By TERESA M. WALKER Associated Press

The NCAA appealed Monday the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/vanderbilt-diego-pavia-preliminary-injunction-2025-029ed63d2520a2930be197d31ccc0e5f">preliminary injunction granted</a>&nbsp;by a U.S. federal judge giving Diego Pavia another year of eligibility even as the organization’s Division I board of directors granted a waiver allowing athletes in a similar situation as the Vanderbilt quarterback to play in 2025-26.

When U.S. District Judge William L. Campbell issued the injunction Dec. 18, it was limited only to Pavia, arguing that he was likely to win on his argument that NCAA Division I eligibility rules discriminated against him under the Sherman Act over his two years at a junior college. The judge also told the NCAA it couldn’t take any action against Vanderbilt or any university Pavia plays with for his fifth season.

The NCAA filed its appeal of Campbell’s injunction and order to the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals based in Cincinnati.

The waiver also announced Monday should limit the filing of more lawsuits by other athletes who started at a junior college and want another season to access name, image and likeness opportunities.

Specifically, the board’s waiver is for those athletes “who attended and competed at a non-NCAA school for one or more years to remain eligible and compete in 2025-26 if those student-athletes would have otherwise used their final season of competition during the 2024-25 academic year, and meet all other eligibility requirements (e.g., progress toward degree, five-year period of eligibility),” according to a statement from the NCAA.

The Division I Board of Directors and Division I Council authorized a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/sports-355128e48e4a3d892675e8b5d19cd191">review of eligibility last June</a>&nbsp;designed to create a sustainable framework that can withstand scrutiny.

“That review already resulted in action to modernize collegiate sports,” according to the NCAA statement. “The review includes all aspects of student-athlete eligibility, and Division I is committed to advancing the discussion during January governance meetings.”

Ironically, the annual NCAA convention will be held Jan. 14-17 in Nashville, Tennessee.

Campbell noted last week that current NCAA bylaws had made&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/diego-pavia">Pavia</a>&nbsp;ineligible to play Division I football in 2025 simply because the quarterback started his career at a junior college.

The judge wrote he was not persuaded by NCAA arguments on Division I eligibility limiting athletes who start at junior colleges to three or four years. He noted the NCAA does not start the eligibility clock for prep school athletes even when they compete athletically against junior colleges or other schools that count as “collegiate institutions.”

Campbell also wrote how the NCAA’s eligibility rules have evolved from when freshmen weren’t allowed to play to adding a redshirt rule. The judge also wrote that Pavia has a “strong likelihood of success” under the Sherman Act at trial because the organization’s rules limiting junior college eligibility are “restraints on trade with substantial anticompetitive effects.”

Pavia filed his lawsuit seeking an additional season&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/vanderbilt-diego-pavia-suing-ncaa-541a9dcd33815a9c006ee42dd9f4819b">Nov. 8 in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee</a>&nbsp;in Nashville. He has applied to Vanderbilt’s masters’ program for legal studies starting in January, and he is scheduled to play for the Commodores (6-6) on Friday in the Birmingham Bowl against Georgia Tech.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/12/1735047916096.jpeg" alt="Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia (2) looks to throw a pass during the first half of an NCAA college football game against Tennessee, Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)" />
 <figcaption>Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia (2) looks to throw a pass during the first half of an NCAA college football game against Tennessee, Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)</figcaption>
 </figure>By TERESA M. WALKER Associated PressThe NCAA appealed Monday the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/vanderbilt-diego-pavia-preliminary-injunction-2025-029ed63d2520a2930be197d31ccc0e5f">preliminary injunction granted</a>&nbsp;by a U.S. federal judge giving Diego Pavia another year of eligibility even as the organization’s Division I board of directors granted a waiver allowing athletes in a similar situation as the Vanderbilt quarterback to play in 2025-26.When U.S. District Judge William L. Campbell issued the injunction Dec. 18, it was limited only to Pavia, arguing that he was likely to win on his argument that NCAA Division I eligibility rules discriminated against him under the Sherman Act over his two years at a junior college. The judge also told the NCAA it couldn’t take any action against Vanderbilt or any university Pavia plays with for his fifth season.The NCAA filed its appeal of Campbell’s injunction and order to the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals based in Cincinnati.The waiver also announced Monday should limit the filing of more lawsuits by other athletes who started at a junior college and want another season to access name, image and likeness opportunities.Specifically, the board’s waiver is for those athletes “who attended and competed at a non-NCAA school for one or more years to remain eligible and compete in 2025-26 if those student-athletes would have otherwise used their final season of competition during the 2024-25 academic year, and meet all other eligibility requirements (e.g., progress toward degree, five-year period of eligibility),” according to a statement from the NCAA.The Division I Board of Directors and Division I Council authorized a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/sports-355128e48e4a3d892675e8b5d19cd191">review of eligibility last June</a>&nbsp;designed to create a sustainable framework that can withstand scrutiny.“That review already resulted in action to modernize collegiate sports,” according to the NCAA statement. “The review includes all aspects of student-athlete eligibility, and Division I is committed to advancing the discussion during January governance meetings.”Ironically, the annual NCAA convention will be held Jan. 14-17 in Nashville, Tennessee.Campbell noted last week that current NCAA bylaws had made&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/diego-pavia">Pavia</a>&nbsp;ineligible to play Division I football in 2025 simply because the quarterback started his career at a junior college.The judge wrote he was not persuaded by NCAA arguments on Division I eligibility limiting athletes who start at junior colleges to three or four years. He noted the NCAA does not start the eligibility clock for prep school athletes even when they compete athletically against junior colleges or other schools that count as “collegiate institutions.”Campbell also wrote how the NCAA’s eligibility rules have evolved from when freshmen weren’t allowed to play to adding a redshirt rule. The judge also wrote that Pavia has a “strong likelihood of success” under the Sherman Act at trial because the organization’s rules limiting junior college eligibility are “restraints on trade with substantial anticompetitive effects.”Pavia filed his lawsuit seeking an additional season&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/vanderbilt-diego-pavia-suing-ncaa-541a9dcd33815a9c006ee42dd9f4819b">Nov. 8 in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee</a>&nbsp;in Nashville. He has applied to Vanderbilt’s masters’ program for legal studies starting in January, and he is scheduled to play for the Commodores (6-6) on Friday in the Birmingham Bowl against Georgia Tech.

NCAA appealing Pavia injunction as D-I board grants waiver to former JUCO players

LOS ANGELES (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/los-angeles-dodgers-parade-96a6a89a5d2988440ef9220b0391b1b1">Shohei Ohtani</a>&nbsp;is keeping elite company.

The Japanese superstar caps 2024 by winning The Associated Press Male Athlete of the Year for the third time, tying him with basketball great Michael Jordan. He trails only four-time winners Lance Armstrong, Tiger Woods and LeBron James.

“I’m very honored,” Ohtani said through translator Matt Hidaka in an exclusive interview with the AP. ”Obviously all the hard work has paid off. Maybe next year, I’ll get the award again.”

In balloting by 74 sports journalists from the AP and its members, Ohtani received 48 votes. He previously won the award in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/shohei-ohtani-ap-male-athlete-b449f6ca931ff54ba49737d5fb4796d4">2023</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/shohei-ohtani-los-angeles-angels-mlb-sports-9973f985b361a949951019fd0241921a">2021</a>, when he was with the Angels.

“Growing up in Japan, I did follow Michael Jordan and Tiger Woods,” he said. “I would see their accolades and how they were successful in the United States.”

The AP honor has been given out since 1931. Golfer Babe Didrikson won six times, the most by a man or woman.

Swimmer Léon Marchand of France, who won four gold medals at the Paris Olympics, was second with 10 votes in balloting announced Monday. Golfer Scottie Scheffler, whose victories this year included the Masters and an Olympic gold medal, was third with nine.

The AP Female Athlete of the Year will be announced Tuesday.

Moving from the beleaguered Los Angeles Angels to the powerhouse Los Angeles Dodgers, Ohtani&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mlb-mvp-2024-ohtani-judge-b1084cc2de55746a1595e4fa2fd29bdc">won his third Most Valuable Player award</a>&nbsp;and first in the National League, led his new team to its eighth World Series championship and created Major League Baseball’s 50/50 club by hitting 54 home runs and stealing 59 bases.

Ohtani signed a then-record $700 million, 10-year contract with the Dodgers in December 2023. Already a two-way superstar, he embellished his reputation even further despite not pitching all season while he rehabilitated from a second major right elbow surgery he had in September 2023.

Ohtani went wild on offense, making every at-bat a must-see moment. The 6-foot-4 designated hitter batted a career-high .310 while easily surpassing his previous career highs in home runs and stolen bases.

In September, he reached the previously unheard of 50/50 mark in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/dodgers-shohei-ohtani-f8141d695112175fc2b695a0e9e748d9">a performance for the ages</a>. Against the Miami Marlins in Florida, Ohtani went 6 for 6 with three homers, 10 RBIs, two stolen bases and 17 total bases.

"It wouldn’t shock me if he went 60/60 and 20 wins a year from now,” Brad Ausmus, who managed the Angels in 2019 during Ohtani’s second season in Anaheim, said recently. “This guy is the greatest athlete to ever play the sport of baseball and there’s not a close second.”

Ohtani said he knew the Dodgers' franchise record for most homers in a season was 49. His previous best was 46, set in 2021.

"I kind of wanted to get over that bar,” he said. “I was pleasantly surprised I was able to pass that record.”

Ohtani carried the Dodgers offensively during the regular season, and he stayed healthy until Game 2 of the World Series.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/shohei-ohtani-surgery-shoulder-injury-dodgers-74a9dd825e15cd5a11dabbd94baf3734">He injured his left shoulder</a>&nbsp;trying to steal second base against the New York Yankees and finished the Series playing hurt.

He underwent surgery a few days after the Dodgers celebrated their championship in early November.

"I don’t have full range of motion yet, but it feels a lot better,” he told the AP. “There’s no pain. There’s obviously still a little bit of tightness, but slowly but surely it’s getting better.”

Ohtani recently received an updated rehab schedule, and he’s focused on the near-term.

“It’s the small steps that I think are very important to get me to the ultimate goal, which is to just get back healthy,” he said.

Ohtani is also throwing in the 70 mph range, which is typical for pitchers early in the offseason.

"I’m going to continue to ramp up slowly,” he said.

The Dodgers’ rotation for next season is in flux, and Ohtani is waiting to see how it shakes out.

"We may go with a five-man rotation with a bullpen (game), which is what we did a lot during this season or we may have a six-man rotation,” he said. “But it’s all about balancing out when we can get rest and recuperate. We’ll see where that takes us along the playoff chase. I’ve got to obviously pace myself, but again that situation will guide us to how we get there.”

The Dodgers open the 2025 season in Japan, where&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/video/los-angeles-dodgers-shohei-ohtani-japan-mlb-baseball-mlb-world-series-abfdf366a5264033befd8761cfe2ad42">Ohtani is even more closely watched</a>.

"My personal goal is to be fully healthy by the time the opening games do start,” he said. “To be able to pitch and hit would be great, but the situation will kind of guide itself.”

Each time Ohtani comes to the plate or steps on the mound, there’s great pressure and expectation for him to perform spectacular feats.

"I just go out there and try to stay within myself,” he said. “I can only control what I can control and that’s where you trust your teammates. The guys behind me, you trust they’re going to make the plays for you. I don’t really try to overthink it.”

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ohtani-harper-mlb-jersey-sales-ef7c16adcf62aef40719f9a430663ef1">Ohtani generated big bucks</a>&nbsp;for the Dodgers off the field, too.

Fans traveled from Japan in droves to see him play around the U.S. At Dodger Stadium, they paid extra for tours of baseball’s third-oldest venue narrated by Japanese-speaking guides and to be on the field during pre-game batting practice. A majority of the fans bought Ohtani-branded merchandise, especially his No. 17 jersey.

Ohtani’s presence also helped the Dodgers land a bevy of new Japanese sponsors.

Because Ohtani prefers to speak Japanese and use an interpreter with the media, he is shrouded in a bit of mystique. Asked before&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mlb-playoffs-shohei-ohtani-dodgers-d7364a614ddc30bd4804422602474a54">his first postgame series</a>&nbsp;if he was nervous, he dropped a one-word answer in English: “Nope,” which drew laughter.

Japanese-born Dodgers manager Dave Roberts observed Ohtani’s behind-the-scenes interactions with his teammates, coaches and staff, and came away impressed.

"I really do believe that as good of a ballplayer as he is, he’s a much better person. He’s very kind, considerate, he cares,” Roberts told the AP. “I’m just proud of any fame or glory or award that he receives because he just does it in such a respectful and humble way.”

Ohtani relishes his privacy and rarely shares details about himself off the field. That’s why his February announcement via Instagram that he had&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/shohei-ohtani-wife-mamiko-tanaka-9d298dfbe060e7030d5547d960b46707">wed Mamiko Tanaka</a>, a former basketball player, stunned his new teammates and the rest of the world.

The following month, after the Dodgers arrived in South Korea to open the season, he was enveloped in scandal when&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/shohei-ohtani-interpreter-ippei-mizuhara-sports-betting-4a86b93da8f6b23222c92aa82bafb264">his longtime interpreter and friend</a>, Ippei Mizuhara, was fired by the Dodgers after being accused of using millions of dollars of Ohtani’s money to place bets with an illegal bookmaker.

His new teammates rallied around Ohtani, who was found to have no part in the wrongdoing, and publicly it didn’t seem to affect him even if he was privately distressed by it.

By June, the uproar had subsided. Mizuhara pleaded guilty to federal bank and tax fraud charges and admitted to stealing nearly $17 million from Ohtani.

The public got a glimpse of Ohtani’s softer side in August, when&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/shohei-ohtani-bobblehead-3a425263a0599f363952738acac7eee2">his dog Decoy</a>&nbsp;delivered a first pitch to his owner on their shared bobblehead night. The Nederlandse Kooikerhondje exchanged an endearing high-five with Ohtani at the plate.

As a result, Decoy became a celebrity in his own right, with his breed (pronounced COY-ker-HUND-che) making the list of the most mispronounced words of 2024. He and Ohtani were mentioned during the telecast of last month’s National Dog Show, where the small Spaniel-type breed was among the competitors.

"The number of the breed has kind of dwindled, so by him gaining a little bit of popularity hopefully that brings up the number of his breed,” Ohtani said. “I do feel like we were able to, in a small way, contribute to the popularity of the dog and I’m sure Decoy himself would be happy about that.”

Ohtani will be looking to top himself next year while eyeing a repeat World Series title.

"It’s almost like right now you can lock in the Most Valuable Player in the National League award because no one has that ability or talent,” Roberts said.

LOS ANGELES (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/los-angeles-dodgers-parade-96a6a89a5d2988440ef9220b0391b1b1">Shohei Ohtani</a>&nbsp;is keeping elite company.The Japanese superstar caps 2024 by winning The Associated Press Male Athlete of the Year for the third time, tying him with basketball great Michael Jordan. He trails only four-time winners Lance Armstrong, Tiger Woods and LeBron James.“I’m very honored,” Ohtani said through translator Matt Hidaka in an exclusive interview with the AP. ”Obviously all the hard work has paid off. Maybe next year, I’ll get the award again.”In balloting by 74 sports journalists from the AP and its members, Ohtani received 48 votes. He previously won the award in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/shohei-ohtani-ap-male-athlete-b449f6ca931ff54ba49737d5fb4796d4">2023</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/shohei-ohtani-los-angeles-angels-mlb-sports-9973f985b361a949951019fd0241921a">2021</a>, when he was with the Angels.“Growing up in Japan, I did follow Michael Jordan and Tiger Woods,” he said. “I would see their accolades and how they were successful in the United States.”The AP honor has been given out since 1931. Golfer Babe Didrikson won six times, the most by a man or woman.Swimmer Léon Marchand of France, who won four gold medals at the Paris Olympics, was second with 10 votes in balloting announced Monday. Golfer Scottie Scheffler, whose victories this year included the Masters and an Olympic gold medal, was third with nine.The AP Female Athlete of the Year will be announced Tuesday.Moving from the beleaguered Los Angeles Angels to the powerhouse Los Angeles Dodgers, Ohtani&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mlb-mvp-2024-ohtani-judge-b1084cc2de55746a1595e4fa2fd29bdc">won his third Most Valuable Player award</a>&nbsp;and first in the National League, led his new team to its eighth World Series championship and created Major League Baseball’s 50/50 club by hitting 54 home runs and stealing 59 bases.Ohtani signed a then-record $700 million, 10-year contract with the Dodgers in December 2023. Already a two-way superstar, he embellished his reputation even further despite not pitching all season while he rehabilitated from a second major right elbow surgery he had in September 2023.Ohtani went wild on offense, making every at-bat a must-see moment. The 6-foot-4 designated hitter batted a career-high .310 while easily surpassing his previous career highs in home runs and stolen bases.In September, he reached the previously unheard of 50/50 mark in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/dodgers-shohei-ohtani-f8141d695112175fc2b695a0e9e748d9">a performance for the ages</a>. Against the Miami Marlins in Florida, Ohtani went 6 for 6 with three homers, 10 RBIs, two stolen bases and 17 total bases."It wouldn’t shock me if he went 60/60 and 20 wins a year from now,” Brad Ausmus, who managed the Angels in 2019 during Ohtani’s second season in Anaheim, said recently. “This guy is the greatest athlete to ever play the sport of baseball and there’s not a close second.”Ohtani said he knew the Dodgers' franchise record for most homers in a season was 49. His previous best was 46, set in 2021."I kind of wanted to get over that bar,” he said. “I was pleasantly surprised I was able to pass that record.”Ohtani carried the Dodgers offensively during the regular season, and he stayed healthy until Game 2 of the World Series.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/shohei-ohtani-surgery-shoulder-injury-dodgers-74a9dd825e15cd5a11dabbd94baf3734">He injured his left shoulder</a>&nbsp;trying to steal second base against the New York Yankees and finished the Series playing hurt.He underwent surgery a few days after the Dodgers celebrated their championship in early November."I don’t have full range of motion yet, but it feels a lot better,” he told the AP. “There’s no pain. There’s obviously still a little bit of tightness, but slowly but surely it’s getting better.”Ohtani recently received an updated rehab schedule, and he’s focused on the near-term.“It’s the small steps that I think are very important to get me to the ultimate goal, which is to just get back healthy,” he said.Ohtani is also throwing in the 70 mph range, which is typical for pitchers early in the offseason."I’m going to continue to ramp up slowly,” he said.The Dodgers’ rotation for next season is in flux, and Ohtani is waiting to see how it shakes out."We may go with a five-man rotation with a bullpen (game), which is what we did a lot during this season or we may have a six-man rotation,” he said. “But it’s all about balancing out when we can get rest and recuperate. We’ll see where that takes us along the playoff chase. I’ve got to obviously pace myself, but again that situation will guide us to how we get there.”The Dodgers open the 2025 season in Japan, where&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/video/los-angeles-dodgers-shohei-ohtani-japan-mlb-baseball-mlb-world-series-abfdf366a5264033befd8761cfe2ad42">Ohtani is even more closely watched</a>."My personal goal is to be fully healthy by the time the opening games do start,” he said. “To be able to pitch and hit would be great, but the situation will kind of guide itself.”Each time Ohtani comes to the plate or steps on the mound, there’s great pressure and expectation for him to perform spectacular feats."I just go out there and try to stay within myself,” he said. “I can only control what I can control and that’s where you trust your teammates. The guys behind me, you trust they’re going to make the plays for you. I don’t really try to overthink it.”<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ohtani-harper-mlb-jersey-sales-ef7c16adcf62aef40719f9a430663ef1">Ohtani generated big bucks</a>&nbsp;for the Dodgers off the field, too.Fans traveled from Japan in droves to see him play around the U.S. At Dodger Stadium, they paid extra for tours of baseball’s third-oldest venue narrated by Japanese-speaking guides and to be on the field during pre-game batting practice. A majority of the fans bought Ohtani-branded merchandise, especially his No. 17 jersey.Ohtani’s presence also helped the Dodgers land a bevy of new Japanese sponsors.Because Ohtani prefers to speak Japanese and use an interpreter with the media, he is shrouded in a bit of mystique. Asked before&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mlb-playoffs-shohei-ohtani-dodgers-d7364a614ddc30bd4804422602474a54">his first postgame series</a>&nbsp;if he was nervous, he dropped a one-word answer in English: “Nope,” which drew laughter.Japanese-born Dodgers manager Dave Roberts observed Ohtani’s behind-the-scenes interactions with his teammates, coaches and staff, and came away impressed."I really do believe that as good of a ballplayer as he is, he’s a much better person. He’s very kind, considerate, he cares,” Roberts told the AP. “I’m just proud of any fame or glory or award that he receives because he just does it in such a respectful and humble way.”Ohtani relishes his privacy and rarely shares details about himself off the field. That’s why his February announcement via Instagram that he had&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/shohei-ohtani-wife-mamiko-tanaka-9d298dfbe060e7030d5547d960b46707">wed Mamiko Tanaka</a>, a former basketball player, stunned his new teammates and the rest of the world.The following month, after the Dodgers arrived in South Korea to open the season, he was enveloped in scandal when&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/shohei-ohtani-interpreter-ippei-mizuhara-sports-betting-4a86b93da8f6b23222c92aa82bafb264">his longtime interpreter and friend</a>, Ippei Mizuhara, was fired by the Dodgers after being accused of using millions of dollars of Ohtani’s money to place bets with an illegal bookmaker.His new teammates rallied around Ohtani, who was found to have no part in the wrongdoing, and publicly it didn’t seem to affect him even if he was privately distressed by it.By June, the uproar had subsided. Mizuhara pleaded guilty to federal bank and tax fraud charges and admitted to stealing nearly $17 million from Ohtani.The public got a glimpse of Ohtani’s softer side in August, when&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/shohei-ohtani-bobblehead-3a425263a0599f363952738acac7eee2">his dog Decoy</a>&nbsp;delivered a first pitch to his owner on their shared bobblehead night. The Nederlandse Kooikerhondje exchanged an endearing high-five with Ohtani at the plate.As a result, Decoy became a celebrity in his own right, with his breed (pronounced COY-ker-HUND-che) making the list of the most mispronounced words of 2024. He and Ohtani were mentioned during the telecast of last month’s National Dog Show, where the small Spaniel-type breed was among the competitors."The number of the breed has kind of dwindled, so by him gaining a little bit of popularity hopefully that brings up the number of his breed,” Ohtani said. “I do feel like we were able to, in a small way, contribute to the popularity of the dog and I’m sure Decoy himself would be happy about that.”Ohtani will be looking to top himself next year while eyeing a repeat World Series title."It’s almost like right now you can lock in the Most Valuable Player in the National League award because no one has that ability or talent,” Roberts said.

Ohtani enters rarified air with third AP Male Athlete of the Year award

By MIKE COURSON Great Bend Post

Like other prep athletes around Kansas, wrestlers are finished with competition until 2025. The Kansas Wrestling Coaches Association released its final rankings on Dec. 23. The next rankings will be released on Jan. 14, 2025.

Class 5A Boys: 1. Goddard 2. Basehor-Linwood 3. Bishop Carroll 4. Blue Valley SW 5. Valley Center 6. St. Thomas Aquinas 7. Hutchinson 8. Salina Central 9. Great Bend 10. Andover

113 pounds - No. 2 Cal Schartz, Fr., Great Bend

120 pounds - No. 6 Hayden Liles, So., Great Bend (No. 10 all-class)

138 pounds - No. 5 Triston Tomlinson, Jr., Great Bend

165 pounds - No. 3 Jace Schartz, Sr., Great Bend (No. 4 all-class)

Class 5A Girls 1. Shawnee Heights 2. Basehor-Linwood 3. Kapaun Mt. Carmel 4. Topeka Seaman 5. Newton 6. Bonner Springs 7. Hays 8. Blue Valley Southwest 9. Spring Hill 10. Pittsburg

105 pounds - No. 2 Camdyn Post, So., Great Bend (No. 7 all-class)

155 pounds - No. 6 Lea Nokes, Sr., Great Bend

170 pounds - No. 3 Kirra Stevens, Sr., Great Bend (No. 7 all-class)

Class 3-2-1A Boys 1. Hoxie 2. Norton 3. Phillipsburg 4. Atchison County 5. Russell 6. Council Grove 7. Southeast of Saline 8. Jayhawk-Linn 9. Beloit 10. West Franklin

106 pounds - No. 3 Xzander Donner, Fr., Russell (No. 9 all-class)

106 pounds - No. 5 Marius Lee, Fr., Lyons

106 pounds - No. 6 Walter Hulse, Fr., Ellsworth

113 pounds - No. 2 Xzephren Donner, Jr., Russell

150 pounds - No. 2 Jace Grizzle, So., Lyons

165 pounds - No. 4 Teagen Pfeifer, Sr., Russell

175 pounds - No. 2 Brayden Suchy, Sr., Russell (No. 9 all-class)

175 pounds - No. 4 Teron Kraft, Sr., Hoisington

190 pounds - No. 4 Keengan Urbanek, Jr., Ellsworth

Class 4A Girls (individual) 106 pounds - No. 6 Teagan Walker, Sr., Larned

Class 3-2-1A Girls 1. Oakley 2. Russell 3. Norton 4. Plainville 5. Stockton 6. Hoisington 7. Ellinwood 8. Ellis 9. Fredonia 10. West Franklin

100 pounds - No. 6 Taylor Baxter, Fr., Lyons

105 pounds - No. 1 Jacynn Boeken, Fr., Sterling (No. 8 all-class)

105 pounds - No. 6 Madison Raybern, Sr., Russell

110 pounds - No. 4 Kennedy Grizzle, Jr., Lyons

110 pounds - No. 6 McKena Parker, Fr., Ellinwood

115 pounds - No. 3 Mya Trevino, Jr., Russell

115 pounds - No. 6 Annabelle Gonzalez, So., Hoisington

125 pounds - No. 5 Chaysei Bachman, So., Russell

130 pounds - No. 2 Averie Counts, Fr., Russell

135 pounds - No. 2 Kinsey Zorn, So., Russell

135 pounds - No. 5 Kaylynn Crawford, Fr., Ellinwood

145 pounds - No. 1 Jaden Ney, Sr., Russell (No. 3 all-class)

145 pounds - No. 5 Lillian Gradig, Sr., Hoisington

155 pounds - No. 6 Ashlynn Henley, Fr., Russell

170 pounds - No. 4 Gracyn Dombroski, Jr., Ellinwood

170 pounds - No. 5 Neveah Graves, So., Hoisington

235 pounds - No. 1 Haylee Holinde, Sr., Hoisington (No. 6 all-class)

235 pounds - No. 2 Emma Hahn, Sr., Ellinwood (No. 8 all-class)

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 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/11/1604497727867.jpeg" alt=" " />
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 </figure>By MIKE COURSON Great Bend PostLike other prep athletes around Kansas, wrestlers are finished with competition until 2025. The Kansas Wrestling Coaches Association released its final rankings on Dec. 23. The next rankings will be released on Jan. 14, 2025.Area tanked teams and wrestlers include:Class 5A Boys: 1. Goddard 2. Basehor-Linwood 3. Bishop Carroll 4. Blue Valley SW 5. Valley Center 6. St. Thomas Aquinas 7. Hutchinson 8. Salina Central 9. Great Bend 10. Andover113 pounds - No. 2 Cal Schartz, Fr., Great Bend120 pounds - No. 6 Hayden Liles, So., Great Bend (No. 10 all-class)138 pounds - No. 5 Triston Tomlinson, Jr., Great Bend165 pounds - No. 3 Jace Schartz, Sr., Great Bend (No. 4 all-class)Class 5A Girls 1. Shawnee Heights 2. Basehor-Linwood 3. Kapaun Mt. Carmel 4. Topeka Seaman 5. Newton 6. Bonner Springs 7. Hays 8. Blue Valley Southwest 9. Spring Hill 10. Pittsburg105 pounds - No. 2 Camdyn Post, So., Great Bend (No. 7 all-class)155 pounds - No. 6 Lea Nokes, Sr., Great Bend170 pounds - No. 3 Kirra Stevens, Sr., Great Bend (No. 7 all-class)Class 3-2-1A Boys 1. Hoxie 2. Norton 3. Phillipsburg 4. Atchison County 5. Russell 6. Council Grove 7. Southeast of Saline 8. Jayhawk-Linn 9. Beloit 10. West Franklin106 pounds - No. 3 Xzander Donner, Fr., Russell (No. 9 all-class)106 pounds - No. 5 Marius Lee, Fr., Lyons106 pounds - No. 6 Walter Hulse, Fr., Ellsworth113 pounds - No. 2 Xzephren Donner, Jr., Russell150 pounds - No. 2 Jace Grizzle, So., Lyons165 pounds - No. 4 Teagen Pfeifer, Sr., Russell175 pounds - No. 2 Brayden Suchy, Sr., Russell (No. 9 all-class)175 pounds - No. 4 Teron Kraft, Sr., Hoisington190 pounds - No. 4 Keengan Urbanek, Jr., EllsworthClass 4A Girls (individual) 106 pounds - No. 6 Teagan Walker, Sr., LarnedClass 3-2-1A Girls 1. Oakley 2. Russell 3. Norton 4. Plainville 5. Stockton 6. Hoisington 7. Ellinwood 8. Ellis 9. Fredonia 10. West Franklin100 pounds - No. 6 Taylor Baxter, Fr., Lyons105 pounds - No. 1 Jacynn Boeken, Fr., Sterling (No. 8 all-class)105 pounds - No. 6 Madison Raybern, Sr., Russell110 pounds - No. 4 Kennedy Grizzle, Jr., Lyons110 pounds - No. 6 McKena Parker, Fr., Ellinwood115 pounds - No. 3 Mya Trevino, Jr., Russell115 pounds - No. 6 Annabelle Gonzalez, So., Hoisington125 pounds - No. 5 Chaysei Bachman, So., Russell130 pounds - No. 2 Averie Counts, Fr., Russell135 pounds - No. 2 Kinsey Zorn, So., Russell135 pounds - No. 5 Kaylynn Crawford, Fr., Ellinwood145 pounds - No. 1 Jaden Ney, Sr., Russell (No. 3 all-class)145 pounds - No. 5 Lillian Gradig, Sr., Hoisington155 pounds - No. 6 Ashlynn Henley, Fr., Russell170 pounds - No. 4 Gracyn Dombroski, Jr., Ellinwood170 pounds - No. 5 Neveah Graves, So., Hoisington235 pounds - No. 1 Haylee Holinde, Sr., Hoisington (No. 6 all-class)235 pounds - No. 2 Emma Hahn, Sr., Ellinwood (No. 8 all-class)

Kansas Wrestling Coaches Association Rankings (12/23)

LOS ANGELES (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/los-angeles-dodgers-parade-96a6a89a5d2988440ef9220b0391b1b1">Shohei Ohtani</a>&nbsp;is keeping elite company. The Japanese superstar caps 2024 by winning The Associated Press Male Athlete of the Year for the third time, tying him with basketball great Michael Jordan. He trails only four-time winners Lance Armstrong, Tiger Woods and LeBron James. “I’m very honored,” Ohtani said through translator Matt Hidaka in an exclusive interview with the AP. ”Obviously all the hard work has paid off. Maybe next year, I’ll get the award again.” In balloting by 74 sports journalists from the AP and its members, Ohtani received 48 votes. He previously won the award in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/shohei-ohtani-ap-male-athlete-b449f6ca931ff54ba49737d5fb4796d4">2023</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/shohei-ohtani-los-angeles-angels-mlb-sports-9973f985b361a949951019fd0241921a">2021</a>, when he was with the Angels.

GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — With a dominant defense leading the way, the Green Bay Packers clinched a playoff berth by producing their most lopsided win in a decade. Josh Jacobs gained 107 yards from scrimmage and scored a touchdown for a sixth straight game as the Packers recorded the first shutout of the NFL season, 34-0 over the hapless New Orleans Saints on Monday night. “Obviously the goal is Super Bowl,” said quarterback Jordan Love, who went 16 of 28 for 182 yards and a touchdown. “That’s the first step right here, to make the playoffs. Obviously this was a big-time game, to clinch that spot. I’m proud of the way we came out there and handled business.” Green Bay (11-4) secured its fifth postseason appearance in six years with its first shutout since&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-nfl-sports-green-bay-aaron-rodgers-c3641ebc76f194e0c8ac93e9458b4836">beating Seattle 17-0</a>&nbsp;on Nov. 14, 2021. The Saints (5-10) were blanked for the first time since&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/new-orleans-saints-san-francisco-49ers-nfl-sports-e320b4a02ba97485e4f91952b06c9df4">falling 13-0</a>&nbsp;to San Francisco on Nov. 27, 2022.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Philadelphia 76ers star&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/ESPNNBA/status/1871364002506248298" target="_blank">Joel Embiid was ejected</a>&nbsp;in the first half of Monday night’s 111-106 victory over the San Antonio Spurs after drawing two technical fouls Referee Jenna Schroeder ejected Embiid with 2:59 left in the second quarter. The seven-time All-Star received the first technical for arguing with Schroeder, and received another technical — and ejection — from Schroeder before any more game time elapsed. Embiid got close to Schroeder and made incidental contact, crew chief Curtis Blair told a pool reporter after the game. Blair said that Embiid was tossed for two unsportsmanlike technical fouls.&nbsp;Embiid did not address the incident afterward. According to a team official, Embiid left the arena when reporters were in the locker room for postgame media availability. An enraged Embiid charged toward the officials after the ejection and was restrained by teammate Kyle Lowry, coach Nick Nurse and several assistants.

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Chaz Lanier scored 23 points and Zakai Zeigler had 17 points and 15 assists to lead No. 1 Tennessee past upset-minded Middle Tennessee 82-64 on Monday night. Felix Okpara added 12 points, Jordan Gainey had 10 and Igor Milicic Jr. grabbed 12 rebounds as the Volunteers (12-0) tied the second-best start in program history. The Blue Raiders (9-4), looking like a top mid-major, got 24 points off the bench from Camryn Weston and 13 from Kamari Lands. After trailing by double digits midway through the first half, Middle Tennessee went on a 12-3 run to take the lead. The Blue Raiders shot 50% (16 of 32) against one of the best defenses in the country and led 40-34 at halftime. Weston had 17 points. Okpara scored 10 for Tennessee, which shot 40.7% (11 of 27).

MONDAY SCORES National Football League Green Bay 34, New Orleans 0

NCAA MEN TOP 25 No. 1 Tennessee 82, Middle Tennessee 64

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1723542041782.jpeg" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>LOS ANGELES (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/los-angeles-dodgers-parade-96a6a89a5d2988440ef9220b0391b1b1">Shohei Ohtani</a>&nbsp;is keeping elite company. The Japanese superstar caps 2024 by winning The Associated Press Male Athlete of the Year for the third time, tying him with basketball great Michael Jordan. He trails only four-time winners Lance Armstrong, Tiger Woods and LeBron James. “I’m very honored,” Ohtani said through translator Matt Hidaka in an exclusive interview with the AP. ”Obviously all the hard work has paid off. Maybe next year, I’ll get the award again.” In balloting by 74 sports journalists from the AP and its members, Ohtani received 48 votes. He previously won the award in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/shohei-ohtani-ap-male-athlete-b449f6ca931ff54ba49737d5fb4796d4">2023</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/shohei-ohtani-los-angeles-angels-mlb-sports-9973f985b361a949951019fd0241921a">2021</a>, when he was with the Angels.GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — With a dominant defense leading the way, the Green Bay Packers clinched a playoff berth by producing their most lopsided win in a decade. Josh Jacobs gained 107 yards from scrimmage and scored a touchdown for a sixth straight game as the Packers recorded the first shutout of the NFL season, 34-0 over the hapless New Orleans Saints on Monday night. “Obviously the goal is Super Bowl,” said quarterback Jordan Love, who went 16 of 28 for 182 yards and a touchdown. “That’s the first step right here, to make the playoffs. Obviously this was a big-time game, to clinch that spot. I’m proud of the way we came out there and handled business.” Green Bay (11-4) secured its fifth postseason appearance in six years with its first shutout since&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-nfl-sports-green-bay-aaron-rodgers-c3641ebc76f194e0c8ac93e9458b4836">beating Seattle 17-0</a>&nbsp;on Nov. 14, 2021. The Saints (5-10) were blanked for the first time since&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/new-orleans-saints-san-francisco-49ers-nfl-sports-e320b4a02ba97485e4f91952b06c9df4">falling 13-0</a>&nbsp;to San Francisco on Nov. 27, 2022.PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Philadelphia 76ers star&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/ESPNNBA/status/1871364002506248298" target="_blank">Joel Embiid was ejected</a>&nbsp;in the first half of Monday night’s 111-106 victory over the San Antonio Spurs after drawing two technical fouls Referee Jenna Schroeder ejected Embiid with 2:59 left in the second quarter. The seven-time All-Star received the first technical for arguing with Schroeder, and received another technical — and ejection — from Schroeder before any more game time elapsed. Embiid got close to Schroeder and made incidental contact, crew chief Curtis Blair told a pool reporter after the game. Blair said that Embiid was tossed for two unsportsmanlike technical fouls.&nbsp;Embiid did not address the incident afterward. According to a team official, Embiid left the arena when reporters were in the locker room for postgame media availability. An enraged Embiid charged toward the officials after the ejection and was restrained by teammate Kyle Lowry, coach Nick Nurse and several assistants.KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Chaz Lanier scored 23 points and Zakai Zeigler had 17 points and 15 assists to lead No. 1 Tennessee past upset-minded Middle Tennessee 82-64 on Monday night. Felix Okpara added 12 points, Jordan Gainey had 10 and Igor Milicic Jr. grabbed 12 rebounds as the Volunteers (12-0) tied the second-best start in program history. The Blue Raiders (9-4), looking like a top mid-major, got 24 points off the bench from Camryn Weston and 13 from Kamari Lands. After trailing by double digits midway through the first half, Middle Tennessee went on a 12-3 run to take the lead. The Blue Raiders shot 50% (16 of 32) against one of the best defenses in the country and led 40-34 at halftime. Weston had 17 points. Okpara scored 10 for Tennessee, which shot 40.7% (11 of 27).MONDAY SCORES National Football League Green Bay 34, New Orleans 0NCAA MEN TOP 25 No. 1 Tennessee 82, Middle Tennessee 64

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

By BRANDON SMITH Barton Sports Info

The Barton Community College eSports program added to its trophy case this past month as the Fortnite tandem of&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="http://www.bartonsports.com/sports/esports/2024-25/bios/howell_cameron_y31e">Cameron Howell</a>,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="http://www.bartonsports.com/sports/esports/2024-25/bios/kingsbury_james_buyb">James Kingsbury</a>, and&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="http://www.bartonsports.com/sports/esports/2024-25/bios/burtin_cole_97l4">Cole Burtin</a>&nbsp;delivered a 3-2 victory over Wichita State University Tech.

Earning the program's sixth ever eSports National Championship, second year Head Coach Skylar Franklin and the trio of Cougars delivered the program's first ever Fortnite Championship and first title since the back-to-back defense of the Rainbow 6 Siege squad in 2022-23.

When asked about the Fortnite championship Head Coach Franklin stated, "I'm so proud of the work these three individuals have put in this season and pieced it all together when it mattered most to earn this nationals honors."

The Cougar eSports teams also secured two more top-3 finishes falling runner-up in Call of Duty Warzone and in third place in Call of Duty Warzone.

By BRANDON SMITH Barton Sports InfoThe Barton Community College eSports program added to its trophy case this past month as the Fortnite tandem of&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="http://www.bartonsports.com/sports/esports/2024-25/bios/howell_cameron_y31e">Cameron Howell</a>,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="http://www.bartonsports.com/sports/esports/2024-25/bios/kingsbury_james_buyb">James Kingsbury</a>, and&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="http://www.bartonsports.com/sports/esports/2024-25/bios/burtin_cole_97l4">Cole Burtin</a>&nbsp;delivered a 3-2 victory over Wichita State University Tech.Earning the program's sixth ever eSports National Championship, second year Head Coach Skylar Franklin and the trio of Cougars delivered the program's first ever Fortnite Championship and first title since the back-to-back defense of the Rainbow 6 Siege squad in 2022-23.When asked about the Fortnite championship Head Coach Franklin stated, "I'm so proud of the work these three individuals have put in this season and pieced it all together when it mattered most to earn this nationals honors."The Cougar eSports teams also secured two more top-3 finishes falling runner-up in Call of Duty Warzone and in third place in Call of Duty Warzone.

Barton Fortnite claims program’s sixth NJCAAE National Championship

By EDDIE PELLS Associated Press

For those who dozed through it, or flipped to more compelling fare in the NFL, here’s a brief recap of the rollout of the much-anticipated College Football Playoff.

Average final score: Winners 36, Losers 17.

In four games, not a single one was closer than a 10-point margin, and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/indiana-hoosiers-notre-dame-irish-top-25-a360f965fe8c08ecfcf9a5502e027acd">even that one felt worse</a>. In 240 minutes of action spread across those four games, there was a grand total of one lead change.

This bold, new experiment was supposed to bring more programs from more parts of the country into the loop of a largely regional sport that had been dominated by about a half-dozen teams for the last decade.

Instead, it will take another 10 days to find out if “more” really means more — or if more just means a few weeks of what we just saw before arriving at what we had before — a group of four contenders battling it out for a title that only they had any realistic chance to win.

One part that did feel like a success was that the stands were full in all four stadiums — at Texas, Notre Dame, Penn State and Ohio State.

“I think college football got this one right,” Texas coach Steve Sarkisian said after the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/texas-clemson-playoff-score-deb9899ab837947af7f3c90f2752ce04">Longhorns beat Clemson 38-24</a>&nbsp;in front of a packed house in what turned out to be the weekend’s most compelling game. “As much as we critique some of the things that are happening in our game right now, this idea of a home playoff game with this 12-team format, this was pretty special.”

The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/college-football-playoff-5f455a13d94a6c9ea3304df2b7998f4a">TV ratings will paint a fuller picture</a>, especially of the decision to run directly&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/steelers-ravens-score-62c43cd44faeabe6351f4f212bad4f12">against two NFL games</a>, both of which&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/texans-chiefs-score-37fa92c3c83761eb6574e2e5529acfd1">came down to the fourth quarter</a>.

Could the quarterfinals bring more of the same?

The quarterfinals come over the New Year’s holiday, where we’ll get more clarity not only about who might win the title, but whether the CFP as it is structured is as good as it can be. The matchups (and issues involved in all of them):

Fiesta Bowl, Dec. 31, No. 6 Penn State vs. No. 3 Boise State: The rules called for the four highest-ranked conference champions to receive first-round byes, and so you get this. Penn State is the worse seed but is a 10 1/2-point favorite over the Mountain West Conference champions. Boise State has the nation’s leading rusher in Ashton Jeanty. Penn State is probably bigger and faster at every other position.

Peach Bowl, Jan. 1, No. 5 Texas vs. No. 4 Arizona State: See above for thoughts about byes, potential mismatches and pairings that might have made more sense had they come earlier. Texas is a 13 1/2-point favorite. But, the Sun Devils of the Big 12 are the closest thing this tournament has to a Cinderella — in win-or-you’re-done territory since Nov. 2, and with a pair of eminently entertaining players in quarterback Sam Leavitt and running back Cam Skattebo.

Rose Bowl, Jan. 1, No. 8 Ohio State vs. No. 1 Oregon: Had the rule-makers chosen to reseed the bracket after the first round to give Oregon a game against the highest-seeded team left, this would have been the matchup anyway. But do we really want a rematch of possibly the best game in college football this season — Oregon’s 32-31 win over Ohio State in October — in the quarterfinals?

Sugar Bowl, Jan. 1, No. 7 Notre Dame at No. 2 Georgia: Reports are that&nbsp;<a href="https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/43066944/georgia-preparing-college-football-playoff-carson-beck" target="_blank">Bulldogs quarterback Carson Beck might be done for the season</a>&nbsp;after hurting his elbow in the SEC title game. The selection committee was supposed to consider injuries in its rankings, but probably didn’t have enough information to make an informed decision at the time. Long ago, in a galaxy far away, Georgia beat Notre Dame in the 1981 Sugar Bowl to capture its second national title.

The transfer portal chips away at rosters

The transfer portal will (thankfully?) close Dec. 28, meaning the steady trickle of departures from teams with title hopes will not infiltrate the headlines as we head into football’s elite eight.

But this entire setup is awkward. Arizona State lost 12 players to the portal after it opened on Dec. 9. Tennessee lost 11. The highest-profile departure was Penn State&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/penn-state-nittany-lions-beau-pribula-ncaa-transfer-portal-d7100a82e49917991e9dde32710d7a0f">backup quarterback Beau Pribula</a>. Whether these players would’ve been on the field much (they wouldn’t, which is probably why some left) almost seems beside the point.

For decades, playing to win a championship was thought to be the north star for any elite athlete. Or so we thought. There is a lot of money available, and it’s also not hard to blame a player for trying to max out his earning potential in the new world of college football endorsements.

“I think everybody that follows the sport understands that it’s a unique time of year,” Tennessee coach Josh Heupel said. “I’m not in charge of that. Do I think they need to find a way to go through all the processes that they have right now, or things that are in the game but find a better calendar for it? Yeah, I think that would be best for the game for sure.”

Deion not in the playoffs but his stars will be playing

There are another 28 bowl games remaining that will have no implication on the national title. Maybe the best one is Dec. 28 when Heisman winner Travis Hunter and Colorado face BYU in the Alamo Bowl.

There’s nothing particularly big on the line here, but there is a message being sent.

Colorado has two first-round draft picks on the roster in Hunter and the coach’s son, quarterback Shedeur Sanders. Normally, they wouldn’t find themselves anywhere near this game, for fear an injury could derail their pro prospects.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/deion-sanders-heisman-travis-hunter-15c2e314e3bcc63a4cf70ff2ad095b84">But they will play</a>. Coach Deion Sanders has shouldered his share of criticism for being the face of a largely transactional, money-driven NIL era. But his ability to steer his best two players to find meaning in a game with no stakes is as old-school as it gets, and the exact opposite of the transfer portal mess.

“It’s not just a bowl game where we’re going to go be merry and have a Merry Christmas and exchange gifts and do all of that,” the coach explained. “No, we want to go there and play Buff football.”

By EDDIE PELLS Associated PressFor those who dozed through it, or flipped to more compelling fare in the NFL, here’s a brief recap of the rollout of the much-anticipated College Football Playoff.Average final score: Winners 36, Losers 17.In four games, not a single one was closer than a 10-point margin, and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/indiana-hoosiers-notre-dame-irish-top-25-a360f965fe8c08ecfcf9a5502e027acd">even that one felt worse</a>. In 240 minutes of action spread across those four games, there was a grand total of one lead change.This bold, new experiment was supposed to bring more programs from more parts of the country into the loop of a largely regional sport that had been dominated by about a half-dozen teams for the last decade.Instead, it will take another 10 days to find out if “more” really means more — or if more just means a few weeks of what we just saw before arriving at what we had before — a group of four contenders battling it out for a title that only they had any realistic chance to win.One part that did feel like a success was that the stands were full in all four stadiums — at Texas, Notre Dame, Penn State and Ohio State.“I think college football got this one right,” Texas coach Steve Sarkisian said after the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/texas-clemson-playoff-score-deb9899ab837947af7f3c90f2752ce04">Longhorns beat Clemson 38-24</a>&nbsp;in front of a packed house in what turned out to be the weekend’s most compelling game. “As much as we critique some of the things that are happening in our game right now, this idea of a home playoff game with this 12-team format, this was pretty special.”The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/college-football-playoff-5f455a13d94a6c9ea3304df2b7998f4a">TV ratings will paint a fuller picture</a>, especially of the decision to run directly&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/steelers-ravens-score-62c43cd44faeabe6351f4f212bad4f12">against two NFL games</a>, both of which&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/texans-chiefs-score-37fa92c3c83761eb6574e2e5529acfd1">came down to the fourth quarter</a>.<h2>Could the quarterfinals bring more of the same?</h2>The quarterfinals come over the New Year’s holiday, where we’ll get more clarity not only about who might win the title, but whether the CFP as it is structured is as good as it can be. The matchups (and issues involved in all of them):Fiesta Bowl, Dec. 31, No. 6 Penn State vs. No. 3 Boise State: The rules called for the four highest-ranked conference champions to receive first-round byes, and so you get this. Penn State is the worse seed but is a 10 1/2-point favorite over the Mountain West Conference champions. Boise State has the nation’s leading rusher in Ashton Jeanty. Penn State is probably bigger and faster at every other position.Peach Bowl, Jan. 1, No. 5 Texas vs. No. 4 Arizona State: See above for thoughts about byes, potential mismatches and pairings that might have made more sense had they come earlier. Texas is a 13 1/2-point favorite. But, the Sun Devils of the Big 12 are the closest thing this tournament has to a Cinderella — in win-or-you’re-done territory since Nov. 2, and with a pair of eminently entertaining players in quarterback Sam Leavitt and running back Cam Skattebo.Rose Bowl, Jan. 1, No. 8 Ohio State vs. No. 1 Oregon: Had the rule-makers chosen to reseed the bracket after the first round to give Oregon a game against the highest-seeded team left, this would have been the matchup anyway. But do we really want a rematch of possibly the best game in college football this season — Oregon’s 32-31 win over Ohio State in October — in the quarterfinals?Sugar Bowl, Jan. 1, No. 7 Notre Dame at No. 2 Georgia: Reports are that&nbsp;<a href="https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/43066944/georgia-preparing-college-football-playoff-carson-beck" target="_blank">Bulldogs quarterback Carson Beck might be done for the season</a>&nbsp;after hurting his elbow in the SEC title game. The selection committee was supposed to consider injuries in its rankings, but probably didn’t have enough information to make an informed decision at the time. Long ago, in a galaxy far away, Georgia beat Notre Dame in the 1981 Sugar Bowl to capture its second national title.<h2>The transfer portal chips away at rosters</h2>The transfer portal will (thankfully?) close Dec. 28, meaning the steady trickle of departures from teams with title hopes will not infiltrate the headlines as we head into football’s elite eight.But this entire setup is awkward. Arizona State lost 12 players to the portal after it opened on Dec. 9. Tennessee lost 11. The highest-profile departure was Penn State&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/penn-state-nittany-lions-beau-pribula-ncaa-transfer-portal-d7100a82e49917991e9dde32710d7a0f">backup quarterback Beau Pribula</a>. Whether these players would’ve been on the field much (they wouldn’t, which is probably why some left) almost seems beside the point.For decades, playing to win a championship was thought to be the north star for any elite athlete. Or so we thought. There is a lot of money available, and it’s also not hard to blame a player for trying to max out his earning potential in the new world of college football endorsements.“I think everybody that follows the sport understands that it’s a unique time of year,” Tennessee coach Josh Heupel said. “I’m not in charge of that. Do I think they need to find a way to go through all the processes that they have right now, or things that are in the game but find a better calendar for it? Yeah, I think that would be best for the game for sure.”<h2></h2><h2>Deion not in the playoffs but his stars will be playing</h2>There are another 28 bowl games remaining that will have no implication on the national title. Maybe the best one is Dec. 28 when Heisman winner Travis Hunter and Colorado face BYU in the Alamo Bowl.There’s nothing particularly big on the line here, but there is a message being sent.Colorado has two first-round draft picks on the roster in Hunter and the coach’s son, quarterback Shedeur Sanders. Normally, they wouldn’t find themselves anywhere near this game, for fear an injury could derail their pro prospects.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/deion-sanders-heisman-travis-hunter-15c2e314e3bcc63a4cf70ff2ad095b84">But they will play</a>. Coach Deion Sanders has shouldered his share of criticism for being the face of a largely transactional, money-driven NIL era. But his ability to steer his best two players to find meaning in a game with no stakes is as old-school as it gets, and the exact opposite of the transfer portal mess.“It’s not just a bowl game where we’re going to go be merry and have a Merry Christmas and exchange gifts and do all of that,” the coach explained. “No, we want to go there and play Buff football.”

College playoffs looks for good matchups after snoozy first round of blowouts

LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Zeke Mayo scored 25 points, Hunter Dickinson had 15 points and 13 rebounds and No. 8 Kansas defeated Brown 87-53 on Sunday. Mayo hit two of his five 3-pointers on consecutive possessions to extend the Kansas lead to 25 points with 12 minutes to play. He was coming off a 26-point performance in a 75-60 win over NC State on Dec. 14, the team’s last outing. Brown (7-4) stayed competitive in the first half, trailing by a point 10 minutes into the game. But the Bears’ shooting touch went cold. Kino Lily Jr. scored 18 and Aaron Cooley and AJ Lesburt Jr. had six points each for Brown, which shot 26.7% (20 for 75). Kansas (9-2) shot 50% (34 for 68) and went 8 for 22 from 3-point range. Brown was 8 for 33 (24%) from distance. The Jayhawks have won two straight after losing consecutive games to Missouri and Creighton and extended their home winning streak this season to seven games.

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Baker Mayfield came home to Texas looking to keep his Tampa Bay Buccaneers on track for the playoffs. Instead, they’ll need some help. Cooper Rush threw a touchdown pass and Brandon Aubrey kicked two 58-yarders among four field goals Sunday night, boosting the Dallas Cowboys to a 26-24 victory that cost the Bucs control of their playoff fate. The end of a four-game winning streak left Tampa Bay (8-7) even with Atlanta atop the NFC South with two games remaining. The Falcons have the tiebreaker because they won both meetings with the Bucs, who are on a four-year playoff run. “We lost, we fell back in the pack,” coach Todd Bowles said. “We’ve got to eat it, can’t spend too much time on it. We had our chances. We’ve got to take care of us and let everything else take care of itself.” A three-year playoff streak for the Cowboys (7-8) ended when they were eliminated from postseason contention before the prime-time kickoff. Still, Dallas won for the fourth time in five games since a five-game losing streak that put those playoff hopes in peril.

LANDOVER, Md. (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/jalen-hurts">Jalen Hurts</a>&nbsp;was concussed minutes into the game and ruled out after evaluation, Kenny Pickett played like a backup quarterback and the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/eagles-commanders-score-c53d03a11bd3572fe6221ec8353f7d8f">Philadelphia Eagles’ winning streak is over</a>. Hurts was ruled out early in a 36-33 loss at the Washington Commanders on Sunday after his head slammed against the ground on one run and he was hit in the helmet by Frankie Luvu at the end of another. Coach Nick Sirianni had no update on his starting QB’s status afterward. “I haven’t talked to our medical staff yet,” Sirriani said. “Anything that has anything to do with the head is out our hands there.” Hurts’ status for next week’s home game against Dallas will linger for the Eagles, who might have blown their chance for the top seed in the NFC and the corresponding first-round bye.

HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — JuJu Watkins and Paige Bueckers both showed out in a primetime matchup between two of the brightest stars in women’s basketball. Watkins got the best of the rematch from last season’s Elite Eight that UConn won, helping No. 7 USC to a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/uconn-usc-juju-paige-score-df60a22e43784da0e527f06e11c3619e">72-70 victory</a>&nbsp;over the fourth-ranked Huskies on Saturday night in front of a sold out crowd of 15,684 fans. Watkins said it was probably the biggest crowd she’s played in front of so far. “I think it’s a testament to when you give women’s basketball a platform, we’re going to perform,” said Watkins, who scored 25 points. “I think tonight was an excellent game. ... It was beautiful to be a part of and I can imagine watching it, super exciting.” The regular season win was big, but Watkins said it didn’t erase the sting of last season’s loss that ended the Trojans’ season. “It was an Elite Eight game, clearly it weighs differently,” the sophomore sensation said. “Last year it meant a little bit more. Avenging that was important.”

COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFFS Friday, Dec. 20 No. 7 Notre Dame 27, No. 10 Indiana 17

Saturday, Dec. 21 No. 6 Penn State 38, No. 11 SMU 10 No. 5 Texas 38, No. 12 Clemson 24 No. 8 Ohio State 42, No. 9 Tennessee 17

VRBO Fiesta Bowl Tuesday, Dec. 31, 6:30 p.m. No. 3 Boise State vs. No. 6 Penn State

Chick-Fil-A Peach Bowl Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2025, Noon No. 4 Arizona State vs. No. 5 Texas

Rose Bowl Presented by Prudential Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2025, 4 p.m. No. 1 Oregon vs. No. 8 Ohio State

AllState Sugar Bowl Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2025, 7:45 p.m. No. 2 Georgia vs. No. 7 Notre Dame

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/2/1707734642080.jpeg" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Zeke Mayo scored 25 points, Hunter Dickinson had 15 points and 13 rebounds and No. 8 Kansas defeated Brown 87-53 on Sunday. Mayo hit two of his five 3-pointers on consecutive possessions to extend the Kansas lead to 25 points with 12 minutes to play. He was coming off a 26-point performance in a 75-60 win over NC State on Dec. 14, the team’s last outing. Brown (7-4) stayed competitive in the first half, trailing by a point 10 minutes into the game. But the Bears’ shooting touch went cold. Kino Lily Jr. scored 18 and Aaron Cooley and AJ Lesburt Jr. had six points each for Brown, which shot 26.7% (20 for 75). Kansas (9-2) shot 50% (34 for 68) and went 8 for 22 from 3-point range. Brown was 8 for 33 (24%) from distance. The Jayhawks have won two straight after losing consecutive games to Missouri and Creighton and extended their home winning streak this season to seven games.ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Baker Mayfield came home to Texas looking to keep his Tampa Bay Buccaneers on track for the playoffs. Instead, they’ll need some help. Cooper Rush threw a touchdown pass and Brandon Aubrey kicked two 58-yarders among four field goals Sunday night, boosting the Dallas Cowboys to a 26-24 victory that cost the Bucs control of their playoff fate. The end of a four-game winning streak left Tampa Bay (8-7) even with Atlanta atop the NFC South with two games remaining. The Falcons have the tiebreaker because they won both meetings with the Bucs, who are on a four-year playoff run. “We lost, we fell back in the pack,” coach Todd Bowles said. “We’ve got to eat it, can’t spend too much time on it. We had our chances. We’ve got to take care of us and let everything else take care of itself.” A three-year playoff streak for the Cowboys (7-8) ended when they were eliminated from postseason contention before the prime-time kickoff. Still, Dallas won for the fourth time in five games since a five-game losing streak that put those playoff hopes in peril.LANDOVER, Md. (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/jalen-hurts">Jalen Hurts</a>&nbsp;was concussed minutes into the game and ruled out after evaluation, Kenny Pickett played like a backup quarterback and the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/eagles-commanders-score-c53d03a11bd3572fe6221ec8353f7d8f">Philadelphia Eagles’ winning streak is over</a>. Hurts was ruled out early in a 36-33 loss at the Washington Commanders on Sunday after his head slammed against the ground on one run and he was hit in the helmet by Frankie Luvu at the end of another. Coach Nick Sirianni had no update on his starting QB’s status afterward. “I haven’t talked to our medical staff yet,” Sirriani said. “Anything that has anything to do with the head is out our hands there.” Hurts’ status for next week’s home game against Dallas will linger for the Eagles, who might have blown their chance for the top seed in the NFC and the corresponding first-round bye.HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — JuJu Watkins and Paige Bueckers both showed out in a primetime matchup between two of the brightest stars in women’s basketball. Watkins got the best of the rematch from last season’s Elite Eight that UConn won, helping No. 7 USC to a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/uconn-usc-juju-paige-score-df60a22e43784da0e527f06e11c3619e">72-70 victory</a>&nbsp;over the fourth-ranked Huskies on Saturday night in front of a sold out crowd of 15,684 fans. Watkins said it was probably the biggest crowd she’s played in front of so far. “I think it’s a testament to when you give women’s basketball a platform, we’re going to perform,” said Watkins, who scored 25 points. “I think tonight was an excellent game. ... It was beautiful to be a part of and I can imagine watching it, super exciting.” The regular season win was big, but Watkins said it didn’t erase the sting of last season’s loss that ended the Trojans’ season. “It was an Elite Eight game, clearly it weighs differently,” the sophomore sensation said. “Last year it meant a little bit more. Avenging that was important.”COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFFS Friday, Dec. 20 No. 7 Notre Dame 27, No. 10 Indiana 17Saturday, Dec. 21 No. 6 Penn State 38, No. 11 SMU 10 No. 5 Texas 38, No. 12 Clemson 24 No. 8 Ohio State 42, No. 9 Tennessee 17VRBO Fiesta Bowl Tuesday, Dec. 31, 6:30 p.m. No. 3 Boise State vs. No. 6 Penn StateChick-Fil-A Peach Bowl Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2025, Noon No. 4 Arizona State vs. No. 5 TexasRose Bowl Presented by Prudential Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2025, 4 p.m. No. 1 Oregon vs. No. 8 Ohio StateAllState Sugar Bowl Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2025, 7:45 p.m. No. 2 Georgia vs. No. 7 Notre Dame

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

The most successful base stealer in Major League Baseball history has died. Multiple outlets reported on Saturday that Hall of Famer Rickey Henderson died Friday, Dec. 20 at the age of 65.

Henderson was a 10-time All-Star and the 1990 American League MVP. His 1,406 stolen bases remain a MLB record, as do his 2,295 career runs. Henderson spent 25 years in the Bigs, including 14 years with the Oakland Athletics, five with the New York Yankees, and two with the New York Mets. In all, the left fielder player for nine teams over the span of his career from 1979 to 2003.

Henderson was one of the the best lead-off hitters of all-time, compiling 3,055 hits and 297 home runs with a .279 career batting average. His success on the field earned him a spot in the MLB Hall of Fame in 2009.

After stealing just 33 bases in 89 games as a rookie in Oakland in 1979, Henderson ripped off 100 bags the following season in 158 games. He stole 130 and 108 bases in the 1982 and 1983 seasons, respectively. Henderson scored a career-high 146 runs for the Yankees in 1985, and hit a career-best 28 home runs as a Yankee the following season.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/12/1734811062415.jpeg" alt="FILE - Oakland A's Rickey Henderson steals second base against the Minnesota Twins in the first inning at the Oakland Coliseum, Calif., April 10, 1991. Henderson died on Friday, Dec. 20, 2024, at the age of 65. (AP Photo/Alan Greth)" />
 <figcaption>FILE - Oakland A's Rickey Henderson steals second base against the Minnesota Twins in the first inning at the Oakland Coliseum, Calif., April 10, 1991. Henderson died on Friday, Dec. 20, 2024, at the age of 65. (AP Photo/Alan Greth)</figcaption>
 </figure>By MIKE COURSON Great Bend PostThe most successful base stealer in Major League Baseball history has died. Multiple outlets reported on Saturday that Hall of Famer Rickey Henderson died Friday, Dec. 20 at the age of 65.Henderson was a 10-time All-Star and the 1990 American League MVP. His 1,406 stolen bases remain a MLB record, as do his 2,295 career runs. Henderson spent 25 years in the Bigs, including 14 years with the Oakland Athletics, five with the New York Yankees, and two with the New York Mets. In all, the left fielder player for nine teams over the span of his career from 1979 to 2003.Henderson was one of the the best lead-off hitters of all-time, compiling 3,055 hits and 297 home runs with a .279 career batting average. His success on the field earned him a spot in the MLB Hall of Fame in 2009.After stealing just 33 bases in 89 games as a rookie in Oakland in 1979, Henderson ripped off 100 bags the following season in 158 games. He stole 130 and 108 bases in the 1982 and 1983 seasons, respectively. Henderson scored a career-high 146 runs for the Yankees in 1985, and hit a career-best 28 home runs as a Yankee the following season.

MLB Hall of Famer Rickey Henderson dead at the age of 65

Throw some of the rankings out the windows for Friday's Hoisington Corner Classic results. Liberal, ranked No. 5 in the state's largest classification, was a natural winner with 176.5 points. Unranked Hoisington scored 172 points for second, and unranked Scott City placed third with 132 points. Ellinwood, ranked No. 7 in Class 3-2-1A, placed seventh with 64 points. The Great Bend girls, ranked No. 6 in Class 5A, had just six wrestlers in action to place ninth with 42 points.

Hoisington's Trinity Graves pulled off a big win at 125 pounds. She went 3-0 in pool matches with all wins by fall, including  57-second and 15-second pins. She needed just 98 seconds to pin Eureka's fourth-ranked Maela Neill in the finals. Larned's Liliana McKenna placed fourth in the bracket.

Lady Cardinal Tristin Compton also had an exciting win in the 130-pound championship. She pinned her first three opponents before winning a 13-2 major against Concordia to reach the finals. There, she defeated Liberal in an ultimate tie-breaker for the win.

Hoisington picked up another win at 170 pounds. Senior Peyton Schneider is ranked  No. 5 in 3-2-1A, but it was sophomore Nevaeh Graves with the win Friday with Schneider wrestling at 190 pounds. Graves went 3-0 in pool matches with three pins. Great Bend's Danica Cline was 2-0 with a pair of pins before losing to Graves. Both Graves and Cline won by fall in the semifinals to set up a rematch with Graves winning by fall again to claim the title.

Larned's Cara Herbert entered Friday ranked no. 6 in Class 4A. She put together a perfect 5-0 day with five pins to win the 135-pound bracket. Her first two matches of the day were resolved in 58 seconds or less. Ellinwood freshman Kaylynn Crawford entered the tournament ranked No. 5 in 3-2-1A but finished sixth on the day.

The 115-pound bracket featured an all-area finale. Ellinwood's Keighyn Dombroski pinned all three pool opponents in the first period. Hoisington's Annabelle Gonzalez also went 3-0 in the other pool with three pins. Annabelle pinned freshman teammate Andrea Gonzalez in the semifinals, then pinned Dombroski in the finals. Andrea Gonzalez placed fourth for Hoisington.

Barton County leads the way in Class 3-2-1A at 235 pounds. Hoisington senior Haylee Holinde is ranked No. 1 and Ellinwood senior Emma Hahn is ranked No. 2. With Holinde out of action Friday, Hahn led the area with a third-place finish. Holcomb's Abigail Redden knocked off top-ranked Aileen Figueroa of Liberal in the finals.

Hoisington sophomore Marly Brewer made the finals at 140 pounds where she ran into third-ranked Ella Normandin of Plainville, who pinned Brewer. Brewer pinned her Great Bend opponent, lost a 4-0 decision to Normandin, and defeated Larned's Mia Munden 13-10 to reach the finals. Munden went on to place third.

Lady Cardinal senior Lilian Gradig was another finalist at 145 pounds. She pinned her first two opponents in under 60 seconds but was pinned in her final pool match against Concordia. She won a sudden-victory match against Plainville to reach the finals, where she lost by tech fall to Scott City.

Hoisington freshman Ayla Brown opened the 155-pound bracket with a 19-second pin before getting pinned by fourth-ranked Ashlyn Rose of Scott City. Brown ran into third-ranked Zoe Brown of Plainville in the semifinals. Brown advanced with a tech fall and won a 12-11 thriller against Liberal in the finals. Brown avenged her earlier loss by pinning Rose in the consolation finals.

Larned senior Teagan Walker was part of a loaded 100-pound bracket where she finished third. She opened with a loss to second-ranked Kaleigh Klein of Plainville (3-2-1), pinned her next three opponents in short order, then lost a 17-0 match to third-ranked Keirsie Carlile of Liberal. Hoisington freshman Callie Loesch finished fourth in the bracket.

Ellinwood's McKena Parker placed third at 110 pounds. She pinned her first three opponents before losing a 5-3 decision to the runner-up from Scott City. Parker needed just 66 seconds to pin her Plainville opponent in the third-place match. Hoisington's Jayda Bailey finished fifth.

Larned freshman Mirande Nolde led area wrestlers at 105 pounds with a third-place finish. Hoisington junior Kodie Penick placed fourth. Ellinwood's Jenna Borror led area wrestlers in fifth place at 120 pounds.

The 190-pound bracket featured top-ranked and unbeaten Hayleen Martinez of Liberal, who pinned all five opponents with three wins in 31 seconds or less. Larned freshman Paisley Weizbrod, who has spent time in the rankings this season, placed third. Hoisington's Peyton Schneider, ranked No. 5 at 170 pounds, placed fourth.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/12/1734801000587.jpeg" alt="Hoisington sophomore Nevaeh Graves won Friday's Cardinal Classic bracket at 170 pounds." />
 <figcaption>Hoisington sophomore Nevaeh Graves won Friday's Cardinal Classic bracket at 170 pounds.</figcaption>
 </figure>Great Bend Post SportsThrow some of the rankings out the windows for Friday's Hoisington Corner Classic results. Liberal, ranked No. 5 in the state's largest classification, was a natural winner with 176.5 points. Unranked Hoisington scored 172 points for second, and unranked Scott City placed third with 132 points. Ellinwood, ranked No. 7 in Class 3-2-1A, placed seventh with 64 points. The Great Bend girls, ranked No. 6 in Class 5A, had just six wrestlers in action to place ninth with 42 points.Hoisington's Trinity Graves pulled off a big win at 125 pounds. She went 3-0 in pool matches with all wins by fall, including 57-second and 15-second pins. She needed just 98 seconds to pin Eureka's fourth-ranked Maela Neill in the finals. Larned's Liliana McKenna placed fourth in the bracket.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/12/1734801634033.jpeg" alt="Hoisington's Trinity Graves pinned fourth-ranked Maela Neill of Eureka to win Friday's 125-pound bracket." />
 <figcaption>Hoisington's Trinity Graves pinned fourth-ranked Maela Neill of Eureka to win Friday's 125-pound bracket.</figcaption>
 </figure>Lady Cardinal Tristin Compton also had an exciting win in the 130-pound championship. She pinned her first three opponents before winning a 13-2 major against Concordia to reach the finals. There, she defeated Liberal in an ultimate tie-breaker for the win.Hoisington picked up another win at 170 pounds. Senior Peyton Schneider is ranked No. 5 in 3-2-1A, but it was sophomore Nevaeh Graves with the win Friday with Schneider wrestling at 190 pounds. Graves went 3-0 in pool matches with three pins. Great Bend's Danica Cline was 2-0 with a pair of pins before losing to Graves. Both Graves and Cline won by fall in the semifinals to set up a rematch with Graves winning by fall again to claim the title.Larned's Cara Herbert entered Friday ranked no. 6 in Class 4A. She put together a perfect 5-0 day with five pins to win the 135-pound bracket. Her first two matches of the day were resolved in 58 seconds or less. Ellinwood freshman Kaylynn Crawford entered the tournament ranked No. 5 in 3-2-1A but finished sixth on the day.The 115-pound bracket featured an all-area finale. Ellinwood's Keighyn Dombroski pinned all three pool opponents in the first period. Hoisington's Annabelle Gonzalez also went 3-0 in the other pool with three pins. Annabelle pinned freshman teammate Andrea Gonzalez in the semifinals, then pinned Dombroski in the finals. Andrea Gonzalez placed fourth for Hoisington.Barton County leads the way in Class 3-2-1A at 235 pounds. Hoisington senior Haylee Holinde is ranked No. 1 and Ellinwood senior Emma Hahn is ranked No. 2. With Holinde out of action Friday, Hahn led the area with a third-place finish. Holcomb's Abigail Redden knocked off top-ranked Aileen Figueroa of Liberal in the finals.Hoisington sophomore Marly Brewer made the finals at 140 pounds where she ran into third-ranked Ella Normandin of Plainville, who pinned Brewer. Brewer pinned her Great Bend opponent, lost a 4-0 decision to Normandin, and defeated Larned's Mia Munden 13-10 to reach the finals. Munden went on to place third.Lady Cardinal senior Lilian Gradig was another finalist at 145 pounds. She pinned her first two opponents in under 60 seconds but was pinned in her final pool match against Concordia. She won a sudden-victory match against Plainville to reach the finals, where she lost by tech fall to Scott City.Hoisington freshman Ayla Brown opened the 155-pound bracket with a 19-second pin before getting pinned by fourth-ranked Ashlyn Rose of Scott City. Brown ran into third-ranked Zoe Brown of Plainville in the semifinals. Brown advanced with a tech fall and won a 12-11 thriller against Liberal in the finals. Brown avenged her earlier loss by pinning Rose in the consolation finals.Larned senior Teagan Walker was part of a loaded 100-pound bracket where she finished third. She opened with a loss to second-ranked Kaleigh Klein of Plainville (3-2-1), pinned her next three opponents in short order, then lost a 17-0 match to third-ranked Keirsie Carlile of Liberal. Hoisington freshman Callie Loesch finished fourth in the bracket.Ellinwood's McKena Parker placed third at 110 pounds. She pinned her first three opponents before losing a 5-3 decision to the runner-up from Scott City. Parker needed just 66 seconds to pin her Plainville opponent in the third-place match. Hoisington's Jayda Bailey finished fifth.Larned freshman Mirande Nolde led area wrestlers at 105 pounds with a third-place finish. Hoisington junior Kodie Penick placed fourth. Ellinwood's Jenna Borror led area wrestlers in fifth place at 120 pounds.The 190-pound bracket featured top-ranked and unbeaten Hayleen Martinez of Liberal, who pinned all five opponents with three wins in 31 seconds or less. Larned freshman Paisley Weizbrod, who has spent time in the rankings this season, placed third. Hoisington's Peyton Schneider, ranked No. 5 at 170 pounds, placed fourth.

Lady Cardinals finish second at Corner Classic; Ellinwood, Great Bend go 8-9

Area wrestlers had plenty of success Friday at Hoisington's Corner Classic. Unranked Concordia scored 181 points points for the upset. Great Bend scored 170 points for second, and Hoisington finished third with 116.5 points to beat Liberal.

Panther senior Jace Schartz entered Friday's 165-pound bracket ranked No. 3 in Class 5A. He turned in another dominating performance with a 4-0 record. All of his wins came by tech fall, including a pair of 15-0 wins. He defeated Ellinwood's Gabriel Martinez 18-2 in the finals. Martinez reached the finals by pinning his first four opponents.

Great Bend freshman Cal Schartz moved up to No. 3 in the Dec. 17 Class 5A rankings. He followed that with a win at 113 pounds Friday. Schartz tech-falled all three pool opponents 15-0, then defeated Hoisington's Kalob Lamb by a similar score to open bracket matches. Schartz needed just 39 seconds to pin Eureka's Mason Hughes (13-3) in the finals. Lamb finished third for the Cardinals with a win over Larned's Brayden Smith.

Panther freshman Hayden Liles won the bracket at 120 pounds. He pinned both pool opponents then followed suit in bracket competition with wins by fall against Holcomb and Concordia. Larned senior Jai-Sean Phillips finished fourth.

Cardinal senior Teron Kraft moved up to No. 4 at 175 pounds in the latest Class 3-2-1A rankings. He had no trouble Friday, pinning his first two opponents in 11 and 79 seconds, respectively. He pinned Ellinwood's Nathan Hammeke in 56 seconds to advance to the finals where he defeated Concordia by tech fall 16-1. Great Bend's Maxx Steffan pinned Hammeke in the consolation finals.

Larned's Landon Haney won an all-area finale at 190 pounds. Haney snuck by Great Bend's Brady Mendez in his first contested match before pinning his final two pool opponents. He pinned Ellinwood senior Cooper Gunn for the title. Mendez picked up a pair of sub-minute pins in pool matches but was pinned by Stafford's Dylan Brozek in the third-place match.

Panther sophomore Blake Stein made the finals at 157 pounds. He went 3-0 in pool matches with a pair of pins and a major. Stein needed just 39 seconds to pin Hoisington's Knoxly Nettleingham in the semifinals. Stein was pinned by Concordia's one-loss Drake Blochlinger in the finals. Nettleingham placed fourth for the Cardinals.

Larned freshman Konner Mills moved to 11-1 on the season with a win a 106 pounds. He pinned all four opponents with three wins in 63 seconds or less. Stafford freshman Jayce Feril placed second. 

Great Bend sophomore Josue Bustamante nearly had a perfect day at 285 pounds. He was sitting at 4-0 with four wins by fall, including a pair of sub-minute pins. Concordia senior Tracer Murdock, ranked No. 5 in Class 4A with just one loss on the season, pinned Bustamante in 54 seconds. Murdock won all five matches on the day in 54 seconds or fewer, including three in 25 seconds or less. Larned's Joseph Wilder placed third in the round-robin bracket.

Hoisington junior Jhadyn Turner made the finals at 126 pounds, where he lost a 12-5 decision to Liberal's one-loss Julian Orrantia. Great Bend senior Ambrose Kramer was pinned by Orrantia in the semis but went on to finish third in the bracket.

Larned's Asher Alexander wrestled in the championship match at 132 pounds, getting pinned by Holcomb's Haegen Hartman. Alexander pinned his first three opponents before losing an 11-0 match against Liberal to close out pool competition. Great Bend's Caleb Mulligan went 3-1 in pool matches with a 13-second and 57-second pin and a loss to Alexander. Hoisington's Jaxson Henry pinned Mulligan in the third-place match.

Landon Beaver was a finalist for Hoisington at 144 pounds. He pinned all three pool opponents before losing an 8-3 decision to Concordia in the championship match. Great Bend senior Luis Gonzalez rebounded from a loss to Beaver to pin his next two opponents. He was pinned by his Liberal opponent in the third-place match.

Great Bend's Trevin Maciel finished third at 138 pounds. After a loss, Maciel pinned his next two opponents in a total of 49 seconds, then added a third pin against Hoisington. Maciel pinned his Liberal opponent in the consolation finals.

Panther junior Ethan Stegman lost all four matches at 215 pounds. Stafford sophomore Jackson Mead placed fourth in the bracket.

Great Bend Post SportsArea wrestlers had plenty of success Friday at Hoisington's Corner Classic. Unranked Concordia scored 181 points points for the upset. Great Bend scored 170 points for second, and Hoisington finished third with 116.5 points to beat Liberal.Panther senior Jace Schartz entered Friday's 165-pound bracket ranked No. 3 in Class 5A. He turned in another dominating performance with a 4-0 record. All of his wins came by tech fall, including a pair of 15-0 wins. He defeated Ellinwood's Gabriel Martinez 18-2 in the finals. Martinez reached the finals by pinning his first four opponents.Great Bend freshman Cal Schartz moved up to No. 3 in the Dec. 17 Class 5A rankings. He followed that with a win at 113 pounds Friday. Schartz tech-falled all three pool opponents 15-0, then defeated Hoisington's Kalob Lamb by a similar score to open bracket matches. Schartz needed just 39 seconds to pin Eureka's Mason Hughes (13-3) in the finals. Lamb finished third for the Cardinals with a win over Larned's Brayden Smith.Panther freshman Hayden Liles won the bracket at 120 pounds. He pinned both pool opponents then followed suit in bracket competition with wins by fall against Holcomb and Concordia. Larned senior Jai-Sean Phillips finished fourth.Cardinal senior Teron Kraft moved up to No. 4 at 175 pounds in the latest Class 3-2-1A rankings. He had no trouble Friday, pinning his first two opponents in 11 and 79 seconds, respectively. He pinned Ellinwood's Nathan Hammeke in 56 seconds to advance to the finals where he defeated Concordia by tech fall 16-1. Great Bend's Maxx Steffan pinned Hammeke in the consolation finals.Larned's Landon Haney won an all-area finale at 190 pounds. Haney snuck by Great Bend's Brady Mendez in his first contested match before pinning his final two pool opponents. He pinned Ellinwood senior Cooper Gunn for the title. Mendez picked up a pair of sub-minute pins in pool matches but was pinned by Stafford's Dylan Brozek in the third-place match.Panther sophomore Blake Stein made the finals at 157 pounds. He went 3-0 in pool matches with a pair of pins and a major. Stein needed just 39 seconds to pin Hoisington's Knoxly Nettleingham in the semifinals. Stein was pinned by Concordia's one-loss Drake Blochlinger in the finals. Nettleingham placed fourth for the Cardinals.Larned freshman Konner Mills moved to 11-1 on the season with a win a 106 pounds. He pinned all four opponents with three wins in 63 seconds or less. Stafford freshman Jayce Feril placed second. Great Bend sophomore Josue Bustamante nearly had a perfect day at 285 pounds. He was sitting at 4-0 with four wins by fall, including a pair of sub-minute pins. Concordia senior Tracer Murdock, ranked No. 5 in Class 4A with just one loss on the season, pinned Bustamante in 54 seconds. Murdock won all five matches on the day in 54 seconds or fewer, including three in 25 seconds or less. Larned's Joseph Wilder placed third in the round-robin bracket.Hoisington junior Jhadyn Turner made the finals at 126 pounds, where he lost a 12-5 decision to Liberal's one-loss Julian Orrantia. Great Bend senior Ambrose Kramer was pinned by Orrantia in the semis but went on to finish third in the bracket.Larned's Asher Alexander wrestled in the championship match at 132 pounds, getting pinned by Holcomb's Haegen Hartman. Alexander pinned his first three opponents before losing an 11-0 match against Liberal to close out pool competition. Great Bend's Caleb Mulligan went 3-1 in pool matches with a 13-second and 57-second pin and a loss to Alexander. Hoisington's Jaxson Henry pinned Mulligan in the third-place match.Landon Beaver was a finalist for Hoisington at 144 pounds. He pinned all three pool opponents before losing an 8-3 decision to Concordia in the championship match. Great Bend senior Luis Gonzalez rebounded from a loss to Beaver to pin his next two opponents. He was pinned by his Liberal opponent in the third-place match.Great Bend's Trevin Maciel finished third at 138 pounds. After a loss, Maciel pinned his next two opponents in a total of 49 seconds, then added a third pin against Hoisington. Maciel pinned his Liberal opponent in the consolation finals.Panther junior Ethan Stegman lost all four matches at 215 pounds. Stafford sophomore Jackson Mead placed fourth in the bracket.

Great Bend boys second, Hoisington third at Cardinal Corner Classic

By now the competition is familiar. That does not make them any slower in the water. The Great Bend High School swimmers closed out the 2024 portion of the schedule Thursday in Garden City. With a smaller squad, the Panthers finished fourth out of five teams with 146 points. Garden City won the meet with 427 points, followed by Hutchinson with 310.5 points, and Dodge City with 184.5 points.

Kale Mermis collected a silver medal in the 200 free in 2:39.84, edging out the third-place finisher by less than a second but finishing 35 seconds behind the winner. Tyler Scheuerman rounded out the field in 10th with a time of 3:30.59. Mermis finished fifth in the 500 free in 7:28.54 to miss the bronze by 70 seconds. Mark Sperlein placed second in the 100 fly in 1:20.99, staving off the bronze by four seconds and missing the gold by nine seconds.

The 200 free relay team of Mermis, Sperlein, Matthew Williams, and Randy Weber finished third in a dead heat against Liberal in 2:05.72. Hutchinson won the race in 1:48. The 200 medley relay of Mermis, Sperlein, Williams, and Logan Urban placed fourth in 2:26.35 to miss the bronze by 14 seconds. 

Sperlein placed fourth in the 200 IM in 2:51.45 to miss the bronze by five seconds. Williams finished fourth in the 50 free in 28.57, nearly two seconds behind the bronze. Williams had another fourth-place finish in the 100 breast in 1:25.36 to miss the bronze by three seconds. Weber finished eighth in 32.68. AJ Schartz placed 10th in the 100 free in 1:21.50 to miss the bronze by 18 seconds. Leo Bashor finished 13th in 1:30.08, and Scheuerman hit the wall in 1:39.83 for 14th.

Great Bend's 400 free relay of Schartz, Bashor, Scheuerman, and Weber swam eighth in 5:38.99, 75 seconds behind third-place Dodge City.

Great Bend Post SportsBy now the competition is familiar. That does not make them any slower in the water. The Great Bend High School swimmers closed out the 2024 portion of the schedule Thursday in Garden City. With a smaller squad, the Panthers finished fourth out of five teams with 146 points. Garden City won the meet with 427 points, followed by Hutchinson with 310.5 points, and Dodge City with 184.5 points.Kale Mermis collected a silver medal in the 200 free in 2:39.84, edging out the third-place finisher by less than a second but finishing 35 seconds behind the winner. Tyler Scheuerman rounded out the field in 10th with a time of 3:30.59. Mermis finished fifth in the 500 free in 7:28.54 to miss the bronze by 70 seconds. Mark Sperlein placed second in the 100 fly in 1:20.99, staving off the bronze by four seconds and missing the gold by nine seconds.The 200 free relay team of Mermis, Sperlein, Matthew Williams, and Randy Weber finished third in a dead heat against Liberal in 2:05.72. Hutchinson won the race in 1:48. The 200 medley relay of Mermis, Sperlein, Williams, and Logan Urban placed fourth in 2:26.35 to miss the bronze by 14 seconds. Sperlein placed fourth in the 200 IM in 2:51.45 to miss the bronze by five seconds. Williams finished fourth in the 50 free in 28.57, nearly two seconds behind the bronze. Williams had another fourth-place finish in the 100 breast in 1:25.36 to miss the bronze by three seconds. Weber finished eighth in 32.68. AJ Schartz placed 10th in the 100 free in 1:21.50 to miss the bronze by 18 seconds. Leo Bashor finished 13th in 1:30.08, and Scheuerman hit the wall in 1:39.83 for 14th.Great Bend's 400 free relay of Schartz, Bashor, Scheuerman, and Weber swam eighth in 5:38.99, 75 seconds behind third-place Dodge City.