The Great Bend
Panther Wrestling team used four first place finishes to win the
Duwane Miller Invitational Saturday at Kapaun Mt. Carmel High School
in Wichita.

Kaden Spragis, Wyatt
Weber, Jace Schartz and Vaiden Wenrich all picked up gold as the
Panthers scored 164.5 points to outdistance second place Olathe
Northwest with 148 points.

The boys will join
the Lady Panthers in Hays Tuesday for a Western Athletic Conference
dual with the Indians.

195: Brody
Schnoebelen (Great Bend) - 4th

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/1/1642343472206.jpeg" alt="Champions" />
 <figcaption>Champions</figcaption>
 </figure>The Great Bend
Panther Wrestling team used four first place finishes to win the
Duwane Miller Invitational Saturday at Kapaun Mt. Carmel High School
in Wichita.Kaden Spragis, Wyatt
Weber, Jace Schartz and Vaiden Wenrich all picked up gold as the
Panthers scored 164.5 points to outdistance second place Olathe
Northwest with 148 points.The boys will join
the Lady Panthers in Hays Tuesday for a Western Athletic Conference
dual with the Indians.Great Bend
results113: Emanuel Prieto
(Great Bend) - 3rd120: Kaden Spragis
(Great Bend) - 1st126: John Szot
(Great Bend) - 3rd126: Avery Wolf
(Great Bend) - 2nd132: Robby Gutierrez
(Great Bend) - 2nd132: Cooper Liles
(Great Bend) - 3rd138: Wyatt Weber
(Great Bend) - 1st145: Jace Schartz
(Great Bend) - 1st152: Skyler McMullen
(Great Bend) - 3rd160: Vaiden Wenrich
(Great Bend) - 1st170: Aidan Davidson
(Great Bend) - 4th182: Matthew 
Johnson (Great Bend) - 4th195: Brody
Schnoebelen (Great Bend) - 4th

Great Bend wins Kapaun's Duwane Miller Invitational

The Great Bend Lady
Panther Wrestling team took 2nd Saturday at the Hays
Prairie Classic. Great Bend finished with 80 points, well behind
first place Dodge City (165) and well in front of third place
Hays(59). 


Sierra Ferguson
picked up a first place medal for the Lady Panthers who wrestle again
Tuesday in Hays as they return to face the Indians in a Western
Athletic Conference dual.

Girls 191: Haylee
Holinde (Great Bend) - 2nd

Girls 109: Mayra
Gonzalez (Great Bend) - DNP

Girls 109: Jenna
Higgins (Great Bend) - DNP

Girls 115: Rosa
Campos (Great Bend) - 3rd

Girls 120: Jaydon
Davis (Great Bend) - DNP

Girls 126: Daizy
Gomez (Great Bend) - 2nd

Girls 138: Katie
Kuhlman (Great Bend) - DNP

Girls 143: Sierra
Ferguson (Great Bend) - 1st

Girls 170: Kynslee
White (Great Bend) – 4th

JV Boys 145: Michael
Montoya (Great Bend) - DNP

JV Boys 126:
Jonathan Lira (Great Bend) - DNP

JV Boys 160: Nathan
Campbell (Great Bend) - DNP

JV Boys 160: Mario
Enriquez (Great Bend) - DNP

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/12/1607143602060.jpeg" alt="Hays Prairie Classic results" />
 <figcaption>Hays Prairie Classic results</figcaption>
 </figure>The Great Bend Lady
Panther Wrestling team took 2nd Saturday at the Hays
Prairie Classic. Great Bend finished with 80 points, well behind
first place Dodge City (165) and well in front of third place
Hays(59). 
Sierra Ferguson
picked up a first place medal for the Lady Panthers who wrestle again
Tuesday in Hays as they return to face the Indians in a Western
Athletic Conference dual.Great Bend
resultsGirls 191: Haylee
Holinde (Great Bend) - 2ndGirls 109: Mayra
Gonzalez (Great Bend) - DNPGirls 109: Jenna
Higgins (Great Bend) - DNPGirls 115: Rosa
Campos (Great Bend) - 3rdGirls 120: Jaydon
Davis (Great Bend) - DNPGirls 126: Daizy
Gomez (Great Bend) - 2ndGirls 138: Katie
Kuhlman (Great Bend) - DNPGirls 143: Sierra
Ferguson (Great Bend) - 1stGirls 170: Kynslee
White (Great Bend) – 4thJunior Varsity
boys resultsJV Boys 145: Michael
Montoya (Great Bend) - DNPJV Boys 126:
Jonathan Lira (Great Bend) - DNPJV Boys 160: Nathan
Campbell (Great Bend) - DNPJV Boys 160: Mario
Enriquez (Great Bend) - DNP

Lady Panthers take 2nd at Hays Prairie Classic

Dodge City Men 94 Barton 77; Barton Women 51 Dodge City 47

<div><a href="https://www.bartonsports.com/information/boosterclub/index"><img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/11/1635967480149.jpeg"></a>

</div><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/7/1625250903956.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Dodge City Men 94 Barton 77; Barton Women 51 Dodge City 47<div><iframe width="100%" height="265" src="https://clyp.it/5t3vvxem/widget" frameborder="0"></iframe></div>

LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Kansas has been waiting all season for David McCormack to give the No. 9 Jayhawks a consistent force inside.

It’s been waiting for Jalen Wilson to finally shake off a season-long slump, too.

Ochai Agbaji? Well, he’s been just fine.

McCormack had 19 points and 15 rebounds in a virtuoso outing against West Virginia. Wilson added 23 points and eight boards of his own. And Agbaji, the Big 12′s leading scorer, merely had 20 points and seven rebounds as the Jayhawks shook off a sluggish first half to rout the Mountaineers 85-59 on Saturday.

“I thought everyone played well. David and J-Will, they played their best games of the season,” Agbaji said. “We were just aggressive in the second half. We were aggressive defensively, offensively, trying to find our places, and when we were able to make a jump and make a run, that’s when we took it.”

The Jayhawks (14-2, 3-1) led just 33-31 at halftime but blitzed through the final 20 minutes, outscoring the Mountaineers 52-28 to remain perfect against them in 10 matchups at Allen Fieldhouse.

They did it by piling up 23 assists, including a bunch on alley-oop dunks, and by building a 54-20 advantage in the paint.

“I think it was just moving the ball,” McCormack said. “Coach made an emphasis if we moved the ball and went side to side, we were able to get whatever we want. Once we bought in to that style of offense, it just made everything fun.”

Having no fun at all was Taz Sherman, the Big 12′s second-leading scorer at nearly 20 points a game. The West Virginia guard was 1 of 9 from the field, 0 for 5 from beyond the arc and finished with five points and two rebounds.

Malik Curry led West Virginia (13-3, 2-2) with 23 points, going 11 of 11 from the foul line. Jalen Bridges finished with 12.

“We were making shots and getting stops, and it’s easy to play with energy when that’s happening,” Bridges said. “In the second half, we came out flat. They went on a big run, and y’all know what happened next.”

You could have never guessed it by watching the first half, though.

The Mountaineers got off to a slow start before unspooling a 14-0 run through the middle of the first half, building a 25-19 lead with about 6 1/2 minutes to go. But the Jayhawks answered a few minutes later, when Agbaji bookended his 3-pointer with a couple more buckets, and Kansas scored nine straight to take a two-point lead to the locker room.

The Jayhawks are among the nation’s highest-scoring offenses, leading the Big 12 at nearly 82 points per game, while West Virginia’s physical, in-your-shorts defense had held 10 of its first 15 opponents to 60 points or fewer.

In other words, the Mountaineers had the plodding pace they wanted.

The Jayhawks picked up speed at both ends of the floor, turning their own lockdown defense into some fast-break offense. They scored the first nine points to push the lead to 42-31 at the first media timeout, then kept building on the advantage, and it eventually swelled to 57-40 on Wilson’s transition layup with 10 minutes to go.

“The dam kind of burst in the second half. That’s not real,” Kansas coach Bill Self said. “The same thing can happen to us. It can happen to anybody. But the way we started in the second half was indicative of the way we hope to play.”

Indeed, the party was on by the final few minutes: McCormack flexing after a put-back dunk, Wilson strutting back up court after an alley-oop jam of his own, and Agbaji taking a nifty back-door pass for yet another easy dunk.

The Jayhawks cruised to their fifth win in their last six games against West Virginia.

“I guess the easiest thing to say is we came out at halftime flat,” Mountaineers coach Bob Huggins said. “We didn’t make shots, we turned the ball over entirely too much in the second half. They played better. They played way better.”

Kansas guard Remy Martin missed his second straight game after aggravating a right knee injury in a loss at Texas Tech. Freshman forward Zach Clemence also sat out his second game with a right toe injury.

West Virginia was simply two different teams from the first half to the second. The Mountaineers controlled the tempo and prevented Kansas from getting into transition the first 20 minutes, then unraveled after the break. Poor 3-point shooting didn’t help — they were 4 of 18 from beyond the arc.

Kansas shot 61.1% in the second half, and Wilson was a big part of it. He was 10 of 13 from the floor and his 23 points matched a career high in scoring, while five assists and just one turnover allowed everyone else to stay involved. That’s the kind of stat line that makes the Jayhawks nearly unstoppable on offense.

The Mountaineers welcome top-ranked Baylor on Tuesday night. The Jayhawks visit Oklahoma the same night.

LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Kansas has been waiting all season for David McCormack to give the No. 9 Jayhawks a consistent force inside.It’s been waiting for Jalen Wilson to finally shake off a season-long slump, too.Ochai Agbaji? Well, he’s been just fine.McCormack had 19 points and 15 rebounds in a virtuoso outing against West Virginia. Wilson added 23 points and eight boards of his own. And Agbaji, the Big 12′s leading scorer, merely had 20 points and seven rebounds as the Jayhawks shook off a sluggish first half to rout the Mountaineers 85-59 on Saturday.“I thought everyone played well. David and J-Will, they played their best games of the season,” Agbaji said. “We were just aggressive in the second half. We were aggressive defensively, offensively, trying to find our places, and when we were able to make a jump and make a run, that’s when we took it.”The Jayhawks (14-2, 3-1) led just 33-31 at halftime but blitzed through the final 20 minutes, outscoring the Mountaineers 52-28 to remain perfect against them in 10 matchups at Allen Fieldhouse.They did it by piling up 23 assists, including a bunch on alley-oop dunks, and by building a 54-20 advantage in the paint.“I think it was just moving the ball,” McCormack said. “Coach made an emphasis if we moved the ball and went side to side, we were able to get whatever we want. Once we bought in to that style of offense, it just made everything fun.”Having no fun at all was Taz Sherman, the Big 12′s second-leading scorer at nearly 20 points a game. The West Virginia guard was 1 of 9 from the field, 0 for 5 from beyond the arc and finished with five points and two rebounds.Malik Curry led West Virginia (13-3, 2-2) with 23 points, going 11 of 11 from the foul line. Jalen Bridges finished with 12.“We were making shots and getting stops, and it’s easy to play with energy when that’s happening,” Bridges said. “In the second half, we came out flat. They went on a big run, and y’all know what happened next.”You could have never guessed it by watching the first half, though.The Mountaineers got off to a slow start before unspooling a 14-0 run through the middle of the first half, building a 25-19 lead with about 6 1/2 minutes to go. But the Jayhawks answered a few minutes later, when Agbaji bookended his 3-pointer with a couple more buckets, and Kansas scored nine straight to take a two-point lead to the locker room.The Jayhawks are among the nation’s highest-scoring offenses, leading the Big 12 at nearly 82 points per game, while West Virginia’s physical, in-your-shorts defense had held 10 of its first 15 opponents to 60 points or fewer.In other words, the Mountaineers had the plodding pace they wanted.Until the second half began.The Jayhawks picked up speed at both ends of the floor, turning their own lockdown defense into some fast-break offense. They scored the first nine points to push the lead to 42-31 at the first media timeout, then kept building on the advantage, and it eventually swelled to 57-40 on Wilson’s transition layup with 10 minutes to go.“The dam kind of burst in the second half. That’s not real,” Kansas coach Bill Self said. “The same thing can happen to us. It can happen to anybody. But the way we started in the second half was indicative of the way we hope to play.”Indeed, the party was on by the final few minutes: McCormack flexing after a put-back dunk, Wilson strutting back up court after an alley-oop jam of his own, and Agbaji taking a nifty back-door pass for yet another easy dunk.The Jayhawks cruised to their fifth win in their last six games against West Virginia.“I guess the easiest thing to say is we came out at halftime flat,” Mountaineers coach Bob Huggins said. “We didn’t make shots, we turned the ball over entirely too much in the second half. They played better. They played way better.”INJURY REPORTKansas guard Remy Martin missed his second straight game after aggravating a right knee injury in a loss at Texas Tech. Freshman forward Zach Clemence also sat out his second game with a right toe injury.THE TAKEAWAYWest Virginia was simply two different teams from the first half to the second. The Mountaineers controlled the tempo and prevented Kansas from getting into transition the first 20 minutes, then unraveled after the break. Poor 3-point shooting didn’t help — they were 4 of 18 from beyond the arc.Kansas shot 61.1% in the second half, and Wilson was a big part of it. He was 10 of 13 from the floor and his 23 points matched a career high in scoring, while five assists and just one turnover allowed everyone else to stay involved. That’s the kind of stat line that makes the Jayhawks nearly unstoppable on offense.UP NEXTThe Mountaineers welcome top-ranked Baylor on Tuesday night. The Jayhawks visit Oklahoma the same night.

No. 9 Kansas uses big 2nd half to stuff West Virginia, 85-59

MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP)
— Nijel Pack scored 14 points, Mark Smith made a key 3-pointer with
just over a minute left, and Kansas State ended a four-game losing
streak, beating No. 19 Texas Tech 62-51 on Saturday.

Smith finished with
12 points and Mike McGuirl had 10 for the Wildcats (9-7, 1-4 Big 12),
who failed to hold second-half leads in each of their four previous
games. They got it done against a Texas Tech team that handed No. 1
Baylor its first loss of the season earlier this week.

Bryson Williams
scored 20 points to lead the Red Raiders (13-4, 3-2), who were
playing their fourth game in eight days. The Red Raiders beat No. 9
Kansas last Saturday, knocked off Baylor on Tuesday, and dismantled
Oklahoma State on Thursday.

But Texas Tech
appeared to run out of steam against K-State, shooting 39.6% from the
field. Terrence Shannon Jr.’s jumper with 4:54 remaining got the
Red Raiders within 50-49, but they didn’t make another shot from
the field.

Smith’s 3-pointer
with 1:06 left made it 58-51 and essentially put the game away.

Texas Tech led by
two points at halftime and extended the lead to 31-26 early in the
second half, but K-State quickly rallied to go back in front. Neither
team led by more than five points until Selton Miguel’s layup put
the Wildcats ahead 55-49 with 2:32 left.

Shannon came in
leading the Red Raiders in scoring at 14.3 points per game but hadn’t
played since Dec. 14 because of a back injury. His late jumper was
his only basket on Saturday.

There weren’t a
lot of people witnessing the game. With temperatures in the 20s and
overnight snowfall, the arena appeared about one-third full.

Texas Tech:
It’s hard playing four games in eight days in the Big 12. The Red
Raiders struggled with their energy, especially late in the second
half.

Kansas State:
Not only did the Wildcats finally hold onto a late lead, but they
also finished the game with a 7-0 run.

Texas Tech:
Hosts No. 15 Iowa State on Tuesday.

Kansas State:
At No. 21 Texas on Tuesday.

MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP)
— Nijel Pack scored 14 points, Mark Smith made a key 3-pointer with
just over a minute left, and Kansas State ended a four-game losing
streak, beating No. 19 Texas Tech 62-51 on Saturday.Smith finished with
12 points and Mike McGuirl had 10 for the Wildcats (9-7, 1-4 Big 12),
who failed to hold second-half leads in each of their four previous
games. They got it done against a Texas Tech team that handed No. 1
Baylor its first loss of the season earlier this week.Bryson Williams
scored 20 points to lead the Red Raiders (13-4, 3-2), who were
playing their fourth game in eight days. The Red Raiders beat No. 9
Kansas last Saturday, knocked off Baylor on Tuesday, and dismantled
Oklahoma State on Thursday.But Texas Tech
appeared to run out of steam against K-State, shooting 39.6% from the
field. Terrence Shannon Jr.’s jumper with 4:54 remaining got the
Red Raiders within 50-49, but they didn’t make another shot from
the field.Smith’s 3-pointer
with 1:06 left made it 58-51 and essentially put the game away.Texas Tech led by
two points at halftime and extended the lead to 31-26 early in the
second half, but K-State quickly rallied to go back in front. Neither
team led by more than five points until Selton Miguel’s layup put
the Wildcats ahead 55-49 with 2:32 left.Shannon came in
leading the Red Raiders in scoring at 14.3 points per game but hadn’t
played since Dec. 14 because of a back injury. His late jumper was
his only basket on Saturday.There weren’t a
lot of people witnessing the game. With temperatures in the 20s and
overnight snowfall, the arena appeared about one-third full.THE TAKEAWAYTexas Tech:
It’s hard playing four games in eight days in the Big 12. The Red
Raiders struggled with their energy, especially late in the second
half.Kansas State:
Not only did the Wildcats finally hold onto a late lead, but they
also finished the game with a 7-0 run.UP NEXTTexas Tech:
Hosts No. 15 Iowa State on Tuesday.Kansas State:
At No. 21 Texas on Tuesday.

Kansas State closes out No. 19 Texas Tech late for 62-51 win

PITTSBURGH
(9-7-1) at KANSAS CITY (12-5)

BETTING LINE: Chiefs
by 12 1/2, according to FanDuel SportsBook.

AGAINST THE SPREAD:
Steelers 8-9; Chiefs 8-9.

SERIES RECORD:
Steelers lead 23-10; 1-1 in postseason.

LAST MEETING: Chiefs
beat Steelers 36-10 on Dec. 26, 2021, in Kansas City.

LAST WEEK: Steelers
beat Ravens 16-13 in OT; Chiefs beat Broncos 28-24.

STEELERS OFFENSE:
OVERALL (23), RUSH (29), PASS (15), SCORING (21).

STEELERS DEFENSE:
OVERALL (24), RUSH (32), PASS (9), SCORING (20).

CHIEFS OFFENSE:
OVERALL (3), RUSH (16), PASS (4), SCORING (4).

CHIEFS DEFENSE:
OVERALL (27), RUSH (21), PASS (27), SCORING (8).

TURNOVER
DIFFERENTIAL: Steelers plus-2; Chiefs-plus 4.

STEELERS PLAYER
TO WATCH: LB T.J. Watt. The league’s best edge rusher tied Hall
of Famer Michael Strahan’s season sack record with 22 1/2 sacks,
doing it despite missing two games entirely and parts of two others
because of injuries. He was beaten up and a non-factor in the loss to
the Chiefs last month, recording one tackle while being limited to
55% of snaps.

CHIEFS PLAYER TO
WATCH: Whichever running backs are available. Clyde
Edwards-Helaire will miss the game with a shoulder injury, and Darrel
Williams should play despite a sore toe. Whomever gets the bulk of
the carries will be going against the league’s worst run defense,
allowing more than 146 yards per game.

KEY MATCHUP:
Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes against the Pittsburgh pass defense, which
has been solid against just about everyone but him. The Steelers
ranked ninth in the league, allowing just 215.1 yards per game
through the air, but Mahomes dominated them for 258 yards and three
TDs when Kansas City routed the Steelers in December.

INJURIES:
Steelers LT Dan Moore Jr. (ankle), LB Rob Spillane (knee) and RB
Najee Harris (elbow) practiced this week and are expected to play. WR
James Washington began the week in the COVID-19 protocols. ... Chiefs
RBs Clyde Edwards-Helaire (shoulder) and Darrel Williams (toe) also
practiced this week though Edwards-Helaire has been ruled out.

SERIES NOTES:
The Steelers have dominated the series, though Kansas City has won
the past two meetings, including their game in December. The Steelers
beat the Chiefs 18-16 in the divisional round in 2017 while Kansas
City beat the Steelers 27-24 in overtime in the wild-card round in
1994.

STATS AND STUFF:
The Steelers have lost three straight playoff games since a win at
Kansas City in the divisional round in 2017. QB Ben Roethlisberger,
DL Cam Heyward and K Chris Boswell are the only players that remain
from the team that lost to New England the following week in the AFC
championship. ... The Chiefs begin the playoffs trying to make their
third straight Super Bowl and fourth consecutive AFC title game. ...
Roethlisberger will be making his 23rd postseason start, tied with
Joe Montana for fourth among QBs in NFL history. ... Roethlisberger
is 13-9 in the playoffs, though his QB rating in the postseason
(86.4) is lower than the regular season (93.5). ... Roethlisberger is
7-3 against the Chiefs, with 18 TD passes and six interceptions. ...
Pittsburgh RB Najee Harris set a franchise rookie record with 1,200
yards rushing. He had just 28 yards on 11 carries last week against
Baltimore after injuring his left elbow in the first quarter. ...
Pittsburgh’s defense finished last against the run for the first
time since the NFL-AFL merger. The Chiefs ran for 127 yards in the
first meeting. ... The Steelers finished atop the NFL in sacks for a
fifth straight season (55). ... The Steelers’ minus-55 point
differential is second worst in franchise history for a team that
made the playoffs. They had a minus-61 differential in 1989 as a wild
card at 9-7. That team won on the road at Houston in the first round
before falling at Denver. ... Pittsburgh led the NFL with 169
fourth-quarter points, a franchise record. ... This is Pittsburgh’s
63rd playoff game, second in the NFL behind Dallas (64). The Steelers
are 36-26 in the playoffs, including 6-6 in the wild-card or opening
round. That includes an OT loss to Montana and the Chiefs in 1994.
... Kansas City won nine of its past 10 regular-season games after a
1-3 start. ... The Chiefs are trying to win their fifth straight home
playoff game, extending the franchise record. ... Kansas City has
allowed 10 points or fewer in its past five home games. Six games
would tie the second-longest mark in NFL since 1950. ... Chiefs coach
Andy Reid can pass Hall of Famer Joe Gibbs for fourth in postseason
wins with his 18th. ... Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes is 2-0 against
Pittsburgh with nine TD passes and no interceptions. ... Chiefs TE
Travis Kelce needs 17 catches to reach 100 in postseason games. He
also needs 8 yards to reach 1,000 and one more TD for his 10th. ...
Chiefs DE Frank Clark has 11 postseason sacks. He needs one to tie
Reggie White for fourth most since sacks became an official stat in
1982. ... Chiefs RB Darrel Williams had a career-best 1,010 yards
from scrimmage this season. ... WR Tyreek Hill was third in the NFL
with a Chiefs-record 111 catches. He had 1,239 yards receiving and
nine TDs. ... Chiefs FS Tyrann Mathieu had at least three
interceptions for the third straight season.

PITTSBURGH
(9-7-1) at KANSAS CITY (12-5)Sunday, 8:15 p.m.
EST, NBCBETTING LINE: Chiefs
by 12 1/2, according to FanDuel SportsBook.AGAINST THE SPREAD:
Steelers 8-9; Chiefs 8-9.SERIES RECORD:
Steelers lead 23-10; 1-1 in postseason.LAST MEETING: Chiefs
beat Steelers 36-10 on Dec. 26, 2021, in Kansas City.LAST WEEK: Steelers
beat Ravens 16-13 in OT; Chiefs beat Broncos 28-24.STEELERS OFFENSE:
OVERALL (23), RUSH (29), PASS (15), SCORING (21).STEELERS DEFENSE:
OVERALL (24), RUSH (32), PASS (9), SCORING (20).CHIEFS OFFENSE:
OVERALL (3), RUSH (16), PASS (4), SCORING (4).CHIEFS DEFENSE:
OVERALL (27), RUSH (21), PASS (27), SCORING (8).TURNOVER
DIFFERENTIAL: Steelers plus-2; Chiefs-plus 4.STEELERS PLAYER
TO WATCH: LB T.J. Watt. The league’s best edge rusher tied Hall
of Famer Michael Strahan’s season sack record with 22 1/2 sacks,
doing it despite missing two games entirely and parts of two others
because of injuries. He was beaten up and a non-factor in the loss to
the Chiefs last month, recording one tackle while being limited to
55% of snaps.CHIEFS PLAYER TO
WATCH: Whichever running backs are available. Clyde
Edwards-Helaire will miss the game with a shoulder injury, and Darrel
Williams should play despite a sore toe. Whomever gets the bulk of
the carries will be going against the league’s worst run defense,
allowing more than 146 yards per game.KEY MATCHUP:
Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes against the Pittsburgh pass defense, which
has been solid against just about everyone but him. The Steelers
ranked ninth in the league, allowing just 215.1 yards per game
through the air, but Mahomes dominated them for 258 yards and three
TDs when Kansas City routed the Steelers in December.INJURIES:
Steelers LT Dan Moore Jr. (ankle), LB Rob Spillane (knee) and RB
Najee Harris (elbow) practiced this week and are expected to play. WR
James Washington began the week in the COVID-19 protocols. ... Chiefs
RBs Clyde Edwards-Helaire (shoulder) and Darrel Williams (toe) also
practiced this week though Edwards-Helaire has been ruled out.SERIES NOTES:
The Steelers have dominated the series, though Kansas City has won
the past two meetings, including their game in December. The Steelers
beat the Chiefs 18-16 in the divisional round in 2017 while Kansas
City beat the Steelers 27-24 in overtime in the wild-card round in
1994.STATS AND STUFF:
The Steelers have lost three straight playoff games since a win at
Kansas City in the divisional round in 2017. QB Ben Roethlisberger,
DL Cam Heyward and K Chris Boswell are the only players that remain
from the team that lost to New England the following week in the AFC
championship. ... The Chiefs begin the playoffs trying to make their
third straight Super Bowl and fourth consecutive AFC title game. ...
Roethlisberger will be making his 23rd postseason start, tied with
Joe Montana for fourth among QBs in NFL history. ... Roethlisberger
is 13-9 in the playoffs, though his QB rating in the postseason
(86.4) is lower than the regular season (93.5). ... Roethlisberger is
7-3 against the Chiefs, with 18 TD passes and six interceptions. ...
Pittsburgh RB Najee Harris set a franchise rookie record with 1,200
yards rushing. He had just 28 yards on 11 carries last week against
Baltimore after injuring his left elbow in the first quarter. ...
Pittsburgh’s defense finished last against the run for the first
time since the NFL-AFL merger. The Chiefs ran for 127 yards in the
first meeting. ... The Steelers finished atop the NFL in sacks for a
fifth straight season (55). ... The Steelers’ minus-55 point
differential is second worst in franchise history for a team that
made the playoffs. They had a minus-61 differential in 1989 as a wild
card at 9-7. That team won on the road at Houston in the first round
before falling at Denver. ... Pittsburgh led the NFL with 169
fourth-quarter points, a franchise record. ... This is Pittsburgh’s
63rd playoff game, second in the NFL behind Dallas (64). The Steelers
are 36-26 in the playoffs, including 6-6 in the wild-card or opening
round. That includes an OT loss to Montana and the Chiefs in 1994.
... Kansas City won nine of its past 10 regular-season games after a
1-3 start. ... The Chiefs are trying to win their fifth straight home
playoff game, extending the franchise record. ... Kansas City has
allowed 10 points or fewer in its past five home games. Six games
would tie the second-longest mark in NFL since 1950. ... Chiefs coach
Andy Reid can pass Hall of Famer Joe Gibbs for fourth in postseason
wins with his 18th. ... Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes is 2-0 against
Pittsburgh with nine TD passes and no interceptions. ... Chiefs TE
Travis Kelce needs 17 catches to reach 100 in postseason games. He
also needs 8 yards to reach 1,000 and one more TD for his 10th. ...
Chiefs DE Frank Clark has 11 postseason sacks. He needs one to tie
Reggie White for fourth most since sacks became an official stat in
1982. ... Chiefs RB Darrel Williams had a career-best 1,010 yards
from scrimmage this season. ... WR Tyreek Hill was third in the NFL
with a Chiefs-record 111 catches. He had 1,239 yards receiving and
nine TDs. ... Chiefs FS Tyrann Mathieu had at least three
interceptions for the third straight season.

Chiefs begin pursuit of another Super Bowl vs Steelers

113: Emanuel Prieto (GRBE) over   (ELLI) (For.) 

120: Kaden Spragis (GRBE) over   (ELLI) (For.) 

126: Avery Wolf (GRBE) over Rick Kreutzer (ELLI) (Fall 2:33) 

132: Cooper Liles (GRBE) over JJ Lopeman (ELLI) (Fall 2:35) 

138: Wyatt Weber (GRBE) over Jarret Mader (ELLI) (Fall 0:41) 

145: Jace Schartz (GRBE) over Easton Burton (ELLI) (Fall 4:47) 

152: Zeke Haag (ELLI) over Skyler McMullen (GRBE) (Dec 11-5) 

160: George Crawford (ELLI) over Vaiden Wenrich (GRBE) (Fall 3:21) 

170: Aidan Davidson (GRBE) over Lucas Dinkel (ELLI) (Fall 2:14) 

182: Mason Gottschalk (ELLI) over Matthew  Johnson (GRBE) (Fall 3:32) 

195: Cale Younger (ELLI) over Brody Schnoebelen (GRBE) (Fall 1:20) 

220: Keyven Schroeder (GRBE) over Landon Dinkel (ELLI) (Fall 2:58) 

285: Kaishen Brack (ELLI) over Luis DeSantiago (GRBE) (Dec 4-2)

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/12/1607684943631.jpeg" alt="Friday Results from Great Bend/Ellis dual" />
 <figcaption>Friday Results from Great Bend/Ellis dual</figcaption>
 </figure>106: Double Forfeit 113: Emanuel Prieto (GRBE) over (ELLI) (For.) 120: Kaden Spragis (GRBE) over (ELLI) (For.) 126: Avery Wolf (GRBE) over Rick Kreutzer (ELLI) (Fall 2:33) 132: Cooper Liles (GRBE) over JJ Lopeman (ELLI) (Fall 2:35) 138: Wyatt Weber (GRBE) over Jarret Mader (ELLI) (Fall 0:41) 145: Jace Schartz (GRBE) over Easton Burton (ELLI) (Fall 4:47) 152: Zeke Haag (ELLI) over Skyler McMullen (GRBE) (Dec 11-5) 160: George Crawford (ELLI) over Vaiden Wenrich (GRBE) (Fall 3:21) 170: Aidan Davidson (GRBE) over Lucas Dinkel (ELLI) (Fall 2:14) 182: Mason Gottschalk (ELLI) over Matthew Johnson (GRBE) (Fall 3:32) 195: Cale Younger (ELLI) over Brody Schnoebelen (GRBE) (Fall 1:20) 220: Keyven Schroeder (GRBE) over Landon Dinkel (ELLI) (Fall 2:58) 285: Kaishen Brack (ELLI) over Luis DeSantiago (GRBE) (Dec 4-2)

Great Bend 48 Ellis 24

Olathe Northwest 53, Lawrence Free State 12

Stafford 33, Hutchinson Central Christian 28

Wichita Heights 49, Wichita Bishop Carroll 44

Wichita Bishop Carroll 52, Wichita Heights 45

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/2/1582346574968.jpeg" alt="Friday AP Scores" />
 <figcaption>Friday AP Scores</figcaption>
 </figure>BOYS SCORESBishop Miege 58, St. Thomas Aquinas 50Cheney 42, Chaparral 36Conway Springs 52, Garden Plain 33Derby 40, Newton 24Ellinwood 66, Macksville 47Emporia 52, Topeka Hayden 51Erie 64, Eureka 33Hesston 53, Smoky Valley 23Hoisington 58, Nickerson 47Holcomb 60, Scott City 33Hutchinson 64, Great Bend 37Kingman 61, Douglass 33LaCrosse 46 Otis-Bison 44Lakeside 64, Rock Hills 19Lawrence 69, Mill Valley 51Lebo 59, Madison/Hamilton 52Liberal 49, Dodge City 47Lincoln 50, Chase 30Norton 51, Phillipsburg 45Norwich 38, Pretty Prairie 37Olathe Northwest 53, Lawrence Free State 12Pike Valley 51, Natoma 20Pratt 64 Larned 24St. John 56 Cimarron 52Stafford 33, Hutchinson Central Christian 28Trego 51, Oakley 32Victoria 48, Central Plains 37Wellington 50, Clearwater 46, OTWichita Heights 49, Wichita Bishop Carroll 44POSTPONEMENTS AND CANCELLATIONSHillsboro vs Lyons, ppd.Smith Center vs. Republic County, ppd.GIRLS SCORESAndover Central 54, Andover 44Beloit 47, Minneapolis 37Central Plains 79, Victoria 17Chapman 46, Concordia 33Cheney 57, Chaparral 33Clay Center 42, Abilene 20Derby 40, Newton 24Doniphan West 41, Highland Park 38Douglass 53, Kingman 52Elkhart 60, Boise City, Okla. 44Ellinwood 65, Macksville 55Garden Plain 39, Conway Springs 23Hays 58, Garden City 39Hays-TMP-Marian 63, Ellis 26Heritage Christian 42, Cair Paravel 34Hesston 43, Smoky Valley 33Hodgeman County 47, Ingalls 27Holcomb 47, Scott City 34Hutchinson 58, Great Bend 43KC Wyandotte 43, KC Washington 23Liberal 49, Dodge City 47Little River 49, Rural Vista 31Logan/Palco 18, Golden Plains 15Maize South 44, Arkansas City 18McPherson 66, Circle 34Mill Valley 54, Lawrence 47Nickerson 54, Hoisington 36Norwich 38, Pretty Prairie 37Otis-Bison 37, La Crosse 33Phillipsburg 58, Norton 35Pratt 60, Larned 26Rock Hills 42, Wilson 37Salina Central 64, Goddard 36Salina South 59, Wichita Campus 20South Central 50, Sublette 25Tescott 40, Chase 7Thunder Ridge 36, Natoma 19Trego 42, Oakley 40Valley Center 39, Goddard-Eisenhower 30Wellington 50, Clearwater 46, OTWichita Bishop Carroll 52, Wichita Heights 45Wichita East 49, Wichita North 15Wichita Life Prep 49, Maize 44Winfield 52, Buhler 24POSTPONEMENTS AND CANCELLATIONSAugusta vs. El Dorado, ppd.Herington vs. Solomon, ppd.Hillsboro vs Lyons, ppdMulvane vs. Andale, ppd.Pratt Skyline vs. Fairfield, ppd.Rose Hill vs. Wichita Collegiate, ppd.Smith Center vs. Republic County, ppd.Wichita Northwest vs. Wichita West, ppd.

Friday Statewide Scores

Hutchinson Boys 64 Great Bend 37; Hutchinson Girls 58 Great Bend 43

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/9/1630675286139.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Hutchinson Boys 64 Great Bend 37; Hutchinson Girls 58 Great Bend 43<div><iframe width="100%" height="265" src="https://clyp.it/ehtkqzry/widget" frameborder="0"></iframe></div>

Hoisington Boys 58 Nickerson 47; Nickerson Girls 54 Hoisington 36

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/2/1581739911992.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Hoisington Boys 58 Nickerson 47; Nickerson Girls 54 Hoisington 36<div><iframe width="100%" height="265" src="https://clyp.it/45blti3w/widget" frameborder="0"></iframe></div>

Pratt Boys 64 Larned 24; Pratt Girls 60 Larned 26

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1600485516602.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Pratt Boys 64 Larned 24; Pratt Girls 60 Larned 26<div><iframe width="100%" height="265" src="https://clyp.it/5jyv5pmr/widget" frameborder="0"></iframe></div>

The Barton Community College Athletic Department announces the election of Jeff Beaman, David Foss, and Christi (Ensz) Rife to its Sports Hall of Fame.

Beaman is a former Cougar tennis player and head coach leading the program to multiple national top five finishes, being joined by two-sport athlete Ensz and longtime contributor Foss to the distinguished Hall of seventy-seven current members.

The Class of 2022 will be enshrined at a 10:00 a.m. induction ceremony Saturday, January 29, in the Kirkman Activity Center located on the Barton Campus. Induction ceremony is free and open to the public. Public attendance also encouraged in honoring the inductees between the women's and men's basketball games versus Independence Community College later that afternoon.

Schedule of Events Saturday, January 29, at Barton Community College 10:00 a.m. – Induction Ceremony located on lower level of the Kirkman Activity Center on the Barton campus. Admission is free and public is encouraged to attend. *Live web streaming will also be available.

2:00 p.m. – Barton women's basketball versus Independence Community College

*3:50 p.m. - *Approximate time. Inductees will be presented with Hall of Fame plaques in a brief ceremony between the women and men's basketball contests.

4:00 p.m. – Barton men's basketball versus Independence Community College

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/1/1642158021515.jpeg" alt="Barton Athletics" />
 <figcaption>Barton Athletics</figcaption>
 </figure>The Barton Community College Athletic Department announces the election of Jeff Beaman, David Foss, and Christi (Ensz) Rife to its Sports Hall of Fame.Beaman is a former Cougar tennis player and head coach leading the program to multiple national top five finishes, being joined by two-sport athlete Ensz and longtime contributor Foss to the distinguished Hall of seventy-seven current members.The Class of 2022 will be enshrined at a 10:00 a.m. induction ceremony Saturday, January 29, in the Kirkman Activity Center located on the Barton Campus. Induction ceremony is free and open to the public. Public attendance also encouraged in honoring the inductees between the women's and men's basketball games versus Independence Community College later that afternoon.Schedule of Events Saturday, January 29, at Barton Community College 10:00 a.m. – Induction Ceremony located on lower level of the Kirkman Activity Center on the Barton campus. Admission is free and public is encouraged to attend. *Live web streaming will also be available. 2:00 p.m. – Barton women's basketball versus Independence Community College *3:50 p.m. - *Approximate time. Inductees will be presented with Hall of Fame plaques in a brief ceremony between the women and men's basketball contests. 4:00 p.m. – Barton men's basketball versus Independence Community College

Barton Athletics announces 2022 Sports Hall of Fame inductees

The Kansas-TCU men’s basketball game postponed on Jan. 1 because of COVID issues in the Horned Frogs’ program has been rescheduled for Thursday, March 3, the Big 12 Conference announced Thursday. 

The game will be played at 7 p.m. at Allen Fieldhouse and streamed on ESPN+. 

It will make for back-to-back games between KU and TCU. The Jayhawks and Horned Frogs will meet on Tuesday, March 1, in Fort Worth, Texas. Then, two days later the rematch will be held in Lawrence.

The Big 12 also announced the make up date for West Virginia and TCU who also had their game postponed earlier in the season.

West Virginia at TCU, 7:00 p.m. CT (Big 12 Now on ESPN+)

TCU at Kansas, 7:00 p.m. CT (Big 12 Now on ESPN+)

The Kansas-TCU men’s basketball game postponed on Jan. 1 because of COVID issues in the Horned Frogs’ program has been rescheduled for Thursday, March 3, the Big 12 Conference announced Thursday. The game will be played at 7 p.m. at Allen Fieldhouse and streamed on ESPN+. It will make for back-to-back games between KU and TCU. The Jayhawks and Horned Frogs will meet on Tuesday, March 1, in Fort Worth, Texas. Then, two days later the rematch will be held in Lawrence.The Big 12 also announced the make up date for West Virginia and TCU who also had their game postponed earlier in the season.Monday, February 21West Virginia at TCU, 7:00 p.m. CT (Big 12 Now on ESPN+)Thursday, March 3TCU at Kansas, 7:00 p.m. CT (Big 12 Now on ESPN+)

Big 12 Announces Rescheduled Kansas/TCU date

An extra week of games, close finishes and a non-election year helped propel the NFL to its highest regular-season ratings in six years.

The 272 regular-season games averaged 17.1 million viewers across television and digital platforms, that is a 10% increase over 2020 and is the league’s highest average since 2015.

“There’s a strong argument to be made that the National Football League is the single most important entity in popular culture. And the numbers of viewers watching the NFL bears that out,” said Marc Ganis, co-founder of Chicago-based consulting group Sportscorp.

It was expected that the audience would increase after the 2020 season was played in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic, with empty stadiums presenting a strange viewing dynamic, and many people’s viewing habits changing. The first half of that season also occurred in the midst of a presidential campaign, when many were watching cable news channels.

“Ratings and viewership from year to year are never a straight line. There’s always some ins and outs,” said Hans Schroeder, NFL executive vice president and chief operating officer, NFL Media. “Certainly 2020 was a unique year in a lot of different ways, but when you think about this season with full stadiums and the game itself, it was an awesome regular season.”

Three of the five television packages experienced double-digit growth. ESPN’s “Monday Night Football” and the “Thursday Night Football” package on Fox, NFL Network and Amazon Prime were both up 16% from last season, followed by NBC’s “Sunday Night Football” at 11%.

This was also the first season when the league played 17 regular-season games. Despite the extra games, there were not many blowouts. According to the league, 64% of all games this season were within one score in the fourth quarter.

NFL games ranked in the top 16 and 91 of the top 100 telecasts on television during the season, according to Nielsen. The Dallas Cowboys were involved in five of the 10 most-viewed games, including the Week 12 Thanksgiving Day match with the Las Vegas Raiders, which averaged 40.8 million viewers on CBS. That was the most-watched regular-season game on any network in 31 years and one of only two since 1988 to average at least 40 million.

Fox’s Sunday games increased 2%, averaging 18.57 million, but did have five of the 10 most-watched games. The Week 11 game between the Cowboys and Kansas City Chiefs led the way with a 28.7 million average.

The final season of the Fox. NFL Network, Amazon Prime Video “Thursday Night Football” tri-cast averaged 16.4 million. Coincidentally, the biggest game in that package wasn’t on Thursday night but Christmas Day, as the Cleveland Browns-Green Bay Packers contest averaged 28.6 million.

“Sunday Night Football” is on pace to become prime time’s most-watched show for the 11th consecutive season at 19.3 million. Tampa Bay had NBC’s top two games, including Tom Brady’s return to New England during Week 4 (27.2 million).

ESPN’s “Monday Night Football” averaged 14.18 million. It is the network’s best regular-season viewership since 2010 and third best since 2006, when the package moved mainly to cable from ABC. The nine “Monday Night Football with Peyton and Eli” alternate broadcasts averaged 1.6 million, with the highest being 1.96 million for the New York Giants-Kansas City game on Week 8.

The “ManningsCast” will return for Monday’s wild-card game between the Arizona Cardinals and Los Angeles Rams.

The biggest encouraging factor for all parties is that streaming numbers continue to steadily increase. With Peacock, Paramount+ and ESPN+ expanding offerings, there were 370 billion total minutes streamed during the regular season, an 18% jump from 2020 and the second-highest total on record behind only 2015.

Those numbers will only go up in future years as “Thursday Night Football” heads fulltime to Prime Video next season, as well as exclusive streaming games on ESPN + and Peacock when the new television contract begins in 2023. The league’s “Sunday Ticket” package with DirecTV expires after next season, with many expecting multiple carriers to make a bid.

“Streaming, you can get actual numbers and they are more precise,” Ganis said. “What we have seen with the NFL and streaming is what we saw with the NFL and cable and satellite TV, which is watching the games is appointment television. People will find games on whatever platform they’re on. That makes it enormously valuable to the streamers. Because one of the things streamers need is a reason for people to go to them in the first place.

“The NFL is built-in appointment television. It already is where people want to go. And so I would expect the streaming numbers will continue to grow by very large percentages each year.”

An extra week of games, close finishes and a non-election year helped propel the NFL to its highest regular-season ratings in six years.The 272 regular-season games averaged 17.1 million viewers across television and digital platforms, that is a 10% increase over 2020 and is the league’s highest average since 2015.“There’s a strong argument to be made that the National Football League is the single most important entity in popular culture. And the numbers of viewers watching the NFL bears that out,” said Marc Ganis, co-founder of Chicago-based consulting group Sportscorp.It was expected that the audience would increase after the 2020 season was played in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic, with empty stadiums presenting a strange viewing dynamic, and many people’s viewing habits changing. The first half of that season also occurred in the midst of a presidential campaign, when many were watching cable news channels.“Ratings and viewership from year to year are never a straight line. There’s always some ins and outs,” said Hans Schroeder, NFL executive vice president and chief operating officer, NFL Media. “Certainly 2020 was a unique year in a lot of different ways, but when you think about this season with full stadiums and the game itself, it was an awesome regular season.”Three of the five television packages experienced double-digit growth. ESPN’s “Monday Night Football” and the “Thursday Night Football” package on Fox, NFL Network and Amazon Prime were both up 16% from last season, followed by NBC’s “Sunday Night Football” at 11%.This was also the first season when the league played 17 regular-season games. Despite the extra games, there were not many blowouts. According to the league, 64% of all games this season were within one score in the fourth quarter.NFL games ranked in the top 16 and 91 of the top 100 telecasts on television during the season, according to Nielsen. The Dallas Cowboys were involved in five of the 10 most-viewed games, including the Week 12 Thanksgiving Day match with the Las Vegas Raiders, which averaged 40.8 million viewers on CBS. That was the most-watched regular-season game on any network in 31 years and one of only two since 1988 to average at least 40 million.Fox’s Sunday games increased 2%, averaging 18.57 million, but did have five of the 10 most-watched games. The Week 11 game between the Cowboys and Kansas City Chiefs led the way with a 28.7 million average.The final season of the Fox. NFL Network, Amazon Prime Video “Thursday Night Football” tri-cast averaged 16.4 million. Coincidentally, the biggest game in that package wasn’t on Thursday night but Christmas Day, as the Cleveland Browns-Green Bay Packers contest averaged 28.6 million.“Sunday Night Football” is on pace to become prime time’s most-watched show for the 11th consecutive season at 19.3 million. Tampa Bay had NBC’s top two games, including Tom Brady’s return to New England during Week 4 (27.2 million).ESPN’s “Monday Night Football” averaged 14.18 million. It is the network’s best regular-season viewership since 2010 and third best since 2006, when the package moved mainly to cable from ABC. The nine “Monday Night Football with Peyton and Eli” alternate broadcasts averaged 1.6 million, with the highest being 1.96 million for the New York Giants-Kansas City game on Week 8.The “ManningsCast” will return for Monday’s wild-card game between the Arizona Cardinals and Los Angeles Rams.The biggest encouraging factor for all parties is that streaming numbers continue to steadily increase. With Peacock, Paramount+ and ESPN+ expanding offerings, there were 370 billion total minutes streamed during the regular season, an 18% jump from 2020 and the second-highest total on record behind only 2015.Those numbers will only go up in future years as “Thursday Night Football” heads fulltime to Prime Video next season, as well as exclusive streaming games on ESPN + and Peacock when the new television contract begins in 2023. The league’s “Sunday Ticket” package with DirecTV expires after next season, with many expecting multiple carriers to make a bid.“Streaming, you can get actual numbers and they are more precise,” Ganis said. “What we have seen with the NFL and streaming is what we saw with the NFL and cable and satellite TV, which is watching the games is appointment television. People will find games on whatever platform they’re on. That makes it enormously valuable to the streamers. Because one of the things streamers need is a reason for people to go to them in the first place.“The NFL is built-in appointment television. It already is where people want to go. And so I would expect the streaming numbers will continue to grow by very large percentages each year.”

NFL regular-season ratings increase 10% over last season

Jenny Nkem Womsi of the Barton Community College women's basketball team snagged her second straight KJCCC weekly award honor while also earning her first national distinction of the year as the week seven NJCAA Basketball Division I Player of the Week.

Womsi the reigning conference player of the week picked up where she left off extending her double-double streak to six straight games averaging 19.5 points and 18 rebounds per contest in Barton's 2-0 week.

The freshman started her week with a pair of new career highs scoring 24 points and hauling down 24 rebounds falling one off the programs single game record in the Cougars 87-82 victory over Seward County.

Womsi conclude her week notching her sixth straight double-double in Saturday's road win at Northwest Tech scoring 15 points on 5-of-9 shooting while pulling down 12 boards.

The award is the second of Womsi's Barton career and the team's second weekly award on the season.

The forward had her streak of six straight double-doubles end Wednesday night as her 22-minutes of court time generated seven points and eight rebounds in the Cougars 73-59 victory over Colby Community College.

Barton's next action will include a pair of road trips in three days as the Cougars begin the swing Sturday with a 1:00 p.m. tip at Dodge City Community College followed by Monday's 5:30 p.m. start at Garden City Community College. Barton's next home contest comes Saturday, January 22, in a 2:00 p.m. hosting of Cowley College.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/1/1642105072980.jpeg" alt="Barton Athletics" />
 <figcaption>Barton Athletics</figcaption>
 </figure>Jenny Nkem Womsi of the Barton Community College women's basketball team snagged her second straight KJCCC weekly award honor while also earning her first national distinction of the year as the week seven NJCAA Basketball Division I Player of the Week.Womsi the reigning conference player of the week picked up where she left off extending her double-double streak to six straight games averaging 19.5 points and 18 rebounds per contest in Barton's 2-0 week.The freshman started her week with a pair of new career highs scoring 24 points and hauling down 24 rebounds falling one off the programs single game record in the Cougars 87-82 victory over Seward County.Womsi conclude her week notching her sixth straight double-double in Saturday's road win at Northwest Tech scoring 15 points on 5-of-9 shooting while pulling down 12 boards.The award is the second of Womsi's Barton career and the team's second weekly award on the season.The forward had her streak of six straight double-doubles end Wednesday night as her 22-minutes of court time generated seven points and eight rebounds in the Cougars 73-59 victory over Colby Community College.Barton's next action will include a pair of road trips in three days as the Cougars begin the swing Sturday with a 1:00 p.m. tip at Dodge City Community College followed by Monday's 5:30 p.m. start at Garden City Community College. Barton's next home contest comes Saturday, January 22, in a 2:00 p.m. hosting of Cowley College.

Barton's Womsi grabs national honor and second straight KJCCC weekly women's basketball award

The National Federation of State High School Associations has been leading high school sports for more than 100 years – writing playing rules, providing services for high school coaches and officials, and promoting lifelong health and safety values through participation.

These services – and many others – provide opportunities for about eight million participants on an annual basis. From the crosstown rivalry to the state championship game, memories – and relationships – from high school sports last a lifetime.

Although unknown to many individuals, there are millions more high school students – perhaps even more than those involved in sports – who participate in other education-based activity programs. And the NFHS and many of its member state associations have been meeting the needs of these students since the 1970s.

While they might not make the headlines of some sports participants, students in after-school activities such as music, speech, debate, theatre and others are as passionate and engaged in these programs as those students in athletics. In fact, there are many individuals who participate in both athletics and performing arts programs, and the lifelong values of these programs as an additional component to academics are priceless.

On Monday, the NFHS announced the 2022-23 National High School Debate Topic – a task fulfilled by the NFHS every year since 1979. Next year, the millions of students involved in speech and debate will be debating the topic of “Emerging Technologies,” which was selected in the final balloting over “Global Climate Changes.”

“Emerging Technologies” is a relevant and exciting topic for students to debate and will involve discussion of areas such as artificial intelligence, biotechnology and cybersecurity.

In addition to the camaraderie with peers, students involved in these programs gain many long-term benefits. In a&nbsp;High School Today&nbsp;article in 2016, Treva Dayton noted that “in creating a persuasive argument, debaters are pushed to set a goal and steps to reach the goal. They must think critically about how an opponent might respond and prepare for that as well.

“It is not surprising, of course, that students in performing arts become better communicators. But this comes not just from the self-confidence and fluency they gain through performance or public speaking. Successful performers are good listeners. They don’t just hear, but learn to listen to nuances, to silence, and to choice of words as part of the message. Effective communication is a two-way process, and learning to truly listen is essential.”&nbsp;&nbsp;

Currently, students are debating “Water Resources” as the 2021-22 debate topic. Although schools are facing increasing challenges with the spread of the latest variant of COVID-19, there are established mitigation practices that should keep performing arts programs running in those cases were schools are in-person. And in those cases where schools have moved to virtual learning on a temporary basis, these vital activity programs have proved to be successful in that setting as well.

The NFHS, under the direction of Dr. James Weaver, led an unprecedented aerosol study last year to determine mitigation strategies that would allow performing arts activities to continue during the pandemic.&nbsp;

While the study was more focused on music programs, the basics apply to speech and debate as well. We know the values of wearing masks, physical distancing and proper hygiene, along with proper ventilation in classrooms and reducing the length of practices in some cases.

Along with mitigation strategies developed last year, students also have availability of vaccines, which have added an additional layer of protection. Certainly, the health of students remains the top priority, but there is evidence that these vital activity programs can&nbsp;and should&nbsp;continue if the proper precautionary steps are enacted.

We salute the millions of high school students, teachers and administrators involved in the life-changing activities of speech and debate in our nation’s schools.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/1/1642075067131.jpeg" alt="Dr. Karissa L. Niehoff is in her fourth year as chief executive officer of the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) in Indianapolis, Indiana." />
 <figcaption>Dr. Karissa L. Niehoff is in her fourth year as chief executive officer of the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) in Indianapolis, Indiana.</figcaption>
 </figure>The National Federation of State High School Associations has been leading high school sports for more than 100 years – writing playing rules, providing services for high school coaches and officials, and promoting lifelong health and safety values through participation.These services – and many others – provide opportunities for about eight million participants on an annual basis. From the crosstown rivalry to the state championship game, memories – and relationships – from high school sports last a lifetime.Although unknown to many individuals, there are millions more high school students – perhaps even more than those involved in sports – who participate in other education-based activity programs. And the NFHS and many of its member state associations have been meeting the needs of these students since the 1970s.While they might not make the headlines of some sports participants, students in after-school activities such as music, speech, debate, theatre and others are as passionate and engaged in these programs as those students in athletics. In fact, there are many individuals who participate in both athletics and performing arts programs, and the lifelong values of these programs as an additional component to academics are priceless.On Monday, the NFHS announced the 2022-23 National High School Debate Topic – a task fulfilled by the NFHS every year since 1979. Next year, the millions of students involved in speech and debate will be debating the topic of “Emerging Technologies,” which was selected in the final balloting over “Global Climate Changes.”“Emerging Technologies” is a relevant and exciting topic for students to debate and will involve discussion of areas such as artificial intelligence, biotechnology and cybersecurity.In addition to the camaraderie with peers, students involved in these programs gain many long-term benefits. In a&nbsp;High School Today&nbsp;article in 2016, Treva Dayton noted that “in creating a persuasive argument, debaters are pushed to set a goal and steps to reach the goal. They must think critically about how an opponent might respond and prepare for that as well.“It is not surprising, of course, that students in performing arts become better communicators. But this comes not just from the self-confidence and fluency they gain through performance or public speaking. Successful performers are good listeners. They don’t just hear, but learn to listen to nuances, to silence, and to choice of words as part of the message. Effective communication is a two-way process, and learning to truly listen is essential.”&nbsp;&nbsp;Currently, students are debating “Water Resources” as the 2021-22 debate topic. Although schools are facing increasing challenges with the spread of the latest variant of COVID-19, there are established mitigation practices that should keep performing arts programs running in those cases were schools are in-person. And in those cases where schools have moved to virtual learning on a temporary basis, these vital activity programs have proved to be successful in that setting as well.The NFHS, under the direction of Dr. James Weaver, led an unprecedented aerosol study last year to determine mitigation strategies that would allow performing arts activities to continue during the pandemic.&nbsp;While the study was more focused on music programs, the basics apply to speech and debate as well. We know the values of wearing masks, physical distancing and proper hygiene, along with proper ventilation in classrooms and reducing the length of practices in some cases.Along with mitigation strategies developed last year, students also have availability of vaccines, which have added an additional layer of protection. Certainly, the health of students remains the top priority, but there is evidence that these vital activity programs can&nbsp;and should&nbsp;continue if the proper precautionary steps are enacted.We salute the millions of high school students, teachers and administrators involved in the life-changing activities of speech and debate in our nation’s schools.

High School Speech, Debate Students Gain Lifetime Benefits from Participating in Programs

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The last time the Chiefs played the Steelers in the playoffs, Tyreek Hill was a wide-eyed rookie wide receiver, Chris Jones was learning the ropes at defensive tackle and Travis Kelce was only just becoming one of the league’s best tight ends.

Oh, and Patrick Mahomes was still in college.

In retrospect, it wasn’t all that surprising the Chiefs lost on that cold January night in 2017, when Pittsburgh won 18-16 despite never reaching the end zone. Kansas City had won just one playoff game since 1994, and hadn’t won one at home in nearly three decades, while the Steelers rolled into town with a bunch of postseason experience.

Fast forward five years and the Chiefs are the ones with all the experience.

They’ve been to the last two Super Bowls. The last three AFC title games. And that team that couldn’t win a playoff game at home has won five straight, a franchise record it hopes to extend when the Chiefs play Pittsburgh again Sunday night.

“To be able to know the speed of the game and share it with (young players), I think, is important,” Chiefs coach Andy Reid admitted. “You don’t know until you get there, but for whatever reason, each level you go up in the playoffs, the speed of the game picks up. And it’s all single elimination, so the urgency level goes up, too.”

Kelce had perhaps the most memorable day, catching five passes for 77 yards. Hill had four catches for 27 yards.

On the other side, Ben Roethlisberger threw for 224 yards with an interception. The same Antonio Brown that just caused such a ruckus for Tampa Bay caught six of his passes for 108 yards. And running back Le’Veon Bell, who two years later was part of the Super Bowl champions in Kansas City, ran roughshod for 170 yards on 30 carries.

The star was Chris Boswell, though. He hit each of his six field goal tries for all of the Steelers’ scoring.

Boswell is one of those still on the team in Pittsburgh. So is defensive lineman Cameron Heyward and Big Ben, who will be making his 23rd postseason start, tied with Joe Montana for fourth among quarterbacks in NFL history.

Roethlisberger is familiar with the Chiefs — on Dec. 26, he went 23 for 35 against them in a 36-10 loss at Kansas City.

There’s much more on the line in this matchup.

“I mean, it’s like I try to tell some of the young guys, every mistake is magnified,” Roethlisberger said of the postseason experience. “Even a third-down drop can be magnified, because the other team you’re playing is a really good football team, too. And so they capitalize on your mistake. I’ve been in a lot of these games where the team that makes the fewest mistakes is going to win. I just try to tell those guys, listen, go out there and play free and have fun and play football.”

While the Chiefs have had nothing but postseason success lately, that hasn’t been the case in Pittsburgh. What experience the Steelers have had is mostly the losing variety: the divisional round to Jacksonville, the wild-card round to Cleveland.

“I’m not concerned about success. I am concerned about exposure,” Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said. “People understand what the environment is like, the intensity of it. How much detail is required to win in situational ball and things of that nature. Experience is good, whether it’s positive or negative — the knowing. I’m less concerned about the lack of success. I am more concerned about those who haven’t experienced it that play a significant role for us.”

There aren’t a whole lot of those in Kansas City.

All four players that carried the ball in last year’s Super Bowl will play Sunday. Seven of the eight players that caught a pass against Tampa Bay will be on the field. Tyrann Mathieu and most of the stars of the defense will be there, too.

“The one thing that’s good about it,” Reid acknowledged, “is the veteran guys that have been through it with us can tell the young guys. Because we do have quite a few young kids that are playing right now, and all of a sudden they’re into Game 18 here and going, ‘Holy, Toledo!’ We thought we had a long season at 12 in college football.’

“Everything is a little faster in the playoffs and more aggressive,” Reid added. “It’s just the nature of this thing and how it works, so we’ve got to make sure we get ourselves right and go through that process.”

Notes: RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire (shoulder), Hill (calf) and RB Darrel Williams (toe) all practiced Wednesday. ... The Chiefs activated rookie DE Josh Kaindoh from injured reserve, giving them 53 on the active roster. He went on IR on Oct. 5 with an ankle injury. He was designated to return to practice Dec. 22.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The last time the Chiefs played the Steelers in the playoffs, Tyreek Hill was a wide-eyed rookie wide receiver, Chris Jones was learning the ropes at defensive tackle and Travis Kelce was only just becoming one of the league’s best tight ends.Oh, and Patrick Mahomes was still in college.In retrospect, it wasn’t all that surprising the Chiefs lost on that cold January night in 2017, when Pittsburgh won 18-16 despite never reaching the end zone. Kansas City had won just one playoff game since 1994, and hadn’t won one at home in nearly three decades, while the Steelers rolled into town with a bunch of postseason experience.Fast forward five years and the Chiefs are the ones with all the experience.They’ve been to the last two Super Bowls. The last three AFC title games. And that team that couldn’t win a playoff game at home has won five straight, a franchise record it hopes to extend when the Chiefs play Pittsburgh again Sunday night.“To be able to know the speed of the game and share it with (young players), I think, is important,” Chiefs coach Andy Reid admitted. “You don’t know until you get there, but for whatever reason, each level you go up in the playoffs, the speed of the game picks up. And it’s all single elimination, so the urgency level goes up, too.”Kelce had perhaps the most memorable day, catching five passes for 77 yards. Hill had four catches for 27 yards.On the other side, Ben Roethlisberger threw for 224 yards with an interception. The same Antonio Brown that just caused such a ruckus for Tampa Bay caught six of his passes for 108 yards. And running back Le’Veon Bell, who two years later was part of the Super Bowl champions in Kansas City, ran roughshod for 170 yards on 30 carries.The star was Chris Boswell, though. He hit each of his six field goal tries for all of the Steelers’ scoring.Boswell is one of those still on the team in Pittsburgh. So is defensive lineman Cameron Heyward and Big Ben, who will be making his 23rd postseason start, tied with Joe Montana for fourth among quarterbacks in NFL history.Roethlisberger is familiar with the Chiefs — on Dec. 26, he went 23 for 35 against them in a 36-10 loss at Kansas City.There’s much more on the line in this matchup.“I mean, it’s like I try to tell some of the young guys, every mistake is magnified,” Roethlisberger said of the postseason experience. “Even a third-down drop can be magnified, because the other team you’re playing is a really good football team, too. And so they capitalize on your mistake. I’ve been in a lot of these games where the team that makes the fewest mistakes is going to win. I just try to tell those guys, listen, go out there and play free and have fun and play football.”While the Chiefs have had nothing but postseason success lately, that hasn’t been the case in Pittsburgh. What experience the Steelers have had is mostly the losing variety: the divisional round to Jacksonville, the wild-card round to Cleveland.“I’m not concerned about success. I am concerned about exposure,” Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said. “People understand what the environment is like, the intensity of it. How much detail is required to win in situational ball and things of that nature. Experience is good, whether it’s positive or negative — the knowing. I’m less concerned about the lack of success. I am more concerned about those who haven’t experienced it that play a significant role for us.”There aren’t a whole lot of those in Kansas City.All four players that carried the ball in last year’s Super Bowl will play Sunday. Seven of the eight players that caught a pass against Tampa Bay will be on the field. Tyrann Mathieu and most of the stars of the defense will be there, too.“The one thing that’s good about it,” Reid acknowledged, “is the veteran guys that have been through it with us can tell the young guys. Because we do have quite a few young kids that are playing right now, and all of a sudden they’re into Game 18 here and going, ‘Holy, Toledo!’ We thought we had a long season at 12 in college football.’“Everything is a little faster in the playoffs and more aggressive,” Reid added. “It’s just the nature of this thing and how it works, so we’ve got to make sure we get ourselves right and go through that process.”Notes: RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire (shoulder), Hill (calf) and RB Darrel Williams (toe) all practiced Wednesday. ... The Chiefs activated rookie DE Josh Kaindoh from injured reserve, giving them 53 on the active roster. He went on IR on Oct. 5 with an ankle injury. He was designated to return to practice Dec. 22.

Chiefs take playoff experience into Sunday night vs Steelers

Wichita State fell 68-67 to visiting Tulane on Wednesday evening at Charles Koch Arena after Council's driving layup at the buzzer was negated by a charging foul.

Jaylen Forbes scored 20 points and Jalen Cook added 18 points and five assists for Tulane (4-1), which overcame a 14-point halftime deficit to claim its first victory over the Shockers in seven tries.

Tyson Etienne had 20 points to pace short-handed WSU (9-6, 0-3), which played without starters Morris Udeze and Dexter Dennis.

Craig Porter Jr. established new career-highs with 18 points and nine rebounds to go with four assists and four steals.

WSU had entered the day as one of just 15 teams without a double performance but got one, at last, from Council who finished with 12 points and career-high 15 boards.

The Shockers scored the game's first 11 points and led 42-28 at halftime after converting 8-of-18 first-half threes.

Council's emphatic tip-dunk with 2 seconds remaining capped an eight-point, 10-rebound half.

Tulane's offense came to life, coming away with points on 17 of its first 24 possessions to start the second half.

Wichita State fell 68-67 to visiting Tulane on Wednesday evening at Charles Koch Arena after Council's driving layup at the buzzer was negated by a charging foul.Jaylen Forbes scored 20 points and Jalen Cook added 18 points and five assists for Tulane (4-1), which overcame a 14-point halftime deficit to claim its first victory over the Shockers in seven tries.Tyson Etienne had 20 points to pace short-handed WSU (9-6, 0-3), which played without starters Morris Udeze and Dexter Dennis.Craig Porter Jr. established new career-highs with 18 points and nine rebounds to go with four assists and four steals.WSU had entered the day as one of just 15 teams without a double performance but got one, at last, from Council who finished with 12 points and career-high 15 boards.The Shockers scored the game's first 11 points and led 42-28 at halftime after converting 8-of-18 first-half threes.Council's emphatic tip-dunk with 2 seconds remaining capped an eight-point, 10-rebound half.Tulane's offense came to life, coming away with points on 17 of its first 24 possessions to start the second half.The Green Wave used a 14-3 run to take their first lead of the night with 7:20 to play on a pair of Cook free throws.The lead changed hands four more times.Porter's basket with 2:48 to play gave the Shockers a 67-66 advantage, however those were their last points.Tulane regained the lead, 68-67, on Cross' post-up and the teams spent the final 1:55 trading defensive stops.James missed the front end of a 1-and-1 opportunity, giving the Shockers the ball with 17 seconds remaining.WSU had two chances to go in front in the closing seconds. Etienne slipped while driving the lane, but the possession arrow favored the Shockers after a tie-up.Council caught an inbound pass at the top of the key with three seconds remaining and dribbled into the heart of the lane before barreling into Tulane's Nobal Days. Council absorbed the contact and converted a tough layup as time expired, but officials waived off the basket.Wichita State Athletics