The top six singles and top six doubles finishers at each regional tournament will qualify for state competition.

CLASS 5A Saturday at Salina Central Schools: Emporia HS;Great Bend HS;Hays HS;Hutchinson HS;Newton HS;Salina-Central HS;Salina-South HS;Valley Center HS

CLASS 4A Friday at Winfield Schools: Augusta HS;Buhler HS;El Dorado HS;Nickerson HS;Pratt HS;Towanda-Circle HS;Wellington HS;Winfield HS

Saturday at&nbsp;McPherson Schools: Abilene HS;Clay Center Community HS;Colby HS;Concordia HS;Goodland HS;McPherson HS;Scott Community HS;Ulysses HS

CLASS 3-1A Friday &amp; Saturday at Conway Springs Schools: Anthony/Harper-Chaparral HS;Conway Springs HS;Haven HS;Hesston HS;Hillsboro HS;Hutchinson-Trinity Catholic HS;Neodesha HS;Pittsburg-St. Mary's Colgan HS;Wichita Collegiate HS;Wichita-Classical School Of Wichita;Wichita-The Independent HS;Wichita-Trinity Academy

Friday &amp; Saturday at Ashland (played at Dodge City HS) Schools: Ashland HS;Cimarron HS;Greensburg-Kiowa County HS;Ingalls HS;Kingman HS;Kiowa-South Barber HS;Lyons HS;Meade HS;Minneola HS;South Central HS;St. John-Hudson HS;Sterling HS

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1728352153791.jpg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>The top six singles and top six doubles finishers at each regional tournament will qualify for state competition.CLASS 5A Saturday at Salina Central Schools: Emporia HS;Great Bend HS;Hays HS;Hutchinson HS;Newton HS;Salina-Central HS;Salina-South HS;Valley Center HS CLASS 4A Friday at Winfield Schools: Augusta HS;Buhler HS;El Dorado HS;Nickerson HS;Pratt HS;Towanda-Circle HS;Wellington HS;Winfield HSSaturday at&nbsp;McPherson Schools: Abilene HS;Clay Center Community HS;Colby HS;Concordia HS;Goodland HS;McPherson HS;Scott Community HS;Ulysses HSCLASS 3-1A Friday &amp; Saturday at Conway Springs Schools: Anthony/Harper-Chaparral HS;Conway Springs HS;Haven HS;Hesston HS;Hillsboro HS;Hutchinson-Trinity Catholic HS;Neodesha HS;Pittsburg-St. Mary's Colgan HS;Wichita Collegiate HS;Wichita-Classical School Of Wichita;Wichita-The Independent HS;Wichita-Trinity Academy Friday &amp; Saturday at Ashland (played at Dodge City HS) Schools: Ashland HS;Cimarron HS;Greensburg-Kiowa County HS;Ingalls HS;Kingman HS;Kiowa-South Barber HS;Lyons HS;Meade HS;Minneola HS;South Central HS;St. John-Hudson HS;Sterling HS

🎾 Regional tournaments begin today for area schools

Reno County Coaches Show airs Thursday evenings at 6 p.m. on KWBW-AM/FM (1450/98.5) and on KWBWradio.com. Sean Boston, Glen Grunwald and Rob Dreher visit with area coaches and student-athletes throughout the school year for this weekly 30-minute show.

Glen Grunwald w/ Melissa Newton Loepp (Hutch High)

Rob Dreher w/ Brennan Torgerson (Buhler High School girls golf coach)

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1726138917283.jpeg" alt="Reno County Coaches Corner and More Show" />
 <figcaption>Reno County Coaches Corner and More Show</figcaption>
 </figure>Reno County Coaches Show airs Thursday evenings at 6 p.m. on KWBW-AM/FM (1450/98.5) and on KWBWradio.com. Sean Boston, Glen Grunwald and Rob Dreher visit with area coaches and student-athletes throughout the school year for this weekly 30-minute show.Glen Grunwald w/ Melissa Newton Loepp (Hutch High)Rob Dreher w/ Brennan Torgerson (Buhler High School girls golf coach)<div><iframe title="Reno County Coaches Show (Oct. 10, 2024)" allowtransparency="true" height="150" width="100%" style="border: none; min-width: min(100%, 430px);height:150px;" scrolling="no" data-name="pb-iframe-player" src="https://www.podbean.com/player-v2/?i=p2et4-1702973-pb&from=pb6admin&share=1&download=1&rtl=0&fonts=Arial&skin=60a0c8&font-color=&logo_link=episode_page&btn-skin=ff6d00" loading="lazy"></iframe></div>

🎧 LISTEN: Reno County Coaches Show (Melissa Loepp & Brennan Torgerson)

Week 6 of the high school football season is upon us in the Sunflower State. See below for the schedule involving area teams.

Week 6 Hutchinson at Campus Central Christian vs. Attica-Argonia Trinity Catholic vs. Ellinwood Buhler at El Dorado Fairfield vs. Pretty Prairie Haven at Belle Plaine Inman at Sedgwick Nickerson at Lyons Sterling vs. Conway Springs Halstead vs. Ellsworth Little River vs. Ell-Saline McPherson vs. Mulvane Newton vs. Andover Pratt at Phillipsburg Pratt-Skyline at Wichita Independent

You can find all of the Hutch Post area football schedules for the entire season&nbsp;<a href="https://hutchpost.com/posts/8e247860-8dc7-4f3a-86de-3a909aec11d2">here</a>.&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/6/1719520482079.png" alt="EAGLE Media High School Football Scoreboard" />
 <figcaption>EAGLE Media High School Football Scoreboard</figcaption>
 </figure>Week 6 of the high school football season is upon us in the Sunflower State. See below for the schedule involving area teams.Week 6 Hutchinson at Campus Central Christian vs. Attica-Argonia Trinity Catholic vs. Ellinwood Buhler at El Dorado Fairfield vs. Pretty Prairie Haven at Belle Plaine Inman at Sedgwick Nickerson at Lyons Sterling vs. Conway Springs Halstead vs. Ellsworth Little River vs. Ell-Saline McPherson vs. Mulvane Newton vs. Andover Pratt at Phillipsburg Pratt-Skyline at Wichita IndependentYou can find all of the Hutch Post area football schedules for the entire season&nbsp;<a href="https://hutchpost.com/posts/8e247860-8dc7-4f3a-86de-3a909aec11d2">here</a>.&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;

🏈 Week 6 area high school schedule

Week 7 of the college football season is upon us in the Sunflower State. See below for the schedule involving state teams.

KJCCC 11 a.m. - Dodge City vs. Ellsworth 1 p.m. - Highland vs. Butler 1 p.m. - Independence vs. Hutchinson 7 p.m. - Iowa Central vs. Coffeyville

MIAA 1 p.m. - Missouri Southern vs. Emporia State 1 p.m. - Central Missouri vs. Missouri Western&nbsp; 1 p.m. - Central Oklahoma vs. Northwest Missouri 2 p.m. - Nebraska Kearney vs. Pittsburg State 7 p.m. - Fort Hays State vs. Washburn

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/6/1719520416153.png" alt="EAGLE Media College Football Scoreboard" />
 <figcaption>EAGLE Media College Football Scoreboard</figcaption>
 </figure>Week 7 of the college football season is upon us in the Sunflower State. See below for the schedule involving state teams.KJCCC 11 a.m. - Dodge City vs. Ellsworth 1 p.m. - Highland vs. Butler 1 p.m. - Independence vs. Hutchinson 7 p.m. - Iowa Central vs. CoffeyvilleKCAC No gamesMIAA 1 p.m. - Missouri Southern vs. Emporia State 1 p.m. - Central Missouri vs. Missouri Western&nbsp; 1 p.m. - Central Oklahoma vs. Northwest Missouri 2 p.m. - Nebraska Kearney vs. Pittsburg State 7 p.m. - Fort Hays State vs. Washburn

🏈 Week 7 KJCCC, KCAC, MIAA schedule

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/11/1701263164849.png" alt="Early Morning Sports with Rob Dreher for Friday, October 11th, 2024." />
 <figcaption>Early Morning Sports with Rob Dreher for Friday, October 11th, 2024.</figcaption>
 </figure><div><iframe title="Early Morning Sports for October 11th, 2024" allowtransparency="true" height="150" width="100%" style="border: none; min-width: min(100%, 430px);height:150px;" scrolling="no" data-name="pb-iframe-player" src="https://www.podbean.com/player-v2/?i=inqbi-1702684-pb&from=pb6admin&share=1&download=1&rtl=0&fonts=Arial&skin=60a0c8&font-color=&logo_link=episode_page&btn-skin=ff6d00" loading="lazy"></iframe></div>

🎧 LISTEN: ⚾ Yankees beat Royals to win ALDS

HAYSVILLE, Kan. — The Hutchinson Salthawks football team (3-2) returns to the road and travel to Haysville, Kansas to take on Campus&nbsp;(0-5)&nbsp; on Friday night. Kickoff scheduled for 7 p.m.&nbsp;at Colt Stadium.

Catch the Salthawk Football Pregame Show sponsored by The Medicine Shoppe at 6:30 p.m. on <a href="https://radio.securenetsystems.net/v5/KWBW">KWBW-AM/FM (1450/98.5)</a>.

The award winning EAGLE Media sportscast crew consisting of Glen Grunwald with the play-by-play and color analysts Dan "Coach Nac" Naccarato. Hutch High senior Matt Peterson will provide the NFHS video stream on the Hutch High&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nfhsnetwork.com/">NFHS Video Stream</a>&nbsp;Channel.

Game audio is available at kwbwradio.com of click <a href="https://radio.securenetsystems.net/v5/KWBW">HERE</a>. Download the KWBW Radio app and take the game with you on the road.

The NFHS Network Hutch High Channel is a pay-per-view broadcast this season. Choose either an annual pass or pay month-to-month.

The live broadcast will begin at 6:50 p.m.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1728604072704.png" alt="Hutch High @ Campus - October 11th, 2024 " />
 <figcaption>Hutch High @ Campus - October 11th, 2024 </figcaption>
 </figure>HAYSVILLE, Kan. — The Hutchinson Salthawks football team (3-2) returns to the road and travel to Haysville, Kansas to take on Campus&nbsp;(0-5)&nbsp; on Friday night. Kickoff scheduled for 7 p.m.&nbsp;at Colt Stadium.Catch the Salthawk Football Pregame Show sponsored by The Medicine Shoppe at 6:30 p.m. on <a href="https://radio.securenetsystems.net/v5/KWBW">KWBW-AM/FM (1450/98.5)</a>.The award winning EAGLE Media sportscast crew consisting of Glen Grunwald with the play-by-play and color analysts Dan "Coach Nac" Naccarato. Hutch High senior Matt Peterson will provide the NFHS video stream on the Hutch High&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nfhsnetwork.com/">NFHS Video Stream</a>&nbsp;Channel.Game audio is available at kwbwradio.com of click <a href="https://radio.securenetsystems.net/v5/KWBW">HERE</a>. Download the KWBW Radio app and take the game with you on the road.The NFHS Network Hutch High Channel is a pay-per-view broadcast this season. Choose either an annual pass or pay month-to-month.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1726224332945.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>The live broadcast will begin at 6:50 p.m.<div><iframe src="https://player.nfhsnetwork.com/#/events/hutchinson-high-school-hutchinson-ks/gamd1af784126" allowfullscreen="true" frameborder="0" width="640" height="360"></iframe>


</div>

🏈🎥🎧 Hutch High travels to Haysville Campus for key AVCTL game

AP Sports Summary for October 11th, 2024:

Gerrit Cole tosses playoff gem, shutting down Royals and sending Yankees back to ALCS with 3-1 win

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Gerrit Cole held the Kansas City Royals to a single run over seven innings Thursday night, sending the New York Yankees to a 3-1 victory that put them back to the American League Championship Series. The six-time All-Star scattered six hits and struck out four before giving way to the New York bullpen. Clay Holmes breezed through a perfect eighth inning and Luke Weaver handled the ninth, extending the scoreless streak by Yankees relievers to 15 2/3 innings this postseason. Juan Soto, Gleyber Torres and Game 3 hero Giancarlo Stanton drove in runs for the Yankees. Michael Wacha failed to make it through five innings for Kansas City, which managed only five runs over the final three games of the series.

Dodgers will start Yamamoto against San Diego's Darvish in winner-take-all Game 5 of NLDS

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Shohei Ohtani will get his wish to see Los Angeles Dodgers teammate Yoshinobu Yamamoto face off against San Diego's Yu Darvish in the decisive Game 5 of the National League Division Series. The Dodgers announced late Thursday that Yamamoto will be their starter after manager Dave Roberts was cagey about his team's plans earlier in the day. The Dodgers used eight relievers to shut out the Padres 8-0 and set up the dramatic finale between the heated rivals. Ohtani had wanted to see the Yoshinobu vs. Darvish matchup earlier in the series, but the Dodgers switched Yoshinobu to Game 1 and the Padres started Darvish in Game 2.

Brock Purdy throws for 3 TDs and the 49ers beat the Seahawks 36-24 to move atop division

SEATTLE (AP) — Brock Purdy threw for 255 yards and three touchdowns, and the San Francisco 49ers never trailed in a 36-24 victory over the Seattle Seahawks. Deebo Samuel had a 76-yard catch-and-run touchdown and finished with three catches for 102 yards for the defending NFC champions. San Francisco improved to 3-3 and moved into a tie with Seattle for first place in the NFC West after an uneven start to the season. George Kittle added five receptions for 58 yards and two scores for the 49ers, who beat the Seahawks for a sixth straight time. Seattle's Geno Smith threw for 312 yards but was intercepted twice.

Fry's 2-run homer, squeeze bunt lead Guardians over Tigers 5-4 and force ALDS Game 5

DETROIT (AP) — Pinch-hitter David Fry had a go-ahead, two-run homer in the seventh inning, then bunted home an insurance run in the ninth to help the Cleveland Guardians force a decisive Game 5 against the Detroit Tigers in their AL Division Series with a 5-4 victory. Cleveland ended a streak of 11 losses in postseason elimination games dating to Game 6 of 1997 World Series. Game 5 is Saturday in Cleveland, with ace Tarik Skubal set to start for the Tigers. The winner advances to the ALCS against the New York Yankees or Kansas City Royals starting Monday.

Minnesota Lynx stun New York Liberty with 95-93 overtime win in Game 1 of the WNBA Finals

NEW YORK (AP) — Napheesa Collier's turnaround jumper with 8.8 seconds left lifted the Minnesota Lynx to a 95-93 win over the New York Liberty in Game 1 of the WNBA Finals. With the game tied in OT, Collier faked in the lane and scored. New York had a chance to tie it but Breanna Stewart's layup at the buzzer was off. Courtney Williams had 23 points, Kayla McBride 22 and Collier 21 for Minnesota. Jonquel Jones led New York with 24 points and 10 rebounds. Game 2 of the best-of-five series is Sunday in New York. Before the game, WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert announced that the league is expanding the Finals to best-of-seven next year.

Rays say it may take 'weeks' to fully assess damage at Tropicana Field, after Milton struck region

The Tampa Bay Rays say it may take weeks to fully assess how much damage was done to Tropicana Field, which saw its roof ripped to shreds by the force of Hurricane Milton as the deadly storm barreled across much of Florida. The team said no one was injured when the St. Petersburg ballpark was struck by the storm on Wednesday night. A handful of "essential personnel" were inside Tropicana Field as the roof panels were blown apart, much of the debris falling on the field and seats below.

OMG, Grimace and a playoff pumpkin: Close-knit Mets ride camaraderie and good-luck charms into NLCS

NEW YORK (AP) — From their playoff pumpkin to the purple Grimace seat and that catchy pop song by infielder Jose Iglesias, the merry New York Mets are riding a wave of good-luck charms and infectious camaraderie to unexpected October success. First baseman Pete Alonso says: "What's the point if you're not having fun? That's a part of the culture here." Up next, the wild-card Mets face the San Diego Padres or Los Angeles Dodgers in the NLCS beginning Sunday in California.

Rafael Nadal gave his all until he simply couldn't anymore and had to retire: Analysis

Rafael Nadal's tennis career will be remembered because of the numbers, yes — the 14 French Open trophies, the 22 Grand Slam titles overall, the nearly two decades in the top 10, and so on — and, without a doubt, because of his riveting rivalries with Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic. Also, indelibly, because of the all-out effort and energy he brought to the court every time. So long, that is, as his body allowed. Perhaps not surprisingly, it was his health that eventually forced Nadal to announce his retirement on Thursday after competing only sparingly the past two seasons.

18-year-old Macklin Celebrini scores a goal in his hyped debut for the Sharks

SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) — Macklin Celebrini didn't take long to make an impact for the San Jose Sharks. The 18-year-old rookie scored San Jose's first goal of the season and added an assist in his first period as a pro against the St. Louis Blues, signifying a brighter future ahead for a franchise that has been in the doldrums the last five years. Celebrini's first career goal came on his third career shift and was a fortunate one. The former Boston University star came in on a rush and did a spin-o-rama near the boards before trying a centering pass that hit defenseman Matt Kessel's skate and went past Joel Hofer.

Jets interim Jeff Ulbrich replaces Nathaniel Hackett with Todd Downing as the offense's play caller

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. (AP) — Nathaniel Hackett is out as the New York Jets' play caller on offense. Interim coach Jeff Ulbrich announced Thursday he is replacing Hackett with Todd Downing, who has been the Jets' passing game coordinator and quarterbacks coach. Hackett will remain the offensive coordinator in title. Ulbrich took over as coach Tuesday after owner Woody Johnson fired Robert Saleh with the team off to a 2-3 start and on a two-game losing streak. Ulbrich said the change in offensive play callers is a different take on things and a fresh approach for a struggling offense.

Here are the scores from yesterday's sports events:

NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION PRESEASON

WOMEN'S NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION PLAYOFFS

		New Orleans	at	Orlando	7 p.m.	(Canceled)

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/12/1701494597443.png" alt="Sports Headlines and News for Friday, October 11th, 2024" />
 <figcaption>Sports Headlines and News for Friday, October 11th, 2024</figcaption>
 </figure>AP Sports Summary for October 11th, 2024:<div><iframe width="100%" height="95" src="https://embeds.audioboom.com/posts/8588184/embed?v=202301" style="background-color: transparent; display: block; padding: 0; width: 100%" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="allowtransparency" scrolling="no" title="Audioboom player" allow="autoplay" sandbox="allow-downloads allow-forms allow-popups allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-storage-access-by-user-activation allow-top-navigation-by-user-activation"></iframe></div>Gerrit Cole tosses playoff gem, shutting down Royals and sending Yankees back to ALCS with 3-1 winKANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Gerrit Cole held the Kansas City Royals to a single run over seven innings Thursday night, sending the New York Yankees to a 3-1 victory that put them back to the American League Championship Series. The six-time All-Star scattered six hits and struck out four before giving way to the New York bullpen. Clay Holmes breezed through a perfect eighth inning and Luke Weaver handled the ninth, extending the scoreless streak by Yankees relievers to 15 2/3 innings this postseason. Juan Soto, Gleyber Torres and Game 3 hero Giancarlo Stanton drove in runs for the Yankees. Michael Wacha failed to make it through five innings for Kansas City, which managed only five runs over the final three games of the series.Dodgers will start Yamamoto against San Diego's Darvish in winner-take-all Game 5 of NLDSLOS ANGELES (AP) — Shohei Ohtani will get his wish to see Los Angeles Dodgers teammate Yoshinobu Yamamoto face off against San Diego's Yu Darvish in the decisive Game 5 of the National League Division Series. The Dodgers announced late Thursday that Yamamoto will be their starter after manager Dave Roberts was cagey about his team's plans earlier in the day. The Dodgers used eight relievers to shut out the Padres 8-0 and set up the dramatic finale between the heated rivals. Ohtani had wanted to see the Yoshinobu vs. Darvish matchup earlier in the series, but the Dodgers switched Yoshinobu to Game 1 and the Padres started Darvish in Game 2.Brock Purdy throws for 3 TDs and the 49ers beat the Seahawks 36-24 to move atop divisionSEATTLE (AP) — Brock Purdy threw for 255 yards and three touchdowns, and the San Francisco 49ers never trailed in a 36-24 victory over the Seattle Seahawks. Deebo Samuel had a 76-yard catch-and-run touchdown and finished with three catches for 102 yards for the defending NFC champions. San Francisco improved to 3-3 and moved into a tie with Seattle for first place in the NFC West after an uneven start to the season. George Kittle added five receptions for 58 yards and two scores for the 49ers, who beat the Seahawks for a sixth straight time. Seattle's Geno Smith threw for 312 yards but was intercepted twice.Fry's 2-run homer, squeeze bunt lead Guardians over Tigers 5-4 and force ALDS Game 5DETROIT (AP) — Pinch-hitter David Fry had a go-ahead, two-run homer in the seventh inning, then bunted home an insurance run in the ninth to help the Cleveland Guardians force a decisive Game 5 against the Detroit Tigers in their AL Division Series with a 5-4 victory. Cleveland ended a streak of 11 losses in postseason elimination games dating to Game 6 of 1997 World Series. Game 5 is Saturday in Cleveland, with ace Tarik Skubal set to start for the Tigers. The winner advances to the ALCS against the New York Yankees or Kansas City Royals starting Monday.Minnesota Lynx stun New York Liberty with 95-93 overtime win in Game 1 of the WNBA FinalsNEW YORK (AP) — Napheesa Collier's turnaround jumper with 8.8 seconds left lifted the Minnesota Lynx to a 95-93 win over the New York Liberty in Game 1 of the WNBA Finals. With the game tied in OT, Collier faked in the lane and scored. New York had a chance to tie it but Breanna Stewart's layup at the buzzer was off. Courtney Williams had 23 points, Kayla McBride 22 and Collier 21 for Minnesota. Jonquel Jones led New York with 24 points and 10 rebounds. Game 2 of the best-of-five series is Sunday in New York. Before the game, WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert announced that the league is expanding the Finals to best-of-seven next year.Rays say it may take 'weeks' to fully assess damage at Tropicana Field, after Milton struck regionThe Tampa Bay Rays say it may take weeks to fully assess how much damage was done to Tropicana Field, which saw its roof ripped to shreds by the force of Hurricane Milton as the deadly storm barreled across much of Florida. The team said no one was injured when the St. Petersburg ballpark was struck by the storm on Wednesday night. A handful of "essential personnel" were inside Tropicana Field as the roof panels were blown apart, much of the debris falling on the field and seats below.OMG, Grimace and a playoff pumpkin: Close-knit Mets ride camaraderie and good-luck charms into NLCSNEW YORK (AP) — From their playoff pumpkin to the purple Grimace seat and that catchy pop song by infielder Jose Iglesias, the merry New York Mets are riding a wave of good-luck charms and infectious camaraderie to unexpected October success. First baseman Pete Alonso says: "What's the point if you're not having fun? That's a part of the culture here." Up next, the wild-card Mets face the San Diego Padres or Los Angeles Dodgers in the NLCS beginning Sunday in California.Rafael Nadal gave his all until he simply couldn't anymore and had to retire: AnalysisRafael Nadal's tennis career will be remembered because of the numbers, yes — the 14 French Open trophies, the 22 Grand Slam titles overall, the nearly two decades in the top 10, and so on — and, without a doubt, because of his riveting rivalries with Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic. Also, indelibly, because of the all-out effort and energy he brought to the court every time. So long, that is, as his body allowed. Perhaps not surprisingly, it was his health that eventually forced Nadal to announce his retirement on Thursday after competing only sparingly the past two seasons.18-year-old Macklin Celebrini scores a goal in his hyped debut for the SharksSAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) — Macklin Celebrini didn't take long to make an impact for the San Jose Sharks. The 18-year-old rookie scored San Jose's first goal of the season and added an assist in his first period as a pro against the St. Louis Blues, signifying a brighter future ahead for a franchise that has been in the doldrums the last five years. Celebrini's first career goal came on his third career shift and was a fortunate one. The former Boston University star came in on a rush and did a spin-o-rama near the boards before trying a centering pass that hit defenseman Matt Kessel's skate and went past Joel Hofer.Jets interim Jeff Ulbrich replaces Nathaniel Hackett with Todd Downing as the offense's play callerFLORHAM PARK, N.J. (AP) — Nathaniel Hackett is out as the New York Jets' play caller on offense. Interim coach Jeff Ulbrich announced Thursday he is replacing Hackett with Todd Downing, who has been the Jets' passing game coordinator and quarterbacks coach. Hackett will remain the offensive coordinator in title. Ulbrich took over as coach Tuesday after owner Woody Johnson fired Robert Saleh with the team off to a 2-3 start and on a two-game losing streak. Ulbrich said the change in offensive play callers is a different take on things and a fresh approach for a struggling offense.AP-ScorecardHere are the scores from yesterday's sports events:___AMERICAN LEAGUE PLAYOFFSFinal	Cleveland	5	Detroit	4	Final	N.Y. Yankees	3	Kansas City	1	___NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION PRESEASONFinal	Indiana	129	Cleveland	117	Final	Oklahoma City	117	New Zealand	89	Final	Utah	107	Dallas	102	Final	Charlotte	119	Memphis	94	Final	L.A. Lakers	107	Milwaukee	102	___NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUEFinal	Ottawa	3	Florida	1	Final	Toronto	4	New Jersey	2	Final	Los Angeles	3	Buffalo	1	Final	Boston	6	Montreal	4	Final OT	Utah	5	N-Y Islanders	4	Final	Minnesota	3	Columbus	2	Final	Dallas	4	Nashville	3	Final	Pittsburgh	6	Detroit	3	Final OT	St. Louis	5	San Jose	4	___NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUEFinal	San Francisco	36	Seattle	24	___WOMEN'S NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION PLAYOFFSFinal OT	Minnesota	95	New York	93	___TODAY'S SPORTS SCHEDULE___NATIONAL LEAGUE PLAYOFFS		San Diego	at	L-A Dodgers	8:08 p.m.	___NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION PRESEASON		New Orleans	at	Orlando	7 p.m.	(Canceled)		Philadelphia	at	Minnesota	7 p.m.			Toronto	at	Washington	7 p.m.			Detroit	at	Phoenix	10 p.m.			Sacramento	at	Golden State	10 p.m.			Portland	at	L.A. Clippers	10:30 p.m.	___NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE		Tampa Bay	at	Carolina	7 p.m.			Chicago	at	Winnipeg	8 p.m.			Philadelphia	at	Vancouver	10 p.m.			St. Louis	at	Vegas	10 p.m.	___TOP-25 COLLEGE FOOTBALL		(16)Utah	at	Arizona St.	10:30 p.m.	___

📢📰🎧 Sports Headlines for Friday

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1693329059361.png" alt="Photo Courtesy KCAC" />
 <figcaption>Photo Courtesy KCAC</figcaption>
 </figure><div>KCAC
&nbsp;
WICHITA, Kan. &mdash;&nbsp;Oklahoma Wesleyan University earned the No. 1 ranking in both the 2024 KCAC Men's Basketball Preseason Coaches' and Media Poll, the conference office announced Thursday. The Eagles took home both the regular-season and tournament championship titles in the 2023-24 season. &nbsp;
<hr />
 In the preseason coaches' poll, Oklahoma Wesleyan secured the top spot with 169 total points and 13 of 14 first-place votes. Kansas Wesleyan University was ranked No. 2, with 153 total points and the remaining first-place vote. Rounding out the top five were Southwestern College at No. 3 (140 total points), Evangel University at No. 4 (128 total points), and the University of Saint Mary at No. 5 (122 total points). 2024 KCAC Men's Basketball Preseason Coaches' Poll 
<table dir="ltr" border="1" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" data-sheets-baot="1" data-sheets-root="1"><colgroup><col width="100" /><col width="100" /><col width="100" /><col width="100" /></colgroup>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>RANK</td>
<td>INSTITUTION</td>
<td>TOTAL POINTS</td>
<td>FIRST-PLACE VOTES</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>1</td>
<td>Oklahoma Wesleyan University</td>
<td>169</td>
<td>13</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>2</td>
<td>Kansas Wesleyan&nbsp;University</td>
<td>153</td>
<td>1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>3</td>
<td>Southwestern College</td>
<td>140</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>4</td>
<td>Evangel&nbsp;University</td>
<td>128</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>5</td>
<td>University of Saint Mary</td>
<td>122</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>6</td>
<td>McPherson College</td>
<td>113</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>7</td>
<td>Ottawa&nbsp;University</td>
<td>96</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>8</td>
<td>Bethel College</td>
<td>92</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>9</td>
<td>York&nbsp;University</td>
<td>64</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>10</td>
<td>Friends&nbsp;University</td>
<td>62</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>11</td>
<td>Sterling College</td>
<td>51</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>12</td>
<td>Avila&nbsp;University</td>
<td>39</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>13</td>
<td>Tabor College</td>
<td>29</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>14</td>
<td>Bethany College</td>
<td>16</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
&nbsp;
<hr />
&nbsp; In the preseason media poll, the top four teams remained the same. Oklahoma Wesleyan was ranked No. 1 with 209 total points and 14 of 15 first-place votes. Kansas Wesleyan was in second, with 184 total points and the remaining first-place vote. Rounding out the top five were Southwestern at No. 3 (174 total points), Evangel at No. 4 (159 total points), and McPherson College at No. 5 (132 total points). 2024 KCAC Men's Basketball Preseason Media Poll 

<table dir="ltr" border="1" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" data-sheets-baot="1" data-sheets-root="1"><colgroup><col width="100" /><col width="100" /><col width="100" /><col width="100" /></colgroup>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>RANK</td>
<td>INSTITUTION</td>
<td>TOTAL POINTS</td>
<td>FIRST-PLACE VOTES</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>1</td>
<td>Oklahoma Wesleyan&nbsp;University</td>
<td>209</td>
<td>14</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>2</td>
<td>Kansas Wesleyan&nbsp;University</td>
<td>184</td>
<td>1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>3</td>
<td>Southwestern College</td>
<td>174</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>4</td>
<td>Evangel&nbsp;University</td>
<td>159</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>5</td>
<td>McPherson College</td>
<td>132</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>6</td>
<td>University of Saint Mary</td>
<td>128</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>7</td>
<td>Bethel College</td>
<td>124</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>8</td>
<td>Ottawa&nbsp;University</td>
<td>121</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>9</td>
<td>Friends&nbsp;University</td>
<td>83</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>10</td>
<td>York&nbsp;University</td>
<td>75</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>11</td>
<td>Sterling College</td>
<td>73</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>12</td>
<td>Tabor College</td>
<td>50</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>13</td>
<td>Avila&nbsp;University</td>
<td>34</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>14</td>
<td>Bethany College</td>
<td>29</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table></div>

🏀 MBB: KCAC releases preseason polls

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1719936474572.jpeg" alt="Big 12 Conference" />
 <figcaption>Big 12 Conference</figcaption>
 </figure><div>Big 12 Conference
&nbsp;
Kansas was selected as the favorite in the Big 12 men's basketball preseason poll, marking the 20th time in 28 seasons the Jayhawks have sat atop the preseason poll. KU's Hunter Dickinson was voted as Preseason Player of the Year by the Conference's head coaches for the second consecutive year. Baylor's Jeremy Roach and K-State's Coleman Hawkins shared Preseason Co-Newcomer of the Year honors. The Bears' VJ Edgecombe was Preseason Freshman of the Year. The Jayhawks enter the season as the preseason favorite for the second consecutive year and were closely followed by Houston, who has ranked second in the preseason poll in both of its seasons in the Big 12. Iowa State, Baylor and Arizona rounded out the top five. Dickinson was a consensus All-American in 2023-24, earning Big 12 Newcomer of the Year and First Team All-Big 12 honors. The center from Alexandria, Virginia led the Big 12 with 10.8 rebounds per game and ranked second in the Conference with a 17.9 scoring average. It is the fifth time since 2017-18 a Kansas player has earned Preseason Player of the Year honors. Roach arrives at Baylor after earning All-ACC honors and helping Duke to the NCAA Elite Eight in 2024. The guard from Leesburg, Virginia averaged 14.0 points and 3.3 assists for the Blue Devils. He is the first Baylor newcomer to earn a share of the Conference preseason award since Manu Lecomte in 2016. Hawkins averaged 12.1 points, 6.1 rebounds and 2.7 assists at Illinois in 2023-24, as the Illini advanced to the NCAA Elite Eight. A wing from Sacramento, California, Hawkins starts his K-State career just 21 points shy of 1,000 for his career. He is the first K-State player to earn a share of Preseason Big 12 Newcomer of the Year. Edgecombe's honor marks the fourth consecutive season a Baylor student-athlete received a Preseason Big 12 Freshman of the Year nod. The Nassau, Bahamas native was a McDonald's All-American who helped Long Island Lutheran to the No. 2 national ranking, earning Gatorade Player of the Year honors in New York. Dickinson was the only unanimous selection to the Preseason All-Big 12 First Team, joined by Arizona's Caleb Love, Houston's LJ Cryer and J'Wan Roberts and Iowa State's Tamin Lipsey. Baylor's Norchad Omier and Roach were joined on the Second Team by Iowa State's Keshon Gilbert, Kansas' Dajuan Harris Jr. and K-State's Hawkins. All awards were voted on by the league's 16 head coaches, who could not vote for their own team or players. Preseason Big 12 Poll
<ol>
<li>Kansas (9 first-place votes) - 215 points</li>
<li>Houston (5) - 211</li>
<li>Iowa State (1) - 194</li>
<li>Baylor - 185</li>
<li>Arizona (1) - 179</li>
<li>Cincinnati - 140</li>
<li>Texas Tech - 135</li>
<li>Kansas State - 133</li>
<li>BYU - 116</li>
<li>TCU - 90</li>
<li>UCF - 83</li>
<li>Arizona State - 64</li>
<li>West Virginia - 62</li>
<li>Oklahoma State - 46</li>
<li>Colorado - 37</li>
<li>Utah - 30</li>
</ol>
&nbsp;
Preseason All-Big 12 First Team Caleb Love, Arizona LJ Cryer, Houston J'Wan Roberts, Houston Tamin Lipsey, Iowa State Hunter Dickinson, Kansas* *- unanimous selection
Preseason All-Big 12 Second Team Norchad Omier, Baylor Jeremy Roach, Baylor Keshon Gilbert, Iowa State Dajuan Harris Jr., Kansas Coleman Hawkins, K-State Preseason Player of the Year:&nbsp;Hunter Dickinson, Kansas Preseason Co-Newcomer of the Year:&nbsp;Jeremy Roach, Baylor Preseason Co-Newcomer of the Year:&nbsp;Coleman Hawkins, K-State Preseason Freshman of the Year:&nbsp;VJ Edgecombe, Baylor</div>

🏀 MBB: KU picked as favorite, K-State 8th in Big 12 Preseason Poll

No. 18 Kansas State (4-1, 1-1 Big 12) at Colorado (4-1, 2-0), Saturday, 10:25 p.m. ET (ESPN)

BetMGM&nbsp;<a href="https://nam12.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fsports.betmgm.com%2Fen%2Fsports&amp;data=05%7C02%7CPGraham%40ap.org%7Cb1a5a5bf07d04f1c387708dcdf29bd8d%7Ce442e1abfd6b4ba3abf3b020eb50df37%7C1%7C0%7C638630617633045579%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=yozifEO2a%2FeuGTWrfYlMLGE1DP%2BcazTi02VaRCk7wTg%3D&amp;reserved=0" target="_blank">College Football Odds</a>: Kansas State by 4½.

Kansas State pays a visit to Folsom Field for the first time since 2010. Both teams should be well-rested after a bye week. For Kansas State, a break hasn’t necessarily been a recipe for success as the Wildcats have dropped three straight following their bye. Deion Sanders has the Buffaloes 2-0 in league play for the first time since 2020. They were also 2-0 in the Big 12 in 2007 before losing to Josh Freeman and the Wildcats 47-20 in Manhattan, Kansas.

KEY MATCHUP The Buffaloes got their ground game going in a win at Central Florida, rushing for a season-best 128 yards. Dallan Hayden and Micah Welch each had a rushing touchdown. Colorado faces a Kansas State defense that has nine players with 15 or more tackles this season. Leading the way is linebacker Austin Romaine with 34.

Kansas State: Avery Johnson is one of three Power-4 QBs with at least 800 yards passing and another 300 yards rushing this season. He’s thrown nine TD passes and run for two more. The Wildcats are averaging 6.93 yards per carry, which is second in the country. They’ve had eight runs that have gone for 30 or more yards.

Colorado: Safety Shilo Sanders returns after missing the last three games as he recovered from a forearm injury that required surgery. Colorado’s defense is one of six in the nation that has yet to allow a 100-yard rusher or receiver.

Kansas State has won at least eight games in three straight seasons. The Wildcats are one of 13 Power 4 schools to boast such a feat. ... Kansas State has been ranked in all seven of the AP polls to start the season. The last time the Wildcats accomplished that feat was 2014. ... The Wildcats have scored 28 or more points in 12 of their last 13 games. ... Kansas State tailback DJ Giddens is averaging 120.8 yards rushing. ... Two-way star and Heisman hopeful Travis Hunter has been on the field for a total of 661 plays this season, including penalties. The cornerback and receiver is on numerous watch lists.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1726148269632.jpeg" alt="Kansas State running back Dylan Edwards high-steps into the end zone for a touchdown past Tulane safety Jack Tchienchou, right, during the second half of their game in New Orleans on Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Matthew Hinton)" />
 <figcaption>Kansas State running back Dylan Edwards high-steps into the end zone for a touchdown past Tulane safety Jack Tchienchou, right, during the second half of their game in New Orleans on Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Matthew Hinton)</figcaption>
 </figure>No. 18 Kansas State (4-1, 1-1 Big 12) at Colorado (4-1, 2-0), Saturday, 10:25 p.m. ET (ESPN)BetMGM&nbsp;<a href="https://nam12.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fsports.betmgm.com%2Fen%2Fsports&amp;data=05%7C02%7CPGraham%40ap.org%7Cb1a5a5bf07d04f1c387708dcdf29bd8d%7Ce442e1abfd6b4ba3abf3b020eb50df37%7C1%7C0%7C638630617633045579%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=yozifEO2a%2FeuGTWrfYlMLGE1DP%2BcazTi02VaRCk7wTg%3D&amp;reserved=0" target="_blank">College Football Odds</a>: Kansas State by 4½.Series record: Colorado 45-20-1.<h2>WHAT’S AT STAKE?</h2>Kansas State pays a visit to Folsom Field for the first time since 2010. Both teams should be well-rested after a bye week. For Kansas State, a break hasn’t necessarily been a recipe for success as the Wildcats have dropped three straight following their bye. Deion Sanders has the Buffaloes 2-0 in league play for the first time since 2020. They were also 2-0 in the Big 12 in 2007 before losing to Josh Freeman and the Wildcats 47-20 in Manhattan, Kansas.KEY MATCHUP The Buffaloes got their ground game going in a win at Central Florida, rushing for a season-best 128 yards. Dallan Hayden and Micah Welch each had a rushing touchdown. Colorado faces a Kansas State defense that has nine players with 15 or more tackles this season. Leading the way is linebacker Austin Romaine with 34.<h2>PLAYERS TO WATCH</h2>Kansas State: Avery Johnson is one of three Power-4 QBs with at least 800 yards passing and another 300 yards rushing this season. He’s thrown nine TD passes and run for two more. The Wildcats are averaging 6.93 yards per carry, which is second in the country. They’ve had eight runs that have gone for 30 or more yards.Colorado: Safety Shilo Sanders returns after missing the last three games as he recovered from a forearm injury that required surgery. Colorado’s defense is one of six in the nation that has yet to allow a 100-yard rusher or receiver.<h2>FACTS &amp; FIGURES</h2>Kansas State has won at least eight games in three straight seasons. The Wildcats are one of 13 Power 4 schools to boast such a feat. ... Kansas State has been ranked in all seven of the AP polls to start the season. The last time the Wildcats accomplished that feat was 2014. ... The Wildcats have scored 28 or more points in 12 of their last 13 games. ... Kansas State tailback DJ Giddens is averaging 120.8 yards rushing. ... Two-way star and Heisman hopeful Travis Hunter has been on the field for a total of 661 plays this season, including penalties. The cornerback and receiver is on numerous watch lists.

🏈 K-State returns to Folsom Field for the 1st time since 2010 in Big 12 clash with Colorado

Sophomore goalkeeper&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bluedragonsports.com/sports/wsoc/2024-25/bios/slothower_karsyn_oxul">Karsyn Slothower</a>&nbsp;tallied a season-high 11 saves and needed every one of them to help the No. 16-ranked Hutchinson Community College women's soccer team earn a key Jayhawk Conference point with the eighth-ranked Butler Grizzlies on Wednesday night at the Salthawk Sports Complex.

The Blue Dragons and Grizzlies battled to a 0-0 draw on Wednesday in a battle of two of the top KJCCC teams.

Hutchinson is now 7-2-4 overall and 6-2-4 (22 points) in the KJCCC. Butler is now 9-1-4 overall and 9-1-2 (29 points in the KJCCC). Hutchinson travels to Coffeyville for a 3:30 p.m. kickoff on Saturday at Veterans Memorial Stadium.

Hutchinson's fourth tie of the season is a new team record.

Slothower was busy in both halves and Butler dominated possession. The Dragons were out-shot 28-8 overall and 11-3 in shots on goal. Slothower had five saves in the first half and six in the second half. The Grizzlies also hit a post and cross bar.

Equal to Slothower's effort was the Blue Dragon back lin, which didn't allow any mad scrambles in front of the net on what few rebounds Slothower gave up.

The Dragons were strong on all six of Butler's corner kicks. Slothower was forced to make two saves.

The biggest danger the Blue Dragons were in off a Butler set piece was a free kick just outside the box to Slothower's right late in the second half. The Grizzlies weren't able to get a shot attempt off the free kick as it sailed through the box for a Dragon throw-in.

Slothower's performance on Wednesday gives her 146 career saves, which moved her past Carly McArthur (140) into second place on the Blue Dragons career saves list. Ashley Perez (2005-06) leads that category with 175.

This was also the second time Slothower surpassed the 10-save mark in a single game. Her career high is 14 against Barton last season.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1728565796627.jpeg" alt="Sophomore goalkeeper Karsyn Slothower goes high to make one of her 11 saves in No. 16 Hutchinson's 0-0 draw with No. 8 Butler on Wednesday at the Salthawk Soccer Complex. (Andrew Carpenter/Digital Fox Photography)" />
 <figcaption>Sophomore goalkeeper Karsyn Slothower goes high to make one of her 11 saves in No. 16 Hutchinson's 0-0 draw with No. 8 Butler on Wednesday at the Salthawk Soccer Complex. (Andrew Carpenter/Digital Fox Photography)</figcaption>
 </figure>Hutchinson CC Sports InformationSophomore goalkeeper&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bluedragonsports.com/sports/wsoc/2024-25/bios/slothower_karsyn_oxul">Karsyn Slothower</a>&nbsp;tallied a season-high 11 saves and needed every one of them to help the No. 16-ranked Hutchinson Community College women's soccer team earn a key Jayhawk Conference point with the eighth-ranked Butler Grizzlies on Wednesday night at the Salthawk Sports Complex.The Blue Dragons and Grizzlies battled to a 0-0 draw on Wednesday in a battle of two of the top KJCCC teams.Hutchinson is now 7-2-4 overall and 6-2-4 (22 points) in the KJCCC. Butler is now 9-1-4 overall and 9-1-2 (29 points in the KJCCC). Hutchinson travels to Coffeyville for a 3:30 p.m. kickoff on Saturday at Veterans Memorial Stadium.Hutchinson's fourth tie of the season is a new team record.Slothower was busy in both halves and Butler dominated possession. The Dragons were out-shot 28-8 overall and 11-3 in shots on goal. Slothower had five saves in the first half and six in the second half. The Grizzlies also hit a post and cross bar.Equal to Slothower's effort was the Blue Dragon back lin, which didn't allow any mad scrambles in front of the net on what few rebounds Slothower gave up.The Dragons were strong on all six of Butler's corner kicks. Slothower was forced to make two saves.The biggest danger the Blue Dragons were in off a Butler set piece was a free kick just outside the box to Slothower's right late in the second half. The Grizzlies weren't able to get a shot attempt off the free kick as it sailed through the box for a Dragon throw-in.Slothower's performance on Wednesday gives her 146 career saves, which moved her past Carly McArthur (140) into second place on the Blue Dragons career saves list. Ashley Perez (2005-06) leads that category with 175.This was also the second time Slothower surpassed the 10-save mark in a single game. Her career high is 14 against Barton last season.

⚽ Slowthower leads HutchCC to draw with No. 8 Butler

DODGE CITY – The Hutchinson Community College volleyball team started a very busy weekend off on a tough note after dropping a five-set KJCCC battle on Wednesday at Dodge City.

The Blue Dragons saw the Conquistadors storm back from two sets down to defeat Hutchinson 25-18, 25-23, 21-25, 21-25, 15-7 at the DC3 Student Event Center.

The Dragons fell to 12-13 overall and 3-6 in the KJCCC. Hutchinson travels to Park Hill, Missouri for their final weekend tournament of the season to play Indian Hills, Vincennes, MSU-West Plains and Mineral Area in the Cardinal Classic. Dodge City is now 17-10 overall and 8-2 in the league.

The Blue Dragons got a needed offensive spark with the return of right-side hitter&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bluedragonsports.com/sports/wvball/2024-25/bios/simmons_tiana_pzqy">Tiana Simmons</a>&nbsp;into the line-up. Simmons and outside hitter&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bluedragonsports.com/sports/wvball/2024-25/bios/proctor_atlyn_7f6g">Atlyn Proctor</a>&nbsp;combined for 28 kills against the Conquistadors and the Blue Dragons captured the first two sets. Dodge City's block and service game started to take over and the Conquistadors won sets three and four.

Dodge City scored the first two points of the fifth set, but on Addy Foster's serve, the Dragons scored five-straight to take a 5-2 lead. The Conquistadors then scored 13 of the match's final 17 points to claim a season sweep of the Blue Dragons.

Proctor finished with 15 kills and four total blocks to lead the Blue Dragons. Simmons had 13 kills in her return to the line-up.

Freshman&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bluedragonsports.com/sports/wvball/2024-25/bios/galey_brooklyn_309m">Brooke Galey</a>&nbsp;had six kills, three blocks and 10 digs, while sophomore middle&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bluedragonsports.com/sports/wvball/2024-25/bios/johnson_precious_mdlb">Precious Johnson</a>&nbsp;had five kills and nine blocks.

Sophomore setter&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bluedragonsports.com/sports/wvball/2024-25/bios/wilson_shelbi_f4d1">Shelbi Wilson</a>&nbsp;tallied 38 assists and two aces.

Foster had a team-high 18 digs.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bluedragonsports.com/sports/wvball/2024-25/bios/suber_ellie_z1k4">Ellie Suber</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bluedragonsports.com/sports/wvball/2024-25/bios/sanchez_siani_k5i7">Siani Sanchez</a>&nbsp;had two aces each.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1728565726013.jpeg" alt="Tiana Simmons returned to the lineup and powered down 13 kills, but the Blue Dragons dropped a five-set match on Wednesday at Dodge City." />
 <figcaption>Tiana Simmons returned to the lineup and powered down 13 kills, but the Blue Dragons dropped a five-set match on Wednesday at Dodge City.</figcaption>
 </figure>Hutchinson CC Sports InformationDODGE CITY – The Hutchinson Community College volleyball team started a very busy weekend off on a tough note after dropping a five-set KJCCC battle on Wednesday at Dodge City.The Blue Dragons saw the Conquistadors storm back from two sets down to defeat Hutchinson 25-18, 25-23, 21-25, 21-25, 15-7 at the DC3 Student Event Center.The Dragons fell to 12-13 overall and 3-6 in the KJCCC. Hutchinson travels to Park Hill, Missouri for their final weekend tournament of the season to play Indian Hills, Vincennes, MSU-West Plains and Mineral Area in the Cardinal Classic. Dodge City is now 17-10 overall and 8-2 in the league.The Blue Dragons got a needed offensive spark with the return of right-side hitter&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bluedragonsports.com/sports/wvball/2024-25/bios/simmons_tiana_pzqy">Tiana Simmons</a>&nbsp;into the line-up. Simmons and outside hitter&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bluedragonsports.com/sports/wvball/2024-25/bios/proctor_atlyn_7f6g">Atlyn Proctor</a>&nbsp;combined for 28 kills against the Conquistadors and the Blue Dragons captured the first two sets. Dodge City's block and service game started to take over and the Conquistadors won sets three and four.Dodge City scored the first two points of the fifth set, but on Addy Foster's serve, the Dragons scored five-straight to take a 5-2 lead. The Conquistadors then scored 13 of the match's final 17 points to claim a season sweep of the Blue Dragons.Proctor finished with 15 kills and four total blocks to lead the Blue Dragons. Simmons had 13 kills in her return to the line-up.Freshman&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bluedragonsports.com/sports/wvball/2024-25/bios/galey_brooklyn_309m">Brooke Galey</a>&nbsp;had six kills, three blocks and 10 digs, while sophomore middle&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bluedragonsports.com/sports/wvball/2024-25/bios/johnson_precious_mdlb">Precious Johnson</a>&nbsp;had five kills and nine blocks.Sophomore setter&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bluedragonsports.com/sports/wvball/2024-25/bios/wilson_shelbi_f4d1">Shelbi Wilson</a>&nbsp;tallied 38 assists and two aces.Foster had a team-high 18 digs.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bluedragonsports.com/sports/wvball/2024-25/bios/suber_ellie_z1k4">Ellie Suber</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bluedragonsports.com/sports/wvball/2024-25/bios/sanchez_siani_k5i7">Siani Sanchez</a>&nbsp;had two aces each.

🏐 Blue Dragons fall in 5 sets at Dodge City

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/11/1701263164849.png" alt="Early Morning Sports with Rob Dreher for Thursday, October 10th, 2024" />
 <figcaption>Early Morning Sports with Rob Dreher for Thursday, October 10th, 2024</figcaption>
 </figure><div><iframe title="Early Morning Sports for October 10th, 2024" allowtransparency="true" height="150" width="100%" style="border: none; min-width: min(100%, 430px);height:150px;" scrolling="no" data-name="pb-iframe-player" src="https://www.podbean.com/player-v2/?i=akz6z-1700e56-pb&from=pb6admin&share=1&download=1&rtl=0&fonts=Arial&skin=60a0c8&font-color=&logo_link=episode_page&btn-skin=ff6d00" loading="lazy"></iframe></div>

🎧 LISTEN: ⚾ Royals in must win game of ALDS, ⚽ HutchCC earns draw with Butler

AP Sports Summary for October 10th, 2024:

22-time Grand Slam champion Rafael Nadal will retire from tennis after next month's Davis Cup finals

Rafael Nadal has announced he will retire from tennis at age 38 following next month's Davis Cup finals. Nadal won 22 Grand Slam singles titles during an unprecedented era he shared with his rivals in the so-called Big Three, Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic. He indicated his decision was related to persistent injury problems. Nadal's unrelenting, physical style of play made him one of the greats of the game and the unquestioned King of Clay, the slow, red surface on which he claimed his record 14 French Open championships.

The Jacksonville Jaguars say their flight to London will be delayed because of Hurricane Milton

LONDON (AP) — The Jacksonville Jaguars plan to arrive to London later than expected Friday because of Hurricane Milton, the team confirmed ahead of Sunday's game against the Chicago Bears. A team spokesperson said the team's departure time has been "slightly" delayed. The hurricane brought powerful winds, a deadly storm surge and flooding to much of Florida after making landfall along the Gulf Coast as a Category 3 storm. The Jaguars canceled a Friday press conference at the team hotel outside London and rescheduled it for Saturday morning. They play the Bears the next day at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Francisco Lindor's grand slam sends Mets into NLCS with 4-1 win over Phillies in Game 4 of NLDS

NEW YORK (AP) — Francisco Lindor hit a grand slam in the sixth inning, his latest clutch swing in a storybook season, and the New York Mets reached the National League Championship Series with a 4-1 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies. Edwin Díaz struck out Kyle Schwarber with two runners aboard to end it as New York finished off the rival Phillies in Game 4 of their best-of-five Division Series, winning 3-1 to wrap up a postseason series at home for the first time in 24 years. After three days of rest, New York will open the best-of-seven NLCS on Sunday at the San Diego Padres or Los Angeles Dodgers. San Diego held a 2-1 lead in their NLDS heading into Game 4 on Wednesday night.

Betts and Ohtani help the Dodgers stay alive in NLDS with 8-0 win vs the Padres

SAN DIEGO (AP) — Mookie Betts homered for the second straight night, Shohei Ohtani hit an RBI single and the Los Angeles Dodgers beat Dylan Cease and the San Diego Padres 8-0 to force a deciding Game 5 in their tense NL Division Series. Will Smith and Gavin Lux each hit a two-run homer for the Dodgers, who snapped a two-game losing streak and now return home for the next matchup between the NL West rivals on Friday night. The Padres won 10-2 at Dodger Stadium in Game 3 on Sunday night, when tempers flared on the field and in the stands.

Milton damages the roof of the Rays' stadium and forces NBA preseason game to be called off

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — The fabric roof over the home of baseball's Tampa Bay Rays was ripped to shreds after Hurricane Milton came ashore in Florida, bringing wind gusts exceeding 100 mph and flooding parts of the state. Concerns over Milton and its effects on Florida also forced the cancellation of Friday's NBA preseason game in Orlando between the Magic and the New Orleans Pelicans. The game won't be rescheduled. Orlando was playing at San Antonio on Wednesday night and was scheduled to return to Central Florida on Thursday. Those plans are now in flux because of the storm, which made landfall near Siesta Key, Florida, on Wednesday night.

Giancarlo Stanton hits go-ahead homer in the eighth, Yankees beat Royals 3-2 in Game 3 of the ALDS

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Giancarlo Stanton hit a go-ahead homer in the eighth inning, and the New York Yankees beat the Kansas City Royals 3-2 in Game 3 of their AL Division Series at Kauffman Stadium. The Yankees will send six-time All-Star Gerrit Cole to the mound Thursday night with a chance to advance to the American League Championship Series. Stanton had three hits, drove in two runs and stole a base for the first time in four years for the Yankees, who won despite another tough night for MVP front-runner Aaron Judge. Kyle Isbel and Michael Massey drove in the runs for Kansas City, which was hosting a playoff game for the first time since Game 2 of the 2015 World Series.

IOC sets January date for seven presidential candidates to woo Olympic voters

LAUSANNE, Switzerland (AP) — The International Olympic Committee has set a Jan. 30 date for its key presidential election meeting in Lausanne, Switzerland. It's where the seven candidates will present their ideas to voters ahead of the election at a March 18-21 meeting in Greece. The closed-doors meeting at IOC headquarters is the only set-piece campaign event in perhaps the most discreet and secretive election in world sports. The candidates are Juan Antonio Samaranch Jr. of Spain, Prince Feisal al Hussein of Jordan, Kirsty Coventry of Zimbabwe, Sebastian Coe of Britain, David Lappartient from France, Morinari Watanabe of Japan and Johan Eliasch from Sweden.

Tigers blank Guardians 3-0 in ALDS with clutch hitting and strong pitching, taking 2-1 series lead

DETROIT (AP) — Riley Greene and Spencer Torkelson each drove in a run, and six pitchers combined to lift the Detroit Tigers to a 3-0 win over Cleveland Guardians and a 2-1 lead in their AL Division Series. The Tigers, baseball's hottest team the past two months, will have their first chance to advance to the American League Championship Series since 2013 on Thursday night in Game 4 at Comerica Park. Cleveland has gone 20 straight innings without scoring since opening the series with a five-run first and a two-run sixth in its 7-0 win.

Rodgers says allegations that he played a role in Saleh's firing as Jets coach are 'patently false'

Aaron Rodgers insisted he played no role in the firing of Robert Saleh as the New York Jets coach and called such allegations "patently false." The star quarterback made his weekly appearance on "The Pat McAfee Show" on Wednesday, a day after Jets owner Woody Johnson fired Saleh after the team got off to a 2-3 start in the coach's fourth season. There was speculation by some media and fans that Rodgers might have had a hand in influencing Johnson, who said during a conference call Tuesday the decision was "my decision and my decision alone." Defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich will be the Jets' interim head coach the rest of the season.

Patriots safety Jabrill Peppers is placed on commissioner's exempt list after his arrest

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) — The New England Patriots say safety Jabrill Peppers has been placed on the commissioner's exempt list while he goes through the legal process following his arrest on charges that he shoved his girlfriend's head into the wall and choked her. Patriots coach Jerod Mayo said Wednesday that Peppers won't be with the team "in the near term." The exempt list is a form of paid leave.

		New Zealand Breakers	at	Oklahoma City	8 p.m.	

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/12/1701494597443.png" alt="Sports Headlines and News for Thursday, October 10th, 2024" />
 <figcaption>Sports Headlines and News for Thursday, October 10th, 2024</figcaption>
 </figure>AP Sports Summary for October 10th, 2024:<div><iframe width="100%" height="95" src="https://embeds.audioboom.com/posts/8587640/embed?v=202301" style="background-color: transparent; display: block; padding: 0; width: 100%" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="allowtransparency" scrolling="no" title="Audioboom player" allow="autoplay" sandbox="allow-downloads allow-forms allow-popups allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-storage-access-by-user-activation allow-top-navigation-by-user-activation"></iframe></div>22-time Grand Slam champion Rafael Nadal will retire from tennis after next month's Davis Cup finalsRafael Nadal has announced he will retire from tennis at age 38 following next month's Davis Cup finals. Nadal won 22 Grand Slam singles titles during an unprecedented era he shared with his rivals in the so-called Big Three, Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic. He indicated his decision was related to persistent injury problems. Nadal's unrelenting, physical style of play made him one of the greats of the game and the unquestioned King of Clay, the slow, red surface on which he claimed his record 14 French Open championships.The Jacksonville Jaguars say their flight to London will be delayed because of Hurricane MiltonLONDON (AP) — The Jacksonville Jaguars plan to arrive to London later than expected Friday because of Hurricane Milton, the team confirmed ahead of Sunday's game against the Chicago Bears. A team spokesperson said the team's departure time has been "slightly" delayed. The hurricane brought powerful winds, a deadly storm surge and flooding to much of Florida after making landfall along the Gulf Coast as a Category 3 storm. The Jaguars canceled a Friday press conference at the team hotel outside London and rescheduled it for Saturday morning. They play the Bears the next day at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.Francisco Lindor's grand slam sends Mets into NLCS with 4-1 win over Phillies in Game 4 of NLDSNEW YORK (AP) — Francisco Lindor hit a grand slam in the sixth inning, his latest clutch swing in a storybook season, and the New York Mets reached the National League Championship Series with a 4-1 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies. Edwin Díaz struck out Kyle Schwarber with two runners aboard to end it as New York finished off the rival Phillies in Game 4 of their best-of-five Division Series, winning 3-1 to wrap up a postseason series at home for the first time in 24 years. After three days of rest, New York will open the best-of-seven NLCS on Sunday at the San Diego Padres or Los Angeles Dodgers. San Diego held a 2-1 lead in their NLDS heading into Game 4 on Wednesday night.Betts and Ohtani help the Dodgers stay alive in NLDS with 8-0 win vs the PadresSAN DIEGO (AP) — Mookie Betts homered for the second straight night, Shohei Ohtani hit an RBI single and the Los Angeles Dodgers beat Dylan Cease and the San Diego Padres 8-0 to force a deciding Game 5 in their tense NL Division Series. Will Smith and Gavin Lux each hit a two-run homer for the Dodgers, who snapped a two-game losing streak and now return home for the next matchup between the NL West rivals on Friday night. The Padres won 10-2 at Dodger Stadium in Game 3 on Sunday night, when tempers flared on the field and in the stands.Milton damages the roof of the Rays' stadium and forces NBA preseason game to be called offST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — The fabric roof over the home of baseball's Tampa Bay Rays was ripped to shreds after Hurricane Milton came ashore in Florida, bringing wind gusts exceeding 100 mph and flooding parts of the state. Concerns over Milton and its effects on Florida also forced the cancellation of Friday's NBA preseason game in Orlando between the Magic and the New Orleans Pelicans. The game won't be rescheduled. Orlando was playing at San Antonio on Wednesday night and was scheduled to return to Central Florida on Thursday. Those plans are now in flux because of the storm, which made landfall near Siesta Key, Florida, on Wednesday night.Giancarlo Stanton hits go-ahead homer in the eighth, Yankees beat Royals 3-2 in Game 3 of the ALDSKANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Giancarlo Stanton hit a go-ahead homer in the eighth inning, and the New York Yankees beat the Kansas City Royals 3-2 in Game 3 of their AL Division Series at Kauffman Stadium. The Yankees will send six-time All-Star Gerrit Cole to the mound Thursday night with a chance to advance to the American League Championship Series. Stanton had three hits, drove in two runs and stole a base for the first time in four years for the Yankees, who won despite another tough night for MVP front-runner Aaron Judge. Kyle Isbel and Michael Massey drove in the runs for Kansas City, which was hosting a playoff game for the first time since Game 2 of the 2015 World Series.IOC sets January date for seven presidential candidates to woo Olympic votersLAUSANNE, Switzerland (AP) — The International Olympic Committee has set a Jan. 30 date for its key presidential election meeting in Lausanne, Switzerland. It's where the seven candidates will present their ideas to voters ahead of the election at a March 18-21 meeting in Greece. The closed-doors meeting at IOC headquarters is the only set-piece campaign event in perhaps the most discreet and secretive election in world sports. The candidates are Juan Antonio Samaranch Jr. of Spain, Prince Feisal al Hussein of Jordan, Kirsty Coventry of Zimbabwe, Sebastian Coe of Britain, David Lappartient from France, Morinari Watanabe of Japan and Johan Eliasch from Sweden.Tigers blank Guardians 3-0 in ALDS with clutch hitting and strong pitching, taking 2-1 series leadDETROIT (AP) — Riley Greene and Spencer Torkelson each drove in a run, and six pitchers combined to lift the Detroit Tigers to a 3-0 win over Cleveland Guardians and a 2-1 lead in their AL Division Series. The Tigers, baseball's hottest team the past two months, will have their first chance to advance to the American League Championship Series since 2013 on Thursday night in Game 4 at Comerica Park. Cleveland has gone 20 straight innings without scoring since opening the series with a five-run first and a two-run sixth in its 7-0 win.Rodgers says allegations that he played a role in Saleh's firing as Jets coach are 'patently false'Aaron Rodgers insisted he played no role in the firing of Robert Saleh as the New York Jets coach and called such allegations "patently false." The star quarterback made his weekly appearance on "The Pat McAfee Show" on Wednesday, a day after Jets owner Woody Johnson fired Saleh after the team got off to a 2-3 start in the coach's fourth season. There was speculation by some media and fans that Rodgers might have had a hand in influencing Johnson, who said during a conference call Tuesday the decision was "my decision and my decision alone." Defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich will be the Jets' interim head coach the rest of the season.Patriots safety Jabrill Peppers is placed on commissioner's exempt list after his arrestFOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) — The New England Patriots say safety Jabrill Peppers has been placed on the commissioner's exempt list while he goes through the legal process following his arrest on charges that he shoved his girlfriend's head into the wall and choked her. Patriots coach Jerod Mayo said Wednesday that Peppers won't be with the team "in the near term." The exempt list is a form of paid leave.AP-ScorecardHere are the scores from yesterday's sports events:___AMERICAN LEAGUE PLAYOFFSFinal	Detroit	3	Cleveland	0	Final	N.Y. Yankees	3	Kansas City	2	___NATIONAL LEAGUE PLAYOFFSFinal	N.Y. Mets	4	Philadelphia	1	Final	L.A. Dodgers	8	San Diego	0	___NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION PRESEASONFinal	New York	117	Washington	94	Final	San Antonio	107	Orlando	97	Final OT	Houston	122	Oklahoma City	113	Final	Golden State	122	Sacramento	112	___NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUEFinal	Montreal	1	Toronto	0	Final	N-Y Rangers	6	Pittsburgh	0	Final	Winnipeg	6	Edmonton	0	Final	Vegas	8	Colorado	4	Final OT	Calgary	6	Vancouver	5	___TODAY'S SPORTS SCHEDULE___AMERICAN LEAGUE PLAYOFFS		Cleveland	at	Detroit	6:08 p.m.			N-Y Yankees	at	Kansas City	8:08 p.m.	___NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION PRESEASON		Indiana	at	Cleveland	7 p.m.			Charlotte	at	Memphis	8 p.m.			L.A. Lakers	at	Milwaukee	8 p.m.			New Zealand Breakers	at	Oklahoma City	8 p.m.			Utah	at	Dallas	8 p.m.	___NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE		Florida	at	Ottawa	7 p.m.			Los Angeles	at	Buffalo	7 p.m.			Montreal	at	Boston	7 p.m.			Toronto	at	New Jersey	7 p.m.			Utah	at	N-Y Islanders	7:30 p.m.			Columbus	at	Minnesota	8 p.m.			Dallas	at	Nashville	8 p.m.			Pittsburgh	at	Detroit	8 p.m.			St. Louis	at	San Jose	10:30 p.m.	___NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE		San Francisco	at	Seattle	8:15 p.m.	___WOMEN'S NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION PLAYOFFS		Minnesota	at	New York	8 p.m.	___

📢📰🎧 Sports Headlines for Thursday

USA Today released on Wednesday its latest 10Best list for NFL Stadiums and GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium was ranked number one.

The Chiefs home field was also ranked as the stadium with the best food in a separate ranking.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1722261285381.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>USA Today released on Wednesday its latest 10Best list for NFL Stadiums and GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium was ranked number one.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">These are the best NFL stadiums, colleges for sports fans, college sports traditions, and sports-centric attractions. <a href="https://t.co/WEj3fgE5qK">https://t.co/WEj3fgE5qK</a>&mdash; USA TODAY 10Best (@10Best) <a href="https://twitter.com/10Best/status/1844075386876920053?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 9, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The Chiefs home field was also ranked as the stadium with the best food in a separate ranking.

🏈 Chiefs home among 10Best, says USA Today

🏀 MBB: K-State reveals game times and TV information

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Giancarlo Stanton hit a go-ahead homer in the eighth inning amid a battle of the bullpens, and the New York Yankees beat the Kansas City Royals 3-2 on Wednesday night in Game 3 of their AL Division Series at Kauffman Stadium.

Stanton finished with three hits, drove in two runs and stole a base for the first time in four years for the Yankees, who will turn to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2024-mlb-playoffs-royals-yankees-55c69e03da0c418a922ad02831ea0610">six-time All-Star pitcher Gerrit Cole on Thursday night</a>&nbsp;with a chance to reach&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/mlb">the American League Championship Series</a>.

The Royals used four relievers before Kris Bubic took over for the eighth. The left-hander struck out Austin Wells before Stanton hit his 3-1 pitch nearly 420 feet to left to give New York the lead.

The Royals tried to answer off Luke Weaver in the bottom half, getting&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/royals-chiefs-kansas-city-patrick-mahomes-bobby-witt-25b56b7e0ed73261a13434168c102551">Bobby Witt Jr.'s first hit of the series</a>&nbsp;and a two-out single by franchise stalwart Salvador Perez. Weaver recovered to get Yuli Gurriel to fly out to end the threat, and he also handled the ninth to earn the save and cap 4 1/3 scoreless innings by the New York bullpen.

The Yankees won despite another frustrating night in the postseason for MVP front-runner Aaron Judge. He went 0 for 4 with a walk, and is now 1 for 11 with only an infield single through three games against the Royals.

It helped that the powerful Yankees drew nine walks Wednesday night, giving them 22 for the series.

It was the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/yankees-royals-new-york-kansas-city-mlb-playoffs-a71e04dca396f35402287621911ad50e">first playoff game at the K in 3,268 days</a>, since the Royals beat the Mets in Game 2 of the 2015 World Series. They won their first title in 30 years a few days later in New York.

The first baseman on that Royals team, Eric Hosmer, was on hand to deliver the first pitch for a crowd that included Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes.

The Yankees had some good swings against Seth Lugo’s dizzying array of nine pitches, but they had nothing to show for it early on.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mlb-playoffs-yankees-soto-royals-new-york-0e67745813372aaca6bc33b027b4c669">Juan Soto flew out to center in the first</a>&nbsp;on what would have been a homer in 17 ballparks. Judge followed with a liner snared by Witt at shortstop that had an exit velocity of 114 mph. And in the third, Gleyber Torres hit a ball to the warning track in right, moments after a review confirmed that his would-be RBI blooper down the line had landed foul.

The Yankees broke through in the fourth on Stanton’s double — Soto came around from first to score, though he might well have been out had Witt delivered a better relay throw to the plate. And in the fifth, Soto added a bases-loaded sacrifice fly.

The Royals answered with two in the fifth. Kyle Isbel got them on the board with a two-out double to left, and Michael Massey ripped a sinking liner that somehow missed Soto’s glove in right for an RBI triple.

Yankees starter Clarke Schmidt was dinged for both runs on four hits and a walk in 4 2/3 innings. Lugo went five for Kansas City, allowing two hits and walking four against the team that led the league in free passes this season.

Yankees: Cole (8-5, 3.41 ERA) heads back to the mound Thursday night. He allowed four runs — three earned — over five innings in the opener Saturday night but got no decision in the 6-5 win for New York.

Royals: RHP Michael Wacha (13-8, 3.35 ERA) will face Cole again after pitching just four innings Saturday. He allowed three runs but was long gone by the time the Yankees scored the go-ahead run in the seventh.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1728527435203.png" alt="Kansas City Royals' Yuli Gurriel celebrates after hitting a double during the second inning in Game 3 of an American League Division baseball playoff series against the New York Yankees Wednesday, Oct. 9, 2024, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)" />
 <figcaption>Kansas City Royals' Yuli Gurriel celebrates after hitting a double during the second inning in Game 3 of an American League Division baseball playoff series against the New York Yankees Wednesday, Oct. 9, 2024, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Giancarlo Stanton hit a go-ahead homer in the eighth inning amid a battle of the bullpens, and the New York Yankees beat the Kansas City Royals 3-2 on Wednesday night in Game 3 of their AL Division Series at Kauffman Stadium.Stanton finished with three hits, drove in two runs and stole a base for the first time in four years for the Yankees, who will turn to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2024-mlb-playoffs-royals-yankees-55c69e03da0c418a922ad02831ea0610">six-time All-Star pitcher Gerrit Cole on Thursday night</a>&nbsp;with a chance to reach&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/mlb">the American League Championship Series</a>.The Royals used four relievers before Kris Bubic took over for the eighth. The left-hander struck out Austin Wells before Stanton hit his 3-1 pitch nearly 420 feet to left to give New York the lead.The Royals tried to answer off Luke Weaver in the bottom half, getting&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/royals-chiefs-kansas-city-patrick-mahomes-bobby-witt-25b56b7e0ed73261a13434168c102551">Bobby Witt Jr.'s first hit of the series</a>&nbsp;and a two-out single by franchise stalwart Salvador Perez. Weaver recovered to get Yuli Gurriel to fly out to end the threat, and he also handled the ninth to earn the save and cap 4 1/3 scoreless innings by the New York bullpen.The Yankees won despite another frustrating night in the postseason for MVP front-runner Aaron Judge. He went 0 for 4 with a walk, and is now 1 for 11 with only an infield single through three games against the Royals.It helped that the powerful Yankees drew nine walks Wednesday night, giving them 22 for the series.It was the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/yankees-royals-new-york-kansas-city-mlb-playoffs-a71e04dca396f35402287621911ad50e">first playoff game at the K in 3,268 days</a>, since the Royals beat the Mets in Game 2 of the 2015 World Series. They won their first title in 30 years a few days later in New York.The first baseman on that Royals team, Eric Hosmer, was on hand to deliver the first pitch for a crowd that included Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes.The Yankees had some good swings against Seth Lugo’s dizzying array of nine pitches, but they had nothing to show for it early on.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mlb-playoffs-yankees-soto-royals-new-york-0e67745813372aaca6bc33b027b4c669">Juan Soto flew out to center in the first</a>&nbsp;on what would have been a homer in 17 ballparks. Judge followed with a liner snared by Witt at shortstop that had an exit velocity of 114 mph. And in the third, Gleyber Torres hit a ball to the warning track in right, moments after a review confirmed that his would-be RBI blooper down the line had landed foul.The Yankees broke through in the fourth on Stanton’s double — Soto came around from first to score, though he might well have been out had Witt delivered a better relay throw to the plate. And in the fifth, Soto added a bases-loaded sacrifice fly.The Royals answered with two in the fifth. Kyle Isbel got them on the board with a two-out double to left, and Michael Massey ripped a sinking liner that somehow missed Soto’s glove in right for an RBI triple.Yankees starter Clarke Schmidt was dinged for both runs on four hits and a walk in 4 2/3 innings. Lugo went five for Kansas City, allowing two hits and walking four against the team that led the league in free passes this season.<h2>UP NEXT</h2>Yankees: Cole (8-5, 3.41 ERA) heads back to the mound Thursday night. He allowed four runs — three earned — over five innings in the opener Saturday night but got no decision in the 6-5 win for New York.Royals: RHP Michael Wacha (13-8, 3.35 ERA) will face Cole again after pitching just four innings Saturday. He allowed three runs but was long gone by the time the Yankees scored the go-ahead run in the seventh.

⚾ Royals drop Game 3 of ALDS

Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly has proclaimed the week of Oct. 7 - 13 as Kansas Sports Hall of Fame Week, recognizing the contributions of the class of 2024 and those in the Hall who came before them.

The 2024 induction ceremony is Oct. 13 at the Hotel Topeka Sunflower Ballroom. The reception begins at 5 p.m. and the program at 6 p.m. It will be held at Hotel Topeka City Center in the Sunflower Ballroom at 1717 SW Topeka Boulevard in Topeka.&nbsp;

In addition to the class of 2024, more than a dozen post KSHOF inductees are expected to attend.&nbsp;

A silent auction will be conducted during the reception with items provided by a variety of individuals and organizations including the Kansas City Royals (tickets), Kansas City Chiefs (autographed Patrick Mahomes football), Sporting Kansas City, Kansas City Monarchs, Negro League Baseball Museum, Will Shields, Deron Cherry, Bill Snyder, Marian Washington, Wichita State, Kansas State and Kansas.

Tickets are now available for purchase by the public by clicking here or visiting <a target="_blank" href="https://shoutout.wix.com/so/0eP9kubEs/c?w=flOP2cvI5qFiaOowPNVJ6I1u576stjCsB4uY94AAsv0.eyJ1IjoiaHR0cDovL3d3dy5rc2hvZi5vcmciLCJyIjoiOTQ2MDBkMzAtOTBhMi00Y2QwLWIzYWItZDhhZWU4NThhMDBkIiwibSI6Im1haWwiLCJjIjoiNWY3YzIzOTgtZjY4YS00YTAzLWIyNDEtYmVhYWY4NmJkYmM4In0">www.kshof.org</a>. The price of the ticket is $100 which includes a printed event program, access to the silent auction, admittance to a reception to meet and take photos with inductees (complimentary heavy appetizers and drinks) and the induction of the 2024 class.&nbsp;

Sponsors/Partners for the event are: Title – Capitol Federal: Noller Auto Group. Reception - Drive to Zero Coalition; McDonald’s of NE Kansas (Tom &amp; Marilyn Dobski); University of Kansas Athletics; Topeka Jayhawk Club. Sunflower - Topeka Area Sports Commission; Topeka Catbacker Club; Topeka-Hayden Catholic High School.

The KSHOF is a 501(c)(3) non-profit, (EIN is: 41-2060659), and donors are eligible for tax benefits for their donation. Money raised from the donations will go towards programming and serving the community by educating our youth and community about Kansas athletes.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/6/1656358576685.jpeg" alt="Photo Courtesy Kansas Sports Hall of Fame" />
 <figcaption>Photo Courtesy Kansas Sports Hall of Fame</figcaption>
 </figure>Kansas Sports Hall of FameKansas Gov. Laura Kelly has proclaimed the week of Oct. 7 - 13 as Kansas Sports Hall of Fame Week, recognizing the contributions of the class of 2024 and those in the Hall who came before them.The 2024 induction ceremony is Oct. 13 at the Hotel Topeka Sunflower Ballroom. The reception begins at 5 p.m. and the program at 6 p.m. It will be held at Hotel Topeka City Center in the Sunflower Ballroom at 1717 SW Topeka Boulevard in Topeka.&nbsp;In addition to the class of 2024, more than a dozen post KSHOF inductees are expected to attend.&nbsp;A silent auction will be conducted during the reception with items provided by a variety of individuals and organizations including the Kansas City Royals (tickets), Kansas City Chiefs (autographed Patrick Mahomes football), Sporting Kansas City, Kansas City Monarchs, Negro League Baseball Museum, Will Shields, Deron Cherry, Bill Snyder, Marian Washington, Wichita State, Kansas State and Kansas.Tickets are now available for purchase by the public by clicking here or visiting <a target="_blank" href="https://shoutout.wix.com/so/0eP9kubEs/c?w=flOP2cvI5qFiaOowPNVJ6I1u576stjCsB4uY94AAsv0.eyJ1IjoiaHR0cDovL3d3dy5rc2hvZi5vcmciLCJyIjoiOTQ2MDBkMzAtOTBhMi00Y2QwLWIzYWItZDhhZWU4NThhMDBkIiwibSI6Im1haWwiLCJjIjoiNWY3YzIzOTgtZjY4YS00YTAzLWIyNDEtYmVhYWY4NmJkYmM4In0">www.kshof.org</a>. The price of the ticket is $100 which includes a printed event program, access to the silent auction, admittance to a reception to meet and take photos with inductees (complimentary heavy appetizers and drinks) and the induction of the 2024 class.&nbsp;Those elected to the KSHOF are:<ul>
 <li>Dave Bingham - NAIA national champion baseball coach at Emporia State and head coach for College World Series qualifier Kansas&nbsp;</li><li>Erik Kynard – Olympic Gold Medalist High Jumper at Kansas State&nbsp;</li><li>Melvin Lister - National champion in the Long Jump at Leavenworth H.S., Butler County CC, and Arkansas&nbsp;</li><li>Mark Mangino - National Assistant Football Coach-of-the-Year at Oklahoma; and Head Coach for Orange Bowl Champion at Kansas</li><li>Ron Neugent - Swimming Gold Medalist in World University Games; and American Record-Holder at Kansas&nbsp;</li><li>Kelly Rankin - He’s the only American to be the head starter for two Olympic Games&nbsp;</li><li>Scott Russell - NCAA champ and Olympic qualifier for Canada in the Javelin at Kansas&nbsp;</li><li>Kevin Saunders - Bronze Medalist and Record-Holder for U.S. in Paralympic Games&nbsp;</li><li>Will Shields - Native Kansan, 14-year NFL veteran with Kansas City Chiefs and member of College and NFL halls of fame&nbsp;</li><li>Sean Snyder - Consensus All-American punter and national special teams coach of the year at Kansas State&nbsp;</li><li>Mark Turgeon - All-State basketball player at Topeka Hayden H.S., four-time NCAA Tournament qualifier at Kansas, Missouri Valley (Wichita State) and Big Ten Champion (Maryland) Head Coach and conference Coach-of-the-Year.&nbsp;</li><li>Annette Wiles - Two-time NAIA Basketball All-American and NAIA Tournament MVP at Fort Hays State.</li>
 </ul>Sponsors/Partners for the event are: Title – Capitol Federal: Noller Auto Group. Reception - Drive to Zero Coalition; McDonald’s of NE Kansas (Tom &amp; Marilyn Dobski); University of Kansas Athletics; Topeka Jayhawk Club. Sunflower - Topeka Area Sports Commission; Topeka Catbacker Club; Topeka-Hayden Catholic High School.The KSHOF is a 501(c)(3) non-profit, (EIN is: 41-2060659), and donors are eligible for tax benefits for their donation. Money raised from the donations will go towards programming and serving the community by educating our youth and community about Kansas athletes.

Gov. Kelly proclaims Oct. 7-13 Hall of Fame Week

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1693329059361.png" alt="Photo Courtesy KCAC" />
 <figcaption>Photo Courtesy KCAC</figcaption>
 </figure><div>KCAC
&nbsp;
WICHITA, Kan. &mdash;&nbsp;Tabor College earned the top spot in both the 2024 KCAC Women's Basketball Preseason Coaches' and Media Poll, the conference office announced Tuesday. The Bluejays took home both the regular-season and tournament championship titles in the 2023-24 season. &nbsp;
<hr />
 In the coaches' poll, the Bluejays took home the No. 1 ranking with 166 total points, and 10 of 14 first place votes. No. 2 and No. 3 in the preseason poll were separated by two points: Friends University at No. 2 (146 total points; three first-place votes) and the University of Saint Mary at No. 3 (144 total points; one first-place vote). Rounding out the top five in the preseason coaches' poll were Evangel at No. 4 (139 total points) and Kansas Wesleyan at No. 5 (122 total points). 2024 KCAC Women's Basketball Preseason Coaches' Poll 
<table dir="ltr" border="1" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" data-sheets-baot="1" data-sheets-root="1"><colgroup><col width="100" /><col width="100" /><col width="100" /><col width="100" /></colgroup>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>RANK</td>
<td>INSTITUTION</td>
<td>TOTAL POINTS</td>
<td>FIRST-PLACE VOTES</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>1</td>
<td>Tabor College</td>
<td>166</td>
<td>10</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>2</td>
<td>Friends University</td>
<td>146</td>
<td>3</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>3</td>
<td>University of Saint Mary</td>
<td>144</td>
<td>1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>4</td>
<td>Evangel&nbsp;University</td>
<td>139</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>5</td>
<td>Kansas Wesleyan&nbsp;University</td>
<td>122</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>6</td>
<td>Bethany&nbsp;College</td>
<td>100</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>7</td>
<td>Ottawa&nbsp;University</td>
<td>94</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>8</td>
<td>Sterling&nbsp;College</td>
<td>92</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>9</td>
<td>Bethel&nbsp;College</td>
<td>77</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>10</td>
<td>Oklahoma Wesleyan&nbsp;University</td>
<td>64</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>11</td>
<td>Avila&nbsp;University</td>
<td>52</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>12</td>
<td>McPherson&nbsp;College</td>
<td>34</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>13</td>
<td>York&nbsp;University</td>
<td>31</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>14</td>
<td>Southwestern&nbsp;College</td>
<td>13</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
&nbsp;
<hr />
&nbsp; In the preseason media poll, Tabor earned the No. 1 ranking behind 207 total points and 12 of 15 first-place votes. There was a tie at No. 2, with Friends and Saint Mary both earning 179 total points and each team receiving one first-place vote. Rounding out the Top five were Kansas Wesleyan University at No. 4 (162 total points) and Evangel University (154 total points). Sterling College, ranked No. 6, received the final first-place vote. 2024 KCAC Women's Basketball Preseason Media Poll 
<table dir="ltr" border="1" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" data-sheets-baot="1" data-sheets-root="1"><colgroup><col width="100" /><col width="100" /><col width="100" /><col width="100" /></colgroup>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>RANK</td>
<td>INSTITUTION</td>
<td>TOTAL POINTS</td>
<td>FIRST-PLACE VOTES</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>1</td>
<td>Tabor College</td>
<td>207</td>
<td>12</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>T2</td>
<td>Friends University</td>
<td>179</td>
<td>1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>T2</td>
<td>University of Saint Mary</td>
<td>179</td>
<td>1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>4</td>
<td>Kansas Wesleyan&nbsp;University</td>
<td>162</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>5</td>
<td>Evangel&nbsp;University</td>
<td>154</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>6</td>
<td>Sterling&nbsp;College</td>
<td>122</td>
<td>1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>7</td>
<td>Bethany&nbsp;College</td>
<td>112</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>8</td>
<td>Ottawa&nbsp;University</td>
<td>107</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>9</td>
<td>Bethel&nbsp;College</td>
<td>91</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>10</td>
<td>Oklahoma Wesleyan&nbsp;University</td>
<td>85</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>11</td>
<td>Avila&nbsp;University</td>
<td>59</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>12</td>
<td>McPherson&nbsp;College</td>
<td>56</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>13</td>
<td>York&nbsp;University</td>
<td>43</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>14</td>
<td>Southwestern&nbsp;College</td>
<td>19</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table></div>

🏀 WBB: KCAC releases preseason polls

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Salvador Perez remembers what it was like when playoff baseball returned to Kansas City after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/yankees-royals-rivalry-213cf4b358d61ab7b878f4be44eca2b7">nearly 30 years of dark, dismal failures</a>. It seemed to come alive, fans changing their red Chiefs shirts for Royals blue as they packed Kauffman Stadium.

The Royals advanced all the way to the World Series in 2014, losing a Game 7 thriller to the Giants. But they returned the next year and finished the job, winning both World Series games against the Mets at home before clinching the title in New York.

Now, the Royals are ready to play the Yankees on Wednesday night in Game 3 of their AL Division Series, the first playoff game at the K since that title run. And Perez, the 34-year-old All-Star catcher&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mlb-playoffs-yankees-royals-973e1a65ef5ba6bede4b849f3329d924">whose homer Monday night</a>&nbsp;helped the Royals even the series with the Yankees at a game apiece, will be back to revel in the postseason atmosphere.

“It’s going to be amazing,” he said. “I think we have the best fans in MLB. I think it’s going to be good for everybody.”

There are certainly plenty of people looking forward to it,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/saints-chiefs-score-7b5412c1594d73113111336074ee5ade">including Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes,</a>&nbsp;who owns a part of the franchise. While he was busy leading the defending Super Bowl champions to victory over the Saints on Monday night, he could not keep from noticing the roar of the crowd in Arrowhead Stadium every time the Royals scored a run in New York.

With the Chiefs off this week,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/royals-chiefs-kansas-city-patrick-mahomes-bobby-witt-25b56b7e0ed73261a13434168c102551">Mahomes is hoping to be in the ballpark</a>&nbsp;on Wednesday night.

“We know the fans at Arrowhead are going to be loud and a ruckus and be really into the game,” he said, “but I haven’t gotten to experience that in Kauffman — sold out, playoffs and that stuff, and so it was cool to see that kind of combine.”

The Royals haven’t played a home game in more than two weeks. They finished the regular season with a sweep of the Nationals and a series in Atlanta, where they clinched a playoff spot. Then they headed to Baltimore and swept the wild-card series before landing in New York, where over five days they managed to split two games with the AL East champions.

The Royals have been good at home this season, an 0-6 homestand in late September notwithstanding. But the Yankees should feel good about their chances after taking three of four at Kauffman Stadium during a series in mid-June.

“It should be awesome,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. “Kauffman Stadium is one of those great, historic places that has stood the test of time. It’s a beautiful ballpark rich in history. So I would imagine they are going to be excited to see their Royals at home, coming on the heels of what’s been an outstanding regular season after some lean years for them.”

Clarke Schmidt, who returned from a lat strain last month, will make his first career playoff start for New York after going 5-5 with a 2.85 ERA in 16 starts this season. The Royals will counter with Seth Lugo, who allowed four runs over 14 innings across two starts against the Yankees during the regular season.

“Obviously a very big swing game there, and going into a hostile environment, it should be a lot of fun,” Schmidt said. “We treat every game as a must-win, but going to their place, we’ll be ready to play.”

Yankees slugger Aaron Judge hit 58 homers, drove in 144 runs and had a .322 average during the regular season. But&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mlb-playoffs-yankees-royals-judge-rodon-db7f25b5abe73eba553ee18d1974b14f">the MVP front-runner’s postseason struggles</a>&nbsp;have continued against Kansas City. He has just a single infield hit, has yet to drive in a run and struck out four times through the first the first two games of the series.

The biggest rival to Judge for MVP is probably Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr., who drove in both go-ahead runs for Kansas City in its wild-card sweep of Baltimore. But the 24-year-old AL batting champion is 0 for 10 against New York with four strikeouts of his own, leaving the bottom of the Royals lineup to pick up the slack.

So who exactly is picking up for Witt these days? Maikel Garcia, who hit just .231 this season, returned to the top of the order for Game 2 and had four hits. Utility man Garrett Hampson has three RBIs in two games, while 40-year-old first baseman Yuli Gurriel and second baseman Michael Massey have been solid at the plate and on defense.

The Yankees’ Jazz Chisholm Jr. undoubtedly rankled the Royals on Monday night when he claimed “they just got lucky” in their 4-2 win that evened the series. Boone tried to downplay those comments Tuesday, before the team flew to Kansas City, and said that he disagreed with Chisholm’s assessment.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1728488560029.jpeg" alt="Photo Courtesy Marleah Campbell, KCTV5" />
 <figcaption>Photo Courtesy Marleah Campbell, KCTV5</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Salvador Perez remembers what it was like when playoff baseball returned to Kansas City after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/yankees-royals-rivalry-213cf4b358d61ab7b878f4be44eca2b7">nearly 30 years of dark, dismal failures</a>. It seemed to come alive, fans changing their red Chiefs shirts for Royals blue as they packed Kauffman Stadium.The Royals advanced all the way to the World Series in 2014, losing a Game 7 thriller to the Giants. But they returned the next year and finished the job, winning both World Series games against the Mets at home before clinching the title in New York.Now, the Royals are ready to play the Yankees on Wednesday night in Game 3 of their AL Division Series, the first playoff game at the K since that title run. And Perez, the 34-year-old All-Star catcher&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mlb-playoffs-yankees-royals-973e1a65ef5ba6bede4b849f3329d924">whose homer Monday night</a>&nbsp;helped the Royals even the series with the Yankees at a game apiece, will be back to revel in the postseason atmosphere.“It’s going to be amazing,” he said. “I think we have the best fans in MLB. I think it’s going to be good for everybody.”There are certainly plenty of people looking forward to it,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/saints-chiefs-score-7b5412c1594d73113111336074ee5ade">including Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes,</a>&nbsp;who owns a part of the franchise. While he was busy leading the defending Super Bowl champions to victory over the Saints on Monday night, he could not keep from noticing the roar of the crowd in Arrowhead Stadium every time the Royals scored a run in New York.With the Chiefs off this week,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/royals-chiefs-kansas-city-patrick-mahomes-bobby-witt-25b56b7e0ed73261a13434168c102551">Mahomes is hoping to be in the ballpark</a>&nbsp;on Wednesday night.“We know the fans at Arrowhead are going to be loud and a ruckus and be really into the game,” he said, “but I haven’t gotten to experience that in Kauffman — sold out, playoffs and that stuff, and so it was cool to see that kind of combine.”The Royals haven’t played a home game in more than two weeks. They finished the regular season with a sweep of the Nationals and a series in Atlanta, where they clinched a playoff spot. Then they headed to Baltimore and swept the wild-card series before landing in New York, where over five days they managed to split two games with the AL East champions.The Royals have been good at home this season, an 0-6 homestand in late September notwithstanding. But the Yankees should feel good about their chances after taking three of four at Kauffman Stadium during a series in mid-June.“It should be awesome,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. “Kauffman Stadium is one of those great, historic places that has stood the test of time. It’s a beautiful ballpark rich in history. So I would imagine they are going to be excited to see their Royals at home, coming on the heels of what’s been an outstanding regular season after some lean years for them.”<h2>Starting showdown</h2>Clarke Schmidt, who returned from a lat strain last month, will make his first career playoff start for New York after going 5-5 with a 2.85 ERA in 16 starts this season. The Royals will counter with Seth Lugo, who allowed four runs over 14 innings across two starts against the Yankees during the regular season.“Obviously a very big swing game there, and going into a hostile environment, it should be a lot of fun,” Schmidt said. “We treat every game as a must-win, but going to their place, we’ll be ready to play.”<h2>Judge-ment time</h2>Yankees slugger Aaron Judge hit 58 homers, drove in 144 runs and had a .322 average during the regular season. But&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mlb-playoffs-yankees-royals-judge-rodon-db7f25b5abe73eba553ee18d1974b14f">the MVP front-runner’s postseason struggles</a>&nbsp;have continued against Kansas City. He has just a single infield hit, has yet to drive in a run and struck out four times through the first the first two games of the series.<h2>Witt’s up with Bobby?</h2>The biggest rival to Judge for MVP is probably Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr., who drove in both go-ahead runs for Kansas City in its wild-card sweep of Baltimore. But the 24-year-old AL batting champion is 0 for 10 against New York with four strikeouts of his own, leaving the bottom of the Royals lineup to pick up the slack.<h2>Unsung heroes</h2>So who exactly is picking up for Witt these days? Maikel Garcia, who hit just .231 this season, returned to the top of the order for Game 2 and had four hits. Utility man Garrett Hampson has three RBIs in two games, while 40-year-old first baseman Yuli Gurriel and second baseman Michael Massey have been solid at the plate and on defense.<h2>Bulletin-board material</h2>The Yankees’ Jazz Chisholm Jr. undoubtedly rankled the Royals on Monday night when he claimed “they just got lucky” in their 4-2 win that evened the series. Boone tried to downplay those comments Tuesday, before the team flew to Kansas City, and said that he disagreed with Chisholm’s assessment.

⚾ Royals face Yankees in Game 3 of the ALDS, their first home playoff game since 2015

🏈 K-State renews conference rivalry with Colorado

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/11/1701263164849.png" alt="Early Morning Sports with Rob Dreher for October 9th, 2024." />
 <figcaption>Early Morning Sports with Rob Dreher for October 9th, 2024.</figcaption>
 </figure><div><iframe title="Early Morning Sports for October 9th, 2024" allowtransparency="true" height="150" width="100%" style="border: none; min-width: min(100%, 430px);height:150px;" scrolling="no" data-name="pb-iframe-player" src="https://www.podbean.com/player-v2/?i=2ma3h-16ff471-pb&from=pb6admin&share=1&download=1&rtl=0&fonts=Arial&skin=60a0c8&font-color=&logo_link=episode_page&btn-skin=ff6d00" loading="lazy"></iframe></div>

🎧 LISTEN: ⚾ Royals host Yankees for Game 3 of ALDS, ⛳ HutchCC finishes 7th

Reports say Rashee Rice has had surgery and will miss the rest of the 2024 NFL season.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1722969378400.jpeg" alt="Rashee Rice catches a pass during Chiefs Training Camp in St. Joseph/ Photo by Alexis Starks" />
 <figcaption>Rashee Rice catches a pass during Chiefs Training Camp in St. Joseph/ Photo by Alexis Starks</figcaption>
 </figure>Reports say Rashee Rice has had surgery and will miss the rest of the 2024 NFL season.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Sources: <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Chiefs?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Chiefs</a> WR Rashee Rice underwent successful LCL surgery today with Dr. Cooper and will miss the remainder of the regular season. A full recovery is expected. There was also a repair done to Rice’s hamstring tendon, and I’m told there was no structural damage or tears to… <a href="https://t.co/pdGOCPWpT1">pic.twitter.com/pdGOCPWpT1</a>&mdash; Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) <a href="https://twitter.com/Schultz_Report/status/1843729265646555595?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 8, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>

🏈 Rice surgery complete; will miss rest of season

Tatis homers again as the Padres beat the Dodgers 6-5 for a 2-1 NLDS lead

SAN DIEGO (AP) — Fernando Tatis Jr.'s towering two-run home run highlighted a six-run second inning, and the San Diego Padres held on to beat Shohei Ohtani and the rival Los Angeles Dodgers 6-5 to take a 2-1 lead in a tense NL Division Series. The Padres moved within one victory of eliminating the Dodgers in the NLDS for the second time in three seasons. Game 4 is Wednesday night at Petco Park, which was packed with a loud, rally towel-waving record crowd of 47,744. Tatis' impressive homer gave the Padres a 6-1 lead, but Teoscar Hernández hit a grand slam with one out in the third.

Mets beat Phillies 7-2 behind Alonso and Manaea to take 2-1 lead in NLDS

NEW YORK (AP) — Pete Alonso launched another homer off Aaron Nola, and Sean Manaea took a two-hit shutout into the eighth inning as the New York Mets beat the Philadelphia Phillies 7-2 in Game 3 of their NL Division Series. Jesse Winker also went deep and Starling Marte had a pivotal two-run single to help the wild-card Mets, playing their first home game in 16 days, grab a 2-1 lead in the best-of-five series. Game 4 is Wednesday at Citi Field, with All-Star Ranger Suárez scheduled to start for Philadelphia against fellow lefty Jose Quintana. With a win, New York advances to the National League Championship Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers or San Diego Padres.

Lynx return to finals with 88-77 win over Sun in Game 5 behind Collier's 27 points, 11 rebounds

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Napheesa Collier had 27 points and 11 rebounds and Courtney Williams contributed 24 points and both-ends-of-the-court energy to lead the Minnesota Lynx past the Connecticut Sun 88-77 and into the WNBA Finals for the first time in seven years. Kayla McBride fueled a strong start with 10 of her 19 points in the first quarter as the Lynx advanced to face the top-seeded New York Liberty. Minnesota finished two games behind New York during the regular season. They have won three of four matchups with New York this year. DiJonai Carrington had 17 points and 12 rebounds for the Sun.

Jets owner says firing of Saleh will bring 'new energy' to one of franchise's 'most talented teams'

Woody Johnson sensed his struggling New York Jets needed a change and now. So the owner made the stunning decision Tuesday to fire coach Robert Saleh just five games into his fourth season after the team's 2-3 start following a 23-17 loss to Minnesota in London on Sunday. Johnson said the current Jets squad is one of the most talented in the franchise's history. Saleh was 20-36 as coach of the Jets. His firing marks the first time in Johnson's 25-year tenure that a head coach has been fired during the season. Defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich will serve as interim coach for the rest of the season.

Jürgen Klopp to take on new role as head of global soccer at Red Bull

LONDON (AP) — Jürgen Klopp has moved on from Liverpool in the Premier League and will take on a new role as head of global soccer at Red Bull starting in January. Red Bull said in a statement Wednesday that the 57-year-old German will oversee its international network of soccer clubs. The statement said Klopp "will not be involved in the clubs' day-to-day operations, but will provide strategic vision, supporting individual sporting directors in advancing the Red Bull philosophy." Klopp led Liverpool to seven major trophies in his nearly nine years at Anfield.

MLB will air local games for Guardians, Brewers and Twins next season

Major League Baseball has announced it will produce and distribute local broadcasts for the Cleveland Guardians, Milwaukee Brewers and Minnesota Twins next year. All three teams had contracts with Diamond Sports Group that expired at the end of the regular season. The Texas Rangers, whose deal also expired last month, also announced they will no longer be partnering with Diamond. They are assessing their options for next season. The addition of the Guardians, Brewers and Twins means MLB will be handling the production and distribution of at least six teams going into 2025.

Phillies one defeat from elimination after 7-2 loss to Mets in Game 3 of NLDS

NEW YORK (AP) — Six months of success for the Philadelphia Phillies could be wiped out before the leaves start to turn. With one more loss to the New York Mets, a 95-win regular season would become an afterthought. Tuesday night's 7-2 loss dropped the Phillies into a 2-1 deficit in the best-of-five NL Division Series. Seeking their third World Series title after 1980 and 2008, the Phillies reached Game 6 of the World Series in 2022 before losing to Houston. They took a 3-2 lead over Arizona in last year's NL Championship Series, and then dropped Games 6 and 7 at home.

Luis Tiant, the charismatic Cuban who pitched the Red Sox to the brink of a championship, dies at 83

BOSTON (AP) — Luis Tiant has died at the age of 83. The charismatic Cuban with a horseshoe mustache and mesmerizing windup pitched the Red Sox to the brink of a World Series championship and pitched himself to the doorstep of the Hall of Fame. He was known as "El Tiante." Major League Baseball announced his death in a post on X on Tuesday. The Red Sox confirmed that he died at his home in Maine. Tiant's death comes one week after that of all-time baseball hits leader Pete Rose, whose Cincinnati Reds faced Tiant's Red Sox in the 1975 World Series — still considered one of the greatest matchups in baseball postseason history.

Thieves slipped watch off Dodgers pitcher Walker Buehler's wrist, police say

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Police in California say thieves surrounded Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Walker Buehler last month and stole a pricey watch off his wrist. Police said Tuesday that Buehler was not threatened during the Sept. 28 incident at the Santa Anita Park horse racing track in the Los Angeles suburb of Arcadia. Police investigated two more watch thefts on the same day. Police say they were all victims of organized groups who steal high-end watches in large crowds during events. It came weeks after another professional athlete in California was the victim of a brazen mugging.

Patriots will go with first-round draft pick Drake Maye and bench QB Jacoby Brissett, AP source says

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) — A person with knowledge of the decision says the New England Patriots are planning to give first-round draft pick Drake Maye his first pro start in the hopes of ending a four-game losing streak under veteran journeyman quarterback Jacoby Brissett. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the team hasn't announced the switch. NFL Network first reported Maye's promotion. The Patriots host the Houston Texans on Sunday. Maye made one previous appearance for New England, coming in at the end of a Week 3 loss to the New York Jets and going 4 for 8 with 22 yards. Brissett was 79 for 135 with two touchdowns and one interception in five starts this season.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/12/1701494597443.png" alt="Sports Headlines and News for Wednesday, October 9th, 2024." />
 <figcaption>Sports Headlines and News for Wednesday, October 9th, 2024.</figcaption>
 </figure>AP Sports Summary for October 9th, 2024:<div><iframe width="100%" height="95" src="https://embeds.audioboom.com/posts/8587041/embed?v=202301" style="background-color: transparent; display: block; padding: 0; width: 100%" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="allowtransparency" scrolling="no" title="Audioboom player" allow="autoplay" sandbox="allow-downloads allow-forms allow-popups allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-storage-access-by-user-activation allow-top-navigation-by-user-activation"></iframe></div>Tatis homers again as the Padres beat the Dodgers 6-5 for a 2-1 NLDS leadSAN DIEGO (AP) — Fernando Tatis Jr.'s towering two-run home run highlighted a six-run second inning, and the San Diego Padres held on to beat Shohei Ohtani and the rival Los Angeles Dodgers 6-5 to take a 2-1 lead in a tense NL Division Series. The Padres moved within one victory of eliminating the Dodgers in the NLDS for the second time in three seasons. Game 4 is Wednesday night at Petco Park, which was packed with a loud, rally towel-waving record crowd of 47,744. Tatis' impressive homer gave the Padres a 6-1 lead, but Teoscar Hernández hit a grand slam with one out in the third.Mets beat Phillies 7-2 behind Alonso and Manaea to take 2-1 lead in NLDSNEW YORK (AP) — Pete Alonso launched another homer off Aaron Nola, and Sean Manaea took a two-hit shutout into the eighth inning as the New York Mets beat the Philadelphia Phillies 7-2 in Game 3 of their NL Division Series. Jesse Winker also went deep and Starling Marte had a pivotal two-run single to help the wild-card Mets, playing their first home game in 16 days, grab a 2-1 lead in the best-of-five series. Game 4 is Wednesday at Citi Field, with All-Star Ranger Suárez scheduled to start for Philadelphia against fellow lefty Jose Quintana. With a win, New York advances to the National League Championship Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers or San Diego Padres.Lynx return to finals with 88-77 win over Sun in Game 5 behind Collier's 27 points, 11 reboundsMINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Napheesa Collier had 27 points and 11 rebounds and Courtney Williams contributed 24 points and both-ends-of-the-court energy to lead the Minnesota Lynx past the Connecticut Sun 88-77 and into the WNBA Finals for the first time in seven years. Kayla McBride fueled a strong start with 10 of her 19 points in the first quarter as the Lynx advanced to face the top-seeded New York Liberty. Minnesota finished two games behind New York during the regular season. They have won three of four matchups with New York this year. DiJonai Carrington had 17 points and 12 rebounds for the Sun.Jets owner says firing of Saleh will bring 'new energy' to one of franchise's 'most talented teams'Woody Johnson sensed his struggling New York Jets needed a change and now. So the owner made the stunning decision Tuesday to fire coach Robert Saleh just five games into his fourth season after the team's 2-3 start following a 23-17 loss to Minnesota in London on Sunday. Johnson said the current Jets squad is one of the most talented in the franchise's history. Saleh was 20-36 as coach of the Jets. His firing marks the first time in Johnson's 25-year tenure that a head coach has been fired during the season. Defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich will serve as interim coach for the rest of the season.Jürgen Klopp to take on new role as head of global soccer at Red BullLONDON (AP) — Jürgen Klopp has moved on from Liverpool in the Premier League and will take on a new role as head of global soccer at Red Bull starting in January. Red Bull said in a statement Wednesday that the 57-year-old German will oversee its international network of soccer clubs. The statement said Klopp "will not be involved in the clubs' day-to-day operations, but will provide strategic vision, supporting individual sporting directors in advancing the Red Bull philosophy." Klopp led Liverpool to seven major trophies in his nearly nine years at Anfield.MLB will air local games for Guardians, Brewers and Twins next seasonMajor League Baseball has announced it will produce and distribute local broadcasts for the Cleveland Guardians, Milwaukee Brewers and Minnesota Twins next year. All three teams had contracts with Diamond Sports Group that expired at the end of the regular season. The Texas Rangers, whose deal also expired last month, also announced they will no longer be partnering with Diamond. They are assessing their options for next season. The addition of the Guardians, Brewers and Twins means MLB will be handling the production and distribution of at least six teams going into 2025.Phillies one defeat from elimination after 7-2 loss to Mets in Game 3 of NLDSNEW YORK (AP) — Six months of success for the Philadelphia Phillies could be wiped out before the leaves start to turn. With one more loss to the New York Mets, a 95-win regular season would become an afterthought. Tuesday night's 7-2 loss dropped the Phillies into a 2-1 deficit in the best-of-five NL Division Series. Seeking their third World Series title after 1980 and 2008, the Phillies reached Game 6 of the World Series in 2022 before losing to Houston. They took a 3-2 lead over Arizona in last year's NL Championship Series, and then dropped Games 6 and 7 at home.Luis Tiant, the charismatic Cuban who pitched the Red Sox to the brink of a championship, dies at 83BOSTON (AP) — Luis Tiant has died at the age of 83. The charismatic Cuban with a horseshoe mustache and mesmerizing windup pitched the Red Sox to the brink of a World Series championship and pitched himself to the doorstep of the Hall of Fame. He was known as "El Tiante." Major League Baseball announced his death in a post on X on Tuesday. The Red Sox confirmed that he died at his home in Maine. Tiant's death comes one week after that of all-time baseball hits leader Pete Rose, whose Cincinnati Reds faced Tiant's Red Sox in the 1975 World Series — still considered one of the greatest matchups in baseball postseason history.Thieves slipped watch off Dodgers pitcher Walker Buehler's wrist, police sayLOS ANGELES (AP) — Police in California say thieves surrounded Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Walker Buehler last month and stole a pricey watch off his wrist. Police said Tuesday that Buehler was not threatened during the Sept. 28 incident at the Santa Anita Park horse racing track in the Los Angeles suburb of Arcadia. Police investigated two more watch thefts on the same day. Police say they were all victims of organized groups who steal high-end watches in large crowds during events. It came weeks after another professional athlete in California was the victim of a brazen mugging.Patriots will go with first-round draft pick Drake Maye and bench QB Jacoby Brissett, AP source saysFOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) — A person with knowledge of the decision says the New England Patriots are planning to give first-round draft pick Drake Maye his first pro start in the hopes of ending a four-game losing streak under veteran journeyman quarterback Jacoby Brissett. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the team hasn't announced the switch. NFL Network first reported Maye's promotion. The Patriots host the Houston Texans on Sunday. Maye made one previous appearance for New England, coming in at the end of a Week 3 loss to the New York Jets and going 4 for 8 with 22 yards. Brissett was 79 for 135 with two touchdowns and one interception in five starts this season.AP-ScorecardHere are the scores from yesterday's sports events:___NATIONAL LEAGUE PLAYOFFSFinal	N.Y. Mets	7	Philadelphia	2	Final	San Diego	6	L.A. Dodgers	5	___NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION PRESEASONFinal	Chicago	116	Cleveland	112	Final	Phoenix	105	Detroit	97	Final	Charlotte	111	Miami	108	Final	Atlanta	131	Indiana	130	Final	L.A. Clippers	115	Brooklyn	106	___NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUEFinal	St. Louis	3	Seattle	2	Final	Florida	6	Boston	4	Final	Utah	5	Chicago	2	___WOMEN'S NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION PLAYOFFSFinal	Minnesota	88	Connecticut	77	___TODAY'S SPORTS SCHEDULE___AMERICAN LEAGUE PLAYOFFS		Cleveland	at	Detroit	3:08 p.m.			N-Y Yankees	at	Kansas City	7:08 p.m.	___NATIONAL LEAGUE PLAYOFFS		Philadelphia	at	N-Y Mets	5:08 p.m.			L-A Dodgers	at	San Diego	9:08 p.m.	___NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION PRESEASON		Washington	at	New York	7:30 p.m.			Houston	at	Oklahoma City	8 p.m.			Orlando	at	San Antonio	8 p.m.			Golden State	at	Sacramento	10:30 p.m.	___NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE		Toronto	at	Montreal	7 p.m.			N-Y Rangers	at	Pittsburgh	7:30 p.m.			Calgary	at	Vancouver	10 p.m.			Colorado	at	Vegas	10 p.m.			Winnipeg	at	Edmonton	10 p.m.	___