CINCINNATI (AP) — Bobby Witt Jr. homered, doubled and singled to boost his major league-leading average to .352, Michael Lorenzen pitched into the sixth inning to get his first win since being traded and the Kansas City Royals beat the Cincinnati Reds 7-1 in the opener of an interleague series on Friday night.

Witt, the Royals' All-Star shortstop, hit a four-seam fastball from Nick Martinez 430 feet into the upper deck for his 25th homer in the fourth inning. He doubled and scored on a fielder’s choice in the sixth and had an infield single in the seventh.

The Reds intentionally walked him with two outs in the ninth, just before he trotted home on Vinnie Pasquantino's 18th homer.

Witt became the third Royals player to hit 25 homers and steal 25 bases in consecutive seasons.

“It's special any time you kind of say that word 'history,'” Witt said. “I've just got to keep preparing the way I'm preparing and keep trying to get these wins. This team is a lot of fun, and we're just having a blast here.”

Lorenzen (6-6), acquired by the Royals in a July 29 trade with Texas, started his third game after two no-decisions. He allowed a run and two hits in 5 2/3 innings and departed after 83 pitches.

“Truthfully, it was tough,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said of Lorenzen’s outing. “He was behind a lot of those guys but was able to execute pitches when he needed to. It’s probably not the way he would have liked to go about it, but he really made pitches when he had to.”

Lorenzen is just glad to be on Witt's team instead of pitching against him.

“You know, I see it on MLB Network every night, and you kind of get sick of it, to be honest, because he’s on it every night, his highlights and stuff," Lorenzen said. “And playing with him, it’s the real deal. There’s not many people you can say that about. You can say that about Bobby. It’s the real deal. It’s incredible.”

Salvador Perez, Adam Frazier and Freddie Fermin also drove in runs for Kansas City, helping snap Cincinnati's four-game win streak.

Martinez (6-6) pitched six innings, allowing three runs and three hits with four strikeouts.

“I could have held them a little closer,” Martinez said. "It is a good lineup.”

Tyler Stephenson had an RBI double in the sixth, one of only four hits by Cincinnati.

Royals: RHP John Schreiber (knee) is on a rehab assignment at Single-A Quad Cities. He landed on the 15-day injury list July 29.

Reds: LHP Brent Suter pitched live batting practice Friday. He went on the 15-day injured list July 20 with a partially torn muscle in the back of his left shoulder.

The Royals send right-hander Michael Wacha (9-6, 3.50 ERA) to the mound to oppose Reds lefty Nick Lodolo (9-4, 3.99) as the series continues Saturday night.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/6/1717239729221.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>CINCINNATI (AP) — Bobby Witt Jr. homered, doubled and singled to boost his major league-leading average to .352, Michael Lorenzen pitched into the sixth inning to get his first win since being traded and the Kansas City Royals beat the Cincinnati Reds 7-1 in the opener of an interleague series on Friday night.Witt, the Royals' All-Star shortstop, hit a four-seam fastball from Nick Martinez 430 feet into the upper deck for his 25th homer in the fourth inning. He doubled and scored on a fielder’s choice in the sixth and had an infield single in the seventh.The Reds intentionally walked him with two outs in the ninth, just before he trotted home on Vinnie Pasquantino's 18th homer.Witt became the third Royals player to hit 25 homers and steal 25 bases in consecutive seasons.“It's special any time you kind of say that word 'history,'” Witt said. “I've just got to keep preparing the way I'm preparing and keep trying to get these wins. This team is a lot of fun, and we're just having a blast here.”Lorenzen (6-6), acquired by the Royals in a July 29 trade with Texas, started his third game after two no-decisions. He allowed a run and two hits in 5 2/3 innings and departed after 83 pitches.“Truthfully, it was tough,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said of Lorenzen’s outing. “He was behind a lot of those guys but was able to execute pitches when he needed to. It’s probably not the way he would have liked to go about it, but he really made pitches when he had to.”Lorenzen is just glad to be on Witt's team instead of pitching against him.“You know, I see it on MLB Network every night, and you kind of get sick of it, to be honest, because he’s on it every night, his highlights and stuff," Lorenzen said. “And playing with him, it’s the real deal. There’s not many people you can say that about. You can say that about Bobby. It’s the real deal. It’s incredible.”Salvador Perez, Adam Frazier and Freddie Fermin also drove in runs for Kansas City, helping snap Cincinnati's four-game win streak.Martinez (6-6) pitched six innings, allowing three runs and three hits with four strikeouts.“I could have held them a little closer,” Martinez said. "It is a good lineup.”Tyler Stephenson had an RBI double in the sixth, one of only four hits by Cincinnati.TRAINER'S ROOMRoyals: RHP John Schreiber (knee) is on a rehab assignment at Single-A Quad Cities. He landed on the 15-day injury list July 29.Reds: LHP Brent Suter pitched live batting practice Friday. He went on the 15-day injured list July 20 with a partially torn muscle in the back of his left shoulder.UP NEXTThe Royals send right-hander Michael Wacha (9-6, 3.50 ERA) to the mound to oppose Reds lefty Nick Lodolo (9-4, 3.99) as the series continues Saturday night.------AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB

⚾ Witt leads Royals to Friday win

WICHITA, Kan. –&nbsp;Wichita State Athletics is hosting its annual garage sale on Saturday, Sept. 28.&nbsp;

Fans are invited to stop by the garage sale that morning from 8 am – 11 am inside the Aetna Multi-Purpose Facility (enter through the exterior doors on the east side of Charles Koch Arena).

Items are available on a first-come, first-served basis and include jerseys and uniforms, shoes (including large sizes), assorted apparel, bags, Gatorade coolers and equipment. Prices listed are non-negotiable. Customers are encouraged to pay with cash, however, credit cards will also be accepted.&nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1723825646043.jpeg" alt="Photo Courtesy Wichita State Athletics" />
 <figcaption>Photo Courtesy Wichita State Athletics</figcaption>
 </figure>Wichita State AthleticsWICHITA, Kan. –&nbsp;Wichita State Athletics is hosting its annual garage sale on Saturday, Sept. 28.&nbsp;Fans are invited to stop by the garage sale that morning from 8 am – 11 am inside the Aetna Multi-Purpose Facility (enter through the exterior doors on the east side of Charles Koch Arena).Items are available on a first-come, first-served basis and include jerseys and uniforms, shoes (including large sizes), assorted apparel, bags, Gatorade coolers and equipment. Prices listed are non-negotiable. Customers are encouraged to pay with cash, however, credit cards will also be accepted.&nbsp;&nbsp;

WSU Athletics to host annual garage sale Sept. 28

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/11/1701263164849.png" alt="Early Morning Sports with Rob Dreher for Friday, August 16th, 2024" />
 <figcaption>Early Morning Sports with Rob Dreher for Friday, August 16th, 2024</figcaption>
 </figure><div><iframe title="August 16th, 2024 Early Morning Sports" 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=6e7p2-16a2eaf-pb&from=pb6admin&share=1&download=1&rtl=0&fonts=Arial&skin=60a0c8&font-color=auto&logo_link=episode_page&btn-skin=ff6d00" loading="lazy"></iframe></div>

🎧 LISTEN: ⚾ Royals have 2.5 game lead in Wild Card; ⚾ Wind Surge edged by Travelers

WICHITA, Kan.—The Wichita Wind Surge came up short 6-5 against the Arkansas Travelers at Riverfront Stadium. Despite coming back to tie the game twice after scoring first, but only got one hit through the final four innings in the final Tumba Vacas game of the season.

CJ Culpepper&nbsp;struck out the side in his Wichita debut to start the night, though what would play out offensively for the rest of the night became the opposite.&nbsp;Jake Rucker&nbsp;slugged a two-run homer, his seventh of the season, to left field in the bottom of the first.

Victor Labrada doubled to the alley in left-center to put the Travelers within one in the top of the third. A pair of run-scoring hits followed on a Harry Ford double and Jared Oliva single to give Arkansas a 3-2 lead that would be shortlived after&nbsp;Ricardo Olivar’s RBI single to left to score&nbsp;Dalton Shuffield&nbsp;from second in the home half of the frame.

Oliva struck for another run on another single to left field two innings later in the top of the fifth. Shuffield and&nbsp;Tanner Schobel&nbsp;maintained the resilient Wind Surge plate approach with a game-tying double down the left field line and an RBI triple to put Wichita ahead once again at 5-4 after five.

Anchia tied the game on a solo shot, #6 on the year, to left field to tie the game again in the start of the sixth inning. Hogan Windish brought in Ford on a single to center to push ahead to a 6-5 lead that would stand throughout the rest of the game as after a&nbsp;Tyler Dearden&nbsp;single in the bottom of the seventh, Travelers relievers retired the following 11 Wind Surge batters to end the game.

Pierson Ohl&nbsp;swallows the loss to become 4-6 on the season, giving up three earned runs on five hits with an even two walks and two strikeouts in three innings of relief.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1723805135928.jpeg" alt="Photo courtesy of the Wichita Wind Surge" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy of the Wichita Wind Surge</figcaption>
 </figure>WICHITA, Kan.—The Wichita Wind Surge came up short 6-5 against the Arkansas Travelers at Riverfront Stadium. Despite coming back to tie the game twice after scoring first, but only got one hit through the final four innings in the final Tumba Vacas game of the season.CJ Culpepper&nbsp;struck out the side in his Wichita debut to start the night, though what would play out offensively for the rest of the night became the opposite.&nbsp;Jake Rucker&nbsp;slugged a two-run homer, his seventh of the season, to left field in the bottom of the first.Victor Labrada doubled to the alley in left-center to put the Travelers within one in the top of the third. A pair of run-scoring hits followed on a Harry Ford double and Jared Oliva single to give Arkansas a 3-2 lead that would be shortlived after&nbsp;Ricardo Olivar’s RBI single to left to score&nbsp;Dalton Shuffield&nbsp;from second in the home half of the frame.Oliva struck for another run on another single to left field two innings later in the top of the fifth. Shuffield and&nbsp;Tanner Schobel&nbsp;maintained the resilient Wind Surge plate approach with a game-tying double down the left field line and an RBI triple to put Wichita ahead once again at 5-4 after five.Anchia tied the game on a solo shot, #6 on the year, to left field to tie the game again in the start of the sixth inning. Hogan Windish brought in Ford on a single to center to push ahead to a 6-5 lead that would stand throughout the rest of the game as after a&nbsp;Tyler Dearden&nbsp;single in the bottom of the seventh, Travelers relievers retired the following 11 Wind Surge batters to end the game.Pierson Ohl&nbsp;swallows the loss to become 4-6 on the season, giving up three earned runs on five hits with an even two walks and two strikeouts in three innings of relief.

⚾ Wichita Wind Surge come up short versus Travelers

AP Sports Summary for Friday, August 16th, 2024:

Mauricio Pochettino negotiating to succeed Gregg Berhalter as U.S. soccer coach, AP source says

A person familiar with the negotiations tells The Associated Press that Mauricio Pochettino and the U.S. Soccer Federation are working toward a deal for him to be the men's national team coach. Pochettino formerly coached Tottenham, Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain. The person says Pochettino has agreed to become the U.S. coach but no final deal has been reached. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the deal wasn't complete. Pochettino is a 52-year-old from Argentina. He would succeed Gregg Berhalter, less than 22 months before the Americans host the 2026 World Cup. The USSF declined to comment.

Harbaugh says Kaepernick will not be a player or coach with the Chargers this season

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. (AP) — If Colin Kaepernick wants to join the Los Angeles Chargers, it will not be until next year at the earliest. And it will only be as an assistant coach according to coach Jim Harbaugh. "I love Colin, but he's not going to be on the coaching staff, which is set for this year. And he's not going to be playing on the roster either," Harbaugh said after Thursday's practice. Harbaugh told USA Today Sports earlier this week that he reached out to Kaepernick about joining his Chargers' staff shortly after being named coach on Jan. 24. Kaepernick, who turns 37 on Nov. 3, still has hopes of returning to the playing field, despite not playing since 2016. He told Britain's "Sky Sports News" during the recent Paris Olympics that he is still training.

Weston Wilson becomes 1st Phillies rookie to hit for cycle

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Weston Wilson became the first rookie in franchise history to hit for the cycle. He became the ninth Phillies player to ever hit for the cycle, Wilson tripled and singled in the fourth; homered in the seventh and, then — with fans chanting "Double! Double!" — doubled to right in the eighth, with Alex Call failing on a diving attempt. Wilson had the 10th cycle in Phillies history — Chuck Klein did it twice — and he was the first home player to accomplish the feat at Citizens Bank Park since David Bell in 2004.

NBA schedule released. Among highlights: Celtics-Knicks on ring night, Durant going back to school

Boston will get its championship rings on Oct. 22, and the rival New York Knicks will be there for the celebration. The NBA schedule was released Thursday for the coming season, and Game 1 on the slate is the Celtics hosting the Knicks on opening night. The league released 1,200 of the 1,230 games on the schedule Thursday. The other 30 will be slotted in December, depending on how teams fare during the NBA Cup. Some were previously known, such as Miami and Washington playing in Mexico City on Nov. 2 and the San Antonio Spurs and Indiana Pacers playing a home-and-home in Paris on Jan. 23 and Jan. 25.

Kirk makes an ace and leads St. Jude. Matsuyama right behind with new caddie and no coach

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — Chris Kirk is in the lead at the FedEx St. Jude Championship. Scottie Scheffler and Xander Schauffele are in the mix as they have been all year. The surprise at the start of the PGA Tour postseason might have been Hideki Matsuyama. He's been through a lot the last week. He lost his wallet in London last week when someone snatched his bag. He also lost his caddie and coach for the start of the FedEx Cup playoffs. Their passports were in the stolen bag and they had to go back to Japan. All that and Matsuyama still shot 65.

Is freshman receiver Jeremiah Smith the next big thing for No. 2 Ohio State?

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Jeremiah Smith might be the next big thing for No. 2 Ohio State. The pass-catching prodigy from Miami Gardens, Florida, was the country's top-rated high school recruit when he signed with Ohio State in December and enrolled early amid a frenzy of hype. Since then, the 6-foot-3, 215-pound Smith has shown flashes of being what everybody expects he'll be for the No. 2 Buckeyes. He's impressed coaches and teammates with his work ethic, route-running and acrobatic catches as he goes against the Buckeyes' experienced defensive backs in preseason practice. Smith is a cousin of Seattle Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith.

Notre Dame suspends men's swim team for one year after review finds NCAA gambling violations

Notre Dame has suspended its men's swimming program for at least one year after an external review found members of the team violated NCAA rules by wagering among themselves on results of their competitions. The review also found that team members failed to "treat one another with dignity and respect." Athletic director Pete Bevacqua said in a statement Thursday that not all team members participated in the poor conduct and that coach Chris Lindauer and his staff fully cooperated with the review. Members of the team will be permitted to transfer, though NCAA sanctions would follow those found to have broken rules against gambling.

Torrid NL West is baseball's hottest division race with Dodgers, Padres and Diamondbacks

PHOENIX (AP) — The Arizona Diamondbacks are in the midst of a stretch that most big-league clubs can only dream about, winners of six straight games, 20 of 25 since the All-Star break and 30 of 40 since late June. They're fitting in quite well in the NL West, which is home to three of the game's hottest teams. As pennant races around baseball heat up, the one out west looks like the best. San Diego has a 19-4 record since the All-Star break and Arizona is 20-5. The Dodgers aren't playing poorly at all with a 15-9 record, but they're struggling to hold their division lead.

American rider Sepp Kuss takes on leading role as he begins title defense in Spanish Vuelta

MADRID (AP) — This time the spotlight will be on Sepp Kuss from the start as he tries to retain his title in the Spanish Vuelta. Kuss won last year's race over Primoz Roglic and Jonas Vingegaard, who then were the top riders for Team Visma-Lease a Bike. Roglic has now switched to Team Red Bull Bora-Hansgrohe while Vingegaard has skipped the Vuelta to rest and prepare for the birth of his child. Kuss arrives in good form to repeat as champion, having won the Burgos Vuelta last week. The American did not participate in the Tour de France because of COVID-19.

Brewers' outfielder Christian Yelich to have season-ending back surgery

MILWAUKEE (AP) — The NL Central-leading Milwaukee Brewers will have to continue their playoff push without Christian Yelich. Yelich is undergoing season-ending back surgery Friday, putting an end to the 2018 NL MVP's resurgent season. Yelich was leading the NL in batting average (.315) and on-base percentage (.406) when he went on the injured list in late July. But, he hasn't played since getting removed from a game at Chicago's Wrigley Field on July 23. Yelich has been dealing with back trouble for the last few years, and the issue landed him on the injured list twice this season.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/12/1701494597443.png" alt="Sports Headlines and News for Friday, August 16th, 2024" />
 <figcaption>Sports Headlines and News for Friday, August 16th, 2024</figcaption>
 </figure>AP Sports Summary for Friday, August 16th, 2024:<div><iframe width="100%" height="95" src="https://embeds.audioboom.com/posts/8557133/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>Mauricio Pochettino negotiating to succeed Gregg Berhalter as U.S. soccer coach, AP source saysA person familiar with the negotiations tells The Associated Press that Mauricio Pochettino and the U.S. Soccer Federation are working toward a deal for him to be the men's national team coach. Pochettino formerly coached Tottenham, Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain. The person says Pochettino has agreed to become the U.S. coach but no final deal has been reached. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the deal wasn't complete. Pochettino is a 52-year-old from Argentina. He would succeed Gregg Berhalter, less than 22 months before the Americans host the 2026 World Cup. The USSF declined to comment.Harbaugh says Kaepernick will not be a player or coach with the Chargers this seasonEL SEGUNDO, Calif. (AP) — If Colin Kaepernick wants to join the Los Angeles Chargers, it will not be until next year at the earliest. And it will only be as an assistant coach according to coach Jim Harbaugh. "I love Colin, but he's not going to be on the coaching staff, which is set for this year. And he's not going to be playing on the roster either," Harbaugh said after Thursday's practice. Harbaugh told USA Today Sports earlier this week that he reached out to Kaepernick about joining his Chargers' staff shortly after being named coach on Jan. 24. Kaepernick, who turns 37 on Nov. 3, still has hopes of returning to the playing field, despite not playing since 2016. He told Britain's "Sky Sports News" during the recent Paris Olympics that he is still training.Weston Wilson becomes 1st Phillies rookie to hit for cyclePHILADELPHIA (AP) — Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Weston Wilson became the first rookie in franchise history to hit for the cycle. He became the ninth Phillies player to ever hit for the cycle, Wilson tripled and singled in the fourth; homered in the seventh and, then — with fans chanting "Double! Double!" — doubled to right in the eighth, with Alex Call failing on a diving attempt. Wilson had the 10th cycle in Phillies history — Chuck Klein did it twice — and he was the first home player to accomplish the feat at Citizens Bank Park since David Bell in 2004.NBA schedule released. Among highlights: Celtics-Knicks on ring night, Durant going back to schoolBoston will get its championship rings on Oct. 22, and the rival New York Knicks will be there for the celebration. The NBA schedule was released Thursday for the coming season, and Game 1 on the slate is the Celtics hosting the Knicks on opening night. The league released 1,200 of the 1,230 games on the schedule Thursday. The other 30 will be slotted in December, depending on how teams fare during the NBA Cup. Some were previously known, such as Miami and Washington playing in Mexico City on Nov. 2 and the San Antonio Spurs and Indiana Pacers playing a home-and-home in Paris on Jan. 23 and Jan. 25.Kirk makes an ace and leads St. Jude. Matsuyama right behind with new caddie and no coachMEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — Chris Kirk is in the lead at the FedEx St. Jude Championship. Scottie Scheffler and Xander Schauffele are in the mix as they have been all year. The surprise at the start of the PGA Tour postseason might have been Hideki Matsuyama. He's been through a lot the last week. He lost his wallet in London last week when someone snatched his bag. He also lost his caddie and coach for the start of the FedEx Cup playoffs. Their passports were in the stolen bag and they had to go back to Japan. All that and Matsuyama still shot 65.Is freshman receiver Jeremiah Smith the next big thing for No. 2 Ohio State?COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Jeremiah Smith might be the next big thing for No. 2 Ohio State. The pass-catching prodigy from Miami Gardens, Florida, was the country's top-rated high school recruit when he signed with Ohio State in December and enrolled early amid a frenzy of hype. Since then, the 6-foot-3, 215-pound Smith has shown flashes of being what everybody expects he'll be for the No. 2 Buckeyes. He's impressed coaches and teammates with his work ethic, route-running and acrobatic catches as he goes against the Buckeyes' experienced defensive backs in preseason practice. Smith is a cousin of Seattle Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith.Notre Dame suspends men's swim team for one year after review finds NCAA gambling violationsNotre Dame has suspended its men's swimming program for at least one year after an external review found members of the team violated NCAA rules by wagering among themselves on results of their competitions. The review also found that team members failed to "treat one another with dignity and respect." Athletic director Pete Bevacqua said in a statement Thursday that not all team members participated in the poor conduct and that coach Chris Lindauer and his staff fully cooperated with the review. Members of the team will be permitted to transfer, though NCAA sanctions would follow those found to have broken rules against gambling.Torrid NL West is baseball's hottest division race with Dodgers, Padres and DiamondbacksPHOENIX (AP) — The Arizona Diamondbacks are in the midst of a stretch that most big-league clubs can only dream about, winners of six straight games, 20 of 25 since the All-Star break and 30 of 40 since late June. They're fitting in quite well in the NL West, which is home to three of the game's hottest teams. As pennant races around baseball heat up, the one out west looks like the best. San Diego has a 19-4 record since the All-Star break and Arizona is 20-5. The Dodgers aren't playing poorly at all with a 15-9 record, but they're struggling to hold their division lead.American rider Sepp Kuss takes on leading role as he begins title defense in Spanish VueltaMADRID (AP) — This time the spotlight will be on Sepp Kuss from the start as he tries to retain his title in the Spanish Vuelta. Kuss won last year's race over Primoz Roglic and Jonas Vingegaard, who then were the top riders for Team Visma-Lease a Bike. Roglic has now switched to Team Red Bull Bora-Hansgrohe while Vingegaard has skipped the Vuelta to rest and prepare for the birth of his child. Kuss arrives in good form to repeat as champion, having won the Burgos Vuelta last week. The American did not participate in the Tour de France because of COVID-19.Brewers' outfielder Christian Yelich to have season-ending back surgeryMILWAUKEE (AP) — The NL Central-leading Milwaukee Brewers will have to continue their playoff push without Christian Yelich. Yelich is undergoing season-ending back surgery Friday, putting an end to the 2018 NL MVP's resurgent season. Yelich was leading the NL in batting average (.315) and on-base percentage (.406) when he went on the injured list in late July. But, he hasn't played since getting removed from a game at Chicago's Wrigley Field on July 23. Yelich has been dealing with back trouble for the last few years, and the issue landed him on the injured list twice this season.AP Sports SummaryBrief at 5:54 a.m. EDTMauricio Pochettino negotiating to succeed Gregg Berhalter as U.S. soccer coach, AP source saysA person familiar with the negotiations tells The Associated Press that Mauricio Pochettino and the U.S. Soccer Federation are working toward a deal for him to be the men's national team coach. Pochettino formerly coached Tottenham, Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain. The person says Pochettino has agreed to become the U.S. coach but no final deal has been reached. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the deal wasn't complete. Pochettino is a 52-year-old from Argentina. He would succeed Gregg Berhalter, less than 22 months before the Americans host the 2026 World Cup. The USSF declined to comment.Harbaugh says Kaepernick will not be a player or coach with the Chargers this seasonEL SEGUNDO, Calif. (AP) — If Colin Kaepernick wants to join the Los Angeles Chargers, it will not be until next year at the earliest. And it will only be as an assistant coach according to coach Jim Harbaugh. "I love Colin, but he's not going to be on the coaching staff, which is set for this year. And he's not going to be playing on the roster either," Harbaugh said after Thursday's practice. Harbaugh told USA Today Sports earlier this week that he reached out to Kaepernick about joining his Chargers' staff shortly after being named coach on Jan. 24. Kaepernick, who turns 37 on Nov. 3, still has hopes of returning to the playing field, despite not playing since 2016. He told Britain's "Sky Sports News" during the recent Paris Olympics that he is still training.Weston Wilson becomes 1st Phillies rookie to hit for cyclePHILADELPHIA (AP) — Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Weston Wilson became the first rookie in franchise history to hit for the cycle. He became the ninth Phillies player to ever hit for the cycle, Wilson tripled and singled in the fourth; homered in the seventh and, then — with fans chanting "Double! Double!" — doubled to right in the eighth, with Alex Call failing on a diving attempt. Wilson had the 10th cycle in Phillies history — Chuck Klein did it twice — and he was the first home player to accomplish the feat at Citizens Bank Park since David Bell in 2004.NBA schedule released. Among highlights: Celtics-Knicks on ring night, Durant going back to schoolBoston will get its championship rings on Oct. 22, and the rival New York Knicks will be there for the celebration. The NBA schedule was released Thursday for the coming season, and Game 1 on the slate is the Celtics hosting the Knicks on opening night. The league released 1,200 of the 1,230 games on the schedule Thursday. The other 30 will be slotted in December, depending on how teams fare during the NBA Cup. Some were previously known, such as Miami and Washington playing in Mexico City on Nov. 2 and the San Antonio Spurs and Indiana Pacers playing a home-and-home in Paris on Jan. 23 and Jan. 25.Kirk makes an ace and leads St. Jude. Matsuyama right behind with new caddie and no coachMEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — Chris Kirk is in the lead at the FedEx St. Jude Championship. Scottie Scheffler and Xander Schauffele are in the mix as they have been all year. The surprise at the start of the PGA Tour postseason might have been Hideki Matsuyama. He's been through a lot the last week. He lost his wallet in London last week when someone snatched his bag. He also lost his caddie and coach for the start of the FedEx Cup playoffs. Their passports were in the stolen bag and they had to go back to Japan. All that and Matsuyama still shot 65.Is freshman receiver Jeremiah Smith the next big thing for No. 2 Ohio State?COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Jeremiah Smith might be the next big thing for No. 2 Ohio State. The pass-catching prodigy from Miami Gardens, Florida, was the country's top-rated high school recruit when he signed with Ohio State in December and enrolled early amid a frenzy of hype. Since then, the 6-foot-3, 215-pound Smith has shown flashes of being what everybody expects he'll be for the No. 2 Buckeyes. He's impressed coaches and teammates with his work ethic, route-running and acrobatic catches as he goes against the Buckeyes' experienced defensive backs in preseason practice. Smith is a cousin of Seattle Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith.Notre Dame suspends men's swim team for one year after review finds NCAA gambling violationsNotre Dame has suspended its men's swimming program for at least one year after an external review found members of the team violated NCAA rules by wagering among themselves on results of their competitions. The review also found that team members failed to "treat one another with dignity and respect." Athletic director Pete Bevacqua said in a statement Thursday that not all team members participated in the poor conduct and that coach Chris Lindauer and his staff fully cooperated with the review. Members of the team will be permitted to transfer, though NCAA sanctions would follow those found to have broken rules against gambling.Torrid NL West is baseball's hottest division race with Dodgers, Padres and DiamondbacksPHOENIX (AP) — The Arizona Diamondbacks are in the midst of a stretch that most big-league clubs can only dream about, winners of six straight games, 20 of 25 since the All-Star break and 30 of 40 since late June. They're fitting in quite well in the NL West, which is home to three of the game's hottest teams. As pennant races around baseball heat up, the one out west looks like the best. San Diego has a 19-4 record since the All-Star break and Arizona is 20-5. The Dodgers aren't playing poorly at all with a 15-9 record, but they're struggling to hold their division lead.American rider Sepp Kuss takes on leading role as he begins title defense in Spanish VueltaMADRID (AP) — This time the spotlight will be on Sepp Kuss from the start as he tries to retain his title in the Spanish Vuelta. Kuss won last year's race over Primoz Roglic and Jonas Vingegaard, who then were the top riders for Team Visma-Lease a Bike. Roglic has now switched to Team Red Bull Bora-Hansgrohe while Vingegaard has skipped the Vuelta to rest and prepare for the birth of his child. Kuss arrives in good form to repeat as champion, having won the Burgos Vuelta last week. The American did not participate in the Tour de France because of COVID-19.Brewers' outfielder Christian Yelich to have season-ending back surgeryMILWAUKEE (AP) — The NL Central-leading Milwaukee Brewers will have to continue their playoff push without Christian Yelich. Yelich is undergoing season-ending back surgery Friday, putting an end to the 2018 NL MVP's resurgent season. Yelich was leading the NL in batting average (.315) and on-base percentage (.406) when he went on the injured list in late July. But, he hasn't played since getting removed from a game at Chicago's Wrigley Field on July 23. Yelich has been dealing with back trouble for the last few years, and the issue landed him on the injured list twice this season.

📢📰🎧 Sports Headlines for Friday

By DAVE SKRETTA AP Sports Writer

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (AP) — Patrick Mahomes and the rest of the Kansas City Chiefs' starters are expected to play most of the first half of their preseason game against Detroit on Saturday, though it's possible Carson Wentz will get some snaps with the first-team offense, too.

Chiefs coach Andy Reid announced his plan for the second preseason game Thursday, shortly after the defending Super Bowl champions wrapped up the final practice of their training camp at Missouri Western State University.

Mahomes was 3 of 4 for 27 yards against Jacksonville in the Chiefs' preseason opener, helping to set up a field goal on their first possession. He typically plays into the second quarter of the second preseason game before taking the third exhibition game off ahead of the season opener, which in this case comes Sept. 5 against Baltimore.

After playing the Lions, the Chiefs will conduct the rest of camp at their training facility in Kansas City.

“I think you've been able to see the growth,” said Reid, one of the few coaches left in the NFL who prefers to take his team away for camp. “We've added a ton in the last few days up here. The guys have digested it and been able to spit it back — retain it. That has been a positive. And then maybe most of all getting yourself in football shape, kind of re-amping up to our first game.”

“We still have a couple of weeks ahead of us here ’til that all takes place,” Reid added, “but we’ll keep working on it. We're not ready yet, but we'll keep working and sharpening ourselves up to play. I appreciate the attitude the guys have had.”

Reid said right tackle Jawaan Taylor would not play against the Lions after hurting his right shoulder during Thursday's practice, which means Lucas Niang will likely replace him. Niang was expected to compete with Kingsley Suamataeia for the starting job on the left side, but Suamataeia, a second-round pick out of BYU, seized the job early and never let go.

“(Taylor) won’t go this weekend,” Reid said, “but I think he’s going to be OK.”

Reid also said he would not “force it” to get veteran left guard Joe Thuney onto the field for a preseason game. Thuney recently came off the PUP list and began to practice after a pectoral injury that caused him to miss the Super Bowl.

Running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire missed his fourth straight practice with an illness Thursday, though Reid said he was feeling better. Safety Bryan Cook also remained out of practice for personal reasons.

The biggest missing piece, of course, remained wide receiver Marquise Brown, who sustained a sternoclavicular posterior dislocation in the Chiefs' game in Jacksonville. Brown was fortunate the shoulder injury, similar to one that caused former Chiefs wide receiver Tyreek Hill to miss four games in 2019, did not require surgery.

“We're lucky it wasn't as bad as it could have been," Mahomes said Thursday. “He's in good spirits, doing well. Getting him back going again, moving around. Obviously we lost a little bit of that veteran-type receiver in that room. We have other guys that can replace a little bit, but to have that much talent and understand what I want — but he's in that room. That's important."

Reid was noncommittal this week when asked whether Brown could be ready for Week 1. In the meantime, the Chiefs have turned to veteran Justin Watson, who knows every wide receiver position in the offense.

“Very confident in him,” Mahomes said. “A guy that knows everything, can play all three (receiver) positions, can catch and block. Those guys have to step up while (Brown) is out. We're lucky it doesn't seem like it's going to be for too long.”

Much like Reid, Mahomes came away from the three-plus weeks in St. Joseph feeling good about the work Kansas City put it as it begins pursuit of a record third consecutive Super Bowl championship.

“I thought it was a competitive camp. That was the biggest thing,” he said. “More than just standouts every day, you didn't know if the offense or defense was going to win. That's when it's a great camp. There were days the defense got after us. There were days we had the advantage. I think just the competitive nature of camp was the best thing about it.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1723802623928.jpeg" alt="Kansas City Chiefs quarterbacks Ian Book, left, Carson Wentz (11), Patrick Mahomes (15) and Chris Oladokun (13) arrive at NFL football training camp Wednesday, Aug. 14, 2024, in St. Joseph, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)" />
 <figcaption>Kansas City Chiefs quarterbacks Ian Book, left, Carson Wentz (11), Patrick Mahomes (15) and Chris Oladokun (13) arrive at NFL football training camp Wednesday, Aug. 14, 2024, in St. Joseph, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)</figcaption>
 </figure>By DAVE SKRETTA AP Sports WriterST. JOSEPH, Mo. (AP) — Patrick Mahomes and the rest of the Kansas City Chiefs' starters are expected to play most of the first half of their preseason game against Detroit on Saturday, though it's possible Carson Wentz will get some snaps with the first-team offense, too.Chiefs coach Andy Reid announced his plan for the second preseason game Thursday, shortly after the defending Super Bowl champions wrapped up the final practice of their training camp at Missouri Western State University.Mahomes was 3 of 4 for 27 yards against Jacksonville in the Chiefs' preseason opener, helping to set up a field goal on their first possession. He typically plays into the second quarter of the second preseason game before taking the third exhibition game off ahead of the season opener, which in this case comes Sept. 5 against Baltimore.After playing the Lions, the Chiefs will conduct the rest of camp at their training facility in Kansas City.“I think you've been able to see the growth,” said Reid, one of the few coaches left in the NFL who prefers to take his team away for camp. “We've added a ton in the last few days up here. The guys have digested it and been able to spit it back — retain it. That has been a positive. And then maybe most of all getting yourself in football shape, kind of re-amping up to our first game.”“We still have a couple of weeks ahead of us here ’til that all takes place,” Reid added, “but we’ll keep working on it. We're not ready yet, but we'll keep working and sharpening ourselves up to play. I appreciate the attitude the guys have had.”Reid said right tackle Jawaan Taylor would not play against the Lions after hurting his right shoulder during Thursday's practice, which means Lucas Niang will likely replace him. Niang was expected to compete with Kingsley Suamataeia for the starting job on the left side, but Suamataeia, a second-round pick out of BYU, seized the job early and never let go.“(Taylor) won’t go this weekend,” Reid said, “but I think he’s going to be OK.”Reid also said he would not “force it” to get veteran left guard Joe Thuney onto the field for a preseason game. Thuney recently came off the PUP list and began to practice after a pectoral injury that caused him to miss the Super Bowl.Running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire missed his fourth straight practice with an illness Thursday, though Reid said he was feeling better. Safety Bryan Cook also remained out of practice for personal reasons.The biggest missing piece, of course, remained wide receiver Marquise Brown, who sustained a sternoclavicular posterior dislocation in the Chiefs' game in Jacksonville. Brown was fortunate the shoulder injury, similar to one that caused former Chiefs wide receiver Tyreek Hill to miss four games in 2019, did not require surgery.“We're lucky it wasn't as bad as it could have been," Mahomes said Thursday. “He's in good spirits, doing well. Getting him back going again, moving around. Obviously we lost a little bit of that veteran-type receiver in that room. We have other guys that can replace a little bit, but to have that much talent and understand what I want — but he's in that room. That's important."Reid was noncommittal this week when asked whether Brown could be ready for Week 1. In the meantime, the Chiefs have turned to veteran Justin Watson, who knows every wide receiver position in the offense.“Very confident in him,” Mahomes said. “A guy that knows everything, can play all three (receiver) positions, can catch and block. Those guys have to step up while (Brown) is out. We're lucky it doesn't seem like it's going to be for too long.”Much like Reid, Mahomes came away from the three-plus weeks in St. Joseph feeling good about the work Kansas City put it as it begins pursuit of a record third consecutive Super Bowl championship.“I thought it was a competitive camp. That was the biggest thing,” he said. “More than just standouts every day, you didn't know if the offense or defense was going to win. That's when it's a great camp. There were days the defense got after us. There were days we had the advantage. I think just the competitive nature of camp was the best thing about it.”

🏈 Chiefs' starters to play first half against Lions after breaking camp in St. Joseph

The 20th season of Hutchinson Community College women's soccer as the Blue Dragons selected high in the KJCCC Preseason Coaches' Poll and are a nationally ranked team in the preseason national rankings.

Both the conference and national preseason polls were released this week with the Blue Dragons selected to finish third in the KJCCC preseason coaches poll and are No. 20 in the NJCAA Division I Women's Soccer national rankings.

The Blue Dragons enter the 2024 season coming off a 12-5-3 season in 2023 that included a third-place conference finish, but an opening-round exit from the Region 6 Tournament.

Returning from last season are 11 players, including all-conference players midfielder&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bluedragonsports.com/sports/wsoc/2024-25/bios/edwards_kaitlyn_flm0">Kaitlyn Edwards</a>&nbsp;(1st team), forward&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bluedragonsports.com/sports/wsoc/2024-25/bios/marx_katharina_gwqa">Katharina Marx</a>&nbsp;(2nd team) and goalkeeper&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bluedragonsports.com/sports/wsoc/2024-25/bios/slothower_karsyn_oxul">Karsyn Slothower</a>&nbsp;(2nd team).

The Blue Dragons have already played one preseason scrimmage, defeating Allen Community College 4-1 in a weather-shortened contest in Wednesday night at the Salthawk Soccer Complex. The Blue Dragons play Southwestern College at 6 p.m. on Sunday in another home scrimmage before opening the 2024 regular season next Thursday, August 22 against NOC-Enid at 6 p.m. at the Salthawk Sports Complex.

The Blue Dragons received 64 points and one of the nine first-place votes in the KJCCC Coaches' Poll.

Cowley is the preseason pick to capture the 2024 league title. The Tigers received seven first-place votes and 76 points in the balloting. Butler was picked second with 66 points and one first-place vote. Barton is picked to finish fourth in the KJCCC this season.

2024 KJCCC PRESEASON COACHES' POLL 1. Cowley (7) – 76 2. Butler (1) – 66 3. Hutchinson (1) – 64 4. Barton – 56 5. Kansas City – 50 6. Coffeyville – 30 7. Garden City – 27 8. Dodge City – 24 9. Seward County – 12

The Blue Dragons received seven points in the NJCAA preseason national poll and are one of five KJCCC teams in the rankings to start the season.

Cowley is ranked No. 10, Butler No. 12, Kansas City is No. 15, Barton is No. 17 and the Blue Dragons are at No. 20.

Defending national champion Iowa Western is the unanimous pick atop the 2024 national preseason rankings. The Reivers are followed by Eastern Florida State, Seminole State, Tyler and Arizona Western.

NJCAA DIV. I NATIONAL PRESEASON RANKINGS 1. Iowa Western (9) - 140 2. Eastern Florida State - 133 3. Seminole State - 126 4. Tyler - 119 5. Arizona Western - 112 6. Salt Lake - 105 7. Navarro - 98 8. Daytona State - 91 9. Hill College -84 10. Cowley - 77 11. Monroe - 70 12. Butler - 63 13. Monroe - 56 14. Laramie County - 49 15. Kansas City - 42 16. Casper - 35 17. Barton - 28 18. Eastern Arizona - 21 19. Motlow State - 14 20. Hutchinson - 7

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1723754006537.jpeg" alt="Photo Courtesy HutchCC Athletics" />
 <figcaption>Photo Courtesy HutchCC Athletics</figcaption>
 </figure>Hutchinson CC Sports InformationThe 20th season of Hutchinson Community College women's soccer as the Blue Dragons selected high in the KJCCC Preseason Coaches' Poll and are a nationally ranked team in the preseason national rankings.Both the conference and national preseason polls were released this week with the Blue Dragons selected to finish third in the KJCCC preseason coaches poll and are No. 20 in the NJCAA Division I Women's Soccer national rankings.The Blue Dragons enter the 2024 season coming off a 12-5-3 season in 2023 that included a third-place conference finish, but an opening-round exit from the Region 6 Tournament.Returning from last season are 11 players, including all-conference players midfielder&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bluedragonsports.com/sports/wsoc/2024-25/bios/edwards_kaitlyn_flm0">Kaitlyn Edwards</a>&nbsp;(1st team), forward&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bluedragonsports.com/sports/wsoc/2024-25/bios/marx_katharina_gwqa">Katharina Marx</a>&nbsp;(2nd team) and goalkeeper&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bluedragonsports.com/sports/wsoc/2024-25/bios/slothower_karsyn_oxul">Karsyn Slothower</a>&nbsp;(2nd team).The Blue Dragons have already played one preseason scrimmage, defeating Allen Community College 4-1 in a weather-shortened contest in Wednesday night at the Salthawk Soccer Complex. The Blue Dragons play Southwestern College at 6 p.m. on Sunday in another home scrimmage before opening the 2024 regular season next Thursday, August 22 against NOC-Enid at 6 p.m. at the Salthawk Sports Complex.The Blue Dragons received 64 points and one of the nine first-place votes in the KJCCC Coaches' Poll.Cowley is the preseason pick to capture the 2024 league title. The Tigers received seven first-place votes and 76 points in the balloting. Butler was picked second with 66 points and one first-place vote. Barton is picked to finish fourth in the KJCCC this season.2024 KJCCC PRESEASON COACHES' POLL 1. Cowley (7) – 76 2. Butler (1) – 66 3. Hutchinson (1) – 64 4. Barton – 56 5. Kansas City – 50 6. Coffeyville – 30 7. Garden City – 27 8. Dodge City – 24 9. Seward County – 12The Blue Dragons received seven points in the NJCAA preseason national poll and are one of five KJCCC teams in the rankings to start the season.Cowley is ranked No. 10, Butler No. 12, Kansas City is No. 15, Barton is No. 17 and the Blue Dragons are at No. 20.Defending national champion Iowa Western is the unanimous pick atop the 2024 national preseason rankings. The Reivers are followed by Eastern Florida State, Seminole State, Tyler and Arizona Western.NJCAA DIV. I NATIONAL PRESEASON RANKINGS 1. Iowa Western (9) - 140 2. Eastern Florida State - 133 3. Seminole State - 126 4. Tyler - 119 5. Arizona Western - 112 6. Salt Lake - 105 7. Navarro - 98 8. Daytona State - 91 9. Hill College -84 10. Cowley - 77 11. Monroe - 70 12. Butler - 63 13. Monroe - 56 14. Laramie County - 49 15. Kansas City - 42 16. Casper - 35 17. Barton - 28 18. Eastern Arizona - 21 19. Motlow State - 14 20. Hutchinson - 7

⚽ No. 20 HutchCC tabbed 3rd in KJCCC preseason poll

The Hutchinson Community College volleyball team was picked to finish in the middle of the pack in the 2024 KJCCC Division I Preseason coaches' poll released this week.

The Blue Dragons received 53 points in the balloting and were picked to finish fifth in the nine-team league this season.

Now in her fifth season, head coach Delice Downing returns one starter and four overall players from last year's 24-15 team that placed fourth in the KJCCC last season.

The one returning starter is middle blocker&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bluedragonsports.com/sports/wvball/2024-25/bios/murphy_mckenzie_tghh">McKenzie Murphy</a>, a 6-foot-1, sophomore from Fort Scott. She is a returning all-conference performer who hit.293 on 1.26 kills per set. She also averaged 1.07 blocks per set.

Barton is the unanimous favorite to capture the 2024 league title, earning all nine first-place votes. Defending Region 6 champion Colby is second, followed by Dodge City, Butler and Hutchinson to round out the top five selections.

The Blue Dragons will have three sets of preseason scrimmages before opening the 2024 season at the Iowa Western Tournament on August 24 and 25.

The Blue Dragons travel to McPherson College on Thursday August 15, at the KJCCC scrimmages on Saturday in El Dorado and will have their only home preseason scrimmage on Monday at 4 p.m. (intersquad scrimmage) and 6 p.m. (Sterling College).

The Blue Dragons play Jefferson College, Iowa Western, Northeastern Junior College and Western Nebraska next weekend to open the season in Council Bluffs.

The Blue Dragons will play 15 matches before their 2024 regular-season home opener on September 18 against Cloud County.

The NJCAA National Preseason poll will be released next week.

2024 KJCCC DIV. I VOLLEYBALL COACHES' POLL 1. Barton (9) – 81 2. Colby – 64 3. Dodge City – 58 4. Butler – 55 5. Hutchinson – 53 6. Garden City – 33 7. Cloud County – 32 8. Seward County – 19 9. Pratt – 10

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1723753293428.jpeg" alt="Photo Courtesy HutchCC Athletics" />
 <figcaption>Photo Courtesy HutchCC Athletics</figcaption>
 </figure>Hutchinson CC Sports InformationThe Hutchinson Community College volleyball team was picked to finish in the middle of the pack in the 2024 KJCCC Division I Preseason coaches' poll released this week.The Blue Dragons received 53 points in the balloting and were picked to finish fifth in the nine-team league this season.Now in her fifth season, head coach Delice Downing returns one starter and four overall players from last year's 24-15 team that placed fourth in the KJCCC last season.The one returning starter is middle blocker&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bluedragonsports.com/sports/wvball/2024-25/bios/murphy_mckenzie_tghh">McKenzie Murphy</a>, a 6-foot-1, sophomore from Fort Scott. She is a returning all-conference performer who hit.293 on 1.26 kills per set. She also averaged 1.07 blocks per set.Barton is the unanimous favorite to capture the 2024 league title, earning all nine first-place votes. Defending Region 6 champion Colby is second, followed by Dodge City, Butler and Hutchinson to round out the top five selections.The Blue Dragons will have three sets of preseason scrimmages before opening the 2024 season at the Iowa Western Tournament on August 24 and 25.The Blue Dragons travel to McPherson College on Thursday August 15, at the KJCCC scrimmages on Saturday in El Dorado and will have their only home preseason scrimmage on Monday at 4 p.m. (intersquad scrimmage) and 6 p.m. (Sterling College).The Blue Dragons play Jefferson College, Iowa Western, Northeastern Junior College and Western Nebraska next weekend to open the season in Council Bluffs.The Blue Dragons will play 15 matches before their 2024 regular-season home opener on September 18 against Cloud County.The NJCAA National Preseason poll will be released next week.2024 KJCCC DIV. I VOLLEYBALL COACHES' POLL 1. Barton (9) – 81 2. Colby – 64 3. Dodge City – 58 4. Butler – 55 5. Hutchinson – 53 6. Garden City – 33 7. Cloud County – 32 8. Seward County – 19 9. Pratt – 10

🏐 Blue Dragons picked 5th in KJCCC preseason poll

By MATT PIKE St. Joseph Post

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. - The Kansas City Chiefs wrapped up another year of Training Camp on the Missouri Western campus in St. Joseph today.

Head Coach Andy Reid started out his press conference by thanking St. Joseph and the university.

"We appreciate all their hospitality, what a great job they did taking care of us," Reid tells reporters following practice. "Whether it was the people that were making our beds to the people that were cooking the food to the grounds crew that was taking care of the area here, everybody was just first class and on the ball we appreciate that, makes it a lot easier when we're all pulling in the same direction."

This wraps up the 14th year of Chiefs Training Camp in St. Joseph.

Reid says he saw a lot of growth from his team through the four weeks at Missouri Western.

"We've added a ton into the last few days up here and the guys have digested it, been able to spit it back, retain it, that's a positive," Reid says. "And then maybe most of all is getting yourself into football shape and kind of ramping up to your first game against the Ravens."

The Chiefs wrapped up a light 10-10-10 practice after just over an hour, welcoming veterans onto the field for Military Appreciation Day.

Entering this year's Chiefs Training Camp in St. Joseph at Missouri Western, Quarterback Patrick Mahomes had one goal; be better than he was last season.

And as training camp wrapped up today, Mahomes feels like he's taken the steps to do that.

"I've been trying to push the envelope, trying to push the ball downfield, trying to make sure that we stay in that attacking mindset, but at the same time finding that right balance," Mahomes explains. "There's been days where we connected on a lot of deep passes, there's days when we missed them, but that's what this is for, is for us to try and see what we can get away with, try to see what we can do and see what everybody's great at, and I thought we had a great camp like I said."

Kansas City's second preseason game against Detroit is on Saturday. Pregame will be at 2 p.m. with kickoff at 3 p.m. on 96.9, KFIX.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1723743620442.jpeg" alt="Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes gets ready to take a snap from center Creed Humprey during Training Camp in St. Joseph/ Photo by Alexis Starks" />
 <figcaption>Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes gets ready to take a snap from center Creed Humprey during Training Camp in St. Joseph/ Photo by Alexis Starks</figcaption>
 </figure>By MATT PIKE St. Joseph PostST. JOSEPH, Mo. - The Kansas City Chiefs wrapped up another year of Training Camp on the Missouri Western campus in St. Joseph today.Head Coach Andy Reid started out his press conference by thanking St. Joseph and the university."We appreciate all their hospitality, what a great job they did taking care of us," Reid tells reporters following practice. "Whether it was the people that were making our beds to the people that were cooking the food to the grounds crew that was taking care of the area here, everybody was just first class and on the ball we appreciate that, makes it a lot easier when we're all pulling in the same direction."This wraps up the 14th year of Chiefs Training Camp in St. Joseph.Reid says he saw a lot of growth from his team through the four weeks at Missouri Western."We've added a ton into the last few days up here and the guys have digested it, been able to spit it back, retain it, that's a positive," Reid says. "And then maybe most of all is getting yourself into football shape and kind of ramping up to your first game against the Ravens."<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1723743897818.jpeg" alt="Head Coach Andy Reid waves to fans as he travels down to practice/ Photo by Alexis Starks" />
 <figcaption>Head Coach Andy Reid waves to fans as he travels down to practice/ Photo by Alexis Starks</figcaption>
 </figure>The Chiefs wrapped up a light 10-10-10 practice after just over an hour, welcoming veterans onto the field for Military Appreciation Day.Entering this year's Chiefs Training Camp in St. Joseph at Missouri Western, Quarterback Patrick Mahomes had one goal; be better than he was last season.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1723743945433.jpeg" alt="Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes throws a pass during Chiefs practice/ Photo by Alexis Starks" />
 <figcaption>Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes throws a pass during Chiefs practice/ Photo by Alexis Starks</figcaption>
 </figure>And as training camp wrapped up today, Mahomes feels like he's taken the steps to do that."I've been trying to push the envelope, trying to push the ball downfield, trying to make sure that we stay in that attacking mindset, but at the same time finding that right balance," Mahomes explains. "There's been days where we connected on a lot of deep passes, there's days when we missed them, but that's what this is for, is for us to try and see what we can get away with, try to see what we can do and see what everybody's great at, and I thought we had a great camp like I said."Kansas City's second preseason game against Detroit is on Saturday. Pregame will be at 2 p.m. with kickoff at 3 p.m. on 96.9, KFIX.

🏈 Chiefs wrap up another training camp in St. Joseph

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1723137789848.jpeg" alt="Jalon Daniels-photo courtesy Missy Minear-KU Athletics" />
 <figcaption>Jalon Daniels-photo courtesy Missy Minear-KU Athletics</figcaption>
 </figure><div>Kansas Athletics
 
LAWRENCE, Kan. &ndash;&nbsp;Kansas quarterback&nbsp;<dfn style="text-align: start;color: rgb(73, 73, 73);background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);font-size: 16px;"><a href="https://kuathletics.com/sports/football/roster/jalon-daniels/1362" rel="smarttag" style="color: rgb(0, 81, 186);">Jalon Daniels</a></dfn>&nbsp;is one of 63 quarterbacks named to the watch list for the 2024 Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award, which was announced Wednesday by the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Educational Foundation. &nbsp; This is the fifth preseason watch list of the 2024 offseason for Daniels, who was previously listed by the Maxwell Award, Walter Camp Award, Comeback Player of the Year Award and the Davey O&apos;Brien Award. This is the second straight season he has earned preseason recognition by the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award. &nbsp; The Golden Arm Award annually recognizes the top senior or upperclassman quarterback set to graduate with their class. The namesake of the award has a storied history. Johnny Unitas was an 18-year veteran of the NFL, who played his collegiate career at the University of Louisville before joining the Baltimore Colts in 1958. His career passing figures include 2,830 pass completions for 40,239 yards, 290 touchdowns and throwing a touchdown pass in 47 consecutive games. &nbsp; Daniels returns for his fifth season at Kansas in 2024 after throwing for 705 yards and five touchdowns in three games last year. In 2022, Daniels was a breakthrough player as he led the Jayhawks to a 5-0 start and the program&apos;s first bowl game appearance since 2008. He was an All-Big 12 Second Team selection after completing 66.1 percent (152-of-230) of his passes for 2,014 yards and 18 touchdowns. Daniels capped off his sophomore season with a record-setting performance in the AutoZone Liberty Bowl, when he completed 37-of-55 passes for 544 yards and five touchdowns, while also rushing for a touchdown. &nbsp; From Lawndale, California, Daniels enters the season ranked No. 9 in school history with 4,297 passing yards and No. 5 with 31 passing touchdowns. At his current career completion rate of 63.6 percent (365-of-574), Daniels would surpass the previous school record of 63.3 percent, set by Todd Reesing from 2006-09. &nbsp; This year&apos;s award winner will be presented the Golden Arm Award trophy at the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award celebration the Four Seasons Hotel in Baltimore, Maryland on Friday, December 6, 2024. The preseason watch list, semifinalists, finalists and award recipient are selected by the distinguished Johhny Unitas Golden Arm Selection Committee, a group of prominent college football journalists, commentators, announcers and former players. &nbsp; 2024 Kansas Football Preseason Watch Lists: Maxwell Award &ndash; QB&nbsp;<dfn style="text-align: start;color: rgb(73, 73, 73);background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);font-size: 16px;"><a href="https://kuathletics.com/sports/football/roster/jalon-daniels/1362" rel="smarttag" style="color: rgb(0, 81, 186);">Jalon Daniels</a></dfn>, RB&nbsp;<dfn style="text-align: start;color: rgb(73, 73, 73);background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);font-size: 16px;"><a href="https://kuathletics.com/sports/football/roster/devin-neal/1356" rel="smarttag" style="color: rgb(0, 81, 186);">Devin Neal</a></dfn> Patrick Mannelly Award &ndash; LS&nbsp;<dfn style="text-align: start;color: rgb(73, 73, 73);background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);font-size: 16px;"><a href="https://kuathletics.com/sports/football/roster/luke-hosford/1447" rel="smarttag" style="color: rgb(0, 81, 186);">Luke Hosford</a></dfn> Bronko Nagurski Award &ndash; CB&nbsp;<dfn style="text-align: start;color: rgb(73, 73, 73);background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);font-size: 16px;"><a href="https://kuathletics.com/sports/football/roster/cobee-bryant/1350" rel="smarttag" style="color: rgb(0, 81, 186);">Cobee Bryant</a></dfn> Paycom Jim Thorpe Award &ndash; CB&nbsp;<dfn style="text-align: start;color: rgb(73, 73, 73);background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);font-size: 16px;"><a href="https://kuathletics.com/sports/football/roster/cobee-bryant/1350" rel="smarttag" style="color: rgb(0, 81, 186);">Cobee Bryant</a></dfn> Allstate Wuerffel Trophy &ndash; TE&nbsp;<dfn style="text-align: start;color: rgb(73, 73, 73);background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);font-size: 16px;"><a href="https://kuathletics.com/sports/football/roster/jared-casey/1431" rel="smarttag" style="color: rgb(0, 81, 186);">Jared Casey</a></dfn> Walter Camp Award &ndash; QB&nbsp;<dfn style="text-align: start;color: rgb(73, 73, 73);background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);font-size: 16px;"><a href="https://kuathletics.com/sports/football/roster/jalon-daniels/1362" rel="smarttag" style="color: rgb(0, 81, 186);">Jalon Daniels</a></dfn> Doak Walker Award &ndash; RB&nbsp;<dfn style="text-align: start;color: rgb(73, 73, 73);background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);font-size: 16px;"><a href="https://kuathletics.com/sports/football/roster/devin-neal/1356" rel="smarttag" style="color: rgb(0, 81, 186);">Devin Neal</a></dfn>, RB&nbsp;<dfn style="text-align: start;color: rgb(73, 73, 73);background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);font-size: 16px;"><a href="https://kuathletics.com/sports/football/roster/daniel-hishaw-jr-/1394" rel="smarttag" style="color: rgb(0, 81, 186);">Daniel Hishaw Jr.</a></dfn> Comeback Player of the Year &ndash; QB&nbsp;<dfn style="text-align: start;color: rgb(73, 73, 73);background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);font-size: 16px;"><a href="https://kuathletics.com/sports/football/roster/jalon-daniels/1362" rel="smarttag" style="color: rgb(0, 81, 186);">Jalon Daniels</a></dfn> Biletnikoff Award &ndash; WR&nbsp;<dfn style="text-align: start;color: rgb(73, 73, 73);background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);font-size: 16px;"><a href="https://kuathletics.com/sports/football/roster/lawrence-arnold/1348" rel="smarttag" style="color: rgb(0, 81, 186);">Lawrence Arnold</a></dfn> Davey O&apos;Brien Award &ndash; QB&nbsp;<dfn style="text-align: start;color: rgb(73, 73, 73);background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);font-size: 16px;"><a href="https://kuathletics.com/sports/football/roster/jalon-daniels/1362" rel="smarttag" style="color: rgb(0, 81, 186);">Jalon Daniels</a></dfn> Chuck Bednarik Award &ndash; CB&nbsp;<dfn style="text-align: start;color: rgb(73, 73, 73);background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);font-size: 16px;"><a href="https://kuathletics.com/sports/football/roster/cobee-bryant/1350" rel="smarttag" style="color: rgb(0, 81, 186);">Cobee Bryant</a></dfn> Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award &ndash; QB&nbsp;<dfn style="text-align: start;color: rgb(73, 73, 73);background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);font-size: 16px;"><a href="https://kuathletics.com/sports/football/roster/jalon-daniels/1362" rel="smarttag" style="color: rgb(0, 81, 186);">Jalon Daniels</a></dfn></div>

🏈 KU's Daniels named to Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award watch list

By STEPHEN HAWKINS AP Sports Writer

The Big 12 has gotten bigger even after the departures of two national champions, with a westward expansion and a “Prime” addition among the league's four newcomers.

Mike Gundy is going into his 20th season as 17th-ranked Oklahoma State coach and has been part of all the Big 12's configurations. There was the original 12-team setup, then 10 teams with round-robin schedules before 14 last year and now 16 with additions from the dismembered Pac-12 at the same time Red River rivals Oklahoma and Texas left for the SEC.

“As we move forward, there’s going to be a lot of parity. I should say more parity in college football than there has been over the last few years,” said Gundy, whose Cowboys were Big 12 runners-up last season. “I think that we’ve got a number of teams in this league that have an opportunity to make a move nationally. Whether anybody can take over and dominate for an extended period of time would be hard to tell at this point.”

Fourth-ranked Texas, the 2005 national champ, is gone after bookend Big 12 titles — in the inaugural 1996 season and its fourth last year to make the College Football Playoff. Only No. 16 Oklahoma has more, winning the league in 14 of the 28 seasons.

Newcomer Utah, with coach Kyle Whittingham also in his 20th season, is the league's highest-ranked team in The Associated Press Top 25 preseason poll. The No. 12 Utes return quarterback Cam Rising, a seventh-year senior who missed last season recovering from a knee injury.

This is the fourth league for Whittingham with the Utes. He was part of their WAC days as an assistant, and has been in the Mountain West, Pac-12 and now Big 12 as head coach.

“It's a transition we made before, although when we went to the Pac-12, we were a G5 school trying to come up a level, which there was a little bit of a curve there that we had to endure,” he said. “We feel like we’ve got a good roster right now, one through 85, and ready to compete in this league.”

Original Big 12 member Colorado returns after 13 seasons in the Pac-12 that included only two winning records. The Buffaloes are going into their second season with Deion Sanders as their coach. They lost eight of their last nine games after a 3-0 start for Coach Prime, who has reloaded through the portal again this season.

No. 18 Kansas State, No. 22 Kansas, Baylor, Iowa State, Oklahoma State and Texas Tech have been part of the Big 12 throughout its entire history. TCU and West Virginia joined in 2012, after a two-year span when the league lost Colorado, Missouri, Nebraska and Texas A&amp;M.

No. 21 Arizona and Arizona State arrived from the Pac-12 with Colorado and Utah.

BYU, Cincinnati, Houston and UCF all had losing records in their Big 12 debuts last season. They were a combined 8-28 in conference play, with only four of those wins against teams outside that quartet.

All-America running back Ollie Gordon II, who led the nation with 1,732 yards rushing and 21 touchdowns last season for Oklahoma State, is one of six 1,000-yard rushers back in the Big 12.

Texas Tech's Tahj Brooks ranked fourth nationally with 1,538 yards and UCF's RJ Harvey was sixth with 1,416 yards. The other returning 1,000-yard rushers are Kansas' Devin Neal (1,280 yards, 16 TDs), Kansas State's DJ Giddens (1,226 yards) and Cincinnati's Corey Kiner (1,047 yards).

Shedeur Sanders went from Jackson State to Colorado with his dad, and threw for 3,230 yards with 27 touchdowns and three interceptions. Noah Fifita, a third-year sophomore at Arizona, set a school record completing 72.4% of his passes for 2,869 yards and 25 TDs.

Rising is back in the Big 12, where he redshirted as a freshman at Texas in 2018 before going to Utah.

UCF's KJ Jefferson and Baylor's Dequan Finn are dual-threat QBs who transferred into the Big 12 after five seasons elsewhere. Jefferson threw for 7,911 yards and 67 TDs and ran for 1,876 yards and 21 TDs in 44 games for Arkansas. Finn accounted for 8,914 yards (7,074 passing/1,840 rushing) and 88 scores (63 passing/25 rushing) at Toledo.

Arizona plays its first Big 12 game at Kansas State on Friday, Sept. 13. Utah's conference opener — after an earlier game against Baylor that won't count in the standings — is Sept. 21 at Oklahoma State.

The Sunflower State showdown Oct. 26 could match top quarterbacks Jalon Daniels for Kansas and Avery Johnson for K-State. BYU is at Utah on Nov. 9, the first time their Holy War is a conference game since the Mountain West days of 2010, before BYU went independent for 12 seasons.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1723733940442.jpeg" alt="&nbsp;FILE - Utah head coach Kyle Whittingham speaks during the Big 12 NCAA college football media days in Las Vegas, Tuesday, July 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Lucas Peltier, File)" />
 <figcaption>&nbsp;FILE - Utah head coach Kyle Whittingham speaks during the Big 12 NCAA college football media days in Las Vegas, Tuesday, July 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Lucas Peltier, File)</figcaption>
 </figure>By STEPHEN HAWKINS AP Sports WriterThe Big 12 has gotten bigger even after the departures of two national champions, with a westward expansion and a “Prime” addition among the league's four newcomers.Mike Gundy is going into his 20th season as 17th-ranked Oklahoma State coach and has been part of all the Big 12's configurations. There was the original 12-team setup, then 10 teams with round-robin schedules before 14 last year and now 16 with additions from the dismembered Pac-12 at the same time Red River rivals Oklahoma and Texas left for the SEC.“As we move forward, there’s going to be a lot of parity. I should say more parity in college football than there has been over the last few years,” said Gundy, whose Cowboys were Big 12 runners-up last season. “I think that we’ve got a number of teams in this league that have an opportunity to make a move nationally. Whether anybody can take over and dominate for an extended period of time would be hard to tell at this point.”Fourth-ranked Texas, the 2005 national champ, is gone after bookend Big 12 titles — in the inaugural 1996 season and its fourth last year to make the College Football Playoff. Only No. 16 Oklahoma has more, winning the league in 14 of the 28 seasons.Newcomer Utah, with coach Kyle Whittingham also in his 20th season, is the league's highest-ranked team in The Associated Press Top 25 preseason poll. The No. 12 Utes return quarterback Cam Rising, a seventh-year senior who missed last season recovering from a knee injury.This is the fourth league for Whittingham with the Utes. He was part of their WAC days as an assistant, and has been in the Mountain West, Pac-12 and now Big 12 as head coach.“It's a transition we made before, although when we went to the Pac-12, we were a G5 school trying to come up a level, which there was a little bit of a curve there that we had to endure,” he said. “We feel like we’ve got a good roster right now, one through 85, and ready to compete in this league.”Original Big 12 member Colorado returns after 13 seasons in the Pac-12 that included only two winning records. The Buffaloes are going into their second season with Deion Sanders as their coach. They lost eight of their last nine games after a 3-0 start for Coach Prime, who has reloaded through the portal again this season.Rounding out the leagueNo. 18 Kansas State, No. 22 Kansas, Baylor, Iowa State, Oklahoma State and Texas Tech have been part of the Big 12 throughout its entire history. TCU and West Virginia joined in 2012, after a two-year span when the league lost Colorado, Missouri, Nebraska and Texas A&amp;M.No. 21 Arizona and Arizona State arrived from the Pac-12 with Colorado and Utah.BYU, Cincinnati, Houston and UCF all had losing records in their Big 12 debuts last season. They were a combined 8-28 in conference play, with only four of those wins against teams outside that quartet.Ollie and other runnersAll-America running back Ollie Gordon II, who led the nation with 1,732 yards rushing and 21 touchdowns last season for Oklahoma State, is one of six 1,000-yard rushers back in the Big 12.Texas Tech's Tahj Brooks ranked fourth nationally with 1,538 yards and UCF's RJ Harvey was sixth with 1,416 yards. The other returning 1,000-yard rushers are Kansas' Devin Neal (1,280 yards, 16 TDs), Kansas State's DJ Giddens (1,226 yards) and Cincinnati's Corey Kiner (1,047 yards).New Big 12 QBsShedeur Sanders went from Jackson State to Colorado with his dad, and threw for 3,230 yards with 27 touchdowns and three interceptions. Noah Fifita, a third-year sophomore at Arizona, set a school record completing 72.4% of his passes for 2,869 yards and 25 TDs.Rising is back in the Big 12, where he redshirted as a freshman at Texas in 2018 before going to Utah.UCF's KJ Jefferson and Baylor's Dequan Finn are dual-threat QBs who transferred into the Big 12 after five seasons elsewhere. Jefferson threw for 7,911 yards and 67 TDs and ran for 1,876 yards and 21 TDs in 44 games for Arkansas. Finn accounted for 8,914 yards (7,074 passing/1,840 rushing) and 88 scores (63 passing/25 rushing) at Toledo.Notable gamesArizona plays its first Big 12 game at Kansas State on Friday, Sept. 13. Utah's conference opener — after an earlier game against Baylor that won't count in the standings — is Sept. 21 at Oklahoma State.The Sunflower State showdown Oct. 26 could match top quarterbacks Jalon Daniels for Kansas and Avery Johnson for K-State. BYU is at Utah on Nov. 9, the first time their Holy War is a conference game since the Mountain West days of 2010, before BYU went independent for 12 seasons.

Big 12 bigger newcomer Utah is league's highest-ranked team

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/11/1701263164849.png" alt="Early Morning Sports with Rob Dreher for Thursday, August 15th, 2024." />
 <figcaption>Early Morning Sports with Rob Dreher for Thursday, August 15th, 2024.</figcaption>
 </figure><div><iframe title="August 15th, 2024 Early Morning Sports" 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=2ve6s-16a1388-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 salvage series with Twins with a win; ⚾ Royals pipeline strong; ⚾ Wind Surge bats strong in win

<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">The new list of Royals Top 30 prospects is out and a high draft pick leads it... <a href="https://t.co/vKzpRN60p8">https://t.co/vKzpRN60p8</a>&mdash; Nick Gosnell (@NickGosnell11) <a href="https://twitter.com/NickGosnell11/status/1824041288615751805?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 15, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>

⚾ Top draft pick leads new Royals Top 30 list

WICHITA, Kan.—The Wichita Wind Surge had the bats going in an 8-4 win over the Arkansas Travelers at Riverfront Stadium. Wind Surge hitters combined for a tied season-high seven doubles and nine total extra base hits to tie the series.

Four pitches into the game, Harry Ford socked a leadoff solo home run, his sixth of the season, to left center field.&nbsp;Ricardo Olivar&nbsp;answered with his first Double-A homer, a solo shot that kept carrying until it touched down on the berm in left field in the bottom of the first to tie the game.

Tanner Schobel&nbsp;yanked a double to left on the opening pitch of the bottom of the third.&nbsp;Jeferson Morales&nbsp;brought him around on a two-bagger down the left field line.&nbsp;Carson McCusker&nbsp;then muscled a two-baser toward the left field corner to score Morales and give Wichita a 3-1 lead a third of the way through.

Tyler Dearden&nbsp;got in on the fun with a run-scoring double to the right-center gap in the bottom of the sixth. Since joining the club before the All-Star break, Dearden has seven doubles in 19 games with the Wind Surge.

Arkansas tied the game with a three-run top of the seventh inning after an RBI triple to left-center by Cole Young and a no-doubt two-run round-tripper by Hogan Windish, his 11th of the season. Ortega gave the lead right back to Wichita with a solo home run of his own to left after the stretch.

Aaron Sabato&nbsp;singled through the right side to bring in McCusker to open the bottom of the eighth, and both&nbsp;Noah Cardenas&nbsp;and Ortega combined for two more on a double to left and a single the opposite way to right for an 8-4 lead. The Travelers loaded the bases in the ninth, and Morales caught a line drive and scurried to second to retire the side.

Regi Grace&nbsp;got his first win of the year to become 1-3, throwing an inning and two-thirds with three earned runs on three hits with a walk and a strikeout.&nbsp;Miguel Rodriguez&nbsp;followed to finish his fifth save of the season with two innings of one-hit baseball with two punchouts.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1723712937115.jpeg" alt="Photo courtesy of the Wichita Wind Surge" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy of the Wichita Wind Surge</figcaption>
 </figure>WICHITA, Kan.—The Wichita Wind Surge had the bats going in an 8-4 win over the Arkansas Travelers at Riverfront Stadium. Wind Surge hitters combined for a tied season-high seven doubles and nine total extra base hits to tie the series.Four pitches into the game, Harry Ford socked a leadoff solo home run, his sixth of the season, to left center field.&nbsp;Ricardo Olivar&nbsp;answered with his first Double-A homer, a solo shot that kept carrying until it touched down on the berm in left field in the bottom of the first to tie the game.Tanner Schobel&nbsp;yanked a double to left on the opening pitch of the bottom of the third.&nbsp;Jeferson Morales&nbsp;brought him around on a two-bagger down the left field line.&nbsp;Carson McCusker&nbsp;then muscled a two-baser toward the left field corner to score Morales and give Wichita a 3-1 lead a third of the way through.Tyler Dearden&nbsp;got in on the fun with a run-scoring double to the right-center gap in the bottom of the sixth. Since joining the club before the All-Star break, Dearden has seven doubles in 19 games with the Wind Surge.Arkansas tied the game with a three-run top of the seventh inning after an RBI triple to left-center by Cole Young and a no-doubt two-run round-tripper by Hogan Windish, his 11th of the season. Ortega gave the lead right back to Wichita with a solo home run of his own to left after the stretch.Aaron Sabato&nbsp;singled through the right side to bring in McCusker to open the bottom of the eighth, and both&nbsp;Noah Cardenas&nbsp;and Ortega combined for two more on a double to left and a single the opposite way to right for an 8-4 lead. The Travelers loaded the bases in the ninth, and Morales caught a line drive and scurried to second to retire the side.Regi Grace&nbsp;got his first win of the year to become 1-3, throwing an inning and two-thirds with three earned runs on three hits with a walk and a strikeout.&nbsp;Miguel Rodriguez&nbsp;followed to finish his fifth save of the season with two innings of one-hit baseball with two punchouts.

⚾ Wichita Wind Surge collect 14 hits to even series with Travelers

Yankees' Aaron Judge becomes fastest to 300 homers, reaching in 955 games to Kiner's 1,087

CHICAGO (AP) — New York Yankees slugger Aaron Judge hit his 300th homer, reaching that milestone faster than any other player when he connected against the Chicago White Sox during a 10-2 victory. Judge hit that mark in his 955th game and 3,431st at-bat with a three-run drive in the eighth inning.. The six-time All-Star and 2022 American League MVP drove a 3-0 up-and-in sinker Chad Kuhl into the White Sox bullpen in left for his major league-leading 43rd homer. Ralph Kiner reached 300 homers in his 1,087th game, and Babe Ruth did in his 3,831st at-bat.

Brandon Aiyuk appears at 49ers practice as a spectator as his 'hold in' enters a 4th week

SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — Star receiver Brandon Aiyuk was back out at San Francisco 49ers practice as a spectator as his contract hold in enters a fourth week still in search of a resolution. Aiyuk had mostly stayed off the field the past two weeks after making waves with his boisterous handshakes with general manager John Lynch and coach Kyle Shanahan two weeks ago. Aiyuk skipped the entire offseason program and hasn't practiced yet in training camp as he seeks either a long-term contract with San Francisco or a trade to a team that can agree with the receiver on a new deal and give the 49ers enough compensation to part with him.

Falcons acquire 4-time Pro Bowl edge rusher Matthew Judon from Patriots, AP source says

A person with knowledge of the deal tells the AP that the New England Patriots have traded four-time Pro Bowl edge rusher Matthew Judon to the Atlanta Falcons for a third-round draft pick. The person spoke on condition of anonymity Wednesday because the teams haven't announced the trade. Judon had 28 sacks in his first two seasons with the Patriots before having four in four games last year when he was limited by injuries. Judon became available because of a contract dispute. He has a base salary of $6.5 million this season and is seeking a new deal. The Falcons needed a pass rusher to bolster a defense that hasn't had a player with double-digit sacks since Vic Beasley had 15 1/2 in 2016.

Vikings rookie QB J.J. McCarthy to miss season following right knee surgery to repair torn meniscus

BEREA, Ohio (AP) — Minnesota Vikings rookie quarterback J.J. McCarthy will miss the season after undergoing surgery on his right knee. McCarthy had an operation on Wednesday to repair a torn meniscus suffered at some point during his preseason debut last weekend against Las Vegas. The former Michigan standout had a solid training camp and had been expected to back up starter Sam Darnold. Vikings coach Kevin O'Connell delivered the news on McCarthy shortly after the team arrived for two days of joint practices with the Browns. McCarthy was the 10th overall pick in the NFL draft after helping the Wolverines to a national title.

Kylian Mbappé scores on debut for Real Madrid in a 2-0 win over Atalanta in UEFA Super Cup

WARSAW, Poland (AP) — Kylian Mbappé has pulled on Real Madrid's famous white jersey for the first time in a competitive match and marked the occasion with the second goal in a 2-0 win over Atalanta in the UEFA Super Cup. Mbappé started and played 82 minutes at the National Stadium in Warsaw. He met a pass from Jude Bellingham across the area with a shot into the top corner in the 68th minute. Federico Valverde tapped home a cross from Vinícius Junior in the 59th to set Madrid on its way to a record sixth victory in the Super Cup. It is an annual match between the Champions League winners (Madrid) and the Europa League champions (Atalanta).

Scottie Scheffler's PGA Tour postseason amounts to a Super Bowl at East Lake

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — Scottie Scheffler starts the final leg of his remarkable year in the PGA Tour's FedEx Cup playoffs. But it's really not about three postseason tournaments for someone like Scheffler. For the No. 1 player in the world, it's all about the Tour Championship. Scheffler says the FedEx Cup and the $25 million bonus is not a season-long race because it really comes down to the last week. But he understands those are the rules. The postseason starts with the FedEx St. Jude Championship for the top 70 players. The key is to be among the top 50 who advance to next week's second playoff event.

NASCAR revokes Dillon's playoff eligibility; driver keeps controversial Richmond win

NASCAR has ruled that Austin Dillon's win at Richmond Raceway will not count toward eligibility for the Cup Series playoffs. Dillon will keep credit for his first victory of the season but his playoff eligibility was revoked Wednesday because of "actions detrimental to stock car auto racing or NASCAR as determined in the sole discretion of NASCAR." Desperate to win for the first time in nearly two years, Dillon sent NASCAR champions Denny Hamlin and Joey Logano into the wall in rapid succession on the final lap to clear a path toward victory.

Pick-Six: Freshmen still can make major impact in portal era. These newcomers merit your attention

At least one true freshman has made the Associated Press All-America team seven of the last eight seasons. The trend continued last year with Alabama safety Caleb Downs making the second team while Purdue safety Dillon Thieneman made the third team. Downs has since transferred to Ohio State. The freshmen who figure to make the biggest impact this season will be catching passes rather than defending them. Ohio State's Jeremiah Smith heads a list of talented freshman wideouts.

PGA Tour releases its 2025 schedule with no involvement of LIV Golf in sight

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — The PGA Tour has released its 2025 schedule and it looks a lot like this year's schedule. PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan says its fair to assume there won't be any involvement with Saudi-funded LIV Golf until at least 2026 or beyond. He says negotiations are ongoing for an investment deal with the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia. The only change to next year's schedule is putting the Memorial and Canadian Open back to their original spots. The Memorial this year was a week before the U.S. Open. Now the Canadian Open will precede the U.S. Open.

Oh snap! Jets' Thomas Hennessy details what goes into perhaps the NFL's most underappreciated job

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. (AP) — Thomas Hennessy became a long snapper in high school because he simply wanted to be part of a team. He developed into one of the top players at his position, went to Duke and is now in his eighth NFL season with the New York Jets. The long snapper is perhaps one of the most overlooked and underappreciated jobs in sports. In his own words, Hennessy takes The Associated Press through what it takes to be a successful long snapper, from the mentality, stance and grip to the snap of the football and completing a play.

Here are the scores from yesterday's sports events:

Final	N.Y. Yankees	10	Chicago White Sox	2	

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/12/1701494597443.png" alt="Sports Headlines and News for Thursday, August 15th, 2024" />
 <figcaption>Sports Headlines and News for Thursday, August 15th, 2024</figcaption>
 </figure>AP Sports Summary for August 15th, 2024:<div><iframe width="100%" height="95" src="https://embeds.audioboom.com/posts/8556287/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>Yankees' Aaron Judge becomes fastest to 300 homers, reaching in 955 games to Kiner's 1,087CHICAGO (AP) — New York Yankees slugger Aaron Judge hit his 300th homer, reaching that milestone faster than any other player when he connected against the Chicago White Sox during a 10-2 victory. Judge hit that mark in his 955th game and 3,431st at-bat with a three-run drive in the eighth inning.. The six-time All-Star and 2022 American League MVP drove a 3-0 up-and-in sinker Chad Kuhl into the White Sox bullpen in left for his major league-leading 43rd homer. Ralph Kiner reached 300 homers in his 1,087th game, and Babe Ruth did in his 3,831st at-bat.Brandon Aiyuk appears at 49ers practice as a spectator as his 'hold in' enters a 4th weekSANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — Star receiver Brandon Aiyuk was back out at San Francisco 49ers practice as a spectator as his contract hold in enters a fourth week still in search of a resolution. Aiyuk had mostly stayed off the field the past two weeks after making waves with his boisterous handshakes with general manager John Lynch and coach Kyle Shanahan two weeks ago. Aiyuk skipped the entire offseason program and hasn't practiced yet in training camp as he seeks either a long-term contract with San Francisco or a trade to a team that can agree with the receiver on a new deal and give the 49ers enough compensation to part with him.Falcons acquire 4-time Pro Bowl edge rusher Matthew Judon from Patriots, AP source saysA person with knowledge of the deal tells the AP that the New England Patriots have traded four-time Pro Bowl edge rusher Matthew Judon to the Atlanta Falcons for a third-round draft pick. The person spoke on condition of anonymity Wednesday because the teams haven't announced the trade. Judon had 28 sacks in his first two seasons with the Patriots before having four in four games last year when he was limited by injuries. Judon became available because of a contract dispute. He has a base salary of $6.5 million this season and is seeking a new deal. The Falcons needed a pass rusher to bolster a defense that hasn't had a player with double-digit sacks since Vic Beasley had 15 1/2 in 2016.Vikings rookie QB J.J. McCarthy to miss season following right knee surgery to repair torn meniscusBEREA, Ohio (AP) — Minnesota Vikings rookie quarterback J.J. McCarthy will miss the season after undergoing surgery on his right knee. McCarthy had an operation on Wednesday to repair a torn meniscus suffered at some point during his preseason debut last weekend against Las Vegas. The former Michigan standout had a solid training camp and had been expected to back up starter Sam Darnold. Vikings coach Kevin O'Connell delivered the news on McCarthy shortly after the team arrived for two days of joint practices with the Browns. McCarthy was the 10th overall pick in the NFL draft after helping the Wolverines to a national title.Kylian Mbappé scores on debut for Real Madrid in a 2-0 win over Atalanta in UEFA Super CupWARSAW, Poland (AP) — Kylian Mbappé has pulled on Real Madrid's famous white jersey for the first time in a competitive match and marked the occasion with the second goal in a 2-0 win over Atalanta in the UEFA Super Cup. Mbappé started and played 82 minutes at the National Stadium in Warsaw. He met a pass from Jude Bellingham across the area with a shot into the top corner in the 68th minute. Federico Valverde tapped home a cross from Vinícius Junior in the 59th to set Madrid on its way to a record sixth victory in the Super Cup. It is an annual match between the Champions League winners (Madrid) and the Europa League champions (Atalanta).Scottie Scheffler's PGA Tour postseason amounts to a Super Bowl at East LakeMEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — Scottie Scheffler starts the final leg of his remarkable year in the PGA Tour's FedEx Cup playoffs. But it's really not about three postseason tournaments for someone like Scheffler. For the No. 1 player in the world, it's all about the Tour Championship. Scheffler says the FedEx Cup and the $25 million bonus is not a season-long race because it really comes down to the last week. But he understands those are the rules. The postseason starts with the FedEx St. Jude Championship for the top 70 players. The key is to be among the top 50 who advance to next week's second playoff event.NASCAR revokes Dillon's playoff eligibility; driver keeps controversial Richmond winNASCAR has ruled that Austin Dillon's win at Richmond Raceway will not count toward eligibility for the Cup Series playoffs. Dillon will keep credit for his first victory of the season but his playoff eligibility was revoked Wednesday because of "actions detrimental to stock car auto racing or NASCAR as determined in the sole discretion of NASCAR." Desperate to win for the first time in nearly two years, Dillon sent NASCAR champions Denny Hamlin and Joey Logano into the wall in rapid succession on the final lap to clear a path toward victory.Pick-Six: Freshmen still can make major impact in portal era. These newcomers merit your attentionAt least one true freshman has made the Associated Press All-America team seven of the last eight seasons. The trend continued last year with Alabama safety Caleb Downs making the second team while Purdue safety Dillon Thieneman made the third team. Downs has since transferred to Ohio State. The freshmen who figure to make the biggest impact this season will be catching passes rather than defending them. Ohio State's Jeremiah Smith heads a list of talented freshman wideouts.PGA Tour releases its 2025 schedule with no involvement of LIV Golf in sightMEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — The PGA Tour has released its 2025 schedule and it looks a lot like this year's schedule. PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan says its fair to assume there won't be any involvement with Saudi-funded LIV Golf until at least 2026 or beyond. He says negotiations are ongoing for an investment deal with the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia. The only change to next year's schedule is putting the Memorial and Canadian Open back to their original spots. The Memorial this year was a week before the U.S. Open. Now the Canadian Open will precede the U.S. Open.Oh snap! Jets' Thomas Hennessy details what goes into perhaps the NFL's most underappreciated jobFLORHAM PARK, N.J. (AP) — Thomas Hennessy became a long snapper in high school because he simply wanted to be part of a team. He developed into one of the top players at his position, went to Duke and is now in his eighth NFL season with the New York Jets. The long snapper is perhaps one of the most overlooked and underappreciated jobs in sports. In his own words, Hennessy takes The Associated Press through what it takes to be a successful long snapper, from the mentality, stance and grip to the snap of the football and completing a play.AP-ScorecardHere are the scores from yesterday's sports events:___INTERLEAGUEFinal	Baltimore	4	Washington	1	Final	Cleveland	6	Chicago Cubs	1	Final	N.Y. Mets	9	Oakland	1	___AMERICAN LEAGUEFinal	Kansas City	4	Minnesota	1	Final	Texas	9	Boston	7	Final	Detroit	3	Seattle	2	Final	Houston	2	Tampa Bay	1	Final	N.Y. Yankees	10	Chicago White Sox	2	Final	Toronto	9	L.A. Angels	2	___NATIONAL LEAGUEFinal	San Diego	8	Pittsburgh	2	Final	Arizona	11	Colorado	4	Final	Cincinnati	9	St. Louis	2	Final	Philadelphia	9	Miami	5	Final	Milwaukee	5	L.A. Dodgers	4	Final	Atlanta	13	San Francisco	2	___TODAY'S SPORTS SCHEDULE___INTERLEAGUE		Oakland	at	N-Y Mets	1:10 p.m.	___AMERICAN LEAGUE		Seattle	at	Detroit	1:10 p.m.			Boston	at	Baltimore	6:35 p.m.			Minnesota	at	Texas	8:05 p.m.	___NATIONAL LEAGUE		L-A Dodgers	at	Milwaukee	2:10 p.m.			Atlanta	at	San Francisco	3:45 p.m.			Washington	at	Philadelphia	6:40 p.m.	___NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE PRESEASON		Philadelphia	at	New England	7 p.m.	___WOMEN'S NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION		Phoenix	at	Chicago	8 p.m.			Washington	at	Minnesota	8 p.m.			New York	at	Los Angeles	9 p.m.	___

📢📰🎧 Sports Headlines for Thursday

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Bobby Witt Jr. homered on a pitch outside the strike zone for the fourth time this season and Paul DeJong finished a triple short of the cycle, helping the Kansas City Royals beat the Minnesota Twins 4-1 Wednesday to avoid a series sweep.

Witt homered into the left-center bullpen on a shoulder-high, full-count fastball from Louie Varland (0-5) in the third inning, putting the Royals ahead 2-0 with his 24th home run this season. The pitch was 4.07 feet above the ground, the highest hit by a Kansas City player for a home run since pitch tracking started in 2008, according to MLB Statcast.

Witt leads the major leagues with a .349 average.

DeJong doubled in the second inning and scored on Kyle Isbel’s groundout, singled in the fourth and homered in the sixth. DeJong reached 20 homers for the first time since hitting a career-high 30 for St. Louis in 2019, when he was an All-Star.

Cole Ragans (10-7) struck out eight and walked none in seven innings, allowing one run and five hits. He has won three straight starts for the first time as a major leaguer.

Mixing 20 changeups, 12 knuckle-curves, 11 sliders and nine cutters with 54 fastballs that averaged 95.3 mph, the All-Star retired 13 of his first 15 batters and his final six. He gave up Carlos Santana’s fourth-inning homer on a changeup, then stranded the bases loaded in the fifth when Royce Lewis grounded out.

Lucas Erceg induced two groundouts and a popup in a 13-pitch outing for his fifth save in eight chances.

Kansas City (66-55) is in position for the third AL wild card berth while the Twins (67-53) are on track for the second wild card spot. The Royals are 3-7 against the Twins this season and 14-28 against Minnesota since 2022.

Varland gave up three runs and eight hits in six innings, remaining winless since Sept. 12. He was recalled from St. Paul by the Twins, who optioned right-hander Josh Winder to the Triple-A club.

Vinnie Pasquantino added an RBI double in the seventh on a 100.3 mph pitch from Jhoan Duran.

Royals: INF Michael Massey (back tightness) didn’t play.

Twins: Manager Rocco Baldelli said OF Byron Buxton will likely remain out of the lineup “not a long while, but a little while.” Buxton&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/twins-buxton-injury-415d16c520152c86c0eebce042f9ed8a">exited</a>&nbsp;Monday’s game with right hip discomfort, but an MRI test did not show a significant issue.

Royals: RHP Michael Lorenzen (5-6, 3.79 ERA) is set to open Kansas City’s three-game series in Cincinnati against Reds RHP Nick Martinez (6-5, 3.16) on Friday.

Twins: RHP Bailey Ober (12-5, 3.52 ERA) is to be on the mound on Thursday night at Texas, which starts LHP Cody Bradford (4-0, 3.60).

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1723667063976.jpeg" alt="Bobby Witt Jr., right, celebrates his solo home run with Royals teammate Vinnie Pasquantino, left, during the third inning Wednesday at Target Field. (Matt Krohn/Associated Press)" />
 <figcaption>Bobby Witt Jr., right, celebrates his solo home run with Royals teammate Vinnie Pasquantino, left, during the third inning Wednesday at Target Field. (Matt Krohn/Associated Press)</figcaption>
 </figure>MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Bobby Witt Jr. homered on a pitch outside the strike zone for the fourth time this season and Paul DeJong finished a triple short of the cycle, helping the Kansas City Royals beat the Minnesota Twins 4-1 Wednesday to avoid a series sweep.Witt homered into the left-center bullpen on a shoulder-high, full-count fastball from Louie Varland (0-5) in the third inning, putting the Royals ahead 2-0 with his 24th home run this season. The pitch was 4.07 feet above the ground, the highest hit by a Kansas City player for a home run since pitch tracking started in 2008, according to MLB Statcast.Witt leads the major leagues with a .349 average.DeJong doubled in the second inning and scored on Kyle Isbel’s groundout, singled in the fourth and homered in the sixth. DeJong reached 20 homers for the first time since hitting a career-high 30 for St. Louis in 2019, when he was an All-Star.Cole Ragans (10-7) struck out eight and walked none in seven innings, allowing one run and five hits. He has won three straight starts for the first time as a major leaguer.Mixing 20 changeups, 12 knuckle-curves, 11 sliders and nine cutters with 54 fastballs that averaged 95.3 mph, the All-Star retired 13 of his first 15 batters and his final six. He gave up Carlos Santana’s fourth-inning homer on a changeup, then stranded the bases loaded in the fifth when Royce Lewis grounded out.Lucas Erceg induced two groundouts and a popup in a 13-pitch outing for his fifth save in eight chances.Kansas City (66-55) is in position for the third AL wild card berth while the Twins (67-53) are on track for the second wild card spot. The Royals are 3-7 against the Twins this season and 14-28 against Minnesota since 2022.Varland gave up three runs and eight hits in six innings, remaining winless since Sept. 12. He was recalled from St. Paul by the Twins, who optioned right-hander Josh Winder to the Triple-A club.Vinnie Pasquantino added an RBI double in the seventh on a 100.3 mph pitch from Jhoan Duran.<h2>TRAINER’S ROOM</h2>Royals: INF Michael Massey (back tightness) didn’t play.Twins: Manager Rocco Baldelli said OF Byron Buxton will likely remain out of the lineup “not a long while, but a little while.” Buxton&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/twins-buxton-injury-415d16c520152c86c0eebce042f9ed8a">exited</a>&nbsp;Monday’s game with right hip discomfort, but an MRI test did not show a significant issue.<h2>UP NEXT</h2>Royals: RHP Michael Lorenzen (5-6, 3.79 ERA) is set to open Kansas City’s three-game series in Cincinnati against Reds RHP Nick Martinez (6-5, 3.16) on Friday.Twins: RHP Bailey Ober (12-5, 3.52 ERA) is to be on the mound on Thursday night at Texas, which starts LHP Cody Bradford (4-0, 3.60).

⚾ Royals beat Twins Wednesday afternoon to avoid sweep

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. - The first Chiefs Training Camp in St. Joseph for several Chiefs rookies is coming to an end.

Many of the young players have impressed during camp as they try to survive the roster cut to 53 players coming up on August 29th.

Assistant General Manager Mike Borgonzi says he's been impressed with the rookies that have been thrown right into the mix, like left tackle Kingsley Suamataia.

"Playing left tackle as a rookie in the NFL is not an easy job and he's going to go through his ups and downs, but he's coachable, the consistency with him, all the rookies really," Borgonzi tells reporters following practice.

Borgonzi says he was also impressed with safety Jaden Hicks during Saturday's preseason game against the Jaguars.

It was a bit of a disappointing season last year for Chiefs first round pick Felix Anudike-Uzomah, though some of his biggest plays came in the Super Bowl.

But during this year's camp Anudike-Uzomah has shown he could be an impact player along the defensive line.

Defensive Line Coach Joe Cullen says Anudike-Uzomah has entered this year's camp in better physical shape, and is more in tune with the defense.

"Just mentally, I mean he knows the playbook, he's playing faster, I was really pleased he did some really good things in the game against two of their better tackles in his pass rush and he's continuing to develop and get better," Cullen says.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1723663248924.jpeg" alt="Chiefs logo painted on hill at Missouri Western/ Photo by Alexis Starks" />
 <figcaption>Chiefs logo painted on hill at Missouri Western/ Photo by Alexis Starks</figcaption>
 </figure>By MATT PIKE St. Joseph PostST. JOSEPH, Mo. - The first Chiefs Training Camp in St. Joseph for several Chiefs rookies is coming to an end.Many of the young players have impressed during camp as they try to survive the roster cut to 53 players coming up on August 29th.Assistant General Manager Mike Borgonzi says he's been impressed with the rookies that have been thrown right into the mix, like left tackle Kingsley Suamataia."Playing left tackle as a rookie in the NFL is not an easy job and he's going to go through his ups and downs, but he's coachable, the consistency with him, all the rookies really," Borgonzi tells reporters following practice.Borgonzi says he was also impressed with safety Jaden Hicks during Saturday's preseason game against the Jaguars.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1722969461905.jpeg" alt="Chiefs rookie safety Jaden Hicks makes a play on Travis Kelce/ Photo by Alexis Starks" />
 <figcaption>Chiefs rookie safety Jaden Hicks makes a play on Travis Kelce/ Photo by Alexis Starks</figcaption>
 </figure>It was a bit of a disappointing season last year for Chiefs first round pick Felix Anudike-Uzomah, though some of his biggest plays came in the Super Bowl.But during this year's camp Anudike-Uzomah has shown he could be an impact player along the defensive line.Defensive Line Coach Joe Cullen says Anudike-Uzomah has entered this year's camp in better physical shape, and is more in tune with the defense."Just mentally, I mean he knows the playbook, he's playing faster, I was really pleased he did some really good things in the game against two of their better tackles in his pass rush and he's continuing to develop and get better," Cullen says.Anudike-Uzomah also worked out this offseason with former Chiefs defensive end Tamba Hali, something that was a tremendous help to George Karlaftis following his rookie year.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1721674165746.jpeg" alt="The Chiefs defense huddles up during the first training camp practice at Missouri Western State University/ Photo by Alexis Starks" />
 <figcaption>The Chiefs defense huddles up during the first training camp practice at Missouri Western State University/ Photo by Alexis Starks</figcaption>
 </figure>Saturday's preseason game against the Jaguars gave the Chiefs special teams unit their first look at the new kickoff rule in game action.While Special Teams coordinator Dave Toub has his guys working every day during training camp in St. Joseph at learning the details of the new rule, Toub says there was really nothing from the game to learn that hadn't been done in practice."Just the game speed and the guy's barrel assing down at you to tackle you makes a difference, and then you've got to make smart decisions out there," Toub explains. "It was a great learning experience for everybody, and I think we made a great training tape for the whole league really to be honest with you."The Chiefs did have one miscue on the new kickoff when Mecole Hardman took the ball back into the endzone, resulting in a safety, which Toub says has been addressed.The Chiefs will wrap up their time in St. Joseph Thursday with practice at 8:15 a.m. It's Military Appreciation Day.