KANSAS CITY, Mo.
(AP) — Bobby Witt Jr. homered during a five-run rally in the
seventh inning, leading Brady Singer and the Kansas City Royals over
the Arizona Diamondbacks 5-3. Arizona starter Zac Gallen extended his
shutout streak to 27 1/3 innings, leaving after the sixth with a 1-0
lead. He gave up three hits, walked three and struck out six. The
Royals broke loose in the seventh against the Arizona bullpen. Kansas
City finished with seven hits, snapping an eight-game streak of six
hits or less. Christian Walker hit his career-high 30th homer for
Arizona, which has dropped four of five.

CHICAGO (AP) —
Zach McKinstry homered and drove in three runs, helping the Chicago
Cubs beat the St. Louis Cardinals 7-1. Nico Hoerner had three hits
for Chicago, and Yan Gomes added two RBIs. Rowan Wick got five outs
for the win, leading a solid performance by the Cubs bullpen. Lars
Nootbaar homered for NL Central-leading St. Louis, and Corey
Dickerson went 4 for 4. The Cardinals dropped to 17-5 in August.
Chicago and St. Louis split the first four games of their unusual
five-game set. The series finale is Thursday afternoon.

DENVER (AP) —
Martín Pérez threw six scoreless innings and Nathaniel Lowe homered
and drove in five runs, helping the Texas Rangers pound José Ureña
and the Colorado Rockies 16-4 on Wednesday. Mark Mathias had a
bases-clearing double, Adolis García extended his hitting streak to
21 games with an RBI single and Lowe had a run-scoring single in a
seven-run second inning. Texas posted its highest-scoring game since
2019 in winning for the fourth time in five games and improving to
6-4 under interim manager Tony Beasley.

NEW YORK (AP) —
Every Major League Baseball team will play each other in the same
season for the first time next year as the sport switches to its
first balanced schedule since 2000. As a result of the format switch
agreed to in the March lockout settlement, high-profile games between
division rivals such as Yankees-Red Sox, Dodgers-Giants and
Cubs-Cardinals will be reduced from 19 and intradivision games will
drop from 47% to 32%. A team will host all of the other 29 clubs at
least once every two seasons. The season opens March 30 with all
teams scheduled.

KANSAS CITY, Mo.
(AP) — Hall of Fame quarterback Len Dawson, who helped the Kansas
City Chiefs to their first Super Bowl title, died Wednesday. The MVP
of the Chiefs’ victory over the Vikings in January 1970 had been in
declining health for years. He entered hospice care on Aug. 12.
“Lenny the Cool” went into the Hall of Fame as a player in 1987.
He also was inducted as a broadcaster in 2012. Dawson spent several
decades working on local TV and radio broadcasts while also doing
color analysis for NBC and hosting HBO's iconic "Inside the
NFL.” The Chiefs intend to honor him during their preseason finale
against Green Bay on Thursday night. Len Dawson was 87.

UNDATED (AP) —
Twenty-five years since Hal Mumme unleashed the groundbreaking Air
Raid offense on the Southeastern Conference it has become pervasive
throughout football. But outside of Mike Leach, Mumme's protege and
Air Raid Godfather, most coaches are running an evolved form of the
offense, with more running plays, more varied formations and an
assortment of motions and misdirection. Air Raid principles and
concepts can be found in just about every modern passing game from
NFL to high school. But at the highest levels of the sport, it's hard
to find anyone actually running the Air Raid.

ATLANTA (AP) — The
PGA Tour is making its boldest response yet to the rival Saudi-funded
league. PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan has announced a plan for
the best players to commit to a 20-tournament schedule starting next
year. That means they will be competing against one another up to 17
times and maybe more. That involves elevating four additional
tournaments that will offer $20 million or more to go along with the
tournaments already announced. Monahan says top players will be
determined by a new Player Impact Program criteria. The PIP will
double in money to $100 million.

ATLANTA (AP) — The
FedEx Cup and it's up for grabs. Well, sort of. Scottie Scheffler is
the No. 1 seed and starts with a two-shot advantage. The Masters
champ can't remember the last time someone had to give him strokes.
In this case, that someone is Patrick Cantlay. Such is the nature of
the FedEx Cup finale at the Tour Championship. The guys at the bottom
start 10 shots behind. The good news for Scheffler is the last two
No. 1 seeds have won the FedEx Cup. And no one more than five back at
the start has gone on to win.

ATLANTA (AP) —
Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy are bringing their own version of team
golf to the PGA Tour. Woods and McIlroy are part of a new media group
called TMRW (pronounced “tomorrow”) Sports. Former Golf Channel
president Mike McCarley is the CEO. The first project is called TGL.
It's a tech-infused golf league that will feature six teams of three
players for matches on Monday night. The broadcast partner hasn't
been announced. It will be played in a custom-built arena. The long
shots will be using a simulator. The short shots will be live. The
18-hole matches take two hours.

UNDATED (AP) — The
2021 season was filled with surprising contenders and conference
champions. Another season with that much volatility seems unlikely.
Ohio State, Clemson and Oklahoma get back to their league
championship games. A first-year coach leads his team to the Pac-12
title. And, yet again, Georgia and Alabama decide the Southeastern
Conference.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/8/1660297358364.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY, Mo.
(AP) — Bobby Witt Jr. homered during a five-run rally in the
seventh inning, leading Brady Singer and the Kansas City Royals over
the Arizona Diamondbacks 5-3. Arizona starter Zac Gallen extended his
shutout streak to 27 1/3 innings, leaving after the sixth with a 1-0
lead. He gave up three hits, walked three and struck out six. The
Royals broke loose in the seventh against the Arizona bullpen. Kansas
City finished with seven hits, snapping an eight-game streak of six
hits or less. Christian Walker hit his career-high 30th homer for
Arizona, which has dropped four of five.CHICAGO (AP) —
Zach McKinstry homered and drove in three runs, helping the Chicago
Cubs beat the St. Louis Cardinals 7-1. Nico Hoerner had three hits
for Chicago, and Yan Gomes added two RBIs. Rowan Wick got five outs
for the win, leading a solid performance by the Cubs bullpen. Lars
Nootbaar homered for NL Central-leading St. Louis, and Corey
Dickerson went 4 for 4. The Cardinals dropped to 17-5 in August.
Chicago and St. Louis split the first four games of their unusual
five-game set. The series finale is Thursday afternoon.DENVER (AP) —
Martín Pérez threw six scoreless innings and Nathaniel Lowe homered
and drove in five runs, helping the Texas Rangers pound José Ureña
and the Colorado Rockies 16-4 on Wednesday. Mark Mathias had a
bases-clearing double, Adolis García extended his hitting streak to
21 games with an RBI single and Lowe had a run-scoring single in a
seven-run second inning. Texas posted its highest-scoring game since
2019 in winning for the fourth time in five games and improving to
6-4 under interim manager Tony Beasley.NEW YORK (AP) —
Every Major League Baseball team will play each other in the same
season for the first time next year as the sport switches to its
first balanced schedule since 2000. As a result of the format switch
agreed to in the March lockout settlement, high-profile games between
division rivals such as Yankees-Red Sox, Dodgers-Giants and
Cubs-Cardinals will be reduced from 19 and intradivision games will
drop from 47% to 32%. A team will host all of the other 29 clubs at
least once every two seasons. The season opens March 30 with all
teams scheduled.KANSAS CITY, Mo.
(AP) — Hall of Fame quarterback Len Dawson, who helped the Kansas
City Chiefs to their first Super Bowl title, died Wednesday. The MVP
of the Chiefs’ victory over the Vikings in January 1970 had been in
declining health for years. He entered hospice care on Aug. 12.
“Lenny the Cool” went into the Hall of Fame as a player in 1987.
He also was inducted as a broadcaster in 2012. Dawson spent several
decades working on local TV and radio broadcasts while also doing
color analysis for NBC and hosting HBO's iconic "Inside the
NFL.” The Chiefs intend to honor him during their preseason finale
against Green Bay on Thursday night. Len Dawson was 87.UNDATED (AP) —
Twenty-five years since Hal Mumme unleashed the groundbreaking Air
Raid offense on the Southeastern Conference it has become pervasive
throughout football. But outside of Mike Leach, Mumme's protege and
Air Raid Godfather, most coaches are running an evolved form of the
offense, with more running plays, more varied formations and an
assortment of motions and misdirection. Air Raid principles and
concepts can be found in just about every modern passing game from
NFL to high school. But at the highest levels of the sport, it's hard
to find anyone actually running the Air Raid.ATLANTA (AP) — The
PGA Tour is making its boldest response yet to the rival Saudi-funded
league. PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan has announced a plan for
the best players to commit to a 20-tournament schedule starting next
year. That means they will be competing against one another up to 17
times and maybe more. That involves elevating four additional
tournaments that will offer $20 million or more to go along with the
tournaments already announced. Monahan says top players will be
determined by a new Player Impact Program criteria. The PIP will
double in money to $100 million.ATLANTA (AP) — The
FedEx Cup and it's up for grabs. Well, sort of. Scottie Scheffler is
the No. 1 seed and starts with a two-shot advantage. The Masters
champ can't remember the last time someone had to give him strokes.
In this case, that someone is Patrick Cantlay. Such is the nature of
the FedEx Cup finale at the Tour Championship. The guys at the bottom
start 10 shots behind. The good news for Scheffler is the last two
No. 1 seeds have won the FedEx Cup. And no one more than five back at
the start has gone on to win.ATLANTA (AP) —
Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy are bringing their own version of team
golf to the PGA Tour. Woods and McIlroy are part of a new media group
called TMRW (pronounced “tomorrow”) Sports. Former Golf Channel
president Mike McCarley is the CEO. The first project is called TGL.
It's a tech-infused golf league that will feature six teams of three
players for matches on Monday night. The broadcast partner hasn't
been announced. It will be played in a custom-built arena. The long
shots will be using a simulator. The short shots will be live. The
18-hole matches take two hours.UNDATED (AP) — The
2021 season was filled with surprising contenders and conference
champions. Another season with that much volatility seems unlikely.
Ohio State, Clemson and Oklahoma get back to their league
championship games. A first-year coach leads his team to the Pac-12
title. And, yet again, Georgia and Alabama decide the Southeastern
Conference.WEDNESDAY SCORESINTERLEAGUEFinal	Detroit	6	San
Francisco	1	Final	Oakland	3	Miami	2	Final	Texas	16	Colorado	4	Final	Washington	3	Seattle	1	Final	Cleveland	7	San
Diego	0	Final	Kansas
City	5	Arizona	3	AMERICAN LEAGUEFinal	Toronto	3	Boston	2	Final	Chicago White
Sox	5	Baltimore	3	Final	Houston	5	Minnesota	3	Final	Tampa
Bay	4	L.A. Angels	3	NATIONAL LEAGUEFinal	Atlanta	14	Pittsburgh	2	Final	Philadelphia	7	Cincinnati	5	Final	Chicago
Cubs	7	St. Louis	1	Final	L.A.
Dodgers	12	Milwaukee	6

Thursday Sports Headlines and Scores presented by Barton Community College

By COLE REIF Great Bend Post

When Roger Ward created the Great Bend Bat Cats six years ago he had a
vision of a fan experience that allowed spectators to enjoy free baseball in an
entertaining atmosphere. 
After six seasons, the summer collegiate baseball team is 152-108 and Ward has
seen the community and business participation increase.

Coaching the team
and serving as the general manager since the beginning, Ward stated this week
he was stepping down as coach to focus more on the fan experience. 
"I really want to make it a fan-friendly atmosphere," said Ward. "It has to be me to incorporate that stuff. I think the time is right. I keep finding myself peeking around the dugout, seeing what the fans are doing, knowing that we could be doing so much more for them.

Ward plans on announcing the coaching staff soon. 

"The time is right because I have people that I trust to coach," added Ward.

The Great Bend native thought
about the decision over the past year and is ready to create more ways to keep
fans coming back to Al Burns Field to watch the Bat Cats. "Even something as simple as having somebody sing the national anthem on the field, a local talent," said Ward. "Who's going to be out there with them? Who's going to orchestrate it with the press box? That type of stuff. We're thinking about buying a dunk tank. I want fans to be able to win prizes between innings." 
All Bat Cats baseball games are free to attend during the summer.&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/8/1661315248921.jpeg" alt="Roger Ward announced he will focus on the general manager duties of the Great Bend Bat Cats and no longer coach the team." />
 <figcaption>Roger Ward announced he will focus on the general manager duties of the Great Bend Bat Cats and no longer coach the team.</figcaption>
 </figure>By COLE REIF Great Bend PostWhen Roger Ward created the Great Bend Bat Cats six years ago he had a
vision of a fan experience that allowed spectators to enjoy free baseball in an
entertaining atmosphere. 
After six seasons, the summer collegiate baseball team is 152-108 and Ward has
seen the community and business participation increase. Coaching the team
and serving as the general manager since the beginning, Ward stated this week
he was stepping down as coach to focus more on the fan experience. 
"I really want to make it a fan-friendly atmosphere," said Ward. "It has to be me to incorporate that stuff. I think the time is right. I keep finding myself peeking around the dugout, seeing what the fans are doing, knowing that we could be doing so much more for them.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/8/1661315344393.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Ward plans on announcing the coaching staff soon. "The time is right because I have people that I trust to coach," added Ward.The Great Bend native thought
about the decision over the past year and is ready to create more ways to keep
fans coming back to Al Burns Field to watch the Bat Cats. "Even something as simple as having somebody sing the national anthem on the field, a local talent," said Ward. "Who's going to be out there with them? Who's going to orchestrate it with the press box? That type of stuff. We're thinking about buying a dunk tank. I want fans to be able to win prizes between innings." 
All Bat Cats baseball games are free to attend during the summer.&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;

Ward focusing on Great Bend Bat Cats GM role, no longer coaching

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Kansas City pitcher Amir Garrett’s suspension for throwing a drink on a fan was cut to two games from three under an agreement between Major League Baseball and the players’ association that avoided an appeal hearing.

Garrett was penalized by MLB senior vice president Michael Hill for the incident during an Aug. 2 game against the White Sox in Chicago. He began serving the penalty Tuesday night against Arizona and will complete it in Wednesday’s game against the Diamondbacks. Garrett also received an undisclosed fine.

Following the incident, Garrett apologized on Twitter, saying: “I realize my actions were uncalled for and that as players we are held to a higher standard and the chirping from fans is apart (sic) of todays game.”

The appeal would have been heard by MLB senior adviser John McHale Jr.

Garrett is expected to be available Friday when the Royals begin a three-game homestand against the San Diego Padres.

Garrett is 3-1 with a 4.08 ERA in 44 games, all in relief, this season. He pitched his first five seasons with Cincinnati and set a career high with seven saves in 2021.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Kansas City pitcher Amir Garrett’s suspension for throwing a drink on a fan was cut to two games from three under an agreement between Major League Baseball and the players’ association that avoided an appeal hearing.Garrett was penalized by MLB senior vice president Michael Hill for the incident during an Aug. 2 game against the White Sox in Chicago. He began serving the penalty Tuesday night against Arizona and will complete it in Wednesday’s game against the Diamondbacks. Garrett also received an undisclosed fine.Following the incident, Garrett apologized on Twitter, saying: “I realize my actions were uncalled for and that as players we are held to a higher standard and the chirping from fans is apart (sic) of todays game.”The appeal would have been heard by MLB senior adviser John McHale Jr.Garrett is expected to be available Friday when the Royals begin a three-game homestand against the San Diego Padres.Garrett is 3-1 with a 4.08 ERA in 44 games, all in relief, this season. He pitched his first five seasons with Cincinnati and set a career high with seven saves in 2021.

Royals pitcher Amir Garrett's suspension reduced to 2 games

By MIKE COURSON Great Bend Post

Things are looking a little more normal for the Great Bend High School cross country teams. After competing as a team just once last fall, the Panther boys will have a complete team for most meets in 2022. And the Class 5A state meet moves back to Rim Rock Farm outside Lawrence. Last year, the Lady Panthers finished third at the 5A state meet in Augusta.

Expectations remain high for the Lady Panthers, a team with five of its top-seven runners from a year ago. Gone to graduation is four-year runner Emilia Diaz, who led the Panthers with a 16th-place finish at state, and Emma Loomis, who just missed out on team scoring at state.

"Between the two of them we lost a lot, but we have some young ones who are starting to develop and we hope can fill in those shoes," said GBHS coach Lyles Lashley.

Great Bend was otherwise young in 2021. Sophomore Marissa Boone returns after a 17th-place finish at state, and junior Addy Nicholson missed a top-20 spot by less than half a second. Junior Eliana Beckham made the top-25 at state, and sophomore Diane Alvarez was a team scorer at state as a freshman.

Every point mattered with Mill Valley winning last year's 5A crown with 71 points, followed by St. Thomas Aquinas with 73 points, and Great Bend with 78 points. Topeka Seaman finished a distant fourth with 114 points.

Mill Valley loses state champion Katie Schwartzkopf to graduation but the Jaguars are likewise very young with two top-15 finishers returning as sophomores and another freshman placing 31st at state. St. Thomas Aquinas was hit a little harder in the offseason but will remain a contender, and Lashley expects St. James Academy to be a factor in 2022.

"They had two girls hurt last year at the state meet," he said. "It was their No. 1 and 2 girls going in so they'll be in the thick of things, too. It'll be a good little fight."

August Siefkes will be the lone senior on the 2022 team. Morgan Beckwith returns after a sabbatical last season, and sophomores Darcy Feist, Reese King, and Kate Welcher will be joined by freshman Sienna Smith. Beckwith finished second on the team only to Diaz at the 2020 regional and state meets. She ran 30th at state as a freshman that fall.

Esfeld back for Panther boys Kaiden Esfeld has been a mainstay for the Panther boys. Last October, Esfeld won the Western Athletic Conference crown by 30 seconds in Dodge City, then cruised to a regional title at Lake Barton by 21 seconds. He went on to run third at state behind Aquinas seniors Logan Seger and Ashton Higgerson. Seger committed to run at Purdue and Higgerson continued his career at Air Force.

"It seems like when you have a good one like that, whose good as a freshman, it seems like they've been there for 10 years," Lashley said of Esfeld. "He's back for his senior year and had a great summer. He had some good workouts last week so we're excited about him."

Lashley also expects big things from incoming freshman Tavon Stroup, and freshman Ismael Ramirez could help fill out a varsity roster. Junior Braylon Moore returns to the team, and junior Bradon Suppes will also help fill out the Panther varsity roster. State hurdler Madison Regehr joins the squad as a senior.&nbsp;

The Panther runners open the season at Lake Barton on Sept. 1 with a morning meet. Instead of Hesston, Great Bend will test its wares against some of the best at the Olathe Twilight meet on Sept. 10. Seger and Higgerson settled for second and fourth, respectively, in the loaded Twilight meet last year. Olathe North junior Anjali Hocker Singh, the state's top female distance runner, beatt the eventual 5A champion by 13 seconds for the Twilight title. The Panthers also return to Rim Rock for a state preview.

"Our schedule has kind of jumped up this year," Lashley said. "We'll run at home, then instead of Hesston we're going to the Olathe Twilight Meet. We'll run against the big boys up there so we're excited about that."

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/8/1661291168359.jpeg" alt="The Great Bend Lady Panthers return five of their seven top runners from last year's third-place state team." />
 <figcaption>The Great Bend Lady Panthers return five of their seven top runners from last year's third-place state team.</figcaption>
 </figure>By MIKE COURSON Great Bend PostThings are looking a little more normal for the Great Bend High School cross country teams. After competing as a team just once last fall, the Panther boys will have a complete team for most meets in 2022. And the Class 5A state meet moves back to Rim Rock Farm outside Lawrence. Last year, the Lady Panthers finished third at the 5A state meet in Augusta.Expectations remain high for the Lady Panthers, a team with five of its top-seven runners from a year ago. Gone to graduation is four-year runner Emilia Diaz, who led the Panthers with a 16th-place finish at state, and Emma Loomis, who just missed out on team scoring at state."Between the two of them we lost a lot, but we have some young ones who are starting to develop and we hope can fill in those shoes," said GBHS coach Lyles Lashley.Great Bend was otherwise young in 2021. Sophomore Marissa Boone returns after a 17th-place finish at state, and junior Addy Nicholson missed a top-20 spot by less than half a second. Junior Eliana Beckham made the top-25 at state, and sophomore Diane Alvarez was a team scorer at state as a freshman.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/8/1661291307231.jpeg" alt="Eliana Beckham and Diane Alvarez" />
 <figcaption>Eliana Beckham and Diane Alvarez</figcaption>
 </figure>Every point mattered with Mill Valley winning last year's 5A crown with 71 points, followed by St. Thomas Aquinas with 73 points, and Great Bend with 78 points. Topeka Seaman finished a distant fourth with 114 points.Mill Valley loses state champion Katie Schwartzkopf to graduation but the Jaguars are likewise very young with two top-15 finishers returning as sophomores and another freshman placing 31st at state. St. Thomas Aquinas was hit a little harder in the offseason but will remain a contender, and Lashley expects St. James Academy to be a factor in 2022."They had two girls hurt last year at the state meet," he said. "It was their No. 1 and 2 girls going in so they'll be in the thick of things, too. It'll be a good little fight."August Siefkes will be the lone senior on the 2022 team. Morgan Beckwith returns after a sabbatical last season, and sophomores Darcy Feist, Reese King, and Kate Welcher will be joined by freshman Sienna Smith. Beckwith finished second on the team only to Diaz at the 2020 regional and state meets. She ran 30th at state as a freshman that fall.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/8/1661291508821.jpeg" alt="Kaiden Esfeld" />
 <figcaption>Kaiden Esfeld</figcaption>
 </figure>Esfeld back for Panther boys Kaiden Esfeld has been a mainstay for the Panther boys. Last October, Esfeld won the Western Athletic Conference crown by 30 seconds in Dodge City, then cruised to a regional title at Lake Barton by 21 seconds. He went on to run third at state behind Aquinas seniors Logan Seger and Ashton Higgerson. Seger committed to run at Purdue and Higgerson continued his career at Air Force."It seems like when you have a good one like that, whose good as a freshman, it seems like they've been there for 10 years," Lashley said of Esfeld. "He's back for his senior year and had a great summer. He had some good workouts last week so we're excited about him."Lashley also expects big things from incoming freshman Tavon Stroup, and freshman Ismael Ramirez could help fill out a varsity roster. Junior Braylon Moore returns to the team, and junior Bradon Suppes will also help fill out the Panther varsity roster. State hurdler Madison Regehr joins the squad as a senior.&nbsp;The Panther runners open the season at Lake Barton on Sept. 1 with a morning meet. Instead of Hesston, Great Bend will test its wares against some of the best at the Olathe Twilight meet on Sept. 10. Seger and Higgerson settled for second and fourth, respectively, in the loaded Twilight meet last year. Olathe North junior Anjali Hocker Singh, the state's top female distance runner, beatt the eventual 5A champion by 13 seconds for the Twilight title. The Panthers also return to Rim Rock for a state preview."Our schedule has kind of jumped up this year," Lashley said. "We'll run at home, then instead of Hesston we're going to the Olathe Twilight Meet. We'll run against the big boys up there so we're excited about that."

Lady Panther XC squad poised for success; boys to field full team

By GERARD WELLBROCK Hays Post

The newest member of the Fort Hays State football team’s coaching staff is a familiar name and face. Layton Hickel, who played for the Tigers, is in his first season as defensive line coach. Hickel replaced Ike Eguae who left for a similar position at Division I Stephen F. Austin after seven seasons with the Tigers.

Prior to joining the Tigers coaching staff, Hickel served as a high school assistant, most recently as defensive coordinator at Hays High School.

“I always stayed in touch with coach (Cooper) Harris and coach (Chris) Brown when I was back.” Hickel said. “They did a great job of mentoring me and helping me with some struggles I was having as a coordinator."

"When the job opened, they reached out and it was really a no-brainer. It was tough to leave where I was at. I loved Tony and that staff, but coach Brown has always been like a father figure to me and I have so much respect for Cooper Harris and that defense and to be a part of that and learn from that was something that I had to be a part of.” Hickel said.

The Claflin native graduated from FHSU in 2013 after spending five years in the Tigers program. Hickel started in 22 off the 44 games he played in during his career and earned All-MIAA Honorable Mention honors as a senior when he led the team in tackles with 101. He finished his career ranked fourth in career tackles for the NCAA II era at Fort Hays State.

Hickel says he’s still getting used to the talent level at the collegiate level.

“The game hasn’t changed tremendously (since Hickel played), at least I don’t feel like it because I’ve been involved in the game, but the size of these kids out here is just unbelievable. I feel like we did not look like this when we were in college. The size and athleticism of these kids is so impressive to see as a coach now in the college level. You one or two in high school but you have a team full of them at the college (level).” Hickel said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/8/1661171796707.jpeg" alt="Claflin native Layton Hickel oversees a drill with the defensive line during practice." />
 <figcaption>Claflin native Layton Hickel oversees a drill with the defensive line during practice.</figcaption>
 </figure>By GERARD WELLBROCK Hays PostThe newest member of the Fort Hays State football team’s coaching staff is a familiar name and face. Layton Hickel, who played for the Tigers, is in his first season as defensive line coach. Hickel replaced Ike Eguae who left for a similar position at Division I Stephen F. Austin after seven seasons with the Tigers.Prior to joining the Tigers coaching staff, Hickel served as a high school assistant, most recently as defensive coordinator at Hays High School.“I always stayed in touch with coach (Cooper) Harris and coach (Chris) Brown when I was back.” Hickel said. “They did a great job of mentoring me and helping me with some struggles I was having as a coordinator.""When the job opened, they reached out and it was really a no-brainer. It was tough to leave where I was at. I loved Tony and that staff, but coach Brown has always been like a father figure to me and I have so much respect for Cooper Harris and that defense and to be a part of that and learn from that was something that I had to be a part of.” Hickel said.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/8/1661171859931.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>The Claflin native graduated from FHSU in 2013 after spending five years in the Tigers program. Hickel started in 22 off the 44 games he played in during his career and earned All-MIAA Honorable Mention honors as a senior when he led the team in tackles with 101. He finished his career ranked fourth in career tackles for the NCAA II era at Fort Hays State.Hickel says he’s still getting used to the talent level at the collegiate level.“The game hasn’t changed tremendously (since Hickel played), at least I don’t feel like it because I’ve been involved in the game, but the size of these kids out here is just unbelievable. I feel like we did not look like this when we were in college. The size and athleticism of these kids is so impressive to see as a coach now in the college level. You one or two in high school but you have a team full of them at the college (level).” Hickel said.

Claflin native Hickel excited to coach at the collegiate level


New York	76	48	.613	_	_	4-6	W-3	45-20	31-28


Tampa Bay	67	55	.549	8	+½	8-2	W-4	40-23	27-32


Toronto	66	55	.545	8½	_	6-4	W-1	36-25	30-30


Baltimore	64	58	.525	11	2½	5-5	W-2	36-23	28-35


Boston	60	63	.488	15½	7	5-5	L-2	29-31	31-32


Cleveland	65	56	.537	_	_	6-4	W-1	32-25	33-31


Minnesota	62	59	.512	3	4	4-6	L-4	35-28	27-31


Chicago	62	61	.504	4	5	5-5	L-2	30-31	32-30

Kansas
City	50	75	.400	17	18	3-7	L-1	30-35	20-40


Detroit	47	77	.379	19½	20½	4-6	L-1	28-35	19-42

Houston	79	45	.637	_	_	6-4	W-2	40-18	39-27


Seattle	67	56	.545	11½	_	6-4	W-1	32-26	35-30


Texas	56	67	.455	22½	11	6-4	L-1	27-34	29-33


Los Angeles	52	71	.423	26½	15	3-7	L-4	26-36	26-35


Oakland	45	79	.363	34	22½	4-6	L-2	19-41	26-38


New York	79	46	.632	_	_	4-6	L-2	40-19	39-27


Atlanta	77	48	.616	2	+9	8-2	W-2	42-24	35-24


Philadelphia	68	55	.553	10	+1	5-5	W-2	35-29	33-26


Miami	54	69	.439	24	13	4-6	W-2	25-33	29-36


Washington	41	83	.331	37½	26½	4-6	L-3	19-44	22-39


St. Louis	71	52	.577	_	_	9-1	W-1	40-21	31-31


Milwaukee	65	57	.533	5½	1½	4-6	L-1	31-24	34-33


Chicago	53	70	.431	18	14	6-4	L-1	27-37	26-33


Cincinnati	48	73	.397	22	18	4-6	L-2	26-36	22-37


Pittsburgh	47	76	.382	24	20	2-8	L-4	26-35	21-41


Los Angeles	85	37	.697	_	_	6-4	W-1	44-16	41-21


San Diego	68	57	.544	18½	_	4-6	L-1	35-27	33-30


San Francisco	61	61	.500	24	5½	6-4	W-2	34-29	27-32


Arizona	56	66	.459	29	10½	5-5	W-1	32-32	24-34

Colorado	54	70	.435	32	13½	4-6	W-1	36-31	18-39

AMERICAN LEAGUEEast DivisionW	L	Pct	GB	WCGB	L10	Str	Home	Away
New York	76	48	.613	_	_	4-6	W-3	45-20	31-28
Tampa Bay	67	55	.549	8	+½	8-2	W-4	40-23	27-32
Toronto	66	55	.545	8½	_	6-4	W-1	36-25	30-30
Baltimore	64	58	.525	11	2½	5-5	W-2	36-23	28-35
Boston	60	63	.488	15½	7	5-5	L-2	29-31	31-32Central DivisionW	L	Pct	GB	WCGB	L10	Str	Home	Away
Cleveland	65	56	.537	_	_	6-4	W-1	32-25	33-31
Minnesota	62	59	.512	3	4	4-6	L-4	35-28	27-31
Chicago	62	61	.504	4	5	5-5	L-2	30-31	32-30Kansas
City	50	75	.400	17	18	3-7	L-1	30-35	20-40
Detroit	47	77	.379	19½	20½	4-6	L-1	28-35	19-42West DivisionW	L	Pct	GB	WCGB	L10	Str	Home	AwayHouston	79	45	.637	_	_	6-4	W-2	40-18	39-27
Seattle	67	56	.545	11½	_	6-4	W-1	32-26	35-30
Texas	56	67	.455	22½	11	6-4	L-1	27-34	29-33
Los Angeles	52	71	.423	26½	15	3-7	L-4	26-36	26-35
Oakland	45	79	.363	34	22½	4-6	L-2	19-41	26-38
___NATIONAL LEAGUEEast DivisionW	L	Pct	GB	WCGB	L10	Str	Home	Away
New York	79	46	.632	_	_	4-6	L-2	40-19	39-27
Atlanta	77	48	.616	2	+9	8-2	W-2	42-24	35-24
Philadelphia	68	55	.553	10	+1	5-5	W-2	35-29	33-26
Miami	54	69	.439	24	13	4-6	W-2	25-33	29-36
Washington	41	83	.331	37½	26½	4-6	L-3	19-44	22-39Central DivisionW	L	Pct	GB	WCGB	L10	Str	Home	Away
St. Louis	71	52	.577	_	_	9-1	W-1	40-21	31-31
Milwaukee	65	57	.533	5½	1½	4-6	L-1	31-24	34-33
Chicago	53	70	.431	18	14	6-4	L-1	27-37	26-33
Cincinnati	48	73	.397	22	18	4-6	L-2	26-36	22-37
Pittsburgh	47	76	.382	24	20	2-8	L-4	26-35	21-41West DivisionW	L	Pct	GB	WCGB	L10	Str	Home	Away
Los Angeles	85	37	.697	_	_	6-4	W-1	44-16	41-21
San Diego	68	57	.544	18½	_	4-6	L-1	35-27	33-30
San Francisco	61	61	.500	24	5½	6-4	W-2	34-29	27-32
Arizona	56	66	.459	29	10½	5-5	W-1	32-32	24-34Colorado	54	70	.435	32	13½	4-6	W-1	36-31	18-39

Wednesday MLB Standings

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Hall of Fame quarterback Len Dawson, whose unmistakable swagger in helping the Kansas City Chiefs to their first Super Bowl title earned him the nickname “Lenny the Cool,” died Wednesday. He was 87.

Dawson's family announced his death in a statement through KMBC, the Kansas City-based television station where he starred in his second career as a broadcaster. No cause was given, though Dawson had been in declining health for years.

“With wife Linda at his side, it is with much sadness that we inform you of the passing of our beloved Len Dawson,” the family's statement read. “He was a wonderful husband, father, brother and friend. Len was always grateful and many times overwhelmed by the countless bonds he made during his football and broadcast careers.”

The MVP of the Chiefs’ victory over the Vikings in January 1970, Dawson had entered hospice care on Aug. 12.

“He loved Kansas City," his family said, "and no matter where his travels took him he could not wait to return home."

Dawson personified the Chiefs almost from the start, when the suave standout from Purdue lost out on starting jobs in Pittsburgh and Cleveland and landed with the nascent franchise, then located in Dallas. There, Dawson reunited with Hank Stram, who had been an assistant with the Boilermakers, and together they forever changed the franchise.

The coach and quarterback won the AFL championship together in 1962, their first year together, and became bona fide stars the following year, when club founder Lamar Hunt moved the team to Kansas City and rechristened it the Chiefs.

They proceeded to win two more AFL titles, one in 1966 when they lost to the Packers in the first Super Bowl, and the other in '69, when Dawson came back from an injury to help beat the Vikings at Tulane Stadium in New Orleans.

“Looking back on my career, I’ve been blessed for what I had the opportunity to do,” Dawson said told The Associated Press in 2017, shortly after he announced his retirement from his second career as a Hall of Fame broadcaster.

“I could not have accomplished so much without my teammates and colleagues, and I’m grateful for each of them.”

Dawson always remained a beloved figure in Kansas City, even though he cut back on public appearances several years ago when his health began to fail him. But he always had time for fans, whether it be a photograph or signature, the latter often on an iconic black-and-white photo from halftime of that first Super Bowl: the exhausted quarterback, white uniform caked with mud, sitting on a folding chair with a cigarette in his mouth and a bottle of Fresca at his feet.

It perfectly captured a time and place. And it perfectly captured a man that embodied poise and self-assurance.

“Next to my father, few people have had a more lasting impact on the Kansas City Chiefs than Len Dawson,” Chiefs owner Clark Hunt said a few years ago. “Over the course of a legendary career, first as a player and later as a broadcaster, Len has been a part of every major moment in franchise history.”

Dawson was born June 20, 1935, the ninth of 11 children that filled the house of James and Annie Dawson in the blue-collar manufacturing town of Alliance, Ohio. He was a three-sport athlete at Alliance High School, setting records in both football and basketball, and turned his success on the gridiron into a scholarship offer from Purdue.

There, Dawson led the NCAA in passing efficiency as a sophomore while also playing defense and kicking, and he helped lead a memorable upset of Notre Dame during that 1954 season. By the end of his college career, Dawson had thrown for more than 3,000 yards, despite playing in an era that favored ground-and-pound football.

Dawson was chosen by the Steelers in the first round of the 1957 draft, but he wound up riding the bench behind Earl Morrall as a rookie and then failed to beat out Bobby Layne for he starting job the following season. The Steelers ultimately traded him to the Browns, where Dawson was unable to beat out Milt Plum for the job and was released.

One of the great disappointments of Dawson's career wound up being one of the best things to ever happen to him.

With newfound freedom to sign anywhere, Dawson jumped to the upstart AFL and the Texans, lured in part by the chance to play for one of his old coaches at Purdue. Stram was able to finally tap into his talent, helping Dawson to quickly become one of the league's prolific passers as the Texans went 11-3 and won the first of three championships.

The second came in 1966, when Dawson led the Chiefs to an 11-2-1 record and a 31-7 blowout of the Bills in the AFL title game. That earned the Chiefs the chance to face the powerhouse Green Bay Packers — and coach Vince Lombardi — in the inaugural Super Bowl, where Dawson threw for 210 yards and a touchdown in a 35-10 defeat.

It was the 1969 season that proved to be the most memorable of Dawson's career, though. He sustained a serious knee injury against the Patriots in Week 2, forcing him to miss the next five games, but went on a tear once he returned to the field. Dawson led the Chiefs to victories over the defending champion Jets and bitter rival Raiders to reach what would be the final Super Bowl before the AFL-NFL merger, where he threw for 142 yards and a score in a 23-7 triumph.

“It was overwhelming,” Dawson said afterward. “It’s just, you know how that relief comes with you know it’s over with, and we’ve been successful? That’s the feeling that I had when I came off the field.”

Dawson continued to play for six more seasons in Kansas City, setting many franchise records that stood until a youngster named Patrick Mahomes came along, before hanging up his helmet after the 1975 season.

Along the way, Dawson parlayed what began as a publicity stunt into a second career in broadcasting.

In 1966, then-Chiefs general manager Jack Steadman wanted to drum up support for the franchise in Kansas City and convinced Dawson to anchor a sports segment on the nightly news. His natural charisma and folksy style made Dawson a natural, he turned his attention to TV and radio on a full-time basis after his playing career had finished.

Dawson continued to work in local TV for several decades, adding game analysis for NBC from 1977-82 and hosting HBO's iconic “Inside the NFL” from 1977-2001. He also served more than three decades on the Chiefs' radio broadcast team.

After going into the Hall of Fame as a player in 1987, Dawson was inducted as a broadcaster in 2012.

“It’s been a true privilege and honor to have Len at the center of our broadcast team for the last 33 years,” said Dan Israel, the executive producer of the Chiefs’ radio network, upon his retirement a few years ago. “His contributions to not only this sport, but our industry, are incredibly profound.”

Dawson was married to his high school sweetheart, Jackie, from 1954 until her death in 1978, and together they had two children. His second wife, Linda, remained by his side even when Dawson was forced to enter hospice care.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/8/1660354181481.jpeg" alt="Len Dawson U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Joel Pfiester/Released, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons" />
 <figcaption>Len Dawson U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Joel Pfiester/Released, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Hall of Fame quarterback Len Dawson, whose unmistakable swagger in helping the Kansas City Chiefs to their first Super Bowl title earned him the nickname “Lenny the Cool,” died Wednesday. He was 87.Dawson's family announced his death in a statement through KMBC, the Kansas City-based television station where he starred in his second career as a broadcaster. No cause was given, though Dawson had been in declining health for years.“With wife Linda at his side, it is with much sadness that we inform you of the passing of our beloved Len Dawson,” the family's statement read. “He was a wonderful husband, father, brother and friend. Len was always grateful and many times overwhelmed by the countless bonds he made during his football and broadcast careers.”The MVP of the Chiefs’ victory over the Vikings in January 1970, Dawson had entered hospice care on Aug. 12.“He loved Kansas City," his family said, "and no matter where his travels took him he could not wait to return home."Dawson personified the Chiefs almost from the start, when the suave standout from Purdue lost out on starting jobs in Pittsburgh and Cleveland and landed with the nascent franchise, then located in Dallas. There, Dawson reunited with Hank Stram, who had been an assistant with the Boilermakers, and together they forever changed the franchise.The coach and quarterback won the AFL championship together in 1962, their first year together, and became bona fide stars the following year, when club founder Lamar Hunt moved the team to Kansas City and rechristened it the Chiefs.They proceeded to win two more AFL titles, one in 1966 when they lost to the Packers in the first Super Bowl, and the other in '69, when Dawson came back from an injury to help beat the Vikings at Tulane Stadium in New Orleans.“Looking back on my career, I’ve been blessed for what I had the opportunity to do,” Dawson said told The Associated Press in 2017, shortly after he announced his retirement from his second career as a Hall of Fame broadcaster.“I could not have accomplished so much without my teammates and colleagues, and I’m grateful for each of them.”Dawson always remained a beloved figure in Kansas City, even though he cut back on public appearances several years ago when his health began to fail him. But he always had time for fans, whether it be a photograph or signature, the latter often on an iconic black-and-white photo from halftime of that first Super Bowl: the exhausted quarterback, white uniform caked with mud, sitting on a folding chair with a cigarette in his mouth and a bottle of Fresca at his feet.It perfectly captured a time and place. And it perfectly captured a man that embodied poise and self-assurance.“Next to my father, few people have had a more lasting impact on the Kansas City Chiefs than Len Dawson,” Chiefs owner Clark Hunt said a few years ago. “Over the course of a legendary career, first as a player and later as a broadcaster, Len has been a part of every major moment in franchise history.”Dawson was born June 20, 1935, the ninth of 11 children that filled the house of James and Annie Dawson in the blue-collar manufacturing town of Alliance, Ohio. He was a three-sport athlete at Alliance High School, setting records in both football and basketball, and turned his success on the gridiron into a scholarship offer from Purdue.There, Dawson led the NCAA in passing efficiency as a sophomore while also playing defense and kicking, and he helped lead a memorable upset of Notre Dame during that 1954 season. By the end of his college career, Dawson had thrown for more than 3,000 yards, despite playing in an era that favored ground-and-pound football.Dawson was chosen by the Steelers in the first round of the 1957 draft, but he wound up riding the bench behind Earl Morrall as a rookie and then failed to beat out Bobby Layne for he starting job the following season. The Steelers ultimately traded him to the Browns, where Dawson was unable to beat out Milt Plum for the job and was released.One of the great disappointments of Dawson's career wound up being one of the best things to ever happen to him.With newfound freedom to sign anywhere, Dawson jumped to the upstart AFL and the Texans, lured in part by the chance to play for one of his old coaches at Purdue. Stram was able to finally tap into his talent, helping Dawson to quickly become one of the league's prolific passers as the Texans went 11-3 and won the first of three championships.The second came in 1966, when Dawson led the Chiefs to an 11-2-1 record and a 31-7 blowout of the Bills in the AFL title game. That earned the Chiefs the chance to face the powerhouse Green Bay Packers — and coach Vince Lombardi — in the inaugural Super Bowl, where Dawson threw for 210 yards and a touchdown in a 35-10 defeat.It was the 1969 season that proved to be the most memorable of Dawson's career, though. He sustained a serious knee injury against the Patriots in Week 2, forcing him to miss the next five games, but went on a tear once he returned to the field. Dawson led the Chiefs to victories over the defending champion Jets and bitter rival Raiders to reach what would be the final Super Bowl before the AFL-NFL merger, where he threw for 142 yards and a score in a 23-7 triumph.“It was overwhelming,” Dawson said afterward. “It’s just, you know how that relief comes with you know it’s over with, and we’ve been successful? That’s the feeling that I had when I came off the field.”Dawson continued to play for six more seasons in Kansas City, setting many franchise records that stood until a youngster named Patrick Mahomes came along, before hanging up his helmet after the 1975 season.Along the way, Dawson parlayed what began as a publicity stunt into a second career in broadcasting.In 1966, then-Chiefs general manager Jack Steadman wanted to drum up support for the franchise in Kansas City and convinced Dawson to anchor a sports segment on the nightly news. His natural charisma and folksy style made Dawson a natural, he turned his attention to TV and radio on a full-time basis after his playing career had finished.Dawson continued to work in local TV for several decades, adding game analysis for NBC from 1977-82 and hosting HBO's iconic “Inside the NFL” from 1977-2001. He also served more than three decades on the Chiefs' radio broadcast team.After going into the Hall of Fame as a player in 1987, Dawson was inducted as a broadcaster in 2012.“It’s been a true privilege and honor to have Len at the center of our broadcast team for the last 33 years,” said Dan Israel, the executive producer of the Chiefs’ radio network, upon his retirement a few years ago. “His contributions to not only this sport, but our industry, are incredibly profound.”Dawson was married to his high school sweetheart, Jackie, from 1954 until her death in 1978, and together they had two children. His second wife, Linda, remained by his side even when Dawson was forced to enter hospice care.

Longtime broadcaster, Chiefs star Len Dawson dead at 87

Dennis Bottcher of the Barton Community College men's soccer team has been named the season's first recipient of the KJCCC's Goalkeeper of the Week award.

Bottcher had a solid Barton debut rejecting all three shots on frame Friday helping the Cougars to a season opening 3-0 victory over Northeastern JC. 

Scoreless through the first fifty-one minutes, the Cougars' Genildo Postimo provided the eventual game winning net rattler putting away Diego Veit's cross.

Bottcher provided the game's next biggest play just eight minutes later rejecting a close range header attempt ensuring the Cougars kept the momentum with the clean slate.

The Cougars would later add goals in the 74th and 80th minutes to ice the win, punching Head Coach Rafael Simmons first victory at the Barton helm.

Barton returned to the pitch one day later on Saturday, earning another 3-0 win at the Cougar Soccer Complex over Lamar Community College.

Shuffling the early season lineup the following day, Victor Goscinski provided another stellar performance in goal for the Cougars helping Barton to its second consecutive 3-0 shutout in dispatching upstart Lamar Community College.

Just as Bottcher did on Friday, Goscinski thwarted three scoring attempts while adding key second half plays not showing up on the scoresheet in breaking up Lopes' scoring threats.

Francesco Boher contributed offensively to the stat sheet in both contests, leading a balanced attack with an assist on Friday and the first goal on the board Saturday in the 14th minute in what proved to be the eventual game winner.

The Cougars next head to Council Bluffs, Iowa, for their first road trip of the season, taking on Indian Hills Community College at 3:30 p.m. Friday before facing former Barton skipper Mike Brown's top ranked Iowa Western Community College squad at 1:00 p.m. Saturday.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/8/1661334751516.jpeg" alt="Story and Photo courtesy Barton Athletics" />
 <figcaption>Story and Photo courtesy Barton Athletics</figcaption>
 </figure>Dennis Bottcher of the Barton Community College men's soccer team has been named the season's first recipient of the KJCCC's Goalkeeper of the Week award.Bottcher had a solid Barton debut rejecting all three shots on frame Friday helping the Cougars to a season opening 3-0 victory over Northeastern JC. Scoreless through the first fifty-one minutes, the Cougars' Genildo Postimo provided the eventual game winning net rattler putting away Diego Veit's cross.Bottcher provided the game's next biggest play just eight minutes later rejecting a close range header attempt ensuring the Cougars kept the momentum with the clean slate.The Cougars would later add goals in the 74th and 80th minutes to ice the win, punching Head Coach Rafael Simmons first victory at the Barton helm.Barton returned to the pitch one day later on Saturday, earning another 3-0 win at the Cougar Soccer Complex over Lamar Community College.Shuffling the early season lineup the following day, Victor Goscinski provided another stellar performance in goal for the Cougars helping Barton to its second consecutive 3-0 shutout in dispatching upstart Lamar Community College.Just as Bottcher did on Friday, Goscinski thwarted three scoring attempts while adding key second half plays not showing up on the scoresheet in breaking up Lopes' scoring threats.Francesco Boher contributed offensively to the stat sheet in both contests, leading a balanced attack with an assist on Friday and the first goal on the board Saturday in the 14th minute in what proved to be the eventual game winner.The Cougars next head to Council Bluffs, Iowa, for their first road trip of the season, taking on Indian Hills Community College at 3:30 p.m. Friday before facing former Barton skipper Mike Brown's top ranked Iowa Western Community College squad at 1:00 p.m. Saturday.

Barton's Bottcher earns KJCCC Goalkeeper of the Week award

New faces: SS
Justin Reid, WR JuJu Smith-Schuster, WR Marquez Valdes-Scantling, DE
Carlos Dunlap, DT Danny Shelton, LB Elijah Lee, FS Deon Bush, LB
Jermaine Carter, CB Lonnie Johnson, WR Skyy Moore, SS Bryan Cook, DE
George Karlaftis, CB Trent McDuffie, WR Justin Watson, CB Joshua
Williams, RB Isaih Pacheco.

Key losses: WR
Tyreek Hill, FS Tyrann Mathieu, LB Anthony Hitchens, CB Charvarius
Ward, WR Byron Pringle, DE Melvin Ingram, CB Mike Hughes, SS Daniel
Sorensen, RB Darrel Williams, FS Armani Watts, LB Ben Niemann, WR
Demarcus Robinson, DT Jarran Reed.

Strengths:
The offense will be the Chiefs' strength so long as Patrick Mahomes
is under center. He's coming off another big season that ended with
an AFC title game loss to Cincinnati. His supporting cast changed
dramatically when the Chiefs traded WR Tyreek Hill to the Dolphins
for a package of draft picks, but the change could serve to make
Kansas City even tougher to defend. No longer can defenses hone in on
Hill and TE Travis Kelce because WRs JuJu Smith-Schuster, Marquez
Valdes-Scantling and Skyy Moore give the Chiefs more depth and
versatility than at any point under coach Andy Reid. Throw in the
fact that Kansas City has quietly built one of the top offensive
lines in the league, and that Reid remains one of the most creative
offensive minds in the game, and opposing defensive coordinators
should be having fits all season.

Weaknesses:
While the Chiefs offense went haywire in the second half of the AFC
title game, their defense is what plagued them throughout the stretch
run. More specifically, their inability to pressure the passer —
the Chiefs were better than just three other teams in the league at
sacking the quarterback. They lost DE Melvin Ingram and struck out
early in free agency, so they brought back DE Frank Clark on a
restructured contract and drafted DE George Karlaftis in the first
round. Then they finally added some veteran help midway through
training camp with the addition of DE Carlos Dunlap, a two-time Pro
Bowl pick who is coming off an up-and-down season in Seattle. The
pass rush should also improve if the downfield coverage gets better,
and the Chiefs addressed that by using another first-round pick on CB
Trent McDuffie, a fourth-rounder on CB Joshua Williams and signing SS
Justin Reid in free agency.

Camp Development:
Chiefs GM Brett Veach has done well the past few years finding
late-round gems in the draft, and he may have hit on two more in the
seventh round this year. CB Jaylen Watson was overlooked coming out
of Washington State, but ran with starters during portions of
training camp, and RB Isaih Pacheco has far surpassed the
expectations that came with him from Rutgers. Pacheco could push
incumbent Clyde Edwards-Helaire for the starting role this season.

Fantasy Player To
Watch: Someone has to absorb all those catches, yards and
touchdowns that Hill had last season, and it's a stretch to believe
TE Travis Kelce can do much more than he did last season. So it boils
down to whether Smith-Schuster can regain the form that made him a
star early in his career in Pittsburgh or Valdez-Scantling can
overcome the drop issues he had while catching passes from Aaron
Rodgers in Green Bay. At least one of them should have a big year.

FanDuel Says:
Win Super Bowl: 10-1. Over/under wins: 10.5.

Expectations: The
minimum is a seventh consecutive AFC West title, a job that hasn't
gotten any easier with the Broncos adding QB Russell Wilson, the
Raiders loading up with WR Davante Adams and the Chargers' emergence
behind QB Justin Herbert. Throw in the out-of-division slate and the
Chiefs have a brutally difficult path to hosting a fifth consecutive
AFC championship game, let alone reach the Super Bowl in Glendale,
Arizona.

KANSAS CITY
CHIEFS (14-6)New faces: SS
Justin Reid, WR JuJu Smith-Schuster, WR Marquez Valdes-Scantling, DE
Carlos Dunlap, DT Danny Shelton, LB Elijah Lee, FS Deon Bush, LB
Jermaine Carter, CB Lonnie Johnson, WR Skyy Moore, SS Bryan Cook, DE
George Karlaftis, CB Trent McDuffie, WR Justin Watson, CB Joshua
Williams, RB Isaih Pacheco.Key losses: WR
Tyreek Hill, FS Tyrann Mathieu, LB Anthony Hitchens, CB Charvarius
Ward, WR Byron Pringle, DE Melvin Ingram, CB Mike Hughes, SS Daniel
Sorensen, RB Darrel Williams, FS Armani Watts, LB Ben Niemann, WR
Demarcus Robinson, DT Jarran Reed.Strengths:
The offense will be the Chiefs' strength so long as Patrick Mahomes
is under center. He's coming off another big season that ended with
an AFC title game loss to Cincinnati. His supporting cast changed
dramatically when the Chiefs traded WR Tyreek Hill to the Dolphins
for a package of draft picks, but the change could serve to make
Kansas City even tougher to defend. No longer can defenses hone in on
Hill and TE Travis Kelce because WRs JuJu Smith-Schuster, Marquez
Valdes-Scantling and Skyy Moore give the Chiefs more depth and
versatility than at any point under coach Andy Reid. Throw in the
fact that Kansas City has quietly built one of the top offensive
lines in the league, and that Reid remains one of the most creative
offensive minds in the game, and opposing defensive coordinators
should be having fits all season.Weaknesses:
While the Chiefs offense went haywire in the second half of the AFC
title game, their defense is what plagued them throughout the stretch
run. More specifically, their inability to pressure the passer —
the Chiefs were better than just three other teams in the league at
sacking the quarterback. They lost DE Melvin Ingram and struck out
early in free agency, so they brought back DE Frank Clark on a
restructured contract and drafted DE George Karlaftis in the first
round. Then they finally added some veteran help midway through
training camp with the addition of DE Carlos Dunlap, a two-time Pro
Bowl pick who is coming off an up-and-down season in Seattle. The
pass rush should also improve if the downfield coverage gets better,
and the Chiefs addressed that by using another first-round pick on CB
Trent McDuffie, a fourth-rounder on CB Joshua Williams and signing SS
Justin Reid in free agency.Camp Development:
Chiefs GM Brett Veach has done well the past few years finding
late-round gems in the draft, and he may have hit on two more in the
seventh round this year. CB Jaylen Watson was overlooked coming out
of Washington State, but ran with starters during portions of
training camp, and RB Isaih Pacheco has far surpassed the
expectations that came with him from Rutgers. Pacheco could push
incumbent Clyde Edwards-Helaire for the starting role this season.Fantasy Player To
Watch: Someone has to absorb all those catches, yards and
touchdowns that Hill had last season, and it's a stretch to believe
TE Travis Kelce can do much more than he did last season. So it boils
down to whether Smith-Schuster can regain the form that made him a
star early in his career in Pittsburgh or Valdez-Scantling can
overcome the drop issues he had while catching passes from Aaron
Rodgers in Green Bay. At least one of them should have a big year.FanDuel Says:
Win Super Bowl: 10-1. Over/under wins: 10.5.Expectations: The
minimum is a seventh consecutive AFC West title, a job that hasn't
gotten any easier with the Broncos adding QB Russell Wilson, the
Raiders loading up with WR Davante Adams and the Chargers' emergence
behind QB Justin Herbert. Throw in the out-of-division slate and the
Chiefs have a brutally difficult path to hosting a fifth consecutive
AFC championship game, let alone reach the Super Bowl in Glendale,
Arizona.

Chiefs to feature revamped offense, rebuilt defense

Hanna Miller and Ytje Oosterbann of the Barton Community College volleyball team have been named week one KJCCC Division I Players of the Week.

Miller picked up where she left off from last season in anchoring Barton's defensive line averaging 6.77 digs per set, climbing into the No. 2 all-time slot in program history and closing to within 107 of the top spot.

Freshman Ytje Oosterbaan orchestrated a full roster of players hitting the hardwood this past weekend in running most of the plays from the Cougars' 5-1 offensive scheme to a .249 team attack percentage this past weekend.  In the four matches Oosterbaan recorded 8.77 assists per set with two kills and seven service aces while defensively putting up 8 blocks and 31 digs.

The pair helped Barton open its 2022 season with four impressive victories in the Opening Weekend Tournament (OWT) held in Rockford, Illinois, at the UW Sports Factory.

Barton's next matches are in Norfolk, Nebraska, beginning Thursday with a 6:00 p.m. match at Northeast Community College before a pair of Friday matches in Northeast's Classic. On Friday, the Cougars will have Division II No. 8 ranked Kirkwood Community College at 12:00 p.m. followed by a 2:00 p.m. match versus Central Community College.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/8/1661334347478.jpeg" alt="Story and photo courtesy of Barton Athletics" />
 <figcaption>Story and photo courtesy of Barton Athletics</figcaption>
 </figure>Hanna Miller and Ytje Oosterbann of the Barton Community College volleyball team have been named week one KJCCC Division I Players of the Week.Miller picked up where she left off from last season in anchoring Barton's defensive line averaging 6.77 digs per set, climbing into the No. 2 all-time slot in program history and closing to within 107 of the top spot.Freshman Ytje Oosterbaan orchestrated a full roster of players hitting the hardwood this past weekend in running most of the plays from the Cougars' 5-1 offensive scheme to a .249 team attack percentage this past weekend. In the four matches Oosterbaan recorded 8.77 assists per set with two kills and seven service aces while defensively putting up 8 blocks and 31 digs.The pair helped Barton open its 2022 season with four impressive victories in the Opening Weekend Tournament (OWT) held in Rockford, Illinois, at the UW Sports Factory.Barton's next matches are in Norfolk, Nebraska, beginning Thursday with a 6:00 p.m. match at Northeast Community College before a pair of Friday matches in Northeast's Classic. On Friday, the Cougars will have Division II No. 8 ranked Kirkwood Community College at 12:00 p.m. followed by a 2:00 p.m. match versus Central Community College.

Pair of Cougars garner KJCCC Volleyball weekly award

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Christian Walker had three hits, including a run-scoring double, to lead the Arizona Diamondbacks to a 7-3 win over the Kansas City Royals on Tuesday night.

Walker’s two-out double highlighted a three-run eighth against Josh Staumont (3-3) to extend the Diamondbacks’ lead to 5-1.

“That’s what every team’s playing for to some extent, that hit with traffic on,” Walker said. “Everybody wants to come through and get that timely hit.”

Walker delivered after Manager Torey Lovullo turned him loose on a 3-0 count.

“He earned that right to get that 3-0 swing,” Lovullo said. “I just thought it was a crucial time in the game and right guy and the right situation.”

Arizona starter Zach Davies didn’t allow a baserunner until Bobby Witt Jr., hammered his 17th homer to left field with one out in the fourth.

“My command was a little bit off,” Davies said. “I got behind guys but was able to get back into counts and was able to get contact right at guys and use my defense a lot tonight. When I needed to be able to make a pitch I could.”

Lovullo said Davies was "just pounding the zone, front to back changing speeds with his changeup/fastball combination.”

Nicky Lopez and Witt tripled during a two-run eighth to cut Arizona’s lead to 5-3.

Royals starter Jonathan Heasley pitched out of trouble in each of the first four innings, allowing a hit and a walk in each frame. Heasley escaped damage when the Diamondbacks went 0-for-6 with runners in scoring position.

Heasley’s most uncomfortable moment came in the fourth as he paused twice to vomit behind the mound. He eventually had to leave the game when the problem recurred with two out in the fifth.

“It’s not a ‘sick’ issue,” Royals manager Mike Matheny said. “He gets amped up and that’s something that’s happened to him multiple times throughout his life. He was completely unsurprised because it’s happened so often. It got to the point where I had to get him out. At some point we had to draw a line.”

Heasley's attempt to pitch through the problem impressed Lovullo.

“It certainly spoke volumes about his toughness,” Lovullo said. “You get one out away from potentially winning a baseball game and you’ve got to come out, it’s not very satisfying, but he threw the ball well.”

Arizona tied the game in the sixth on Geraldo Perdomo’s two-out hit off reliever José Cuas’ leg.

Jake McCarthy delivered a bases-loaded sacrifice fly in the seventh, giving the Diamondbacks a 2-1 lead.

Arizona scored all seven runs against three Kansas City relievers.

“We were patient,” Lovullo said. “We executed. The first several innings we were just giving away at-bats. We weren’t locked in the way we were later in the game.”

Alek Thomas had three hits and a walk as Arizona snapped a three-game losing streak.

Joe Mantiply (2-4) got four outs to earn the win.

The Royals were outhit 13-5 and have gone a franchise-record eight consecutive games without more than six hits. They have lost seven of nine.

Royals 1B Vinnie Pasquantino was placed on the 10-day injured list with right shoulder discomfort.

Royals RHP Jonathan Heasley was recalled from Triple-A Omaha. RHP Collin Snider was optioned to Omaha, and C Sebastian Rivero was recalled from Double-A Northwest Arkansas.

The Diamondbacks claimed RHP Reyes Moronta off waivers from the Dodgers and designated IF Jake Hager for assignment.

Diamondbacks RHP Zac Gallen (9-2, 2.78 ERA) will face Royals RHP Brady Singer (6-4, 3.27) on Wednesday night.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Christian Walker had three hits, including a run-scoring double, to lead the Arizona Diamondbacks to a 7-3 win over the Kansas City Royals on Tuesday night.Walker’s two-out double highlighted a three-run eighth against Josh Staumont (3-3) to extend the Diamondbacks’ lead to 5-1.“That’s what every team’s playing for to some extent, that hit with traffic on,” Walker said. “Everybody wants to come through and get that timely hit.”Walker delivered after Manager Torey Lovullo turned him loose on a 3-0 count.“He earned that right to get that 3-0 swing,” Lovullo said. “I just thought it was a crucial time in the game and right guy and the right situation.”Arizona starter Zach Davies didn’t allow a baserunner until Bobby Witt Jr., hammered his 17th homer to left field with one out in the fourth.“My command was a little bit off,” Davies said. “I got behind guys but was able to get back into counts and was able to get contact right at guys and use my defense a lot tonight. When I needed to be able to make a pitch I could.”Lovullo said Davies was "just pounding the zone, front to back changing speeds with his changeup/fastball combination.”Nicky Lopez and Witt tripled during a two-run eighth to cut Arizona’s lead to 5-3.Royals starter Jonathan Heasley pitched out of trouble in each of the first four innings, allowing a hit and a walk in each frame. Heasley escaped damage when the Diamondbacks went 0-for-6 with runners in scoring position.Heasley’s most uncomfortable moment came in the fourth as he paused twice to vomit behind the mound. He eventually had to leave the game when the problem recurred with two out in the fifth.“It’s not a ‘sick’ issue,” Royals manager Mike Matheny said. “He gets amped up and that’s something that’s happened to him multiple times throughout his life. He was completely unsurprised because it’s happened so often. It got to the point where I had to get him out. At some point we had to draw a line.”Heasley's attempt to pitch through the problem impressed Lovullo.“It certainly spoke volumes about his toughness,” Lovullo said. “You get one out away from potentially winning a baseball game and you’ve got to come out, it’s not very satisfying, but he threw the ball well.”Arizona tied the game in the sixth on Geraldo Perdomo’s two-out hit off reliever José Cuas’ leg.Jake McCarthy delivered a bases-loaded sacrifice fly in the seventh, giving the Diamondbacks a 2-1 lead.Arizona scored all seven runs against three Kansas City relievers.“We were patient,” Lovullo said. “We executed. The first several innings we were just giving away at-bats. We weren’t locked in the way we were later in the game.”Alek Thomas had three hits and a walk as Arizona snapped a three-game losing streak.Joe Mantiply (2-4) got four outs to earn the win.HITTING SLUMPThe Royals were outhit 13-5 and have gone a franchise-record eight consecutive games without more than six hits. They have lost seven of nine.TRAINER’S ROOMRoyals 1B Vinnie Pasquantino was placed on the 10-day injured list with right shoulder discomfort.TRANSACTIONSRoyals RHP Jonathan Heasley was recalled from Triple-A Omaha. RHP Collin Snider was optioned to Omaha, and C Sebastian Rivero was recalled from Double-A Northwest Arkansas.The Diamondbacks claimed RHP Reyes Moronta off waivers from the Dodgers and designated IF Jake Hager for assignment.UP NEXTDiamondbacks RHP Zac Gallen (9-2, 2.78 ERA) will face Royals RHP Brady Singer (6-4, 3.27) on Wednesday night.

Walker’s 3 hits lift Diamondbacks over slumping Royals, 7-3

MANHATTAN, Kan. – Kansas State head coach Jerome Tang added another key piece to his team on Sunday afternoon (August 21) with the signing of sophomore transfer Anthony Thomas (Silver Spring, Md./Olympus Prep Academy/Tennessee-Martin/Tallahassee [Fla.] Community College) to a Financial Aid Agreement with the program for the 2022-23 season.

A 6-foot-7, 180-pound combo guard, Thomas arrives at K-State after playing the 2021-22 season at Tallahassee Community College in Tallahassee, Fla., where he averaged 11 points and 4.6 rebounds per game in helping the Eagles win 21 games in one of the nation's top junior college leagues – the Panhandle Conference. He played in 22 games with four starts as a freshman at UT-Martin in 2020-21, averaging 9.0 points and 2.8 rebounds per game.

"Anthony is another great addition to our team, and we are excited to welcome him and his family to K-State," said Tang. "We're really pleased to add a player of his caliber this late in the recruiting season. We like both his size and skill set and think he will grow into a productive player once he gets around our elite staff. We can't wait to get him to campus and in front of Wildcat Nation!"

Thomas will have three years of eligibility remaining after the NCAA granted Fall 2020 and Winter 2021 sport student-athletes an additional year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Thomas enjoyed a productive 2021-22 season at Tallahassee Community College, which boasted seven Division I signees. He ranked second on the Eagles in scoring (11.0 ppg.), while he was third in field goals (96) and 3-point field goals (27) as well as rebounding (4.6 rpg.). He scored in double figures in 15 games, which included eight games of 15 or more points and three 20-point outings. He twice scored a season-high 25 points, including against conference foe Pensacola State on Feb. 16 on 6-of-11 field goals and 11-of-14 free throws.

For the season, Thomas averaged 11.0 points on 42.3 percent (96-of-227) shooting, including 34.6 percent (27-of-78) from 3-point range, to go with 4.6 rebounds, 1.2 assists and 1.2 steals per game, while playing 25 games with 16 starts. He twice played against future teammate and JUCO All-American Nae'Qwan Tomlin (Harlem, N.Y./Urban Assembly School/Chipola [Fla.] College), who played at Chipola College.

Thomas began his college career in 2020-21 at UT-Martin, where he saw action in 22 of 24 games with four starts as a true freshman during an unprecedented season for the Skyhawks. In addition to navigating the pandemic conditions, Thomas and his teammates tragically lost their head coach Anthony Stewart right before the season on Nov. 15, 2020.

Despite the adversity, Thomas flourished as a true freshman, emerging as the team's top freshman in 2020-21, ranking second in 3-point field goals (23) and fourth in scoring (9.0 ppg.), while connecting on 75.8 percent (25-of-33) from the free throw line. He became the first Skyhawk true freshman to start a season opener since 2013-14, playing 25 minutes against Evansville on Dec. 2, 2020. He went on to score in double figures on seven different occasions, going for 15 or more points on six of those occasions, including a pair of 20-point outings.

Among his best games was a career-high 24-point effort vs. SIUE on Jan. 30, 2021, in which, he became the first Skyhawk freshman to record a 20-point game against an OVC opponent since 2012. He connected on 9-of-14 from the field, including 3-of-5 from 3-point range, and went 3-of-3 from the line in 26 minutes. He also had 21 points at Belmont on Jan. 9, 2021, to go along with a career-high 6 rebounds and 2 steals in 22 minutes.

In all, Thomas averaged 9.0 points on 37.7 percent (75-of-199) shooting, including 30.7 percent (23-of-75) from 3-point range, with 2.8 rebounds, 0.7 assists and 0.7 steals in 24 minutes per game in 2020-21.

Thomas played his senior season at Olympus Prep Academy in Williamstown, N.J., where he earned NJHoops.com third team all-state honors for the independent/prep class in 2020. He played in over 40 games and events while playing the Great Atlantic Conference.

Thomas was rated as a three-star prospect out of Olympus Prep by 247Sports, ranking among the top-50 players at his position for the Class of 2020. He was recognized as one of the seven national standouts from the Hoop Group Fall High School Showcase in October 2019.

Thomas is the 10th player to sign with the Wildcats since Tang was introduced as the program's head coach on March 21, including the second community college transfer following Tomlin. The addition gives K-State a full complement of 13 scholarship players.

Overall, Thomas is the 11th newcomer added to the team for the 2022-23 season. The class also includes seven Division I transfers – Cam Carter (Mississippi State), Jerrell Colbert (LSU), Abayomi "Baybe" Iyiola (Stetson/Arkansas/Hofstra), Keyontae Johnson (Florida), David N'Guessan (Virginia Tech), Desi Sills (Arkansas/ Arkansas State) and Tykei Greene (Manhattan/Stony Brook) – and two high school standouts – Dorian Finister (New Orleans, La./Carver) and Taj Manning (Grandview, Mo., La Lumiere School [Ind.]).

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/8/1661252528049.png" alt="Kansas State Athletics" />
 <figcaption>Kansas State Athletics</figcaption>
 </figure>MANHATTAN, Kan. – Kansas State head coach Jerome Tang added another key piece to his team on Sunday afternoon (August 21) with the signing of sophomore transfer Anthony Thomas (Silver Spring, Md./Olympus Prep Academy/Tennessee-Martin/Tallahassee [Fla.] Community College) to a Financial Aid Agreement with the program for the 2022-23 season.A 6-foot-7, 180-pound combo guard, Thomas arrives at K-State after playing the 2021-22 season at Tallahassee Community College in Tallahassee, Fla., where he averaged 11 points and 4.6 rebounds per game in helping the Eagles win 21 games in one of the nation's top junior college leagues – the Panhandle Conference. He played in 22 games with four starts as a freshman at UT-Martin in 2020-21, averaging 9.0 points and 2.8 rebounds per game."Anthony is another great addition to our team, and we are excited to welcome him and his family to K-State," said Tang. "We're really pleased to add a player of his caliber this late in the recruiting season. We like both his size and skill set and think he will grow into a productive player once he gets around our elite staff. We can't wait to get him to campus and in front of Wildcat Nation!"Thomas will have three years of eligibility remaining after the NCAA granted Fall 2020 and Winter 2021 sport student-athletes an additional year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.Thomas enjoyed a productive 2021-22 season at Tallahassee Community College, which boasted seven Division I signees. He ranked second on the Eagles in scoring (11.0 ppg.), while he was third in field goals (96) and 3-point field goals (27) as well as rebounding (4.6 rpg.). He scored in double figures in 15 games, which included eight games of 15 or more points and three 20-point outings. He twice scored a season-high 25 points, including against conference foe Pensacola State on Feb. 16 on 6-of-11 field goals and 11-of-14 free throws.For the season, Thomas averaged 11.0 points on 42.3 percent (96-of-227) shooting, including 34.6 percent (27-of-78) from 3-point range, to go with 4.6 rebounds, 1.2 assists and 1.2 steals per game, while playing 25 games with 16 starts. He twice played against future teammate and JUCO All-American Nae'Qwan Tomlin (Harlem, N.Y./Urban Assembly School/Chipola [Fla.] College), who played at Chipola College.Thomas began his college career in 2020-21 at UT-Martin, where he saw action in 22 of 24 games with four starts as a true freshman during an unprecedented season for the Skyhawks. In addition to navigating the pandemic conditions, Thomas and his teammates tragically lost their head coach Anthony Stewart right before the season on Nov. 15, 2020.Despite the adversity, Thomas flourished as a true freshman, emerging as the team's top freshman in 2020-21, ranking second in 3-point field goals (23) and fourth in scoring (9.0 ppg.), while connecting on 75.8 percent (25-of-33) from the free throw line. He became the first Skyhawk true freshman to start a season opener since 2013-14, playing 25 minutes against Evansville on Dec. 2, 2020. He went on to score in double figures on seven different occasions, going for 15 or more points on six of those occasions, including a pair of 20-point outings.Among his best games was a career-high 24-point effort vs. SIUE on Jan. 30, 2021, in which, he became the first Skyhawk freshman to record a 20-point game against an OVC opponent since 2012. He connected on 9-of-14 from the field, including 3-of-5 from 3-point range, and went 3-of-3 from the line in 26 minutes. He also had 21 points at Belmont on Jan. 9, 2021, to go along with a career-high 6 rebounds and 2 steals in 22 minutes.In all, Thomas averaged 9.0 points on 37.7 percent (75-of-199) shooting, including 30.7 percent (23-of-75) from 3-point range, with 2.8 rebounds, 0.7 assists and 0.7 steals in 24 minutes per game in 2020-21.Thomas played his senior season at Olympus Prep Academy in Williamstown, N.J., where he earned NJHoops.com third team all-state honors for the independent/prep class in 2020. He played in over 40 games and events while playing the Great Atlantic Conference.Thomas was rated as a three-star prospect out of Olympus Prep by 247Sports, ranking among the top-50 players at his position for the Class of 2020. He was recognized as one of the seven national standouts from the Hoop Group Fall High School Showcase in October 2019.Thomas is the 10th player to sign with the Wildcats since Tang was introduced as the program's head coach on March 21, including the second community college transfer following Tomlin. The addition gives K-State a full complement of 13 scholarship players.Overall, Thomas is the 11th newcomer added to the team for the 2022-23 season. The class also includes seven Division I transfers – Cam Carter (Mississippi State), Jerrell Colbert (LSU), Abayomi "Baybe" Iyiola (Stetson/Arkansas/Hofstra), Keyontae Johnson (Florida), David N'Guessan (Virginia Tech), Desi Sills (Arkansas/ Arkansas State) and Tykei Greene (Manhattan/Stony Brook) – and two high school standouts – Dorian Finister (New Orleans, La./Carver) and Taj Manning (Grandview, Mo., La Lumiere School [Ind.]).

Tang Signs JUCO Transfer Anthony Thomas

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Pro Bowl defensive tackle Chris Jones and wide receiver Mecole Hardman returned to practice with the Kansas City Chiefs on Monday, when they moved their training camp base from Missouri Western back to their own facility.

Jones had been dealing with a back injury and Hardman had been out with a sore groin.

There were still six players that did not practice during the first of two workouts before the Chiefs play their preseason finale Thursday night against Green Bay. Tight end Blake Bell is nursing a hip injury, defensive Carlos Dunlap a sore Achilles tendon, running back Derrick Gore a thumb injury, wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster a sore knee and cornerback Rashad Fenton a groin injury. Offensive tackle Lucas Niang remains on the PUP list after knee surgery.

The Chiefs also began to pare down their roster to the 80-man limit ahead of Tuesday's deadline, waiving cornerbacks Nasir Greer and Brandon Dandridge along with offensive lineman David Steinmetz. That leaves them at 82 players.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Pro Bowl defensive tackle Chris Jones and wide receiver Mecole Hardman returned to practice with the Kansas City Chiefs on Monday, when they moved their training camp base from Missouri Western back to their own facility.Jones had been dealing with a back injury and Hardman had been out with a sore groin.There were still six players that did not practice during the first of two workouts before the Chiefs play their preseason finale Thursday night against Green Bay. Tight end Blake Bell is nursing a hip injury, defensive Carlos Dunlap a sore Achilles tendon, running back Derrick Gore a thumb injury, wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster a sore knee and cornerback Rashad Fenton a groin injury. Offensive tackle Lucas Niang remains on the PUP list after knee surgery.The Chiefs also began to pare down their roster to the 80-man limit ahead of Tuesday's deadline, waiving cornerbacks Nasir Greer and Brandon Dandridge along with offensive lineman David Steinmetz. That leaves them at 82 players.

Chiefs get Jones, Hardman back as camp returns to KC

The Barton Community College volleyball team opened its 2022 season impressively this weekend in Rockford, Illinois, in taking all four matches of the Classic.

On Friday the Cougars had a great start to the new season with a sweep over Lake Land College 25-13, 25-8, and 25-20. Following a short rest the Cougars then took on Division II No. 7 ranked Heartland Community College, winning the first two sets 27-25 and 25-23 but dropping the third 25-20 before bouncing back dispatching the Hawks 25-20.

Saturday's matches included a pair of sweeps, the morning victory coming over Williston State College 25-21 and a pair of 25-15 set scores with the afternoon's weekend wrap-up coming over Rend Lake College 25-18, 25-20, and 25-23.

The start to the season produced a .234 attack in Friday's action as the Cougar defense put up 19 blocks and served up 12 aces.

By Todd Moore - bartonsports.comThe Barton Community College volleyball team opened its 2022 season impressively this weekend in Rockford, Illinois, in taking all four matches of the Classic.On Friday the Cougars had a great start to the new season with a sweep over Lake Land College 25-13, 25-8, and 25-20. Following a short rest the Cougars then took on Division II No. 7 ranked Heartland Community College, winning the first two sets 27-25 and 25-23 but dropping the third 25-20 before bouncing back dispatching the Hawks 25-20.Saturday's matches included a pair of sweeps, the morning victory coming over Williston State College 25-21 and a pair of 25-15 set scores with the afternoon's weekend wrap-up coming over Rend Lake College 25-18, 25-20, and 25-23.Barton's next matches are in Norfolk, Nebraska, beginning Thursday with a 6:00 p.m. match at Northeast Community College before a pair of Friday matches in Northeast's Classic. On Friday, the Cougars will have Division II No. 8 ranked Kirkwood Community College at 12:00 p.m. followed by a 2:00 p.m. match versus Central Community College.The start to the season produced a .234 attack in Friday's action as the Cougar defense put up 19 blocks and served up 12 aces.

Barton Volleyball opens season with clean slate in Illinois

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Drew Waters drew a bases-loaded walk to break an eighth-inning tie in his major league debut, boosting the Kansas City Royals to a 6-4 win over the Chicago White Sox on Monday in a game rescheduled because of the lockout in April.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Drew Waters drew a bases-loaded walk to break an eighth-inning tie in his major league debut, boosting the Kansas City Royals to a 6-4 win over the Chicago White Sox on Monday in a game rescheduled because of the lockout in April.Joe Kelly (1-3), the seventh of eight White Sox pitchers, hit a pair of batters to start the inning. Ryan O’Hearn singled, and Waters drew a five-pitch walk with one out to break a 4-all tie.“It’s a big deal just getting here and the being able to contribute like that,” Royals manager Mike Matheny said. “He did a great job. He showed a lot of poise on some pretty close pitches.”Waters, who was recalled from Triple-A Omaha before the game, was hoping to do more.“Just looking for a pitch to drive,” he said. “Late in game, with the bases loaded, I was just looking for a pitch that I could at least get out to the outfield. I got ahead in the count and was looking to do damage. I was able to draw a walk out of it.”The White Sox rallied from a four-run deficit after their starter, Michael Kopech, exited the game having faced just four hitters.“He felt something in his hamstring,” White Sox manager Tony La Russa said. “You could tell it affected his velocity. It was down, so we got him out of there.”Kopech hit a batter, allowed an RBI single to Salvador Perez, and walked the bases full before leaving with left knee soreness.“What sucks most about today is I put the team in a tough situation,” Kopech said.Elvis Andrus drove in three runs in his third game with the White Sox. Chicago signed the veteran shortstop on Friday after the Oakland Athletics designated him for assignment.Jose Abreu had three hits and two walks for the White Sox, who have dropped four of five since winning five straight.Chicago stranded 11 runners, including eight from the fourth through sixth innings.“We had chances and couldn’t break open the inning,” La Russa said. “Left a lot of guys on base. Just a very frustrating loss.”Amir Garrett (3-1) pitched a scoreless eighth and Scott Barlow finished for his 20th save.“The bullpen did a great job today,” Matheny said. “Those guys are on point just about every night. Amir, in a real tough spot, we needed him to come through.”Perez snapped a three-game hitless streak (0-for-10) as the Royals batted around in the first inning, scoring four. Michael Massey and O’Hearn also had RBI hits.The six runs were the most scored by the Royals since Aug. 10. Kansas City batted .167 while losing six of seven on the road last week, totaling 10 runs.Chicago batted around in the fourth, capped by Andrus’ two-run single, cutting Kansas City’s lead to 4-3.Andrus then tied the game with an RBI double in the seventh.TRAINER’S ROOMAfter batting in the second, Royals 1B Vinnie Pasquantino left the game with right shoulder discomfort.TRANSACTIONSThe Royals optioned OF Nate Eaton to Omaha to make room for Waters.UP NEXTWhite Sox RHP Dylan Cease (12-5, 2.09 ERA) takes the mound in Baltimore opposite RHP Austin Voth (3-1, 4.86).The Royals begin a two-game set against Arizona, with RHP Zach Davies (2-4, 3.99) facing off with RHP Jonathan Heasley (6-4, 3.27).