Kansas State has its final tune-up before Big 12 play begins when Tulane visits Manhattan on Saturday. The Wildcats are coming off a 40-12 blowout of former conference rival Missouri. The only touchdown they allowed came on an untimed down to end the game. Tulane opened with a 42-10 win over Massachusetts and beat Alcorn State 52-0 last week. Tulane has won its first two games for the first time since 2002 and only the fourth time since 1975.

Tulane (2-0) at Kansas State (2-0), Saturday, 3 p.m. ET (ESPN+)

Line: Kansas State by 13 1/2, according to FanDuel Sportsbook.

This is Kansas State's final tune-up before Big 12 play begins next week against Oklahoma. The Wildcats are coming off a 40-12 blowout of former conference rival Missouri. The only touchdown they allowed came on an untimed down to end the game. Tulane opened with a 42-10 win over Massachusetts and beat Alcorn State 52-0 last week. The Green Wave are taking a big step up in class.

Kansas State QB Adrian Martinez has thrown for just 154 yards without a touchdown pass this season, though those numbers are a bit misleading. The Wildcats went vanilla when they were up big against South Dakota, then played in heavy rains against Missouri. Still, it would be good to get the passing game going against Tulane before facing the Sooners.

Tulane QB Michael Pratt should provide another good test for the Kansas State secondary. He was 17 of 21 for a career-high 318 yards and three touchdowns against Alcorn State last week.

Kansas State RB Deuce Vaughn has eight consecutive games of at least 100 yards rushing after another big performance against the Tigers. He has a Big 12-best 271 yards rushing and three touchdowns so far. He needs two more 100-yard efforts to match Darren Sproles, who set the school record with 10 straight during the 2002 and ’03 seasons.

Tulane has won its first two games for the first time since 2002 and only the fourth time since 1975. ... Pratt has thrown at least one TD pass for the Green Wave in 22 of his last 23 games. ... Tulane has run for at least 100 yards in 76 of its last 79 games. ... The Green Wave are coming off their first shutout since beating Louisiana 56-0 on Nov. 1, 1997. ... Tulane has scored at least 30 points in 34 games since Willie Fritz took over in 2017. The Green Wave have scored more than 40 in 17 of them. ... Kansas State is allowing six points and 246 yards per game through two games. ... The Wildcats have five interceptions, their most through two games since 2000. ... Vaughn has a rushing TD in nine straight games, the longest streak for the Wildcats since current offensive coordinator Collin Klein had 12 in a row in 2012. ... Martinez is one of two active quarterbacks nationally with at least 8,000 yards passing and 1,000 yards rushing for his career. He is second among active QBs with 2,392 yards rushing and 37 TDs rushing. ... Kansas State is seventh nationally with 532 yards rushing.

Kansas State has its final tune-up before Big 12 play begins when Tulane visits Manhattan on Saturday. The Wildcats are coming off a 40-12 blowout of former conference rival Missouri. The only touchdown they allowed came on an untimed down to end the game. Tulane opened with a 42-10 win over Massachusetts and beat Alcorn State 52-0 last week. Tulane has won its first two games for the first time since 2002 and only the fourth time since 1975.Tulane (2-0) at Kansas State (2-0), Saturday, 3 p.m. ET (ESPN+)Line: Kansas State by 13 1/2, according to FanDuel Sportsbook.Series record: Tulane leads 1-0.WHAT’S AT STAKE?This is Kansas State's final tune-up before Big 12 play begins next week against Oklahoma. The Wildcats are coming off a 40-12 blowout of former conference rival Missouri. The only touchdown they allowed came on an untimed down to end the game. Tulane opened with a 42-10 win over Massachusetts and beat Alcorn State 52-0 last week. The Green Wave are taking a big step up in class.KEY MATCHUPKansas State QB Adrian Martinez has thrown for just 154 yards without a touchdown pass this season, though those numbers are a bit misleading. The Wildcats went vanilla when they were up big against South Dakota, then played in heavy rains against Missouri. Still, it would be good to get the passing game going against Tulane before facing the Sooners.PLAYERS TO WATCHTulane QB Michael Pratt should provide another good test for the Kansas State secondary. He was 17 of 21 for a career-high 318 yards and three touchdowns against Alcorn State last week.Kansas State RB Deuce Vaughn has eight consecutive games of at least 100 yards rushing after another big performance against the Tigers. He has a Big 12-best 271 yards rushing and three touchdowns so far. He needs two more 100-yard efforts to match Darren Sproles, who set the school record with 10 straight during the 2002 and ’03 seasons.FACTS &amp; FIGURESTulane has won its first two games for the first time since 2002 and only the fourth time since 1975. ... Pratt has thrown at least one TD pass for the Green Wave in 22 of his last 23 games. ... Tulane has run for at least 100 yards in 76 of its last 79 games. ... The Green Wave are coming off their first shutout since beating Louisiana 56-0 on Nov. 1, 1997. ... Tulane has scored at least 30 points in 34 games since Willie Fritz took over in 2017. The Green Wave have scored more than 40 in 17 of them. ... Kansas State is allowing six points and 246 yards per game through two games. ... The Wildcats have five interceptions, their most through two games since 2000. ... Vaughn has a rushing TD in nine straight games, the longest streak for the Wildcats since current offensive coordinator Collin Klein had 12 in a row in 2012. ... Martinez is one of two active quarterbacks nationally with at least 8,000 yards passing and 1,000 yards rushing for his career. He is second among active QBs with 2,392 yards rushing and 37 TDs rushing. ... Kansas State is seventh nationally with 532 yards rushing.

K-State gets Tulane in final tune-up before facing Oklahoma

Kansas improved to 2-0 for the first time in more than a decade by squeezing out a victory at West Virginia, a win highlighted by a clinching pick-six in overtime.

Iowa State also went on the road and ended a six-game skid against its biggest rival, Iowa.

There was Kansas State walloping ex-Big 12 rival Missouri to stay perfect through the first two games of the season, and Texas Tech, which beat then-No. 25 and future conference foe Houston to likewise stack two wins together.

Pretty salty stuff from what were supposed to be the Big 12 also-rans.

“We know this program has struggled to get wins,” Jayhawks coach Lance Leipold said after the 55-42 win in Morgantown, their first there after six consecutive losses. "This is a group that’s been bruised mentally a lot, and they’re starting to gain some confidence and believe in one another. Confidence in the system and how we’re going about it.

“This,” Leipold said, “is one you hope we are going to build upon.”

There are a lot of coaches feeling the same way this week.

Texas took then-No. 1 Alabama to the wire in a loss, even after losing their starting quarterback to injury, and Baylor fell to No. 12 BYU on the road in overtime. But even in defeat, they were strong efforts by programs that, along with Oklahoma and Oklahoma State, were expected to be the cream of the Big 12 crop this season.

Yet it was the remaining schools in the conference that showed how deep the league might be.

Iowa State thought its breakthrough was going to come last season, when it returned most of the key players from a 9-3 team that had just won the Fiesta Bowl. But the Cyclones never quite got on track, won just seven games — disappointing by the standards Matt Campbell has brought to Ames — and the expectations heading into this season were tempered.

If a rout of Southeast Missouri State in their opener didn't raise them, the Cyclones' win in Iowa City might have done it.

They shut down an impotent Hawkeyes offense, then put together a 99-yard touchdown drive in the fourth quarter, before a few more defensive plays in the waning minutes preserved a 10-7 victory.

“It’s a game of imperfection,” said Campbell, whose team gets Ohio on Saturday before beginning Big 12 play. “For our kids to have the character and resiliency to keep playing, those are traits that will continue to serve us well.”

The Wildcats didn't need a whole lot of resilience in the first meeting with Missouri since it bolted for the SEC — and left the Big 12 in a precarious lurch — prior to the 2012 season. In fact, the only resistance Kansas State faced all day came from the weather, which included torrential downpours and an hour-long delay for lightning in the first half.

Kansas State led 14-3 at that point. It was 20-3 at halftime. The margin of victory, 40-12, was enough to raise eyebrows around the country, though the folks that follow the Wildcats closely know that this could turn out to be a special season in Manhattan.

“We have a good football team, but we have a lot of guys with a chip on their shoulder,” said Wildcats coach Chris Klieman, whose team plays Tulane on Saturday before a showdown with the Sooners. “We think we can be a really good team.”

That same positive vibe is running through the Red Raiders, who have rallied around first-year coach Joey McGuire to beat Murray State and then knock off the Cougars in double overtime. Texas Tech got a 47-yard field goal from Trey Wolff to force the extra sessions, then twice answered Houston scores with touchdowns to escape with the 33-30 win.

“Our team's No. 1 rule is don't beat yourself,” McGuire said. "I thought that our guys really responded. If we stay on that side to where we’re winning the penalty battle and winning the ‘don’t beat yourself’, we’re going to win a lot of those games.”

Kansas improved to 2-0 for the first time in more than a decade by squeezing out a victory at West Virginia, a win highlighted by a clinching pick-six in overtime.Iowa State also went on the road and ended a six-game skid against its biggest rival, Iowa.There was Kansas State walloping ex-Big 12 rival Missouri to stay perfect through the first two games of the season, and Texas Tech, which beat then-No. 25 and future conference foe Houston to likewise stack two wins together.Pretty salty stuff from what were supposed to be the Big 12 also-rans.“We know this program has struggled to get wins,” Jayhawks coach Lance Leipold said after the 55-42 win in Morgantown, their first there after six consecutive losses. "This is a group that’s been bruised mentally a lot, and they’re starting to gain some confidence and believe in one another. Confidence in the system and how we’re going about it.“This,” Leipold said, “is one you hope we are going to build upon.”There are a lot of coaches feeling the same way this week.Texas took then-No. 1 Alabama to the wire in a loss, even after losing their starting quarterback to injury, and Baylor fell to No. 12 BYU on the road in overtime. But even in defeat, they were strong efforts by programs that, along with Oklahoma and Oklahoma State, were expected to be the cream of the Big 12 crop this season.Yet it was the remaining schools in the conference that showed how deep the league might be.Iowa State thought its breakthrough was going to come last season, when it returned most of the key players from a 9-3 team that had just won the Fiesta Bowl. But the Cyclones never quite got on track, won just seven games — disappointing by the standards Matt Campbell has brought to Ames — and the expectations heading into this season were tempered.If a rout of Southeast Missouri State in their opener didn't raise them, the Cyclones' win in Iowa City might have done it.They shut down an impotent Hawkeyes offense, then put together a 99-yard touchdown drive in the fourth quarter, before a few more defensive plays in the waning minutes preserved a 10-7 victory.“It’s a game of imperfection,” said Campbell, whose team gets Ohio on Saturday before beginning Big 12 play. “For our kids to have the character and resiliency to keep playing, those are traits that will continue to serve us well.”The Wildcats didn't need a whole lot of resilience in the first meeting with Missouri since it bolted for the SEC — and left the Big 12 in a precarious lurch — prior to the 2012 season. In fact, the only resistance Kansas State faced all day came from the weather, which included torrential downpours and an hour-long delay for lightning in the first half.Kansas State led 14-3 at that point. It was 20-3 at halftime. The margin of victory, 40-12, was enough to raise eyebrows around the country, though the folks that follow the Wildcats closely know that this could turn out to be a special season in Manhattan.“We have a good football team, but we have a lot of guys with a chip on their shoulder,” said Wildcats coach Chris Klieman, whose team plays Tulane on Saturday before a showdown with the Sooners. “We think we can be a really good team.”That same positive vibe is running through the Red Raiders, who have rallied around first-year coach Joey McGuire to beat Murray State and then knock off the Cougars in double overtime. Texas Tech got a 47-yard field goal from Trey Wolff to force the extra sessions, then twice answered Houston scores with touchdowns to escape with the 33-30 win.“Our team's No. 1 rule is don't beat yourself,” McGuire said. "I thought that our guys really responded. If we stay on that side to where we’re winning the penalty battle and winning the ‘don’t beat yourself’, we’re going to win a lot of those games.”

Big 12's underappreciated stealing spotlight early in season


Lucas Constante's rebound strike with 2:16 to play Wednesday
afternoon sent a storming charge across the Cougar Soccer Field as
the 16th ranked Barton Community College men's soccer team completed
the upset knocking off unbeaten and 3rd ranked Cowley College 1-0.


Posting their fifth clean sheet of the season, the Cougars move to
3-1 in KJCCC play and 8-2 overall while the Tigers drop their
conference opener and fall to 5-1 on the season. Barton will look to
carry the momentum onto the road Saturday in a 3:30 p.m. kick against
Head Coach Rafael Simmons former team and receiving votes Neosho
County Community College.


The 13th ranked Barton Community College women's soccer rallied from
a two goal second half deficit Wednesday afternoon by owning the
final forty minutes for a 5-3 victory knocking off 12th ranked Cowley
College.


Barton stays unbeaten in conference play improving to 4-0 and 8-1 on
the year while the Tigers drop to 0-2 in league and 3-2 on the
season.  The Cougars' next conference test comes Saturday in a 1:00
p.m. kick at Neosho County Community College.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/9/1663235636082.jpeg" alt="Barton's Lucas Constante celebrates game winning goal against No. 3 Cowley College-Barton Athletics" />
 <figcaption>Barton's Lucas Constante celebrates game winning goal against No. 3 Cowley College-Barton Athletics</figcaption>
 </figure>Barton Men 1
Cowley 0
Lucas Constante's rebound strike with 2:16 to play Wednesday
afternoon sent a storming charge across the Cougar Soccer Field as
the 16th ranked Barton Community College men's soccer team completed
the upset knocking off unbeaten and 3rd ranked Cowley College 1-0.
Posting their fifth clean sheet of the season, the Cougars move to
3-1 in KJCCC play and 8-2 overall while the Tigers drop their
conference opener and fall to 5-1 on the season. Barton will look to
carry the momentum onto the road Saturday in a 3:30 p.m. kick against
Head Coach Rafael Simmons former team and receiving votes Neosho
County Community College.Barton Women 5
Cowley 3
The 13th ranked Barton Community College women's soccer rallied from
a two goal second half deficit Wednesday afternoon by owning the
final forty minutes for a 5-3 victory knocking off 12th ranked Cowley
College.
Barton stays unbeaten in conference play improving to 4-0 and 8-1 on
the year while the Tigers drop to 0-2 in league and 3-2 on the
season. The Cougars' next conference test comes Saturday in a 1:00
p.m. kick at Neosho County Community College.

Barton Men and Women both pick up wins over ranked teams

New
York	87	56	.608	_	_	8-2	W-4	50-22	37-34

Toronto	81	62	.566	6	+1½	7-3	W-2	41-30	40-32

Tampa
Bay	79	63	.556	7½	_	5-5	L-2	47-24	32-39

Baltimore	75	67	.528	11½	4	4-6	W-2	41-30	34-37

Boston	69	74	.483	18	10½	4-6	L-2	35-36	34-38

Cleveland	76	65	.539	_	_	8-2	W-6	36-30	40-35

Chicago	73	70	.510	4	6½	6-4	L-1	35-37	38-33

Minnesota	71	70	.504	5	7½	4-6	W-2	42-32	29-38

Kansas
City	57	86	.399	20	22½	4-6	L-2	34-41	23-45

Detroit	54	89	.378	23	25½	3-7	L-4	30-43	24-46

Houston	93	50	.650	_	_	8-2	W-4	47-22	46-28

Seattle	80	62	.563	12½	+1	6-4	W-1	39-32	41-30

Texas	62	81	.434	31	17½	4-6	L-1	30-41	32-40

Los
Angeles	61	82	.427	32	18½	3-7	L-4	31-40	30-42

Oakland	52	91	.364	41	27½	3-7	W-1	23-48	29-43

New
York	89	55	.618	_	_	4-6	L-3	46-26	43-29

Atlanta	88	55	.615	½	+10	6-4	L-1	47-25	41-30

Philadelphia	80	62	.563	8	+2½	7-3	W-5	44-31	36-31

Miami	58	85	.406	30½	20	3-7	L-2	28-43	30-42

Washington	49	94	.343	39½	29	3-7	L-5	22-49	27-45

St.
Louis	84	59	.587	_	_	6-4	W-1	48-25	36-34

Milwaukee	76	67	.531	8	2	6-4	L-1	39-27	37-40

Chicago	61	82	.427	23	17	5-5	W-3	30-42	31-40

Cincinnati	56	86	.394	27½	21½	3-7	L-6	29-43	27-43

Pittsburgh	55	88	.385	29	23	6-4	W-4	28-43	27-45

x-Los
Angeles	98	44	.690	_	_	7-3	L-1	49-18	49-26

San
Diego	78	65	.545	20½	_	4-6	L-1	38-31	40-34

San
Francisco	69	74	.483	29½	9	4-6	W-1	39-33	30-41

Arizona	68	75	.476	30½	10	4-6	W-1	39-36	29-39

Colorado	62	81	.434	36½	16	6-4	W-1	40-34	22-47

AMERICAN LEAGUEEast DivisionW	L	Pct	GB	WCGB	L10	Str	Home	AwayNew
York	87	56	.608	_	_	8-2	W-4	50-22	37-34Toronto	81	62	.566	6	+1½	7-3	W-2	41-30	40-32Tampa
Bay	79	63	.556	7½	_	5-5	L-2	47-24	32-39Baltimore	75	67	.528	11½	4	4-6	W-2	41-30	34-37Boston	69	74	.483	18	10½	4-6	L-2	35-36	34-38Central DivisionW	L	Pct	GB	WCGB	L10	Str	Home	AwayCleveland	76	65	.539	_	_	8-2	W-6	36-30	40-35Chicago	73	70	.510	4	6½	6-4	L-1	35-37	38-33Minnesota	71	70	.504	5	7½	4-6	W-2	42-32	29-38Kansas
City	57	86	.399	20	22½	4-6	L-2	34-41	23-45Detroit	54	89	.378	23	25½	3-7	L-4	30-43	24-46West DivisionW	L	Pct	GB	WCGB	L10	Str	Home	AwayHouston	93	50	.650	_	_	8-2	W-4	47-22	46-28Seattle	80	62	.563	12½	+1	6-4	W-1	39-32	41-30Texas	62	81	.434	31	17½	4-6	L-1	30-41	32-40Los
Angeles	61	82	.427	32	18½	3-7	L-4	31-40	30-42Oakland	52	91	.364	41	27½	3-7	W-1	23-48	29-43___NATIONAL LEAGUEEast DivisionW	L	Pct	GB	WCGB	L10	Str	Home	AwayNew
York	89	55	.618	_	_	4-6	L-3	46-26	43-29Atlanta	88	55	.615	½	+10	6-4	L-1	47-25	41-30Philadelphia	80	62	.563	8	+2½	7-3	W-5	44-31	36-31Miami	58	85	.406	30½	20	3-7	L-2	28-43	30-42Washington	49	94	.343	39½	29	3-7	L-5	22-49	27-45Central DivisionW	L	Pct	GB	WCGB	L10	Str	Home	AwaySt.
Louis	84	59	.587	_	_	6-4	W-1	48-25	36-34Milwaukee	76	67	.531	8	2	6-4	L-1	39-27	37-40Chicago	61	82	.427	23	17	5-5	W-3	30-42	31-40Cincinnati	56	86	.394	27½	21½	3-7	L-6	29-43	27-43Pittsburgh	55	88	.385	29	23	6-4	W-4	28-43	27-45West DivisionW	L	Pct	GB	WCGB	L10	Str	Home	Awayx-Los
Angeles	98	44	.690	_	_	7-3	L-1	49-18	49-26San
Diego	78	65	.545	20½	_	4-6	L-1	38-31	40-34San
Francisco	69	74	.483	29½	9	4-6	W-1	39-33	30-41Arizona	68	75	.476	30½	10	4-6	W-1	39-36	29-39Colorado	62	81	.434	36½	16	6-4	W-1	40-34	22-47x-clinched
division

Thursday MLB Standings

After thirteen matches on the road, the Barton Community College volleyball team took advantage of finally playing on its home court with a sweep Wednesday night over Pratt Community College 25-9, 26-24, and 25-18.&nbsp;

The victory was also the first in conference play, improving to 1-2 in league and 12-2 overall.&nbsp; Pratt leaves the Barton Gym still searching for its first conference win in dropping to 0-4 and 1-6 on the season.

Next up for the Cougars is another home match in welcoming defending Region VI Champions Butler Community College in a 6:30 p.m. Saturday evening first serve.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/9/1663235240253.jpeg" alt="Barton Athletics" />
 <figcaption>Barton Athletics</figcaption>
 </figure>After thirteen matches on the road, the Barton Community College volleyball team took advantage of finally playing on its home court with a sweep Wednesday night over Pratt Community College 25-9, 26-24, and 25-18.&nbsp;The victory was also the first in conference play, improving to 1-2 in league and 12-2 overall.&nbsp; Pratt leaves the Barton Gym still searching for its first conference win in dropping to 0-4 and 1-6 on the season.Next up for the Cougars is another home match in welcoming defending Region VI Champions Butler Community College in a 6:30 p.m. Saturday evening first serve.

Cougars open home volleyball slate with sweep of Pratt

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Sonny Gray cruised through seven sharp innings and the Minnesota Twins, despite losing AL batting leader Luis Arraez to an early injury, beat the Kansas City Royals 4-0 Wednesday night.

Gary Sánchez had a two-run double and Carlos Correa a couple hits for Minnesota, five games behind AL Central-leading Cleveland with 21 games remaining.

Arraez got an infield hit, raising his average to .320, and scored in the first, then left after the inning with left hamstring tightness. An MRI did not show “anything substantial,” according to manager Rocco Baldelli.

“My guess is we are going to, with the lefty tomorrow that we’re facing, probably let him come in, get some treatment and see how he responds, see what he’s going to be available for. I wouldn’t see him being out or anything like that,” Baldelli said.

The Twins already have a pair of regulars on 10-day injured lists: center fielder Byron Buxton out since Aug. 23 with a right hip strain and second baseman Jorge Polanco (left knee inflammation) has been out since Sept. 3.

Baldelli previously said Polanco might return this week, but Buxton is further away.

Acquired from Cincinnati in March, Gray (8-4) has been a top-of-the-rotation guy for Minnesota all season. He breezed through the Kansas City lineup much of the night, allowing three hits and striking out eight — seven looking.

“When you have a guy who has a really good breaking ball, as a hitter with two strikes, you have that in mind, like he might spin that breaking ball,” catcher Sandy León said. “Then he throws that backdoor two-seam to righties and from those lefties. … It’s not easy to execute it, but he does it.”

The right-hander has been especially strong for the Twins since the All-Star break, going 4-1 with a 1.98 ERA and allowing two or fewer earned runs in nine of those 10 starts.

“My curveball feels good, it’s always been something that’s been there for me. And my fastball command is getting better. And then starting to add a pitch here, add a pitch there, just along the way. … Whatever my strengths are, making sure my strengths, I’m really great at those and then just adding a little bit along the way,” Gray said.

Michael Massey had two of the five hits for Kansas City, which did not send more than four men to the plate in an inning against Gray. Through five innings, just one Royals runner advanced to second base and that came on a passed ball.

“He’s just tough because he can pretty much throw anything in any count,” Massey said.

Making his second start after missing 17 games with right forearm tightness, Zack Greinke (4-9) allowed three runs and struck out one in four innings.

Kansas City has lost six straight at Target Field and failed to score in 43 of its past 44 innings there. It scored three times in the ninth inning Tuesday after being no-hit for eight innings.

Greinke was done in by a 40-pitch first inning. Sánchez hit a two-out, two-run double and the Twins left the bases loaded when León grounded back sharply to Greinke.

“He didn’t execute the secondary pitches for strikes,” manager Mike Matheny said. “He’s usually getting more chase when he can throw strike to ball with the breaking stuff, with the changeup, but they weren’t biting.”

Greinke is 0-7 with a 6.36 ERA in a dozen starts away from Kauffman Stadium this season; he’s 4-2 with a 1.93 ERA in 11 games at home. His last road win was 16 road starts ago, on Aug. 13, 2021, he pitched for Houston.

A sacrifice fly by Gio Urshela scored pinch-runner Billy Hamilton in the Twins seventh.

Kansas City SS Bobby Witt Jr. doubled for the fourth straight game. Eight of his past 13 hits have gone for extra bases. He leads all rookies with 53 extra-base hits.

Twins: OF Max Kepler, who left Sunday’s game with a right leg contusion, missed his second straight game.

The three-game wraps up series Thursday with LHP Daniel Lynch (4-10, 5.14) the scheduled starter for Kansas City. Minnesota plans to start RHP Dylan Bundy (8-7. 4.68).

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Sonny Gray cruised through seven sharp innings and the Minnesota Twins, despite losing AL batting leader Luis Arraez to an early injury, beat the Kansas City Royals 4-0 Wednesday night.Gary Sánchez had a two-run double and Carlos Correa a couple hits for Minnesota, five games behind AL Central-leading Cleveland with 21 games remaining.Arraez got an infield hit, raising his average to .320, and scored in the first, then left after the inning with left hamstring tightness. An MRI did not show “anything substantial,” according to manager Rocco Baldelli.“My guess is we are going to, with the lefty tomorrow that we’re facing, probably let him come in, get some treatment and see how he responds, see what he’s going to be available for. I wouldn’t see him being out or anything like that,” Baldelli said.The Twins already have a pair of regulars on 10-day injured lists: center fielder Byron Buxton out since Aug. 23 with a right hip strain and second baseman Jorge Polanco (left knee inflammation) has been out since Sept. 3.Baldelli previously said Polanco might return this week, but Buxton is further away.Acquired from Cincinnati in March, Gray (8-4) has been a top-of-the-rotation guy for Minnesota all season. He breezed through the Kansas City lineup much of the night, allowing three hits and striking out eight — seven looking.“When you have a guy who has a really good breaking ball, as a hitter with two strikes, you have that in mind, like he might spin that breaking ball,” catcher Sandy León said. “Then he throws that backdoor two-seam to righties and from those lefties. … It’s not easy to execute it, but he does it.”The right-hander has been especially strong for the Twins since the All-Star break, going 4-1 with a 1.98 ERA and allowing two or fewer earned runs in nine of those 10 starts.“My curveball feels good, it’s always been something that’s been there for me. And my fastball command is getting better. And then starting to add a pitch here, add a pitch there, just along the way. … Whatever my strengths are, making sure my strengths, I’m really great at those and then just adding a little bit along the way,” Gray said.Michael Massey had two of the five hits for Kansas City, which did not send more than four men to the plate in an inning against Gray. Through five innings, just one Royals runner advanced to second base and that came on a passed ball.“He’s just tough because he can pretty much throw anything in any count,” Massey said.Making his second start after missing 17 games with right forearm tightness, Zack Greinke (4-9) allowed three runs and struck out one in four innings.Kansas City has lost six straight at Target Field and failed to score in 43 of its past 44 innings there. It scored three times in the ninth inning Tuesday after being no-hit for eight innings.Greinke was done in by a 40-pitch first inning. Sánchez hit a two-out, two-run double and the Twins left the bases loaded when León grounded back sharply to Greinke.“He didn’t execute the secondary pitches for strikes,” manager Mike Matheny said. “He’s usually getting more chase when he can throw strike to ball with the breaking stuff, with the changeup, but they weren’t biting.”Greinke is 0-7 with a 6.36 ERA in a dozen starts away from Kauffman Stadium this season; he’s 4-2 with a 1.93 ERA in 11 games at home. His last road win was 16 road starts ago, on Aug. 13, 2021, he pitched for Houston.A sacrifice fly by Gio Urshela scored pinch-runner Billy Hamilton in the Twins seventh.DOUBLES DELIGHTKansas City SS Bobby Witt Jr. doubled for the fourth straight game. Eight of his past 13 hits have gone for extra bases. He leads all rookies with 53 extra-base hits.TRAINER’S ROOMTwins: OF Max Kepler, who left Sunday’s game with a right leg contusion, missed his second straight game.UP NEXTThe three-game wraps up series Thursday with LHP Daniel Lynch (4-10, 5.14) the scheduled starter for Kansas City. Minnesota plans to start RHP Dylan Bundy (8-7. 4.68).

Gray sharp for 7 as Twins blank Royals

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Chiefs have taken on an almost unbeatable air in the AFC West over the past six years, not only winning the division each time but losing just six games total against some of their longest-standing rivals.

Except when it comes to the Los Angeles Chargers.

They've showed no fear in splitting their past four meetings with Kansas City, including a win in Arrowhead Stadium last season. And after making a series of offseason moves — like signing Khalil Mack, who had three of their five sacks in their opener against the Raiders — designed to deal with Patrick Mahomes and rest of the Chiefs' dynamic offense, the Chargers have every reason to be confident about facing the Chiefs again on Thursday night.

“They came in last year and beat us,” Mahomes said. “They're going to be ready to go. They've won here. They're not going to be scared to come in and play. We have to have a better mindset that we have to play well from the start.”

The Chiefs did that in their opener in Arizona, when they marched for touchdowns on their first three offensive series and were never seriously threatened in a 44-21 romp. Mahomes ended up with 360 yards passing and five TDs, dismissing any notion that the Kansas City offense would languish without wide receiver Tyreek Hill.

The defense also played well, holding Kyler Murray and the Cardinals to seven points into the fourth quarter.

Sounds like a team worthy of being feared.

“I think the optics of Tyreek leaving — they were a really good football team. They had a lot of good players when he was there, too,” Chargers coach Brandon Staley said. “It's just when you have a player that's as special as Tyreek, maybe the other players don't get the same amount of attention. They've really onboarded a lot of players that allow them to truly spread the field and spread distribution, run and pass, and make them really tough to defend.”

For their part, the Chargers defended the Raiders quite well in a 24-19 victory that was well in hand most of the way.

Mack made the biggest dent, but Joey Bosa added 1 1/2 sacks and the Chargers finished with six as a team. They also picked off Derek Carr three times while forcing three fumbles, though the Raiders hopped on all of them.

“We've been preparing for this game for a long time,” Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy said. “We've had the offseason to think about this. We've had training camp. We had the additional practices between training camp and the first game. We've been watching them and we've been preparing for them. We'll be ready."

This will be the first game shown exclusively on Amazon Prime as part of a $13 billion, 11-year pact to stream 15 regular-season Thursday night games along with one preseason game. Amazon first streamed Thursday night games during the 2017 season with CBS and NBC, then began doing the same with FOX the following year.

The Chiefs could be without kicker Harrison Butker, who sprained his ankle on a kickoff in Arizona, forcing safety Eric Reid to handle most of the kicking duties the rest of the way. They signed former Jets kicker Matt Ammendola to their practice squad and could elevate him for the game, but he would have little practice time with the rest of the kicking unit.

Kansas City emerged as one of the NFL's best offensive lines last season, allowing the third-fewest sacks in the NFL, and promptly held Arizona without a sack. The Chargers likewise did not allow a sack against the Raiders.

"I’m not surprised one bit to see how well they played because I’ve been seeing that all camp long," Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert said of his line. "They go up against two of the best pass rushers the NFL has seen in Joey and Khalil. To go up against those guys week in and week out, they’re going to get better. I’m thankful to be playing behind them.”

Chargers wide receiver Keenan Allen is expected to miss the game with a strained hamstring, leaving Joshua Palmer to start in his place. Herbert also will be counting on DeAndre Carter and Mike Williams, who has five career TD catches in Arrowhead Stadium, to help pick up the slack.

Arrowhead Stadium has long been among the toughest venues for visiting quarterbacks in the NFL; it holds the Guinness record for loudest outdoor stadium. Yet Herbert has a chance to join Craig Morton and Ken Anderson as the only QBs to win their first three starts there on Thursday night.

“Every year he seems to get better,” Chiefs coach Andy Reid said. "He's very smart. He understands where to go with the ball, so you know he’s got a real good grasp of the offense. And he’s accurate. He does a nice job and that’s not getting any worse as he goes, he’ll just keep polishing that moving ahead. The experience is everything now.”

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Chiefs have taken on an almost unbeatable air in the AFC West over the past six years, not only winning the division each time but losing just six games total against some of their longest-standing rivals.Except when it comes to the Los Angeles Chargers.They've showed no fear in splitting their past four meetings with Kansas City, including a win in Arrowhead Stadium last season. And after making a series of offseason moves — like signing Khalil Mack, who had three of their five sacks in their opener against the Raiders — designed to deal with Patrick Mahomes and rest of the Chiefs' dynamic offense, the Chargers have every reason to be confident about facing the Chiefs again on Thursday night.“They came in last year and beat us,” Mahomes said. “They're going to be ready to go. They've won here. They're not going to be scared to come in and play. We have to have a better mindset that we have to play well from the start.”The Chiefs did that in their opener in Arizona, when they marched for touchdowns on their first three offensive series and were never seriously threatened in a 44-21 romp. Mahomes ended up with 360 yards passing and five TDs, dismissing any notion that the Kansas City offense would languish without wide receiver Tyreek Hill.The defense also played well, holding Kyler Murray and the Cardinals to seven points into the fourth quarter.Sounds like a team worthy of being feared.“I think the optics of Tyreek leaving — they were a really good football team. They had a lot of good players when he was there, too,” Chargers coach Brandon Staley said. “It's just when you have a player that's as special as Tyreek, maybe the other players don't get the same amount of attention. They've really onboarded a lot of players that allow them to truly spread the field and spread distribution, run and pass, and make them really tough to defend.”For their part, the Chargers defended the Raiders quite well in a 24-19 victory that was well in hand most of the way.Mack made the biggest dent, but Joey Bosa added 1 1/2 sacks and the Chargers finished with six as a team. They also picked off Derek Carr three times while forcing three fumbles, though the Raiders hopped on all of them.“We've been preparing for this game for a long time,” Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy said. “We've had the offseason to think about this. We've had training camp. We had the additional practices between training camp and the first game. We've been watching them and we've been preparing for them. We'll be ready."PRIME TIMEThis will be the first game shown exclusively on Amazon Prime as part of a $13 billion, 11-year pact to stream 15 regular-season Thursday night games along with one preseason game. Amazon first streamed Thursday night games during the 2017 season with CBS and NBC, then began doing the same with FOX the following year.WHAT A KICKThe Chiefs could be without kicker Harrison Butker, who sprained his ankle on a kickoff in Arizona, forcing safety Eric Reid to handle most of the kicking duties the rest of the way. They signed former Jets kicker Matt Ammendola to their practice squad and could elevate him for the game, but he would have little practice time with the rest of the kicking unit.BRICK WALLSKansas City emerged as one of the NFL's best offensive lines last season, allowing the third-fewest sacks in the NFL, and promptly held Arizona without a sack. The Chargers likewise did not allow a sack against the Raiders."I’m not surprised one bit to see how well they played because I’ve been seeing that all camp long," Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert said of his line. "They go up against two of the best pass rushers the NFL has seen in Joey and Khalil. To go up against those guys week in and week out, they’re going to get better. I’m thankful to be playing behind them.”ALLEN'S ABSENSEChargers wide receiver Keenan Allen is expected to miss the game with a strained hamstring, leaving Joshua Palmer to start in his place. Herbert also will be counting on DeAndre Carter and Mike Williams, who has five career TD catches in Arrowhead Stadium, to help pick up the slack.HISTORIC HERBERTArrowhead Stadium has long been among the toughest venues for visiting quarterbacks in the NFL; it holds the Guinness record for loudest outdoor stadium. Yet Herbert has a chance to join Craig Morton and Ken Anderson as the only QBs to win their first three starts there on Thursday night.“Every year he seems to get better,” Chiefs coach Andy Reid said. "He's very smart. He understands where to go with the ball, so you know he’s got a real good grasp of the offense. And he’s accurate. He does a nice job and that’s not getting any worse as he goes, he’ll just keep polishing that moving ahead. The experience is everything now.”

Chargers show no fear against Chiefs in AFC West showdown

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) —
Sonny Gray cruised through seven sharp innings and the Minnesota
Twins, despite losing AL batting leader Luis Arraez to an early
injury, beat the Kansas City Royals 4-0. Gary Sánchez had a two-run
double and Carlos Correa a couple hits for Minnesota, five games
behind AL Central-leading Cleveland with 21 games remaining. Arraez
got an infield hit, raising his average to .320, and scored in the
first, then left after the inning with left hamstring tightness.
Acquired from Cincinnati in March, Gray has been a
top-of-the-rotation guy for Minnesota all season. He breezed through
the Kansas City lineup much of the night, allowing three hits and
striking out eight.

ST. LOUIS (AP) —
Adam Wainwright and Yadier Molina made history with the first pitch
of the game, then the record-setting battery helped the St. Louis
Cardinals extend their NL Central lead by beating the Milwaukee
Brewers 4-1. Wainwright and Molina started together for the 325th
time, the most ever by a pitcher-catcher duo in the majors. The duo
eclipsed the regular-season mark of 324 held by the Detroit Tigers
pair of Mickey Lolich and Bill Freehan from 1963-1975. Wainwright
gave up one run in five innings. Molina hit an RBI single and threw
out a runner trying to steal. Nolan Arenado and Lars Nootbaar homered
as the Cardinals stretched their division lead to eight games over
the second-place Brewers. Milwaukee is two games behind San Diego for
the final wild-card spot in the NL.

KANSAS CITY, Mo.
(AP) — The Kansas City Chiefs have taken on an almost unbeatable
air in the AFC West over the past six years, not only winning the
division each time but losing just six games total against some of
their longest-standing rivals. Except when it comes to the Los
Angeles Chargers. They’ve showed no fear in splitting their past
four meetings with Kansas City, including a win in Arrowhead Stadium
last season. Justin Herbert will try to lead Los Angeles to another
victory on Thursday night in the first NFL game exclusively on Amazon
Prime, and become one of three visiting quarterbacks to win each of
his first three starts at Arrowhead Stadium.

UNDATED (AP) —
Texas Tech is off to a 2-0 start for new coach Joey McGuire. The Red
Raiders go into their final non-conference game looking to win
back-to-back games over ranked opponents for the first time since
2008. After beating future Big 12 rival and then-No. 25 Houston, they
play Saturday at 16th-ranked North Carolina State. Texas Tech is one
of seven Big 12 teams at 2-0. The league has a 14-0 record against
unranked non-conference opponents, and three losses to ranked teams
are by an average of 4.7 points. That includes Texas' 20-19 home loss
to then-No. 1 Alabama last weekend.

BIRMINGHAM, Ala.
(AP) — Oklahoma’s regular-season games against Southeastern
Conference teams will have to wait until the Sooners are officially a
member. The SEC says it has instructed Georgia and Tennessee to
postpone home-and-home games scheduled for the next two seasons. The
second meetings with both teams were scheduled for after Oklahoma and
Texas leave the Big 12 and start playing in the SEC in 2025. Georgia
was set to visit Oklahoma in 2023. The Sooners had been scheduled for
a game at Tennessee in 2024. They'll replace the Georgia games with
SMU and are still seeking to fill the Tennessee slots.

WASHINGTON (AP) —
The athletic directors who lead the schools that play major college
football want the sport to continue be governed by the NCAA. But only
if that governance can be streamlined. LEAD1, an association of Bowl
Subdivision ADs, convened 105 of its 131 members for a meeting in
Washington that focused mostly on how best to govern major college
football. There has been some momentum in the past year to seriously
explore breaking FBS away from the NCAA and creating another
structure to run the biggest revenue-generator in college sports. For
now, though, the preference is for reform within the current
structure.

NEW YORK (AP) —
More than 5,500 minor league baseball players have formed a union,
completing a lightning-fast organization campaign that launched just
17 days earlier in an effort to boost annual salaries as low as
$10,400. Martin Scheinman, the sport’s independent arbitrator,
notified Major League Baseball and the Major League Baseball Players
Association that a majority of the 5,567 players in the minor league
bargaining unit had signed union authorization cards since the drive
started Aug. 28. He did not provide the sides a specific number. MLB
had agreed Saturday that it would voluntarily accept a union if there
was majority support.

NEW YORK (AP) —
Nike released the United States’ World Cup jerseys Thursday,
including a mostly white design for home matches that was criticized
in advance by a pair of American players and some fans. The home
jerseys have red and blue stripes on each sleeve. “We just as angry
as y’all !!!” forward Tim Weah wrote last month after a version
of the home jersey was posted online. “Tried to tell them”
midfielder Weston McKennie wrote. The bright blue away jersey has an
ice-dying technique somewhat akin to a tie-dye pattern.

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J.
(AP) — A new surveys shows nearly one in five U.S. adults bet money
on sports over the past year. The report from the Pew Research Center
shows that 19% of adults surveyed said they bet on sports. The most
common way they did so involved bets with friends or family, such as
a private betting pool, fantasy league or a casual bet; 15% say they
bet this way. Only 8% say they made sports bets in person at a
casino, racetrack or kiosk, and 6% did so online. A record 46.6
million Americans say they plan to bet on the current NFL season,
according to the American Gaming Association.

UNDATED(AP) — The
NFL is set to make its debut with a streaming service on Thursday
night. Amazon Prime Video will show the Los Angeles Chargers' game
against the Kansas City Chiefs. It's the highest-profile of a series
of deals between sports leagues and streaming services. NHL games
will be shown on both ESPN+ and Hulu. Major League Baseball has deals
with Apple TV+ and Peacock. Industry experts say viewers are becoming
more comfortable with streaming games and advances in technology have
made it seamless.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/9/1663148623316.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>MINNEAPOLIS (AP) —
Sonny Gray cruised through seven sharp innings and the Minnesota
Twins, despite losing AL batting leader Luis Arraez to an early
injury, beat the Kansas City Royals 4-0. Gary Sánchez had a two-run
double and Carlos Correa a couple hits for Minnesota, five games
behind AL Central-leading Cleveland with 21 games remaining. Arraez
got an infield hit, raising his average to .320, and scored in the
first, then left after the inning with left hamstring tightness.
Acquired from Cincinnati in March, Gray has been a
top-of-the-rotation guy for Minnesota all season. He breezed through
the Kansas City lineup much of the night, allowing three hits and
striking out eight.ST. LOUIS (AP) —
Adam Wainwright and Yadier Molina made history with the first pitch
of the game, then the record-setting battery helped the St. Louis
Cardinals extend their NL Central lead by beating the Milwaukee
Brewers 4-1. Wainwright and Molina started together for the 325th
time, the most ever by a pitcher-catcher duo in the majors. The duo
eclipsed the regular-season mark of 324 held by the Detroit Tigers
pair of Mickey Lolich and Bill Freehan from 1963-1975. Wainwright
gave up one run in five innings. Molina hit an RBI single and threw
out a runner trying to steal. Nolan Arenado and Lars Nootbaar homered
as the Cardinals stretched their division lead to eight games over
the second-place Brewers. Milwaukee is two games behind San Diego for
the final wild-card spot in the NL.KANSAS CITY, Mo.
(AP) — The Kansas City Chiefs have taken on an almost unbeatable
air in the AFC West over the past six years, not only winning the
division each time but losing just six games total against some of
their longest-standing rivals. Except when it comes to the Los
Angeles Chargers. They’ve showed no fear in splitting their past
four meetings with Kansas City, including a win in Arrowhead Stadium
last season. Justin Herbert will try to lead Los Angeles to another
victory on Thursday night in the first NFL game exclusively on Amazon
Prime, and become one of three visiting quarterbacks to win each of
his first three starts at Arrowhead Stadium.UNDATED (AP) —
Texas Tech is off to a 2-0 start for new coach Joey McGuire. The Red
Raiders go into their final non-conference game looking to win
back-to-back games over ranked opponents for the first time since
2008. After beating future Big 12 rival and then-No. 25 Houston, they
play Saturday at 16th-ranked North Carolina State. Texas Tech is one
of seven Big 12 teams at 2-0. The league has a 14-0 record against
unranked non-conference opponents, and three losses to ranked teams
are by an average of 4.7 points. That includes Texas' 20-19 home loss
to then-No. 1 Alabama last weekend.BIRMINGHAM, Ala.
(AP) — Oklahoma’s regular-season games against Southeastern
Conference teams will have to wait until the Sooners are officially a
member. The SEC says it has instructed Georgia and Tennessee to
postpone home-and-home games scheduled for the next two seasons. The
second meetings with both teams were scheduled for after Oklahoma and
Texas leave the Big 12 and start playing in the SEC in 2025. Georgia
was set to visit Oklahoma in 2023. The Sooners had been scheduled for
a game at Tennessee in 2024. They'll replace the Georgia games with
SMU and are still seeking to fill the Tennessee slots.WASHINGTON (AP) —
The athletic directors who lead the schools that play major college
football want the sport to continue be governed by the NCAA. But only
if that governance can be streamlined. LEAD1, an association of Bowl
Subdivision ADs, convened 105 of its 131 members for a meeting in
Washington that focused mostly on how best to govern major college
football. There has been some momentum in the past year to seriously
explore breaking FBS away from the NCAA and creating another
structure to run the biggest revenue-generator in college sports. For
now, though, the preference is for reform within the current
structure.NEW YORK (AP) —
More than 5,500 minor league baseball players have formed a union,
completing a lightning-fast organization campaign that launched just
17 days earlier in an effort to boost annual salaries as low as
$10,400. Martin Scheinman, the sport’s independent arbitrator,
notified Major League Baseball and the Major League Baseball Players
Association that a majority of the 5,567 players in the minor league
bargaining unit had signed union authorization cards since the drive
started Aug. 28. He did not provide the sides a specific number. MLB
had agreed Saturday that it would voluntarily accept a union if there
was majority support.NEW YORK (AP) —
Nike released the United States’ World Cup jerseys Thursday,
including a mostly white design for home matches that was criticized
in advance by a pair of American players and some fans. The home
jerseys have red and blue stripes on each sleeve. “We just as angry
as y’all !!!” forward Tim Weah wrote last month after a version
of the home jersey was posted online. “Tried to tell them”
midfielder Weston McKennie wrote. The bright blue away jersey has an
ice-dying technique somewhat akin to a tie-dye pattern.ATLANTIC CITY, N.J.
(AP) — A new surveys shows nearly one in five U.S. adults bet money
on sports over the past year. The report from the Pew Research Center
shows that 19% of adults surveyed said they bet on sports. The most
common way they did so involved bets with friends or family, such as
a private betting pool, fantasy league or a casual bet; 15% say they
bet this way. Only 8% say they made sports bets in person at a
casino, racetrack or kiosk, and 6% did so online. A record 46.6
million Americans say they plan to bet on the current NFL season,
according to the American Gaming Association.UNDATED(AP) — The
NFL is set to make its debut with a streaming service on Thursday
night. Amazon Prime Video will show the Los Angeles Chargers' game
against the Kansas City Chiefs. It's the highest-profile of a series
of deals between sports leagues and streaming services. NHL games
will be shown on both ESPN+ and Hulu. Major League Baseball has deals
with Apple TV+ and Peacock. Industry experts say viewers are becoming
more comfortable with streaming games and advances in technology have
made it seamless.WEDNESDAY SCORESINTERLEAGUEFinal	Colorado	3	Chicago
White Sox	0	Final	Seattle	6	San
Diego	1	Final	Baltimore	6	Washington	2	AMERICAN LEAGUEFinal	Cleveland	5	L.A.
Angels	3	Final	Houston	2	Detroit	1	Final	Toronto	5	Tampa
Bay	1	Final	N.Y.
Yankees	5	Boston	3	Final	Minnesota	4	Kansas
City	0	Final	Oakland	8	Texas	7	NATIONAL LEAGUEFinal	Pittsburgh	10	Cincinnati	4	Final	San
Francisco	4	Atlanta	1	Final	Philadelphia	6	Miami	1	Final	Chicago
Cubs	6	N.Y. Mets	3	Final	St.
Louis	4	Milwaukee	1	Final	Arizona	5	L.A.
Dodgers	3

Thursday Sports Headlines and Scores presented by Barton Community College

After collection of sports participation data was interrupted the previous two years by the COVID-19 pandemic, the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) was able to compile its High School Athletics Participation Survey for the 2021-22 school year – its first official report since 2018-19.

Although the total of 7,618,054 participants in 2021-22 is down four percent from the 2018-19 figure of 7,937,491, high school sports are on the road back after schools in many states were unable to offer programs in normal fashion during portions of the 2019-20 and 2020-21 school years.

The 2021-22 total is composed of 4,376,582 boys and 3,241,472 girls, according to figures obtained from the 51 NFHS member state associations, which includes the District of Columbia.

"Given what has occurred in our country the past three years, we believe a decline of only four percent in participation totals from 2018-19 is pretty remarkable,” said Dr. Karissa Niehoff, CEO of the NFHS. “We know some states that were able to complete surveys in 2020-21 reported participation increases this past year. So, we are very optimistic that trend will continue in the years to come as schools fully recover from the effects of the 2020 shutdown.”

Among the top 10 boys sports in participants from 2018-19, golf was the only sport to register an increase – up just under four percent with 148,585 participants and surpassing tennis as the eighth-most popular sport. Golf was one of the few sports to increase on both sides of the ledger as girls participation was up one percent to 80,829 participants.

Perhaps the biggest storyline in boys participation totals, however, is the sport of football. While boys 11-player football was down three percent (1,006,013 to 973,792) – less than the overall survey average of four percent – participation in 6-, 8- and 9-player football registered a 12 percent increase – from 31,221 to 34,935.

The slight movement from 11-player to other versions was seen in school sponsorship as well. While the number of schools with 11-player football dropped by 514 (14,247 to 13,733), the number of schools offering 6-, 8- or 9-player football increased by 227 (1,563 to 1,790).

And gains by girls playing football were even greater. In all four versions of the game (11, 9, 8, 6), girls participation increased 39 percent from the 2018-19 survey – 2,604 to 3,633. Additionally, the increase in girls flag football was 40 percent – 11,209 to 15,716 participants.

Altogether, boys and girls participation in all versions of football decreased only 2.2 percent – from 1,051,047 to 1,028,976.

“Certainly, the football numbers are encouraging after the previous report from the 2018-19 season,” Niehoff said. “The movement from 11-player to other versions of the game continues to be attractive to schools in some states, and the growth of girls flag football continues to gain ground in more areas of the country.”

Beyond golf, baseball experienced the best showing among top 10 boys sports from the 2018-19 survey with a decrease of only 1,736 – 482,740 to 481,004 – and remained fourth in popularity behind football, outdoor track and field, and basketball.

The other change in the boys top 10 sports was wrestling, which nudged cross country for sixth place – 231,874 to 231,387. Wrestling was down six percent from the previous survey while cross country had the biggest decline at 14 percent.

Other boys sports outside the top 10 that experienced significant gains from 2018-19 were volleyball (up 4.6 percent) and bass fishing (10,626 participants). 

Volleyball continued its rise in popularity among girls sports and was the only top 10 sport to register an increase from three years ago. With 454,153 participants, volleyball is only 2,500 participants behind track and field for the No. 1 participatory sport for girls. In addition, the emerging sport of girls sand/beach volleyball increased from 2,237 to 6,489 participants. 

Among other girls top 10 sports, soccer moved ahead of basketball to No. 3 behind track and field and volleyball, with softball remaining fifth. Cross country, swimming and diving, and competitive spirit registered the biggest declines the past three years among top 10 sports with 13-percent drops.

In addition to flag football, girls wrestling continued its recent surge in popularity with a 50 percent increase since 2018-19 – 21,124 to 31,654 participants. A total of 32 states now offer separate state wrestling championships for girls.

While most of the traditional sports experienced some level of decrease since 2018-19, the 2021-22 survey showed a dramatic rise in Unified sports participation. With only 5,541 combined participants from 10 states in 2018-19, this year’s survey indicated 47,909 combined participants in almost 20 states.

In addition to Unified sports participants, the survey indicated another 7,689 combined participants in Adapted sports. The 55,598 combined participants in Unified and Adapted sports represents a 163 percent increase from three years ago.

“It is great to see a growing interest in several emerging sports, as well as programs like Unified and Adapted programs,” Niehoff said. “Our goal continues to be to involve as many students as possible in high school sports and other activity programs.”  

This year’s survey indicated participation by high school students in 69 different sports, as well as 16 Adapted sports and 16 Unified sports. In addition to those previously noted, some of the more popular other sports (combined participation numbers) were bowling (57,219), field hockey (56,091), ice hockey (42,092), water polo (37,379) and weightlifting (25,257).

With an increase of about 20,000 participants, Texas topped the list of state participation with 846,161. Texas was one of 14 states that enjoyed a gain in participation since the 2018-19 survey. California retained the No. 2 position with 762,823 participants despite a drop of more than 60,000 from three years ago.

Other changes in the top 10 involved Ohio moving to No. 3 with 378,354 participants, followed by Pennsylvania (315,097), Illinois (314,839), New York (313,404), Florida (291,504), Michigan (271,423), New Jersey (264,139) and Massachusetts (215,848).

The NFHS High school Athletics Participation Survey was started in 1971 and was compiled in its current form through the 2018-19 school year and now resuming annually with the 2021-22 survey.

Following is a link to a partial report of the full survey. The full survey will be available soon on the NFHS website at <a href="http://www.NFHS.org">www.NFHS.org</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/9/1663186169115.jpeg" alt="By NFHS on September 14, 2022" />
 <figcaption>By NFHS on September 14, 2022</figcaption>
 </figure>After collection of sports participation data was interrupted the previous two years by the COVID-19 pandemic, the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) was able to compile its High School Athletics Participation Survey for the 2021-22 school year – its first official report since 2018-19.Although the total of 7,618,054 participants in 2021-22 is down four percent from the 2018-19 figure of 7,937,491, high school sports are on the road back after schools in many states were unable to offer programs in normal fashion during portions of the 2019-20 and 2020-21 school years.The 2021-22 total is composed of 4,376,582 boys and 3,241,472 girls, according to figures obtained from the 51 NFHS member state associations, which includes the District of Columbia."Given what has occurred in our country the past three years, we believe a decline of only four percent in participation totals from 2018-19 is pretty remarkable,” said Dr. Karissa Niehoff, CEO of the NFHS. “We know some states that were able to complete surveys in 2020-21 reported participation increases this past year. So, we are very optimistic that trend will continue in the years to come as schools fully recover from the effects of the 2020 shutdown.”Among the top 10 boys sports in participants from 2018-19, golf was the only sport to register an increase – up just under four percent with 148,585 participants and surpassing tennis as the eighth-most popular sport. Golf was one of the few sports to increase on both sides of the ledger as girls participation was up one percent to 80,829 participants.Perhaps the biggest storyline in boys participation totals, however, is the sport of football. While boys 11-player football was down three percent (1,006,013 to 973,792) – less than the overall survey average of four percent – participation in 6-, 8- and 9-player football registered a 12 percent increase – from 31,221 to 34,935.The slight movement from 11-player to other versions was seen in school sponsorship as well. While the number of schools with 11-player football dropped by 514 (14,247 to 13,733), the number of schools offering 6-, 8- or 9-player football increased by 227 (1,563 to 1,790).And gains by girls playing football were even greater. In all four versions of the game (11, 9, 8, 6), girls participation increased 39 percent from the 2018-19 survey – 2,604 to 3,633. Additionally, the increase in girls flag football was 40 percent – 11,209 to 15,716 participants.Altogether, boys and girls participation in all versions of football decreased only 2.2 percent – from 1,051,047 to 1,028,976.“Certainly, the football numbers are encouraging after the previous report from the 2018-19 season,” Niehoff said. “The movement from 11-player to other versions of the game continues to be attractive to schools in some states, and the growth of girls flag football continues to gain ground in more areas of the country.”Beyond golf, baseball experienced the best showing among top 10 boys sports from the 2018-19 survey with a decrease of only 1,736 – 482,740 to 481,004 – and remained fourth in popularity behind football, outdoor track and field, and basketball.The other change in the boys top 10 sports was wrestling, which nudged cross country for sixth place – 231,874 to 231,387. Wrestling was down six percent from the previous survey while cross country had the biggest decline at 14 percent.Other boys sports outside the top 10 that experienced significant gains from 2018-19 were volleyball (up 4.6 percent) and bass fishing (10,626 participants). Volleyball continued its rise in popularity among girls sports and was the only top 10 sport to register an increase from three years ago. With 454,153 participants, volleyball is only 2,500 participants behind track and field for the No. 1 participatory sport for girls. In addition, the emerging sport of girls sand/beach volleyball increased from 2,237 to 6,489 participants. Among other girls top 10 sports, soccer moved ahead of basketball to No. 3 behind track and field and volleyball, with softball remaining fifth. Cross country, swimming and diving, and competitive spirit registered the biggest declines the past three years among top 10 sports with 13-percent drops.In addition to flag football, girls wrestling continued its recent surge in popularity with a 50 percent increase since 2018-19 – 21,124 to 31,654 participants. A total of 32 states now offer separate state wrestling championships for girls.While most of the traditional sports experienced some level of decrease since 2018-19, the 2021-22 survey showed a dramatic rise in Unified sports participation. With only 5,541 combined participants from 10 states in 2018-19, this year’s survey indicated 47,909 combined participants in almost 20 states.In addition to Unified sports participants, the survey indicated another 7,689 combined participants in Adapted sports. The 55,598 combined participants in Unified and Adapted sports represents a 163 percent increase from three years ago.“It is great to see a growing interest in several emerging sports, as well as programs like Unified and Adapted programs,” Niehoff said. “Our goal continues to be to involve as many students as possible in high school sports and other activity programs.” This year’s survey indicated participation by high school students in 69 different sports, as well as 16 Adapted sports and 16 Unified sports. In addition to those previously noted, some of the more popular other sports (combined participation numbers) were bowling (57,219), field hockey (56,091), ice hockey (42,092), water polo (37,379) and weightlifting (25,257).With an increase of about 20,000 participants, Texas topped the list of state participation with 846,161. Texas was one of 14 states that enjoyed a gain in participation since the 2018-19 survey. California retained the No. 2 position with 762,823 participants despite a drop of more than 60,000 from three years ago.Other changes in the top 10 involved Ohio moving to No. 3 with 378,354 participants, followed by Pennsylvania (315,097), Illinois (314,839), New York (313,404), Florida (291,504), Michigan (271,423), New Jersey (264,139) and Massachusetts (215,848).The NFHS High school Athletics Participation Survey was started in 1971 and was compiled in its current form through the 2018-19 school year and now resuming annually with the 2021-22 survey.Following is a link to a partial report of the full survey. The full survey will be available soon on the NFHS website at <a href="http://www.NFHS.org">www.NFHS.org</a>.

NFHS Releases First High School Sports Participation Survey in Three Years

Thursday night's game between the Los Angeles Chargers and Kansas City Chiefs kicks off Amazon Prime Video's 11-year agreement with the NFL to carry “Thursday Night Football”.

Here's what we know about the easiest way to find the games each week as well as why the NFL is entering the streaming universe:

HOW DO I FIND THE NFL GAMES BEING STREAMED BY AMAZON?

The main complaint after Prime Video aired a Saturday afternoon game between the San Francisco 49ers and Arizona Cardinals in 2020 was that hardly anyone knew how to access it. Both the NFL and Amazon have tried to solve that with an aggressive promotional campaign.

For most viewers, the Prime Video app on televisions, phones and tablets or Amazon.com on computers will be their way to see it. Games will be available on stations in the markets of the participating teams, which is the same policy for games carried on ESPN and NFL Network.

Bars, restaurants and hotels will also be able to access the games through a deal with DirecTV.

WHY DID THE NFL SELL A STREAMING PACKAGE?

The $1.2 billion per year the NFL is getting from Amazon for 15 Thursday night games is 80% more than it was receiving from Fox, which carried most of the Thursday night matchups for four seasons. Fox, NBC and CBS had all carried games on Thursday night since 2014, but for the most part were losing money.

Since it is a short turnaround, the most times a team will play on Thursday night is twice, and that is usually because they were involved in the Week 1 Kickoff Game or Thanksgiving. That often makes finding appealing matchups difficult, especially when there are two other prime-time packages to schedule.

The league though does see streaming as another transition in how games are viewed, much as it was with cable in the 1980s and satellite television in the 1990s.

“Over the last five years we have started the migration to streaming. This is another large step in this direction,” said New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft, chairman of the league’s media committee, when the deal was announced last year. “Our fans want this option and understand streaming is the future. We have created a unique hybrid of viewing options and streaming. This should provide a smooth transition to the future of content distribution.”

WHAT TYPE OF AUDIENCE IS AMAZON EXPECTING?

According to the Wall Street Journal, Amazon has told media buyers it is estimating an average audience of 12.6 million viewers. That would be down from the 16.4 million average for last year's games on Fox and NFL Network, but understandable since this is a significant change in viewing habits.

According to Amazon, 80 million households used Prime Video in the past year.

Amazon has signed a three-year agreement with Nielsen last month to track ratings. It will be the first time Nielsen will track and include ratings from a streaming service. It is a big step for both parties, especially Nielsen which has often been criticized for not accurately or consistently tracking streaming data.

WILL PRIME VIDEO HAVE ALTERNATE STREAMS?

YouTube personalities Dude Perfect will anchor one feed, while Hannah Storm and Andrea Kramer — who did games on Prime Video the past four seasons — will have their own program for two games.

Thursday night's game between the Los Angeles Chargers and Kansas City Chiefs kicks off Amazon Prime Video's 11-year agreement with the NFL to carry “Thursday Night Football”.Here's what we know about the easiest way to find the games each week as well as why the NFL is entering the streaming universe:HOW DO I FIND THE NFL GAMES BEING STREAMED BY AMAZON?The main complaint after Prime Video aired a Saturday afternoon game between the San Francisco 49ers and Arizona Cardinals in 2020 was that hardly anyone knew how to access it. Both the NFL and Amazon have tried to solve that with an aggressive promotional campaign.For most viewers, the Prime Video app on televisions, phones and tablets or Amazon.com on computers will be their way to see it. Games will be available on stations in the markets of the participating teams, which is the same policy for games carried on ESPN and NFL Network.Bars, restaurants and hotels will also be able to access the games through a deal with DirecTV.WHY DID THE NFL SELL A STREAMING PACKAGE?The $1.2 billion per year the NFL is getting from Amazon for 15 Thursday night games is 80% more than it was receiving from Fox, which carried most of the Thursday night matchups for four seasons. Fox, NBC and CBS had all carried games on Thursday night since 2014, but for the most part were losing money.Since it is a short turnaround, the most times a team will play on Thursday night is twice, and that is usually because they were involved in the Week 1 Kickoff Game or Thanksgiving. That often makes finding appealing matchups difficult, especially when there are two other prime-time packages to schedule.The league though does see streaming as another transition in how games are viewed, much as it was with cable in the 1980s and satellite television in the 1990s.“Over the last five years we have started the migration to streaming. This is another large step in this direction,” said New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft, chairman of the league’s media committee, when the deal was announced last year. “Our fans want this option and understand streaming is the future. We have created a unique hybrid of viewing options and streaming. This should provide a smooth transition to the future of content distribution.”WHAT TYPE OF AUDIENCE IS AMAZON EXPECTING?According to the Wall Street Journal, Amazon has told media buyers it is estimating an average audience of 12.6 million viewers. That would be down from the 16.4 million average for last year's games on Fox and NFL Network, but understandable since this is a significant change in viewing habits.According to Amazon, 80 million households used Prime Video in the past year.HOW WILL AUDIENCES BE MEASURED?Amazon has signed a three-year agreement with Nielsen last month to track ratings. It will be the first time Nielsen will track and include ratings from a streaming service. It is a big step for both parties, especially Nielsen which has often been criticized for not accurately or consistently tracking streaming data.WILL PRIME VIDEO HAVE ALTERNATE STREAMS?YouTube personalities Dude Perfect will anchor one feed, while Hannah Storm and Andrea Kramer — who did games on Prime Video the past four seasons — will have their own program for two games.

'Thursday Night Football': Where to find Prime Video games

TOPEKA —&nbsp;The state championship dominance of schools like Bishop Miege is now an issue for the Kansas Legislature.

The Kansas State Board of Education passed the multiplier proposal on to legislators by a 6-4 vote Wednesday morning. Board members Porter, Waugh, Mah, Jones, Haas and Clifford voted for the proposal. Members Arnold, Dombrosky, Horst and McNiece voted against it.

The classifications from 4A and down voted in favor of a proposed change that would introduce a multiplier for successful private schools that would inflate their enrollment number for classification purposes, 5A and 6A did not vote in favor.

Kansas High Schools voted 216 to 139 to make the change.

The identifying statutes need to be approved by the Legislature prior to implementation.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/8/1598357043542.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>TOPEKA —&nbsp;The state championship dominance of schools like Bishop Miege is now an issue for the Kansas Legislature.The Kansas State Board of Education passed the multiplier proposal on to legislators by a 6-4 vote Wednesday morning. Board members Porter, Waugh, Mah, Jones, Haas and Clifford voted for the proposal. Members Arnold, Dombrosky, Horst and McNiece voted against it.The classifications from 4A and down voted in favor of a proposed change that would introduce a multiplier for successful private schools that would inflate their enrollment number for classification purposes, 5A and 6A did not vote in favor.Kansas High Schools voted 216 to 139 to make the change.The identifying statutes need to be approved by the Legislature prior to implementation.

KSHSAA multiplier headed to Statehouse

The Lady Panther volleyball struggled with the second set in a tournament win at Riley County over the weekend. Tuesday night the struggles came a little earlier. But Great Bend bounced back to beat Hays 17-25, 25-11, 25-21, capping a 2-0 evening after defeating Manhattan 25-16, 25-23. The Lady Panthers improve to 8-2 overall.

Senior Rylie Duvall accounted for 13 of the team's 25 kills in the three sets against Hays. Valarie Luna, Makenzie Premer, and Cassie Ellegood each added three. Junior Sadie Spray was big on the serve with four aces in the match, and she also had 19 assists.

Early defense was big in the win with 10 total blocks, including six from Luna. Spray continued a big match on defense as she and Kara Feist each added four blocks. Macy Nachtigal led the back row with 24 digs, followed by Lauryn Davis and Kyndall Blessing, each with 10, and eight digs from Paige Thexton.

The Lady Panther varsity squad takes some time off before hosting Hutchinson and Goddard on Sept. 22. Hutchinson is currently ranked No. 9 in Class 6A.

The Lady Panther volleyball struggled with the second set in a tournament win at Riley County over the weekend. Tuesday night the struggles came a little earlier. But Great Bend bounced back to beat Hays 17-25, 25-11, 25-21, capping a 2-0 evening after defeating Manhattan 25-16, 25-23. The Lady Panthers improve to 8-2 overall.Senior Rylie Duvall accounted for 13 of the team's 25 kills in the three sets against Hays. Valarie Luna, Makenzie Premer, and Cassie Ellegood each added three. Junior Sadie Spray was big on the serve with four aces in the match, and she also had 19 assists.Early defense was big in the win with 10 total blocks, including six from Luna. Spray continued a big match on defense as she and Kara Feist each added four blocks. Macy Nachtigal led the back row with 24 digs, followed by Lauryn Davis and Kyndall Blessing, each with 10, and eight digs from Paige Thexton.The Lady Panther varsity squad takes some time off before hosting Hutchinson and Goddard on Sept. 22. Hutchinson is currently ranked No. 9 in Class 6A.

GBHS volleyball gets by Manhattan, Hays

The five Western Athletic Conference schools were joined by Meade for Tuesday's tennis tournament in Dodge City. The two Class 6A schools dominated the competition, with Garden City scoring 72 points to nearly double-up Dodge City. The Lady Panthers scored 38 points for fourth.

The open-draw format meant the usual No. 1 and No. 2 players were put in the same bracket. Still listed as the team's No. 1 singles player, Kaylin Wahlmeier opened with a 6-2 win against Dodge City, then knocked off a Garden City player 6-2 to reach the semifinals. There she was defeated 6-1 by Garden City's reigning state qualifier Brooke Ptacek 6-1. Wahlmeier won the third-place match by injury default.

Lakyn Smith also won her first singles match against Dodge City 6-1 before falling to the eventual fourth-place finisher from Liberal 6-4. Smith cruised in her final two matches with a 6-3 win against Dodge City and a 6-0 win over another Lady Red Demon, to capture fifth in the bracket.

Samantha Mayers and Taylor Lashley had a tough draw in the doubles bracket, opening with a 6-5 (4) loss to a Garden City team that played in the championship match. On the back side, Mayers and Lashley played nearly perfect for a while with a 6-0 win against Meade and a 6-1 victory against Liberal. The girls downed Dodge City 6-4 in the ninth-place match.

Clarise Snapp and Kylie McCormick dropped their first three matches against Garden City, Dodge City, and Hays 6-1. The pair finished strong with a 6-0 win against Meade for 15th place.

The Lady Panther varsity squad returns to action Sept. 20 with another trip to McPherson.

The five Western Athletic Conference schools were joined by Meade for Tuesday's tennis tournament in Dodge City. The two Class 6A schools dominated the competition, with Garden City scoring 72 points to nearly double-up Dodge City. The Lady Panthers scored 38 points for fourth.The open-draw format meant the usual No. 1 and No. 2 players were put in the same bracket. Still listed as the team's No. 1 singles player, Kaylin Wahlmeier opened with a 6-2 win against Dodge City, then knocked off a Garden City player 6-2 to reach the semifinals. There she was defeated 6-1 by Garden City's reigning state qualifier Brooke Ptacek 6-1. Wahlmeier won the third-place match by injury default.Lakyn Smith also won her first singles match against Dodge City 6-1 before falling to the eventual fourth-place finisher from Liberal 6-4. Smith cruised in her final two matches with a 6-3 win against Dodge City and a 6-0 win over another Lady Red Demon, to capture fifth in the bracket.Samantha Mayers and Taylor Lashley had a tough draw in the doubles bracket, opening with a 6-5 (4) loss to a Garden City team that played in the championship match. On the back side, Mayers and Lashley played nearly perfect for a while with a 6-0 win against Meade and a 6-1 victory against Liberal. The girls downed Dodge City 6-4 in the ninth-place match.Clarise Snapp and Kylie McCormick dropped their first three matches against Garden City, Dodge City, and Hays 6-1. The pair finished strong with a 6-0 win against Meade for 15th place.The Lady Panther varsity squad returns to action Sept. 20 with another trip to McPherson.

Lady Panther tennis team sees WAC foes in Dodge City

Volleyball @ Hays Great Bend beats Hays 2-1: 17-25, 25-11, 25-21 Great Bend beats Manhattan 2-0: 25-16, 25-23

Lady Panthers improve to 8-2 on the season. Play at Salina Central Tournament Saturday

Boys Soccer @ Hays Hays High 6 Great Bend 1

Panthers drop to 1-3 on the season. Host Maize tomorrow (Thursday) at the Cav.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/8/1630001685387.jpeg" alt="Tuesday Scores" />
 <figcaption>Tuesday Scores</figcaption>
 </figure>Volleyball @ Hays Great Bend beats Hays 2-1: 17-25, 25-11, 25-21 Great Bend beats Manhattan 2-0: 25-16, 25-23Lady Panthers improve to 8-2 on the season. Play at Salina Central Tournament SaturdayBoys Soccer @ Hays Hays High 6 Great Bend 1Panthers drop to 1-3 on the season. Host Maize tomorrow (Thursday) at the Cav.

Panther Sports Scoreboard

Due to technical difficulty, today's show is not available in Video. We apologize for the inconvenience.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/9/1663183818995.jpeg" alt="Presented By" />
 <figcaption>Presented By</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Due to technical difficulty, today's show is not available in Video. We apologize for the inconvenience.</h2>- Jeremy Rusco,&nbsp;Owner and CEO of Dynamic Discs talks about his booming company and his days as a Great Bend Panther Football player in the early 2000s.- Great Bend Panther Cross Country coach Lyles Lashley- The "Voice of the Fort Hays State Tigers" Gerard Wellbrock- Wednesday Sports Headlines- Sounds of the past 24 hours