- Panther Lady Panther basketball coach Jade Winter will preview Friday's home game with Garden City at the Fieldhouse. She will be joined by Senior Cassie Ellegood and Sophomore Meredith Mizook in the Mayo Money Management Studio.

- Great Bend football coach Erin Beck will join the show along with Panther Senior Owen Kaiser to talk about Owen being selected to play in this summer's Kansas Shrine Bowl game.

- The "Voice of the Tigers" Gerard Wellbrock

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1693997740304.jpeg" alt="Wednesday show lineup with hosts Steve Webster and Mike Courson" />
 <figcaption>Wednesday show lineup with hosts Steve Webster and Mike Courson</figcaption>
 </figure><div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/H-wQj5O-l9M?si=cLeuBDsTajIi37QW" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>- Panther Lady Panther basketball coach Jade Winter will preview Friday's home game with Garden City at the Fieldhouse. She will be joined by Senior Cassie Ellegood and Sophomore Meredith Mizook in the Mayo Money Management Studio.- Great Bend football coach Erin Beck will join the show along with Panther Senior Owen Kaiser to talk about Owen being selected to play in this summer's Kansas Shrine Bowl game.- The "Voice of the Tigers" Gerard Wellbrock- Wednesday Sports Headlines- Sounds of the past 24-hours

Wednesday on Sports Day(Watch)

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Missed kicks and makes. Big returns. Shaky nerves.

Special teams have produced some nerve-wracking, game-changing and game-clinching moments so far in the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/college-football">College Football Playoff</a>.

The potential for more blink-of-an-eye touchdowns and knee-knocking pressure on late game field goals gets even bigger heading into the semifinals with Notre Dame-Penn State on Thursday night at the Orange Bowl and Ohio State-Texas on Friday night at the Cotton Bowl.

Notre Dame seems to have resolved its kicking struggles just at the right time.

Fighting Irish kicker Mitch Jeter, a graduate transfer from South Carolina, missed two games in the regular season with a hip injury and was just 8 of 15 on field goals heading into the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/sugar-bowl-cfp-georgia-notre-dame-53413cf35e62b2f4ea486d512cc1f4e7">quarterfinal against Georgia</a>. Then he nailed kicks of 44, 48 yards, and 47 yards to become the first kicker in playoff history to make three from 40 yards or longer in a single game.

Texas’ Bert Auburn could use a boost of confidence like that. His 66 career field goals is a record at a school that has produced future pro standouts Phil Dawson, Justin Tucker and Cameron Dicker. But he is just 16 of 25 this season, including a 6-of-14 mark beyond 40 yards.

In the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/texas-arizona-state-ap-top-25-cfp-8064c9423b5f5cfe94a4f6d5289d924a">quarterfinal win over Arizona State</a>, he missed twice in the final 2 minutes of regulation. The first, from 48 yards, went wide right. Before he lined up 38 yards out with 3 seconds left, coach Steve Sarkisian tried giving him a pep talk. The ball&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/espn/status/1874574552648274067" target="_blank">doinked off the left upright</a>. Texas prevailed in double overtime.

Auburn sent the SEC championship game into overtime with a tying kick in the final seconds. Teammates insist they believe he can deliver another big kick if needed.

“He’s made a lot of amazing kicks for us in the past. He’s going to come up big when we need him,” Texas defensive back Jahdae Barron said. “So, if he could just block out the noise. He knows we’re riding with him. We’ve got his back through it all. That’s what the culture is here.”

Texas and Notre Dame both scored on kick returns in the quarterfinals.

The Longhorns’ Silas Bolden returned the first punt of the game 75 yards for a touchdown and a 14-3 lead against Arizona State. A senior transfer from Oregon State, the speedy Bolden hasn’t delivered as much as hoped as a receiver, where he has 22 catches for 243 yards, but he finally broke off the big play in the return game.

It was a Notre Dame kickoff return against Georgia that swung the game for the Irish.

Jaydon Harrison’s&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/espn/status/1874956336884015596" target="_blank">98-yard return to open the second half</a>&nbsp;stretched Notre Dame’s lead to 20-3 and stunned the Bulldogs, who had been tied 3-all in the final minute before halftime.

A Jeter field goal and a Beaux Collins touchdown catch made it 13-3 before Harrison delivered. Fifteen seconds into the second half, Notre Dame led 20-3.

Notre Dame closed out the win with a little special teams trickery.

Notre Dame had a fourth-and-short deep in his own territory when coach Marcus Freeman sent the punt team out before running all 11 players off the field and sending in the offense.

Surprised, Georgia raced to match up and then jumped offside as the play clock ticked down. Notre Dame got the first down and kept the ball for another five minute, bleeding away the game clock.

“We practiced it to a point where I felt like we couldn’t get it wrong,” Freeman said. “I thought they did a great job of not panicking, which the whole point of that is trying to get some other panic.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/12/1734704373519.jpeg" alt="FILE - The trophy is displayed during media day ahead of the national championship NCAA College Football Playoff game between Washington and Michigan Saturday, Jan. 6, 2024, in Houston. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vasquez, File)" />
 <figcaption>FILE - The trophy is displayed during media day ahead of the national championship NCAA College Football Playoff game between Washington and Michigan Saturday, Jan. 6, 2024, in Houston. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vasquez, File)</figcaption>
 </figure>AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Missed kicks and makes. Big returns. Shaky nerves.Special teams have produced some nerve-wracking, game-changing and game-clinching moments so far in the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/college-football">College Football Playoff</a>.The potential for more blink-of-an-eye touchdowns and knee-knocking pressure on late game field goals gets even bigger heading into the semifinals with Notre Dame-Penn State on Thursday night at the Orange Bowl and Ohio State-Texas on Friday night at the Cotton Bowl.<h2>Makes and misses</h2>Notre Dame seems to have resolved its kicking struggles just at the right time.Fighting Irish kicker Mitch Jeter, a graduate transfer from South Carolina, missed two games in the regular season with a hip injury and was just 8 of 15 on field goals heading into the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/sugar-bowl-cfp-georgia-notre-dame-53413cf35e62b2f4ea486d512cc1f4e7">quarterfinal against Georgia</a>. Then he nailed kicks of 44, 48 yards, and 47 yards to become the first kicker in playoff history to make three from 40 yards or longer in a single game.Texas’ Bert Auburn could use a boost of confidence like that. His 66 career field goals is a record at a school that has produced future pro standouts Phil Dawson, Justin Tucker and Cameron Dicker. But he is just 16 of 25 this season, including a 6-of-14 mark beyond 40 yards.In the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/texas-arizona-state-ap-top-25-cfp-8064c9423b5f5cfe94a4f6d5289d924a">quarterfinal win over Arizona State</a>, he missed twice in the final 2 minutes of regulation. The first, from 48 yards, went wide right. Before he lined up 38 yards out with 3 seconds left, coach Steve Sarkisian tried giving him a pep talk. The ball&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/espn/status/1874574552648274067" target="_blank">doinked off the left upright</a>. Texas prevailed in double overtime.Auburn sent the SEC championship game into overtime with a tying kick in the final seconds. Teammates insist they believe he can deliver another big kick if needed.“He’s made a lot of amazing kicks for us in the past. He’s going to come up big when we need him,” Texas defensive back Jahdae Barron said. “So, if he could just block out the noise. He knows we’re riding with him. We’ve got his back through it all. That’s what the culture is here.”<h2>Big returns</h2>Texas and Notre Dame both scored on kick returns in the quarterfinals.The Longhorns’ Silas Bolden returned the first punt of the game 75 yards for a touchdown and a 14-3 lead against Arizona State. A senior transfer from Oregon State, the speedy Bolden hasn’t delivered as much as hoped as a receiver, where he has 22 catches for 243 yards, but he finally broke off the big play in the return game.It was a Notre Dame kickoff return against Georgia that swung the game for the Irish.Jaydon Harrison’s&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/espn/status/1874956336884015596" target="_blank">98-yard return to open the second half</a>&nbsp;stretched Notre Dame’s lead to 20-3 and stunned the Bulldogs, who had been tied 3-all in the final minute before halftime.A Jeter field goal and a Beaux Collins touchdown catch made it 13-3 before Harrison delivered. Fifteen seconds into the second half, Notre Dame led 20-3.<h2>Getting tricky</h2>Notre Dame closed out the win with a little special teams trickery.Notre Dame had a fourth-and-short deep in his own territory when coach Marcus Freeman sent the punt team out before running all 11 players off the field and sending in the offense.Surprised, Georgia raced to match up and then jumped offside as the play clock ticked down. Notre Dame got the first down and kept the ball for another five minute, bleeding away the game clock.“We practiced it to a point where I felt like we couldn’t get it wrong,” Freeman said. “I thought they did a great job of not panicking, which the whole point of that is trying to get some other panic.”

Big kicks and big returns: special teams creating big moments in the CFP

Boys' Kansas Basketball Coaches Association rankings as of Jan. 7, 2025

Class 6A 1. Shawnee Mission NW 2. Wichita Heights 3. Wichita Northwest 4. Olathe North 5. Shawnee Mission South 6. Mill Valley 7. Junction City 8. Blue Valley North 9. Derby 10. Blue Valley NW

Class 5A 1. Topeka Highland Park 2. Andover Central 3. KC Piper 4. Shawnee Heights 5. Kapaun 6. Valley Center 7. Topeka Seaman 8. St. Thomas Aquinas 9. Topeka West 10. Great Bend

Class 4A 1. Baldwin 2. Ottawa 3. McPherson 4. Rock Creek 5. Concordia 6. Atchison 7. Augusta 8. Abilene 9. Clay Center 10. Bishop Miege

Class 3A 1. Collegiate 2. Goodland 3. Hesston 4. Cheney 5. Haven 6. Lakin 7. Scott City 8. Wellsville 9. Burlington 10. Holcomb

Class 2A 1. Moundridge 2. Sterling 3. Ell-Saline 4. Sacred Heart 5. Rossville 6. Remington 7. Bennington 8. St. Mary's Colgan 9. Berean Academy 10. Medicine Lodge

Class 1A, Div. I 1. South Central 2. South Gray 3. Bishop Seabury 4. Oxford 5. Central Plains 6. Olpe 7. Macksville 8. Central Burden 9. Frankfort 10. Clifton-Clyde

Class 1A, Div. II 1. Cunningham 2. Axtell 3. Logan-Palco 4. Elyria Christian 5. Weskan 6. Hodgeman County 7. Hanover 8. Dighton 9. Otis-Bison 10. St. John's-Tipton

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/4/1712064660369.jpeg" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>Boys' Kansas Basketball Coaches Association rankings as of Jan. 7, 2025Class 6A 1. Shawnee Mission NW 2. Wichita Heights 3. Wichita Northwest 4. Olathe North 5. Shawnee Mission South 6. Mill Valley 7. Junction City 8. Blue Valley North 9. Derby 10. Blue Valley NWClass 5A 1. Topeka Highland Park 2. Andover Central 3. KC Piper 4. Shawnee Heights 5. Kapaun 6. Valley Center 7. Topeka Seaman 8. St. Thomas Aquinas 9. Topeka West 10. Great BendClass 4A 1. Baldwin 2. Ottawa 3. McPherson 4. Rock Creek 5. Concordia 6. Atchison 7. Augusta 8. Abilene 9. Clay Center 10. Bishop MiegeClass 3A 1. Collegiate 2. Goodland 3. Hesston 4. Cheney 5. Haven 6. Lakin 7. Scott City 8. Wellsville 9. Burlington 10. HolcombClass 2A 1. Moundridge 2. Sterling 3. Ell-Saline 4. Sacred Heart 5. Rossville 6. Remington 7. Bennington 8. St. Mary's Colgan 9. Berean Academy 10. Medicine LodgeClass 1A, Div. I 1. South Central 2. South Gray 3. Bishop Seabury 4. Oxford 5. Central Plains 6. Olpe 7. Macksville 8. Central Burden 9. Frankfort 10. Clifton-ClydeClass 1A, Div. II 1. Cunningham 2. Axtell 3. Logan-Palco 4. Elyria Christian 5. Weskan 6. Hodgeman County 7. Hanover 8. Dighton 9. Otis-Bison 10. St. John's-Tipton

KBCA boys' rankings (Jan. 7)

Girls' Kansas Basketball Coaches Association rankings released on Jan. 7, 2025.

Class 6A 1. Blue Valley North 2. Wichita Heights 3. Washburn Rural 4. Derby 5. Olathe South 6. Shawnee Mission South 7. Shawnee Mission Northwest 8. Manhattan 9. Blue Valley Northwest 10. Olathe North

Class 5A 1. Topeka Seaman 2. Andover 3. St. Thomas Aquinas 4. St. James Academy 5. De Soto 6. KC Piper 7. Hays 8. Bishop Carroll and Blue Valley SW 9. Maize South 10. Kapaun

Class 4A 1. Wellington 2. Bishop Miege 3. Topeka Hayden 4. Eudora 5. Clay Center 6. Labette County 7. Fort Scott 8. Baldwin 9. Buhler 10. Rock Creek

Class 3A&nbsp; 1. Hesston 2. Halstead 3. Haven 4. Colby 5. Silver Lake 6. Girard 7. Goodland 8. Osage City 9. Holcomb 10. Cheney

Class 2A 1. St. Mary's Colgan 2. Eureka 3. Moundridge 4. Wichita County 5. Inman 6. Ellinwood 7. Hoxie 8. Berean Academy 9. Doniphan West 10. Hillsboro

Class 1A, Div. I 1. Little River 2. Centralia 3. South Gray 4. Clifton-Clyde 5. St. John 6. Rawlins County 7. Central Plains 8. Madison-Hamilton 9. Troy 10. Olpe

Class 1A, Div. II 1. Hanover 2. Wallace County 3. South Haven 4. Lebo 5. Marais des Cygnes 6. Hodgeman County 7. Hartford 8. Cheylin 9. Attica 10. Ingalls

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/4/1712064660369.jpeg" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>Girls' Kansas Basketball Coaches Association rankings released on Jan. 7, 2025.Class 6A 1. Blue Valley North 2. Wichita Heights 3. Washburn Rural 4. Derby 5. Olathe South 6. Shawnee Mission South 7. Shawnee Mission Northwest 8. Manhattan 9. Blue Valley Northwest 10. Olathe North Class 5A 1. Topeka Seaman 2. Andover 3. St. Thomas Aquinas 4. St. James Academy 5. De Soto 6. KC Piper 7. Hays 8. Bishop Carroll and Blue Valley SW 9. Maize South 10. KapaunClass 4A 1. Wellington 2. Bishop Miege 3. Topeka Hayden 4. Eudora 5. Clay Center 6. Labette County 7. Fort Scott 8. Baldwin 9. Buhler 10. Rock CreekClass 3A&nbsp; 1. Hesston 2. Halstead 3. Haven 4. Colby 5. Silver Lake 6. Girard 7. Goodland 8. Osage City 9. Holcomb 10. CheneyClass 2A 1. St. Mary's Colgan 2. Eureka 3. Moundridge 4. Wichita County 5. Inman 6. Ellinwood 7. Hoxie 8. Berean Academy 9. Doniphan West 10. HillsboroClass 1A, Div. I 1. Little River 2. Centralia 3. South Gray 4. Clifton-Clyde 5. St. John 6. Rawlins County 7. Central Plains 8. Madison-Hamilton 9. Troy 10. OlpeClass 1A, Div. II 1. Hanover 2. Wallace County 3. South Haven 4. Lebo 5. Marais des Cygnes 6. Hodgeman County 7. Hartford 8. Cheylin 9. Attica 10. Ingalls

KCBA girls' rankings (Jan. 7)

1	Hutchinson
Community College	13-0	250

2	Northwest Florida
State College	13-0	240

4	Dodge City
Community College	12-1	220

6	Three Rivers
Community College	12-2	200

9	Shelton State
Community College	9-2	170

13	Trinity Valley
Community College	11-2	130

18	Florida
Southwestern State College	9-3	80

22	Western Nebraska
Community College	12-3	40

24	North Dakota
State College of Science	11-2

Place	Name	Record	Points1	Hutchinson
Community College	13-0	2502	Northwest Florida
State College	13-0	2403	New Mexico Junior
College	14-0	2304	Dodge City
Community College	12-1	2205	Wabash Valley
College	13-1	2106	Three Rivers
Community College	12-2	2007	Gulf Coast State
College	13-1	1908	College of
Southern Idaho	10-2	1809	Shelton State
Community College	9-2	17010	McLennan
Community College	10-0	16011	Chipola
College	12-0	15012	South Plains
College	11-1	14013	Trinity Valley
Community College	11-2	13014	Arizona Western
College	10-1	12015	Odessa
College	9-2	11016	Eastern Arizona
College	9-3	10017	Pearl River
Community College	11-1	9018	Florida
Southwestern State College	9-3	8019	Salt Lake
Community College	11-3	7020	Pensacola State
College	12-3	6021	Kilgore
College	9-4	5022	Western Nebraska
Community College	12-3	4023	Eastern Florida
State College	10-2	3024	North Dakota
State College of Science	11-225	Blinn
College	11-2	7

2024-25 NJCAA DI Women's Basketball Poll | Week 6

3	Trinity Valley
Community College	11-1	326

5	Butler
Community College - KS	12-1	288

6	Cowley County
Community College	13-1	269

8	Northeastern
Oklahoma A&amp;M College	12-1	260

9	Indian Hills
Community College	13-4	249

13	Northwest Florida
State College	11-3	194

17	Barton
Community College	10-3	118

20	Southeastern
Community College	14-1	85

23	Coffeyville
Community College	10-3	37

Place	Name	Record	Points1	Snow
College	13-1	3432	New Mexico Junior
College	13-0	3373	Trinity Valley
Community College	11-1	3264	Salt Lake
Community College	11-1	2985	Butler
Community College - KS	12-1	2886	Cowley County
Community College	13-1	2697	Panola
College	10-2	266	0	48	Northeastern
Oklahoma A&amp;M College	12-1	2609	Indian Hills
Community College	13-4	24910	Howard
College	12-2 21411	Jones
College	12-2	20312	Daytona State
College	 9-2	19813	Northwest Florida
State College	11-3	19414	Chipola
College	11-3	16815	College of
Southern Idaho	9-2	13516	Eastern Arizona
College	13-1	12917	Barton
Community College	10-3	11818	Frank Phillips
College	10-2	11019	Odessa
College	0-3	9320	Southeastern
Community College	14-1	8521	Moberly Area
Community College	1-3	6722	Triton
College	8-3	6023	Coffeyville
Community College	10-3	3724	Eastern Florida
State College	10-2	3325	Monroe
University	12-3	14

2024-25 NJCAA DI Men's Basketball Poll | Week 6

STILLWATER, Okla. (AP) — Abou Ousmane scored 27 points and reserve Marchelus Avery scored 13 points and Oklahoma State took control late in the second half and went on to beat Kansas State 79-66 on Tuesday night.

Ousmane finished 11-for-15 shooting and Bryce Thompson added 10 points for the Cowboys (9-5, 1-2 Big 12), which ended their two-game losing streak. Oklahoma State shot 47.5% (28 for 59) including 43% (9 for 21) from 3-point range.

Coleman Hawkins scored 18 points for Kansas State. David N'Guessan added 12 points to go with 12 rebounds, and Max Jones scored 10 points for the Wildcats (7-7, 1-2) who have lost consecutive games and five of their last six.

With Oklahoma State up 23-22 with 5:30 before halftime, Thompson made a jump shot, Ousmane buried a 3-pointer and the Cowboys proceeded to outscore Kansas State 20-2 for a 43-24 halftime lead.

Oklahoma State led by double figures the entire second half. Avery's 3-pointer four minutes into the second half gave Oklahoma State its first 20-point lead at 50-30.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/1/1736302103072.png" alt="Photo K-State Athletics" />
 <figcaption>Photo K-State Athletics</figcaption>
 </figure>STILLWATER, Okla. (AP) — Abou Ousmane scored 27 points and reserve Marchelus Avery scored 13 points and Oklahoma State took control late in the second half and went on to beat Kansas State 79-66 on Tuesday night.Ousmane finished 11-for-15 shooting and Bryce Thompson added 10 points for the Cowboys (9-5, 1-2 Big 12), which ended their two-game losing streak. Oklahoma State shot 47.5% (28 for 59) including 43% (9 for 21) from 3-point range.Coleman Hawkins scored 18 points for Kansas State. David N'Guessan added 12 points to go with 12 rebounds, and Max Jones scored 10 points for the Wildcats (7-7, 1-2) who have lost consecutive games and five of their last six.With Oklahoma State up 23-22 with 5:30 before halftime, Thompson made a jump shot, Ousmane buried a 3-pointer and the Cowboys proceeded to outscore Kansas State 20-2 for a 43-24 halftime lead.Oklahoma State led by double figures the entire second half. Avery's 3-pointer four minutes into the second half gave Oklahoma State its first 20-point lead at 50-30.

Ousmane scores 27 points to help Okla. State beat Kansas State

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Justin Verlander and the San Francisco Giants have agreed to a $15 million, one-year contract, according to a person with direct knowledge of the negotiations. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Tuesday because the deal was pending a physical. It’s the latest big move by new Giants President of Baseball Operations Buster Posey since he was hired in September to replace Farhan Zaidi. San Francisco also signed free agent&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/giants-shortstop-adames-d7bd89b799627916d15c002d109b7977">shortstop Willy Adames</a>&nbsp;to a $182 million, seven-year contract in December. This will be the 20th major league season for Verlander, a three-time AL Cy Young Award winner who turns 42 next month. He would join a Giants rotation led by All-Star righty Logan Webb.

GAINESVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Tennessee coach Rick Barnes walked into the locker room and delivered a brief message to his downtrodden team: “This is good for us.” At least in the long run. The top-ranked Volunteers became the last Division I team to lose this season,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tennessee-florida-mens-basketball-score-984ee9d455743235479f8ebd70271934">getting thumped 73-43 at No. 8 Florida</a>&nbsp;on Tuesday night. This one was over shortly after it tipped.&nbsp;Tennessee (14-1, 1-1 Southeastern Conference) missed its first nine shots, trailed by double digits a few minutes later and never recovered. The Volunteers got bullied in the paint, outmuscled on the boards and beaten up and down the court. The result was the most lopsided victory against a No. 1 team since UCLA and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, then known as Lew Alcindor, beat Houston 101-69 in the 1968 Final Four.

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Coach Steve Kerr criticized his Golden State Warriors for being down and lacking “a competitive spirit” in their latest embarrassing loss. “If you don’t have that you’ve got nothing, so we’ve got to find a way to build that back up,” Kerr said after a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/heat-warriors-score-8c257d2a580b248f5fdaf48f06ae7a9e">114-98 loss to the Miami Heat</a>&nbsp;on Tuesday night.&nbsp;That followed a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kings-warriors-score-ef6e73e82695d4b848d02d09c1073adc">30-point pounding from the Sacramento Kings</a>&nbsp;two nights earlier. Draymond Green is calling for the Warriors to rediscover their soul. Stephen Curry is making it clear he can hardly do it all himself. At one moment in the second half on Tuesday the two-time MVP looked up at the scoreboard almost as if in disbelief about how it was going. The Warriors are missing shots and missing defensive assignments when it matters most. “Back-to-back no-shows pretty much,” Curry said. “... Nobody’s giving up hope. You’ve got to have a sense of urgency, though.”

DALLAS (AP) — Los Angeles Lakers coach JJ Redick said members of his family were among those in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/wildfire-southern-california-santa-ana-winds-c48661615061eb631784b666cddfa4ac">Southern California forced to evacuate their homes on Tuesday due to a wildfire</a>&nbsp;that was being whipped by strong winds around Los Angeles. The fire swept through a Los Angeles hillside where Redick lives alongside other celebrities, burning homes in Pacific Palisades and prompting evacuation orders for tens of thousands. Before the Lakers took on the Mavericks in Dallas, Redick acknowledged the gravity of the situation affecting his family and neighbors. “I just want to acknowledge and send thoughts and prayers to everyone in the Palisades right now,” Redick said prior to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/lakers-mavericks-score-083856969108d54bbd0e8efd47a6aef5">the Lakers’ 118-97 loss</a>&nbsp;to the Mavericks. “That’s where I live. “Our family, my wife’s family, my wife’s twin sister, they’ve evacuated. I know a lot of people are freaking out right now, including my family. From the sound of things, with the winds coming (Tuesday night), I know a lot of people are scared. So I just want to acknowledge that. Thoughts and prayers for sure, and hope everybody stays safe.”

WEDNESDAY SCORES NCAA MEN TOP 25 No. 8 Florida 73, No. 1 Tennessee 43

No. 14 Mississippi State 76, Vanderbilt 64

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1714991701059.jpeg" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Justin Verlander and the San Francisco Giants have agreed to a $15 million, one-year contract, according to a person with direct knowledge of the negotiations. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Tuesday because the deal was pending a physical. It’s the latest big move by new Giants President of Baseball Operations Buster Posey since he was hired in September to replace Farhan Zaidi. San Francisco also signed free agent&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/giants-shortstop-adames-d7bd89b799627916d15c002d109b7977">shortstop Willy Adames</a>&nbsp;to a $182 million, seven-year contract in December. This will be the 20th major league season for Verlander, a three-time AL Cy Young Award winner who turns 42 next month. He would join a Giants rotation led by All-Star righty Logan Webb.GAINESVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Tennessee coach Rick Barnes walked into the locker room and delivered a brief message to his downtrodden team: “This is good for us.” At least in the long run. The top-ranked Volunteers became the last Division I team to lose this season,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tennessee-florida-mens-basketball-score-984ee9d455743235479f8ebd70271934">getting thumped 73-43 at No. 8 Florida</a>&nbsp;on Tuesday night. This one was over shortly after it tipped.&nbsp;Tennessee (14-1, 1-1 Southeastern Conference) missed its first nine shots, trailed by double digits a few minutes later and never recovered. The Volunteers got bullied in the paint, outmuscled on the boards and beaten up and down the court. The result was the most lopsided victory against a No. 1 team since UCLA and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, then known as Lew Alcindor, beat Houston 101-69 in the 1968 Final Four.SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Coach Steve Kerr criticized his Golden State Warriors for being down and lacking “a competitive spirit” in their latest embarrassing loss. “If you don’t have that you’ve got nothing, so we’ve got to find a way to build that back up,” Kerr said after a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/heat-warriors-score-8c257d2a580b248f5fdaf48f06ae7a9e">114-98 loss to the Miami Heat</a>&nbsp;on Tuesday night.&nbsp;That followed a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kings-warriors-score-ef6e73e82695d4b848d02d09c1073adc">30-point pounding from the Sacramento Kings</a>&nbsp;two nights earlier. Draymond Green is calling for the Warriors to rediscover their soul. Stephen Curry is making it clear he can hardly do it all himself. At one moment in the second half on Tuesday the two-time MVP looked up at the scoreboard almost as if in disbelief about how it was going. The Warriors are missing shots and missing defensive assignments when it matters most. “Back-to-back no-shows pretty much,” Curry said. “... Nobody’s giving up hope. You’ve got to have a sense of urgency, though.”DALLAS (AP) — Los Angeles Lakers coach JJ Redick said members of his family were among those in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/wildfire-southern-california-santa-ana-winds-c48661615061eb631784b666cddfa4ac">Southern California forced to evacuate their homes on Tuesday due to a wildfire</a>&nbsp;that was being whipped by strong winds around Los Angeles. The fire swept through a Los Angeles hillside where Redick lives alongside other celebrities, burning homes in Pacific Palisades and prompting evacuation orders for tens of thousands. Before the Lakers took on the Mavericks in Dallas, Redick acknowledged the gravity of the situation affecting his family and neighbors. “I just want to acknowledge and send thoughts and prayers to everyone in the Palisades right now,” Redick said prior to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/lakers-mavericks-score-083856969108d54bbd0e8efd47a6aef5">the Lakers’ 118-97 loss</a>&nbsp;to the Mavericks. “That’s where I live. “Our family, my wife’s family, my wife’s twin sister, they’ve evacuated. I know a lot of people are freaking out right now, including my family. From the sound of things, with the winds coming (Tuesday night), I know a lot of people are scared. So I just want to acknowledge that. Thoughts and prayers for sure, and hope everybody stays safe.”WEDNESDAY SCORES NCAA MEN TOP 25 No. 8 Florida 73, No. 1 Tennessee 43No. 2 Auburn 87, Texas 82No. 3 Iowa State 82, Utah 59No. 4 Duke 76, Pittsburgh 47Georgia 82, No. 6 Kentucky 69No. 7 Marquette 74, Georgetown 66No. 14 Mississippi State 76, Vanderbilt 64Arizona 75, No. 21 West Virginia 56No. 24 Michigan 94, No. 22 UCLA 75No. 25 Utah State 85, San Jose State 78

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

Wichita Bishop Carroll 71, Wichita North 25

Wichita Northwest 45, Kapaun Mount Carmel 41

Kapaun Mount Carmel 67, Wichita Northwest 15

Tuesday AP ScoresBOYSAlma, Neb. 69, Northern Valley 27Berean Academy def. Sedgwick, forfeitBluestem 37, Douglass 26Carl Junction, Mo. 55, Pittsburg 49Chanute 69, Labette County 48Derby 68, Valley Center 67Erie 62, Cherryvale 36Holcomb 59, Goodland 54Holdrege, Neb. 103, Phillipsburg 51Maize 60, Goddard-Eisenhower 31Oakley 53, Oberlin-Decatur 46Oswego 69, Marmaton Valley 46Pratt 71, Kingman 18Red Cloud, Neb. 59, Rock Hills 52Scott City 53, Cimarron 28South Gray 63, Sublette 59Southwestern Hts. 68, Deerfield 34Wauneta-Palisade, Neb. 65, Cheylin 35Wichita Bishop Carroll 71, Wichita North 25Wichita Heights 59, Wichita West 27Wichita Northwest 45, Kapaun Mount Carmel 41Woodward, Okla. 69, Liberal 47GIRLSAlma, Neb. 71, Northern Valley 28Arkansas City 41, Goddard 28Berean Academy def. Sedgwick, forfeitBluestem 37, Douglass 26Cherryvale 68, Erie 30Derby 67, Valley Center 36Holcomb 46, Goodland 44Holdrege, Neb. 54, Phillipsburg 47Kapaun Mount Carmel 67, Wichita Northwest 15Maize 31, Goddard-Eisenhower 29Red Cloud, Neb. 62, Rock Hills 61, OTScott City 59, Cimarron 50South Gray 69, Sublette 13Southwestern Hts. 73, Deerfield 9Spearville 37, Meade 29Wallace County 47, Wheatland-Grinnell 27Wauneta-Palisade, Neb. 58, Cheylin 50Woodward, Okla. 68, Liberal 58

Tuesday scores

HENDERSON, Nev. (AP) — Antonio Pierce stood behind a lectern and took questions during an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/raiders-pierce-season-wrapup-167fec3a0f2e9fc2e3235b5a53bcdfe0">end-of-season news conference</a>, even though his future as the Las Vegas Raiders’ coach remained very much in question.

The organization could have informed Pierce, as it did Tuesday, that his services were no longer required and let him go on his way without speaking with the media.

But Pierce once again was asked to represent the club, and the Raiders sent mixed signals until the announcement a day later that he had been fired after just one season as their full-time coach.

“We appreciate Antonio’s leadership, first as an interim head coach and this past season as the head coach,” the team&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/Raiders/status/1876733271490301964" target="_blank">said in a statement</a>. “Antonio grew up a Raiders fan and his Silver and Black roots run deep. We are grateful for his ability to reignite what it means to be a Raider throughout the entire organization. We wish nothing but the best for Antonio and his family in the future.”

Pierce took over as the interim coach midway through the 2023 season and went 5-4 the rest of the way, and players advocated strongly for him to get the job on a full-time basis.

But the Raiders, after a 2-2 start this season, went on a 10-game losing streak to put his job in jeopardy. The Raiders dealt with a number of injuries including to defensive linemen Maxx Crosby and Christian Wilkins, navigated the Davante Adams early-season drama that culminated with his trade to the New York Jets, and finished the season 4-13.

Pierce was the fourth full-time Raiders coach — Rich Bisaccia closed out the 2021 season as the interim coach — in the past decade.

Going back to 2001 when Jon Gruden was traded to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Raiders have had 13 head coaches, including interims Bisaccia and Tony Sparano. That’s the most in the NFL over that span, with the Cleveland Browns and Miami Dolphins the closest at 11 apiece.

Pierce was one of three Black coaches hired a year ago, along with Jerod Mayo of the New England Patriots and Raheem Morris of the Atlanta Falcons.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/patriots-jerod-mayo-fired-4bc43a1ee8671179e58e46dfdc5126dc">Mayo was fired</a>&nbsp;Sunday, leaving Morris as the only remaining coach from that trio.

Three coaches&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nfl-fired-coaches-29b9e91501f0ff174c816e42b51535c8">have been fired</a>&nbsp;since the end of the season. The Jaguars&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jaguars-doug-pederson-fired-20f47f397e7885c8dd0fce10ac283076">dismissed Doug Pederson</a>&nbsp;on Monday. Jacksonville has&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/Jaguars/status/1876665925145158116" target="_blank">requested to interview eight candidates</a>&nbsp;for the position, including Raiders defensive coordinator Patrick Graham.

As for where the Raiders turn next, Mike Vrabel has been rumored as a possible candidate. He and Raiders minority owner Tom Brady were teammates with the Patriots, but Vrabel also figures to attract a lot of attention from other clubs with openings, including New England.

Owner Mark Davis has said Brady will have big say in operations, and it’s expected that will include the coaching search.

The team has other pressing issues. Las Vegas needs a franchise quarterback, something Pierce did not have at his disposal. Aidan O’Connell has proven to be a capable starter but hasn’t shown he has the ability or consistency to take a team deep into the playoffs.

But simply making the playoffs would be a major step forward for whoever gets the job. The Raiders’ most recent postseason appearance was three years ago; before that, they had advanced to the playoffs just once since losing in the Super Bowl after the 2002 season.

General manager Tom Telesco will need to fix a number of holes to give the new coach a reasonable chance to compete, most notably at running back and wide receiver. Las Vegas also needs more depth on defense.

Pierce likely will try to remain in the NFL, possibly as a position coach. He had never been a coordinator at this level before getting the Raiders job.

He likely won’t return to college because of an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/arizona-state-ncaa-antonio-pierce-054b09a6462830768770ca3e92c5d50d">eight-year show-cause penalty</a>&nbsp;handed down in October by the NCAA for violations Pierce committed when he was on Arizona State’s staff from 2018-21.

Pierce talked Monday about what he hoped was his future with the Raiders, saying any talk about his job status was “not inside the building.” He did acknowledge a sit-down was coming with Davis and Telesco.

A coach speaking with reporters and then getting fired isn’t typical, but it’s not completely unheard of, either. Matt Eberflus met with the media earlier this season hours&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/bears-matt-eberflus-fired-9d9908fe196d6de76e11cf24f9c6a449">before the Chicago Bears fired him</a>.

HENDERSON, Nev. (AP) — Antonio Pierce stood behind a lectern and took questions during an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/raiders-pierce-season-wrapup-167fec3a0f2e9fc2e3235b5a53bcdfe0">end-of-season news conference</a>, even though his future as the Las Vegas Raiders’ coach remained very much in question.The organization could have informed Pierce, as it did Tuesday, that his services were no longer required and let him go on his way without speaking with the media.But Pierce once again was asked to represent the club, and the Raiders sent mixed signals until the announcement a day later that he had been fired after just one season as their full-time coach.“We appreciate Antonio’s leadership, first as an interim head coach and this past season as the head coach,” the team&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/Raiders/status/1876733271490301964" target="_blank">said in a statement</a>. “Antonio grew up a Raiders fan and his Silver and Black roots run deep. We are grateful for his ability to reignite what it means to be a Raider throughout the entire organization. We wish nothing but the best for Antonio and his family in the future.”Pierce took over as the interim coach midway through the 2023 season and went 5-4 the rest of the way, and players advocated strongly for him to get the job on a full-time basis.But the Raiders, after a 2-2 start this season, went on a 10-game losing streak to put his job in jeopardy. The Raiders dealt with a number of injuries including to defensive linemen Maxx Crosby and Christian Wilkins, navigated the Davante Adams early-season drama that culminated with his trade to the New York Jets, and finished the season 4-13.Pierce was the fourth full-time Raiders coach — Rich Bisaccia closed out the 2021 season as the interim coach — in the past decade.Going back to 2001 when Jon Gruden was traded to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Raiders have had 13 head coaches, including interims Bisaccia and Tony Sparano. That’s the most in the NFL over that span, with the Cleveland Browns and Miami Dolphins the closest at 11 apiece.Pierce was one of three Black coaches hired a year ago, along with Jerod Mayo of the New England Patriots and Raheem Morris of the Atlanta Falcons.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/patriots-jerod-mayo-fired-4bc43a1ee8671179e58e46dfdc5126dc">Mayo was fired</a>&nbsp;Sunday, leaving Morris as the only remaining coach from that trio.Three coaches&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nfl-fired-coaches-29b9e91501f0ff174c816e42b51535c8">have been fired</a>&nbsp;since the end of the season. The Jaguars&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jaguars-doug-pederson-fired-20f47f397e7885c8dd0fce10ac283076">dismissed Doug Pederson</a>&nbsp;on Monday. Jacksonville has&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/Jaguars/status/1876665925145158116" target="_blank">requested to interview eight candidates</a>&nbsp;for the position, including Raiders defensive coordinator Patrick Graham.As for where the Raiders turn next, Mike Vrabel has been rumored as a possible candidate. He and Raiders minority owner Tom Brady were teammates with the Patriots, but Vrabel also figures to attract a lot of attention from other clubs with openings, including New England.Owner Mark Davis has said Brady will have big say in operations, and it’s expected that will include the coaching search.The team has other pressing issues. Las Vegas needs a franchise quarterback, something Pierce did not have at his disposal. Aidan O’Connell has proven to be a capable starter but hasn’t shown he has the ability or consistency to take a team deep into the playoffs.But simply making the playoffs would be a major step forward for whoever gets the job. The Raiders’ most recent postseason appearance was three years ago; before that, they had advanced to the playoffs just once since losing in the Super Bowl after the 2002 season.General manager Tom Telesco will need to fix a number of holes to give the new coach a reasonable chance to compete, most notably at running back and wide receiver. Las Vegas also needs more depth on defense.Pierce likely will try to remain in the NFL, possibly as a position coach. He had never been a coordinator at this level before getting the Raiders job.He likely won’t return to college because of an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/arizona-state-ncaa-antonio-pierce-054b09a6462830768770ca3e92c5d50d">eight-year show-cause penalty</a>&nbsp;handed down in October by the NCAA for violations Pierce committed when he was on Arizona State’s staff from 2018-21.Pierce talked Monday about what he hoped was his future with the Raiders, saying any talk about his job status was “not inside the building.” He did acknowledge a sit-down was coming with Davis and Telesco.A coach speaking with reporters and then getting fired isn’t typical, but it’s not completely unheard of, either. Matt Eberflus met with the media earlier this season hours&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/bears-matt-eberflus-fired-9d9908fe196d6de76e11cf24f9c6a449">before the Chicago Bears fired him</a>.

Raiders fire coach Antonio Pierce after he goes 4-13 in lone full season

- The "Voice of the Cougars" Cole Reif will be in to talk about the Cougar Men's victory over Mineral Area College Saturday and the Cougars Jayhawk Conference double-header Wednesday at home against Fort Hays Tech Northwest.

- Mike Courson talks with the "Voice of the Panthers" Steve Webster about the Panthers trip to Liberal and Great Bend's home game Friday at home against Garden City.

- "On the Prowl" with Mike Courson. Mike will visit with Great Bend Panther Wrestlers Jace and Cal Schartz.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1693997740304.jpeg" alt="Tuesday show lineup with hosts Steve Webster and Mike Courson" />
 <figcaption>Tuesday show lineup with hosts Steve Webster and Mike Courson</figcaption>
 </figure><div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/630luED1-Dw?si=O84n1immf-UIWqNu" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>- The "Voice of the Cougars" Cole Reif will be in to talk about the Cougar Men's victory over Mineral Area College Saturday and the Cougars Jayhawk Conference double-header Wednesday at home against Fort Hays Tech Northwest.- Mike Courson talks with the "Voice of the Panthers" Steve Webster about the Panthers trip to Liberal and Great Bend's home game Friday at home against Garden City.- "On the Prowl" with Mike Courson. Mike will visit with Great Bend Panther Wrestlers Jace and Cal Schartz.- Tuesday Sports Headlines- Sounds of the past 24-hours

Tuesday on Sports Day(Watch)

The Hoisington High School basketball games scheduled for Tuesday, Jan. 7 in Lindsborg have been postponed. 

Larned's games at Ellsworth have also been postponed tentatively to Thursday, Feb. 13.

Central Plains' games scheduled against Pratt-Skyline have been rescheduled for Thursday, Jan. 16.

The Hoisington High School basketball games scheduled for Tuesday, Jan. 7 in Lindsborg have been postponed. Larned's games at Ellsworth have also been postponed tentatively to Thursday, Feb. 13.Central Plains' games scheduled against Pratt-Skyline have been rescheduled for Thursday, Jan. 16.

Several area basketball games scheduled for Tuesday are postponed

FRISCO, Texas (AP) — Cam Miller ran for two touchdowns and threw for two more in his 54th consecutive start as North Dakota State’s quarterback, and the Bison won their record 10th Football Championship Subdivision title, beating top-seeded and previously undefeated Montana State 35-32 on Monday night. North Dakota State (14-2) made the trip from Fargo to Frisco for the 11th time in 14 seasons. Its previous title there was three years ago, in a game that also had Miller and Montana State’s Tommy Mellott as the starting quarterbacks. Miller completed 19 of 22 passes for 199 yards and ran 18 times for 121 yards to win his 45th game (out of 56 starts) and his second national title.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Los Angeles Chargers are planning to sign running back Ezekiel Elliott to their practice squad pending a physical, two people familiar with the situation told The Associated Press on Monday night. The people spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the move had not been completed. The Chargers (11-6) are the No. 5 seed in the AFC and open the playoffs at Houston on Saturday in a wild-card round game. Elliott was released by the Dallas Cowboys on Dec. 31 so that he could possibly sign with a playoff team seeking a veteran running back. The same thing happened last season when Dalvin Cook was cut by the New York Jets and played for Baltimore in a divisional-round win over Houston. This season in 15 games, Elliott had just 74 carries for 226 yards with a 3.1-yard-per-carry average, all career lows. The two-time NFL rushing champion has 9,130 yards and 74 rushing touchdowns in nine seasons.

Best in the Eastern Conference. Best in the Western Conference. The best shooting team in the NBA vs. the best defensive team in the NBA. A matchup like only two others in league history. Clear the calendar for Wednesday night, when Oklahoma City goes to Cleveland. Technically, any game between an East team and a West team is a potential NBA Finals preview — but this one certainly deserves that billing. A Thunder team on a 15-game winning streak, taking on a Cavaliers team on a 10-game winning streak (after having its own 15-game streak earlier this season). “Every game is a challenge, and every game is an opportunity to get better,” Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said. “There’s a different challenge every single night in the NBA season. Every game tests you in different ways.” He’s not wrong. But his team is 30-5. Cleveland is an NBA-best 31-4. Combined, that’s 61-9.&nbsp;

The Athletics have agreed to a $60 million, five-year contract with slugger Brent Rooker, a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press on Monday night. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the agreement had not been announced. The deal includes a $22 million vesting option for the 2030 season and escalators that could increase the value to $92 million over six seasons. Rooker was set to swap proposed arbitration salaries with the A’s on Thursday. He also would have been eligible for arbitration after the 2025 and 2026 seasons, and could have become a free agent following the 2027 World Series. The new deal keeps Rooker signed through 2029, when the team is planning to be in Las Vegas. The A’s left Oakland after last season and are set to play the next three seasons in a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/athletics-schedule-74af253129fac8e3c48c52fb94d06523">minor league park</a>&nbsp;in West Sacramento, California. The club says its new stadium in Las Vegas is expected to be&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/athletics-as-stadium-vegas-sacramento-oakland-e260efc7e82a3976d386957fb1f37a5b">ready in 2028.</a>

MONDAY SCORES NCAA MEN TOP 25 No. 12 Houston 65, TCU 46

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1721294994442.jpeg" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>FRISCO, Texas (AP) — Cam Miller ran for two touchdowns and threw for two more in his 54th consecutive start as North Dakota State’s quarterback, and the Bison won their record 10th Football Championship Subdivision title, beating top-seeded and previously undefeated Montana State 35-32 on Monday night. North Dakota State (14-2) made the trip from Fargo to Frisco for the 11th time in 14 seasons. Its previous title there was three years ago, in a game that also had Miller and Montana State’s Tommy Mellott as the starting quarterbacks. Miller completed 19 of 22 passes for 199 yards and ran 18 times for 121 yards to win his 45th game (out of 56 starts) and his second national title.LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Los Angeles Chargers are planning to sign running back Ezekiel Elliott to their practice squad pending a physical, two people familiar with the situation told The Associated Press on Monday night. The people spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the move had not been completed. The Chargers (11-6) are the No. 5 seed in the AFC and open the playoffs at Houston on Saturday in a wild-card round game. Elliott was released by the Dallas Cowboys on Dec. 31 so that he could possibly sign with a playoff team seeking a veteran running back. The same thing happened last season when Dalvin Cook was cut by the New York Jets and played for Baltimore in a divisional-round win over Houston. This season in 15 games, Elliott had just 74 carries for 226 yards with a 3.1-yard-per-carry average, all career lows. The two-time NFL rushing champion has 9,130 yards and 74 rushing touchdowns in nine seasons.Best in the Eastern Conference. Best in the Western Conference. The best shooting team in the NBA vs. the best defensive team in the NBA. A matchup like only two others in league history. Clear the calendar for Wednesday night, when Oklahoma City goes to Cleveland. Technically, any game between an East team and a West team is a potential NBA Finals preview — but this one certainly deserves that billing. A Thunder team on a 15-game winning streak, taking on a Cavaliers team on a 10-game winning streak (after having its own 15-game streak earlier this season). “Every game is a challenge, and every game is an opportunity to get better,” Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said. “There’s a different challenge every single night in the NBA season. Every game tests you in different ways.” He’s not wrong. But his team is 30-5. Cleveland is an NBA-best 31-4. Combined, that’s 61-9.&nbsp;The Athletics have agreed to a $60 million, five-year contract with slugger Brent Rooker, a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press on Monday night. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the agreement had not been announced. The deal includes a $22 million vesting option for the 2030 season and escalators that could increase the value to $92 million over six seasons. Rooker was set to swap proposed arbitration salaries with the A’s on Thursday. He also would have been eligible for arbitration after the 2025 and 2026 seasons, and could have become a free agent following the 2027 World Series. The new deal keeps Rooker signed through 2029, when the team is planning to be in Las Vegas. The A’s left Oakland after last season and are set to play the next three seasons in a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/athletics-schedule-74af253129fac8e3c48c52fb94d06523">minor league park</a>&nbsp;in West Sacramento, California. The club says its new stadium in Las Vegas is expected to be&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/athletics-as-stadium-vegas-sacramento-oakland-e260efc7e82a3976d386957fb1f37a5b">ready in 2028.</a>MONDAY SCORES NCAA MEN TOP 25 No. 12 Houston 65, TCU 46

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

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Second chances are not easy to come by. One victory over Texas in the College Football Playoff semifinals would more than make up for years of frustration for Ohio State quarterback Will Howard.

Howard lost all three of his starts against Texas when he was at Kansas State and the Longhorns were in the Big 12. He was on the sidelines for a fourth defeat.

“Personally for me,” Howard said, “there’s definitely a little extra motivation there because I never got the chance to beat these guys.”

Howard now leads the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/cotton-bowl-texas-ohio-state-7ce7bbb37058a98825c7f24d5c1e7015">country’s hottest offense</a>&nbsp;in Ohio State, and a win Friday night would send the Buckeyes to the national championship game in Atlanta against&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/cfp-orange-bowl-notre-dame-penn-state-e3bb6696ae8af8d414c7e36379da9490">Notre Dame or Penn State</a>&nbsp;on Jan. 20.

“Not downgrading his receivers at Kansas State, but he has a better group of receivers here, better people he can work with to get the ball to,” said Texas defensive back Jahdae Barron, who played against Howard three times. “That’s a strong kid. He’s a fighter. He’ll run the ball if he has to and things like that. So it’s going to be a great challenge for us.”

Howard started in place of the injured Skylar Thompson in K-State’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/texas-rbs-pile-up-311-yards-6-tds-clobber-k-state-69-31-fbb49ec8c5e9418dadbd28f9c559df41">69-31 loss in 2020</a>&nbsp;and in a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/college-football-sports-texas-kansas-texas-longhorns-football-517d2224a84d0004f2da69b10dbeafad">22-17 loss in 2021.</a>&nbsp;Howard saw no action in the Wildcats’&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/college-football-sports-manhattan-kansas-texas-longhorns-ecec95558d0735f12ccf96e61ac113d6">34-27 loss to Texas in 2022</a>; starter Adrian Martinez played the entire game.

Howard nearly got the job done in 2023, throwing for a career-high 327 yards and four touchdowns in a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/texas-kansas-state-overtime-field-goal-8d5f4e754d847fb6978cf9e2235dbd83">33-30 overtime loss</a>.

“I don’t like how that one ended,” he said, “and I’m excited to get another chance.”

Howard also will be playing in a familiar venue. The last time he was at AT&amp;T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, he quarterbacked K-State to a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/college-football-sports-kansas-state-wildcats-texas-christian-horned-frogs-76f0a265b025bea7ce8a485a14be3ecd">31-28 overtime win over unbeaten TCU</a>&nbsp;in the 2022 Big 12 championship game.

After the Wildcats finished with nine wins in 2023, Howard decided it was time for a change. He considered entering the NFL draft but ultimately went into the transfer portal. Miami and Southern California were among the schools that reached out to him in addition to Ohio State.

“I just felt like I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to come here and be a Buckeye and get a chance at winning a national championship, because this is why I came here and this is why we’re here,” Howard said.

Howard came out of high school in Downingtown, Pennsylvania, as a three-star recruit. Even though he started 27 of his 34 games at Kansas State and now is the starter for a college football blueblood, he still has a desire to prove himself.

“I like to take on that underdog mentality a little bit, that chip on my shoulder,” he said.

Texas coach Steve Sarkisian said Howard is deceivingly athletic, noting that Howard ripped off a 71-yard touchdown run against the Longhorns in 2021. He said K-State’s offensive system, which requires the quarterback to be multi-dimensional, prepared Howard well for his one season under Ohio State offensive coordinator Chip Kelly.

“He’s got intention. He’s got athletic ability,” Sarkisian said. “And then his ability to throw a catchable ball. I’ve seen that now for a few years. He throws passes where they need to be thrown, and guys make plays for him. And his poise and composure in critical moments is something that has been very impressive as well.”

Buckeyes coach Ryan Day said it’s not easy for a quarterback in his first year at a new school and in a new offensive system to inspire teammates to follow him.

“For Will, the more he plays at Ohio State in this offense with his teammates, he’s getting more and more comfortable with everything,” Day said. “And you can say, ‘Well, he’s played a lot of college football before,’ and he has. And you’re seeing some of those things show up on the field.

“But just like anything else, you see guys who move from NFL team to NFL team, and sometimes it takes a while to get into the offense and understand it. It’s like a language. When you can understand it, like second nature, that’s when you can play your best football.”

Howard has led the Buckeyes to five wins over teams ranked in The Associated Press top 10, thrown for a career-high 3,490 yards and 32 touchdowns, and is the only Ohio State quarterback to complete 80% of his passes in seven games.

“A guy from Kansas State, a transfer in year one, you wouldn’t expect that guy to be a leader like how he is,” Buckeyes receiver Brandon Inniss said. “He’s an unbelievable leader, and we all lean on him. He runs this whole team, he knows that. We’ll go as far as he goes.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/1/1736195426975.png" alt="Ohio State quarterback Will Howard celebrates a touchdown against Oregon during the first half of the Rose Bowl on Jan. 1, 2025. (AP Photo/Kyusung Gong)" />
 <figcaption>Ohio State quarterback Will Howard celebrates a touchdown against Oregon during the first half of the Rose Bowl on Jan. 1, 2025. (AP Photo/Kyusung Gong)</figcaption>
 </figure>COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Second chances are not easy to come by. One victory over Texas in the College Football Playoff semifinals would more than make up for years of frustration for Ohio State quarterback Will Howard.Howard lost all three of his starts against Texas when he was at Kansas State and the Longhorns were in the Big 12. He was on the sidelines for a fourth defeat.“Personally for me,” Howard said, “there’s definitely a little extra motivation there because I never got the chance to beat these guys.”Howard now leads the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/cotton-bowl-texas-ohio-state-7ce7bbb37058a98825c7f24d5c1e7015">country’s hottest offense</a>&nbsp;in Ohio State, and a win Friday night would send the Buckeyes to the national championship game in Atlanta against&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/cfp-orange-bowl-notre-dame-penn-state-e3bb6696ae8af8d414c7e36379da9490">Notre Dame or Penn State</a>&nbsp;on Jan. 20.“Not downgrading his receivers at Kansas State, but he has a better group of receivers here, better people he can work with to get the ball to,” said Texas defensive back Jahdae Barron, who played against Howard three times. “That’s a strong kid. He’s a fighter. He’ll run the ball if he has to and things like that. So it’s going to be a great challenge for us.”Howard started in place of the injured Skylar Thompson in K-State’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/texas-rbs-pile-up-311-yards-6-tds-clobber-k-state-69-31-fbb49ec8c5e9418dadbd28f9c559df41">69-31 loss in 2020</a>&nbsp;and in a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/college-football-sports-texas-kansas-texas-longhorns-football-517d2224a84d0004f2da69b10dbeafad">22-17 loss in 2021.</a>&nbsp;Howard saw no action in the Wildcats’&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/college-football-sports-manhattan-kansas-texas-longhorns-ecec95558d0735f12ccf96e61ac113d6">34-27 loss to Texas in 2022</a>; starter Adrian Martinez played the entire game.Howard nearly got the job done in 2023, throwing for a career-high 327 yards and four touchdowns in a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/texas-kansas-state-overtime-field-goal-8d5f4e754d847fb6978cf9e2235dbd83">33-30 overtime loss</a>.“I don’t like how that one ended,” he said, “and I’m excited to get another chance.”Howard also will be playing in a familiar venue. The last time he was at AT&amp;T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, he quarterbacked K-State to a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/college-football-sports-kansas-state-wildcats-texas-christian-horned-frogs-76f0a265b025bea7ce8a485a14be3ecd">31-28 overtime win over unbeaten TCU</a>&nbsp;in the 2022 Big 12 championship game.After the Wildcats finished with nine wins in 2023, Howard decided it was time for a change. He considered entering the NFL draft but ultimately went into the transfer portal. Miami and Southern California were among the schools that reached out to him in addition to Ohio State.“I just felt like I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to come here and be a Buckeye and get a chance at winning a national championship, because this is why I came here and this is why we’re here,” Howard said.Howard came out of high school in Downingtown, Pennsylvania, as a three-star recruit. Even though he started 27 of his 34 games at Kansas State and now is the starter for a college football blueblood, he still has a desire to prove himself.“I like to take on that underdog mentality a little bit, that chip on my shoulder,” he said.Texas coach Steve Sarkisian said Howard is deceivingly athletic, noting that Howard ripped off a 71-yard touchdown run against the Longhorns in 2021. He said K-State’s offensive system, which requires the quarterback to be multi-dimensional, prepared Howard well for his one season under Ohio State offensive coordinator Chip Kelly.“He’s got intention. He’s got athletic ability,” Sarkisian said. “And then his ability to throw a catchable ball. I’ve seen that now for a few years. He throws passes where they need to be thrown, and guys make plays for him. And his poise and composure in critical moments is something that has been very impressive as well.”Buckeyes coach Ryan Day said it’s not easy for a quarterback in his first year at a new school and in a new offensive system to inspire teammates to follow him.“For Will, the more he plays at Ohio State in this offense with his teammates, he’s getting more and more comfortable with everything,” Day said. “And you can say, ‘Well, he’s played a lot of college football before,’ and he has. And you’re seeing some of those things show up on the field.“But just like anything else, you see guys who move from NFL team to NFL team, and sometimes it takes a while to get into the offense and understand it. It’s like a language. When you can understand it, like second nature, that’s when you can play your best football.”Howard has led the Buckeyes to five wins over teams ranked in The Associated Press top 10, thrown for a career-high 3,490 yards and 32 touchdowns, and is the only Ohio State quarterback to complete 80% of his passes in seven games.“A guy from Kansas State, a transfer in year one, you wouldn’t expect that guy to be a leader like how he is,” Buckeyes receiver Brandon Inniss said. “He’s an unbelievable leader, and we all lean on him. He runs this whole team, he knows that. We’ll go as far as he goes.”

Ohio State's Howard gets one more chance against old nemesis Texas

- Sports Day returns from the holidays with a complete recap of the weekend including Sunday's NFL regular season finale between the Chiefs and Broncos.

- Great Bend Tribune Sports Editor Jim Misunas

- Barton wrestling coach Nathan Broeckelman

- Barton Women's basketball coach Alan Clark

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1693997740304.jpeg" alt="Monday show lineup with hosts Steve Webster and Mike Courson" />
 <figcaption>Monday show lineup with hosts Steve Webster and Mike Courson</figcaption>
 </figure><div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/gZ33RmM62s8?si=NE5TDxED5gsyo3LS" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>- Sports Day returns from the holidays with a complete recap of the weekend including Sunday's NFL regular season finale between the Chiefs and Broncos.- Great Bend Tribune Sports Editor Jim Misunas- Barton wrestling coach Nathan Broeckelman- Barton Women's basketball coach Alan Clark- Sounds of the Weekend

Monday on Sports Day(Watch)

After a 1-5 record before Christmas last year, the Ellinwood girls basketball team is off to a great start in the 2024-25 season. The Eagles are 6-0 and winners of the Kiowa County Shootout tournament with an overtime victory over host Kiowa County. 

EHS has featured a starting lineup of three freshmen and two sophomores for most of the season. Sophomore Reece Stickney is currently averaging 16.7 points, 5.7 rebounds and 2.7 steals per game.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/1/1736171253191.jpeg" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>After a 1-5 record before Christmas last year, the Ellinwood girls basketball team is off to a great start in the 2024-25 season. The Eagles are 6-0 and winners of the Kiowa County Shootout tournament with an overtime victory over host Kiowa County. EHS has featured a starting lineup of three freshmen and two sophomores for most of the season. Sophomore Reece Stickney is currently averaging 16.7 points, 5.7 rebounds and 2.7 steals per game.

Ellinwood girls off to 6-0 start in turnaround season

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Utilityman Cavan Biggio and the Kansas City Royals agreed Sunday to a minor league contract.

A son of Hall of Famer Craig Biggio, Cavan made his big league debut with Toronto in 2019. He was traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers on June 12, released on Aug. 8 and signed with San Francisco 15 days later. He was traded to Atlanta on Sept. 7 and elected to become a free agent on Nov. 1.

Biggio, 29, has a .225 career average with 51 homers, 186 RBIs and 32 stolen bases. He batted .197 with five homers and 19 RBIs in 78 games last year.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/1/1736171152824.jpeg" alt="FILE - Los Angeles Dodgers second baseman Cavan Biggio (6) celebrates after hitting a solo home run during the first inning of a baseball game against the San Diego Padres, July 30, 2024, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Denis Poroy, File)" />
 <figcaption>FILE - Los Angeles Dodgers second baseman Cavan Biggio (6) celebrates after hitting a solo home run during the first inning of a baseball game against the San Diego Padres, July 30, 2024, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Denis Poroy, File)</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Utilityman Cavan Biggio and the Kansas City Royals agreed Sunday to a minor league contract.A son of Hall of Famer Craig Biggio, Cavan made his big league debut with Toronto in 2019. He was traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers on June 12, released on Aug. 8 and signed with San Francisco 15 days later. He was traded to Atlanta on Sept. 7 and elected to become a free agent on Nov. 1.Biggio, 29, has a .225 career average with 51 homers, 186 RBIs and 32 stolen bases. He batted .197 with five homers and 19 RBIs in 78 games last year.

Biggio and Kansas City Royals agree to minor league contract

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Hunter Dickinson scored 21 of his 27 points in the first half and No. 7 Kansas posted the second-largest margin of victory in program history Sunday, beating UCF 99-48 in a Big 12 matchup. Dickinson, a 7-foot-2 senior center, shot 12 for 17 from the field and had nine rebounds while limiting UCF’s Moustapha Thiam, a 7-2 freshman who was slowed by foul trouble, to four points. Flory Bidunga had 12 points and five rebounds, Rylan Griffen scored 14 points and Dajuan Harris Jr. and AJ Storr each had 11 for the Jayhawks (10-3, 1-1). Kansas went on a 23-8 run after Thiam’s second foul in the first half and held UCF without a field goal for more than seven minutes. The Knights missed 11 straight shots during that run and made only three of their final 19 shots in the first half. UCF shot 20.6% in the game and was 7 for 30 from 3-point distance.

DETROIT (AP) — Jahmyr Gibbs was the game-breaking player the Detroit Lions needed to get their high-powered offense in gear — and give them a first-round bye and home-field advantage in the NFC playoffs. Gibbs scored three of his franchise-record tying four touchdowns in the second half, and the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/detroit-lions">Lions</a>&nbsp;beat the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/minnesota-vikings">Minnesota Vikings</a>&nbsp;31-9 on Sunday night to win their second straight NFC North title. “Everybody’s got to come through here, baby!” Detroit defensive end Za’Darius Smith said to the roaring crowd after the game. The Lions (15-2) and Vikings (14-3) could meet again in two weeks.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Doug Pederson is out as Jacksonville’s head coach after the franchise’s “best team assembled” won just four games. Jaguars owner Shad Khan fired Pederson on Monday, a day after a 26-23 loss at Indianapolis in overtime. It was the team’s 18th loss in its last 23 games. But Khan kept general manager Trent Baalke, a questionable decision that surely will affect who will become Jacksonville’s next coach. Khan made the move with one year remaining on Pederson’s contract. The decision came more than five months after Khan stood in front of coaches and players and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jacksonville-jaguars-shad-khan-4f58f9cc7b6666f9bee467fe37569484">declared this the “best team assembled by the Jacksonville Jaguars ever.”</a>

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) — The New England Patriots fired coach Jerod Mayo on Sunday after one season, beginning another reboot for the franchise just a year after it parted with longtime coach Bill Belichick. Owner Robert Kraft announced the firing in a statement shortly after New England closed its 4-13 season with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/bills-patriots-score-475a0669b332b5493ac40a1b955a4bcc">a 23-16 win over the Buffalo Bills</a>. “After the game I informed Jerod Mayo that he will not be returning as the head coach of the New England Patriots in 2025. For me, personally, it was one of the hardest decisions I have ever made,” Kraft said. “Unfortunately, the trajectory of our team’s performances throughout the season did not ascend as I had hoped.” Kraft was set to discuss the move in a news conference on Monday.

NFL Playoff Picture AFC No. 1 Kansas City Chiefs - First-round bye

No. 7 Denver at No. 2 Buffalo, Sunday, Jan. 12, noon on CBS

No. 5 LA Chargers at No. 4 Houston Saturday, Jan. 11, 3:30 p.m. on CBS

No. 6 Pittsburgh at No. 3 Baltimore Saturday, Jan. 11, 7 p.m. on Amazon Prime

NFC No. 1 Detroit Lions - first-round bye

No. 7 Green Bay at No. 2 Philadelphia Sunday, Jan. 12, 3:30 p.m. on Fox

No. 5 Minnesota at No. 4 LA Rams Monday, Jan. 13, 7 p.m. on ESPN and ABC

No. 6 Washington at No. 3 Tampa Bay Sunday, Jan. 12, 7 p.m. on NBC

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/2/1707734642080.jpeg" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Hunter Dickinson scored 21 of his 27 points in the first half and No. 7 Kansas posted the second-largest margin of victory in program history Sunday, beating UCF 99-48 in a Big 12 matchup. Dickinson, a 7-foot-2 senior center, shot 12 for 17 from the field and had nine rebounds while limiting UCF’s Moustapha Thiam, a 7-2 freshman who was slowed by foul trouble, to four points. Flory Bidunga had 12 points and five rebounds, Rylan Griffen scored 14 points and Dajuan Harris Jr. and AJ Storr each had 11 for the Jayhawks (10-3, 1-1). Kansas went on a 23-8 run after Thiam’s second foul in the first half and held UCF without a field goal for more than seven minutes. The Knights missed 11 straight shots during that run and made only three of their final 19 shots in the first half. UCF shot 20.6% in the game and was 7 for 30 from 3-point distance.DETROIT (AP) — Jahmyr Gibbs was the game-breaking player the Detroit Lions needed to get their high-powered offense in gear — and give them a first-round bye and home-field advantage in the NFC playoffs. Gibbs scored three of his franchise-record tying four touchdowns in the second half, and the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/detroit-lions">Lions</a>&nbsp;beat the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/minnesota-vikings">Minnesota Vikings</a>&nbsp;31-9 on Sunday night to win their second straight NFC North title. “Everybody’s got to come through here, baby!” Detroit defensive end Za’Darius Smith said to the roaring crowd after the game. The Lions (15-2) and Vikings (14-3) could meet again in two weeks.JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Doug Pederson is out as Jacksonville’s head coach after the franchise’s “best team assembled” won just four games. Jaguars owner Shad Khan fired Pederson on Monday, a day after a 26-23 loss at Indianapolis in overtime. It was the team’s 18th loss in its last 23 games. But Khan kept general manager Trent Baalke, a questionable decision that surely will affect who will become Jacksonville’s next coach. Khan made the move with one year remaining on Pederson’s contract. The decision came more than five months after Khan stood in front of coaches and players and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jacksonville-jaguars-shad-khan-4f58f9cc7b6666f9bee467fe37569484">declared this the “best team assembled by the Jacksonville Jaguars ever.”</a>FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) — The New England Patriots fired coach Jerod Mayo on Sunday after one season, beginning another reboot for the franchise just a year after it parted with longtime coach Bill Belichick. Owner Robert Kraft announced the firing in a statement shortly after New England closed its 4-13 season with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/bills-patriots-score-475a0669b332b5493ac40a1b955a4bcc">a 23-16 win over the Buffalo Bills</a>. “After the game I informed Jerod Mayo that he will not be returning as the head coach of the New England Patriots in 2025. For me, personally, it was one of the hardest decisions I have ever made,” Kraft said. “Unfortunately, the trajectory of our team’s performances throughout the season did not ascend as I had hoped.” Kraft was set to discuss the move in a news conference on Monday.NFL Playoff Picture AFC No. 1 Kansas City Chiefs - First-round byeNo. 7 Denver at No. 2 Buffalo, Sunday, Jan. 12, noon on CBSNo. 5 LA Chargers at No. 4 Houston Saturday, Jan. 11, 3:30 p.m. on CBSNo. 6 Pittsburgh at No. 3 Baltimore Saturday, Jan. 11, 7 p.m. on Amazon PrimeNFC No. 1 Detroit Lions - first-round byeNo. 7 Green Bay at No. 2 Philadelphia Sunday, Jan. 12, 3:30 p.m. on FoxNo. 5 Minnesota at No. 4 LA Rams Monday, Jan. 13, 7 p.m. on ESPN and ABCNo. 6 Washington at No. 3 Tampa Bay Sunday, Jan. 12, 7 p.m. on NBC

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

DENVER (AP) — Rookie Bo Nix set a franchise record by completing his first 18 passes and the Denver Broncos ended an eight-year playoff drought Sunday with a 38-0 rout of the Kansas City Chiefs' bevy of backups.

The Broncos (10-7) snapped a two-game skid and buried nearly a decade’s worth of futility and frustrations by returing to the postseason party for the first time since winning Super Bowl 50 following the 2015 season.

They'll visit Buffalo (13-4) in the wild-card round next weekend after handing the two-time defending Super Bowl champion Chiefs (15-2) their first shutout since Dec. 16, 2012, at Oakland.

Having already secured the AFC’s No. 1 seed and sole first-round bye in their quest for an unprecedented three-peat, Chiefs coach Andy Reid sat Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce and a host of other starters.

Carson Wentz got the start at quarterback and fizzled in his first extended action since Week 18 with the Rams last season. He was 10 of 17 for 98 yards and was sacked four times by the league's best pass rush (62 sacks).

Nix threw for four touchdowns, giving him 29 for the season, second-most by a rookie in NFL history, behind only Justin Herbert's 31 in 2020.

He finished 26 of 29 for 321 yards, and his 18 consecutive completions also were the most ever by a Broncos QB. Nix hit Marvin Mims twice, Courtland Sutton (five times for 98 yards) and Devaughn Vele for scores.

Vele's TD was intended for Adam Trautman but ricocheted off cornerbacks Nazeeh Johnson (twice) and Keith Taylor before&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/NFL/status/1876031097215009092">Vele cradled the catch</a>&nbsp;just before tumbling out of the back of the end zone, giving Nix 17 consecutive completions at that point and extending Denver's lead to 21-0.

That wild conclusion capped an 18-play, 89-yard drive that lasted more than 11 minutes, keeping Wentz cooling his cleats on the sideline next to Mahomes, who was decked out in a white hoodie.

After Harrison Butker was wide left on a 51-yard field goal — his first miss in 18 tries at Empower Field at Mile High — Wil Lutz gave Denver a 24-0 halftime lead by nailing a 33-yarder with 3 seconds left.

The Broncos made it 31-0 on Mims' second TD catch late in the third quarter and Audric Estime punched it in from the 1 in the fourth quarter.

The Chiefs won't play again until Jan. 18 or 19, meaning Mahomes, who last played on Christmas Day, and other stars who sat this one out will have at least 24 days between games.

The Broncos are back in the playoffs for the first time since winning Super Bowl 50 after the 2015 season. That’s the longest playoff drought for a team after raising the Lombardi Trophy.

The Broncos' clincher came 3,255 days after Von Miller led them to a 24-10 win over the Carolina Panthers on Feb. 7, 2016, and their reward as the AFC's seventh and final seed is a trip to Buffalo next weekend to face Miller in the first round of the playoffs.

The Bills were the only other team to beat Kansas City this season, 30-21 in Week 11.

The Chiefs' loss ended their six-game win streak but eliminated the prospect of them having to possibly face Cincinnati quarterback Joe Burrow at some point in the playoffs. The Bengals, who won their fifth consecutive game Saturday night at Pittsburgh, needed Denver to lose to have a chance to sneak into the playoffs at 9-8.

The Chiefs, who had won 17 of their previous 18 games against the Broncos, were planning on staying in Denver for the night because of a winter storm that also delayed their flight into Colorado for several hours Saturday.

Chiefs DB Chamarri Conner injured a shoulder in the first half and was ruled out at the start of the third quarter. Also sitting out for Kansas City were RB Isiah Pacheco (ribs), RT Jawaan Taylor (knee), CB Jaylen Watson (ankle), WR Mecole Hardman (knee), DE George Karlaftis, CB Trent McDuffie and DT Chris Jones (calf), among others.

The Broncos came out of the game healthy. WR Lil'Jordan Humphrey left briefly with an ankle injury in the first half but only missed a few snaps.

Chiefs: A first-round bye as they get healthy for the AFC divisional round Jan. 18-19.

Broncos: A visit next weekend to Buffalo for a wild-card game against the Bills.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/1/1736123661748.jpeg" alt="Denver Broncos wide receiver Devaughn Vele (17) celebrates after catching a touchdown pass during the first half of an NFL football game against the Kansas City Chiefs Sunday, Jan. 5, 2025, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)" />
 <figcaption>Denver Broncos wide receiver Devaughn Vele (17) celebrates after catching a touchdown pass during the first half of an NFL football game against the Kansas City Chiefs Sunday, Jan. 5, 2025, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)</figcaption>
 </figure>DENVER (AP) — Rookie Bo Nix set a franchise record by completing his first 18 passes and the Denver Broncos ended an eight-year playoff drought Sunday with a 38-0 rout of the Kansas City Chiefs' bevy of backups.The Broncos (10-7) snapped a two-game skid and buried nearly a decade’s worth of futility and frustrations by returing to the postseason party for the first time since winning Super Bowl 50 following the 2015 season.They'll visit Buffalo (13-4) in the wild-card round next weekend after handing the two-time defending Super Bowl champion Chiefs (15-2) their first shutout since Dec. 16, 2012, at Oakland.Having already secured the AFC’s No. 1 seed and sole first-round bye in their quest for an unprecedented three-peat, Chiefs coach Andy Reid sat Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce and a host of other starters.Carson Wentz got the start at quarterback and fizzled in his first extended action since Week 18 with the Rams last season. He was 10 of 17 for 98 yards and was sacked four times by the league's best pass rush (62 sacks).Nix threw for four touchdowns, giving him 29 for the season, second-most by a rookie in NFL history, behind only Justin Herbert's 31 in 2020.He finished 26 of 29 for 321 yards, and his 18 consecutive completions also were the most ever by a Broncos QB. Nix hit Marvin Mims twice, Courtland Sutton (five times for 98 yards) and Devaughn Vele for scores.Vele's TD was intended for Adam Trautman but ricocheted off cornerbacks Nazeeh Johnson (twice) and Keith Taylor before&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/NFL/status/1876031097215009092">Vele cradled the catch</a>&nbsp;just before tumbling out of the back of the end zone, giving Nix 17 consecutive completions at that point and extending Denver's lead to 21-0.That wild conclusion capped an 18-play, 89-yard drive that lasted more than 11 minutes, keeping Wentz cooling his cleats on the sideline next to Mahomes, who was decked out in a white hoodie.After Harrison Butker was wide left on a 51-yard field goal — his first miss in 18 tries at Empower Field at Mile High — Wil Lutz gave Denver a 24-0 halftime lead by nailing a 33-yarder with 3 seconds left.The Broncos made it 31-0 on Mims' second TD catch late in the third quarter and Audric Estime punched it in from the 1 in the fourth quarter.The Chiefs won't play again until Jan. 18 or 19, meaning Mahomes, who last played on Christmas Day, and other stars who sat this one out will have at least 24 days between games.The Broncos are back in the playoffs for the first time since winning Super Bowl 50 after the 2015 season. That’s the longest playoff drought for a team after raising the Lombardi Trophy.The Broncos' clincher came 3,255 days after Von Miller led them to a 24-10 win over the Carolina Panthers on Feb. 7, 2016, and their reward as the AFC's seventh and final seed is a trip to Buffalo next weekend to face Miller in the first round of the playoffs.The Bills were the only other team to beat Kansas City this season, 30-21 in Week 11.The Chiefs' loss ended their six-game win streak but eliminated the prospect of them having to possibly face Cincinnati quarterback Joe Burrow at some point in the playoffs. The Bengals, who won their fifth consecutive game Saturday night at Pittsburgh, needed Denver to lose to have a chance to sneak into the playoffs at 9-8.The Chiefs, who had won 17 of their previous 18 games against the Broncos, were planning on staying in Denver for the night because of a winter storm that also delayed their flight into Colorado for several hours Saturday.<h2>Injuries</h2>Chiefs DB Chamarri Conner injured a shoulder in the first half and was ruled out at the start of the third quarter. Also sitting out for Kansas City were RB Isiah Pacheco (ribs), RT Jawaan Taylor (knee), CB Jaylen Watson (ankle), WR Mecole Hardman (knee), DE George Karlaftis, CB Trent McDuffie and DT Chris Jones (calf), among others.The Broncos came out of the game healthy. WR Lil'Jordan Humphrey left briefly with an ankle injury in the first half but only missed a few snaps.<h2>Up next</h2>Chiefs: A first-round bye as they get healthy for the AFC divisional round Jan. 18-19.Broncos: A visit next weekend to Buffalo for a wild-card game against the Bills.

Nix leads Broncos past Chiefs' reserves 38-0 and into playoffs for 1st time since 2015 

The Denver Broncos can clinch their first playoff berth since 2015 Sunday when they host the Kansas City Chiefs, who are resting several of their starters. The Chiefs are 15-1 and have clinched the AFC's top seed and lone playoff bye. So coach Andy Reid announced that Patrick Mahomes will give way to backup Carson Wentz and several other starters will sit out against the Broncos. Denver has lost two consecutive games when a win or tie would have clinched a spot in the playoffs. A trip to Buffalo next week would be Denver's reward for making the playoffs.

Against the spread: Chiefs 7-8-1, Broncos 11-5.

The Denver Broncos can clinch their first playoff berth since 2015 Sunday when they host the Kansas City Chiefs, who are resting several of their starters. The Chiefs are 15-1 and have clinched the AFC's top seed and lone playoff bye. So coach Andy Reid announced that Patrick Mahomes will give way to backup Carson Wentz and several other starters will sit out against the Broncos. Denver has lost two consecutive games when a win or tie would have clinched a spot in the playoffs. A trip to Buffalo next week would be Denver's reward for making the playoffs.Kansas City (15-1) at Denver (9-7)Sunday, 3:25 p.m., CBSBetMGM NFL Odds: Broncos by 9 1/2.Against the spread: Chiefs 7-8-1, Broncos 11-5.Series record: Chiefs lead 73-56.Last meeting: Chiefs beat the Broncos 16-14 on Nov. 10, 2024, at Arrowhead Stadium.Last week: Chiefs beat the Pittsburgh Steelers 29-10 on Christmas Day; Broncos lost 30-24 in overtime at Cincinnati.Chiefs offense: overall (13), rush (16), pass (10), scoring (11).Chiefs defense: overall (4), rush (4), pass (14), scoring (2).Broncos offense: overall (22), rush (17), pass (22), scoring (10).Broncos defense: overall (15), rush (8), pass (25), scoring (5).<h2>Chiefs player to watch</h2>QB Carson Wentz gets the start for the Chiefs as Patrick Mahomes gets a rest with the No. 1 seed clinched and the game rendered meaningless to them. Wentz went to the Pro Bowl with Philadelphia and was one of the more productive quarterbacks in the NFL until injuries derailed his career. This is an opportunity to show off for a whole bunch of teams in desperate need of improved play at the game’s most important position heading into next season.<h2>Broncos player to watch</h2>CB Riley Moss was rusty in his return last week after missing a month with a sprained MCL. Moss was burned repeatedly by Joe Burrow and Tee Higgins, who hooked up for three touchdowns, including the clincher in overtime as the Bengals stayed alive in the playoff chase and denied the Broncos a playoff berth in Week 17. Moss is having a breakout season in his second year in the NFL, but he'll need to get back to his pre-injury self if the Broncos get into the playoffs and have to visit Buffalo.<h2>Key matchup</h2>Chiefs WR DeAndre Hopkins versus Broncos CB Patrick Surtain II. Hopkins figures to be one of a handful of front-line starters who play Sunday because he's approaching some bonuses. He's nine receptions shy of 65, which would trigger a $250,000 bonus. Another 140 yards receiving and he'll earn another $250,000. And if he has a TD catch, he'll earn $500,000 for having six this season. Surtain, the odds-on favorite to win the league's Defensive Player of the Year honor, has been shutting down teams' top options all season. Last week, he held Cincinnati superstar Ja'Marr Chase to three catches for 27 yards on six targets. Chase against everyone else had six catches for 75 yards.<h2>Key injuries</h2>Sitting out along with Mahomes for Kansas City are RB Isiah Pacheco (ribs), RT Jawaan Taylor (knee), CB Jaylen Watson (ankle) and WR Mecole Hardman (knee). DL Chris Jones (calf) was among nine players listed as doubtful on the Chiefs' final injury report Friday. Others listed as doubtful for Sunday although they're not hurt are: LB Nick Bolton, DE George Karlaftis, TE Travis Kelce, RB Kareem Hunt, S Justin Reid, LB Drue Tranquill and CB Trent McDuffie. Although the Chiefs have already said Mahomes won't play, he was officially listed as doubtful.The Broncos are healthy for Week 18 with only backup T Frank Crum (illness) ruled out Friday.<h2>Series notes</h2>The Chiefs have dominated the series ever since Peyton Manning retired. They won 16 straight before a 24-9 loss at Denver last season. They were about to lose again in Week 10 at Arrowhead Stadium but they blocked a chip-shot field goal as time expired to preserve a 16-14 victory.<h2>Stats and stuff</h2>The Chiefs have already set a franchise record with their 15th regular-season win. They can match the single-season record set by New England in 2007, though that was during a 16-game regular season. ... Mahomes has thrown 245 TD passes, the most for a QB in his first eight years. He hardly played as a rookie and made it in 112 games, while Peyton Manning (244) needed 128 games to set the previous record. ... Kelce has 1,004 receptions, third most among TEs. He needed 175 games to surpass 1,000, or 28 games fewer than Jason Witten. ... Kelce has 77 TD receptions, breaking Tony Gonzalez’s Chiefs record of 76. Kelce also has 80 total TDs, three behind Priest Holmes’ franchise record. ... Hopkins has caught a pass in an NFL-leading 178 consecutive games. Kelce is next with 174. ... Chiefs WR Xavier Worthy needs one TD catch to match Rashee Rice’s franchise rookie record of seven set last season. ... The Broncos can clinch a playoff berth for the first time since 2015 with a victory. Denver's playoff drought is the longest for a team that won the Super Bowl. ... A victory by the Broncos would give Denver a 6-2 home record, the franchise's best since the 2015 season when they also went 6-2 at home. ... Since Week 5, rookie Bo Nix has been one of the top five QBs in the league, completing 267 of 400 passes for 2,794 yards with 24 TDs and eight interceptions. ... Nix has multiple touchdown throws in all five starts against AFC West teams. ... Rookie RB Audric Estime had a season-best 53 yards rushing in the teams' first meeting in November. ... WR Marvin Mims Jr. is coming off a career-best game at Cincinnati, where he had eight catches for 103 yards and two touchdowns. ... DE Zach Allen had a career-high 3 1/2 sacks last week, most by a Broncos player since 2009. ... LB Nik Bonitto has sacks in six consecutive home games. ... LB Jonathon Cooper needs half a sack for his first career 10-sack season. ... Rookie LB Dondrea Tillman is going for his fourth consecutive game with a sack.