🎙 AUDIO: Eagle Radio Sports for Thursday

Here is the latest Mid-America sports news from The Associated Press

CHICAGO (AP) — Chicago Bears Hall of Fame running back Gale Sayers﻿ has died. Sayers made his mark as one of the NFL's best all-purpose running backs and was later celebrated for his enduring friendship with a Bears teammate with cancer. Nicknamed "The Kansas Comet," Sayers was considered among the best open-field runners the game has ever seen. Yet it was his rock-steady friendship with Brian Piccolo depicted in the 1971 film "Brian's Song" that marked him as more than a sports star. Sayers died Wednesday at the age of 77, according to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Relatives say he was diagnosed with dementia. His wife said she partly blamed his football career.

UNDATED (AP) — NFL players of different colors didn't share hotel rooms on the road when the Chicago Bears put Gale Sayers and Brian Piccolo together in 1967. Not surprising, they got off to a rocky start _ not because Sayers was Black and Piccolo was white, or even because they were competing for playing time in the backfield. But they made allowances for each other's personalities, supported each other through injury and illness _ a story recounted in "Brian's Song" a 1971 made-for-TV film that remains wildly popular and resonates again with Sayers' death Wednesday at age 77.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Salvador Perez and Franchy Cordero hit two homers and drove in five runs apiece, and the Kansas City Royals went on to pummel the playoff-contending St. Louis Cardinals 12-3 in their series finale Wednesday night. Danny Duffy earned the win by pitching into the sixth inning. Carlos Martinez took the loss, allowing eight runs before leaving with lower back pain in the sixth. The Cardinals remain 3 1/2 games back of the first-place Cubs in the NL Central but had their lead for the No. 2 spot in the division nearly wiped out. They are 27-26 to lead the Reds, who are 29-28, by percentage points.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Royals placed outfielder Bubba Starling and right-hander Kyle Zimmer on the injured list and returned left-hander Mike Montgomery and outfielder Franchy Cordero from rehab assignments as part of a series of roster moves to set them up for the final five games of the season. They also recalled right-hander Jakob Junis, optioned infielder Erick Mejia to their alternate training site and transferred right-hander Matt Harvey to the 45-day injured list to create the necessary roster space.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Eli Drinkwitz could have kept private the COVID-19 testing numbers within the Missouri football program. Instead, the new coach of the Tigers laid everything on the table ahead of their opener against Alabama. The reason was quite simple: He believes the public health crisis that has killed more than 200,000 people in the U.S. alone is more important than any competitive advantage that could be gained by refusing to let the Crimson Tide know how many players could be ruled out.

O'FALLON, Mo. (AP) — St. Louis County is relaxing some restrictions on youth sports as coronavirus positivity rates have decreased among children in the region. The regulations announced Wednesday by County Executive Sam Page fall short of allowing high-contact high school sports such as football and ice hockey to resume. But Page says if the trend continues to improve, there may be a "path forward" to allow play to begin later this fall. Page's limits have drawn criticism from some parents. A few school districts have moved games elsewhere to skirt the regulations. St. Louis County has seen far more coronavirus cases and deaths than anywhere else in the state.&nbsp;

KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — Tesho Akindele and Benji Michel scored in the first half and Orlando City beat Sporting Kansas City 2-1 on Wednesday night to run its unbeaten streak to seven games. Akindele scored in the 36th minute. Two minutes later, Nani passed to Michel on the edge of the penalty area. Michel beat a defender and connected for Orlando City (7-2-4) from close range. Johnny Russell scored his sixth goal of the season for Sporting KC on header in the 53rd minute.

UNDATED (AP) — The Southeastern Conference is finally set to open its college football season minus the big crowds and some the league's star players. The COVID-19 SEC season starts Saturday and features 10 league-only games and won't have the traditional tailgating scenes. Gone, too, are some of the league's best players, including LSU wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase and much-anticipated new Georgia quarterback Jamie Newman.

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (AP) — Tyler Herro (HEE'-roh) shot his age – and then some – in helping the Miami Heat take a three-games-to-one lead in the NBA's Eastern Conference finals.

The 20-year-old Herro set a Miami rookie playoff record by pouring in 37 points in a 112-109 victory over the Celtics. He was 14 of 21 from the floor and 5 of 10 from 3-point range in joining Magic Johnson as the only 20-year-olds in NBA playoff history to score at least 37 in a game.

Herro delivered 17 points in the fourth quarter, including five straight to push Miami ahead, 91-85.

Goran Dragic (DRAH'-gihch) added 22 and Bam Adebayo (ad-eh-BY'-oh) had 20 with 12 rebounds for the Heat. 

The Celtics erased a double-digit deficit and took a one-point lead in the fourth quarter before fading. Jayson Tatum scored all 28 of his points in the second half.

Jaylen Brown provided 21 points and Kemba Walker added 20 for the Celtics, who will try to stave off elimination on Friday.

EDMONTON, Alberta (AP) — The Tampa Bay Lightning are two wins away from their second Stanley Cup after knocking off Dallas in Game 3

Steven Stamkos scored in his return to action as the Lightning whipped the Stars, 5-2.

Stamkos played for the first time since undergoing core muscle surgery in early March, but he didn't hit the ice for the final 46 minutes of the game.

Goals by Nikita Kucherov (KOO'-cheh-rahv) and Stamkos put Tampa Bay ahead 2-0 just seven minutes into the contest. Victor Hedman, Brayden Point and Ondrej Palat (AHN'-dray pah-LAHT') added second-period goals to make it 5-1.

Dallas netminder Anton Khudobin (hoo-DOH'-nihn) was pulled just before the third period.

Jason Dickinson and Miro Heiskanen (HAY'-skih-nehn) did the scoring for the Stars, who have dropped two straight since taking the series opener. 

UNDATED (AP) — The San Diego Padres dropped a game and may have lost one of their top starters for an undetermined period.

Mike Clevinger was suddenly pulled after only one inning of the Padres' 5-2 setback against the Angels. The team said Clevinger's departure wasn't planned, adding that he was sent for an MRI on his right biceps. 

Clevinger's start had been pushed back from Saturday night because of tightness in the biceps. Manager Jayce Tingler said on Tuesday that Clevinger threw a bullpen session the previous day and seemed good to go for Wednesday's start.

San Diego also was unable to clinch home-field advantage in the wild-card series that begins next week. Second-inning homers by Shohei Ohtani (SHOH'-hay oh-TAH'-nee), Justin Upton and Anthony Bemboom led Los Angeles to victory. Five Angels pitchers combined to blank the NL's second-best team after Manny Machado hit a two-run homer in the first inning.

— Trevor Bauer was dominant on short rest as he allowed four hits and struck out 12 over eight innings of the Reds' ninth win in 11 games, 6-1 against the Brewers. Joey Votto (VAH'-toh) was 0-for-22 versus Milwaukee this season before homering to give Cincinnati a 2-0 lead in the opening inning.

— The Pirates were 2-1 winners over the Cubs as Adam Frazier and Ke'Bryan Hayes led off the bottom of the first inning with back-to-back homers off Kyle Hendricks. Chicago has scored just nine times in dropping four of its last five games.

— Salvador Perez and Franchy (FRAN'-kee) Cordero each slammed two-run homers and collected five RBIs in the Royals' 12-3 thrashing of the Cardinals. Cordero added a solo shot in the seventh for his second career multi-homer game, helping Kansas City keep St. Louis 3 1/2 games behind the NL Central-leading Cardinals.

— Logan Webb came out of the bullpen to fire 5 1/3 innings of two-run ball as the Giants picked up a 7-2 win over the Rockies. Mauricio Dubón ripped a tiebreaking, three-run home run to cap a four-run fifth and help San Francisco improve its postseason hopes.

— Dansby Swanson belted a three-run homer as the Braves cruised to their third straight win over the Marlins, 9-4. But Atlanta finished the game without Max Fried, who lasted just one inning after tweaking an ankle while fielding a bunt down the third-base line by Starling Marte.

— Bryce Harper homered twice against his former team to lead the Phillies' 12-3 thrashing of the Nationals. Zach Eflin earned his fourth win by giving up three runs in eight-plus innings.

— Randy Arozarena homered twice and the Rays clinched their first AL East title in 10 years with an 8-5 victory over the Mets. Joey Wendle and Brandon Lowe also went deep for Tampa Bay.

— Danny Jansen homered twice and the Blue Jays reduced their magic number for clinching an AL wild card berth to one by crushing the Yankees, 14-1. New York committed four errors and are in danger of playing its wild-card series on the road.

— Shane Bieber finishes his regular season with an AL-leading eight wins and a major league-best 1.63 ERA by allowing an unearned run and two hits in five innings of the Indians' 3-2 triumph over the White Sox. Jordan Luplow's walk-off homer dropped Chicago into second place in the AL Central.

— The Twins top the AL Central by a half-game after Jake Cave smacked a pair of home runs in a 7-6 decision over the Tigers. Kenta Maeda (mah-EH'-dah) allowed three runs and four hits while fanning nine over six innings to help Minnesota regain the division lead for the first time since Aug. 11.

— Ramon Laureano blasted a tiebreaking, two-run homer into the night at Dodger Stadium to lift the Athletics over Los Angeles, 6-4. Laureano's RBI single put Oakland ahead, 4-2 in the seventh before the NL West champs tied it on solo blasts by Cody Bellinger and Edwin Rios.

— Nick Margevicius tossed six shutout innings and Ty France drove in a pair of runs in the Mariners' 3-2 verdict over the Astros. Houston starter Zach Greinke (GREHN'-kee) was reached for three runs and eight hits over 4 2/3's to drop his third consecutive start.

— Wyatt Mathisen hit his first two career homers and fellow rookie Daulton Varsho tripled home the go-ahead run as the Diamondbacks dumped the Rangers, 7-3. Arizona wiped out a 3-1 deficit with a six-run sixth.

— Rafael Devers (DEH'-vurz) furnished a three-run double that capped a six-run third in the Red Sox's 9-1 pounding of the Orioles. Boston hurler Nathan Eovaldi (eh-VAHL'-dee) fanned eight over six shutout innings.

Gale Sayers, Bears Hall of Fame running back, dies at 77

CHICAGO (AP) — Chicago Bears Hall of Fame running back Gale Sayers has died. 

Sayers made his mark as one of the NFL's best all-purpose running backs and was later celebrated for his enduring friendship with a Bears teammate with cancer. Nicknamed "The Kansas Comet," Sayers was considered among the best open-field runners the game has ever seen. Yet it was his rock-steady friendship with Brian Piccolo depicted in the 1971 film "Brian's Song" that marked him as more than a sports star. 

Sayers died Wednesday at the age of 77, according to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Relatives have said that Sayers had been diagnosed with dementia. In March 2017, his wife, Ardythe, said she partly blamed his football career.

Sayers was a two-time All-American at Kansas and inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame as well. He was selected by Chicago with the fourth pick overall in 1965. He tied one NFL record with six touchdowns in a game and set another with 22 touchdowns in his first season: 14 rushing, six receiving, one punt and one kickoff return. Sayers was a unanimous choice for Offensive Rookie of the Year.

Sayers followed that by being voted an All-Pro during the first five of his seven NFL seasons from 1965-71. But he was stuck on a handful of middling-to-bad Bears teams and, like Dick Butkus, another Hall of Fame teammate selected in the same 1965 draft, he never played in the postseason. 

AP Source: Chargers' team doctor punctured Taylor's lung

UNDATED (AP) — Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Tyrod Taylor missed last Sunday's game because a team doctor accidentally punctured his lung.

That's according to a person familiar with the case who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Wednesday because of medical restriction issues. 

Coach Anthony Lynn said Taylor is still not 100% and that rookie Justin Herbert will get his second NFL start on Sunday against the Carolina Panthers. Herbert was the Chargers' surprise starter in last Sunday's 23-20 overtime loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. 

— Packers wide receiver Davante Adams says he doesn't know yet whether he'll be able to play Sunday night at New Orleans after leaving Green Bay's previous game early with a hamstring injury. Adams was pulled from last Sunday's 42-21 victory over the Detroit Lions in the second half and didn't practice Wednesday.

— Two-time Pro Bowl halfback Devonta (deh-VAHN'-tay) Freeman has signed with the Giants. He replaces 2018 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year Saquon (SAY'-kwahn) Barkley, who was placed on injured reserve with a torn right ACL. 

— The Panthers have placed Christian McCaffrey on short-term injured reserve, meaning the All-Pro running back will miss at least three games. McCaffrey suffered a high ankle sprain in Carolina's 31-17 loss to the Buccaneers on Sunday, an injury that normally requires a 4 to 6 week recovery period. 

— The Raiders have put starting left guard Richie Incognito on injured reserve with an Achilles issue, the latest injury to their offensive line. Incognito left Monday's 34-24 win over New Orleans in the first quarter with the injury that slowed him in practice the previous week.

— The Jaguars will be without kicker Josh Lambo for at least the next three games. The team placed Lambo on injured reserve Wednesday with a hip injury and called up rookie Brandon Wright from the practice squad to make his NFL debut Thursday against the Dolphins. 

UNDATED (AP) — New Sacramento Kings general manager Monte McNair says he is looking forward to working with coach Luke Walton to revive a franchise that has the longest current playoff drought in the NBA. 

Walton is the team's 10th coach since the Kings last made the playoffs in Rick Adelman's final season in 2005-06. Sacramento went 31-41 in Walton's first season at the helm.

Former Bulldog says he experienced racism, manipulation

ATLANTA (AP) — Former Georgia defensive back Otis Reese says he left the school because of racist treatment on campus. He also says coach Kirby Smart manipulated him to continue playing after he expressed his desire to leave the Bulldogs. 

Georgia issued a statement denying the allegations. 

Reese transferred to Mississippi in January after two seasons at Georgia. 

Houston still waiting to play after 3rd virus cancellation

UNDATED (AP) — The Houston Cougars are still waiting to play their season opener as more major college football games were wiped out by COVID-19 issues. 

Houston is again without a game to play after a third consecutive opponent had to pull out because of COVID-19 tests or contact tracing made players unavailable. This time it was North Texas. 

The number of FBS games canceled or postponed since Aug. 26 is now 21.

In other virus related college sports news:

— The postponed football game between No. 7 Notre Dame and Wake Forest will be moved to Dec. 12, while the Demon Deacons also are moving their nonconference game against Campbell a week earlier to Oct. 2. The ACC's revamped scheduling model allows for 11 games to be played over 13 weeks through Dec. 5, as well as the possibility of playing Dec. 12. 

— Ohio State says it is cutting a handful of jobs, furloughing hundreds of other employees and asking coaches to take pay cuts to deal with a budget shortfall expected to be over $100 million because of the pandemic. Athletic director Gene Smith says none of the 36 sports will be cut and athlete support services will be maintained. 

<h2>Here is the latest Mid-America sports news from The Associated Press</h2>CHICAGO (AP) — Chicago Bears Hall of Fame running back Gale Sayers﻿ has died. Sayers made his mark as one of the NFL's best all-purpose running backs and was later celebrated for his enduring friendship with a Bears teammate with cancer. Nicknamed "The Kansas Comet," Sayers was considered among the best open-field runners the game has ever seen. Yet it was his rock-steady friendship with Brian Piccolo depicted in the 1971 film "Brian's Song" that marked him as more than a sports star. Sayers died Wednesday at the age of 77, according to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Relatives say he was diagnosed with dementia. His wife said she partly blamed his football career.UNDATED (AP) — NFL players of different colors didn't share hotel rooms on the road when the Chicago Bears put Gale Sayers and Brian Piccolo together in 1967. Not surprising, they got off to a rocky start _ not because Sayers was Black and Piccolo was white, or even because they were competing for playing time in the backfield. But they made allowances for each other's personalities, supported each other through injury and illness _ a story recounted in "Brian's Song" a 1971 made-for-TV film that remains wildly popular and resonates again with Sayers' death Wednesday at age 77.KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Salvador Perez and Franchy Cordero hit two homers and drove in five runs apiece, and the Kansas City Royals went on to pummel the playoff-contending St. Louis Cardinals 12-3 in their series finale Wednesday night. Danny Duffy earned the win by pitching into the sixth inning. Carlos Martinez took the loss, allowing eight runs before leaving with lower back pain in the sixth. The Cardinals remain 3 1/2 games back of the first-place Cubs in the NL Central but had their lead for the No. 2 spot in the division nearly wiped out. They are 27-26 to lead the Reds, who are 29-28, by percentage points.KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Royals placed outfielder Bubba Starling and right-hander Kyle Zimmer on the injured list and returned left-hander Mike Montgomery and outfielder Franchy Cordero from rehab assignments as part of a series of roster moves to set them up for the final five games of the season. They also recalled right-hander Jakob Junis, optioned infielder Erick Mejia to their alternate training site and transferred right-hander Matt Harvey to the 45-day injured list to create the necessary roster space.KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Eli Drinkwitz could have kept private the COVID-19 testing numbers within the Missouri football program. Instead, the new coach of the Tigers laid everything on the table ahead of their opener against Alabama. The reason was quite simple: He believes the public health crisis that has killed more than 200,000 people in the U.S. alone is more important than any competitive advantage that could be gained by refusing to let the Crimson Tide know how many players could be ruled out.O'FALLON, Mo. (AP) — St. Louis County is relaxing some restrictions on youth sports as coronavirus positivity rates have decreased among children in the region. The regulations announced Wednesday by County Executive Sam Page fall short of allowing high-contact high school sports such as football and ice hockey to resume. But Page says if the trend continues to improve, there may be a "path forward" to allow play to begin later this fall. Page's limits have drawn criticism from some parents. A few school districts have moved games elsewhere to skirt the regulations. St. Louis County has seen far more coronavirus cases and deaths than anywhere else in the state.&nbsp;KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — Tesho Akindele and Benji Michel scored in the first half and Orlando City beat Sporting Kansas City 2-1 on Wednesday night to run its unbeaten streak to seven games. Akindele scored in the 36th minute. Two minutes later, Nani passed to Michel on the edge of the penalty area. Michel beat a defender and connected for Orlando City (7-2-4) from close range. Johnny Russell scored his sixth goal of the season for Sporting KC on header in the 53rd minute.UNDATED (AP) — The Southeastern Conference is finally set to open its college football season minus the big crowds and some the league's star players. The COVID-19 SEC season starts Saturday and features 10 league-only games and won't have the traditional tailgating scenes. Gone, too, are some of the league's best players, including LSU wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase and much-anticipated new Georgia quarterback Jamie Newman.<h2>Update on the latest sports</h2>NBA-EASTERN CONFERENCE FINALSHerro leads Heat to 3-1 series leadLAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (AP) — Tyler Herro (HEE'-roh) shot his age – and then some – in helping the Miami Heat take a three-games-to-one lead in the NBA's Eastern Conference finals.The 20-year-old Herro set a Miami rookie playoff record by pouring in 37 points in a 112-109 victory over the Celtics. He was 14 of 21 from the floor and 5 of 10 from 3-point range in joining Magic Johnson as the only 20-year-olds in NBA playoff history to score at least 37 in a game.Herro delivered 17 points in the fourth quarter, including five straight to push Miami ahead, 91-85.Goran Dragic (DRAH'-gihch) added 22 and Bam Adebayo (ad-eh-BY'-oh) had 20 with 12 rebounds for the Heat. The Celtics erased a double-digit deficit and took a one-point lead in the fourth quarter before fading. Jayson Tatum scored all 28 of his points in the second half.Jaylen Brown provided 21 points and Kemba Walker added 20 for the Celtics, who will try to stave off elimination on Friday.NHL-STANLEY CUP FINALLightning take Game 3EDMONTON, Alberta (AP) — The Tampa Bay Lightning are two wins away from their second Stanley Cup after knocking off Dallas in Game 3Steven Stamkos scored in his return to action as the Lightning whipped the Stars, 5-2.Stamkos played for the first time since undergoing core muscle surgery in early March, but he didn't hit the ice for the final 46 minutes of the game.Goals by Nikita Kucherov (KOO'-cheh-rahv) and Stamkos put Tampa Bay ahead 2-0 just seven minutes into the contest. Victor Hedman, Brayden Point and Ondrej Palat (AHN'-dray pah-LAHT') added second-period goals to make it 5-1.Dallas netminder Anton Khudobin (hoo-DOH'-nihn) was pulled just before the third period.Jason Dickinson and Miro Heiskanen (HAY'-skih-nehn) did the scoring for the Stars, who have dropped two straight since taking the series opener. MLB-SCHEDULEClevinger leaves early as Padres fallUNDATED (AP) — The San Diego Padres dropped a game and may have lost one of their top starters for an undetermined period.Mike Clevinger was suddenly pulled after only one inning of the Padres' 5-2 setback against the Angels. The team said Clevinger's departure wasn't planned, adding that he was sent for an MRI on his right biceps. Clevinger's start had been pushed back from Saturday night because of tightness in the biceps. Manager Jayce Tingler said on Tuesday that Clevinger threw a bullpen session the previous day and seemed good to go for Wednesday's start.San Diego also was unable to clinch home-field advantage in the wild-card series that begins next week. Second-inning homers by Shohei Ohtani (SHOH'-hay oh-TAH'-nee), Justin Upton and Anthony Bemboom led Los Angeles to victory. Five Angels pitchers combined to blank the NL's second-best team after Manny Machado hit a two-run homer in the first inning.Elsewhere around the majors:— Trevor Bauer was dominant on short rest as he allowed four hits and struck out 12 over eight innings of the Reds' ninth win in 11 games, 6-1 against the Brewers. Joey Votto (VAH'-toh) was 0-for-22 versus Milwaukee this season before homering to give Cincinnati a 2-0 lead in the opening inning.— The Pirates were 2-1 winners over the Cubs as Adam Frazier and Ke'Bryan Hayes led off the bottom of the first inning with back-to-back homers off Kyle Hendricks. Chicago has scored just nine times in dropping four of its last five games.— Salvador Perez and Franchy (FRAN'-kee) Cordero each slammed two-run homers and collected five RBIs in the Royals' 12-3 thrashing of the Cardinals. Cordero added a solo shot in the seventh for his second career multi-homer game, helping Kansas City keep St. Louis 3 1/2 games behind the NL Central-leading Cardinals.— Logan Webb came out of the bullpen to fire 5 1/3 innings of two-run ball as the Giants picked up a 7-2 win over the Rockies. Mauricio Dubón ripped a tiebreaking, three-run home run to cap a four-run fifth and help San Francisco improve its postseason hopes.— Dansby Swanson belted a three-run homer as the Braves cruised to their third straight win over the Marlins, 9-4. But Atlanta finished the game without Max Fried, who lasted just one inning after tweaking an ankle while fielding a bunt down the third-base line by Starling Marte.— Bryce Harper homered twice against his former team to lead the Phillies' 12-3 thrashing of the Nationals. Zach Eflin earned his fourth win by giving up three runs in eight-plus innings.— Randy Arozarena homered twice and the Rays clinched their first AL East title in 10 years with an 8-5 victory over the Mets. Joey Wendle and Brandon Lowe also went deep for Tampa Bay.— Danny Jansen homered twice and the Blue Jays reduced their magic number for clinching an AL wild card berth to one by crushing the Yankees, 14-1. New York committed four errors and are in danger of playing its wild-card series on the road.— Shane Bieber finishes his regular season with an AL-leading eight wins and a major league-best 1.63 ERA by allowing an unearned run and two hits in five innings of the Indians' 3-2 triumph over the White Sox. Jordan Luplow's walk-off homer dropped Chicago into second place in the AL Central.— The Twins top the AL Central by a half-game after Jake Cave smacked a pair of home runs in a 7-6 decision over the Tigers. Kenta Maeda (mah-EH'-dah) allowed three runs and four hits while fanning nine over six innings to help Minnesota regain the division lead for the first time since Aug. 11.— Ramon Laureano blasted a tiebreaking, two-run homer into the night at Dodger Stadium to lift the Athletics over Los Angeles, 6-4. Laureano's RBI single put Oakland ahead, 4-2 in the seventh before the NL West champs tied it on solo blasts by Cody Bellinger and Edwin Rios.— Nick Margevicius tossed six shutout innings and Ty France drove in a pair of runs in the Mariners' 3-2 verdict over the Astros. Houston starter Zach Greinke (GREHN'-kee) was reached for three runs and eight hits over 4 2/3's to drop his third consecutive start.— Wyatt Mathisen hit his first two career homers and fellow rookie Daulton Varsho tripled home the go-ahead run as the Diamondbacks dumped the Rangers, 7-3. Arizona wiped out a 3-1 deficit with a six-run sixth.— Rafael Devers (DEH'-vurz) furnished a three-run double that capped a six-run third in the Red Sox's 9-1 pounding of the Orioles. Boston hurler Nathan Eovaldi (eh-VAHL'-dee) fanned eight over six shutout innings.NFL-OBIT-SAYERSGale Sayers, Bears Hall of Fame running back, dies at 77CHICAGO (AP) — Chicago Bears Hall of Fame running back Gale Sayers has died. Sayers made his mark as one of the NFL's best all-purpose running backs and was later celebrated for his enduring friendship with a Bears teammate with cancer. Nicknamed "The Kansas Comet," Sayers was considered among the best open-field runners the game has ever seen. Yet it was his rock-steady friendship with Brian Piccolo depicted in the 1971 film "Brian's Song" that marked him as more than a sports star. Sayers died Wednesday at the age of 77, according to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Relatives have said that Sayers had been diagnosed with dementia. In March 2017, his wife, Ardythe, said she partly blamed his football career.Sayers was a two-time All-American at Kansas and inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame as well. He was selected by Chicago with the fourth pick overall in 1965. He tied one NFL record with six touchdowns in a game and set another with 22 touchdowns in his first season: 14 rushing, six receiving, one punt and one kickoff return. Sayers was a unanimous choice for Offensive Rookie of the Year.Sayers followed that by being voted an All-Pro during the first five of his seven NFL seasons from 1965-71. But he was stuck on a handful of middling-to-bad Bears teams and, like Dick Butkus, another Hall of Fame teammate selected in the same 1965 draft, he never played in the postseason. NFL-NEWSAP Source: Chargers' team doctor punctured Taylor's lungUNDATED (AP) — Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Tyrod Taylor missed last Sunday's game because a team doctor accidentally punctured his lung.That's according to a person familiar with the case who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Wednesday because of medical restriction issues. Coach Anthony Lynn said Taylor is still not 100% and that rookie Justin Herbert will get his second NFL start on Sunday against the Carolina Panthers. Herbert was the Chargers' surprise starter in last Sunday's 23-20 overtime loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. In other NFL news:— Packers wide receiver Davante Adams says he doesn't know yet whether he'll be able to play Sunday night at New Orleans after leaving Green Bay's previous game early with a hamstring injury. Adams was pulled from last Sunday's 42-21 victory over the Detroit Lions in the second half and didn't practice Wednesday.— Two-time Pro Bowl halfback Devonta (deh-VAHN'-tay) Freeman has signed with the Giants. He replaces 2018 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year Saquon (SAY'-kwahn) Barkley, who was placed on injured reserve with a torn right ACL. — The Panthers have placed Christian McCaffrey on short-term injured reserve, meaning the All-Pro running back will miss at least three games. McCaffrey suffered a high ankle sprain in Carolina's 31-17 loss to the Buccaneers on Sunday, an injury that normally requires a 4 to 6 week recovery period. — The Raiders have put starting left guard Richie Incognito on injured reserve with an Achilles issue, the latest injury to their offensive line. Incognito left Monday's 34-24 win over New Orleans in the first quarter with the injury that slowed him in practice the previous week.— The Jaguars will be without kicker Josh Lambo for at least the next three games. The team placed Lambo on injured reserve Wednesday with a hip injury and called up rookie Brandon Wright from the practice squad to make his NFL debut Thursday against the Dolphins. NBA NEWSNew Kings GM commits to coach WaltonUNDATED (AP) — New Sacramento Kings general manager Monte McNair says he is looking forward to working with coach Luke Walton to revive a franchise that has the longest current playoff drought in the NBA. Walton is the team's 10th coach since the Kings last made the playoffs in Rick Adelman's final season in 2005-06. Sacramento went 31-41 in Walton's first season at the helm.COLLEGE FOOTBALL-NEWSFormer Bulldog says he experienced racism, manipulationATLANTA (AP) — Former Georgia defensive back Otis Reese says he left the school because of racist treatment on campus. He also says coach Kirby Smart manipulated him to continue playing after he expressed his desire to leave the Bulldogs. Georgia issued a statement denying the allegations. Reese transferred to Mississippi in January after two seasons at Georgia. VIRUS OUTBREAK-COLLEGE SPORTSHouston still waiting to play after 3rd virus cancellationUNDATED (AP) — The Houston Cougars are still waiting to play their season opener as more major college football games were wiped out by COVID-19 issues. Houston is again without a game to play after a third consecutive opponent had to pull out because of COVID-19 tests or contact tracing made players unavailable. This time it was North Texas. The number of FBS games canceled or postponed since Aug. 26 is now 21.In other virus related college sports news:— The postponed football game between No. 7 Notre Dame and Wake Forest will be moved to Dec. 12, while the Demon Deacons also are moving their nonconference game against Campbell a week earlier to Oct. 2. The ACC's revamped scheduling model allows for 11 games to be played over 13 weeks through Dec. 5, as well as the possibility of playing Dec. 12. — Ohio State says it is cutting a handful of jobs, furloughing hundreds of other employees and asking coaches to take pay cuts to deal with a budget shortfall expected to be over $100 million because of the pandemic. Athletic director Gene Smith says none of the 36 sports will be cut and athlete support services will be maintained.

Sports Headlines for Thursday

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Salvador Perez and Franchy Cordero hit two homers and drove in five runs apiece, and the Kansas City Royals went on to pummel the playoff-contending St. Louis Cardinals 12-3 in their series finale Wednesday night. 

Danny Duffy earned the win by pitching into the sixth inning. Carlos Martinez took the loss, allowing eight runs before leaving with lower back pain in the sixth. The Cardinals remain 3 1/2 games back of the first-place Cubs in the NL Central but had their lead for the No. 2 spot in the division nearly wiped out. They are 27-26 to lead the Reds, who are 29-28, by percentage points.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Cardinals are headed back to Busch Stadium with their playoff fate still in their hands.

No thanks to Salvador Perez and Franchy Cordero.

The pair of Royals each hit two homers and drove in five runs Wednesday night, and out-of-contention Kansas City got a solid start from Danny Duffy while pummeling playoff-chasing St. Louis 12-3 in their series finale.

The Cardinals (27-26) remain 3 1/2 games back of first-place Chicago in the NL Central after the Cubs lost to Pittsburgh, but their edge for the No. 2 spot in the division was nearly wiped out. The Reds (29-28) beat the Brewers (27-28) in their series finale to close within percentage points of St. Louis headed toward a pivotal final weekend.

"We do have our destiny in our own hands," said Cardinals manager Mike Shildt, whose team has five games in four days against Milwaukee beginning Thursday night. "We just came off a 13-game, 10-day road trip with a winning record, so we have to feel good about that. And we have our destiny in our hands, and I feel good about it."

Both of Perez's homers came off Carlos Martinez (0-3), who departed with a strained lower back with two runners on and nobody out in the sixth. Seth Elledge inherited a 1-0 count against Cordero, who had just returned from a wrist injury, and he crushed his first homer of the year two pitches later to extend the Kansas City lead.

Cordero added a solo shot off Kodi Whitley in the seventh for his second career multi-homer game.

"He put on a show," Royals manager Mike Matheny said. "He just took over."

Duffy (4-4) allowed Dexter Fowler's single in the fifth inning and loaded the bases in the sixth, but reliever Scott Barlow retired pinch-hitter Brad Miller to preserve a 6-1 lead. The Royals' bullpen handled the Cardinals the rest of the way to give Kansas City its first rubber-game win in six tries this season.

"I had no idea," Matheny said. "Once again, we're thinking of winning every game. But there's something to be said for winning series. To have the kind of sustained success we want to have, you have to be winning series."

Cincinnati has three games left against Minnesota, while the weary Cardinals face Milwaukee. If needed to settle who is in the playoffs or home-field advantage, the Cardinals also could have two makeup games against Detroit on Monday.

At least the Cardinals won't have to face Perez again.

The hot-hitting Royals catcher sent the first pitch he saw from Martinez an estimated 437 feet to center field for a two-run homer. Two innings later, he crushed a 1-0 offering an estimated 435 feet to left for a three-run shot. It was the sixth career multi-homer game for Perez, who is hitting .358 for the season, and the third with five RBIs.

"You know, when a guy displays that elite skill set and elite talent on both sides of the ball, day-in and day-out, it doesn't surprise you anymore," Duffy said. "It's what we've come to expect. He does what he does. He's a pro."

OF Bubba Starling (back spasms) and RHP Kyle Zimmer (elbow pain) were placed on the injured list. Cordero and LHP Mike Montgomery (lat strain) returned from rehab assignments. RHP Jakob Junis was recalled from the alternate training site and INF/OF Erick Mejia was optioned there. RHP Matt Harvey (lat strain) was transferred to the 45-day IL.

Cardinals RHP Dakota Hudson (flexor tendon) was examined by team medical director Dr. George A. Paletta Jr. and will seek a second opinion. Hudson was 3-1 with a 2.77 ERA when he was shut down for the season.

"I don't think we're in a place where we're going public with (the results)," said Shildt, who declined to say whether surgery will be needed. "Not trying to be coy. There's just some semantics here from a timing standpoint. He did see Dr. Paletta and all the imaging has been looked at and he's aware of what's going on."

RHP Austin Gomber earned the potentially crucial Sunday start against Milwaukee in the Cardinals' final scheduled regular-season game. Gomber took Hudson's place against Kansas City on Tuesday night and pitched six innings of four-hit ball.

Cardinals: LHP Kwang Hyun Kim (2-0, 1.59 ERA) starts against the Brewers on Thursday night at Busch Stadium. 

Royals: LHP Kris Bubic (1-6, 3.97) goes Thursday night to open a season-ending four-game set against Detroit at Kauffman Stadium.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Salvador Perez and Franchy Cordero hit two homers and drove in five runs apiece, and the Kansas City Royals went on to pummel the playoff-contending St. Louis Cardinals 12-3 in their series finale Wednesday night. <div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/OH-ir7L2Xcs" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>Danny Duffy earned the win by pitching into the sixth inning. Carlos Martinez took the loss, allowing eight runs before leaving with lower back pain in the sixth. The Cardinals remain 3 1/2 games back of the first-place Cubs in the NL Central but had their lead for the No. 2 spot in the division nearly wiped out. They are 27-26 to lead the Reds, who are 29-28, by percentage points.KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Cardinals are headed back to Busch Stadium with their playoff fate still in their hands.No thanks to Salvador Perez and Franchy Cordero.The pair of Royals each hit two homers and drove in five runs Wednesday night, and out-of-contention Kansas City got a solid start from Danny Duffy while pummeling playoff-chasing St. Louis 12-3 in their series finale.The Cardinals (27-26) remain 3 1/2 games back of first-place Chicago in the NL Central after the Cubs lost to Pittsburgh, but their edge for the No. 2 spot in the division was nearly wiped out. The Reds (29-28) beat the Brewers (27-28) in their series finale to close within percentage points of St. Louis headed toward a pivotal final weekend."We do have our destiny in our own hands," said Cardinals manager Mike Shildt, whose team has five games in four days against Milwaukee beginning Thursday night. "We just came off a 13-game, 10-day road trip with a winning record, so we have to feel good about that. And we have our destiny in our hands, and I feel good about it."Both of Perez's homers came off Carlos Martinez (0-3), who departed with a strained lower back with two runners on and nobody out in the sixth. Seth Elledge inherited a 1-0 count against Cordero, who had just returned from a wrist injury, and he crushed his first homer of the year two pitches later to extend the Kansas City lead.Cordero added a solo shot off Kodi Whitley in the seventh for his second career multi-homer game."He put on a show," Royals manager Mike Matheny said. "He just took over."Duffy (4-4) allowed Dexter Fowler's single in the fifth inning and loaded the bases in the sixth, but reliever Scott Barlow retired pinch-hitter Brad Miller to preserve a 6-1 lead. The Royals' bullpen handled the Cardinals the rest of the way to give Kansas City its first rubber-game win in six tries this season."I had no idea," Matheny said. "Once again, we're thinking of winning every game. But there's something to be said for winning series. To have the kind of sustained success we want to have, you have to be winning series."Cincinnati has three games left against Minnesota, while the weary Cardinals face Milwaukee. If needed to settle who is in the playoffs or home-field advantage, the Cardinals also could have two makeup games against Detroit on Monday.At least the Cardinals won't have to face Perez again.The hot-hitting Royals catcher sent the first pitch he saw from Martinez an estimated 437 feet to center field for a two-run homer. Two innings later, he crushed a 1-0 offering an estimated 435 feet to left for a three-run shot. It was the sixth career multi-homer game for Perez, who is hitting .358 for the season, and the third with five RBIs."You know, when a guy displays that elite skill set and elite talent on both sides of the ball, day-in and day-out, it doesn't surprise you anymore," Duffy said. "It's what we've come to expect. He does what he does. He's a pro."ROYALS MOVESOF Bubba Starling (back spasms) and RHP Kyle Zimmer (elbow pain) were placed on the injured list. Cordero and LHP Mike Montgomery (lat strain) returned from rehab assignments. RHP Jakob Junis was recalled from the alternate training site and INF/OF Erick Mejia was optioned there. RHP Matt Harvey (lat strain) was transferred to the 45-day IL.HUDSON UPDATECardinals RHP Dakota Hudson (flexor tendon) was examined by team medical director Dr. George A. Paletta Jr. and will seek a second opinion. Hudson was 3-1 with a 2.77 ERA when he was shut down for the season."I don't think we're in a place where we're going public with (the results)," said Shildt, who declined to say whether surgery will be needed. "Not trying to be coy. There's just some semantics here from a timing standpoint. He did see Dr. Paletta and all the imaging has been looked at and he's aware of what's going on."GOMBER GETS BALLRHP Austin Gomber earned the potentially crucial Sunday start against Milwaukee in the Cardinals' final scheduled regular-season game. Gomber took Hudson's place against Kansas City on Tuesday night and pitched six innings of four-hit ball.UP NEXTCardinals: LHP Kwang Hyun Kim (2-0, 1.59 ERA) starts against the Brewers on Thursday night at Busch Stadium. Royals: LHP Kris Bubic (1-6, 3.97) goes Thursday night to open a season-ending four-game set against Detroit at Kauffman Stadium.

🎥  Perez, Cordero power Royals to 12-3 rout of contending Cards

Here are the scores from yesterday's sports events:

Final New England 3, Montreal 1	New England	3	Montreal	1	

Final Atlanta 1, FC Dallas 0	Atlanta	1	FC Dallas	0	

Final Toronto FC 1, New York City FC 0	Toronto FC	1	New York City FC	0	

Final Orlando City 2, Sporting Kansas City 1	Orlando City	2	Sporting Kansas City	1	

Final Columbus 2, Minnesota 1	Columbus	2	Minnesota	1	

Final Philadelphia 0, Cincinnati 0, tie	Philadelphia	0	Cincinnati	0	

Final Chicago 4, Houston 0	Chicago	4	Houston	0	

Final New York 4, Miami 1	New York	4	Miami	1	

Final Nashville 1, D.C. United 0	Nashville	1	D.C. United	0	

Final Colorado 5, San Jose 0	Colorado	5	San Jose	0	

Final Real Salt Lake 2, LA Galaxy 0	Real Salt Lake	2	LA Galaxy	0	

Final Portland 1, Seattle 0	Portland	1	Seattle	0	

Final Los Angeles FC 6, Vancouver 0	Los Angeles FC	6	Vancouver	0	

WOMEN'S NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION PLAYOFFS

AP-Scorecard<h2>Here are the scores from yesterday's sports events:</h2>___INTERLEAGUEFinal	L.A. Angels	5	San Diego	2	Final	Arizona	7	Texas	3	Final	Tampa Bay	8	N.Y. Mets	5	Final	Kansas City	12	St. Louis	3	Final	Oakland	6	L.A. Dodgers	4	___AMERICAN LEAGUEFinal	Cleveland	3	Chicago White Sox	2	Final	Seattle	3	Houston	2	Final	Toronto	14	N.Y. Yankees	1	Final	Boston	9	Baltimore	1	Final	Minnesota	7	Detroit	6	___NATIONAL LEAGUEFinal	Philadelphia	12	Washington	3	Final	Cincinnati	6	Milwaukee	1	Final	Pittsburgh	2	Chicago Cubs	1	Final	Atlanta	9	Miami	4	Final	San Francisco	7	Colorado	2	___NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION PLAYOFFSFinal	Miami	112	Boston	109	___NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE PLAYOFFSFinal	Tampa Bay	5	Dallas	2	___MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCERFinal New England 3, Montreal 1	New England	3	Montreal	1	Final Atlanta 1, FC Dallas 0	Atlanta	1	FC Dallas	0	Final Toronto FC 1, New York City FC 0	Toronto FC	1	New York City FC	0	Final Orlando City 2, Sporting Kansas City 1	Orlando City	2	Sporting Kansas City	1	Final Columbus 2, Minnesota 1	Columbus	2	Minnesota	1	Final Philadelphia 0, Cincinnati 0, tie	Philadelphia	0	Cincinnati	0	Final Chicago 4, Houston 0	Chicago	4	Houston	0	Final New York 4, Miami 1	New York	4	Miami	1	Final Nashville 1, D.C. United 0	Nashville	1	D.C. United	0	Final Colorado 5, San Jose 0	Colorado	5	San Jose	0	Final Real Salt Lake 2, LA Galaxy 0	Real Salt Lake	2	LA Galaxy	0	Final Portland 1, Seattle 0	Portland	1	Seattle	0	Final Los Angeles FC 6, Vancouver 0	Los Angeles FC	6	Vancouver	0	___TODAY'S SPORTS SCHEDULE___INTERLEAGUE		Oakland	at	L-A Dodgers	9:40 p.m.	___AMERICAN LEAGUE		Chi White Sox	at	Cleveland	6:10 p.m.			N-Y Yankees	at	Toronto	6:37 p.m.			Baltimore	at	Boston	7:30 p.m.			Detroit	at	Kansas City	8:05 p.m.			Houston	at	Texas	8:05 p.m.	___NATIONAL LEAGUE		Chi Cubs	at	Pittsburgh	1:35 p.m.			Colorado	at	San Francisco	3:45 p.m.			N-Y Mets	at	Washington	6:05 p.m.			Miami	at	Atlanta	7:10 p.m.			Milwaukee	at	St. Louis	8:15 p.m.	___NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION PLAYOFFS		L.A. Lakers	at	Denver	9 p.m.	___NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE		Miami	at	Jacksonville	8:20 p.m.	___WOMEN'S NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION PLAYOFFS		Minnesota	at	Seattle	7:30 p.m.			Las Vegas	at	Connecticut	9:30 p.m.	___

Sports Scores from Wednesday

🎙 AUDIO: Eagle Radio Sports for Wednesday

The Buhler High volleyball team lost a pair of matches to Circle and Andale Tuesday night. 

The Thunderbirds and the Indians both swept the Crusaders 2-0. Both winning teams are ranked by the KVA. Andale is #1, Circle is #2.

On the soccer pitch, Hutch High beat Goddard 3-1. Buhler and El Dorado were to meet, but that was cancelled due to COVID-19 concerns.

The Buhler High volleyball team lost a pair of matches to Circle and Andale Tuesday night. The Thunderbirds and the Indians both swept the Crusaders 2-0. Both winning teams are ranked by the KVA. Andale is #1, Circle is #2.On the soccer pitch, Hutch High beat Goddard 3-1. Buhler and El Dorado were to meet, but that was cancelled due to COVID-19 concerns.

High school results from September 22, 2020

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Austin Gomber tossed six innings of four-hit ball in a crucial spot start, leading the St. Louis Cardinals to a 5-0 victory over Brady Singer and the Kansas City Royals. 

The Cardinals still trail the Chicago Cubs by 3 1/2 games in the NL Central, but they improved to 27-25 and edged ahead of Milwaukee and Cincinnati for the No. 2 spot in the division. Dylan Carlson paced the St. Louis offense by driving in two runs while finishing a homer shy of the cycle. Singer walked five in three-plus innings while taking the loss for Kansas City.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Austin Gomber tossed six innings of four-hit ball in a crucial spot start, leading the St. Louis Cardinals to a 5-0 victory over Brady Singer and the Kansas City Royals. <div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/NwhTKMk5lSs" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>The Cardinals still trail the Chicago Cubs by 3 1/2 games in the NL Central, but they improved to 27-25 and edged ahead of Milwaukee and Cincinnati for the No. 2 spot in the division. Dylan Carlson paced the St. Louis offense by driving in two runs while finishing a homer shy of the cycle. Singer walked five in three-plus innings while taking the loss for Kansas City.

🎥 Gomber pitches playoff-hunting Cards to 5-0 win over Royals

		Orlando City	at	Sporting Kansas City	7:30 p.m.	

		Vancouver	at	Los Angeles FC	10:30 p.m.	

AP-Scorecard<h2>Here are the scores from yesterday's sports events:</h2>___INTERLEAGUEFinal	N.Y. Mets	5	Tampa Bay	2	Final	St. Louis	5	Kansas City	0	Final	Arizona	7	Texas	0	Final	L.A. Angels	4	San Diego	2	Final	L.A. Dodgers	7	Oakland	2	___AMERICAN LEAGUEFinal	Cleveland	5	Chicago White Sox	3	Final	N.Y. Yankees	12	Toronto	1	Final	Boston	8	Baltimore	3	Final	Minnesota	5	Detroit	4	Final	Houston	6	Seattle	1	___NATIONAL LEAGUEFinal	Washington	5	Philadelphia	1	Final	Milwaukee	3	Cincinnati	2	Final	Washington	8	Philadelphia	7	Final	Pittsburgh	3	Chicago Cubs	2	Final	Atlanta	11	Miami	1	Final	San Francisco	5	Colorado	2	___NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION PLAYOFFSFinal	Denver	114	L.A. Lakers	106	___WOMEN'S NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION PLAYOFFSFinal	Las Vegas	83	Connecticut	75	Final	Seattle	88	Minnesota	86	___TODAY'S SPORTS SCHEDULE___INTERLEAGUE		L-A Angels	at	San Diego	4:10 p.m.			Texas	at	Arizona	6:10 p.m.			Tampa Bay	at	N-Y Mets	7:10 p.m.			St. Louis	at	Kansas City	8:05 p.m.			Oakland	at	L-A Dodgers	9:40 p.m.	___AMERICAN LEAGUE		Chi White Sox	at	Cleveland	6:10 p.m.			N-Y Yankees	at	Toronto	6:37 p.m.			Houston	at	Seattle	6:40 p.m.			Baltimore	at	Boston	7:30 p.m.			Detroit	at	Minnesota	7:40 p.m.	___NATIONAL LEAGUE		Philadelphia	at	Washington	6:05 p.m.			Milwaukee	at	Cincinnati	6:40 p.m.			Chi Cubs	at	Pittsburgh	7:05 p.m.			Miami	at	Atlanta	7:10 p.m.			Colorado	at	San Francisco	9:45 p.m.	___NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION PLAYOFFS		Boston	at	Miami	8:30 p.m.	___NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE PLAYOFFS		Tampa Bay	at	Dallas	8 p.m.	___MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER		Montreal	at	New England	5 p.m.			FC Dallas	at	Atlanta	7 p.m.			Toronto FC	at	New York City FC	7 p.m.			Orlando City	at	Sporting Kansas City	7:30 p.m.			Minnesota	at	Columbus	7:30 p.m.			Philadelphia	at	Cincinnati	7:30 p.m.			Houston	at	Chicago	7:30 p.m.			New York	at	Miami	8 p.m.			D.C. United	at	Nashville	8:30 p.m.			San Jose	at	Colorado	9 p.m.			LA Galaxy	at	Real Salt Lake	9:30 p.m.			Seattle	at	Portland	10 p.m.			Vancouver	at	Los Angeles FC	10:30 p.m.	___

Sports Scores from Tuesday

In area team sports from Tuesday, Hutch High Soccer got back in the winning ways with a hard fought 3-1 victory over Goddard at Goddard High School.

Buhler Volleyball dropped 2 matches in their home triangular losing to Circle, (19-25, 12-25) while dropping the late match to Andale,&nbsp;(17-25, 16-25).

In area team sports from Tuesday, Hutch High Soccer got back in the winning ways with a hard fought 3-1 victory over Goddard at Goddard High School.Buhler Volleyball dropped 2 matches in their home triangular losing to Circle, (19-25, 12-25) while dropping the late match to Andale,&nbsp;(17-25, 16-25).

Area team sports results from Tuesday

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — More Kansas schools have ended in-person classes and canceled sports because of coronavirus exposure and team quarantines.

Both Haysville and Derby have quarantined their high school football teams, but Derby still plans to hold Friday night’s game, the Wichita Eagle&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kansas.com/news/coronavirus/article245906990.html" target="_blank">reported</a>. Chanute has canceled football games, but is continuing in-person classes against the recommendation of the state’s reopening guide.

The school board in Atwood overruled the superintendent’s decision to move classes to remote learning before reversing course.

The Kansas Department of Health and Environment is expected to identify active coronavirus clusters on Wednesday, including outbreaks at schools and on sports teams.

Gov. Laura Kelly has said she feared large outbreaks of COVID-19 as children return to school, sports practices resume and college students return to campuses.

In Abilene, Superintendent Greg Brown said in a statement Monday that all classes will be remote for two weeks after four adults tested positive and another four who are sick await test results.

“Please understand this is absolutely the last thing we want to do,” Brown said. “We understand how important it is to have our students in school, receiving a first-rate educational experience, but COVID-19 has struck our teachers and support staff significantly.”

In El Dorado, the high school soccer team is in quarantine after a potential exposure and soccer games have been postponed. In Winfield, the high school volleyball team that had practices and matches suspended after two student-athletes tested positive.

Fort Scott, Independence and Chanute in southeast Kansas canceled football for two weeks, the newspaper reported.

Preschool students at Roosevelt Elementary in Arkansas City on Friday were banned from in-person classes for two weeks after someone tested positive. Earlier that same week, Arkansas City school officials announced a class at Frances Willard Elementary had in-person classes suspended for 14 days.

In Johnson County, some parents are objecting after health officials urged more than 100 people who had contact with a person who tested positive for COVID-19 at an elementary school in Overland Park to quarantine for 14 days.

State health officials reported on Monday 53,959 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 600 deaths since the pandemic began — an increase of 1,674 cases and four deaths over the weekend.

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — More Kansas schools have ended in-person classes and canceled sports because of coronavirus exposure and team quarantines.Both Haysville and Derby have quarantined their high school football teams, but Derby still plans to hold Friday night’s game, the Wichita Eagle&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kansas.com/news/coronavirus/article245906990.html" target="_blank">reported</a>. Chanute has canceled football games, but is continuing in-person classes against the recommendation of the state’s reopening guide.The school board in Atwood overruled the superintendent’s decision to move classes to remote learning before reversing course.The Kansas Department of Health and Environment is expected to identify active coronavirus clusters on Wednesday, including outbreaks at schools and on sports teams.Gov. Laura Kelly has said she feared large outbreaks of COVID-19 as children return to school, sports practices resume and college students return to campuses.In Abilene, Superintendent Greg Brown said in a statement Monday that all classes will be remote for two weeks after four adults tested positive and another four who are sick await test results.“Please understand this is absolutely the last thing we want to do,” Brown said. “We understand how important it is to have our students in school, receiving a first-rate educational experience, but COVID-19 has struck our teachers and support staff significantly.”In El Dorado, the high school soccer team is in quarantine after a potential exposure and soccer games have been postponed. In Winfield, the high school volleyball team that had practices and matches suspended after two student-athletes tested positive.Fort Scott, Independence and Chanute in southeast Kansas canceled football for two weeks, the newspaper reported.Preschool students at Roosevelt Elementary in Arkansas City on Friday were banned from in-person classes for two weeks after someone tested positive. Earlier that same week, Arkansas City school officials announced a class at Frances Willard Elementary had in-person classes suspended for 14 days.In Johnson County, some parents are objecting after health officials urged more than 100 people who had contact with a person who tested positive for COVID-19 at an elementary school in Overland Park to quarantine for 14 days.State health officials reported on Monday 53,959 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 600 deaths since the pandemic began — an increase of 1,674 cases and four deaths over the weekend.

More Kansas schools ending in-person classes, sports

<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/watch/?Archive=12692&amp;type=Archive" target="_blank"></a>MANHATTAN, Kan.&nbsp;– Kansas State head coach&nbsp;Chris Klieman&nbsp;and select players met with members of the media via Zoom on Tuesday as the Wildcats prepare for their Big 12 opener at Oklahoma. A complete transcript of Klieman’s press conference – which was also streamed live on Big 12 Now on ESPN+ – and players are posted below.

🎥 &nbsp; Watch:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/watch/?Archive=12688&amp;type=Archive" target="_blank">Chris Klieman</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;| &nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/watch/?Archive=12690&amp;type=Archive" target="_blank">Will Jones II</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;| &nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/watch/?Archive=12689&amp;type=Archive" target="_blank">Phillip Brooks</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;| &nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/watch/?Archive=12691&amp;type=Archive" target="_blank">Justin Hughes</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;| &nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/watch/?Archive=12692&amp;type=Archive" target="_blank">Cooper Beebe</a>

The Wildcats travel to Norman this Saturday to face the third-ranked Sooners in an 11 a.m. contest that will be shown on FOX.

“Good afternoon everybody. What we did last week, we were able to get a number of guys back and so we went back to fall camp mode. We worked Kansas State vs. Kansas State, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday. We had four good days of good-on-good and worked in young guys and just working on our schemes and our systems to try and continue to improve. We lost so much time with a number of players due to a variety of issues that we had, that everybody’s dealing with. So we went back to the basics for the last week and now we’ll turn our attention to an, obviously, extremely talented Oklahoma team. They have one game on their ledger, so we didn’t feel like we needed to spend all week because we need to get better as Kansas State, as our team with all our fundamentals and technique. We know it’s going to be a tremendous challenge down in Norman, and we’re hopeful that we continue to get some guys back that potentially could help us. Every day is a different animal on that because you don’t know from one day to the next who’s going to be out at practice. But the guys that are out there, yesterday for example, just really worked hard and are excited about the opportunity.”

On how close the team is to the COVID-19 threshold...

“Well, it causes us anxiety every day, Scott, to be honest with you. Even on the Arkansas State game it was Friday at five o’clock where we finally got the go ahead to play because we were one player at one position from having to cancel that game. And we’re not the only ones, there’s a lot of people. Obviously, Baylor is going through it. This week it’s another position that we’re really close on the threshold, and we have to just go to keep preaching to the guys to keep their social distance, to keep their mask on, to keep themselves safe, so that we can get through the test on Wednesday and we can get through the test on Friday. But in the meantime, the guys that are out, there we have to keep rolling. You may be the backup, but the backup knows that he’s one day away from being the starter, the third team guy is one day away from being the starter. So it’s stressful, it’s anxiety, but everybody’s dealing with it.”

On Oklahoma being heavily favored...

“I wasn’t aware. I don’t pay attention to a lot of the point-spread things. They’re a really good football team, and we, after one game, showed that we have a long way to go, so that makes sense to me. You still have to line up and play. We have to not worry about who the opponent is, and we know who it is, and more focus on us getting better at all areas offensively and defensively.”

On the rhythm getting disrupted during the bye week...

“That’s a great question. We just kind of go day-by-day. You would like to get a routine, and, knock on wood, we can get into a routine with three games in a row now so that our guys can get into the routine of what happens on a Monday and rolling through and getting the soreness out on Sunday and getting ready to play again. That’s the hope for everybody in college football that you can get some games strung together, but it’s also the reality that, even if you are able to play those games, you’re going to be playing them with different people or moving guys positionally. That’s just kind of the world we’re in right now, and I think all of us coaches now have kind of accepted it. In August, ‘Oh shoot, we lost that kid for 14 days or that kid’s going into isolation.’ Now it’s more of, ‘Okay, that’s the hand we’re dealt, who can we move over? Who can we move positions to?’”

On the health status of quarterback Skylar Thompson...

“He didn’t do anything last week other than rehab and things. He did practice yesterday, and I thought he felt really good. So, I’m confident that, with a week of practice, that he’ll be at full strength for Saturday.”

On finding depth at the defensive back position...

“Oh yeah we’re moving guys all the time, and that’s what we did last week. From trying true freshmen to moving safeties to corners and corners to safeties, wide receivers to defensive back, everything. We also need to prepare for kids being able to learn and play multiple positions because you just don’t know what could happen to you on a Wednesday or a Friday if a test doesn’t go your way. At least you have some familiarity with a number of players playing different spots.”

On where last season’s Oklahoma victory ranks amongst his wins...

“It was obviously a big win because it was a home win, it was on Homecoming and those things. I guess I don’t ever really look at that as far as where it ranks. I don’t have a tally on my wall or anything of where things are at. I kind of just play it year-by-year and game-by-game.”

On what he expects to see from linebacker Justin Hughes in conference play...

“Just to continue to improve. Continue to get more healthy. Continue to get his knee stronger. Continue to just play the game at football speed that Justin wants to play at. Everybody knows what a terrific player he was pre-injury, and I think there's a lot of pressure on a young man himself to say, ‘I have to get back to that.’ It takes some time. That’s the thing that’s difficult is that it doesn’t happen overnight. It didn’t happen with Eli (Sullivan) last year when he came off his knee injury. I thought Eli got stronger as the season went on, and that’s what we’re hopeful with Justin as well.”

On the impact of running back Harry Trotter...

“Yeah, Harry is doing a great job like I knew he would be. He just does everything for us. He catches the ball out of the backfield, he protects, he runs the ball, he’s on special teams. We’re really fortunate to have Harry on the team, and he’s an unselfish guy as well. He just wants to help the team whether he’s carrying the ball 15-18 times, or whether he’s carrying the ball 10 times, catching a couple passes, helping us out on kickoffs. You love those kinds of players because it’s more about the team than it is themselves.”

On true freshmen making strides...

“Keyon Mozee has done some really nice things. He’s getting some more reps, and he’s the one who jumps out at me. Tee Denson is a guy we’re looking at to give us some special teams or backup reps, or whatever you’d like to call it. The one thing we did last week was we had a couple of periods each day where the young players would play against the young players just with our base offense and base defense. As you get into the season, sometimes you scale back on some stuff. We’re going to do the same thing for the foreseeable future on Tuesdays when we have full pads to have those young players go against each other for 10 or 12, 15-20 plays a day just so they continue to get comfortable and confident in the scheme, as well as us seeing if guys are ready to help us, especially with COVID, where you might lose a few guys at a position.”

On the productivity of the team meetings from last week...

“I think they were productive, but the meetings we had weren’t all dealing with what’s going to happen on the field and scoreboard and stuff. Some were on the inner working of our team that we want to improve upon and be better at. Challenge guys and make sure guys are holding each other accountable to the standard we expect. Discipline, maturity and all sorts of things that don’t just happen overnight. You have to realize that we lost four or five months of a lot of time with coaches and players together. You lose that much time, you don’t just make up for it in a quick summer camp or fall, especially when so many guys miss. It’s going to take a lot of teams a while to recover from the amount of time that they lost. I’m not saying on the field. That’s a no-brainer. I’m saying off the field, as well.”

On the team's confidence after beating Oklahoma last season...

“I think the guys that played should have some confidence that they competed very well against a great football team. The younger guys, they just need to continue to get better at their craft and understand what we’re doing in Kansas State offense, defense and teams. Both teams are brand new. They have a new quarterback. We have a lot of new offensive linemen and some new guys on defense, so the teams are different. The guys that played in the game, I hope, have some confidence to say that we had some success.”

On Oklahoma Quarterback Spencer Rattler...

“We have limited film, but just the fact that he’s working under Lincoln Riley shows that he’s going to be a great player. Lincoln is as good as there is in coaching quarterbacks, so I think he has tremendous arm strength. He does a great job of reading defenses, looking people off and knowing where he’s going with the football. He’s an extremely good athlete. They didn’t run him or need to run him much against Missouri State, but I know from doing some research that he can beat you with his feet as well as his arm. I know he’s a young player, but I’ve been so impressed with his skillset.”

On sustaining Chabastin Taylor performance in week one...

“He needs to for us to be successful. We’ve seen that all through the summer and fall camp. The practices we’ve had, limited or not, he’s been the dominant guy, in my mind, on a daily basis. We were confident that Chabastin would have that kind of a game. Hopefully it gives him a lot of confidence, too, that he is so much better year two in the system. He’s stronger. He has really good speed. He has excellent hands and runs good routes. He’s a big, physical guy, so I was not surprised with his performance. I can’t wait to see how he does the rest of the year.”

On if there’s an urge to play quarterback Will Howard more...

“Sure it is, but he’s no different than Deuce Vaughn. You say we snuck him in for a few snaps. Deuce played more snaps than Will and had a lot of production, but Deuce needs that practice time. Will needs that practice time. Will needs to go against the first defense on consecutive days, go against them in third down and put him in some stress. He was able to do that last week, because Skylar didn’t take many reps. Nick and Will took most of the reps with the ones and the twos, and I know it will make those two guys better in the future because they were taking the lion’s share of the reps, not Skylar taking eight and you guys take two. They were taking every bit of those reps. I know it’s going to make them better now and in the future.”

On limited capacity affecting the road environment...

“That’s a good question. I have not been to Norman before. I’ve obviously seen a lot of games on television. It’s still a home field advantage for them. The noise factor is not going to be what it typically is, but as tight as those sidelines are, noise will be a factor. It’s something we have to practice for. I think that’s going to be the interesting thing as you go across all these places. What is the environment, and how do your kids adjust to it? Whether it’s very little crowd to no crowd or to 22,000 in the crowd and the crowd noise that could come with that. Every week will be a different kind of adventure there.”

PHILLIP BROOKS, SOPHOMORE WIDE RECEIVER

On the impact Will Jones has had on defense…

“I go against Will every day in practice. He is one of the few guys that are just as fast if not faster than myself. He brings speed as well as playmaking ability, as you can see, he made an interception last game and he blocked a punt last game. He brings big playmaking and speed to the defense.”

On the mentality the team needs to bring to the field this Saturday…

“We were talking this week, detailing our assignments and how we were underdogs last year. With a team like that, a lot of people are going to give us the underdog card, but we don’t see ourselves as an underdog and go into every game trying to win. We have a good game plan, and that’s what we plan to do.”

On his favorite memory from last year’s upset against Oklahoma…

“I was actually hurt the first half of that game, so I was glad I got to play the second half of the game. I didn’t think I was going to play. I just liked seeing us do what we practiced all year and just compete. Even though we were down early, we came back, took the lead and extended the lead. I love seeing my teammates succeed. My boy, Josh Youngblood, scored his first touchdown, I saw that. And us winning the game, those are the highlights for me.”

On if the Oklahoma’s defense has changed since last year…

“No not really. They have the same defensive coordinator, so they have the same kind of structure. They are going to play man against us, we expect man. We expect Cover 4. We expect their nickel to be all over the place like normal. So, we are just taking our game plan, our coaches have a good game plan. We should be straight.”

On how it helps to get some players back into the wide receiver group…

“That helps a lot. We felt like we were incomplete at that position. It’s been big to have everyone back this week. We can already tell at our first practice, yesterday with everybody back, making plays all over the place. We are excited to see what everyone can do.”

On catching passes from Will Howard and Nick Ast last week in practice…

“Coming in as a freshman, I threw with Nick a lot. This offseason I got to throw with Will more, and of course Skylar. It’s nothing new. The only new person I’m catching from is Will because he is a freshman coming in. I’m excited to see if they get an opportunity to play. I think they all will do well.”

WILL JONES II REDSHIRT FRESHMAN DEFENSIVE BACK

On the issues defensively against Arkansas State...

“We were trying to lock in on our keys and missing a few of those, but I feel like the biggest thing from game one is having something to learn from and something to focus on for the weeks to come.”

On the impact he brings to the defense…

“A lot of speed and explosive plays. I’m trying to be out there, make the best of it and the most of all the opportunities and put the team in a good position to be successful.”

On being an underdog against Oklahoma…

“We see stuff like that and don’t really worry about it, but it fuels our fire because we know what we are doing over here. We know what problems we need to fix and get it done. We are going to go out there and do our best to handle business on Saturday.”

On the emotions of his first start against Arkansas State…

“It was exciting. As a result, we just have to get those. For myself and the team, the emotions were flying in the first game and being excited to play, but at the end of the day we have to execute business.”