Western Athletic Conference Great Bend 26, Olathe South 14 Hays 42, Wheat Ridge (CO) 7 Olathe East 21, Dodge City 7 Olathe Northwest 36, Garden City 14 Liberal 18, Wichita South 6 Central Kansas League Hesston 28, Hoisington 24 Hillsboro 35, Larned 8 Smoky Valley 43, Belle Plaine 0 Pratt 34, Halstead 21 Haven 56, Nickerson 8 Other area 11-Man games Ellinwood 47, Herington 0 Russell 35, Oakley 0 Minneapolis 26, Lyons 7 Norton 47, TMP 22 Ellsworth 45, Republic County 14 Moundridge 28, Sterling 7 Area 8-Man games Victoria 62, Central Plains 12 St. John 54, Ness City 40 Macksville 20, Kinsley 16 Logan-Palco 62, La Crosse 34 Stafford 30, Pretty Prairie 14 Hodgeman County 46, Meade 0 Little River 58, Rural Vista 12 Fairfield 30, Pratt-Skyline 12 Bucklin 56, Kiowa County 16 Area 6-Man games South Barber 37, Otis-Bison 19 Pawnee Heights 52, Western Plains 6 Northern Valley 1, Chase 0

Western Athletic Conference Great Bend 26, Olathe South 14 Hays 42, Wheat Ridge (CO) 7 Olathe East 21, Dodge City 7 Olathe Northwest 36, Garden City 14 Liberal 18, Wichita South 6 Central Kansas League Hesston 28, Hoisington 24 Hillsboro 35, Larned 8 Smoky Valley 43, Belle Plaine 0 Pratt 34, Halstead 21 Haven 56, Nickerson 8 Other area 11-Man games Ellinwood 47, Herington 0 Russell 35, Oakley 0 Minneapolis 26, Lyons 7 Norton 47, TMP 22 Ellsworth 45, Republic County 14 Moundridge 28, Sterling 7 Area 8-Man games Victoria 62, Central Plains 12 St. John 54, Ness City 40 Macksville 20, Kinsley 16 Logan-Palco 62, La Crosse 34 Stafford 30, Pretty Prairie 14 Hodgeman County 46, Meade 0 Little River 58, Rural Vista 12 Fairfield 30, Pratt-Skyline 12 Bucklin 56, Kiowa County 16 Area 6-Man games South Barber 37, Otis-Bison 19 Pawnee Heights 52, Western Plains 6 Northern Valley 1, Chase 0

Area high school football scores - Week 2

1. Larned Sports on 106.9 brought to you in part by USD #495, Beckwith Mortuary, Equity Bank, Smith Dental, Eakin Concrete, Santa Fe Liquor Mart, Farmer's Bank &amp; Trust in Larned, Farm Bureau Financial Services Leigh Anne Seeman, Clock Realty &amp; Insurance, Pawnee Plaza, Innovative Livestock Services, Titan Building Systems, Pawnee County COOP, Progressive Therapy &amp; Sports Medicine, Frick Veterinary, Services, H&amp;H Roofing, Rosenberg Family Dentistry, Fusion Bank, Doerr's Ace Hardware, Pawnee Valley Community Hospital, Larned Veterinary Clinic, Heart of Kansas Family Health, Barton Community College, and Off Broadway Boutique.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1695238768373.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Hillsboro 35 Larned 8<div><iframe width="100%" height="265" src="https://clyp.it/tilhylg4/widget" frameborder="0"></iframe></div>1. Larned Sports on 106.9 brought to you in part by USD #495, Beckwith Mortuary, Equity Bank, Smith Dental, Eakin Concrete, Santa Fe Liquor Mart, Farmer's Bank &amp; Trust in Larned, Farm Bureau Financial Services Leigh Anne Seeman, Clock Realty &amp; Insurance, Pawnee Plaza, Innovative Livestock Services, Titan Building Systems, Pawnee County COOP, Progressive Therapy &amp; Sports Medicine, Frick Veterinary, Services, H&amp;H Roofing, Rosenberg Family Dentistry, Fusion Bank, Doerr's Ace Hardware, Pawnee Valley Community Hospital, Larned Veterinary Clinic, Heart of Kansas Family Health, Barton Community College, and Off Broadway Boutique.

Hillsboro 35 Larned 8

- Sunflower Sports Solutions Conor Nicholl joins the show to preview all the Friday night football action from around the area and around the state. Highlighted matchups include Olathe South at Great Bend, Hesston at Hoisington, and Central Plains at Victoria.

- Mike Courson goes "On the Prowl" for Panther Sports.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1693997740304.jpeg" alt="Friday show lineup with hosts Steve Webster, Mike Courson, and Mike Hesher" />
 <figcaption>Friday 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/bL2WOKv_xPc?si=cwW4HLvbKp43MN2u" 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>- Sunflower Sports Solutions Conor Nicholl joins the show to preview all the Friday night football action from around the area and around the state. Highlighted matchups include Olathe South at Great Bend, Hesston at Hoisington, and Central Plains at Victoria.- Mike Courson goes "On the Prowl" for Panther Sports.- Friday Sports Headlines- Sounds of the past 24-hours

Friday on Sports Day(Watch)

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Alabama and Wisconsin will both play the first half of Saturday’s intersectional matchup without a linebacker who was penalized for targeting a week earlier.

Wisconsin coach Luke Fickell would prefer a scenario in which both the fourth-ranked Crimson Tide’s Justin Jefferson and the Badgers’ Jake Chaney could have avoided such a steep punishment.

“I’ll look everybody in the face (and say) we’re wrong in college football to throw kids out of games,” Fickell said after the Badgers’ 27-13 victory over South Dakota.

Fickell is hardly the only coach who believes targeting penalties shouldn’t result in automatic ejections, a rule that took effect in 2013. Players who get targeting penalties in the second half of games, as Jefferson and Chaney did last weekend, also must miss the first half of their teams’ next games.

The policy doesn’t appear to be going away anytime soon.

Steve Shaw, the NCAA’s national coordinator of officials, says the threat of ejection has been an effective deterrent. There were 0.16 targeting penalties enforced per game last season, which represented a three-year low.

“Any time you can impact playing time, very similar to impacting finances in the NFL, it catches your attention,” Shaw said. “We can’t fine like the NFL does. So playing time is the most precious commodity that’s out there, and that’s what makes this penalty what it is.”

The American Football Coaches Association proposed having two categories of targeting penalties five years ago. A more egregious violation would result in an ejection, while infractions deemed less serious would result in a penalty that allowed the player to remain in the game.

“It was discussed, but it never got any traction with the NCAA,” AFCA executive director Craig Bohl said. Bohl added that if anyone wants to bring the topic up again at the annual AFCA convention in January, “we can certainly move that forward as a topic of discussion.”

There have been 37 targeting penalties enforced through this season’s first 178 Bowl Subdivision games for an average of 0.21 per game. That’s a significant rise from last year’s season-ending average. But it’s almost exactly the same as the average through the first two weeks of last season, when 40 targeting penalties were enforced in 180 contests (0.22).

Shaw said he believes more targeting penalties happen early in the season due to the relative lack of contact in preseason practices.

“If history holds and our players get better as we go through the season, it looks like our numbers pretty much on track with where we were last year,” Shaw said.

Fickell downplayed his postgame comments when he was asked about the issue again Monday.

“In the offseason you’ll bring it up, but I’m not going to spend a few days down there trying to change the world when everything within your own program is constantly changing,” Fickell said. “I’ll just voice my opinion again that somebody needs to take a good hard look at this because I would imagine there’s a lot of coaches that feel the same way.”

The NCAA targeting rule states that “no player shall target and make forcible contact against an opponent with the crown of their helmet.” It also says “no player shall target and make forcible contact to the head or neck area of a defenseless opponent with the helmet, forearm, hand, fist, elbow or shoulder.”

Vanderbilt coach Clark Lea said ejections “can become a pretty hefty penalty.” Lea said he’s heard suggestions about an NHL-type model in which players would miss a certain amount of time for targeting violations rather than getting tossed from the game.

“I understand the spirit of what we’re trying to do in terms of keeping the game safe, and I support that fully,” Lea said. “I think continuing to open up and say, ‘Is this the best penalty for a targeting foul?’ is a worthwhile conversation.”

Other coaches are OK with the rule the way it is.

“I remember when (ejections for) targeting first happened a decade ago or however long it is and everybody said, ‘Oh, this is going to change college football. You can’t play like this,’” TCU’s Sonny Dykes said. “And then what happens like anything else, the players adapt and adjust, and you don’t see that many targeting calls anymore. And as a result of that, you don’t see as many catastrophic injuries in college football.”

A 2020 rule change permitted players to remain on the sidelines after targeting penalties. They previously were escorted off the field and into the locker room.

Two years ago, an appeals process was introduced for players ejected in the second half of games. If a video review the following week determines the player shouldn’t have been penalized, he’s cleared to play in the first half of his next game.

The idea of having two degrees of targeting penalties – one of which wouldn’t result in an ejection – continues to encounter roadblocks.

Shaw said human nature would cause officials to try to avoid disqualifying players, similar to how they hand out more flagrant-1 fouls in college basketball than flagrant-2 fouls that result in ejections. He believes that would eventually make the punishment less effective in preventing dangerous hits.

“At the end of the day, what we’re trying to accomplish is changing the player behavior,” Shaw said. “Targeting with the disqualification is the one thing that captures their attention.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1726232363401.png" alt="Wisconsin coach Luke Fickell congratulates running back Chez Mellusi after scoring a touchdown against South Dakota. (AP Photo/Andy Manis)" />
 <figcaption>Wisconsin coach Luke Fickell congratulates running back Chez Mellusi after scoring a touchdown against South Dakota. (AP Photo/Andy Manis)</figcaption>
 </figure>MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Alabama and Wisconsin will both play the first half of Saturday’s intersectional matchup without a linebacker who was penalized for targeting a week earlier.Wisconsin coach Luke Fickell would prefer a scenario in which both the fourth-ranked Crimson Tide’s Justin Jefferson and the Badgers’ Jake Chaney could have avoided such a steep punishment.“I’ll look everybody in the face (and say) we’re wrong in college football to throw kids out of games,” Fickell said after the Badgers’ 27-13 victory over South Dakota.Fickell is hardly the only coach who believes targeting penalties shouldn’t result in automatic ejections, a rule that took effect in 2013. Players who get targeting penalties in the second half of games, as Jefferson and Chaney did last weekend, also must miss the first half of their teams’ next games.The policy doesn’t appear to be going away anytime soon.Steve Shaw, the NCAA’s national coordinator of officials, says the threat of ejection has been an effective deterrent. There were 0.16 targeting penalties enforced per game last season, which represented a three-year low.“Any time you can impact playing time, very similar to impacting finances in the NFL, it catches your attention,” Shaw said. “We can’t fine like the NFL does. So playing time is the most precious commodity that’s out there, and that’s what makes this penalty what it is.”The American Football Coaches Association proposed having two categories of targeting penalties five years ago. A more egregious violation would result in an ejection, while infractions deemed less serious would result in a penalty that allowed the player to remain in the game.“It was discussed, but it never got any traction with the NCAA,” AFCA executive director Craig Bohl said. Bohl added that if anyone wants to bring the topic up again at the annual AFCA convention in January, “we can certainly move that forward as a topic of discussion.”There have been 37 targeting penalties enforced through this season’s first 178 Bowl Subdivision games for an average of 0.21 per game. That’s a significant rise from last year’s season-ending average. But it’s almost exactly the same as the average through the first two weeks of last season, when 40 targeting penalties were enforced in 180 contests (0.22).Shaw said he believes more targeting penalties happen early in the season due to the relative lack of contact in preseason practices.“If history holds and our players get better as we go through the season, it looks like our numbers pretty much on track with where we were last year,” Shaw said.Fickell downplayed his postgame comments when he was asked about the issue again Monday.“In the offseason you’ll bring it up, but I’m not going to spend a few days down there trying to change the world when everything within your own program is constantly changing,” Fickell said. “I’ll just voice my opinion again that somebody needs to take a good hard look at this because I would imagine there’s a lot of coaches that feel the same way.”The NCAA targeting rule states that “no player shall target and make forcible contact against an opponent with the crown of their helmet.” It also says “no player shall target and make forcible contact to the head or neck area of a defenseless opponent with the helmet, forearm, hand, fist, elbow or shoulder.”Vanderbilt coach Clark Lea said ejections “can become a pretty hefty penalty.” Lea said he’s heard suggestions about an NHL-type model in which players would miss a certain amount of time for targeting violations rather than getting tossed from the game.“I understand the spirit of what we’re trying to do in terms of keeping the game safe, and I support that fully,” Lea said. “I think continuing to open up and say, ‘Is this the best penalty for a targeting foul?’ is a worthwhile conversation.”Other coaches are OK with the rule the way it is.“I remember when (ejections for) targeting first happened a decade ago or however long it is and everybody said, ‘Oh, this is going to change college football. You can’t play like this,’” TCU’s Sonny Dykes said. “And then what happens like anything else, the players adapt and adjust, and you don’t see that many targeting calls anymore. And as a result of that, you don’t see as many catastrophic injuries in college football.”A 2020 rule change permitted players to remain on the sidelines after targeting penalties. They previously were escorted off the field and into the locker room.Two years ago, an appeals process was introduced for players ejected in the second half of games. If a video review the following week determines the player shouldn’t have been penalized, he’s cleared to play in the first half of his next game.The idea of having two degrees of targeting penalties – one of which wouldn’t result in an ejection – continues to encounter roadblocks.Shaw said human nature would cause officials to try to avoid disqualifying players, similar to how they hand out more flagrant-1 fouls in college basketball than flagrant-2 fouls that result in ejections. He believes that would eventually make the punishment less effective in preventing dangerous hits.“At the end of the day, what we’re trying to accomplish is changing the player behavior,” Shaw said. “Targeting with the disqualification is the one thing that captures their attention.”

Should targeting penalties include ejections? Some coaches say no

NEW YORK (AP) — Major League Baseball teams will have advertising on their helmets during the postseason.

MLB said Friday it reached a deal for the postseason ads through 2027 with Strauss, a German apparel company that entered the U.S. market last year.

Ads of 5-by-0.92 inches (12.7-by-2.3 centimeters) will be on each side of every helmet featuring “STRAUSS” in capital letters in white alongside the company’s ostrich logo silhouetted by a red square, with an alternate color for red helmets.

Strauss also will appear on the helmets of the 120 affiliated minor league teams from 2025-27.

MLB previously had helmet ads in select international games dating to at least 2008 and has allowed jersey ads since 2023. The general use of ads was agreed to by the players’ association in the 2022 labor contract, and 23 of the 30 teams have jersey patch ads.

Engelbert Strauss GmbH &amp; Co. KG was founded in 1948.

Major League Soccer became the first of the major North American leagues to allow jersey ads in 2007. The NBA started selling sponsorship logos for the 2017-18 season, and the NHL launched helmet ads for the 2020-21 season and began jersey advertising the following season.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1726232092311.png" alt="This image provided by Major League Baseball shows Strauss branded batting helmets taken at Major League Baseball Headquarters, Thursday, Sept. 12, 2024, in New York. (Mary DeCicco/Major League Baseball via AP)" />
 <figcaption>This image provided by Major League Baseball shows Strauss branded batting helmets taken at Major League Baseball Headquarters, Thursday, Sept. 12, 2024, in New York. (Mary DeCicco/Major League Baseball via AP)</figcaption>
 </figure>NEW YORK (AP) — Major League Baseball teams will have advertising on their helmets during the postseason.MLB said Friday it reached a deal for the postseason ads through 2027 with Strauss, a German apparel company that entered the U.S. market last year.Ads of 5-by-0.92 inches (12.7-by-2.3 centimeters) will be on each side of every helmet featuring “STRAUSS” in capital letters in white alongside the company’s ostrich logo silhouetted by a red square, with an alternate color for red helmets.Strauss also will appear on the helmets of the 120 affiliated minor league teams from 2025-27.MLB previously had helmet ads in select international games dating to at least 2008 and has allowed jersey ads since 2023. The general use of ads was agreed to by the players’ association in the 2022 labor contract, and 23 of the 30 teams have jersey patch ads.Engelbert Strauss GmbH &amp; Co. KG was founded in 1948.Major League Soccer became the first of the major North American leagues to allow jersey ads in 2007. The NBA started selling sponsorship logos for the 2017-18 season, and the NHL launched helmet ads for the 2020-21 season and began jersey advertising the following season.

MLB teams to have helmet ads featuring German logo in postseason

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa sustained a concussion for the third time in his NFL career, leaving his team’s game Thursday night against Buffalo after running into defensive back Damar Hamlin and hitting the back of his head against the turf. Tagovailoa remained down for about two minutes before getting to his feet and walking to the sideline after the play in the third quarter. He made his way to the tunnel not long afterward, looking into the stands before smiling and departing toward the locker room. The Dolphins needed almost no time before announcing it was a concussion. The team said he had two during the 2022 season, and Tagovailoa was diagnosed with another concussion when he was a college player at Alabama. Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel said Tagovailoa would get “proper procedural evaluation” and “appropriate care” on Friday.

CLEVELAND (AP) — A woman accusing Deshaun Watson of sexual assault may meet in the next two weeks with the NFL, which is investigating the Cleveland Browns quarterback’s off-field behavior, the woman’s lawyer said Thursday. Attorney Tony Buzbee said in an email to several media outlets that his client,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/deshaun-watson-lawsuit-browns-b8363bddc1b70e367a94474d898de4ac">who filed a civil lawsuit in Houston on Monday</a>&nbsp;accusing Watson of sexual assault and battery, will soon speak with the league. Additionally, Buzbee, who represented two dozen other women in suits against Watson, said he has a video and two additional witnesses.&nbsp;Watson, who served an 11-game suspension to start the 2022 season over the earlier allegations, could face additional punishment if he did not disclose the incident with this woman during the league’s previous inquiries. This incident took place in 2020, according to the lawsuit.

SAN MARCOS, Texas (AP) — Sam Leavitt passed for a touchdown and ran for another, as Arizona State rallied twice to earn a tough 31-28 win over Texas State on Thursday night.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ap-football-player-of-week-6393783b3768b437ef9fa3fe480df31d">Cam Skattebo</a>&nbsp;ran for two short touchdowns, and the Sun Devils defense forced two fourth-quarter turnovers. The first, a fumble recovery, set up Ian Hershey’s short field goal with 6:29 left that proved to be the game winner for Arizona State. Arizona State is 3-0 heading into the program’s first Big 12 game next week at Texas Tech. The Sun Devils went 3-9 last season.

NEW YORK (AP) — Aaron Judge’s power outage set a personal record. Judge’s homerless streak stretched to a career-high 16 games as the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/red-sox-yankees-score-e191b9ed0377d09c75933ae307e7d925">New York Yankees beat the Boston Red Sox 2-1 in 10 innings</a>&nbsp;on Thursday night. Judge, who leads the major leagues with 51 homers and 126 RBIs, went 1 for 4 with a single and is batting .207 (12 for 58) with 21 strikeouts since Aug. 26, a day after he went deep twice against Colorado. He went homerless in 15 games from Aug. 17 through Sept. 2 in 2017. Judge hit a first-inning drive that Wilyer Abreu caught in front of the right-field wall and a 104.7 mph grounder that third baseman Rafael Devers grabbed with a spinning stop and turned into an inning-ending double play in the fifth.

THURSDAY'S SCORES National Football League

Buffalo 31, Miami 10 Major League Baseball American League

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1698749277422.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa sustained a concussion for the third time in his NFL career, leaving his team’s game Thursday night against Buffalo after running into defensive back Damar Hamlin and hitting the back of his head against the turf. Tagovailoa remained down for about two minutes before getting to his feet and walking to the sideline after the play in the third quarter. He made his way to the tunnel not long afterward, looking into the stands before smiling and departing toward the locker room. The Dolphins needed almost no time before announcing it was a concussion. The team said he had two during the 2022 season, and Tagovailoa was diagnosed with another concussion when he was a college player at Alabama. Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel said Tagovailoa would get “proper procedural evaluation” and “appropriate care” on Friday.CLEVELAND (AP) — A woman accusing Deshaun Watson of sexual assault may meet in the next two weeks with the NFL, which is investigating the Cleveland Browns quarterback’s off-field behavior, the woman’s lawyer said Thursday. Attorney Tony Buzbee said in an email to several media outlets that his client,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/deshaun-watson-lawsuit-browns-b8363bddc1b70e367a94474d898de4ac">who filed a civil lawsuit in Houston on Monday</a>&nbsp;accusing Watson of sexual assault and battery, will soon speak with the league. Additionally, Buzbee, who represented two dozen other women in suits against Watson, said he has a video and two additional witnesses.&nbsp;Watson, who served an 11-game suspension to start the 2022 season over the earlier allegations, could face additional punishment if he did not disclose the incident with this woman during the league’s previous inquiries. This incident took place in 2020, according to the lawsuit.SAN MARCOS, Texas (AP) — Sam Leavitt passed for a touchdown and ran for another, as Arizona State rallied twice to earn a tough 31-28 win over Texas State on Thursday night.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ap-football-player-of-week-6393783b3768b437ef9fa3fe480df31d">Cam Skattebo</a>&nbsp;ran for two short touchdowns, and the Sun Devils defense forced two fourth-quarter turnovers. The first, a fumble recovery, set up Ian Hershey’s short field goal with 6:29 left that proved to be the game winner for Arizona State. Arizona State is 3-0 heading into the program’s first Big 12 game next week at Texas Tech. The Sun Devils went 3-9 last season.NEW YORK (AP) — Aaron Judge’s power outage set a personal record. Judge’s homerless streak stretched to a career-high 16 games as the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/red-sox-yankees-score-e191b9ed0377d09c75933ae307e7d925">New York Yankees beat the Boston Red Sox 2-1 in 10 innings</a>&nbsp;on Thursday night. Judge, who leads the major leagues with 51 homers and 126 RBIs, went 1 for 4 with a single and is batting .207 (12 for 58) with 21 strikeouts since Aug. 26, a day after he went deep twice against Colorado. He went homerless in 15 games from Aug. 17 through Sept. 2 in 2017. Judge hit a first-inning drive that Wilyer Abreu caught in front of the right-field wall and a 104.7 mph grounder that third baseman Rafael Devers grabbed with a spinning stop and turned into an inning-ending double play in the fifth.THURSDAY'S SCORES National Football LeagueBuffalo 31, Miami 10 Major League Baseball American LeagueHouston 6, Oakland 3Tampa Bay 5, Cleveland 2NY Yankees 2, Boston 1 (10 inns)Texas 5, Seattle 4National LeagueSt. Louis 6, Cincinnati 1Miami 6, Washington 3Milwaukee 3, San Francisco 0InterleagueColorado 4, Detroit 2

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

By TODD MOORE Barton Sports Info

Barton Athletics will honor its first-ever men's basketball national championship team on Saturday, Sept. 21 at the Barton Gym.

The ceremony, including the presentation of championship rings, will take place immediately following the Cougars' volleyball team hosting Dodge City Community College in a 6 p.m. first serve.

Attendance for the volleyball match and ceremony to follow is free and open to the public.

An expected reunion of all members from the 2023-24 squad, the ceremony will present each with his championship ring signifying the program's trifecta of accomplishments including its first national team title in 56 seasons of competition.

Making the most of just its 5th national tournament appearance, the Cougars completed the third leg of its 2023-24 mission with an 88-73 victory over Triton College for its 27th straight victory to claim the program's first ever and College's 60th team national title.

On the way to the crown, Barton's 19th straight victory earned the program's first conference title since 2009 and its 10th overall before securing its 4th regional crown and first since 2001 in earning the top seed bullseye for the national tournament.

A season ending at 36-1 for the most wins in program history, the balanced squad landed seven members on the All-KJCCC/Region 6 post-season award list highlighted by Lajae Jones tabbed a NJCAA 2nd Team All-America selection becoming the program's 17th overall.

This will likely be your last chance to see each member of this incredible team altogether in person. Come cheer on the volleyball team and help us celebrate the 2023-2024 men's basketball team once more in style as they receive their championship rings!

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1726230635042.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>By TODD MOORE Barton Sports InfoBarton Athletics will honor its first-ever men's basketball national championship team on Saturday, Sept. 21 at the Barton Gym.The ceremony, including the presentation of championship rings, will take place immediately following the Cougars' volleyball team hosting Dodge City Community College in a 6 p.m. first serve.Attendance for the volleyball match and ceremony to follow is free and open to the public.An expected reunion of all members from the 2023-24 squad, the ceremony will present each with his championship ring signifying the program's trifecta of accomplishments including its first national team title in 56 seasons of competition.Making the most of just its 5th national tournament appearance, the Cougars completed the third leg of its 2023-24 mission with an 88-73 victory over Triton College for its 27th straight victory to claim the program's first ever and College's 60th team national title.On the way to the crown, Barton's 19th straight victory earned the program's first conference title since 2009 and its 10th overall before securing its 4th regional crown and first since 2001 in earning the top seed bullseye for the national tournament.A season ending at 36-1 for the most wins in program history, the balanced squad landed seven members on the All-KJCCC/Region 6 post-season award list highlighted by Lajae Jones tabbed a NJCAA 2nd Team All-America selection becoming the program's 17th overall.This will likely be your last chance to see each member of this incredible team altogether in person. Come cheer on the volleyball team and help us celebrate the 2023-2024 men's basketball team once more in style as they receive their championship rings!

Cougar basketball championship ring ceremony set for Sept. 21

When details from a scientific experiment that could have helped clear embattled Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva landed at the World Anti-Doping Agency, the leader of that organization’s reaction was unequivocal: “We have to stop that urgently,” he wrote.

No mention of the test ever became public and Valieva’s defense at the Court of Arbitration for Sport went on without it. What impact the information could have had on Valieva’s case is unclear, but without it, the skater, then 15 years old, was eventually disqualified from the 2022 Winter Olympics after testing positive for a banned heart medication that would later become the focal point of a contamination case involving a group of Chinese swimmers who were not sanctioned after testing positive.

Previously undisclosed details, including text exchanges between WADA’s director general and another agency executive about what might have been a helpful turn of events for Valieva during the investigation, were revealed to The Associated Press by people familiar with the case. The people shared the information on condition of anonymity due to fear of retribution.

The details painted a picture of WADA leadership wanting no connection to an experiment that could’ve supported Valieva’s contamination defense and had been initiated by Russia’s anti-doping agency, which at the time was noncompliant after years of wrongdoing. That status brought questions about whether international leaders were serious about making Russia follow the rules.

Would the report have made a difference in the outcome?

While it is unclear what impact the report would have had on the case, omitting it raises a murky question about the ethics of the move to suppress it.

On the one hand, to prove contamination, the world anti-doping code places the burden on athletes, not scientists or anti-doping agencies, to explain how banned substances got into their system — a burden that CAS ultimately said Valieva did not meet.

On the other hand, a passage in the WADA International Standard for Testing and Investigations says investigators “should consider all possible outcomes at each key stage of the investigation, and should seek to gather not only any available evidence indicating that there is a case to answer but also any available evidence indicating that there is no case to answer.”

There are also questions of whether WADA director general Olivier Niggli and others violated a standard WADA established when it created its Intelligence &amp; Investigations Unit that gave the department authority to operate independently from the rest of WADA, including its president and director general.

Upon learning of the experiment, Niggli texted Gunter Younger, the head of I&amp;I.

Parts of the message read: “Gunter we have a big issue. How come we have (former anti-doping lab director Martial) Saugy doing an opinion for Valieva, super favorable to her. ... If it is a RUSADA (Russian Anti-Doping Agency) opinion, we should absolutely not be involved in anyway. ... this is a big issue on our side to get involved in such an opinion that will be used in court. We have to stop that urgently.”

Could a smoothie have contained the drug that caused Valieva’s positive?

It was RUSADA, not WADA, that asked the questions that led to the experiment. But because RUSADA was noncompliant and considered a pariah in many parts of the anti-doping world, RUSADA followed the custom at the time and asked WADA to serve as an intermediary with Saugy.

In this case, WADA connected the Russians with the well-respected scientist, who conducted an experiment to see whether traces of a cut-up tablet of the banned drug Temozolomide, known as TMZ, could cause a positive test. The answer, according to the people with knowledge of the case who spoke to AP: yes.

This would have fit with one of the defenses the Russians were using for Valieva: that her grandfather made a strawberry smoothie for her, possibly using the same cutting board or utensils he used to cut TMZ tablets for himself. Using this defense, if Valieva could prove her grandfather made the smoothie and she drank it within a certain time frame before her positive test, there was a chance she could’ve received a “no-fault” positive due to contamination that would have resulted in a less-stringent sanction.

Sports’ highest court ultimately refused that defense, stating that while there were plausible scientific explanations for contamination, Valieva didn’t meet the burden of proving she drank a tainted smoothie within that time frame.

“It is inherently implausible that an athlete at this elite level would take a homemade strawberry dessert with her across Russia and eat it during a competition period,” the CAS panel wrote in shooting down the explanation that Valieva put the smoothie in a refrigerator on a train ride from Moscow to St. Petersburg, then ate it over a number of days.

Though sometimes seen as outlandish, these sort of contamination cases are fairly common in global anti-doping.

U.S. Open tennis champion Jannik Sinner recently had what could have been a substantial penalty reduced when he was able to prove a banned substance entered his system through a massage by his physiotherapist. One no-fault case stemmed from an athlete testing positive after giving her dog medicine that contained a banned substance. One punishment got reduced when a sprinter claimed he was contaminated after using a tainted male-enhancement product. Most common are cases that come from athletes ingesting banned substances by eating contaminated meat.

Parallels between Valieva’s case and the case involving Chinese swimmers

Valieva’s case involved a banned heart stimulant that is forbidden because it is known for helping the heart operate more efficiently, which can give athletes a clear advantage.

She has largely been seen as a victim who had no say in whether she wanted to use performance enhancers. Her case erupted at the Winter Olympics and wound through multiple courts until it was finally decided by CAS, which upheld her disqualification and awarded first place in the team competition to the Americans, who had finished a spot behind Valieva and her Russian teammates.

Was WADA helping China while not willing to extend help to Russia?

In China, 23 swimmers stayed eligible after testing positive for TMZ in December 2020, about seven months before the Tokyo Olympics. But unlike the episode involving Valieva, their case stayed completely under wraps until it was uncovered by German broadcaster ARD and The New York Times earlier this year.

WADA insists it operated according to the rules in the China case, but it still has been heavily scrutinized for not quickly publicizing details of the doping positives, as is customary in a no-fault contamination scenario.

An investigation it commissioned, full details of which are due out this week, found that WADA made a “reasonable decision” to take the path it did. The investigator, however, pointed out doubts that WADA’s own science director had about the Chinese saying that the contamination came from traces of TMZ scattered about a hotel kitchen.

Though the Russians also said Valieva was a victim of contamination, her case was handled differently.

The relationship between WADA and Russia has been tense, following 10 years of difficult and, some felt, duplicitous activity by the Russians as they sought to regain firm footing in international sports. Potentially the most embarrassing moment for WADA came in 2019 after it had, at the time, reinstated RUSADA, only to learn that Russians had missed a deadline to provide WADA with details related to a long-running doping scheme because they were tampering with the documents.

RUSADA later was declared noncompliant again. It was against this backdrop that WADA’s I&amp;I unit, acting as a conduit between Saugy and RUSADA, received a draft report of the Saugy experiment. As a matter of routine, the results were forwarded to the WADA general counsel.

Not long after, it became clear that the lawyer had shared the information with Niggli, who started the process of trying to tamp down the findings.

Neither WADA nor RUSADA advanced information about the Saugy experiment beyond that, and Valieva’s case reached its conclusion without details from the experiment being included.

Valieva ultimately received a four-year suspension that runs through 2025 — shortly before the start of the next Winter Olympics.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1726168531664.jpeg" alt="FILE - Russian Kamila Valieva competes in the women's free skate program during the figure skating competition at the 2023 Russian Figure Skating Grand Prix, the Golden Skate of Moscow, in Moscow, Nov. 26, 2023. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko)" />
 <figcaption>FILE - Russian Kamila Valieva competes in the women's free skate program during the figure skating competition at the 2023 Russian Figure Skating Grand Prix, the Golden Skate of Moscow, in Moscow, Nov. 26, 2023. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko)</figcaption>
 </figure>When details from a scientific experiment that could have helped clear embattled Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva landed at the World Anti-Doping Agency, the leader of that organization’s reaction was unequivocal: “We have to stop that urgently,” he wrote.No mention of the test ever became public and Valieva’s defense at the Court of Arbitration for Sport went on without it. What impact the information could have had on Valieva’s case is unclear, but without it, the skater, then 15 years old, was eventually disqualified from the 2022 Winter Olympics after testing positive for a banned heart medication that would later become the focal point of a contamination case involving a group of Chinese swimmers who were not sanctioned after testing positive.Previously undisclosed details, including text exchanges between WADA’s director general and another agency executive about what might have been a helpful turn of events for Valieva during the investigation, were revealed to The Associated Press by people familiar with the case. The people shared the information on condition of anonymity due to fear of retribution.The details painted a picture of WADA leadership wanting no connection to an experiment that could’ve supported Valieva’s contamination defense and had been initiated by Russia’s anti-doping agency, which at the time was noncompliant after years of wrongdoing. That status brought questions about whether international leaders were serious about making Russia follow the rules.Would the report have made a difference in the outcome?While it is unclear what impact the report would have had on the case, omitting it raises a murky question about the ethics of the move to suppress it.On the one hand, to prove contamination, the world anti-doping code places the burden on athletes, not scientists or anti-doping agencies, to explain how banned substances got into their system — a burden that CAS ultimately said Valieva did not meet.On the other hand, a passage in the WADA International Standard for Testing and Investigations says investigators “should consider all possible outcomes at each key stage of the investigation, and should seek to gather not only any available evidence indicating that there is a case to answer but also any available evidence indicating that there is no case to answer.”There are also questions of whether WADA director general Olivier Niggli and others violated a standard WADA established when it created its Intelligence &amp; Investigations Unit that gave the department authority to operate independently from the rest of WADA, including its president and director general.Upon learning of the experiment, Niggli texted Gunter Younger, the head of I&amp;I.Parts of the message read: “Gunter we have a big issue. How come we have (former anti-doping lab director Martial) Saugy doing an opinion for Valieva, super favorable to her. ... If it is a RUSADA (Russian Anti-Doping Agency) opinion, we should absolutely not be involved in anyway. ... this is a big issue on our side to get involved in such an opinion that will be used in court. We have to stop that urgently.”Could a smoothie have contained the drug that caused Valieva’s positive?It was RUSADA, not WADA, that asked the questions that led to the experiment. But because RUSADA was noncompliant and considered a pariah in many parts of the anti-doping world, RUSADA followed the custom at the time and asked WADA to serve as an intermediary with Saugy.In this case, WADA connected the Russians with the well-respected scientist, who conducted an experiment to see whether traces of a cut-up tablet of the banned drug Temozolomide, known as TMZ, could cause a positive test. The answer, according to the people with knowledge of the case who spoke to AP: yes.This would have fit with one of the defenses the Russians were using for Valieva: that her grandfather made a strawberry smoothie for her, possibly using the same cutting board or utensils he used to cut TMZ tablets for himself. Using this defense, if Valieva could prove her grandfather made the smoothie and she drank it within a certain time frame before her positive test, there was a chance she could’ve received a “no-fault” positive due to contamination that would have resulted in a less-stringent sanction.Sports’ highest court ultimately refused that defense, stating that while there were plausible scientific explanations for contamination, Valieva didn’t meet the burden of proving she drank a tainted smoothie within that time frame.“It is inherently implausible that an athlete at this elite level would take a homemade strawberry dessert with her across Russia and eat it during a competition period,” the CAS panel wrote in shooting down the explanation that Valieva put the smoothie in a refrigerator on a train ride from Moscow to St. Petersburg, then ate it over a number of days.Though sometimes seen as outlandish, these sort of contamination cases are fairly common in global anti-doping.U.S. Open tennis champion Jannik Sinner recently had what could have been a substantial penalty reduced when he was able to prove a banned substance entered his system through a massage by his physiotherapist. One no-fault case stemmed from an athlete testing positive after giving her dog medicine that contained a banned substance. One punishment got reduced when a sprinter claimed he was contaminated after using a tainted male-enhancement product. Most common are cases that come from athletes ingesting banned substances by eating contaminated meat.Parallels between Valieva’s case and the case involving Chinese swimmersValieva’s case involved a banned heart stimulant that is forbidden because it is known for helping the heart operate more efficiently, which can give athletes a clear advantage.She has largely been seen as a victim who had no say in whether she wanted to use performance enhancers. Her case erupted at the Winter Olympics and wound through multiple courts until it was finally decided by CAS, which upheld her disqualification and awarded first place in the team competition to the Americans, who had finished a spot behind Valieva and her Russian teammates.Was WADA helping China while not willing to extend help to Russia?In China, 23 swimmers stayed eligible after testing positive for TMZ in December 2020, about seven months before the Tokyo Olympics. But unlike the episode involving Valieva, their case stayed completely under wraps until it was uncovered by German broadcaster ARD and The New York Times earlier this year.WADA insists it operated according to the rules in the China case, but it still has been heavily scrutinized for not quickly publicizing details of the doping positives, as is customary in a no-fault contamination scenario.An investigation it commissioned, full details of which are due out this week, found that WADA made a “reasonable decision” to take the path it did. The investigator, however, pointed out doubts that WADA’s own science director had about the Chinese saying that the contamination came from traces of TMZ scattered about a hotel kitchen.Though the Russians also said Valieva was a victim of contamination, her case was handled differently.The relationship between WADA and Russia has been tense, following 10 years of difficult and, some felt, duplicitous activity by the Russians as they sought to regain firm footing in international sports. Potentially the most embarrassing moment for WADA came in 2019 after it had, at the time, reinstated RUSADA, only to learn that Russians had missed a deadline to provide WADA with details related to a long-running doping scheme because they were tampering with the documents.RUSADA later was declared noncompliant again. It was against this backdrop that WADA’s I&amp;I unit, acting as a conduit between Saugy and RUSADA, received a draft report of the Saugy experiment. As a matter of routine, the results were forwarded to the WADA general counsel.Not long after, it became clear that the lawyer had shared the information with Niggli, who started the process of trying to tamp down the findings.Neither WADA nor RUSADA advanced information about the Saugy experiment beyond that, and Valieva’s case reached its conclusion without details from the experiment being included.Valieva ultimately received a four-year suspension that runs through 2025 — shortly before the start of the next Winter Olympics.

Possible path to innocence for Russian skater was held back at WADA’s urging

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.

<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.