Tyler Mathisen about what he called the “darker” tone taken by fan bases on social media that brings race and sometimes sexuality into the conversation. “How do you try and stay ahead of that, try and tamp it down or act as a league when two of your most visible players are involved — not personally, it would seem, but their fan bases are involved — in saying some very uncharitable things about the other?” Mathisen asked. Engelbert responded by saying, “There’s no more apathy. Everybody cares. It is a little of that Bird-Magic moment if you recall from 1979, when those two rookies came in from a big college rivalry, one white, one Black. And so we have that moment with these two. But the one thing I know about sports, you need rivalry. That’s what makes people watch. They want to watch games of consequence between rivals. They don’t want everybody being nice to one another.”Versatile running back Roger Craig, former MVP Ken Anderson and 2024 finalist Art Powell are among the players nominated in the Seniors category for the 2025 Pro Football Hall of Fame class. The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.profootballhof.com/news/2024/09/183-senior-player-nominees-announced-for-pro-football-hall-of-fame-class-of-2025/" target="_blank">Hall released a list</a>&nbsp;of 183 nominees on Tuesday to be considered by a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pro-football-hall-fame-belichick-0fe73f09cb065e78b0565492981ad542">newly created Seniors Screening Committee</a>. That group will reduce the list to 50 players over the next several weeks. A separate Seniors Blue Ribbon Committee will reduce that list to the three finalists to be considered by the full selection committee in early 2025. The three seniors will be grouped with one coach and contributor with at least one and no more than three of those finalists getting in based on voting. Craig, Anderson and Powell are among the 10 players on this year’s list of nominees who made it to the seminal stage of 12 candidates last year when Steve McMichael and Randy Gradishar were voted in as seniors. Powell made it to the final cut but didn’t get the 80% threshold needed for induction.TUESDAY'S SCORES Major League Baseball American LeagueKansas City 5, NY Yankees 0Cleveland 5, Chicago White Sox 0Baltimore 5, Boston 3Minnesota 10, LA Angels 10Oakland 4, Houston 3National LeaguePhiladelphia 9, Tampa Bay 4Pittsburgh 6, Miami 4Atlanta 12, Washington 0Cincinnati 3, St. Louis 0Chicago Cubs 6, LA Dodgers 3Milwaukee 3, San Francisco 2InterleagueDetroit 11, Colorado 0Toronto 6, NY Mets 2San Diego 7, Seattle 3Arizona 6, Texas 0

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

By MIKE COURSON Great Bend Post

Two tournaments, two first-place finishes. An in-between tournament in McPherson was postponed due to weather and will be finished later this week, but in finished tournaments, the Great Bend Lady Panther tennis team remains unbeaten. Tuesday, the girls scored 25 points to double-up the field at the Shannon Schartz Courts. Hays finished second with 14 points, Dodge City scored 12 points for third, and Beloit placed fourth with nine points.

Darcy Feist and Mac Lindberg led the way with a 3-0 record at No. 1 doubles. Their closest match was their first with an 8-4 win against Hays. They downed Dodge City 8-1 and Beloit 8-0 to close out the day.

The No. 2 doubles team of Mackenzie LaViolette and Kylie McCormick also posted a 3-0 record for first place. The duo also battled Hays to an 8-6 win in the opener before beating Dodge City and Beloit by a pair of 8-3 tallies.

Clarise Snapp won a tiebreak to finish first place at No. 2 singles. Three players in that bracket finished at 2-1 with the Dodge City player going winless on the day. Snapp opened with an 8-4 win against Hays, then defeated Dodge City 8-1 and Beloit 8-6.

Paige Stacey finished second at No. 1 singles. She got by her Hays opponent 8-5 and finished out the day with an 8-3 win against Beloit. She lost an 8-7 (9) battle against Dodge City in the middle round to drop to second. Dodge City's Ellie Bunkall defeated her other two opponents 8-5 and 8-2.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1726057729546.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>By MIKE COURSON Great Bend PostTwo tournaments, two first-place finishes. An in-between tournament in McPherson was postponed due to weather and will be finished later this week, but in finished tournaments, the Great Bend Lady Panther tennis team remains unbeaten. Tuesday, the girls scored 25 points to double-up the field at the Shannon Schartz Courts. Hays finished second with 14 points, Dodge City scored 12 points for third, and Beloit placed fourth with nine points.Darcy Feist and Mac Lindberg led the way with a 3-0 record at No. 1 doubles. Their closest match was their first with an 8-4 win against Hays. They downed Dodge City 8-1 and Beloit 8-0 to close out the day.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1726057640847.jpeg" alt="Darcy Feist teamed up with Mac Lindberg to finish 3-0 at No. 1 doubles Tuesday at home." />
 <figcaption>Darcy Feist teamed up with Mac Lindberg to finish 3-0 at No. 1 doubles Tuesday at home.</figcaption>
 </figure>The No. 2 doubles team of Mackenzie LaViolette and Kylie McCormick also posted a 3-0 record for first place. The duo also battled Hays to an 8-6 win in the opener before beating Dodge City and Beloit by a pair of 8-3 tallies.Clarise Snapp won a tiebreak to finish first place at No. 2 singles. Three players in that bracket finished at 2-1 with the Dodge City player going winless on the day. Snapp opened with an 8-4 win against Hays, then defeated Dodge City 8-1 and Beloit 8-6.Paige Stacey finished second at No. 1 singles. She got by her Hays opponent 8-5 and finished out the day with an 8-3 win against Beloit. She lost an 8-7 (9) battle against Dodge City in the middle round to drop to second. Dodge City's Ellie Bunkall defeated her other two opponents 8-5 and 8-2.

Lady Panther tennis team nearly sweeps at home quad

Former Tottenham and Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino was hired Tuesday to succeed Gregg Berhalter as U.S. men’s national team coach, 21 months before the Americans host the 2026 World Cup.

A 52-year-old Argentine, Pochettino became the 10th U.S. coach in 14 years and its first foreign-born leader since Jurgen Klinsmann from 2011-16. Pochettino has coached Espanyol in Spain (2009-12), Southampton (2013-14), Tottenham (2014-19) and Chelsea (2023-24) in England and Paris Saint-Germain in France (2021-22), leaving after winning a Ligue 1 title.

“It’s about the journey that this team and this country are on,” Pochettino said in a statement released by the USSF. “The energy, the passion, and the hunger to achieve something truly historic here — those are the things that inspired me.”

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mauricio-pochettino-us-soccer-coach-23d9a5dfed7b67b8e9f1ec981b480c88">Pochettino had an initial meeting with USSF CEO JT Batson and sporting director Matt Crocker in Barcelona that stretched for five hours and had been in negotiations since mid-August</a>. Crocker was Southampton’s academy director when Pochettino started at that club.

While the contract length wasn't specified, the USSF said Pochettino will lead the team at the World Cup.

“Mauricio is a serial winner with a deep passion for player development and a proven ability to build cohesive and competitive teams,” Crocker said in a statement. “I am confident that he is the right choice to harness the immense potential within our talented squad."

Pochettino was to arrive in the U.S. on Wednesday, two days before a news conference in New York. He will take over for friendlies against Panama on Oct. 12 at Austin, Texas, and at Mexico three days later, then lead his first competitive matches in a two-leg CONCACAF Nations League quarterfinal in November.

“The one thing that I found a little funny was the statement that we were going to get a guy that basically wins everything,” said former U.S. goalkeeper Kasey Keller, now an ESPN analyst. “It's not like Pochettino has Jose Mourinho’s track record, but he’s obviously had a good level of success, particularly at places like Southampton, Tottenham, places that didn’t have the largest budget to go buy all the greatest players they ever wanted.

“He knows how to work within in a group that might have particular limitations,” Keller added. “We have to admit that we’re still not France, Brazil, Germany, Argentina.”

Pochettino arrives with high expectations from a USSF management and fan base that believe the player pool is capable of far more than its No. 16 world ranking.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/berhalter-us-coach-0acbc8fe05053f8dd00149490f8cda70">Berhalter was fired on July 10</a>, a week after the Americans were&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/copa-america-united-states-uruguay-score-4b71dabc975c35eafce95017926234d4">eliminated in the first round of the Copa America</a>. He was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/berhalter-says-us-soccer-needs-direction-and-development-00777dd3a1374ef9974bee16c41ef3de">hired in December 2018</a>, was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/sports-fifa-world-cup-anthony-hudson-san-jose-earthquakes-colorado-rapids-5fb223ab0cb1aa543a11f5536cff38a7">allowed to leave when his contract expired</a>&nbsp;following a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-eliminated-from-world-cup-netherlands-advances-504fcc7a5a1541bc3aefbd43cc1ff09c">3-1 loss to the Netherlands</a>&nbsp;in the second round of the 2022 World Cup, then was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/gregg-berhalter-us-soccer-coach-a09b1078285e4f206e44ec8a82017396">rehired in June 2023</a>&nbsp;to return in September.

Pochettino's salary was not announced. The USSF said his hiring was supported by a leadership gift from Kenneth C. Griffin, the CEO of the hedge fund Citadel, and his philanthropic entity Griffin Catalyst; with additional support from Scott Goodwin, managing partner of the asset management firm Diameter Capital Partners, and USSF commercial partners.

Mikey Varas, a Berhalter assistant, coached the team for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/canada-united-states-soccer-504e6c45ccae66e6eb0a45fccae02e7f">Saturday's 2-1 defeat to Canada</a>&nbsp;in an exhibition and headed the Americans for Tuesday night's game against New Zealand.

At the World Cup, the U.S. will be a seeded team as a co-host, which means it likely won't have any nations ranked among the top nine in its first-round group in a tournament expanded to 48 teams. If the Americans win the group, they probably would not face a top-level opponent in the new round of 32. The U.S. has not reached the quarterfinals since 2002.

Pochettino is likely to have his full player pool available for just eight one-week training periods before the team gathers ahead of the World Cup. The Americans are thin at goalkeeper and central defense and have had difficulty maintaining on-field discipline.

"I see a group of players full of talent and potential, and together, we’re going to build something special that the whole nation can be proud of,” Pochettino said.

Pochettino was a central defender who played for Newell’s Old Boys in Argentina and Espanyol, PSG and Bordeaux in Europe from the late 1980s until 2006. He made 20 appearances for Argentina, playing at the 1999 Copa América and the 2002 World Cup, where his foul of Michael Owen led to David Beckham’s penalty kick in Argentina’s 1-0 group-stage loss.

After retiring as a player, he became a coach in Espanyol’s system, took over as first-team coach in January 2009 and helped the team avoid relegation. Pochettino was fired in November 2012 with the team in last place and was hired two months later by English club Southampton.

Pochettino moved in May 2014 to Tottenham, which reached the final of the 2015 League Cup,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/0d55e80ac0764fae95b83b4bd3957cf3">losing to Chelsea</a>, and the 2019 Champions League,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/3697704948174417bfdbe0bce903466f">losing to Liverpool</a>. He was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/pochettino-fired-by-tottenham-after-magic-wears-off-f9265fd70d3b429994dc08f79f1c4932">fired in November 2019</a>&nbsp;with Spurs in 14th place and replaced by Jose Mourinho.

<a href="https://apnews.com/da3409e7d4b41a87179c0987c82be221">PSG hired Pochettino</a>&nbsp;in January 2021. The team finished second in the league and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/premier-league-bundesliga-ligue-1-europe-champions-league-340dcc6486a52c309c8f78cf90b9bc55">lost to Manchester City in the Champions League semifinals</a>&nbsp;but&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ligue-1-europe-monaco-soccer-sports-5399930203e787130f5540fae1b4f923">won the French Cup</a>, beating Monaco 2-0 in the final. Led by Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe, PSG clinched the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/sports-soccer-france-lyon-europe-ec01766af9562fab16316c97484a0df6">2022 Ligue 1 title with four games to spare</a>&nbsp;but&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/soccer-sports-france-champions-league-paris-d4c3b88750e2cf71e32927f449edcc9b">lost to Real Madrid in the Champions League round of 16</a>.

Pochettino left PSG&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/soccer-sports-la-liga-727ea6e522b2dd7fef841af978de6d02">at the end of the 2022-23 season</a>, then was hired by Chelsea in June 2023 after the club finished 12th. Chelsea&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/chelsea-liverpool-score-league-cup-final-a941133d22cdb8c5909b10ed30292e7e">lost the League Cup final to Liverpool</a>&nbsp;and finished sixth in the Premier League, missing out on the Champions League.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mauricio-pochettino-chelsea-manager-36f9f445d312598f9963484ee52de493">Pochettino left two days after the final match</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1726021484523.jpeg" alt="FILE - Chelsea's head coach Mauricio Pochettino, left, and Manchester City's head coach Pep Guardiola gesture during the English FA Cup semifinal soccer match between Manchester City and Chelsea at Wembley stadium in London, Saturday, April 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)" />
 <figcaption>FILE - Chelsea's head coach Mauricio Pochettino, left, and Manchester City's head coach Pep Guardiola gesture during the English FA Cup semifinal soccer match between Manchester City and Chelsea at Wembley stadium in London, Saturday, April 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)</figcaption>
 </figure>Former Tottenham and Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino was hired Tuesday to succeed Gregg Berhalter as U.S. men’s national team coach, 21 months before the Americans host the 2026 World Cup.A 52-year-old Argentine, Pochettino became the 10th U.S. coach in 14 years and its first foreign-born leader since Jurgen Klinsmann from 2011-16. Pochettino has coached Espanyol in Spain (2009-12), Southampton (2013-14), Tottenham (2014-19) and Chelsea (2023-24) in England and Paris Saint-Germain in France (2021-22), leaving after winning a Ligue 1 title.“It’s about the journey that this team and this country are on,” Pochettino said in a statement released by the USSF. “The energy, the passion, and the hunger to achieve something truly historic here — those are the things that inspired me.”<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mauricio-pochettino-us-soccer-coach-23d9a5dfed7b67b8e9f1ec981b480c88">Pochettino had an initial meeting with USSF CEO JT Batson and sporting director Matt Crocker in Barcelona that stretched for five hours and had been in negotiations since mid-August</a>. Crocker was Southampton’s academy director when Pochettino started at that club.While the contract length wasn't specified, the USSF said Pochettino will lead the team at the World Cup.“Mauricio is a serial winner with a deep passion for player development and a proven ability to build cohesive and competitive teams,” Crocker said in a statement. “I am confident that he is the right choice to harness the immense potential within our talented squad."Pochettino was to arrive in the U.S. on Wednesday, two days before a news conference in New York. He will take over for friendlies against Panama on Oct. 12 at Austin, Texas, and at Mexico three days later, then lead his first competitive matches in a two-leg CONCACAF Nations League quarterfinal in November.“The one thing that I found a little funny was the statement that we were going to get a guy that basically wins everything,” said former U.S. goalkeeper Kasey Keller, now an ESPN analyst. “It's not like Pochettino has Jose Mourinho’s track record, but he’s obviously had a good level of success, particularly at places like Southampton, Tottenham, places that didn’t have the largest budget to go buy all the greatest players they ever wanted.“He knows how to work within in a group that might have particular limitations,” Keller added. “We have to admit that we’re still not France, Brazil, Germany, Argentina.”Pochettino arrives with high expectations from a USSF management and fan base that believe the player pool is capable of far more than its No. 16 world ranking.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/berhalter-us-coach-0acbc8fe05053f8dd00149490f8cda70">Berhalter was fired on July 10</a>, a week after the Americans were&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/copa-america-united-states-uruguay-score-4b71dabc975c35eafce95017926234d4">eliminated in the first round of the Copa America</a>. He was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/berhalter-says-us-soccer-needs-direction-and-development-00777dd3a1374ef9974bee16c41ef3de">hired in December 2018</a>, was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/sports-fifa-world-cup-anthony-hudson-san-jose-earthquakes-colorado-rapids-5fb223ab0cb1aa543a11f5536cff38a7">allowed to leave when his contract expired</a>&nbsp;following a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-eliminated-from-world-cup-netherlands-advances-504fcc7a5a1541bc3aefbd43cc1ff09c">3-1 loss to the Netherlands</a>&nbsp;in the second round of the 2022 World Cup, then was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/gregg-berhalter-us-soccer-coach-a09b1078285e4f206e44ec8a82017396">rehired in June 2023</a>&nbsp;to return in September.Pochettino's salary was not announced. The USSF said his hiring was supported by a leadership gift from Kenneth C. Griffin, the CEO of the hedge fund Citadel, and his philanthropic entity Griffin Catalyst; with additional support from Scott Goodwin, managing partner of the asset management firm Diameter Capital Partners, and USSF commercial partners.Mikey Varas, a Berhalter assistant, coached the team for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/canada-united-states-soccer-504e6c45ccae66e6eb0a45fccae02e7f">Saturday's 2-1 defeat to Canada</a>&nbsp;in an exhibition and headed the Americans for Tuesday night's game against New Zealand.At the World Cup, the U.S. will be a seeded team as a co-host, which means it likely won't have any nations ranked among the top nine in its first-round group in a tournament expanded to 48 teams. If the Americans win the group, they probably would not face a top-level opponent in the new round of 32. The U.S. has not reached the quarterfinals since 2002.Pochettino is likely to have his full player pool available for just eight one-week training periods before the team gathers ahead of the World Cup. The Americans are thin at goalkeeper and central defense and have had difficulty maintaining on-field discipline."I see a group of players full of talent and potential, and together, we’re going to build something special that the whole nation can be proud of,” Pochettino said.Pochettino was a central defender who played for Newell’s Old Boys in Argentina and Espanyol, PSG and Bordeaux in Europe from the late 1980s until 2006. He made 20 appearances for Argentina, playing at the 1999 Copa América and the 2002 World Cup, where his foul of Michael Owen led to David Beckham’s penalty kick in Argentina’s 1-0 group-stage loss.After retiring as a player, he became a coach in Espanyol’s system, took over as first-team coach in January 2009 and helped the team avoid relegation. Pochettino was fired in November 2012 with the team in last place and was hired two months later by English club Southampton.Pochettino moved in May 2014 to Tottenham, which reached the final of the 2015 League Cup,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/0d55e80ac0764fae95b83b4bd3957cf3">losing to Chelsea</a>, and the 2019 Champions League,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/3697704948174417bfdbe0bce903466f">losing to Liverpool</a>. He was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/pochettino-fired-by-tottenham-after-magic-wears-off-f9265fd70d3b429994dc08f79f1c4932">fired in November 2019</a>&nbsp;with Spurs in 14th place and replaced by Jose Mourinho.<a href="https://apnews.com/da3409e7d4b41a87179c0987c82be221">PSG hired Pochettino</a>&nbsp;in January 2021. The team finished second in the league and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/premier-league-bundesliga-ligue-1-europe-champions-league-340dcc6486a52c309c8f78cf90b9bc55">lost to Manchester City in the Champions League semifinals</a>&nbsp;but&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ligue-1-europe-monaco-soccer-sports-5399930203e787130f5540fae1b4f923">won the French Cup</a>, beating Monaco 2-0 in the final. Led by Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe, PSG clinched the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/sports-soccer-france-lyon-europe-ec01766af9562fab16316c97484a0df6">2022 Ligue 1 title with four games to spare</a>&nbsp;but&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/soccer-sports-france-champions-league-paris-d4c3b88750e2cf71e32927f449edcc9b">lost to Real Madrid in the Champions League round of 16</a>.Pochettino left PSG&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/soccer-sports-la-liga-727ea6e522b2dd7fef841af978de6d02">at the end of the 2022-23 season</a>, then was hired by Chelsea in June 2023 after the club finished 12th. Chelsea&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/chelsea-liverpool-score-league-cup-final-a941133d22cdb8c5909b10ed30292e7e">lost the League Cup final to Liverpool</a>&nbsp;and finished sixth in the Premier League, missing out on the Champions League.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mauricio-pochettino-chelsea-manager-36f9f445d312598f9963484ee52de493">Pochettino left two days after the final match</a>.

Pochettino hired to succeed Berhalter as US men's national team coach

NEW YORK (AP) — Seth Lugo struck out 10 in seven masterful innings and Salvador Perez hit two run-scoring singles to reach 100 RBIs for the second time as the Kansas City Royals beat the New York Yankees 5-0 on Tuesday night.

Tommy Pham homered and Bobby Witt Jr. had an RBI single for the Royals, who began the night trailing first-place Cleveland by 3 1/2 games in the AL Central. They held a 2 1/2-game edge over Minnesota for the second AL wild card.

New York came in 1 1/2 games ahead of second-place Baltimore atop the AL East.

Lugo (16-8) carved up a full-strength Yankees lineup that entered leading the majors in homers and ranked second in runs. The right-hander allowed only three singles and walked none, retiring 17 straight batters after Gleyber Torres' bloop hit to begin the bottom of the first.

Torres snapped the string on another soft single with two outs in the sixth.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1726020244726.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>NEW YORK (AP) — Seth Lugo struck out 10 in seven masterful innings and Salvador Perez hit two run-scoring singles to reach 100 RBIs for the second time as the Kansas City Royals beat the New York Yankees 5-0 on Tuesday night.Tommy Pham homered and Bobby Witt Jr. had an RBI single for the Royals, who began the night trailing first-place Cleveland by 3 1/2 games in the AL Central. They held a 2 1/2-game edge over Minnesota for the second AL wild card.New York came in 1 1/2 games ahead of second-place Baltimore atop the AL East.Lugo (16-8) carved up a full-strength Yankees lineup that entered leading the majors in homers and ranked second in runs. The right-hander allowed only three singles and walked none, retiring 17 straight batters after Gleyber Torres' bloop hit to begin the bottom of the first.Torres snapped the string on another soft single with two outs in the sixth.Kris Bubic and John Schreiber completed the three-hitter, as Lugo tied Atlanta ace Chris Sale and Detroit lefty Tarik Skubal for the major league lead in wins.The right-hander outpitched former Mets teammate Marcus Stroman (10-8), who permitted three runs and seven hits in 5 1/3 innings.No. 9 batter Kyle Isbel scored twice after leadoff singles for the Royals, who had dropped six consecutive road games. They won for the fifth time in 13 games overall and improved to 2-4 against the Yankees this season.TRAINER’S ROOM Royals: RHP Michael Lorenzen (left hamstring strain) was scheduled to pitch about three innings in a rehab outing with Double-A Northwest Arkansas. He could rejoin the big league rotation after that. ... LHP Will Smith (back spasms) planned to throw another bullpen at less than full intensity. "He’s still not completely symptom-free in his back. But he’s working through the bullpens,” manager Matt Quatraro said. “It’s improving, it’s just not completely resolved.”UP NEXT All-Star LHP Cole Ragans (11-9, 3.33 ERA) starts for Kansas City against rookie RHP Luis Gil (13-6, 3.24) in the rubber match of the three-game series Wednesday night.The first Royals lefty with 200 strikeouts in a season, Ragans pitched six shutout innings to beat Minnesota last Friday night. Gil returned that day from a lower back strain that landed him on the injured list and threw six innings of one-hit ball in a 3-0 win over the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field.