KANSAS CITY, Mo.
(AP) — MJ Melendez homered and drove in three runs, James McArthur
struck out three straight batters to end an eighth-inning threat, and
the Royals held on to beat the Guardians 7-6 on Tuesday night. Kansas
City has won five of its last six and ended a five-series losing
streak to the Guardians. The club will go for the sweep of its AL
Central rivals Wednesday. Alec Marsh earned the win for the Royals
after following opener Steven Cruz to the mound. Logan Allen took the
loss for Cleveland, allowing four runs on eight hits and two walks in
just three innings.

ST. LOUIS (AP) —
William Contreras homered and Tyrone Taylor scored twice and drove in
a run as the Milwaukee Brewers beat the St. Louis Cardinals 7-3.
Milwaukee stopped a two-game skid and reduced its magic number to
clinch the NL Central to six. Richie Palacios homered for the
last-place Cardinals, who were eliminated from playoff contention.
Contreras’ solo homer in the third snapped a 16-inning scoring
drought for Milwaukee. The Brewers opened the fourth with four
straight doubles. Willy Adames, Josh Donaldson, Taylor and Sal
Frelick all doubled and scored to give Milwaukee a 5-2 lead.

SAN DIEGO (AP) —
Blake Snell’s final start for the San Diego Padres at Petco Park,
it sure was a memorable one. The NL Cy Young Award contender lowered
his big league-leading ERA to 2.33 and struck out 10 in seven
brilliant innings for the Padres, who took a combined no-hitter into
the ninth before beating the Colorado Rockies 2-0 on Tuesday night.
Snell, Robert Suarez and All-Star closer Josh Hader finished with a
two-hitter. Xander Bogaerts hit a two-run homer with two outs in the
ninth to lift the Padres to their season-high sixth straight win.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla.
(AP) — Los Angeles Angels star Shohei Ohtani had elbow surgery
Tuesday, and his doctor said he expects the two-way star will be
available as a hitter on opening day next season and will return to
the mound as a pitcher in 2025. Ohtani tore the ulnar collateral
ligament in his right elbow on Aug. 23, ending his pitching season.
He continued as a batter through Sept. 3 until an oblique strain. Los
Angeles Dodgers head team physician Dr. Neal ElAttrache operated
Tuesday at the Cedars-Sinai Kerlan-Jobe Institute in Los Angeles. He
said in a statement that the sides decided to “reinforce the
healthy ligament in place,” suggesting the UCL wasn’t
reconstructed via Tommy John surgery. ElAttrache performed Tommy John
surgery on Ohtani on Oct. 1, 2018.

UNDATED (AP) —
Oklahoma vs. Cincinnati sounds like a dream bowl matchup — the
blueblood Sooners against one of the most consistent Group of Five
powers. In this wacky world of realignment, it’s a conference game.
No. 16 Oklahoma is one of the Big 12’s two ranked teams, making
this the kind of opportunity the Bearcats wanted when they jumped
from the American Athletic Conference. Newcomers Cincinnati, BYU,
Central Florida and Houston want to show they can compete in their
first year in their new conference. Old standbys like TCU and Kansas
State don’t want to get lost in the shuffle.

BOULDER, Colo. (AP)
— Colorado coach Deion Sanders has condemned the death threats sent
to Colorado State safety Henry Blackburn after his late hit that sent
Buffaloes star Travis Hunter to the hospital with a lacerated liver.
Sanders says he has forgiven Blackburn. So has the rest of the team,
including Hunter. The police are involved in the case given the
nature of the threats toward Blackburn and his family. Blackburn's
hit came early in the game, which Colorado won in double overtime.
Hunter doesn’t have a definitive timeline for a return. No. 19
Colorado plays at No. 10 Oregon on Saturday.

CLEVELAND (AP) —
Cleveland Browns star running back Nick Chubb will undergo surgery on
his left knee after suffering a gruesome season-ending injury Monday
night in Pittsburgh. A four-time Pro Bowler, Chubb got hurt when
Steelers safety Minkah Fitzpatrick tackled him low on a carry in the
second quarter. The impact buckled the same knee that Chubb injured
in 2015 at Georgia and had reconstructed. Coach Kevin Stefanski did
not have any specifics on Chubb’s injury or when he’ll have the
operation. The 27-year-old Chubb has rushed for 6,511 yards and
scored 48 touchdowns since being drafted in 2018. As Cleveland
regroups, the team brought in former Brown Kareem Hunt for a tryout.

NEW YORK (AP) —
Iowa basketball star Caitlin Clark has won the 93rd AAU James E.
Sullivan Award as the nation’s top collegiate or Olympic athlete.
Clark was honored at the New York Athletic Club. She was the
consensus national player of the year in women’s basketball. She
led the Hawkeyes to their first national title game appearance, where
they lost to LSU. Voting by the public as well as the AAU Sullivan
Award committee, AAU board of directors, sports media and past
winners determined the winner. The award also recognizes leadership,
citizenship, character and sportsmanship on and off the playing
field.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1694688181399.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY, Mo.
(AP) — MJ Melendez homered and drove in three runs, James McArthur
struck out three straight batters to end an eighth-inning threat, and
the Royals held on to beat the Guardians 7-6 on Tuesday night. Kansas
City has won five of its last six and ended a five-series losing
streak to the Guardians. The club will go for the sweep of its AL
Central rivals Wednesday. Alec Marsh earned the win for the Royals
after following opener Steven Cruz to the mound. Logan Allen took the
loss for Cleveland, allowing four runs on eight hits and two walks in
just three innings.ST. LOUIS (AP) —
William Contreras homered and Tyrone Taylor scored twice and drove in
a run as the Milwaukee Brewers beat the St. Louis Cardinals 7-3.
Milwaukee stopped a two-game skid and reduced its magic number to
clinch the NL Central to six. Richie Palacios homered for the
last-place Cardinals, who were eliminated from playoff contention.
Contreras’ solo homer in the third snapped a 16-inning scoring
drought for Milwaukee. The Brewers opened the fourth with four
straight doubles. Willy Adames, Josh Donaldson, Taylor and Sal
Frelick all doubled and scored to give Milwaukee a 5-2 lead.SAN DIEGO (AP) —
Blake Snell’s final start for the San Diego Padres at Petco Park,
it sure was a memorable one. The NL Cy Young Award contender lowered
his big league-leading ERA to 2.33 and struck out 10 in seven
brilliant innings for the Padres, who took a combined no-hitter into
the ninth before beating the Colorado Rockies 2-0 on Tuesday night.
Snell, Robert Suarez and All-Star closer Josh Hader finished with a
two-hitter. Xander Bogaerts hit a two-run homer with two outs in the
ninth to lift the Padres to their season-high sixth straight win.ST. PETERSBURG, Fla.
(AP) — Los Angeles Angels star Shohei Ohtani had elbow surgery
Tuesday, and his doctor said he expects the two-way star will be
available as a hitter on opening day next season and will return to
the mound as a pitcher in 2025. Ohtani tore the ulnar collateral
ligament in his right elbow on Aug. 23, ending his pitching season.
He continued as a batter through Sept. 3 until an oblique strain. Los
Angeles Dodgers head team physician Dr. Neal ElAttrache operated
Tuesday at the Cedars-Sinai Kerlan-Jobe Institute in Los Angeles. He
said in a statement that the sides decided to “reinforce the
healthy ligament in place,” suggesting the UCL wasn’t
reconstructed via Tommy John surgery. ElAttrache performed Tommy John
surgery on Ohtani on Oct. 1, 2018.UNDATED (AP) —
Oklahoma vs. Cincinnati sounds like a dream bowl matchup — the
blueblood Sooners against one of the most consistent Group of Five
powers. In this wacky world of realignment, it’s a conference game.
No. 16 Oklahoma is one of the Big 12’s two ranked teams, making
this the kind of opportunity the Bearcats wanted when they jumped
from the American Athletic Conference. Newcomers Cincinnati, BYU,
Central Florida and Houston want to show they can compete in their
first year in their new conference. Old standbys like TCU and Kansas
State don’t want to get lost in the shuffle.BOULDER, Colo. (AP)
— Colorado coach Deion Sanders has condemned the death threats sent
to Colorado State safety Henry Blackburn after his late hit that sent
Buffaloes star Travis Hunter to the hospital with a lacerated liver.
Sanders says he has forgiven Blackburn. So has the rest of the team,
including Hunter. The police are involved in the case given the
nature of the threats toward Blackburn and his family. Blackburn's
hit came early in the game, which Colorado won in double overtime.
Hunter doesn’t have a definitive timeline for a return. No. 19
Colorado plays at No. 10 Oregon on Saturday.CLEVELAND (AP) —
Cleveland Browns star running back Nick Chubb will undergo surgery on
his left knee after suffering a gruesome season-ending injury Monday
night in Pittsburgh. A four-time Pro Bowler, Chubb got hurt when
Steelers safety Minkah Fitzpatrick tackled him low on a carry in the
second quarter. The impact buckled the same knee that Chubb injured
in 2015 at Georgia and had reconstructed. Coach Kevin Stefanski did
not have any specifics on Chubb’s injury or when he’ll have the
operation. The 27-year-old Chubb has rushed for 6,511 yards and
scored 48 touchdowns since being drafted in 2018. As Cleveland
regroups, the team brought in former Brown Kareem Hunt for a tryout.NEW YORK (AP) —
Iowa basketball star Caitlin Clark has won the 93rd AAU James E.
Sullivan Award as the nation’s top collegiate or Olympic athlete.
Clark was honored at the New York Athletic Club. She was the
consensus national player of the year in women’s basketball. She
led the Hawkeyes to their first national title game appearance, where
they lost to LSU. Voting by the public as well as the AAU Sullivan
Award committee, AAU board of directors, sports media and past
winners determined the winner. The award also recognizes leadership,
citizenship, character and sportsmanship on and off the playing
field.TUESDAY SCORESINTERLEAGUEFinal	Washington	4	Chicago
White Sox	3	Final	Minnesota	7	Cincinnati	0	Final	L.A.
Dodgers	3	Detroit	2	AMERICAN LEAGUEFinal	Tampa
Bay	6	L.A. Angels	2	Final	Toronto	7	N.Y.
Yankees	1	Final	Kansas
City	7	Cleveland	6	Final	Texas	6	Boston	4	Final	Baltimore	9	Houston	5	Final	Seattle	7	Oakland	2	NATIONAL LEAGUEFinal	Miami	4	N.Y.
Mets	3	Final	Atlanta	9	Philadelphia	3	Final	Chicago
Cubs	14	Pittsburgh	1	Final	Milwaukee	7	St.
Louis	3	Final	Arizona	8	San
Francisco	4

Wednesday Sports Headlines and Scores presented by Barton Community College

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1693997740304.jpeg" alt="Tuesday show lineup with hosts Steve Webster, Mike Courson, Aaron Clark and Mike Hesher" />
 <figcaption>Tuesday show lineup with hosts Steve Webster, Mike Courson, Aaron Clark and Mike Hesher</figcaption>
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Tuesday on Sports Day (Watch)

MANHATTAN, Kan. – Kansas State head coach Jerome Tang filled his last scholarship for the 2023-24 season with the signing of big man Will McNair Jr. (Philadelphia, Pa./Martin Luther King/New Mexico State/Mississippi State) to a Financial Aid Agreement on Monday afternoon (September 18).

A 6-foot-11, 265-pound forward, McNair arrives at K-State after playing one season (2022-23) at Mississippi State, where he was part of a Bulldog team that won 21 games and advanced to the NCAA Tournament. He also spent 3 seasons (2019-22) at New Mexico State, where he helped the Aggies win 64 games and earn a pair of WAC regular-season championships (2020, 2022) to go with a run to the second round of the 2022 NCAA Tournament.

As a graduate transfer, McNair will have one year of eligibility remaining after the NCAA granted Fall 2020 and Winter 2021 sport student-athletes an additional year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

McNair gives the Wildcats yet more Division I experience, becoming the fourth impactful transfer signed by Tang since the end of the 2022-23 season, joining fellow graduate transfers Tylor Perry (Fort Coffee, Okla./Spiro/ Coffeyville CC/North Texas) and Ques Glover (Knoxville, Tenn./Bearden/Florida/Samford) as well as junior Arthur Kaluma (Glendale, Ariz./Dream City Christian/Creighton).

The quartet have combined for 3,307 points in 348 games played at the Division I level.

All told, McNair has seen action in 116 combined games with 29 starts in his college career at New Mexico State and Mississippi State, leading teams to an 85-34 (.714) record with a pair of 25-win seasons, two regular-season conference championship (2020, 2022), one tournament championship (2022) and an NCAA Tournament appearance in 2021-22.

McNair has scored nearly 500 points (3.9 ppg.) in his college career on 52.8 percent (196-of-371) shooting from the field to go with nearly 400 rebounds (3.4 rpg.) and 60 plus blocks (0.5 bpg.) while averaging just under 15 minutes (14.7 mpg.) per game. He has 14 career double-digit scoring games, including a career-high 18 points at UTEP on Dec. 3, 2021, while playing at New Mexico State.

McNair also has a pair of double-doubles in his playing career both coming during the 2021-22 season at New Mexico State. He scored 12 points to go with a career-best 15 rebounds vs. Indiana State on Nov. 21, 2021, while he had 14 points and 14 rebounds against Seattle on Feb. 21, 2022.

McNair played in 82 games with 37 starts in his New Mexico State career (2019-22), totaling 336 points (4.1 ppg.) on 55.8 percent (149-of-267) shooting with 278 rebounds (3.4 rpg.) and 46 blocks (0.6 bpg.) in 1,267 minutes (15.5 mpg.). His best season as an Aggie came during the school's remarkable run during the 2021-22 season, as the squad won 27 games, captured both the WAC regular-season and tournament championship and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament after an upset of UConn. He ranked fourth on the team in scoring (6.6 ppg.) and third in rebounding (5.0 rpg.) while hitting on 54.9 percent (101-of-184) from the field.

This past season, McNair helped Mississippi State to a 21-13 overall record, including an 8-10 mark in SEC play, and the school's first trip to the NCAA Tournament since 2019. He was one of 6 players to see action in all 34 games, averaging 3.3 points on 45.2 percent (47-of-104) shooting with 3.3 rebounds and 0.5 blocks in 12.6 minutes per game. He scored in double figures 3 times, including a season-high 13 points in a win over rival Ole Miss on Jan. 7, 2023, while twice he scored 10 points in games against Alabama (Dec. 28, 2022) and Florida (Jan. 21, 2023).

Originally from Philadelphia, McNair split his high school career between Parkway Center City Prep School and Martin Luther King High School. His teams averaged more than 19 wins during his junior and senior seasons.

The countdown for the start of the season is underway, as the 15-man roster officially opens practice on Monday, Sept. 25. The lone exhibition is set for Wednesday, Nov. 1 against Emporia State, while the squad hosts first-time opponent Bellarmine in the home opener on Friday, Nov. 10.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1695139080940.jpeg" alt="Kansas State Athletics" />
 <figcaption>Kansas State Athletics</figcaption>
 </figure>MANHATTAN, Kan. – Kansas State head coach Jerome Tang filled his last scholarship for the 2023-24 season with the signing of big man Will McNair Jr. (Philadelphia, Pa./Martin Luther King/New Mexico State/Mississippi State) to a Financial Aid Agreement on Monday afternoon (September 18).A 6-foot-11, 265-pound forward, McNair arrives at K-State after playing one season (2022-23) at Mississippi State, where he was part of a Bulldog team that won 21 games and advanced to the NCAA Tournament. He also spent 3 seasons (2019-22) at New Mexico State, where he helped the Aggies win 64 games and earn a pair of WAC regular-season championships (2020, 2022) to go with a run to the second round of the 2022 NCAA Tournament.As a graduate transfer, McNair will have one year of eligibility remaining after the NCAA granted Fall 2020 and Winter 2021 sport student-athletes an additional year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.McNair gives the Wildcats yet more Division I experience, becoming the fourth impactful transfer signed by Tang since the end of the 2022-23 season, joining fellow graduate transfers Tylor Perry (Fort Coffee, Okla./Spiro/ Coffeyville CC/North Texas) and Ques Glover (Knoxville, Tenn./Bearden/Florida/Samford) as well as junior Arthur Kaluma (Glendale, Ariz./Dream City Christian/Creighton).The quartet have combined for 3,307 points in 348 games played at the Division I level.All told, McNair has seen action in 116 combined games with 29 starts in his college career at New Mexico State and Mississippi State, leading teams to an 85-34 (.714) record with a pair of 25-win seasons, two regular-season conference championship (2020, 2022), one tournament championship (2022) and an NCAA Tournament appearance in 2021-22.McNair has scored nearly 500 points (3.9 ppg.) in his college career on 52.8 percent (196-of-371) shooting from the field to go with nearly 400 rebounds (3.4 rpg.) and 60 plus blocks (0.5 bpg.) while averaging just under 15 minutes (14.7 mpg.) per game. He has 14 career double-digit scoring games, including a career-high 18 points at UTEP on Dec. 3, 2021, while playing at New Mexico State.McNair also has a pair of double-doubles in his playing career both coming during the 2021-22 season at New Mexico State. He scored 12 points to go with a career-best 15 rebounds vs. Indiana State on Nov. 21, 2021, while he had 14 points and 14 rebounds against Seattle on Feb. 21, 2022.McNair played in 82 games with 37 starts in his New Mexico State career (2019-22), totaling 336 points (4.1 ppg.) on 55.8 percent (149-of-267) shooting with 278 rebounds (3.4 rpg.) and 46 blocks (0.6 bpg.) in 1,267 minutes (15.5 mpg.). His best season as an Aggie came during the school's remarkable run during the 2021-22 season, as the squad won 27 games, captured both the WAC regular-season and tournament championship and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament after an upset of UConn. He ranked fourth on the team in scoring (6.6 ppg.) and third in rebounding (5.0 rpg.) while hitting on 54.9 percent (101-of-184) from the field.This past season, McNair helped Mississippi State to a 21-13 overall record, including an 8-10 mark in SEC play, and the school's first trip to the NCAA Tournament since 2019. He was one of 6 players to see action in all 34 games, averaging 3.3 points on 45.2 percent (47-of-104) shooting with 3.3 rebounds and 0.5 blocks in 12.6 minutes per game. He scored in double figures 3 times, including a season-high 13 points in a win over rival Ole Miss on Jan. 7, 2023, while twice he scored 10 points in games against Alabama (Dec. 28, 2022) and Florida (Jan. 21, 2023).Originally from Philadelphia, McNair split his high school career between Parkway Center City Prep School and Martin Luther King High School. His teams averaged more than 19 wins during his junior and senior seasons.The countdown for the start of the season is underway, as the 15-man roster officially opens practice on Monday, Sept. 25. The lone exhibition is set for Wednesday, Nov. 1 against Emporia State, while the squad hosts first-time opponent Bellarmine in the home opener on Friday, Nov. 10.

Tang Signs Transfer Will McNair Jr.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Chiefs have relied for years on their dynamic offense to rescue their middle-of-the-road defense.

Given the makeup of the roster, and the way Patrick Mahomes and Co. have performed in a close loss to the Lions and their 17-9 win over the Jaguars, that could be the norm this season.

The Chiefs have struggled with dropped passes, wide receivers that have been unable to get open, an inconsistent run game and far too many penalties to effectively keep drives alive.

Oh, but that defense. Time after time, coordinator Steve Spagnuolo's bunch made plays to keep Kansas City in the game, holding Jacksonville to 271 yards and quarterback Trevor Lawrence to just 197 through the air.

“You know,” Chiefs coach Andy Reid said, “I'm an offensive guy, but that was a beautiful thing defensively. Offensively, we got to take care of the penalties and turnovers, but the battle-through-it showed me a little something.”

It certainly helped that the Chiefs had game-wrecking defensive tackle Chris Jones back on the field.

After finally agreeing to a reworked deal for this season, and ending a holdout that kept Jones out of the Detroit game, he not only made his debut but made an impact. Jones had 1 1/2 sacks and seemed to be in the Jacksonville backfield on every play.

“Yeah, defense was incredible.,” Mahomes said. “That’s a really good offense, and for them to shut them down — they were like, 0 for 4 in the red zone. Couple critical stops after we turned the ball over, and then three-and-out a couple of times, and they kept holding them to field goals. I mean, the defense won that game.”

Funny to hear that from someone on the offensive side of the ball.

So many times over the years, someone from the defensive side has said the same thing about their counterpart.

Alas, the Chiefs fumbled four times and lost two of them. Mahomes threw an interception for the second straight game. Right tackle Jawaan Taylor was penalized five times — two false starts, two holds and an illegal formation — and that contributed to the 12 penalties for 94 yards, which in turn played a role in the Chiefs going 4 for 13 on third down.

“It's hard for us to see — for everyone to see — because we've been such a prolific offense for so long, and we've started fast,” Mahomes said. “But if you don't execute at a high level in this league, you're not going to have success. You're not going to score touchdowns and have sustained drives. That's stuff we have to get better at.”

The Chiefs pass rush looked far more disruptive with Jones in the middle of the line than it did Week 1 against the Lions. Second-year pro George Karlaftis had 1 1/2 sacks and first-round pick Felix Anudike-Uzomah was in on the first sack of his career. And the Chiefs are now two games closer to getting defensive end Charles Omenihu back from his six-game NFL suspension.

Just about everyone's hands on offense need help. Sure, Stickum is illegal, but there has to be some other solution for a team that dropped eight passes against Detroit and fumbled four times against Jacksonville, including punt returner Richie James fumbling a chance deep in his own territory when he lost the ball in the Florida sun.

Wide receiver Skyy Moore was one of the biggest offenders when it came to dropped passes in Week 1. But he owned his poor performance, answering every question from reporters earlier in the week, and then played much better against the Jaguars. He had three catches on four targets for 70 yards and a touchdown.

James was supposed to be the sure-handed special teams standout that the Chiefs were missing last season when he came over from the Giants. But along with his mistake on punt return, James has failed to make much of an impact at wide receiver.

The Chiefs came out of their game against Jacksonville healthy. That includes tight end Travis Kelce, who hyperextended his knee the previous week and missed the opener against Detroit. He had four catches for 26 yards and a touchdown.

270: Reid moved into a tie with Hall of Fame coach Tom Landry for fourth on the NFL's career wins list. His next victory will break that tie and put him behind only Don Shula, Bill Belichick and George Halas.

The Chiefs return to Arrowhead Stadium on Sunday to face the Bears, who are 0-2 after losing to the Buccaneers last weekend.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Chiefs have relied for years on their dynamic offense to rescue their middle-of-the-road defense.On Sunday, it was the other way around.Given the makeup of the roster, and the way Patrick Mahomes and Co. have performed in a close loss to the Lions and their 17-9 win over the Jaguars, that could be the norm this season.The Chiefs have struggled with dropped passes, wide receivers that have been unable to get open, an inconsistent run game and far too many penalties to effectively keep drives alive.Oh, but that defense. Time after time, coordinator Steve Spagnuolo's bunch made plays to keep Kansas City in the game, holding Jacksonville to 271 yards and quarterback Trevor Lawrence to just 197 through the air.“You know,” Chiefs coach Andy Reid said, “I'm an offensive guy, but that was a beautiful thing defensively. Offensively, we got to take care of the penalties and turnovers, but the battle-through-it showed me a little something.”It certainly helped that the Chiefs had game-wrecking defensive tackle Chris Jones back on the field.After finally agreeing to a reworked deal for this season, and ending a holdout that kept Jones out of the Detroit game, he not only made his debut but made an impact. Jones had 1 1/2 sacks and seemed to be in the Jacksonville backfield on every play.“Yeah, defense was incredible.,” Mahomes said. “That’s a really good offense, and for them to shut them down — they were like, 0 for 4 in the red zone. Couple critical stops after we turned the ball over, and then three-and-out a couple of times, and they kept holding them to field goals. I mean, the defense won that game.”Funny to hear that from someone on the offensive side of the ball.So many times over the years, someone from the defensive side has said the same thing about their counterpart.Alas, the Chiefs fumbled four times and lost two of them. Mahomes threw an interception for the second straight game. Right tackle Jawaan Taylor was penalized five times — two false starts, two holds and an illegal formation — and that contributed to the 12 penalties for 94 yards, which in turn played a role in the Chiefs going 4 for 13 on third down.“It's hard for us to see — for everyone to see — because we've been such a prolific offense for so long, and we've started fast,” Mahomes said. “But if you don't execute at a high level in this league, you're not going to have success. You're not going to score touchdowns and have sustained drives. That's stuff we have to get better at.”WHAT’S WORKINGThe Chiefs pass rush looked far more disruptive with Jones in the middle of the line than it did Week 1 against the Lions. Second-year pro George Karlaftis had 1 1/2 sacks and first-round pick Felix Anudike-Uzomah was in on the first sack of his career. And the Chiefs are now two games closer to getting defensive end Charles Omenihu back from his six-game NFL suspension.WHAT NEEDS HELPJust about everyone's hands on offense need help. Sure, Stickum is illegal, but there has to be some other solution for a team that dropped eight passes against Detroit and fumbled four times against Jacksonville, including punt returner Richie James fumbling a chance deep in his own territory when he lost the ball in the Florida sun.STOCK UPWide receiver Skyy Moore was one of the biggest offenders when it came to dropped passes in Week 1. But he owned his poor performance, answering every question from reporters earlier in the week, and then played much better against the Jaguars. He had three catches on four targets for 70 yards and a touchdown.STOCK DOWNJames was supposed to be the sure-handed special teams standout that the Chiefs were missing last season when he came over from the Giants. But along with his mistake on punt return, James has failed to make much of an impact at wide receiver.INJURIESThe Chiefs came out of their game against Jacksonville healthy. That includes tight end Travis Kelce, who hyperextended his knee the previous week and missed the opener against Detroit. He had four catches for 26 yards and a touchdown.KEY NUMBERS270: Reid moved into a tie with Hall of Fame coach Tom Landry for fourth on the NFL's career wins list. His next victory will break that tie and put him behind only Don Shula, Bill Belichick and George Halas.NEXT STEPSThe Chiefs return to Arrowhead Stadium on Sunday to face the Bears, who are 0-2 after losing to the Buccaneers last weekend.

High-octane Chiefs relying on defense to keep them in early season games

AMERICAN
CONFERENCEEastW	L	T	Pct	PF	PAMiami	2	0	0	1.000	60	51Buffalo	1	1	0	.500	54	32N.Y.
Jets	1	1	0	.500	32	46New
England	0	2	0	.000	37	49SouthIndianapolis	1	1	0	.500	52	51Jacksonville	1	1	0	.500	40	38Tennessee	1	1	0	.500	42	40Houston	0	2	0	.000	29	56NorthBaltimore	2	0	0	1.000	52	33Cleveland	1	1	0	.500	46	29Pittsburgh	1	1	0	.500	33	52Cincinnati	0	2	0	.000	27	51WestKansas
City	1	1	0	.500	37	30Las
Vegas	1	1	0	.500	27	54Denver	0	2	0	.000	49	52L.A.
Chargers	0	2	0	.000	58	63NATIONAL
CONFERENCEEastW	L	T	Pct	PF	PADallas	2	0	0	1.000	70	10Philadelphia	2	0	0	1.000	59	48Washington	2	0	0	1.000	55	49N.Y.
Giants	1	1	0	.500	31	68SouthAtlanta	2	0	0	1.000	49	34New
Orleans	2	0	0	1.000	36	32Tampa
Bay	2	0	0	1.000	47	34Carolina	0	2	0	.000	27	44NorthDetroit	1	1	0	.500	52	57Green
Bay	1	1	0	.500	62	45Chicago	0	2	0	.000	37	65Minnesota	0	2	0	.000	45	54WestSan
Francisco	2	0	0	1.000	60	30L.A.
Rams	1	1	0	.500	53	43Seattle	1	1	0	.500	50	61

NFL Standings

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Patrick Mahomes has always been content in his contract with the Kansas City Chiefs, and confident that the team that drafted him in the first round in 2017 and helped him become one of the NFL's biggest stars would always take care of him.

The Chiefs agreed with the reigning league MVP on a restructuring of his 10-year, $450 million contract that gives Mahomes a big boost in pay over the next four seasons, two people familiar with the deal told The Associated Press. The people spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the contract.

The revised agreement pushes some of the money Mahomes was scheduled to make going forward to the next four years, and the $210.6 million over that span represents the most in NFL history. Mahomes is due to make $56.85 million this season, $44.5 million next season, $50 million in 2025 and $56.76 million for the 2026 season.

At that point, the Chiefs and Mahomes — who celebrated his 28th birthday Sunday with a 17-9 win in Jacksonville — are expected to revisit his contract, which ties him to the franchise through 2031.

“I know how special it is here and I know how special of a thing we've got going,” Mahomes said recently. “I stay out of contract stuff, but I know I'm lucky to be in this place and I want to go out and win as many championships as I can.”

Mahomes set the market with his original extension with Kansas City, which remains the largest overall deal in the NFL. But several quarterbacks had since passed him in average annual value, which naturally put Mahomes' deal back in the spotlight.

The rapidly inflating QB contracts began with Deshaun Watson's $230 million deal with Cleveland last year. Jalen Hurts then agreed to a $255 million contract with the Eagles, the Ravens' Lamar Jackson signed a five-year, $260 million extension, and the Chargers Justin Herbert reached a five-year, $262.5 million extension with the AFC West-rival Chargers.

Then, just over a week ago, Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow — one of Mahomes' burgeoning rivals — signed a five-year, $275 million contract making him the NFL's highest-paid player on an annual basis at $55 million per year.

“Me, my agent and the team always keep open communication,” Mahomes said during the offseason. “We try to do whatever is the best for the team but obviously I want to do the best for myself as well. But at the same time, I’ve always said, ‘I worry about legacy and winning rings more than making money at this moment.’ But I know we keep communication.

“We see what’s going on around the league,” he added, “but at the same time, I’ll never do anything that’s going to hurt us from keeping the great players that around me. So, it’s kind of teetering around that line.”

The Chiefs were waiting to see how the market for Herbert and Burrow would develop before reworking Mahomes' deal. They also needed to reach an agreement with All-Pro defensive tackle Chris Jones, who held out through Week 1, so they would know where they stood relative to the salary cap this season and beyond.

Jones agreed last week to a reworked one-year deal that got him back on the field for Sunday’s game in Jacksonville.

Mahomes was asked regularly about Jones during his holdout, and that in turn led to questions about his own contract. And the perpetually poised Mahomes insisted he would rather have a fair deal that gave Kansas City financial flexibility to surround him with good players — and win more than the two Super Bowl titles on his resume — than be the league's highest-paid player.

Mahomes is coming off perhaps the best season of his career, throwing for a franchise-record 5,250 yards along with a league-leading 41 touchdown passes and only 12 interceptions. He also proved his toughness once more in the playoffs, when he hurt his ankle in the divisional round against the Jaguars but the led the Chiefs all the way to the Super Bowl.

Mahomes aggravated it against the Eagles but still rallied his team in the second half to raise his second Lombardi Trophy.

The ties binding Mahomes to Kansas City have grown substantially over the year. He has an ownership stake in the Kansas City Royals, who play just across the parking lot from Arrowhead Stadium, along with Sporting Kansas City of Major League Soccer, and his wife Brittany has an ownership share of the Kansas City Current, the professional women's soccer team.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Patrick Mahomes has always been content in his contract with the Kansas City Chiefs, and confident that the team that drafted him in the first round in 2017 and helped him become one of the NFL's biggest stars would always take care of him.They did that again on Monday.The Chiefs agreed with the reigning league MVP on a restructuring of his 10-year, $450 million contract that gives Mahomes a big boost in pay over the next four seasons, two people familiar with the deal told The Associated Press. The people spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the contract.The revised agreement pushes some of the money Mahomes was scheduled to make going forward to the next four years, and the $210.6 million over that span represents the most in NFL history. Mahomes is due to make $56.85 million this season, $44.5 million next season, $50 million in 2025 and $56.76 million for the 2026 season.At that point, the Chiefs and Mahomes — who celebrated his 28th birthday Sunday with a 17-9 win in Jacksonville — are expected to revisit his contract, which ties him to the franchise through 2031.“I know how special it is here and I know how special of a thing we've got going,” Mahomes said recently. “I stay out of contract stuff, but I know I'm lucky to be in this place and I want to go out and win as many championships as I can.”Mahomes set the market with his original extension with Kansas City, which remains the largest overall deal in the NFL. But several quarterbacks had since passed him in average annual value, which naturally put Mahomes' deal back in the spotlight.The rapidly inflating QB contracts began with Deshaun Watson's $230 million deal with Cleveland last year. Jalen Hurts then agreed to a $255 million contract with the Eagles, the Ravens' Lamar Jackson signed a five-year, $260 million extension, and the Chargers Justin Herbert reached a five-year, $262.5 million extension with the AFC West-rival Chargers.Then, just over a week ago, Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow — one of Mahomes' burgeoning rivals — signed a five-year, $275 million contract making him the NFL's highest-paid player on an annual basis at $55 million per year.“Me, my agent and the team always keep open communication,” Mahomes said during the offseason. “We try to do whatever is the best for the team but obviously I want to do the best for myself as well. But at the same time, I’ve always said, ‘I worry about legacy and winning rings more than making money at this moment.’ But I know we keep communication.“We see what’s going on around the league,” he added, “but at the same time, I’ll never do anything that’s going to hurt us from keeping the great players that around me. So, it’s kind of teetering around that line.”The Chiefs were waiting to see how the market for Herbert and Burrow would develop before reworking Mahomes' deal. They also needed to reach an agreement with All-Pro defensive tackle Chris Jones, who held out through Week 1, so they would know where they stood relative to the salary cap this season and beyond.Jones agreed last week to a reworked one-year deal that got him back on the field for Sunday’s game in Jacksonville.Mahomes was asked regularly about Jones during his holdout, and that in turn led to questions about his own contract. And the perpetually poised Mahomes insisted he would rather have a fair deal that gave Kansas City financial flexibility to surround him with good players — and win more than the two Super Bowl titles on his resume — than be the league's highest-paid player.Mahomes is coming off perhaps the best season of his career, throwing for a franchise-record 5,250 yards along with a league-leading 41 touchdown passes and only 12 interceptions. He also proved his toughness once more in the playoffs, when he hurt his ankle in the divisional round against the Jaguars but the led the Chiefs all the way to the Super Bowl.Mahomes aggravated it against the Eagles but still rallied his team in the second half to raise his second Lombardi Trophy.The ties binding Mahomes to Kansas City have grown substantially over the year. He has an ownership stake in the Kansas City Royals, who play just across the parking lot from Arrowhead Stadium, along with Sporting Kansas City of Major League Soccer, and his wife Brittany has an ownership share of the Kansas City Current, the professional women's soccer team.

Chiefs, Mahomes agree to restructured deal to include big pay raise, AP source says

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Royals could have long ago given up on the season.

Would have been easy to give up on Monday's game against Cleveland, too.

Yet despite trailing by two heading into the eighth inning, the Royals kept on fighting. And the club trying desperately to avoid finishing with the worst record in franchise history managed to come all the way back, with Drew Waters capping a two-out rally with a two-run double that sent Kansas City to a 6-4 victory over the Guardians.

“It shows we're capable of beating really good teams,” Waters said, “and finishing the season on a high note.”

The Royals (49-102) trailed 4-2 when Kyle Isbel drew a leadoff walk in the eighth against Trevor Stephan. The reliever retired the next two batters before walking MJ Melendez and hitting Nelson Velázquez, which loaded the bases for Michael Massey, whose own walk off Stephan (6-7) scored a run to trim the Guardians' advantage in half.

Cleveland manager Terry Francona brought in Enyel De Los Santos to face Waters, and his double to left gave the Royals the lead. A wild pitch from De Los Santos allowed Massey to score and give Kansas City's bullpen a cushion.

Jackson Kowar (2-0) earned the win with a scoreless inning. James McArthur handled the ninth for his first big league save.

“Opportunistic, you know what I mean?” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said. “You've got to take advantage of what they give you. Sometimes that's doing less, you know? Taking the walks.”

Gabrial Arias homered and drove in a pair of runs for Cleveland, which squandered another strong start by Cal Quantrill. He allowed two runs and five hits with three strikeouts and no walks in 5 2/3 innings but was left watching from the dugout as the Guardians wasted a chance to make him 7-0 in 10 appearances against Kansas City.

On the flip side, Royals starter Brady Singer continued his late-season slump. He allowed four runs on eight hits and two walks over six innings, and the right-hander has not won since Aug. 8 in Boston.

The Guardians were coming off a sweep of the AL West-contending Rangers, but they are 72-79 and need to win nine of their last 11 games to avoid only their second losing season under Francona, who was left to lament a series of missed opportunities on the basepaths earlier in the game.

“We always talk about being aggressive and intelligent,” he said. “One without the other doesn't help enough.”

Bo Naylor's double and Myles Straw's sacrifice staked Cleveland to a 2-0 lead. And after the Royals got one back in the third, Gabriel Arias homered in the fourth and added a sacrifice fly in the sixth to push the advantage to 4-1.

Nelson Velázquez, who has been a rare bright spot during a dismal year in Kansas City, homered with two out in the sixth, and the game remained that way until the Royals put together their eighth-inning rally.

“That's really something we've talked about all year,” Singer said, “having the fight to come back.”

José Ramírez stole his 200th career base in the third inning. The five-time All-Star, whose 216th homer Sunday tied him with Carlos Santana and Hal Trosky for fifth-most in club history, became the 11th player in major league history with at least 200 steals and 200 homers through their age-30 season.

The Royals placed All-Star catcher Salvador Perez on the seven-day concussion list after he took a foul ball off his mask during Saturday's win over Houston. Perez was initially diagnosed with a “non-concussive head injury,” but a follow-up exam revealed minor symptoms. Quatraro said he hopes Perez will be back before the end of the season.

In corresponding moves, the Royals selected the contract of Tyler Cropley from Triple-A Omaha and transferred fellow catcher Freddy Fermin to the 60-day injured list. Cropley spent two days with the club earlier this season but has yet to debut.

Guardians rookie Tanner Bibee was shut down for the season after the 24-year-old right-hander came out of Saturday's game against Texas with tightness in his hip. Bibee did not make the trip to Kansas City so that he could receive more treatment for the inflammation. He finished 10-4 with a 2.98 ERA in 25 starts this season.

The Guardians will start LHP Logan Allen (7-7, 3.60) on Tuesday night. The Royals had yet to announce a starting pitcher.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Royals could have long ago given up on the season.Would have been easy to give up on Monday's game against Cleveland, too.Yet despite trailing by two heading into the eighth inning, the Royals kept on fighting. And the club trying desperately to avoid finishing with the worst record in franchise history managed to come all the way back, with Drew Waters capping a two-out rally with a two-run double that sent Kansas City to a 6-4 victory over the Guardians.“It shows we're capable of beating really good teams,” Waters said, “and finishing the season on a high note.”The Royals (49-102) trailed 4-2 when Kyle Isbel drew a leadoff walk in the eighth against Trevor Stephan. The reliever retired the next two batters before walking MJ Melendez and hitting Nelson Velázquez, which loaded the bases for Michael Massey, whose own walk off Stephan (6-7) scored a run to trim the Guardians' advantage in half.Cleveland manager Terry Francona brought in Enyel De Los Santos to face Waters, and his double to left gave the Royals the lead. A wild pitch from De Los Santos allowed Massey to score and give Kansas City's bullpen a cushion.Jackson Kowar (2-0) earned the win with a scoreless inning. James McArthur handled the ninth for his first big league save.“Opportunistic, you know what I mean?” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said. “You've got to take advantage of what they give you. Sometimes that's doing less, you know? Taking the walks.”Gabrial Arias homered and drove in a pair of runs for Cleveland, which squandered another strong start by Cal Quantrill. He allowed two runs and five hits with three strikeouts and no walks in 5 2/3 innings but was left watching from the dugout as the Guardians wasted a chance to make him 7-0 in 10 appearances against Kansas City.On the flip side, Royals starter Brady Singer continued his late-season slump. He allowed four runs on eight hits and two walks over six innings, and the right-hander has not won since Aug. 8 in Boston.The Guardians were coming off a sweep of the AL West-contending Rangers, but they are 72-79 and need to win nine of their last 11 games to avoid only their second losing season under Francona, who was left to lament a series of missed opportunities on the basepaths earlier in the game.“We always talk about being aggressive and intelligent,” he said. “One without the other doesn't help enough.”Bo Naylor's double and Myles Straw's sacrifice staked Cleveland to a 2-0 lead. And after the Royals got one back in the third, Gabriel Arias homered in the fourth and added a sacrifice fly in the sixth to push the advantage to 4-1.Nelson Velázquez, who has been a rare bright spot during a dismal year in Kansas City, homered with two out in the sixth, and the game remained that way until the Royals put together their eighth-inning rally.“That's really something we've talked about all year,” Singer said, “having the fight to come back.”KEEP ON RUNNINGJosé Ramírez stole his 200th career base in the third inning. The five-time All-Star, whose 216th homer Sunday tied him with Carlos Santana and Hal Trosky for fifth-most in club history, became the 11th player in major league history with at least 200 steals and 200 homers through their age-30 season.PEREZ TO CONCUSSION LISTThe Royals placed All-Star catcher Salvador Perez on the seven-day concussion list after he took a foul ball off his mask during Saturday's win over Houston. Perez was initially diagnosed with a “non-concussive head injury,” but a follow-up exam revealed minor symptoms. Quatraro said he hopes Perez will be back before the end of the season.In corresponding moves, the Royals selected the contract of Tyler Cropley from Triple-A Omaha and transferred fellow catcher Freddy Fermin to the 60-day injured list. Cropley spent two days with the club earlier this season but has yet to debut.BIBEE SHUT DOWNGuardians rookie Tanner Bibee was shut down for the season after the 24-year-old right-hander came out of Saturday's game against Texas with tightness in his hip. Bibee did not make the trip to Kansas City so that he could receive more treatment for the inflammation. He finished 10-4 with a 2.98 ERA in 25 starts this season.UP NEXTThe Guardians will start LHP Logan Allen (7-7, 3.60) on Tuesday night. The Royals had yet to announce a starting pitcher.

Royals rally with 4 runs in the eighth to beat the Guardians 6-4

No. 13 Alabama is out of the top 10 of The Associated Press college football poll for the first time in eight years and Georgia remains No. 1. The Bulldogs received 57 first-place votes in the AP Top 25. Michigan held at No. 2 with two first-place votes. No. 3 Texas flipped spots with No. 4 Florida State. The Longhorns received three first-place votes and the Seminoles got one. After scraping by South Florida on Saturday, Alabama saw its streak of consecutive AP poll appearances ranked in the top 10 snapped at 128.

Others receiving votes: Clemson 76, Missouri 72, Kansas St. 54, TCU 21, Fresno St. 17, Kansas 15, Tulane 13, Kentucky 10, Maryland 4, BYU 3, Wisconsin 2, Syracuse 2, Louisville 1, Auburn 1.

No. 13 Alabama is out of the top 10 of The Associated Press college football poll for the first time in eight years and Georgia remains No. 1. The Bulldogs received 57 first-place votes in the AP Top 25. Michigan held at No. 2 with two first-place votes. No. 3 Texas flipped spots with No. 4 Florida State. The Longhorns received three first-place votes and the Seminoles got one. After scraping by South Florida on Saturday, Alabama saw its streak of consecutive AP poll appearances ranked in the top 10 snapped at 128.Record	Pts	Prv1. Georgia (57)	3-0	1566	12. Michigan (2)	3-0	1481	23. Texas (3)	3-0	1380	44. Florida St. (1)	3-0	1378	35. Southern Cal	3-0	1296	56. Ohio St.	3-0	1291	67. Penn St.	3-0	1217	78. Washington	3-0	1194	89. Notre Dame	4-0	1066	910. Oregon	3-0	942	1311. Utah	3-0	921	1212. LSU	2-1	805	1413. Alabama	2-1	796	1014. Oregon St.	3-0	715	1615. Mississippi	3-0	657	1716. Oklahoma	3-0	606	1917. North Carolina	3-0	567	2018. Duke	3-0	530	2119. Colorado	3-0	509	1820. Miami	3-0	359	2221. Washington St.	3-0	278	2322. UCLA	3-0	204	2423. Tennessee	2-1	198	1124. Iowa	3-0	125	2525. Florida	2-1	103	-Others receiving votes: Clemson 76, Missouri 72, Kansas St. 54, TCU 21, Fresno St. 17, Kansas 15, Tulane 13, Kentucky 10, Maryland 4, BYU 3, Wisconsin 2, Syracuse 2, Louisville 1, Auburn 1.

No. 13 Alabama is out of the top 10 for the first time since 2015. Georgia remains No. 1

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Yordan Alvarez and Jake Meyers homered and Framber Valdez pitched seven strong innings as the Houston Astros beat the Kansas City Royals 7-1 on Sunday.

The Astros salvaged the final game of the series, expanding their American League West lead to 1 1/2 games as Texas lost to Cleveland 9-2.

Valdez pitched around three Astros errors for his fifth consecutive quality start, allowing one unearned run on five hits and a walk, striking out five.

“You go through streaks where you’re not yourself,” Astros manager Dusty Baker said. “Then you go through streaks where you’re adding on and adding on and getting consecutive games, and you confidence grows. We need Framber, and it was big for him.”

“He located his fastball really well,” said Royals second baseman Nick Loftin. “We weren’t able to string together hits consecutively when we needed to. He did really well commanding the zone.”

Falling behind early, Valdez (12-10) had trouble locating his changeup. He threw first-pitch strikes to 11 of 26 batters while missing the strike zone with 16 of 39 changeups, but induced a pair of double plays to escape late-inning jams.

“The movement was inconsistent,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said. “Some of them ran more, some of them didn’t much at all. Some of them cut. He kept the ball down, certainly. The double plays were huge.”

Meyers led off the fourth with his 10th homer and Alvarez hit his 28th leading off the fifth, the 38th allowed by Jordan Lyles (4-17), tying a Royals record. Kansas City is 48-102.

“Missed locations,” Lyles said. “I got a swing-and-miss (by Alvarez) with a cutter up and in, and tried to go back to that spot, a little bit farther in, and it went the opposite way, went middle-middle. Good hitters make you pay on those mistakes and he’s a really good hitter.”

Houston collected leadoff hits in all but one inning against Lyles, who limited the damage as the Astros were 2-for-13 with runners in scoring position. He completed six innings, allowing four runs on six hits and a walk with six strikeouts.

“Gave up a two spot, then (homers) back to back innings after that,” Lyles said. “Good offenses make you work. They made me work in the first, in the third, the fourth, fifth. Hats off to them.”

Drew Waters’ sacrifice fly opened the scoring. After Logan Porter reached on Valdez’s throwing error and threw wildly to first, Loftin advanced to third. Porter was later awarded second as first baseman José Abreu threw his glove at Valdez’s wild throw for a second error on the same play.

Houston tied the game on José Abreu’s sacrifice fly in the third before Chas McCormick’s two-out RBI single gave the Astros a 2-1 lead. McCormick had three of Houston’s nine hits and stole two bases.

“I thought we hit well, put up good at-bats,” McCormick said. “With Framber on the mound and losing the last two, we had to finish the series strong. It was nice to come out there and show some energy and put up a good game.”

Meyers’ triple and Jose Altuve’s third hit highlighted a three-run ninth inning.

With a perfect eighth, Bryan Abreu extended his scoreless streak to 21 2/3 innings, matching a career high with the majors’ longest active streak.

Loftin had two of Kansas City’s six hits as the Royals four-game win streak ended.

Astros: RHP Justin Verlander (11-8, 3.39 ERA) opposes Orioles LHP John Means (0-1, 5.40)

Royals: RHP Brady Singer (8-11, 5.51) opposes Guardians RHP Cal Quantrill (3-6, 5.40)

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Yordan Alvarez and Jake Meyers homered and Framber Valdez pitched seven strong innings as the Houston Astros beat the Kansas City Royals 7-1 on Sunday.The Astros salvaged the final game of the series, expanding their American League West lead to 1 1/2 games as Texas lost to Cleveland 9-2.Valdez pitched around three Astros errors for his fifth consecutive quality start, allowing one unearned run on five hits and a walk, striking out five.“You go through streaks where you’re not yourself,” Astros manager Dusty Baker said. “Then you go through streaks where you’re adding on and adding on and getting consecutive games, and you confidence grows. We need Framber, and it was big for him.”“He located his fastball really well,” said Royals second baseman Nick Loftin. “We weren’t able to string together hits consecutively when we needed to. He did really well commanding the zone.”Falling behind early, Valdez (12-10) had trouble locating his changeup. He threw first-pitch strikes to 11 of 26 batters while missing the strike zone with 16 of 39 changeups, but induced a pair of double plays to escape late-inning jams.“The movement was inconsistent,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said. “Some of them ran more, some of them didn’t much at all. Some of them cut. He kept the ball down, certainly. The double plays were huge.”Meyers led off the fourth with his 10th homer and Alvarez hit his 28th leading off the fifth, the 38th allowed by Jordan Lyles (4-17), tying a Royals record. Kansas City is 48-102.“Missed locations,” Lyles said. “I got a swing-and-miss (by Alvarez) with a cutter up and in, and tried to go back to that spot, a little bit farther in, and it went the opposite way, went middle-middle. Good hitters make you pay on those mistakes and he’s a really good hitter.”Houston collected leadoff hits in all but one inning against Lyles, who limited the damage as the Astros were 2-for-13 with runners in scoring position. He completed six innings, allowing four runs on six hits and a walk with six strikeouts.“Gave up a two spot, then (homers) back to back innings after that,” Lyles said. “Good offenses make you work. They made me work in the first, in the third, the fourth, fifth. Hats off to them.”Drew Waters’ sacrifice fly opened the scoring. After Logan Porter reached on Valdez’s throwing error and threw wildly to first, Loftin advanced to third. Porter was later awarded second as first baseman José Abreu threw his glove at Valdez’s wild throw for a second error on the same play.Houston tied the game on José Abreu’s sacrifice fly in the third before Chas McCormick’s two-out RBI single gave the Astros a 2-1 lead. McCormick had three of Houston’s nine hits and stole two bases.“I thought we hit well, put up good at-bats,” McCormick said. “With Framber on the mound and losing the last two, we had to finish the series strong. It was nice to come out there and show some energy and put up a good game.”Meyers’ triple and Jose Altuve’s third hit highlighted a three-run ninth inning.With a perfect eighth, Bryan Abreu extended his scoreless streak to 21 2/3 innings, matching a career high with the majors’ longest active streak.Loftin had two of Kansas City’s six hits as the Royals four-game win streak ended.UP NEXTAstros: RHP Justin Verlander (11-8, 3.39 ERA) opposes Orioles LHP John Means (0-1, 5.40)Royals: RHP Brady Singer (8-11, 5.51) opposes Guardians RHP Cal Quantrill (3-6, 5.40)

Homers by Alvarez, Meyers support Valdez’s 7 strong innings in Astros 7-1 win over Royals

JACKSONVILLE, Fla.
(AP) — Patrick Mahomes threw two touchdown passes, including one to
returning star Travis Kelce, and the Kansas City Chiefs overcame
three early turnovers to beat Jacksonville 17-9 for their third
victory against the Jaguars in 10 months. The Chiefs (1-1) won their
eighth consecutive in the series and avoided becoming the first
defending Super Bowl champion to start 0-2 since Denver in 1999. The
Jaguars (1-1), who insisted all week they owed the Chiefs because of
a loss in the divisional round of the AFC playoffs in January, pretty
much no-showed in their home opener.

DENVER (AP) — The
Washington Redskins secured their first 2-0 start in 12 years with a
35-33 win over the Denver Broncos. Sam Howell threw for two
touchdowns in his first road start and rallied Washington from an
18-point deficit, the second-biggest comeback in franchise history.
The Commanders held on after Russell Wilson connected with Brandon
Johnson on a 50-yard Hail Mary that was deflected multiple times.
Wilson tried to hit Courtland Sutton for the tying 2-point
conversion, but cornerback Benjamin St-Juste broke it up. St-Juste
appeared to get away with pass interference, but no flag was thrown.

CINCINNATI (AP) —
Joe Burrow’s calf is sore again, and that means this year’s 0-2
start may not be like last year’s for the Bengals. Cincinnati lost
its first two games in 2022 but rallied behind Burrow to finish 12-4
and win the AFC North. This year has been even rougher thus far.
Burrow missed training camp with a calf injury, then came out with a
dud in a season-opening loss to Cleveland. Burrow was better Sunday
in a 27-24 loss to the Baltimore Ravens, but he was seen massaging
his calf on the sideline late in the fourth quarter. He says he'll
have to see how it feels in the next couple of days.

ARLINGTON, Texas
(AP) — Dak Prescott threw for two touchdowns, Zach Wilson had three
interceptions in his first start after Aaron Rodgers’ season-ending
Achilles tendon injury and the Cowboys beat the New York Jets 30-10.
CeeDee Lamb had 143 yards receiving and Brandon Aubrey kicked five
field goals as the Cowboys finished a season-opening sweep of the New
York teams. Wilson had a 68-yard touchdown pass to Garrett Wilson to
get the 1-1 Jets within three points in the second quarter. But New
York had just 147 yards otherwise and four second-half turnovers.

UNDATED (AP) — No.
13 Alabama is out of the top 10 of The Associated Press college
football poll for the first time in eight years and Georgia remains
No. 1. The Bulldogs received 57 first-place votes in the AP Top 25.
Michigan held at No. 2 with two first-place votes. No. 3 Texas
flipped spots with No. 4 Florida State. The Longhorns received three
first-place votes and the Seminoles got one. After scraping by South
Florida on Saturday, Alabama saw its streak of consecutive AP poll
appearances ranked in the top 10 snapped at 128.

COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) —
Missouri quarterback Brady Cook experienced some redemption on
Saturday by leading the Tigers to a 30-27 victory over then-No. 15
Kansas State. He has struggled to win over their fanbase during his
year-plus under center, even though Cook has played through a hurt
shoulder and endured a sprained knee in the last-second win over the
Wildcats. With his coach and teammates behind him, Cook is leading
the Tigers toward a date with Memphis next week and the potential to
start 4-0 for the first time in a decade.

BOULDER, Colo. (AP)
— The 19th-ranked Colorado Buffaloes enter the heart of their
schedule after winning a double-overtime thriller against Colorado
State in a game that stretched into early Sunday. The Buffs visit No.
10 Oregon next weekend, followed by a game against fifth-ranked
Southern California. All three teams are 3-0. The Buffaloes will be
without two-way star Travis Hunter, who was hospitalized after a late
hit to his midsection on an incompletion in the first half of their
43-35 win over the Rams.

KANSAS CITY, Mo.
(AP) — Yordan Alvarez and Jake Meyers homered as Framber Valdez
earned his fifth straight quality start in the Houston Astros 7-1 win
over the Kansas City Royals. Valdez worked around three Houston
errors, allowing just one unearned run over seven innings as the
Astros extended their American League West lead over the Texas
Rangers to 1 1/2 games. Alvarez connected for his 28th homer and the
38th allowed by Jordan Lyles, matching a Royals record. Bryan Abreu
extended his scoreless streak to 21 2/3 innings.

ST. LOUIS (AP) —
Jordan Walker hit a tiebreaking homer in the eighth inning and Paul
Goldschmidt drove in three runs to lead the St. Louis Cardinals over
the Philadelphia Phillies 6-5. St. Louis avoided a season sweep after
losing its first five meetings with the Phillies this year. Alec Bohm
homered for Philadelphia, which leads the NL wild-card race. Walker
homered off Seranthony Domínguez with two outs to snap a 5-all tie.
John King allowed one run in one inning for the win, and Ryan Helsley
earned his 11th save in 15 opportunities.

DENVER (AP) —
Thairo Estrada and Joc Pederson had two hits each in a 10-hit sixth
inning as San Francisco opened a nine-run lead, and the Giants hung
on to beat the Colorado Rockies 11-10 on Sunday and stop a three-game
skid that hurt their wild card chances. The Giants stopped their
longest road losing streak since 1996 at nine games. They had lost
the first three games of the four-game series and are two games back
for the last NL wild card, needing to overcome three teams.

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 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1694688181399.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>JACKSONVILLE, Fla.
(AP) — Patrick Mahomes threw two touchdown passes, including one to
returning star Travis Kelce, and the Kansas City Chiefs overcame
three early turnovers to beat Jacksonville 17-9 for their third
victory against the Jaguars in 10 months. The Chiefs (1-1) won their
eighth consecutive in the series and avoided becoming the first
defending Super Bowl champion to start 0-2 since Denver in 1999. The
Jaguars (1-1), who insisted all week they owed the Chiefs because of
a loss in the divisional round of the AFC playoffs in January, pretty
much no-showed in their home opener.DENVER (AP) — The
Washington Redskins secured their first 2-0 start in 12 years with a
35-33 win over the Denver Broncos. Sam Howell threw for two
touchdowns in his first road start and rallied Washington from an
18-point deficit, the second-biggest comeback in franchise history.
The Commanders held on after Russell Wilson connected with Brandon
Johnson on a 50-yard Hail Mary that was deflected multiple times.
Wilson tried to hit Courtland Sutton for the tying 2-point
conversion, but cornerback Benjamin St-Juste broke it up. St-Juste
appeared to get away with pass interference, but no flag was thrown.CINCINNATI (AP) —
Joe Burrow’s calf is sore again, and that means this year’s 0-2
start may not be like last year’s for the Bengals. Cincinnati lost
its first two games in 2022 but rallied behind Burrow to finish 12-4
and win the AFC North. This year has been even rougher thus far.
Burrow missed training camp with a calf injury, then came out with a
dud in a season-opening loss to Cleveland. Burrow was better Sunday
in a 27-24 loss to the Baltimore Ravens, but he was seen massaging
his calf on the sideline late in the fourth quarter. He says he'll
have to see how it feels in the next couple of days.ARLINGTON, Texas
(AP) — Dak Prescott threw for two touchdowns, Zach Wilson had three
interceptions in his first start after Aaron Rodgers’ season-ending
Achilles tendon injury and the Cowboys beat the New York Jets 30-10.
CeeDee Lamb had 143 yards receiving and Brandon Aubrey kicked five
field goals as the Cowboys finished a season-opening sweep of the New
York teams. Wilson had a 68-yard touchdown pass to Garrett Wilson to
get the 1-1 Jets within three points in the second quarter. But New
York had just 147 yards otherwise and four second-half turnovers.UNDATED (AP) — No.
13 Alabama is out of the top 10 of The Associated Press college
football poll for the first time in eight years and Georgia remains
No. 1. The Bulldogs received 57 first-place votes in the AP Top 25.
Michigan held at No. 2 with two first-place votes. No. 3 Texas
flipped spots with No. 4 Florida State. The Longhorns received three
first-place votes and the Seminoles got one. After scraping by South
Florida on Saturday, Alabama saw its streak of consecutive AP poll
appearances ranked in the top 10 snapped at 128.COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) —
Missouri quarterback Brady Cook experienced some redemption on
Saturday by leading the Tigers to a 30-27 victory over then-No. 15
Kansas State. He has struggled to win over their fanbase during his
year-plus under center, even though Cook has played through a hurt
shoulder and endured a sprained knee in the last-second win over the
Wildcats. With his coach and teammates behind him, Cook is leading
the Tigers toward a date with Memphis next week and the potential to
start 4-0 for the first time in a decade.BOULDER, Colo. (AP)
— The 19th-ranked Colorado Buffaloes enter the heart of their
schedule after winning a double-overtime thriller against Colorado
State in a game that stretched into early Sunday. The Buffs visit No.
10 Oregon next weekend, followed by a game against fifth-ranked
Southern California. All three teams are 3-0. The Buffaloes will be
without two-way star Travis Hunter, who was hospitalized after a late
hit to his midsection on an incompletion in the first half of their
43-35 win over the Rams.KANSAS CITY, Mo.
(AP) — Yordan Alvarez and Jake Meyers homered as Framber Valdez
earned his fifth straight quality start in the Houston Astros 7-1 win
over the Kansas City Royals. Valdez worked around three Houston
errors, allowing just one unearned run over seven innings as the
Astros extended their American League West lead over the Texas
Rangers to 1 1/2 games. Alvarez connected for his 28th homer and the
38th allowed by Jordan Lyles, matching a Royals record. Bryan Abreu
extended his scoreless streak to 21 2/3 innings.ST. LOUIS (AP) —
Jordan Walker hit a tiebreaking homer in the eighth inning and Paul
Goldschmidt drove in three runs to lead the St. Louis Cardinals over
the Philadelphia Phillies 6-5. St. Louis avoided a season sweep after
losing its first five meetings with the Phillies this year. Alec Bohm
homered for Philadelphia, which leads the NL wild-card race. Walker
homered off Seranthony Domínguez with two outs to snap a 5-all tie.
John King allowed one run in one inning for the win, and Ryan Helsley
earned his 11th save in 15 opportunities.DENVER (AP) —
Thairo Estrada and Joc Pederson had two hits each in a 10-hit sixth
inning as San Francisco opened a nine-run lead, and the Giants hung
on to beat the Colorado Rockies 11-10 on Sunday and stop a three-game
skid that hurt their wild card chances. The Giants stopped their
longest road losing streak since 1996 at nine games. They had lost
the first three games of the four-game series and are two games back
for the last NL wild card, needing to overcome three teams.SUNDAY SCORESINTERLEAGUEFinal	Pittsburgh	3	N.Y.
Yankees	2	Final	L.A.
Dodgers	6	Seattle	1	Final	San
Diego	10	Oakland	1	AMERICAN LEAGUEFinal	Cleveland	9	Texas	2	Final	Toronto	3	Boston	2	Final	Houston	7	Kansas
City	1	Final	Baltimore	5	Tampa
Bay	4	Final	Minnesota	4	Chicago
White Sox	0	Final	Detroit	5	L.A.
Angels	3	NATIONAL LEAGUEFinal	N.Y.
Mets	8	Cincinnati	4	Final	Miami	16	Atlanta	2	Final	St.
Louis	6	Philadelphia	5	Final	Washington	2	Milwaukee	1	Final	San
Francisco	11	Colorado	10	Final	Arizona	6	Chicago
Cubs	2	NATIONAL FOOTBALL
LEAGUEFinal	Atlanta	25	Green
Bay	24	Final	Baltimore	27	Cincinnati	24	Final	Buffalo	38	Las
Vegas	10	Final	Indianapolis	31	Houston	20	Final	Kansas
City	17	Jacksonville	9	Final
OT	Seattle	37	Detroit	31	Final	Tampa
Bay	27	Chicago	17	Final
OT	Tennessee	27	L.A. Chargers	24	Final	N-Y
Giants	31	Arizona	28	Final	San
Francisco	30	L.A. Rams	23	Final	Dallas	30	N-Y
Jets	10	Final	Washington	35	Denver	33	Final	Miami	24	New
England	17	Mon. New Orleans at
Carolina, 7:15 p.m.

Monday Sports Headlines and Scores presented by Barton Community College

By MIKE COURSON Great Bend Post

EUGENE, Ore. - The 2023 Diamond League track season has come to a close, but not before two more world records fell at the Prefontaine Classic at Hayward Field Sunday. Mondo Duplantis reset his world pole vault record, and Ethiopia's Gudaf Tsegay smashed the women's 5,000m record. No world records were broken but three national records fell in the women's 800m run late in the day.

In that event, U.S. national champion Athing Mu failed to collect enough Diamond League points to qualify for the finals. As the national champion, however, she was invited to Sunday's race that included 2023 world champion Mary Moraa of Kenya and world silver medalist and world leader Keely Hodgkinson of Great Britain. Mu reset her national record for the win in 1:54.97, followed by Hodgkinson in 1:55.19 and Jamaica's Natoya Goule-Toppin in third in 1:55.96, both national records.

As a wild card invite, Mu will collect the $40,000 cash prize for winning the race. The 21-year-old Hodgkinson will keep the Diamond League championship trophy.

"I feel like the losses are for a reason, the wins are for a reason," Hodgkinson said. "I've broken the national record twice in one season. Obviously, I would have liked to have won Budapest, and maybe I could have changed a few things about that race, but it happened for a reason. We just move on to Paris next year, which is the big one."

Kenya's Faith Kipyegon won Saturday's 1,500m title but was not in Saturday's 5,000m race as the world record holder. Ethiopia's Gudaf Tsegay took that title from Kipyegon, nearly becoming the first woman to ever run a sub 14-minute 5K. Tsegay smashed Kipyegon's world record by five seconds for the win in 14:00.21. Kenyan Beatrice Chebet just missed Kipyegon's former record with a second-place finish in 14:05.92.

Duplantis continues to grow the pole vault record. He added two centimeters to his latest record Sunday to reset the world mark at 6.23m (20 feet, 5.25 inches). Ernest John Obiena of the Philippines finished second at 5.82m, and American Sam Kendricks was one of three vaulters to clear the bar at 5.72m for third.

A battle broke out for the women's high jump title first thing Sunday morning. Ukraine's reigning world champion Yaroslava Mahuchikh and Australia's Nicola Olyslagers each cleared the bar at 2.03m (6 feet, 8 inches). Mahuchikh won with fewer failed attempts. That height is the best in the world this year.

Kenya's Emmanuel Wanyonyi won the 800m run in 1:42.80 to set a new Pre Classic record and take the world lead. Canada's Marco Arop set a national record for second place in 1:42.85.

Australia's Matthew Denny finished fourth in the discus at the Worlds in Budapest. He reached 68.43m on his final throw of the season to take the Diamond League title from Slovakia's Kristjan Ceh, who finished second at 67.64m. On the women's side, America's Valarie Allman is the reigning Olympic and U.S. champion, but she finished second in Budapest. Her first throw Sunday of 68.66m was good enough for the win over America's world champion Laulauga Tausaga by 0.3m.

"While there's no place like home," Allman told the crowd, "there's no place like Hayward."

Norway's Jakob Ingebrigsten just missed the world mile record Saturday, but he propelled Yared Nuguse to that record. He did it again Sunday, this time in the 3,000m run. Ingebrigsten ran a personal best and world-leading 7:23.63 for the win. Ethiopia's Yomif Kejelcha set a new national record in 7:23.64 for second, and Grant Fisher set a new American record in 7:25.47 for third.

Reigning 400m world champion Marileidy Paulino survived another strong finish from Poland's Natalia Kaczmarek to win that title by nearly a second in 49.58. Holland's Lieke Klaver ran third in 50.47 just a few races after teammate Femke Bol cruised to the 400m hurdle title. The pair made up half of Netherlands' 4x400 world champion team.

"Training, training, training," Klaver said of the battle in the 400m. "I will not give up. I will be stronger every season so we will see. We had some great people at the start of our track and field career. I think with Femme and me and the other girls, also the younger people are growing. I think we have a strong sports country."

Jamaica's Hansle Parchment ran the world's fastest time this season to win the 110m hurdles in 12.93. America's Grant Holloway edged countryman Daniel Roberts by 0.01s for second place in 13.07. Nigeria's Tobi Amusan moved from sixth place at Worlds to Diamond League champion in a loaded women's race in 12.33. Puerto Rico's Jasmine Camacho-Quinn finished second in 12.38.

All eyes were on Jamaica's Shericka Jackson to close out the season in the 200m dash. Her push for a world record came up short but she did set a Pre Classic meet record with the title in 21.57s. No other sprinter finished under 22s. Canada's Andre de Grasse overcome some early-season struggles to win the men's race in a season-best 19.76s. America's Kenneth Bednarek and Erriyon Knighton ran second and third, respectively, in 19.95 and 19.97s.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1694995436939.jpeg" alt="America's Athing Mu and Great Britain's Keely Hodgkinson went toe to toe in a loaded 800m event Sunday at the Prefontaine Classic in Eugene, Ore. Mu pulled ahead late for the win and a new American record." />
 <figcaption>America's Athing Mu and Great Britain's Keely Hodgkinson went toe to toe in a loaded 800m event Sunday at the Prefontaine Classic in Eugene, Ore. Mu pulled ahead late for the win and a new American record.</figcaption>
 </figure>By MIKE COURSON Great Bend PostEUGENE, Ore. - The 2023 Diamond League track season has come to a close, but not before two more world records fell at the Prefontaine Classic at Hayward Field Sunday. Mondo Duplantis reset his world pole vault record, and Ethiopia's Gudaf Tsegay smashed the women's 5,000m record. No world records were broken but three national records fell in the women's 800m run late in the day.In that event, U.S. national champion Athing Mu failed to collect enough Diamond League points to qualify for the finals. As the national champion, however, she was invited to Sunday's race that included 2023 world champion Mary Moraa of Kenya and world silver medalist and world leader Keely Hodgkinson of Great Britain. Mu reset her national record for the win in 1:54.97, followed by Hodgkinson in 1:55.19 and Jamaica's Natoya Goule-Toppin in third in 1:55.96, both national records.As a wild card invite, Mu will collect the $40,000 cash prize for winning the race. The 21-year-old Hodgkinson will keep the Diamond League championship trophy."I feel like the losses are for a reason, the wins are for a reason," Hodgkinson said. "I've broken the national record twice in one season. Obviously, I would have liked to have won Budapest, and maybe I could have changed a few things about that race, but it happened for a reason. We just move on to Paris next year, which is the big one."<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1694995633629.jpeg" alt="Netherland's reigning world champion Femke Bol cruised to the Diamond League title in the 400m hurdles. She has the second-fastest time ever in the event." />
 <figcaption>Netherland's reigning world champion Femke Bol cruised to the Diamond League title in the 400m hurdles. She has the second-fastest time ever in the event.</figcaption>
 </figure>Kenya's Faith Kipyegon won Saturday's 1,500m title but was not in Saturday's 5,000m race as the world record holder. Ethiopia's Gudaf Tsegay took that title from Kipyegon, nearly becoming the first woman to ever run a sub 14-minute 5K. Tsegay smashed Kipyegon's world record by five seconds for the win in 14:00.21. Kenyan Beatrice Chebet just missed Kipyegon's former record with a second-place finish in 14:05.92.Duplantis continues to grow the pole vault record. He added two centimeters to his latest record Sunday to reset the world mark at 6.23m (20 feet, 5.25 inches). Ernest John Obiena of the Philippines finished second at 5.82m, and American Sam Kendricks was one of three vaulters to clear the bar at 5.72m for third.A battle broke out for the women's high jump title first thing Sunday morning. Ukraine's reigning world champion Yaroslava Mahuchikh and Australia's Nicola Olyslagers each cleared the bar at 2.03m (6 feet, 8 inches). Mahuchikh won with fewer failed attempts. That height is the best in the world this year.Kenya's Emmanuel Wanyonyi won the 800m run in 1:42.80 to set a new Pre Classic record and take the world lead. Canada's Marco Arop set a national record for second place in 1:42.85.Australia's Matthew Denny finished fourth in the discus at the Worlds in Budapest. He reached 68.43m on his final throw of the season to take the Diamond League title from Slovakia's Kristjan Ceh, who finished second at 67.64m. On the women's side, America's Valarie Allman is the reigning Olympic and U.S. champion, but she finished second in Budapest. Her first throw Sunday of 68.66m was good enough for the win over America's world champion Laulauga Tausaga by 0.3m."While there's no place like home," Allman told the crowd, "there's no place like Hayward."Norway's Jakob Ingebrigsten just missed the world mile record Saturday, but he propelled Yared Nuguse to that record. He did it again Sunday, this time in the 3,000m run. Ingebrigsten ran a personal best and world-leading 7:23.63 for the win. Ethiopia's Yomif Kejelcha set a new national record in 7:23.64 for second, and Grant Fisher set a new American record in 7:25.47 for third.Reigning 400m world champion Marileidy Paulino survived another strong finish from Poland's Natalia Kaczmarek to win that title by nearly a second in 49.58. Holland's Lieke Klaver ran third in 50.47 just a few races after teammate Femke Bol cruised to the 400m hurdle title. The pair made up half of Netherlands' 4x400 world champion team."Training, training, training," Klaver said of the battle in the 400m. "I will not give up. I will be stronger every season so we will see. We had some great people at the start of our track and field career. I think with Femme and me and the other girls, also the younger people are growing. I think we have a strong sports country."<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1694995732889.jpeg" alt="Jamaica's Shericka Jackson missed a world record in the 200m dash but broke a Prefontaine Classic meet record with the win." />
 <figcaption>Jamaica's Shericka Jackson missed a world record in the 200m dash but broke a Prefontaine Classic meet record with the win.</figcaption>
 </figure>Jamaica's Hansle Parchment ran the world's fastest time this season to win the 110m hurdles in 12.93. America's Grant Holloway edged countryman Daniel Roberts by 0.01s for second place in 13.07. Nigeria's Tobi Amusan moved from sixth place at Worlds to Diamond League champion in a loaded women's race in 12.33. Puerto Rico's Jasmine Camacho-Quinn finished second in 12.38.All eyes were on Jamaica's Shericka Jackson to close out the season in the 200m dash. Her push for a world record came up short but she did set a Pre Classic meet record with the title in 21.57s. No other sprinter finished under 22s. Canada's Andre de Grasse overcome some early-season struggles to win the men's race in a season-best 19.76s. America's Kenneth Bednarek and Erriyon Knighton ran second and third, respectively, in 19.95 and 19.97s.

Two more world records fall in final day of Prefontaine Classic

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Patrick Mahomes threw two touchdown passes, including one to returning star Travis Kelce, and the Kansas City Chiefs overcame three early turnovers to beat Jacksonville 17-9 on Sunday for their third victory against the Jaguars in 10 months.

The Chiefs (1-1) won their eighth straight in the series and avoided becoming the first Super Bowl champions to start 0-2 since Denver in 1999.

The Jaguars (1-1), who insisted all week they owed the Chiefs because of a loss in the divisional round of the AFC playoffs in January, pretty much no-showed in their home opener.

Coach Doug Pederson’s team had another slow start, failed to capitalize on two of three turnovers and struggled to protect quarterback Trevor Lawrence.

Lawrence threw incomplete on a fourth-and-12 play with 4:16 remaining in an eight-point game, and Kansas City didn't let the Jaguars get the ball back.

Chiefs All-Pro defensive tackle Chris Jones, making his season debut after ending his holdout and signing a one-year contract, dominated his one-on-one matchups. Jones manhandled rookie right tackle Anton Harrison and was equally effective against the rest of Jacksonville’s line. He finished with two sacks on five QB pressures.

With extra time to prepare following a loss to Detroit 10 days earlier in the NFL opener, the Chiefs had hoped to look a lot more like their normally dynamic selves on offense. But Richie James muffed a punt, Justin Watson fumbled and Mahomes threw an interception. Kadarius Toney, who dropped three passes in the opener, fumbled late in the third but was able to scoop up the loose ball and avoid another turnover.

Mahomes completed 29 of 41 passes for 305 yards. He found Kelce all alone in the end zone to extend KC’s lead to 14-6. CBS play-by-play announcer Ian Eagle slipped in a song reference to reports linking Kelce to pop superstar Taylor Swift by saying “Kelce finds a blank space for the score.” One of Swift’s many hits is “Blank Space.”

Kelce, who missed the opener because of a hyperextended knee, punted the ball into the end zone to celebrate. He finished with four catches on nine targets for 26 yards.

The Chiefs converted twice on fourth down and outgained Jacksonville 399 to 271 in total yards. The Jaguars had several chances but settled for field goals in two trips into the red zone, and they averaged a measly 4.2 yards per play.

Chiefs right tackle Jawaan Taylor, who spent the first four years of his NFL career with Jacksonville, had a rough homecoming. Taylor was penalized five times and ultimately benched for a series. He was flagged twice for false starts, once for an illegal formation and twice for holding.

Pederson fell to 0-4 against his close friend and mentor, Chiefs coach Andy Reid. This was Pederson's first loss at home; the previous three were played at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City.

The Chiefs beat Pederson and Philadelphia 27-20 in Week 2 of the 2017 season; the Eagles rebounded and ultimately won the Super Bowl. The Chiefs swept the Jaguars last season, winning 27-17 in Week 10 and 27-20 in the divisional round of the AFC playoffs.

Chiefs: LBs Nick Bolton and Willie Gay were attended to on the field, but both were able to return to the game.

Jaguars: LB Josh Allen left the game in the second half with a shoulder injury. WR Zay Jones (knee) returned after spending time in the locker room. WR Calvin Ridley ran into the padding surrounding the goal post and was shaken up. RB Travis Etienne dealt with cramping issues late.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Patrick Mahomes threw two touchdown passes, including one to returning star Travis Kelce, and the Kansas City Chiefs overcame three early turnovers to beat Jacksonville 17-9 on Sunday for their third victory against the Jaguars in 10 months.The Chiefs (1-1) won their eighth straight in the series and avoided becoming the first Super Bowl champions to start 0-2 since Denver in 1999.The Jaguars (1-1), who insisted all week they owed the Chiefs because of a loss in the divisional round of the AFC playoffs in January, pretty much no-showed in their home opener.Coach Doug Pederson’s team had another slow start, failed to capitalize on two of three turnovers and struggled to protect quarterback Trevor Lawrence.Lawrence threw incomplete on a fourth-and-12 play with 4:16 remaining in an eight-point game, and Kansas City didn't let the Jaguars get the ball back.Chiefs All-Pro defensive tackle Chris Jones, making his season debut after ending his holdout and signing a one-year contract, dominated his one-on-one matchups. Jones manhandled rookie right tackle Anton Harrison and was equally effective against the rest of Jacksonville’s line. He finished with two sacks on five QB pressures.With extra time to prepare following a loss to Detroit 10 days earlier in the NFL opener, the Chiefs had hoped to look a lot more like their normally dynamic selves on offense. But Richie James muffed a punt, Justin Watson fumbled and Mahomes threw an interception. Kadarius Toney, who dropped three passes in the opener, fumbled late in the third but was able to scoop up the loose ball and avoid another turnover.Mahomes completed 29 of 41 passes for 305 yards. He found Kelce all alone in the end zone to extend KC’s lead to 14-6. CBS play-by-play announcer Ian Eagle slipped in a song reference to reports linking Kelce to pop superstar Taylor Swift by saying “Kelce finds a blank space for the score.” One of Swift’s many hits is “Blank Space.”Kelce, who missed the opener because of a hyperextended knee, punted the ball into the end zone to celebrate. He finished with four catches on nine targets for 26 yards.The Chiefs converted twice on fourth down and outgained Jacksonville 399 to 271 in total yards. The Jaguars had several chances but settled for field goals in two trips into the red zone, and they averaged a measly 4.2 yards per play.TAYLOR BENCHEDChiefs right tackle Jawaan Taylor, who spent the first four years of his NFL career with Jacksonville, had a rough homecoming. Taylor was penalized five times and ultimately benched for a series. He was flagged twice for false starts, once for an illegal formation and twice for holding.MENTOR VS MENTEEPederson fell to 0-4 against his close friend and mentor, Chiefs coach Andy Reid. This was Pederson's first loss at home; the previous three were played at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City.The Chiefs beat Pederson and Philadelphia 27-20 in Week 2 of the 2017 season; the Eagles rebounded and ultimately won the Super Bowl. The Chiefs swept the Jaguars last season, winning 27-17 in Week 10 and 27-20 in the divisional round of the AFC playoffs.INJURY REPORTChiefs: LBs Nick Bolton and Willie Gay were attended to on the field, but both were able to return to the game.Jaguars: LB Josh Allen left the game in the second half with a shoulder injury. WR Zay Jones (knee) returned after spending time in the locker room. WR Calvin Ridley ran into the padding surrounding the goal post and was shaken up. RB Travis Etienne dealt with cramping issues late.UP NEXTChiefs: Host Chicago next Sunday.Jaguars: Host Houston next Sunday.

Chiefs overcome mistakes to beat Jaguars 17-9

By BRANDON SMITH Barton Sports Info

Barton Men 3, Cowley 1 The 11th ranked Barton Community College men's team set the tone early in netting a pair of first half goals Saturday at the Cougar Soccer Complex to knock 3rd ranked Cowley College from the unbeaten with a 3-1 victory.

The win improves Barton to 3-0-1 in conference play and 6-0-2 on the year while Cowley drops to 4-1-0 and 7-1-0 overall.

Barton's next contest comes Wednesday with a 6:00 p.m. kick at Garden City Community College followed by a Saturday 3:00 p.m. kick at Seward County Community College.

The 8th ranked Barton Community College women's soccer team led for nearly 60-minutes over 14th ranked Cowley College on Saturday but it wasn't enough as an equalizing goal with 27:27 remaining furnished a 1-1 draw at the Cougar Soccer Complex.

The result leaves the Cougars 3-1-2 overall on the season and in league play while the Tigers move to 4-0-2 overall and in conference action.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1694961846750.jpeg" alt="Barton Athletics" />
 <figcaption>Barton Athletics</figcaption>
 </figure>By BRANDON SMITH Barton Sports InfoBarton Men 3, Cowley 1 The 11th ranked Barton Community College men's team set the tone early in netting a pair of first half goals Saturday at the Cougar Soccer Complex to knock 3rd ranked Cowley College from the unbeaten with a 3-1 victory.The win improves Barton to 3-0-1 in conference play and 6-0-2 on the year while Cowley drops to 4-1-0 and 7-1-0 overall.Barton's next contest comes Wednesday with a 6:00 p.m. kick at Garden City Community College followed by a Saturday 3:00 p.m. kick at Seward County Community College.Barton Women 1, Cowley 1The 8th ranked Barton Community College women's soccer team led for nearly 60-minutes over 14th ranked Cowley College on Saturday but it wasn't enough as an equalizing goal with 27:27 remaining furnished a 1-1 draw at the Cougar Soccer Complex.The result leaves the Cougars 3-1-2 overall on the season and in league play while the Tigers move to 4-0-2 overall and in conference action.

Barton Men knock off Cowley, Women play to 1-1 draw

HAYS, Kan. – Fort Hays State ended its long string of losses in Hays to Northwest Missouri State on Saturday night (Sept. 16). The Tigers defeated the No. 15/13 ranked Bearcats with a strong defensive effort by a score of 17-6. It was the first win for the Tigers against the Bearcats in Hays since 1977, snapping a run of eight-straight victories for the Bearcats going back to 1979. The last seven of those eight were in MIAA play starting back in 2007. FHSU is now 2-1 on the season, while the Bearcats fall to 1-2.

Fort Hays State entered the game allowing 337.5 yards per game so far this year, but held the Bearcats below that mark on Saturday night with just 291. The Tiger defense stepped up time and time again to keep the Bearcats without a touchdown and just two field goals. The Bearcats went to the red zone three times in the game, resulting in both of their field goals on the first two trips. On the third trip, the Bearcats were trailing by just four (10-6) when Parrish Terry of FHSU made a tide-turning play, forcing a fumble at the FHSU 3-yardline recovered by Makel Williams at the 4-yardline.

Fort Hays State then marched the ball 96 yards for a game-sealing touchdown drive, capped on a 33-yard touchdown reception by the Tigers' offensive standout of the game, Bryson Smith. He had both touchdown grabs in the game for FHSU, also scoring on an 18-yard pass early in the third quarter to give FHSU a 10-3 lead after the game was tied 3-3 at halftime. Smith finished with 109 receiving yards on just four catches, but also threw a 57-yard pass to Trevor Watts in the first quarter.

The Tigers finished with 353 yards of total offense, the majority gained through the air as Jack Dawson finished with 289 passing yards and Smith's lone toss of 57 gave the Tigers 346 passing yards. The usually tough run defense the Bearcats produce year-in, year-out held the Tigers to just seven net yards on the ground.

The Bearcats entered this contest with no sacks allowed yet this season and the Tiger defensive front was disruptive all night. Jason Wallace had 2.0 sacks by producing one of his own and two assisted stops. Terry finished with 1.5 sacks and Myles Menges was the other half of one of the Wallace sacks to give the Tigers a total of four for the game. Two of the four sacks were key in stalling out the Bearcat drives the resulted in field goals in the red zone. Terry finished with 3.0 tackles for loss. Linebacker John Johnson led the Tiger defense with 11 tackles, followed by Mason Perez with nine.

Northwest Missouri State took consecutive losses for the first time in 57 games after falling to nationally ranked Emporia State in Week 2 at home by a score of 33-13. Fort Hays State was also the last school to hand NWMSU a second-straight loss back in 2017 when the Tigers won 13-12 in Maryville to claim their first MIAA title outright when both teams were ranked in the Top 10 of the AFCA Division II Top 25 Poll.

Tiger receivers Trevor Watts, Bryson Smith, and Jayden Horace tore up the Bearcat secondary for 318 receiving yards as a trio. Watts led the Tigers with 126 yards on seven catches, while Smith had his aforementioned 109 on four catches and Horace had 83 yards on just two catches. They had 143 yards after catches combined.

Jay Harris led the Bearcats' ground game with 104 rushing yards. Henry Martin completed 21-of-35 passes for 162 yards. Tank Young was the top Bearcat receiver with 33 yards. Cahleel Smith led NWMSU in tackles with eight.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1694962133170.jpeg" alt="FHSU Athletics" />
 <figcaption>FHSU Athletics</figcaption>
 </figure>HAYS, Kan. – Fort Hays State ended its long string of losses in Hays to Northwest Missouri State on Saturday night (Sept. 16). The Tigers defeated the No. 15/13 ranked Bearcats with a strong defensive effort by a score of 17-6. It was the first win for the Tigers against the Bearcats in Hays since 1977, snapping a run of eight-straight victories for the Bearcats going back to 1979. The last seven of those eight were in MIAA play starting back in 2007. FHSU is now 2-1 on the season, while the Bearcats fall to 1-2.Fort Hays State entered the game allowing 337.5 yards per game so far this year, but held the Bearcats below that mark on Saturday night with just 291. The Tiger defense stepped up time and time again to keep the Bearcats without a touchdown and just two field goals. The Bearcats went to the red zone three times in the game, resulting in both of their field goals on the first two trips. On the third trip, the Bearcats were trailing by just four (10-6) when Parrish Terry of FHSU made a tide-turning play, forcing a fumble at the FHSU 3-yardline recovered by Makel Williams at the 4-yardline.Fort Hays State then marched the ball 96 yards for a game-sealing touchdown drive, capped on a 33-yard touchdown reception by the Tigers' offensive standout of the game, Bryson Smith. He had both touchdown grabs in the game for FHSU, also scoring on an 18-yard pass early in the third quarter to give FHSU a 10-3 lead after the game was tied 3-3 at halftime. Smith finished with 109 receiving yards on just four catches, but also threw a 57-yard pass to Trevor Watts in the first quarter.The Tigers finished with 353 yards of total offense, the majority gained through the air as Jack Dawson finished with 289 passing yards and Smith's lone toss of 57 gave the Tigers 346 passing yards. The usually tough run defense the Bearcats produce year-in, year-out held the Tigers to just seven net yards on the ground.The Bearcats entered this contest with no sacks allowed yet this season and the Tiger defensive front was disruptive all night. Jason Wallace had 2.0 sacks by producing one of his own and two assisted stops. Terry finished with 1.5 sacks and Myles Menges was the other half of one of the Wallace sacks to give the Tigers a total of four for the game. Two of the four sacks were key in stalling out the Bearcat drives the resulted in field goals in the red zone. Terry finished with 3.0 tackles for loss. Linebacker John Johnson led the Tiger defense with 11 tackles, followed by Mason Perez with nine.Northwest Missouri State took consecutive losses for the first time in 57 games after falling to nationally ranked Emporia State in Week 2 at home by a score of 33-13. Fort Hays State was also the last school to hand NWMSU a second-straight loss back in 2017 when the Tigers won 13-12 in Maryville to claim their first MIAA title outright when both teams were ranked in the Top 10 of the AFCA Division II Top 25 Poll.Tiger receivers Trevor Watts, Bryson Smith, and Jayden Horace tore up the Bearcat secondary for 318 receiving yards as a trio. Watts led the Tigers with 126 yards on seven catches, while Smith had his aforementioned 109 on four catches and Horace had 83 yards on just two catches. They had 143 yards after catches combined.Jay Harris led the Bearcats' ground game with 104 rushing yards. Henry Martin completed 21-of-35 passes for 162 yards. Tank Young was the top Bearcat receiver with 33 yards. Cahleel Smith led NWMSU in tackles with eight.

Tigers Knock Off No. 15/13 Ranked Bearcats

RENO, Nev. (AP) — Devin Neal and Daniel Hishaw Jr. combined for 137 rushing yards and four touchdowns, Jalon Daniels threw for 298 yards, and Kansas pulled away from Nevada in the fourth quarter for a 31-24 victory Saturday night at Mackay Stadium.

The game was tied at 24-all when Daniels went 4-for-4 for 55 yards, leading to Neal’s third touchdown on a 3-yard run and a 31-24 lead with 6:20 left to play.

Nevada was not able to cross midfield on its final two possessions.

“We found a way,” Jayhawks coach Lance Leipold said. “We did not play our sharpest. We had too many penalties.

“But at the same time, I’m proud of our team for persevering and finding a way. In the end, we found a way to get a big stop and come away here with a win. And road wins aren’t easy.”

The Jayhawks (3-0) were a 28-point favorite at Nevada sports books.

The Wolf Pack (0-3) was looking to end the nation’s longest losing streak. The now 13-game skid under second-year coach Ken Wilson is also the longest in program history.

“It was a great effort by those men in that locker room,” Wilson said. “They came back after (a 33-6 loss to Idaho) last week and they battled their asses off all night. They never backed down.”

Quarterback Brendon Lewis led Nevada with 113 passing yards and two rushing touchdowns.

“Credit Coach Wilson and Nevada for coming ready to play and playing hard and playing downhill and physical all day long,” Leipold said.

Leipold was especially pleased with Daniels’ poise down the stretch.

“We struggled a little bit in pass protection, and he was scrambling a little bit,” he said. “But 21-for-27, that’s a pretty darn good day.”

Safety Jenny Logan had a team-high nine tackles, 2 1/2 for loss, to lead the Jayhawks.

Neither team could muster much offense in the first half, but the second half was a shootout. They combined for 20 points on 247 yards in the first half but had 35 points on 461 yards in the second.

The teams used long pass plays to trade three touchdowns in a span of 2 minutes, 7 seconds late in the third quarter. Daniels connected with tight end Mason Fairchild on a 29-yard pass to the Nevada 1.

Two plays after Hishaw’s subsequent TD, Nevada’s Dalevon Campbell hauled in a 53-yard pass from Lewis to set up a short TD run by Sean Dollars to tie it at 17.

On the next play, Daniels and Neal connected on a 59-yard pass to the Nevada 1, leading to a Neal TD and a 24-17 lead that Kansas took into the fourth quarter.

Lewis’ second TD run, from 2 yards out, with 10:37 to play knotted the score at 24 and set up Daniels’ heroics down the stretch.

The Jayhawks embarked on a nine-play, 75-yard touchdown drive on the game’s first possession, moving the ball with ease and scoring on Neal’s 3-yard run. But the Wolf Pack defense stiffened – with the help of five Kansas penalties – and allowed just 75 yards on 23 plays the rest of the half.

Dollars scored on a 3-yard run in the final minute and the teams went into the locker room tied at 10-10 despite Nevada having just 97 total yards of offense.

The Jayhawks opened with three consecutive wins for the second straight season. Kansas stretched it to 5-0 in 2022 before losing seven of its final eight games. This marks KU’s first back-to-back 3-0 starts since 1991-92 under head coach Glen Mason.

Kansas: Will host BYU (3-0) on Saturday in what will be the Cougars’ first Big 12 Conference game. BYU had been independent the previous 12 years before joining the Big 12 this season.

RENO, Nev. (AP) — Devin Neal and Daniel Hishaw Jr. combined for 137 rushing yards and four touchdowns, Jalon Daniels threw for 298 yards, and Kansas pulled away from Nevada in the fourth quarter for a 31-24 victory Saturday night at Mackay Stadium.The game was tied at 24-all when Daniels went 4-for-4 for 55 yards, leading to Neal’s third touchdown on a 3-yard run and a 31-24 lead with 6:20 left to play.Nevada was not able to cross midfield on its final two possessions.“We found a way,” Jayhawks coach Lance Leipold said. “We did not play our sharpest. We had too many penalties.“But at the same time, I’m proud of our team for persevering and finding a way. In the end, we found a way to get a big stop and come away here with a win. And road wins aren’t easy.”The Jayhawks (3-0) were a 28-point favorite at Nevada sports books.The Wolf Pack (0-3) was looking to end the nation’s longest losing streak. The now 13-game skid under second-year coach Ken Wilson is also the longest in program history.“It was a great effort by those men in that locker room,” Wilson said. “They came back after (a 33-6 loss to Idaho) last week and they battled their asses off all night. They never backed down.”Quarterback Brendon Lewis led Nevada with 113 passing yards and two rushing touchdowns.“Credit Coach Wilson and Nevada for coming ready to play and playing hard and playing downhill and physical all day long,” Leipold said.Leipold was especially pleased with Daniels’ poise down the stretch.“We struggled a little bit in pass protection, and he was scrambling a little bit,” he said. “But 21-for-27, that’s a pretty darn good day.”Safety Jenny Logan had a team-high nine tackles, 2 1/2 for loss, to lead the Jayhawks.Neither team could muster much offense in the first half, but the second half was a shootout. They combined for 20 points on 247 yards in the first half but had 35 points on 461 yards in the second.The teams used long pass plays to trade three touchdowns in a span of 2 minutes, 7 seconds late in the third quarter. Daniels connected with tight end Mason Fairchild on a 29-yard pass to the Nevada 1.Two plays after Hishaw’s subsequent TD, Nevada’s Dalevon Campbell hauled in a 53-yard pass from Lewis to set up a short TD run by Sean Dollars to tie it at 17.On the next play, Daniels and Neal connected on a 59-yard pass to the Nevada 1, leading to a Neal TD and a 24-17 lead that Kansas took into the fourth quarter.Lewis’ second TD run, from 2 yards out, with 10:37 to play knotted the score at 24 and set up Daniels’ heroics down the stretch.The Jayhawks embarked on a nine-play, 75-yard touchdown drive on the game’s first possession, moving the ball with ease and scoring on Neal’s 3-yard run. But the Wolf Pack defense stiffened – with the help of five Kansas penalties – and allowed just 75 yards on 23 plays the rest of the half.Dollars scored on a 3-yard run in the final minute and the teams went into the locker room tied at 10-10 despite Nevada having just 97 total yards of offense.BIG PICTUREThe Jayhawks opened with three consecutive wins for the second straight season. Kansas stretched it to 5-0 in 2022 before losing seven of its final eight games. This marks KU’s first back-to-back 3-0 starts since 1991-92 under head coach Glen Mason.UP NEXTKansas: Will host BYU (3-0) on Saturday in what will be the Cougars’ first Big 12 Conference game. BYU had been independent the previous 12 years before joining the Big 12 this season.Nevada: Travels to San Marcos, Texas to take on the Sun Belt’s Texas State Bobcats (2-1) on Saturday. Texas State is the last team Nevada defeated, 38-14, on Sept. 3, 2022, in Reno.