ST. JOSEPH, Mo. – Fort Hays State had a rash of mistakes that led to all of Missouri Western's points on Saturday (Sept. 23). The Tigers fell by a score of 28-7, producing their only score of the game in the fourth quarter. FHSU is now 2-2 overall and 2-2 in the MIAA on the season, while Missouri Western improved to 3-1, 2-1 in the MIAA.

Missouri Western set the tone early when it intercepted a pass on the second play from scrimmage for the Tigers. The Griffons needed only 30 yards for their first touchdown, scored on a one-yard run to cap a seven-play drive. On the next FHSU series, Missouri Western blocked a punt and recovered at the FHSU 3-yardline. Two plays later a two-yard rushing touchdown put the Griffons up 14-0, which would be the eventual halftime score.

A Tiger fumble on their own 8-yardline late in the third quarter created another very short field for the Griffons. They scored two plays after the turnover with an 8-yard touchdown pass. The Griffons led 21-0 going to the final quarter.

The Tigers finally found some footing offensively early in the fourth quarter with a couple of big plays to get into the red zone. A 14-yard pass, 15-yard pass interference call, and a 36-yard run by Shane Watts set up the Tigers' only score of the game. Jack Dawson found Jayden Horace for an 8-yard touchdown pass with 10:02 to play.

A Makel Williams interception helped set up another Tiger drive that could have potentially made a one-score game with about three minutes to go, but a Tiger pass was intercepted in the endzone and taken all 100 yards back the other way for a Griffon touchdown.

The Tigers outgained the Griffons in total yards by nearly 100 yards, 331 to 237. But the five turnovers in the game were too much to overcome. The Tigers forced only two turnovers out of the Griffons, which included a Benyon Williams interception in the second quarter to go with Williams' pick in the fourth quarter.

Dawson finished the game with 257 passing yards and one touchdown. Shane Watts led the Tigers in rushing with 57 yards. Cale Cormaney led in receiving with eight receptions for 82 yards. Sam Brandt and John Johnson led in tackles with nine each, while Brandt had the lone sack of the day for the Tigers.

Armani Edden led MWSU with 112 passing yards and one touchdown. Brandon Hall led the Griffons in rushing with 52 yards and Traveon James led in receiving yards with 36. Dakari Streeter was a disrupter on defense with eight tackles and three of seven sacks in the game by the Griffons. Brayden Wright had the 100-yard interception return.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1695566507875.jpeg" alt="FHSU Athletics" />
 <figcaption>FHSU Athletics</figcaption>
 </figure>ST. JOSEPH, Mo. – Fort Hays State had a rash of mistakes that led to all of Missouri Western's points on Saturday (Sept. 23). The Tigers fell by a score of 28-7, producing their only score of the game in the fourth quarter. FHSU is now 2-2 overall and 2-2 in the MIAA on the season, while Missouri Western improved to 3-1, 2-1 in the MIAA.Missouri Western set the tone early when it intercepted a pass on the second play from scrimmage for the Tigers. The Griffons needed only 30 yards for their first touchdown, scored on a one-yard run to cap a seven-play drive. On the next FHSU series, Missouri Western blocked a punt and recovered at the FHSU 3-yardline. Two plays later a two-yard rushing touchdown put the Griffons up 14-0, which would be the eventual halftime score.A Tiger fumble on their own 8-yardline late in the third quarter created another very short field for the Griffons. They scored two plays after the turnover with an 8-yard touchdown pass. The Griffons led 21-0 going to the final quarter.The Tigers finally found some footing offensively early in the fourth quarter with a couple of big plays to get into the red zone. A 14-yard pass, 15-yard pass interference call, and a 36-yard run by Shane Watts set up the Tigers' only score of the game. Jack Dawson found Jayden Horace for an 8-yard touchdown pass with 10:02 to play.A Makel Williams interception helped set up another Tiger drive that could have potentially made a one-score game with about three minutes to go, but a Tiger pass was intercepted in the endzone and taken all 100 yards back the other way for a Griffon touchdown.The Tigers outgained the Griffons in total yards by nearly 100 yards, 331 to 237. But the five turnovers in the game were too much to overcome. The Tigers forced only two turnovers out of the Griffons, which included a Benyon Williams interception in the second quarter to go with Williams' pick in the fourth quarter.Dawson finished the game with 257 passing yards and one touchdown. Shane Watts led the Tigers in rushing with 57 yards. Cale Cormaney led in receiving with eight receptions for 82 yards. Sam Brandt and John Johnson led in tackles with nine each, while Brandt had the lone sack of the day for the Tigers.Armani Edden led MWSU with 112 passing yards and one touchdown. Brandon Hall led the Griffons in rushing with 52 yards and Traveon James led in receiving yards with 36. Dakari Streeter was a disrupter on defense with eight tackles and three of seven sacks in the game by the Griffons. Brayden Wright had the 100-yard interception return.

Turnovers Costly for Tigers in Loss at Missouri Western

Throw the state rankings out the window. Saturday's field in the Gold race at the Rim Rock Classic near Lawrence featured many of the region's top teams. The Great Bend girls still finished fourth overall, missing a top-three trophy by just two places and less than half a second. Seniors Makenzie Premer and Addy Nicholson both set school records for the famed course.

Olathe West showed its dominance with the win with 140 points. Denver East, ranked No. 7 in Colorado's largest classification, scored 190 points for second. Owasso, ranked No. 2 in Oklahoma's largest classification, finished two spots ahead of Great Bend with 201 points. The Lady Panthers beat Iowa's seventh-overall Dallas Center-Grimes High by eight spots, and Colorado's Classical Academy, ranked No. 1 in their Class 3A, by 11 spots. Top-ranked St. James Academy (5A in Kansas) finished with 265 points, and Rogers, the top-ranked team in Arkansas, scored 294 points in ninth.

Kansas runners also dominated in individual scoring. Salina Central junior Katelyn Rupe, who set the Rim Rock course record at last year's state meet, ran 20 seconds off her best time but still won Saturday's race by 48 seconds in 17:33.10. Freshman teammate Kaylie Schultz took the silver by two seconds in 18:21.00, and Junction City's Lorna Rae Pierce ran third in 18:23.20 to secure the bronze by a second.

Nicholson ran a 19:45 at state last year for 15th. Saturday, Premer led the team in 25th overall with a time of 19:22.20 to miss the top-10 by 38 seconds. Nicholson finished 30th in 19:28.30. Junior Marissa Boone ran 52nd overall in 20:05.80, and sophomore Sienna Smith and senior Eliana Beckham capped team scoring in 59th and 60th, respectively. Smith finished in 20:14.00, and Beckham crossed in 20:16.30. Senior Morgan Beckwith placed 126th in 21:27.50, and junior Kate Welcher finished 150th in 21:58.10.

Missing the final team trophy by just two spots Premer missed 24th by five seconds and saved a place by 1.6 seconds. Nicholson had a photo finish in her race, missing the next spot by just 0.1 seconds and two spots by 0.9 seconds, with the runner behind her crossing just 0.6 seconds later. Boone also crossed in a photo finish with the same time listed as the runner in front of her. Smith crossed less than a second later than the runner in front her.

The Panther boys placed 33rd in the crimson race. Buhler won that race with 89 points, followed by Lexington with 118 points and Bishop Carroll with 127 points. Dodge City placed a distant fourth with 292 points. Great Bend scored 787 points.

Sophomore Tavon Stroup had a big day, placing 35th in 17:27.30 to miss the top 20 by 26 seconds. Senior Braylon Moore ran 157th in 19:05.80, followed by freshmen Parker Coleman and Anthony Lawrence in 197th and 198th, respectively, both with a time of 19:51.80. Senior Bradon Suppes crossed in 20:14.10 for 227th.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1695516893732.jpeg" alt="Lady Panther senior Makenzie Premer set the school's Rim Rock course record and placed 25th overall Saturday near Lawrence." />
 <figcaption>Lady Panther senior Makenzie Premer set the school's Rim Rock course record and placed 25th overall Saturday near Lawrence.</figcaption>
 </figure>Great Bend Post SportsThrow the state rankings out the window. Saturday's field in the Gold race at the Rim Rock Classic near Lawrence featured many of the region's top teams. The Great Bend girls still finished fourth overall, missing a top-three trophy by just two places and less than half a second. Seniors Makenzie Premer and Addy Nicholson both set school records for the famed course.Olathe West showed its dominance with the win with 140 points. Denver East, ranked No. 7 in Colorado's largest classification, scored 190 points for second. Owasso, ranked No. 2 in Oklahoma's largest classification, finished two spots ahead of Great Bend with 201 points. The Lady Panthers beat Iowa's seventh-overall Dallas Center-Grimes High by eight spots, and Colorado's Classical Academy, ranked No. 1 in their Class 3A, by 11 spots. Top-ranked St. James Academy (5A in Kansas) finished with 265 points, and Rogers, the top-ranked team in Arkansas, scored 294 points in ninth.Kansas runners also dominated in individual scoring. Salina Central junior Katelyn Rupe, who set the Rim Rock course record at last year's state meet, ran 20 seconds off her best time but still won Saturday's race by 48 seconds in 17:33.10. Freshman teammate Kaylie Schultz took the silver by two seconds in 18:21.00, and Junction City's Lorna Rae Pierce ran third in 18:23.20 to secure the bronze by a second.Nicholson ran a 19:45 at state last year for 15th. Saturday, Premer led the team in 25th overall with a time of 19:22.20 to miss the top-10 by 38 seconds. Nicholson finished 30th in 19:28.30. Junior Marissa Boone ran 52nd overall in 20:05.80, and sophomore Sienna Smith and senior Eliana Beckham capped team scoring in 59th and 60th, respectively. Smith finished in 20:14.00, and Beckham crossed in 20:16.30. Senior Morgan Beckwith placed 126th in 21:27.50, and junior Kate Welcher finished 150th in 21:58.10.Missing the final team trophy by just two spots Premer missed 24th by five seconds and saved a place by 1.6 seconds. Nicholson had a photo finish in her race, missing the next spot by just 0.1 seconds and two spots by 0.9 seconds, with the runner behind her crossing just 0.6 seconds later. Boone also crossed in a photo finish with the same time listed as the runner in front of her. Smith crossed less than a second later than the runner in front her.The Panther boys placed 33rd in the crimson race. Buhler won that race with 89 points, followed by Lexington with 118 points and Bishop Carroll with 127 points. Dodge City placed a distant fourth with 292 points. Great Bend scored 787 points.Sophomore Tavon Stroup had a big day, placing 35th in 17:27.30 to miss the top 20 by 26 seconds. Senior Braylon Moore ran 157th in 19:05.80, followed by freshmen Parker Coleman and Anthony Lawrence in 197th and 198th, respectively, both with a time of 19:51.80. Senior Bradon Suppes crossed in 20:14.10 for 227th.

Lady Panthers go head to head with best teams in region at Rim Rock

&nbsp;By TODD MOORE Barton Sports Info

The Barton Community College volleyball team swept its fourth straight opponent, the latest coming Saturday afternoon with a home court victory over Colby Community College 25-18, 25-18, and 25-20.

Winners of five straight, Barton slips into the conference outright lead at 6-1 and 16-3 overall while Colby drops their third straight falling to 3-4 in league and 11-8 on the season.

A battle for the top spot concluding Barton's first swing around the conference slate looms next Wednesday in a trip to Hutchinson Community College (5-1, 14-7) for a 6:00 p.m. serve at the Sports Arena.

The Cougars were led by the .375 attack of 15 kills and two blocks from Phoebe Reyes, the 12th time this season the freshman has exceeded ten court punishers running her kills per set to 4.00 on a .310 attack in the last six matches.

Naya Danenberg got hot in the second set with five of her 8 kills and finished with 12 digs and a service ace. Kassidy Nixon, along with Danenberg, keyed a 6-2 Barton closeout securing the sweep chalking up three of her 7 kills on the afternoon.

The team's .213 overall attack was guided by Elena Stankovic's 14 assists and Maurin Reyes' 13 assists. Both recorded double-doubles by collecting 11 digs each, Stankovic's third of the year while Reyes' posted her team leading fifth.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1695564843899.jpeg" alt="Barton Athletics" />
 <figcaption>Barton Athletics</figcaption>
 </figure>&nbsp;By TODD MOORE Barton Sports InfoThe Barton Community College volleyball team swept its fourth straight opponent, the latest coming Saturday afternoon with a home court victory over Colby Community College 25-18, 25-18, and 25-20.Winners of five straight, Barton slips into the conference outright lead at 6-1 and 16-3 overall while Colby drops their third straight falling to 3-4 in league and 11-8 on the season.A battle for the top spot concluding Barton's first swing around the conference slate looms next Wednesday in a trip to Hutchinson Community College (5-1, 14-7) for a 6:00 p.m. serve at the Sports Arena.The Cougars were led by the .375 attack of 15 kills and two blocks from Phoebe Reyes, the 12th time this season the freshman has exceeded ten court punishers running her kills per set to 4.00 on a .310 attack in the last six matches.Naya Danenberg got hot in the second set with five of her 8 kills and finished with 12 digs and a service ace. Kassidy Nixon, along with Danenberg, keyed a 6-2 Barton closeout securing the sweep chalking up three of her 7 kills on the afternoon.The team's .213 overall attack was guided by Elena Stankovic's 14 assists and Maurin Reyes' 13 assists. Both recorded double-doubles by collecting 11 digs each, Stankovic's third of the year while Reyes' posted her team leading fifth.

Cougars win fifth straight

HOUSTON (AP) — Jordan Lyles gave up just two hits in five innings, Bobby Witt Jr. drove in his 93rd run of the season and the Kansas City Royals beat the Houston Astros 3-2 on Saturday night.

“It’s like groundhog day,” Astros manager Dusty Baker said. “We’re playing hard, they’re playing good ball but we’re having trouble pushing runs across. You know hitting with runners in scoring position. When we do good we’re going to get a bunch of them for a period of time. I just feel that. We’re so close to breaking games open. Just didn’t get it done.”

Houston has lost four of its last five games and fell to 39-41 at home this year. Still, the Astros maintained their half-game lead for the final AL wild-card spot over Seattle with seven games remaining. The Mariners lost 2-0 to Texas earlier.

“It feels like we're playing terrible,” said Alex Bregman, who finished 0 for 3. “That's it. We're not playing good.”

The Royals have won nine of their last 10 games for the first time since July 20-30, 2017. The win also clinched a fourth straight series win for the first time since 2019.

“We know where we are as far as our youth and our inexperience," Royals manager Matt Quatraro said. “There's nobody that knows exactly what the timetable is but these kinds of wins are definitely going to go a long way for our guy's confidence.”

Lyles (5-17) held the Astros to just one hit through the first four innings, while striking out three and walking two. This was his best start since July 17 when he held Detroit to no runs and three hits in a no-decision.

“Every at-bat was a strong battle," Lyles said. "Those guys are one of the better lineups in baseball. It's going to make it difficult on you and they did a really good job. I wasn't able to go deep but five scoreless, team win, sign me up every day of the week for it.”

Taylor Clarke got the last five outs for his third save of the season.

“He just kept pumping strikes,” Quatraro said. “That last inning he was trying to not make a mistake and he just kept making quality after quality pitch. Those guys are dangerous and obviously without what he did we're not going to win that game.”

The Royals got to the Astros early again. Maikel Garcia led off the game against J.P. France (11-6) with an infield single, stole second and advanced to third on a throwing error by catcher Yanier Diaz. Garcia scored on a sacrifice fly to center field by M.J. Melendez to make it 1-0.

Kansas City leads the American League in sacrifice flies this season with 56 — second in the majors behind only the Dodgers (66).

In the fifth inning with the bases loaded, Witt reached on a fielder’s choice and drove in Nick Pratto. A wild pitch by France later in the inning allowed Kyle Isbel to score, making it 3-0.

France gave up three runs and seven hits in five innings, walking one and striking out five.

“Stuff was great, I'm pleased with that outing,” France said. “I went five innings, two earned. Was actually able to get some whiffs, get some strikeouts against these guys opposed to last time. ... Overall felt my stuff was really good today. Arm felt really good.”

Astros reliever Bryan Abreu struck out the side in the eighth inning to extend his scoreless innings streak to a major league-best 24 innings. Abreu has struck out 28 batters in this span.

Trailing 3-0, Chas McCormick led off the seventh inning blasting a ball 418 feet to the train tracks in left field to cut into the lead. It was the second straight game that McCormick homered.

“It's been frustrating, I've never been in this position before," McCormick said of the Astros' last eleven games. “Every team that's come to play us, they want to beat us badly and we just don't want it enough right now ... I don't think we're firing on all cylinders and putting a little pressure on ourselves."

The Astros inched closer in the eighth as back-to-back doubles by Yordan Alvarez and Kyle Tucker made it 3-2. Alvarez finished 1 for 4 with the double, which extended his streak of games reaching base safely in to 29.

With 41,692 fans in attendance on Saturday night, the Astros surpassed 3 million fans for the fifth time in franchise history and for the first time since 2007.

Royals: C Salvador Perez (concussion) is likely to return to the lineup on Sunday, according to Quatraro. ... RHP Brad Keller has been diagnosed with thoracic outlet syndrome. He will decide whether to undergo surgery in the coming days, according to Quatraro.

Astros: OF Michael Brantley was out of the lineup for a fifth straight game Saturday with right shoulder soreness.

Astros RHP Hunter Brown (11-12, 4.87 ERA) will start Houston’s final home game of the regular season on Sunday. The Royals have not announced a starter.

HOUSTON (AP) — Jordan Lyles gave up just two hits in five innings, Bobby Witt Jr. drove in his 93rd run of the season and the Kansas City Royals beat the Houston Astros 3-2 on Saturday night.“It’s like groundhog day,” Astros manager Dusty Baker said. “We’re playing hard, they’re playing good ball but we’re having trouble pushing runs across. You know hitting with runners in scoring position. When we do good we’re going to get a bunch of them for a period of time. I just feel that. We’re so close to breaking games open. Just didn’t get it done.”Houston has lost four of its last five games and fell to 39-41 at home this year. Still, the Astros maintained their half-game lead for the final AL wild-card spot over Seattle with seven games remaining. The Mariners lost 2-0 to Texas earlier.“It feels like we're playing terrible,” said Alex Bregman, who finished 0 for 3. “That's it. We're not playing good.”The Royals have won nine of their last 10 games for the first time since July 20-30, 2017. The win also clinched a fourth straight series win for the first time since 2019.“We know where we are as far as our youth and our inexperience," Royals manager Matt Quatraro said. “There's nobody that knows exactly what the timetable is but these kinds of wins are definitely going to go a long way for our guy's confidence.”Lyles (5-17) held the Astros to just one hit through the first four innings, while striking out three and walking two. This was his best start since July 17 when he held Detroit to no runs and three hits in a no-decision.“Every at-bat was a strong battle," Lyles said. "Those guys are one of the better lineups in baseball. It's going to make it difficult on you and they did a really good job. I wasn't able to go deep but five scoreless, team win, sign me up every day of the week for it.”Taylor Clarke got the last five outs for his third save of the season.“He just kept pumping strikes,” Quatraro said. “That last inning he was trying to not make a mistake and he just kept making quality after quality pitch. Those guys are dangerous and obviously without what he did we're not going to win that game.”The Royals got to the Astros early again. Maikel Garcia led off the game against J.P. France (11-6) with an infield single, stole second and advanced to third on a throwing error by catcher Yanier Diaz. Garcia scored on a sacrifice fly to center field by M.J. Melendez to make it 1-0.Kansas City leads the American League in sacrifice flies this season with 56 — second in the majors behind only the Dodgers (66).In the fifth inning with the bases loaded, Witt reached on a fielder’s choice and drove in Nick Pratto. A wild pitch by France later in the inning allowed Kyle Isbel to score, making it 3-0.France gave up three runs and seven hits in five innings, walking one and striking out five.“Stuff was great, I'm pleased with that outing,” France said. “I went five innings, two earned. Was actually able to get some whiffs, get some strikeouts against these guys opposed to last time. ... Overall felt my stuff was really good today. Arm felt really good.”Astros reliever Bryan Abreu struck out the side in the eighth inning to extend his scoreless innings streak to a major league-best 24 innings. Abreu has struck out 28 batters in this span.Trailing 3-0, Chas McCormick led off the seventh inning blasting a ball 418 feet to the train tracks in left field to cut into the lead. It was the second straight game that McCormick homered.“It's been frustrating, I've never been in this position before," McCormick said of the Astros' last eleven games. “Every team that's come to play us, they want to beat us badly and we just don't want it enough right now ... I don't think we're firing on all cylinders and putting a little pressure on ourselves."The Astros inched closer in the eighth as back-to-back doubles by Yordan Alvarez and Kyle Tucker made it 3-2. Alvarez finished 1 for 4 with the double, which extended his streak of games reaching base safely in to 29.3 MILLION FANSWith 41,692 fans in attendance on Saturday night, the Astros surpassed 3 million fans for the fifth time in franchise history and for the first time since 2007.TRAINER’S ROOMRoyals: C Salvador Perez (concussion) is likely to return to the lineup on Sunday, according to Quatraro. ... RHP Brad Keller has been diagnosed with thoracic outlet syndrome. He will decide whether to undergo surgery in the coming days, according to Quatraro.Astros: OF Michael Brantley was out of the lineup for a fifth straight game Saturday with right shoulder soreness.UP NEXTAstros RHP Hunter Brown (11-12, 4.87 ERA) will start Houston’s final home game of the regular season on Sunday. The Royals have not announced a starter.

Lyles pitches five scoreless, Royals beat Astros 3-2

LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Jalon Daniels threw two second-half touchdown passes to Luke Grimm, Kansas got a pair of touchdowns from its opportunistic defense, and the Jayhawks rallied to beat BYU 38-27 in the Cougars’ Big 12 debut. Cobee Bryant returned a fumble for a touchdown and Kenny Logan Jr. had a pick-six for the Jayhawks, who improved to 4-0 in back-to-back years for the first time since the 1914 and ’15 seasons. Kedon Slovis was 30 of 51 for 357 yards with two touchdowns and two picks for BYU, who joined the Big 12 after playing as an independent in recent seasons.

MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) — DJ Giddens ran for a career-high 207 yards and four touchdowns and Kansas State beat UCF 44-31 in the Big 12 debut for the Knights. Giddens ran for three scores in the first half that included a 1-yard run on the opening drive for K-State (3-1, 1-0), which has found the end zone in its opening drives in all four games this season. Timmy McClain threw three touchdowns passes and went 14 for 24 with 264 yards passing with an interception for UCF (3-1, 0-1).

WACO, Texas (AP) — Jonathon Brooks ran for two touchdowns and No. 3 Texas got a dominant game from its defense to overpower Baylor in a 38-6 win Saturday night to launch the Longhorns into their final Big 12 season. The 113th and last meeting between the old rivals saw Texas bolt to a 28-6 lead by halftime. Brooks scored on a 40-yard touchdown run and Quinn Ewers scored on a scramble from 29 yards. Texas sacked Baylor quarterbacks five times. The Longhorns will play in the Southeastern Conference next season.

CINCINNATI (AP) — Dillon Gabriel threw for 322 yards and accounted for two touchdowns as No. 16 Oklahoma welcomed Cincinnati to the Big 12 Conference with a 20-6 defeat Saturday. The UCF transfer completed 26 of 38 passes, rebounding from his three-interception performance in his last trip to Cincinnati’s Nippert Stadium in 2019 and notching his first career victory in three tries against the Bearcats. Oklahoma outgained Cincinnati 322-202 through the air, as the Bearcats got their first taste of the Big 12 since moving from the American Athletic Conference in July.

AMES, Iowa (AP) — Rocco Becht passed for 348 yards and three touchdowns as Iowa State held on to beat Oklahoma State 34-27 in the Big 12 Conference opener for both teams. The Cyclones (2-2) were averaging just 16.7 points per game, the lowest total among Power 5 schools, but Becht spearheaded an offensive revival, completing 27 of 38 attempts. Oklahoma State (2-2) tried to rally from a 14-point deficit in the final three minutes, but the Cowboys’ last drive ended when Iowa State’s T.J. Tampa intercepted a fourth-and-10 pass near midfield.

FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) — Chandler Morris threw for three touchdowns, Emani Bailey ran for 126 yards and a score and TCU wore down SMU in the second half of a 34-17 victory in the Dallas-Fort Worth rivalry. The Horned Frogs intercepted Preston Stone twice in the second half in a second consecutive victory in the “Iron Skillet” game. It was the 102nd meeting in a series that isn't scheduled beyond 2025. TCU tight end Jared Wiley caught two short touchdown passes in the first half.

SOUTH BEND, Ind. (AP) — Chip Trayanum's 1-yard TD run with a second left to give No. 6 Ohio State a 17-14 victory at No. 9 Notre Dame. It was his second score of the night and came on a drive in which the Buckeyes (4-0) needed to convert one fourth down and a third-and-19 in the final 90 seconds to rally for a sixth straight victory over the Fighting Irish. Notre Dame appeared to be in control after Sam Hartman threw a 2-yard touchdown pass to Rico Flores Jr. with 8:22 to go for a 14-10 lead. But the Notre Dame defense couldn't preserve it.

EUGENE, Ore. (AP) — Bo Nix threw for 276 yards and three touchdowns and No. 10 Oregon took some sheen off of Colorado coach Deion Sanders’ showy start to the season with a 42-6 victory over the No. 19 Buffaloes on Saturday. Troy Franklin caught eight passes for 126 yards and two scores for Oregon (4-0, 1-0 Pac-12), which has opened the season with four straight wins for just the second time since 2014. Buffs quarterback Shedeur Sanders was held to 159 passing yards after averaging more than 400 going into the game.

CLEMSON, S.C. (AP) — Jordan Travis threw a 24-yard touchdown pass to Keon Coleman to start overtime and No. 4 Florida State rallied in the second half to defeat Clemson 31-24. Travis also threw for another TD and ran for a score for the Seminoles, who ended a frustrating seven-game losing streak to the Tigers. Travis was 21 of 37 for 289 yards, including a perfectly lofted pass that Coleman caught in stride and hushed the raucous Death Valley crowd. Florida State linebacker Kalen DeLoach forced a Klubnik fumble and scooped it up for a 56-yard TD return to tie things at 24-all.

UNDATED (AP) — A statement Saturday in September that featured six games matching ranked teams was the first chance to make some sense of first few weeks of the season. What we learned is the best days of this season might already behind No. 19 Colorado. No. 4 Florida State is ready to take off after leaving Death Valley with a victory. No. 13 Alabama might have a formula to stay in playoff contention. And coach Ryan Day is tired of people questioning Ohio State's toughness.

HOUSTON (AP) — Jordan Lyles gave up just two hits in five innings, Bobby Witt Jr. drove in his 93rd run of the season and the Kansas City Royals beat the Houston Astros 3-2. Houston has lost four of its last five games and fell to 39-41 at home this year. Still, the Astros maintained their half-game lead for the final AL wild-card spot over Seattle. The Royals have won nine of their last 10 games for the first time since July 20-30, 2017. The win also clinched a fourth straight series win for the first time since 2019. Lyles (5-17) held the Astros to just one hit through the first four innings, while striking out three and walking two. Taylor Clarke got the last five outs for his third save of the season.

FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) — Bubba Wallace will start from the pole at Texas. It is the first race in the second round of NASCAR's playoffs, and comes after Wallace just made the cut to make the round of 12. Wallace turned a lap of 188.337 mph in the final round of qualifying Saturday. He finished ahead of fellow playoff contenders and RFK Racing teammates Chris Buescher and Brad Keselowski. It is the second career pole for Wallace, the 23XI Racing driver who entered the round of 12 in 12th place after the points were reset following the first three playoff races.

Final	(21)Washington St.	38	(14)Oregon St.	35	

Final	(17)North Carolina	41	Pittsburgh	24	

Arizona	at	N-Y Yankees	1:05 p.m.	(Postponed)

Atlanta	at	Washington	6:35 p.m.	(Postponed)

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1694688181399.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Jalon Daniels threw two second-half touchdown passes to Luke Grimm, Kansas got a pair of touchdowns from its opportunistic defense, and the Jayhawks rallied to beat BYU 38-27 in the Cougars’ Big 12 debut. Cobee Bryant returned a fumble for a touchdown and Kenny Logan Jr. had a pick-six for the Jayhawks, who improved to 4-0 in back-to-back years for the first time since the 1914 and ’15 seasons. Kedon Slovis was 30 of 51 for 357 yards with two touchdowns and two picks for BYU, who joined the Big 12 after playing as an independent in recent seasons.MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) — DJ Giddens ran for a career-high 207 yards and four touchdowns and Kansas State beat UCF 44-31 in the Big 12 debut for the Knights. Giddens ran for three scores in the first half that included a 1-yard run on the opening drive for K-State (3-1, 1-0), which has found the end zone in its opening drives in all four games this season. Timmy McClain threw three touchdowns passes and went 14 for 24 with 264 yards passing with an interception for UCF (3-1, 0-1).WACO, Texas (AP) — Jonathon Brooks ran for two touchdowns and No. 3 Texas got a dominant game from its defense to overpower Baylor in a 38-6 win Saturday night to launch the Longhorns into their final Big 12 season. The 113th and last meeting between the old rivals saw Texas bolt to a 28-6 lead by halftime. Brooks scored on a 40-yard touchdown run and Quinn Ewers scored on a scramble from 29 yards. Texas sacked Baylor quarterbacks five times. The Longhorns will play in the Southeastern Conference next season.CINCINNATI (AP) — Dillon Gabriel threw for 322 yards and accounted for two touchdowns as No. 16 Oklahoma welcomed Cincinnati to the Big 12 Conference with a 20-6 defeat Saturday. The UCF transfer completed 26 of 38 passes, rebounding from his three-interception performance in his last trip to Cincinnati’s Nippert Stadium in 2019 and notching his first career victory in three tries against the Bearcats. Oklahoma outgained Cincinnati 322-202 through the air, as the Bearcats got their first taste of the Big 12 since moving from the American Athletic Conference in July.AMES, Iowa (AP) — Rocco Becht passed for 348 yards and three touchdowns as Iowa State held on to beat Oklahoma State 34-27 in the Big 12 Conference opener for both teams. The Cyclones (2-2) were averaging just 16.7 points per game, the lowest total among Power 5 schools, but Becht spearheaded an offensive revival, completing 27 of 38 attempts. Oklahoma State (2-2) tried to rally from a 14-point deficit in the final three minutes, but the Cowboys’ last drive ended when Iowa State’s T.J. Tampa intercepted a fourth-and-10 pass near midfield.FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) — Chandler Morris threw for three touchdowns, Emani Bailey ran for 126 yards and a score and TCU wore down SMU in the second half of a 34-17 victory in the Dallas-Fort Worth rivalry. The Horned Frogs intercepted Preston Stone twice in the second half in a second consecutive victory in the “Iron Skillet” game. It was the 102nd meeting in a series that isn't scheduled beyond 2025. TCU tight end Jared Wiley caught two short touchdown passes in the first half.SOUTH BEND, Ind. (AP) — Chip Trayanum's 1-yard TD run with a second left to give No. 6 Ohio State a 17-14 victory at No. 9 Notre Dame. It was his second score of the night and came on a drive in which the Buckeyes (4-0) needed to convert one fourth down and a third-and-19 in the final 90 seconds to rally for a sixth straight victory over the Fighting Irish. Notre Dame appeared to be in control after Sam Hartman threw a 2-yard touchdown pass to Rico Flores Jr. with 8:22 to go for a 14-10 lead. But the Notre Dame defense couldn't preserve it.EUGENE, Ore. (AP) — Bo Nix threw for 276 yards and three touchdowns and No. 10 Oregon took some sheen off of Colorado coach Deion Sanders’ showy start to the season with a 42-6 victory over the No. 19 Buffaloes on Saturday. Troy Franklin caught eight passes for 126 yards and two scores for Oregon (4-0, 1-0 Pac-12), which has opened the season with four straight wins for just the second time since 2014. Buffs quarterback Shedeur Sanders was held to 159 passing yards after averaging more than 400 going into the game.CLEMSON, S.C. (AP) — Jordan Travis threw a 24-yard touchdown pass to Keon Coleman to start overtime and No. 4 Florida State rallied in the second half to defeat Clemson 31-24. Travis also threw for another TD and ran for a score for the Seminoles, who ended a frustrating seven-game losing streak to the Tigers. Travis was 21 of 37 for 289 yards, including a perfectly lofted pass that Coleman caught in stride and hushed the raucous Death Valley crowd. Florida State linebacker Kalen DeLoach forced a Klubnik fumble and scooped it up for a 56-yard TD return to tie things at 24-all.UNDATED (AP) — A statement Saturday in September that featured six games matching ranked teams was the first chance to make some sense of first few weeks of the season. What we learned is the best days of this season might already behind No. 19 Colorado. No. 4 Florida State is ready to take off after leaving Death Valley with a victory. No. 13 Alabama might have a formula to stay in playoff contention. And coach Ryan Day is tired of people questioning Ohio State's toughness.HOUSTON (AP) — Jordan Lyles gave up just two hits in five innings, Bobby Witt Jr. drove in his 93rd run of the season and the Kansas City Royals beat the Houston Astros 3-2. Houston has lost four of its last five games and fell to 39-41 at home this year. Still, the Astros maintained their half-game lead for the final AL wild-card spot over Seattle. The Royals have won nine of their last 10 games for the first time since July 20-30, 2017. The win also clinched a fourth straight series win for the first time since 2019. Lyles (5-17) held the Astros to just one hit through the first four innings, while striking out three and walking two. Taylor Clarke got the last five outs for his third save of the season.FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) — Bubba Wallace will start from the pole at Texas. It is the first race in the second round of NASCAR's playoffs, and comes after Wallace just made the cut to make the round of 12. Wallace turned a lap of 188.337 mph in the final round of qualifying Saturday. He finished ahead of fellow playoff contenders and RFK Racing teammates Chris Buescher and Brad Keselowski. It is the second career pole for Wallace, the 23XI Racing driver who entered the round of 12 in 12th place after the points were reset following the first three playoff races.SATURDAY SCORESTOP-25 COLLEGE FOOTBALLFinal	(6)Ohio St.	17	(9)Notre Dame	14	Final	(13)Alabama	24	(15)Mississippi	10	Final	(10)Oregon	42	(19)Colorado	6	Final	(21)Washington St.	38	(14)Oregon St.	35	Final	(11)Utah	14	(22)UCLA	7	Final	(7)Penn St.	31	(24)Iowa	0	Final	(2)Michigan	31	Rutgers	7	Final	(16)Oklahoma	20	Cincinnati	6	Final	(4)Florida St.	31	Clemson	24	Final	(18)Duke	41	Uconn	7	Final	(20)Miami	41	Temple	7	Final	(23)Tennessee	45	UTSA	14	Final	(12)LSU	34	Arkansas	31	Final	(25)Florida	22	Charlotte	7	Final	(3)Texas	38	Baylor	6	Final	(1)Georgia	49	UAB	21	Final	(17)North Carolina	41	Pittsburgh	24	Final	(5)Southern Cal	42	Arizona St.	28	Final	(8)Washington	59	California	32	INTERLEAGUEArizona	at	N-Y Yankees	1:05 p.m.	(Postponed)AMERICAN LEAGUEFinal	L.A. Angels	1	Minnesota	0	Final	Chicago White Sox	1	Boston	0	Final	Oakland	4	Detroit	1	Final	Tampa Bay	7	Toronto	6	Final	Baltimore	2	Cleveland	1	Final	Texas	2	Seattle	0	Final	Kansas City	3	Houston	2	NATIONAL LEAGUEAtlanta	at	Washington	6:35 p.m.	(Postponed)Final	Chicago Cubs	6	Colorado	3	Final	Philadelphia	7	N.Y. Mets	5	Final	Miami	5	Milwaukee	4	Final	Pittsburgh	13	Cincinnati	12	Final	L.A. Dodgers	7	San Francisco	0	Final	St. Louis	5	San Diego	2

Sunday Sports Headlines and Scores presented by Barton Community College 

MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) — DJ Giddens ran for a career-high 207 yards and four touchdowns and Kansas State beat UCF 44-31 on Saturday night in the Big 12 debut for the Knights.

Giddens ran for three scores in the first half that included a 1-yard run on the opening drive for K-State (3-1, 1-0), which has found the end zone in its opening drives in all four games this season.

“The easy name is DJ Giddens,” K-State coach Chris Klieman said. “We challenged him to step up and we were going to give him the football and keep giving it to him.”

Will Howard went 27-for-42 passing for 255 yards and threw an interception. He added 64 yards on the ground and scored on a 31-yard run to give K-State a 44-24 lead with 2:01 remaining.

Giddens added a score in the second half to put the Wildcats up 37-24 with 4:01 left. K-State amassed 536 total yards with 281 rushing.

“I have to give a shout-out to the offensive line and Will Howard for making holes and getting me the ball,” Giddens said. “I just tried to make people miss in the open field.”

Timmy McClain threw three touchdown passes and completed 14 of 24 passes for 264 yards with an interception for UCF (3-1, 0-1). The Knights totaled 407 yards and rushed for 143 yards. UCF added a 1-yard touchdown by RJ Harvey with three seconds left in the game.

“We’re disappointed, but (K-State) is a good team and a tough place to play," UCF coach Gus Malzahn said. "We know what we need to work on. We’ve got to do a better job of coaching and playing. This is just one game and we’ve got some things to clean up.”

Kobe Hudson had two receiving touchdowns for his first scores of the season and finished with 138 yards despite being the Knights' leading receiver. He recorded his third-straight 100-yard receiving game.

Hudson scored on a 69-yard touchdown pass from McClain on a flea flicker late in the second quarter and again in the first UCF drive of the second half with a 46-yard reception on third-and-10 to give the Knights a 24-21 lead.

Harvey scored a 27-yard touchdown on third-and-15 in the first quarter. The first points in a Big 12 game for the Knights came on Colton Boomer's 29-yard field goal.

Knights: The passing attack was extremely successful for the Knights, with all three touchdowns coming in the air. UCF had success on third down with two scores coming on third-and-long. The defense seldom had an answer to slow the K-State rushing attack, allowing a season-high in yards rushing.

Wildcats: Giddens was clearly the primary source of the K-State offense, leading the team in carries, receptions and total yards. The secondary got beat deep on a pair of touchdown catches by Hudson; both were over 45 yards. The Wildcats have allowed a receiver to net over 100 yards receiving in two straight games.

UCF played its first Big 12 Conference game against the reigning Big 12 champions. It was the first time K-State hosted a new conference member to open Big 12 play since welcoming Texas Tech to the newly-minted Big 12 in 1996.

UCF continues its list of Big 12 firsts, hosting Baylor in its first Big 12 home game next Saturday. The two faced off in the 2014 Fiesta Bowl. The Knights hold a 1-0 series with a 52-42 win led by then UCF quarterback Blake Bortles.

K-State will get a week off before a road clash against Oklahoma State on Oct. 6. The Wildcats blanked the Cowboys 48-0 last season.

MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) — DJ Giddens ran for a career-high 207 yards and four touchdowns and Kansas State beat UCF 44-31 on Saturday night in the Big 12 debut for the Knights.Giddens ran for three scores in the first half that included a 1-yard run on the opening drive for K-State (3-1, 1-0), which has found the end zone in its opening drives in all four games this season.“The easy name is DJ Giddens,” K-State coach Chris Klieman said. “We challenged him to step up and we were going to give him the football and keep giving it to him.”Will Howard went 27-for-42 passing for 255 yards and threw an interception. He added 64 yards on the ground and scored on a 31-yard run to give K-State a 44-24 lead with 2:01 remaining.Giddens added a score in the second half to put the Wildcats up 37-24 with 4:01 left. K-State amassed 536 total yards with 281 rushing.“I have to give a shout-out to the offensive line and Will Howard for making holes and getting me the ball,” Giddens said. “I just tried to make people miss in the open field.”Timmy McClain threw three touchdown passes and completed 14 of 24 passes for 264 yards with an interception for UCF (3-1, 0-1). The Knights totaled 407 yards and rushed for 143 yards. UCF added a 1-yard touchdown by RJ Harvey with three seconds left in the game.“We’re disappointed, but (K-State) is a good team and a tough place to play," UCF coach Gus Malzahn said. "We know what we need to work on. We’ve got to do a better job of coaching and playing. This is just one game and we’ve got some things to clean up.”Kobe Hudson had two receiving touchdowns for his first scores of the season and finished with 138 yards despite being the Knights' leading receiver. He recorded his third-straight 100-yard receiving game.Hudson scored on a 69-yard touchdown pass from McClain on a flea flicker late in the second quarter and again in the first UCF drive of the second half with a 46-yard reception on third-and-10 to give the Knights a 24-21 lead.Harvey scored a 27-yard touchdown on third-and-15 in the first quarter. The first points in a Big 12 game for the Knights came on Colton Boomer's 29-yard field goal.THE TAKEAWAYKnights: The passing attack was extremely successful for the Knights, with all three touchdowns coming in the air. UCF had success on third down with two scores coming on third-and-long. The defense seldom had an answer to slow the K-State rushing attack, allowing a season-high in yards rushing.Wildcats: Giddens was clearly the primary source of the K-State offense, leading the team in carries, receptions and total yards. The secondary got beat deep on a pair of touchdown catches by Hudson; both were over 45 yards. The Wildcats have allowed a receiver to net over 100 yards receiving in two straight games.BIG 12 STATE OF MINDUCF played its first Big 12 Conference game against the reigning Big 12 champions. It was the first time K-State hosted a new conference member to open Big 12 play since welcoming Texas Tech to the newly-minted Big 12 in 1996.UP NEXTUCF continues its list of Big 12 firsts, hosting Baylor in its first Big 12 home game next Saturday. The two faced off in the 2014 Fiesta Bowl. The Knights hold a 1-0 series with a 52-42 win led by then UCF quarterback Blake Bortles.K-State will get a week off before a road clash against Oklahoma State on Oct. 6. The Wildcats blanked the Cowboys 48-0 last season.

Giddens runs for 207 yards, leads Kansas State in 44-31 win over UCF

LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Jalon Daniels threw two second-half touchdown passes to Luke Grimm, Kansas got a pair of score from its opportunistic defense, and the Jayhawks rallied to beat BYU 38-27 on Saturday in the Cougars' Big 12 debut.

Cobee Bryant returned a fumble for the game's opening touchdown, and Kenny Logan Jr. brought back an interception early in the third quarter for another score, helping the Jayhawks overcome a 17-14 halftime deficit and improve to 4-0 in back-to-back years for the first time since the 1914 and '15 seasons.

Daniels finished with 130 yards passing and three touchdowns for the Jayhawks. Devin Neal added 91 yards rushing.

Kedon Slovis was 30 of 51 for 357 yards with two TDs and two interceptions for BYU. But the Cougars (3-1) were imbalanced on offense, running 22 times for nine yards, and settling for two field goals in the red zone proved costly.

The Jayhawks, who struggled to put away Nevada last week, rolled into their conference opener averaging more than 500 yards per game. But the Cougars consistently put pressure on Daniels, who at times needed every bit of his athleticism just to get the ball away, and their defense held Kansas to one offensive touchdown in the first half.

The other score? That came on Bryant's bone-jarring hit on BYU's second play from scrimmage. The ball popped out, Bryant was there to scoop it, and he ran untouched 22 yards for the game's opening score.

The Cougars refused to let the turnover set the tone, though. They answered with back-to-back 75-yard touchdown drives, then used another long drive in the final minutes of the first half to add a field goal for a 17-14 lead at the break.

That's when the Kansas defense got into the act again.

On the third play of the third quarter, Slovis had his pass batted into the air by tight end Isaac Rex, off the hands of linebacker Jayson Gilliom and into the arms of Logan, who returned the interception 33 yards for a go-ahead touchdown.

When the Cougars answered with a field goal, the Jayhawks' offense finally started humming.

Daniels left them swiftly down field, converting an early third down with his legs before finding Luke Grimm in the back of the end zone on another third-down play for a touchdown. And after Bryant picked off Slovis on fourth down to end BYU's ensuing drive, the Jayhawks quickly drove down field, and Daniels found Grimm again to extend the lead to 35-20.

BYU's Keelan Marion scored midway through the fourth quarter, but the Jayhawks tacked on a field goal to put the game away.

BYU survived at Arkansas last week by scoring the last 17 points in a 38-31 win. But the Cougars looked downright tired in the second half Saturday, perhaps worn down by the physical nature of back-to-back road games against Power Five opponents.

Kansas defensive coordinator Brian Borland made it clear before the season that his group, which struggled mightily at times last year, would not hold back the Jayhawks this season. On Saturday, his defense was the difference in the outcome.

BYU plays its Big 12 home opener against fellow newcomer Cincinnati on Friday night.

Kansas visits Texas next Saturday for the first time since a 57-56 double-overtime win in 2021.

LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Jalon Daniels threw two second-half touchdown passes to Luke Grimm, Kansas got a pair of score from its opportunistic defense, and the Jayhawks rallied to beat BYU 38-27 on Saturday in the Cougars' Big 12 debut.Cobee Bryant returned a fumble for the game's opening touchdown, and Kenny Logan Jr. brought back an interception early in the third quarter for another score, helping the Jayhawks overcome a 17-14 halftime deficit and improve to 4-0 in back-to-back years for the first time since the 1914 and '15 seasons.Daniels finished with 130 yards passing and three touchdowns for the Jayhawks. Devin Neal added 91 yards rushing.Kedon Slovis was 30 of 51 for 357 yards with two TDs and two interceptions for BYU. But the Cougars (3-1) were imbalanced on offense, running 22 times for nine yards, and settling for two field goals in the red zone proved costly.The Jayhawks, who struggled to put away Nevada last week, rolled into their conference opener averaging more than 500 yards per game. But the Cougars consistently put pressure on Daniels, who at times needed every bit of his athleticism just to get the ball away, and their defense held Kansas to one offensive touchdown in the first half.The other score? That came on Bryant's bone-jarring hit on BYU's second play from scrimmage. The ball popped out, Bryant was there to scoop it, and he ran untouched 22 yards for the game's opening score.The Cougars refused to let the turnover set the tone, though. They answered with back-to-back 75-yard touchdown drives, then used another long drive in the final minutes of the first half to add a field goal for a 17-14 lead at the break.That's when the Kansas defense got into the act again.On the third play of the third quarter, Slovis had his pass batted into the air by tight end Isaac Rex, off the hands of linebacker Jayson Gilliom and into the arms of Logan, who returned the interception 33 yards for a go-ahead touchdown.When the Cougars answered with a field goal, the Jayhawks' offense finally started humming.Daniels left them swiftly down field, converting an early third down with his legs before finding Luke Grimm in the back of the end zone on another third-down play for a touchdown. And after Bryant picked off Slovis on fourth down to end BYU's ensuing drive, the Jayhawks quickly drove down field, and Daniels found Grimm again to extend the lead to 35-20.BYU's Keelan Marion scored midway through the fourth quarter, but the Jayhawks tacked on a field goal to put the game away.THE TAKEAWAYBYU survived at Arkansas last week by scoring the last 17 points in a 38-31 win. But the Cougars looked downright tired in the second half Saturday, perhaps worn down by the physical nature of back-to-back road games against Power Five opponents.Kansas defensive coordinator Brian Borland made it clear before the season that his group, which struggled mightily at times last year, would not hold back the Jayhawks this season. On Saturday, his defense was the difference in the outcome.UP NEXTBYU plays its Big 12 home opener against fellow newcomer Cincinnati on Friday night.Kansas visits Texas next Saturday for the first time since a 57-56 double-overtime win in 2021.

KU beats BYU 38-27 in its Big 12 debut

NEW YORK (AP) — Growing up in the Boston suburbs, Suzyn Waldman fell madly in love with two things: baseball and Broadway shows.

During the 1950s and '60s, the long arm of AM radio brought both into her home.

“I can still hear Ned Martin of the Red Sox reciting poetry about the mountains in Anaheim,” said Waldman, the pioneer announcer and former star of musical stage who's been calling New York Yankees games for decades. "I can still hear Curt Gowdy with that Wyoming twang.

“Not everyone can remember who their first television broadcasters were — but everyone knows who the radio team was. Everyone.”

Like many fans, especially older ones, Waldman originally got hooked by America's pastime listening to ballgames on an AM signal. In fact, next month will mark the 100th anniversary of the first World Series broadcast to a national radio audience, when Graham McNamee and Ford Frick were among those who called the 1923 Fall Classic between the Giants and Yankees on NBC.

A century later, however, some consider AM stations a dying medium in the modern age of digital technology. Several major automakers are eliminating broadcast AM radio from newer models — prompting lawmakers on Capitol Hill to propose legislation that would prevent the practice for safety and other reasons.

A bill with bipartisan support, the “AM for Every Vehicle Act” is winding its way through Congress.

“Not all change is progress," Waldman said.

To be sure, from satellite radio and streaming services to FM stations and cell phone apps, baseball fans nowadays have all sorts of options for tuning in their favorite team — even all 30 teams — whether their car features AM radio or not.

But those options aren't necessarily free. And it's not necessarily that simple.

Because for generations of fans, the warm memory of climbing into the family car on a hot summer night and finding the ballgame on that dashboard dial, leaning in to listen pitch by pitch with mom or dad over the persistent static of crackling AM airwaves, is the kind of age-of-innocence nostalgia that evokes “Field of Dreams."

“I still like baseball on the radio," John Thorn, official historian for MLB, said in an email. "I suspect that is not only because it is my favorite game, but also because it is a stop-action sport whose rhythms are well-suited to pauses, visualization by the listener, and reflection about the wonder of being 'there' at a distant game.”

Even if the future of AM radio is uncertain, there's no denying its impact on the growth and popularity of baseball.

The marriage dates all the way back to Aug. 5, 1921, when Harold Arlin delivered the first play-by-play broadcast of a big league game between the Phillies and Pirates at Forbes Field in Pittsburgh on KDKA.

“Joined at the hip," said longtime New York Mets announcer Howie Rose, who is 69. "What radio has meant to baseball and vice versa is probably the quintessential symbiotic relationship.”

It's a romantic history, too, thick with unmistakable voices and signature calls forever immortalized as the familiar soundtracks to those grainy old highlight reels of Joe DiMaggio, Willie Mays and Ted Williams.

And beloved broadcasters, community icons still inexorably linked to their teams even generations later: Mel Allen (Yankees), Red Barber (Brooklyn Dodgers), Ernie Harwell (Detroit Tigers), Russ Hodges (New York Giants), Bob Prince (Pittsburgh Pirates), Chuck Thompson (Baltimore Orioles), just to name a few.

And charming tales, including a young Ronald Reagan, long before becoming the 40th president of the United States, announcing Chicago Cubs games in Iowa during the 1930s by recreating play-by-play at Wrigley Field that was initially transmitted via Morse code.

“Some clubs resisted the advent of radio, as they later would the introduction of television, believing it would deter attendance at the game," the 76-year-old Thorn said. “But like the introduction of night baseball in 1935, radio had already brought major league games to the working class, and especially to women.”

Indeed, AM radio provided a gateway to the game for all sorts of folks at a time in America when ballpark stands were mostly filled with white men.

Before cable television took over, it was the long range of clear-channel AM stations that carried baseball all over the country and gave fans living far from big league cities the chance to follow a favorite team.

“Milo Hamilton and Ernie Johnson, Atlanta Braves, under the covers. My dad would come in, get on me, and then go, `What’s the score?’ The Braves, that’s the one thing we could pick up,” said 67-year-old Mets manager Buck Showalter, raised on the Florida panhandle. “Listening to Hank Aaron, Rico Carty. I can tell you the whole Braves lineup.”

KMOX in St. Louis, with its powerful signal reaching all over the central and southern United States, spawned countless Cardinals fans from Minnesota to Mississippi and beyond, as Hall of Fame broadcasters Harry Caray and Jack Buck described the scintillating exploits of Stan Musial, Lou Brock, Bob Gibson and more.

“You think about the teams that first started broadcasting on the radio, whether it was the Pirates or the Cardinals or the Reds, on these enormous clear-channel stations, it definitely grew the game," said 65-year-old Mets announcer Gary Cohen.

"It definitely brought the game home for fans who were too far away to attend in person. At a time when most baseball was during the day and a lot of working people couldn’t attend, they could listen on the radio. So yeah, I mean, the connection between AM radio and baseball is not only one in terms of just entertaining the fans, but also creating fans.”

One of them was Rick Rizzs, the longtime Seattle Mariners broadcaster who spent his childhood on the South Side of Chicago.

“With that little magical transistor radio, that AM radio, you could not only get your teams, but maybe four or five other teams, wherever you were located," said Rizzs, who turns 70 in November.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1695486768268.jpeg" alt="FILE - Baseballer Charlie Grimm,left, deposed by the Chicago Cubs in favor of Gabby Hartnett as manager, takes up new duties as a radio broadcaster at the ball games at Wrigley Field in Chicago, July 25, 1938. He's assisted by Pat Flanagan, a broadcasting colleague. Many baseball fans, especially older ones, originally fell in love with America’s pastime by listening to ballgames on AM radio. But several major automakers are eliminating broadcast AM radio from newer models, prompting lawmakers on Capitol Hill to propose legislation that would prevent the practice for safety and other reasons. (AP Photo/File)" />
 <figcaption>FILE - Baseballer Charlie Grimm,left, deposed by the Chicago Cubs in favor of Gabby Hartnett as manager, takes up new duties as a radio broadcaster at the ball games at Wrigley Field in Chicago, July 25, 1938. He's assisted by Pat Flanagan, a broadcasting colleague. Many baseball fans, especially older ones, originally fell in love with America’s pastime by listening to ballgames on AM radio. But several major automakers are eliminating broadcast AM radio from newer models, prompting lawmakers on Capitol Hill to propose legislation that would prevent the practice for safety and other reasons. (AP Photo/File)</figcaption>
 </figure>NEW YORK (AP) — Growing up in the Boston suburbs, Suzyn Waldman fell madly in love with two things: baseball and Broadway shows.During the 1950s and '60s, the long arm of AM radio brought both into her home.“I can still hear Ned Martin of the Red Sox reciting poetry about the mountains in Anaheim,” said Waldman, the pioneer announcer and former star of musical stage who's been calling New York Yankees games for decades. "I can still hear Curt Gowdy with that Wyoming twang.“Not everyone can remember who their first television broadcasters were — but everyone knows who the radio team was. Everyone.”Like many fans, especially older ones, Waldman originally got hooked by America's pastime listening to ballgames on an AM signal. In fact, next month will mark the 100th anniversary of the first World Series broadcast to a national radio audience, when Graham McNamee and Ford Frick were among those who called the 1923 Fall Classic between the Giants and Yankees on NBC.A century later, however, some consider AM stations a dying medium in the modern age of digital technology. Several major automakers are eliminating broadcast AM radio from newer models — prompting lawmakers on Capitol Hill to propose legislation that would prevent the practice for safety and other reasons.A bill with bipartisan support, the “AM for Every Vehicle Act” is winding its way through Congress.“Not all change is progress," Waldman said.To be sure, from satellite radio and streaming services to FM stations and cell phone apps, baseball fans nowadays have all sorts of options for tuning in their favorite team — even all 30 teams — whether their car features AM radio or not.But those options aren't necessarily free. And it's not necessarily that simple.Because for generations of fans, the warm memory of climbing into the family car on a hot summer night and finding the ballgame on that dashboard dial, leaning in to listen pitch by pitch with mom or dad over the persistent static of crackling AM airwaves, is the kind of age-of-innocence nostalgia that evokes “Field of Dreams."“I still like baseball on the radio," John Thorn, official historian for MLB, said in an email. "I suspect that is not only because it is my favorite game, but also because it is a stop-action sport whose rhythms are well-suited to pauses, visualization by the listener, and reflection about the wonder of being 'there' at a distant game.”Even if the future of AM radio is uncertain, there's no denying its impact on the growth and popularity of baseball.The marriage dates all the way back to Aug. 5, 1921, when Harold Arlin delivered the first play-by-play broadcast of a big league game between the Phillies and Pirates at Forbes Field in Pittsburgh on KDKA.“Joined at the hip," said longtime New York Mets announcer Howie Rose, who is 69. "What radio has meant to baseball and vice versa is probably the quintessential symbiotic relationship.”It's a romantic history, too, thick with unmistakable voices and signature calls forever immortalized as the familiar soundtracks to those grainy old highlight reels of Joe DiMaggio, Willie Mays and Ted Williams.And beloved broadcasters, community icons still inexorably linked to their teams even generations later: Mel Allen (Yankees), Red Barber (Brooklyn Dodgers), Ernie Harwell (Detroit Tigers), Russ Hodges (New York Giants), Bob Prince (Pittsburgh Pirates), Chuck Thompson (Baltimore Orioles), just to name a few.And charming tales, including a young Ronald Reagan, long before becoming the 40th president of the United States, announcing Chicago Cubs games in Iowa during the 1930s by recreating play-by-play at Wrigley Field that was initially transmitted via Morse code.“Some clubs resisted the advent of radio, as they later would the introduction of television, believing it would deter attendance at the game," the 76-year-old Thorn said. “But like the introduction of night baseball in 1935, radio had already brought major league games to the working class, and especially to women.”Indeed, AM radio provided a gateway to the game for all sorts of folks at a time in America when ballpark stands were mostly filled with white men.Before cable television took over, it was the long range of clear-channel AM stations that carried baseball all over the country and gave fans living far from big league cities the chance to follow a favorite team.“Milo Hamilton and Ernie Johnson, Atlanta Braves, under the covers. My dad would come in, get on me, and then go, `What’s the score?’ The Braves, that’s the one thing we could pick up,” said 67-year-old Mets manager Buck Showalter, raised on the Florida panhandle. “Listening to Hank Aaron, Rico Carty. I can tell you the whole Braves lineup.”KMOX in St. Louis, with its powerful signal reaching all over the central and southern United States, spawned countless Cardinals fans from Minnesota to Mississippi and beyond, as Hall of Fame broadcasters Harry Caray and Jack Buck described the scintillating exploits of Stan Musial, Lou Brock, Bob Gibson and more.“You think about the teams that first started broadcasting on the radio, whether it was the Pirates or the Cardinals or the Reds, on these enormous clear-channel stations, it definitely grew the game," said 65-year-old Mets announcer Gary Cohen."It definitely brought the game home for fans who were too far away to attend in person. At a time when most baseball was during the day and a lot of working people couldn’t attend, they could listen on the radio. So yeah, I mean, the connection between AM radio and baseball is not only one in terms of just entertaining the fans, but also creating fans.”One of them was Rick Rizzs, the longtime Seattle Mariners broadcaster who spent his childhood on the South Side of Chicago.“With that little magical transistor radio, that AM radio, you could not only get your teams, but maybe four or five other teams, wherever you were located," said Rizzs, who turns 70 in November.

A look back at the powerful role radio plays in baseball history

Goddard-Eisenhower 41, Andover Central 17

Hutchinson Central Christian 52, Fairfield 6

Junction City 41, Wichita Bishop Carroll 7

Lee's Summit North, Mo. 34, BV Northwest 22

Manhattan Eagles 54, Northland Christian, Mo. 8

Marmaton Valley 60, Marais des Cygnes Valley 0

Friday AP Scores Abilene 33, Chapman 6Andale 74, Smoky Valley 0Ashland 58, Deerfield 6Atchison 54, KC Schlagle 8Augusta 48, El Dorado 0Axtell 56, Linn 6BV Southwest 63, Spring Hill 35BV West 21, Staley, Mo. 7Basehor-Linwood 42, Shawnee Heights 14Beloit 30, Russell 12Blue Valley 22, Blue Springs, Mo. 15Buhler 41, Winfield 7Burden Central 44, Attica/Argonia 12Burlingame 53, Chase County 0Burrton 53, Chase 0Caney Valley 42, Cherryvale 6Canton-Galva 68, Norwich 14Cedar Vale-Dexter 52, Flinthills 6Central Heights 27, Uniontown 0Centralia 36, Troy 6Chanute 20, Ulysses 8Cheney 49, Pratt 0Chetopa 63, Altoona-Midway 13Cheylin 54, Northern Valley 6Clay Center 75, Hiawatha 13Clifton-Clyde 56, Washington County 6Coffeyville 35, Independence 0Columbus 12, Galena 8Conway Springs 40, Medicine Lodge 34Cunningham 50, Tescott 0DeSoto 50, Leavenworth 7Derby 27, Hutchinson 17Ell-Saline 56, Bennington 22Ellsworth 43, Hillsboro 15Erie 56, Northeast-Arma 22Frankfort 56, Doniphan West 6Frontenac 26, Girard 6Garden City 24, Hays 21Garden Plain 49, Chaparral 0Gardner-Edgerton 49, Mill Valley 10Goddard 45, Arkansas City 13Goddard-Eisenhower 41, Andover Central 17Great Bend 55, Wichita Southeast 0Greeley County 53, Golden Plains 37Hanover 38, Blue Valley Randolph 14Haven 44, Lyons 0Herington 40, Goessel 34Hesston 49, Wichita Trinity 14Highland Park 40, KC Harmon 6Hodgeman County 58, Dighton 30Hoisington 63, Southwestern Hts. 6Holcomb 55, Goodland 14Holton 32, Perry-Lecompton 12Hoxie 66, Stockton 0Hugoton 27, Colby 6Humboldt 14, Council Grove 7Hutchinson Central Christian 52, Fairfield 6Hutchinson Trinity 35, Ellinwood 8Ingalls 58, Moscow 0Iola 16, Anderson County 6Jackson Heights 36, Riverside 7Jayhawk Linn 70, Northern Heights 6Jefferson North 52, McLouth 6Junction City 41, Wichita Bishop Carroll 7KC Bishop Ward 27, KC Turner 8KC Piper 34, Topeka West 0KC Sumner 33, KC Wyandotte 20Kapaun Mount Carmel 48, Battle, Mo. 21Kingman 44, Douglass 6Kinsley 56, South Barber 30La Crosse 56, Kiowa County 6Lakin 44, Cimarron 20Lansing 28, Topeka Seaman 21Larned 56, Nickerson 12Lawrence Free State 41, SM Northwest 12Lebo 42, St. Paul 14Lee's Summit North, Mo. 34, BV Northwest 22Liberal 21, Dodge City 7Lincoln 54, Rock Hills 0Little River 54, Solomon 8Louisburg 45, Bonner Springs 8Lyndon 58, Cair Paravel 30Madison 60, Maranatha Academy 14Maize 45, Salina South 13Maize South 42, Newton 14Manhattan Eagles 54, Northland Christian, Mo. 8Marion 36, Remington 13Marmaton Valley 60, Marais des Cygnes Valley 0Marysville 23, Concordia 6McPherson 32, Circle 16Minneola 60, Bucklin 32Mission Valley 36, Valley Falls 8Moundridge 48, Pretty Prairie 0Nemaha Central 69, Horton 0Neodesha 48, West Franklin 14Norton 14, Phillipsburg 6Olathe East 24, Lawrence 6Olathe North 54, SM South 31Olathe South 50, SM West 6Olathe West 27, Olathe Northwest 7Olpe 28, Pleasanton 12Osage City 61, Eureka 0Osborne 64, Lakeside 14Oswego 54, Yates Center 8Ottawa 17, Eudora 14Oxford 64, Wichita Independent 14Parsons 59, Baxter Springs 0Peabody-Burns 76, Pawnee Heights 58Pittsburg 32, Fort Scott 22Pittsburg Colgan 53, Southeast 0Plainville 53, Oakley 6Pleasant Ridge 55, Maur Hill - Mount Academy 16Prairie View 44, Burlington 19Pratt Skyline 46, Ness City 0Quinter 44, Oberlin-Decatur 6Rawlins County 54, Hill City 6Raymore-Peculiar, Mo. 21, BV North 6Riley County 20, Royal Valley 13Riverton 57, Fredonia 6Rockhurst, Mo. 21, Bishop Miege 14Rose Hill 35, Mulvane 14Rossville 70, Atchison County 0Rural Vista 52, Wakefield 2SM East 28, SM North 20Sabetha 28, Minneapolis 6Salina Central 22, Andover 21Salina Sacred Heart 40, Belle Plaine 0Santa Fe Trail 44, Baldwin 27Scott City 30, Hays-TMP-Marian 0Sedgwick 53, Bluestem 6Silver Lake 38, Rock Creek 35Smith Center 16, Wabaunsee 14South Central 48, Stafford 0South Sumner 52, Udall 0Southeast Saline 24, Halstead 0Spearville 50, South Gray 40St John's Beloit 58, Pike Valley 22St. Mary's 57, Oskaloosa 6St. Thomas Aquinas 21, St. James Academy 6Sterling 35, Inman 18Sylvan Grove 46, Otis-Bison 0Thunder Ridge 62, Logan/Palco 26Tonganoxie 49, Paola 21Topeka 39, Emporia 10Topeka Hayden 64, Jefferson West 0Trego 46, Macksville 0Valley Center 42, Wichita Campus 14Valley Heights 52, Republic County 0Victoria 48, Central Plains 0Wallace County 65, Wheatland-Grinnell 0Wamego 53, KC Washington 6Washburn Rural 35, Manhattan 28Wellington 46, Labette County 24Wellsville 56, Osawatomie 6West Elk 64, Sedan 30Wichita Collegiate 55, Clearwater 8Wichita County 52, St. John 0Wichita East 34, Wichita Northwest 28

Friday Statewide Scores

HOUSTON (AP) — Cole Ragans gave up three hits and two runs over six strong innings and the Kansas City Royals used two big innings to defeat Houston 7-5 on Friday night, knocking the Astros out of first place in the AL West.

Houston, which has lost seven of its last 10 games, dropped a half-game back of the Texas Rangers in the division. Houston, 39-40 at home this season, holds a half-game lead for the final AL wild-card spot over the Mariners with eight games remaining. The Rangers beat the Mariners 8-5 on Friday night.

“It’s very frustrating,” Houston manager Dusty Baker said. “The guys are a little frustrated, but we are still in a good position.”

The Royals jumped on Framber Valdez for four runs in the first. Bobby Witt Jr. hit an RBI triple, and M.J. Melendez, Edward Olivares and Nick Loftin also drove in runs.

The Royals tacked on three more in the sixth on an RBI groundout by Nick Pratto and a two-run single by Kyle Isbel for a 7-2 lead.

“Really big part of that game was Pratto getting the ball in play and Izzy getting the ball in play against Valdez, whose been really tough on lefties,” Kansas City manager Matt Quatraro said.

Ragans (7-4) struck out five and walked four.

“I had a few walks, made some pitches when I needed to make a pitch,” Ragans said. “Offense was relentless once again and giving me a four-run cushion there early helps me settle down. Good team win.”

He allowed five runs in six innings against the Astros last Saturday.

“Cole, that’s pretty impressive,” Quatraro said. “Two starts in a row against this team as he’s emerging in his big league career and to battle the way he did. They made him work. He had good stuff. He wasn’t getting as much swing and miss, but he executed some pitches when he really needed to, and that was really impressive.”

James McArthur pitched the final 1 2/3 innings for his second save as Kansas City won for the eighth time in its last nine games.

Yordan Alvarez hit an RBI double in the first, and José Abreu hit a solo home run in the second.

Chas McCormick hit a three-run home run in the eighth to cut the lead to 7-5, but after Jose Altuve singled to put runners on the corners with two outs, Jeremy Peña flew out to end the threat.

Houston finished 2 for 13 with runners in scoring position.

“It was a frustrating night because we had opportunities,” Baker said. “I don’t know how many, but I know we had quite a few, we just didn’t pick up the RBIs, which I talk about all the time."

Valdez (12-11) surrendered seven runs — six earned — on four hits with 10 strikeouts in 5 1/3 innings. He also walked three and hit two batters.

“Winning,” Valdez said through a translator when asked about the mindset of the team. “Try to continue winning and try to continue battling. That’s the priority.”

Royals: C Salvador Perez (concussion) cleared his concussion protocol and worked out on Friday, Quatraro said. Perez can be activated off the 7-day concussion injured list on Sunday. … LHP Daniel Lynch IV (left shoulder strain) threw two scoreless innings in his first rehab start Thursday with Triple A Omaha. Lynch did well and will go to Arizona to “do a progression,” Quatraro said. … LHP Austin Cox (left knee sprain) had successful surgery Thursday, Quatraro said.

Astros: RHP Ryne Stanek (right ankle sprain) was reinstated from the 15-day injured list. RHP Joel Kuhnel was optioned to Triple A Sugar Land to make room on the active roster. … OF Michael Brantley was out of the lineup for a fourth straight game Friday with right shoulder soreness.

Astros RHP J.P. France (11-5, 3.84 ERA) starts Saturday in the second game of the three-game series opposite Royals RHP Jordan Lyles (4-17, 6.43 ERA).

HOUSTON (AP) — Cole Ragans gave up three hits and two runs over six strong innings and the Kansas City Royals used two big innings to defeat Houston 7-5 on Friday night, knocking the Astros out of first place in the AL West.Houston, which has lost seven of its last 10 games, dropped a half-game back of the Texas Rangers in the division. Houston, 39-40 at home this season, holds a half-game lead for the final AL wild-card spot over the Mariners with eight games remaining. The Rangers beat the Mariners 8-5 on Friday night.“It’s very frustrating,” Houston manager Dusty Baker said. “The guys are a little frustrated, but we are still in a good position.”The Royals jumped on Framber Valdez for four runs in the first. Bobby Witt Jr. hit an RBI triple, and M.J. Melendez, Edward Olivares and Nick Loftin also drove in runs.The Royals tacked on three more in the sixth on an RBI groundout by Nick Pratto and a two-run single by Kyle Isbel for a 7-2 lead.“Really big part of that game was Pratto getting the ball in play and Izzy getting the ball in play against Valdez, whose been really tough on lefties,” Kansas City manager Matt Quatraro said.Ragans (7-4) struck out five and walked four.“I had a few walks, made some pitches when I needed to make a pitch,” Ragans said. “Offense was relentless once again and giving me a four-run cushion there early helps me settle down. Good team win.”He allowed five runs in six innings against the Astros last Saturday.“Cole, that’s pretty impressive,” Quatraro said. “Two starts in a row against this team as he’s emerging in his big league career and to battle the way he did. They made him work. He had good stuff. He wasn’t getting as much swing and miss, but he executed some pitches when he really needed to, and that was really impressive.”James McArthur pitched the final 1 2/3 innings for his second save as Kansas City won for the eighth time in its last nine games.Yordan Alvarez hit an RBI double in the first, and José Abreu hit a solo home run in the second.Chas McCormick hit a three-run home run in the eighth to cut the lead to 7-5, but after Jose Altuve singled to put runners on the corners with two outs, Jeremy Peña flew out to end the threat.Houston finished 2 for 13 with runners in scoring position.“It was a frustrating night because we had opportunities,” Baker said. “I don’t know how many, but I know we had quite a few, we just didn’t pick up the RBIs, which I talk about all the time."Valdez (12-11) surrendered seven runs — six earned — on four hits with 10 strikeouts in 5 1/3 innings. He also walked three and hit two batters.“Winning,” Valdez said through a translator when asked about the mindset of the team. “Try to continue winning and try to continue battling. That’s the priority.”TRAINER’S ROOMRoyals: C Salvador Perez (concussion) cleared his concussion protocol and worked out on Friday, Quatraro said. Perez can be activated off the 7-day concussion injured list on Sunday. … LHP Daniel Lynch IV (left shoulder strain) threw two scoreless innings in his first rehab start Thursday with Triple A Omaha. Lynch did well and will go to Arizona to “do a progression,” Quatraro said. … LHP Austin Cox (left knee sprain) had successful surgery Thursday, Quatraro said.Astros: RHP Ryne Stanek (right ankle sprain) was reinstated from the 15-day injured list. RHP Joel Kuhnel was optioned to Triple A Sugar Land to make room on the active roster. … OF Michael Brantley was out of the lineup for a fourth straight game Friday with right shoulder soreness.NEXTAstros RHP J.P. France (11-5, 3.84 ERA) starts Saturday in the second game of the three-game series opposite Royals RHP Jordan Lyles (4-17, 6.43 ERA).

Ragans goes 6 innings, Royals use 2 big innings to beat Astros 7-5

By MIKE COURSON Great Bend Post

Even the bad plays went Great Bend's way in Friday's 55-0 Homecoming win against Wichita Southeast. With the game already in hand, a muffed punt attempt resulted in a 16-yard run and first down from sophomore Trenton Kern. That's how it went all night as senior Cody Miller piled up 157 rushing yards and four touchdowns in the first half alone to begin the rout.

“That’s the thing you’d really like to see in a game like
this is our ability to run the football,” Panther Coach Erin Beck said. “We really wanted to work
on it all week and come out here and execute. It was an area that we’ve
struggled with the first three weeks. To get Cody going and to get our
offensive line going was really nice to see.”

Miller handled all the touches on the first Panther drive totaling 55 yards and capped with a two-yard touchdown run four minutes in. He added a 3-yard touchdown run late in the first quarter for a 14-0 Panther lead.

Kern blocked a punt to end the next Southeast drive. On the very next play, sophomore Jacob Hall went 31 yards on a pass from sophomore Daxton Minton. The lead grew to 21-0 with 42 seconds to play in the first.

Great Bend's offense quieted until a wild final three minutes in the first half. Miller scored from two yards out with 2:24 to play, then Jace Schartz recovered a fumble on the ensuing kick. On the next play, Minton threw to senior Maddox Spray behind the line of scrimmage. Spray found a wide-open Ian Premer downfield for a 30-yard strike.

Southeast threw three incomplete passes to keep the clock stopped in the final two minutes of the half. That gave Miller plenty of time to run 38 yards for his final touchdown of the half. The Panthers led 41-0 at the intermission.

Miller tacked on a 6-yard touchdown early in the third to finish with 186 yards and five touchdowns on 22 attempts. Sophomore Conner Holladay capped scoring in the final minute of a running-clock third with a 1-yard run. Minton completed his night with 72 yards and a touchdown on 7-of-15 passing. Premer caught two passes for 44 yards, and Hall added two receptions for 37 yards.

The Panther defense held Southeast to 50 yards on 20 rushes. Junior Kyng Jones accounted for 38 of those yards on three carries.

“We thought coming in our defense had played well the first
three games,” Beck said. “We were pretty excited for an opportunity like this.
I thought they played their tails off all night. To pitch a shutout against a
Wichita team that had shown some bursts here and there, for us to shut them
down and shut them out is nice to see.”

Great Bend will take a 2-2 record into next Friday's home game against Dodge City.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1695437963846.jpeg" alt="Panther sophomore Trenton Kern (51) and junior Brody Schnoebelen (15) wrap up Southeast running back Ronelle Slaughter during Friday's 55-0 win over the Buffs." />
 <figcaption>Panther sophomore Trenton Kern (51) and junior Brody Schnoebelen (15) wrap up Southeast running back Ronelle Slaughter during Friday's 55-0 win over the Buffs.</figcaption>
 </figure>By MIKE COURSON Great Bend PostEven the bad plays went Great Bend's way in Friday's 55-0 Homecoming win against Wichita Southeast. With the game already in hand, a muffed punt attempt resulted in a 16-yard run and first down from sophomore Trenton Kern. That's how it went all night as senior Cody Miller piled up 157 rushing yards and four touchdowns in the first half alone to begin the rout.“That’s the thing you’d really like to see in a game like
this is our ability to run the football,” Panther Coach Erin Beck said. “We really wanted to work
on it all week and come out here and execute. It was an area that we’ve
struggled with the first three weeks. To get Cody going and to get our
offensive line going was really nice to see.”Miller handled all the touches on the first Panther drive totaling 55 yards and capped with a two-yard touchdown run four minutes in. He added a 3-yard touchdown run late in the first quarter for a 14-0 Panther lead.Kern blocked a punt to end the next Southeast drive. On the very next play, sophomore Jacob Hall went 31 yards on a pass from sophomore Daxton Minton. The lead grew to 21-0 with 42 seconds to play in the first.Great Bend's offense quieted until a wild final three minutes in the first half. Miller scored from two yards out with 2:24 to play, then Jace Schartz recovered a fumble on the ensuing kick. On the next play, Minton threw to senior Maddox Spray behind the line of scrimmage. Spray found a wide-open Ian Premer downfield for a 30-yard strike.Southeast threw three incomplete passes to keep the clock stopped in the final two minutes of the half. That gave Miller plenty of time to run 38 yards for his final touchdown of the half. The Panthers led 41-0 at the intermission.Miller tacked on a 6-yard touchdown early in the third to finish with 186 yards and five touchdowns on 22 attempts. Sophomore Conner Holladay capped scoring in the final minute of a running-clock third with a 1-yard run. Minton completed his night with 72 yards and a touchdown on 7-of-15 passing. Premer caught two passes for 44 yards, and Hall added two receptions for 37 yards.The Panther defense held Southeast to 50 yards on 20 rushes. Junior Kyng Jones accounted for 38 of those yards on three carries.“We thought coming in our defense had played well the first
three games,” Beck said. “We were pretty excited for an opportunity like this.
I thought they played their tails off all night. To pitch a shutout against a
Wichita team that had shown some bursts here and there, for us to shut them
down and shut them out is nice to see.”Great Bend will take a 2-2 record into next Friday's home game against Dodge City.

Panthers dominate Southeast in 55-0 Homecoming win

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/2/1582693944473.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Hoisington 63, SW Heights 6<div><iframe width="100%" height="265" src="https://clyp.it/pj1xnx2b/widget" frameborder="0"></iframe></div>

Hoisington 63, SW Heights 6

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1695238768373.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Larned 56, Nickerson 12<div><iframe width="100%" height="265" src="https://clyp.it/qiqnu2kv/widget" frameborder="0"></iframe></div>

Larned 56, Nickerson 12

Western Athletic Conference Great Bend 55, Wichita Southeast 0 Garden City 24, Hays 21 Liberal 21, Dodge City 7

Central Kansas League Hoisington 63, Southwestern Heights 6 Larned 56, Nickerson 12 Haven 44, Lyons 0 Cheney 49, Pratt 0 Hesston 49, Wichita Trinity 14 Ellsworth 43, Hillsboro 15 Andale 74, Smoky Valley 0 Southeast of Saline 24, Halstead 0

Other 11-Man Games Hutch-Trinity 35, Ellinwood 8 Beloit 30, Russell 12 Scott City 30, TMP 0 Sterling 35, Inman 18 8-Man Victoria 48, Central Plains 0 Kinsley 56, South Barber 30 La Crosse 56, Kiowa County 6 Trego 46, Macksville 0 Sylvan-Lucas 46, Otis-Bison 0 Wichita County 52, St. John 0 South Central 48, Stafford 0 Hodgeman County 58, Dighton 30 Pratt-Skyline 46, Ness City 0 Little River 54, Solomon 8

6-Man Burrton 53, Chase 0 Peabody-Burns 76, Pawnee Heights 58

Western Athletic Conference Great Bend 55, Wichita Southeast 0 Garden City 24, Hays 21 Liberal 21, Dodge City 7Central Kansas League Hoisington 63, Southwestern Heights 6 Larned 56, Nickerson 12 Haven 44, Lyons 0 Cheney 49, Pratt 0 Hesston 49, Wichita Trinity 14 Ellsworth 43, Hillsboro 15 Andale 74, Smoky Valley 0 Southeast of Saline 24, Halstead 0Other 11-Man Games Hutch-Trinity 35, Ellinwood 8 Beloit 30, Russell 12 Scott City 30, TMP 0 Sterling 35, Inman 18 8-Man Victoria 48, Central Plains 0 Kinsley 56, South Barber 30 La Crosse 56, Kiowa County 6 Trego 46, Macksville 0 Sylvan-Lucas 46, Otis-Bison 0 Wichita County 52, St. John 0 South Central 48, Stafford 0 Hodgeman County 58, Dighton 30 Pratt-Skyline 46, Ness City 0 Little River 54, Solomon 86-Man Burrton 53, Chase 0 Peabody-Burns 76, Pawnee Heights 58

Area Week 4 High School Football Scores

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/1/1673886602159.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Great Bend 55, Wichita Southeast 0<div><iframe width="100%" height="265" src="https://clyp.it/3gbc1zz1/widget" frameborder="0"></iframe></div>

Great Bend 55, Wichita Southeast 0

By&nbsp;Brent Maycock KSHSAA Covered

For as long as Heath Gerstner and Rick Sabath have been around high school baseball in Kansas, as players and coaches, the topic has been a source of contention. "Why can't Kansas play more games?"

Since 1965, high school baseball and softball teams in Kansas have been limited to a maximum of 20 regular-season games. In the nearly 60 years since, efforts to extend the season were shot down, most recently last April when Kansas State High School Activities Association's Board of Directors voted 33-32 to maintain the status quo.

"I think there's a lot of challenges any time there's change," said Gerstner, who not only is the head baseball coach at McPherson but also has been the president of the KABC for the past four years. "To see the good at the end is sometimes difficult and there's so many points of view out there with big schools and small schools, baseball programs with 60 kids involved and programs with 11 kids involved. To find a way to allow all of those programs the opportunity to play in more games was important."

Dejected, but undeterred by past rejections, the Kansas Association of Baseball Coaches didn't go back to the drawing board. Instead, it took some feedback from the board and joined forces with the state's softball coaches to try and elicit change.

On Wednesday, change finally occurred. At the KSHSAA's first Board of Directors meeting of the 2023-24 school year, the proposal to increase the maximum number of baseball and softball games allowed during the regular season again was up for vote.

And this time, it had more than enough momentum and support to pass.

With a 42-17 vote in baseball and 48-11 vote in softball, high school teams may now play up to 26 regular season games. The change is effective immediately.

"I think we finally did what's best for kids," Gerstner said. "Our players deserve more games and we're excited."

Sabath, who began coaching in the college ranks at various stops in Kansas before taking over at Olathe West when the school opened, said the process has been a long time coming. And one many involved with the KABC weren't sure would ever come.

By&nbsp;Brent Maycock KSHSAA CoveredFor as long as Heath Gerstner and Rick Sabath have been around high school baseball in Kansas, as players and coaches, the topic has been a source of contention. "Why can't Kansas play more games?"Since 1965, high school baseball and softball teams in Kansas have been limited to a maximum of 20 regular-season games. In the nearly 60 years since, efforts to extend the season were shot down, most recently last April when Kansas State High School Activities Association's Board of Directors voted 33-32 to maintain the status quo."I think there's a lot of challenges any time there's change," said Gerstner, who not only is the head baseball coach at McPherson but also has been the president of the KABC for the past four years. "To see the good at the end is sometimes difficult and there's so many points of view out there with big schools and small schools, baseball programs with 60 kids involved and programs with 11 kids involved. To find a way to allow all of those programs the opportunity to play in more games was important."Dejected, but undeterred by past rejections, the Kansas Association of Baseball Coaches didn't go back to the drawing board. Instead, it took some feedback from the board and joined forces with the state's softball coaches to try and elicit change.On Wednesday, change finally occurred. At the KSHSAA's first Board of Directors meeting of the 2023-24 school year, the proposal to increase the maximum number of baseball and softball games allowed during the regular season again was up for vote.And this time, it had more than enough momentum and support to pass.With a 42-17 vote in baseball and 48-11 vote in softball, high school teams may now play up to 26 regular season games. The change is effective immediately."I think we finally did what's best for kids," Gerstner said. "Our players deserve more games and we're excited."Sabath, who began coaching in the college ranks at various stops in Kansas before taking over at Olathe West when the school opened, said the process has been a long time coming. And one many involved with the KABC weren't sure would ever come."This has been a passion of ours for a long time," said Sabath, who takes over at St. Thomas Aquinas this spring as head coach. "We were told it would never happen. To see it happen today is so fulfilling for all of us and all the guys in the past who tried to get this done."The proposal to increase the maximum number of games was put forth by the Sunflower League and Olathe West athletic director Pat Butler made a brief presentation on behalf of the league. In his presentation, Butler made a simple rationale."Kansas lags behind, really the rest of the country, but specifically the states that surround us," Butler said.The numbers back up that claim. Nebraska allows its high school baseball and softball teams to play more than 30 games. Missouri allows 26. Oklahoma 37. Iowa 40.In addition, he presented numbers on the percentage of games played at the high school level compared with the college level. Where basketball plays roughly 67 percent of a collegiate schedule, soccer plays around 80 percent and volleyball is over 90 percent, baseball and softball have a schedule that is closer to 40 percent of the collegiate slate."It's not really just about the volume of games," Butler said. "But the opportunities those games can provide our kids and programs – to maybe play in tournaments, leave their league and move around the state and play a bit, all unique things we want to provide our kids."Gerstner said the KABC has been working on extending the season for quite some time now, and when the 2020 season was canceled for COVID concerns it drove home that desire even more. The proposal had the backing of 90 percent of the state's baseball coaches.Butler and Sunflower League colleagues Todd Dain, principal at Shawnee Mission South, and Jay Novacek, principal at Olathe West – who officially put the proposal to the vote -- also expressed concerns about the lure of club sports of elite athletes in both baseball and softball, particularly in the metro area."I would argue that high school sports, particularly baseball and softball, are under attack at times from club sports," Butler said. "We need to continue to provide new opportunities, more opportunities for our athletes. We want to protect our high school programs and this is the opportunity to do that.""We want to promote our sports because we believe that's where it's at," Novacek said. "It teaches life lessons and builds life-long relationships. We would hate to lose those."Discussion on the floor after both Butler and Gerstner spoke in favor of the proposal raised questions about the number of games involving the loss of instructional time being raised from 13 to 20 games. Paola principal Jeff Hines also presented a counter-argument about the impact of an increase in baseball and softball games on other sports and activities."I both appreciate and admire the passion that the baseball coaches have expressed in support of this," Hines said. "However, we need to promote the belief system as school administrators and members of the board of directors that all activities that we offer at our member schools are important. We have a duty to make sure that one sport or activity doesn't take precedence."Hines cited the addition of preseason jamborees for baseball and softball this season as well as the addition of a preseason arm-care conditioning throwing program for baseball pitchers as new amenities already afforded the sport. He also raised concerns about conflicts for dual-sport or dual-activity student-athletes during a spring schedule loaded with various state competitions such as forensics and music."For us to figure out how to make all those things interact and not make baseball more important or less important is difficult," Hines said.Horton principal Larry Mills also levied concerns from smaller schools that already battle low numbers, and in particular, pitchers currently that would be taxed even more by an increased schedule.Gerstner said he understood such concerns."We're allowing 26 games, not making it mandatory," he said. "We're neighboring schools with Little River and they may not think that 26 games fits their personnel, where it does us."After the pro/con discussion, the vote was held and it was overwhelmingly in support of increasing the maximum to 26 games for both baseball and softball.