HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The high school basketball season tips off this weekend at the Salthawk Activity Center as Hutchinson hosts Bishop Carroll, Andover Central and Great Bend in the annual Allen Samuels Chrysler Dodge Jeep &amp; Ram Tournament.

Action begins Friday at 3 p.m. with the Andover Central and Great Bend girls, followed by the boys matchup at 4:30 p.m.

Hutchinson takes the floor in the evening session, with the Salthawk girls opening against Bishop Carroll at 6 p.m. and the boys following at 7:30 p.m.

It marks the first full look at all four programs as they launch the 2025 campaign.

Catch all the action on <a href="https://radio.securenetsystems.net/v5/KWBW">KWBW Radio 1450am/98.5fm</a> with the award winning EAGLE Media sportscast crew, consisting of Glen Grunwald with the play-by-play call and Will Dutton&nbsp; making his debut with Eagle Media with in-depth analysis. Pregame starts at 5:45 p.m. followed by the opening tip at 6 p.m. The Hutch High boys game will follow at around 7:30 p.m.&nbsp;

INTERNET PROBLEMS AT THE SAC. VIDEO WILL BE AVAILABLE IF PROBLEMS ARE RESOLVED.

The video broadcast of both games will also available on the <a href="https://fan.hudl.com/usa/ks/hutchinson/organization/8/hutchinson-high-school/team/26735/girls-varsity-basketball/schedule?date=2024-12-01T06%3A00%3A00.000Z&amp;range=Month&amp;s=U2NoZWR1bGVFbnRyeVB1YmxpY1N1bW1hcnk2NmRmNTg0ZDM5NThmZmZhY2ViMzYxZmI%3D&amp;ss=2024">Hutch High hudl.tv fan page</a>.<a href="https://www.nfhsnetwork.com/schools/hutchinson-high-school-hutchinson-ks">&nbsp;Channel.</a>&nbsp;You can subscribe to either network.

GAME 1: Andover Central vs Great Bend Girls<a target="_blank" href="https://vcloud.hudl.com/admin/broadcast/view/3254646">https://vcloud.hudl.com/admin/broadcast/view/3254646</a>

<a target="_blank" href="https://vcloud.hudl.com/admin/broadcast/view/3254646"></a>GAME 2: Andover Central vs Great Bend Boys<a target="_blank" href="https://vcloud.hudl.com/admin/broadcast/view/3254619">https://vcloud.hudl.com/admin/broadcast/view/3254619</a>

<a target="_blank" href="https://vcloud.hudl.com/admin/broadcast/view/3254619"></a>GAME 3: Hutch High Girls vs <a href="https://vcloud.hudl.com/admin/broadcast/view/3261983">Bishop&nbsp;https://vcloud.hudl.com/admin/broadcast/view/3261983</a>

<a target="_blank" href="https://vcloud.hudl.com/admin/broadcast/view/2880118"></a>GAME 4:&nbsp; Hutch High Boys vs Bishop Carroll Boys<a target="_blank" href="https://vcloud.hudl.com/admin/broadcast/view/3194341">https://vcloud.hudl.com/admin/broadcast/view/3194341</a>

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/12/1764948290216.jpeg" alt="Gameday vs Hutch High vs Bishop Carroll&nbsp; in opening night of Allen Samuels Chrysler, Dodge, Jeem and Ram Invitational basketball tournament at the SAC." />
 <figcaption>Gameday vs Hutch High vs Bishop Carroll&nbsp; in opening night of Allen Samuels Chrysler, Dodge, Jeem and Ram Invitational basketball tournament at the SAC.</figcaption>
 </figure>HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The high school basketball season tips off this weekend at the Salthawk Activity Center as Hutchinson hosts Bishop Carroll, Andover Central and Great Bend in the annual Allen Samuels Chrysler Dodge Jeep &amp; Ram Tournament.Action begins Friday at 3 p.m. with the Andover Central and Great Bend girls, followed by the boys matchup at 4:30 p.m.Hutchinson takes the floor in the evening session, with the Salthawk girls opening against Bishop Carroll at 6 p.m. and the boys following at 7:30 p.m.It marks the first full look at all four programs as they launch the 2025 campaign.Audio Steam and local radio:Catch all the action on <a href="https://radio.securenetsystems.net/v5/KWBW">KWBW Radio 1450am/98.5fm</a> with the award winning EAGLE Media sportscast crew, consisting of Glen Grunwald with the play-by-play call and Will Dutton&nbsp; making his debut with Eagle Media with in-depth analysis. Pregame starts at 5:45 p.m. followed by the opening tip at 6 p.m. The Hutch High boys game will follow at around 7:30 p.m.&nbsp;Video Stream:INTERNET PROBLEMS AT THE SAC. VIDEO WILL BE AVAILABLE IF PROBLEMS ARE RESOLVED.The video broadcast of both games will also available on the <a href="https://fan.hudl.com/usa/ks/hutchinson/organization/8/hutchinson-high-school/team/26735/girls-varsity-basketball/schedule?date=2024-12-01T06%3A00%3A00.000Z&amp;range=Month&amp;s=U2NoZWR1bGVFbnRyeVB1YmxpY1N1bW1hcnk2NmRmNTg0ZDM5NThmZmZhY2ViMzYxZmI%3D&amp;ss=2024">Hutch High hudl.tv fan page</a>.<a href="https://www.nfhsnetwork.com/schools/hutchinson-high-school-hutchinson-ks">&nbsp;Channel.</a>&nbsp;You can subscribe to either network.GAME 1: Andover Central vs Great Bend Girls<a target="_blank" href="https://vcloud.hudl.com/admin/broadcast/view/3254646">https://vcloud.hudl.com/admin/broadcast/view/3254646</a><a target="_blank" href="https://vcloud.hudl.com/admin/broadcast/view/3254646"></a>GAME 2: Andover Central vs Great Bend Boys<a target="_blank" href="https://vcloud.hudl.com/admin/broadcast/view/3254619">https://vcloud.hudl.com/admin/broadcast/view/3254619</a><a target="_blank" href="https://vcloud.hudl.com/admin/broadcast/view/3254619"></a>GAME 3: Hutch High Girls vs <a href="https://vcloud.hudl.com/admin/broadcast/view/3261983">Bishop&nbsp;https://vcloud.hudl.com/admin/broadcast/view/3261983</a><a target="_blank" href="https://vcloud.hudl.com/admin/broadcast/view/2880118"></a>GAME 4:&nbsp; Hutch High Boys vs Bishop Carroll Boys<a target="_blank" href="https://vcloud.hudl.com/admin/broadcast/view/3194341">https://vcloud.hudl.com/admin/broadcast/view/3194341</a><div><iframe src="https://vcloud.hudl.com/broadcast/embed/3194341?autoplay=1" width="640" height="360" allow="fullscreen;" style="border:0;overflow:hidden;"></iframe></div>

🎧🎥🏀 Hutch High host Bishop Carroll, Andover Central and Great Bend in opening weekend

MANHATTAN, Kan.&nbsp;– One of the greatest players in school history will return to lead the Wildcats on the sidelines, as Collin Klein has been named the next head football coach at Kansas State, athletics director&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/staff-directory/gene-taylor/1">Gene Taylor</a>&nbsp;announced Thursday.

A 2012 Heisman Trophy finalist and member of K-State Football's Ring of Honor, Klein is now in his 12th year in coaching, nine of which have come at K-State.

Klein will be introduced to the public Friday in a welcome event at Morgan Family Arena. Doors open at 3 p.m., with the ceremony beginning at 4 p.m. It will also be streamed live on ESPN+."We are excited to welcome one of our all-time greats back home to Manhattan," Taylor said.

"Collin is a tremendous leader who cares deeply about his players. The grit, toughness and aggression he displayed as a player still fuels him today as a coach, and he is determined to carry on the tremendous success this program has achieved.

As we know, college football has changed, and I am confident that Collin is ready to embrace this new model while maintaining the culture that we know as K-State Football.

Welcome home, Collin, Shalin, Beric, Rhett, Trek and Briar."

Klein, the 36th head football coach in school history, has agreed to a five-year contract with an average base salary of $4.3 million to lead his alma mater.

He served as K-State's offensive coordinator in 2022 and 2023 and currently serves as the offensive coordinator at Texas A&amp;M, a role that he will continue in during the Aggies' postseason run."My family and I could not be more grateful for the opportunity to come home," Klein said.

"Thank you to President Linton and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/staff-directory/gene-taylor/1">Gene Taylor</a>&nbsp;for believing in us to lead the Cats into a new era. The position of Head Coach at Kansas State has a long legacy of service, hard work, determination, and competitive greatness that I am honored to carry forward.

This is Family business, and we cannot wait to get to work!

"The first K-State alum to serve as head football coach since Ellis Rainsberger from 1975-77,&nbsp; Klein helped the Wildcats to 51 wins and five bowl appearances during his tenure as a full-time assistant coach.

He helped guide Kansas State to a 19-8 mark and a Big 12 Championship during his two-year run as offensive coordinator.His first full season as K-State offensive coordinator in 2022 was a success as he led an offense that ranked in the top 10 in school history in 11 categories, including ranking second in offensive yards (5,863) and plays (958), fourth in rushing yards (2,916) and fifth in yards per game (418.8).

The Wildcats finished the 2022 season with 421.6 total yards per game – their most since 2014 – while their 32.3 points per game were the most by the squad since 2017. K-State improved its production in Klein's second season at the offensive controls, as its 37.1 points per game ranked 10th nationally and sixth in school history, while it was the highest average by a K-State team since Klein's senior season of 2012 (38.9 points per game).

Kansas State produced 445.2 total yards per game in 2023 to rank second in school history.In Klein's offense, running back Deuce Vaughn became the second player in school history to twice earn Consensus All-America honors, while Cooper Beebe became the first offensive lineman in school history to earn Consensus All-America honors.

Prior to serving as K-State's offensive coordinator, Klein was the Wildcats' quarterbacks coach in 2017, 2019 and 2021, while he was a co-offensive coordinator in 2018.

He earned his first full-time coaching position tutoring the quarterbacks at Northern Iowa in 2016, which was just a year hiatus from Manhattan as he worked as an assistant director of recruiting and defensive quality control coach for the Wildcats in 2014 and an offensive graduate assistant in 2015.

The 2012 Johnny Unitas Award winner, Klein finished his K-State career ranking in the school's top 10 in 34 different game, season and career record categories. He was the first quarterback from a Power 5 school since 1998 to rush for at least 20 touchdowns and pass for 10 scores in consecutive seasons by doing so in 2011 and 2012.

Klein led the Wildcats to a combined 21-5 record as the starting quarterback in 2011 and 2012, which culminated with a No. 1 national ranking, Big 12 Championship and Fiesta Bowl berth in 2012.

Serving as the offensive coordinator at Texas A&amp;M the last two seasons, Klein has helped the Aggies to an 11-1 record this season and a possible berth into the College Football Playoff, which will be announced on Sunday.

This season, Texas A&amp;M holds an 11-1 record as the Aggies rank in the top 30 nationally in scoring offense (16th; 36.3 points per game), total offense (20th; 454.4 yards per game), rushing offense (26th; 192.7 yards per game), passing offense (32nd; 261.8 yards per game), tackles for loss allowed (1st; 2.83 per game), fourth down percentage (2nd; 75.0%), sacks allowed (11th; 1.00 per game), passing yards per completion (11th; 14.09), time of possession (15th; 32:24) and first downs (29th; 272).

Texas A&amp;M has hit the 400-yard mark in total offense 10 times in 12 games thus far in 2025.A 2025 Broyles Award Semifinalist, Klein has guided Aggie quarterback Marcel Reed to top-15 individual marks this season in passing yards per completion (7th; 14.03), points responsible for (13th; 186) and passing touchdowns (14th; 25).

In his first season at Texas A&amp;M in 2024, Klein helped guide the Aggies to a 5-0 start in SEC play, marking the program's best start in SEC action and its best conference start since 1998. Texas A&amp;M boasted the No. 2 rushing offense in the SEC, ranking 26th nationally (195.5 yards per game), and the offensive line ranked 10th in the country by allowing just 51.0 tackles for loss on the year.

Klein obtained his undergraduate degree from K-State in December 2011 in business financial services and controllership, while he received his master's degree in academic advising in December 2019. He is married to the former Shalin Spani, a former Wildcat women's basketball player. The couple has three sons, Beric, Rhett and Trek, and one daughter, Briar.

<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Believe it, Coach <a href="https://t.co/MpF2E7zSOc">pic.twitter.com/MpF2E7zSOc</a>&mdash; K-State Football (@KStateFB) <a href="https://twitter.com/KStateFB/status/1997000680867836339?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 5, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Back like he never left <a href="https://t.co/cB2e91xezJ">pic.twitter.com/cB2e91xezJ</a>&mdash; K-State Football (@KStateFB) <a href="https://twitter.com/KStateFB/status/1996990122017825082?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 5, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">A message from <a href="https://twitter.com/CK_KleinCollin?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CK_KleinCollin</a> <a href="https://t.co/ef3FwC2pES">pic.twitter.com/ef3FwC2pES</a>&mdash; K-State Football (@KStateFB) <a href="https://twitter.com/KStateFB/status/1996779764246630534?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 5, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>MANHATTAN, Kan.&nbsp;– One of the greatest players in school history will return to lead the Wildcats on the sidelines, as Collin Klein has been named the next head football coach at Kansas State, athletics director&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/staff-directory/gene-taylor/1">Gene Taylor</a>&nbsp;announced Thursday.A 2012 Heisman Trophy finalist and member of K-State Football's Ring of Honor, Klein is now in his 12th year in coaching, nine of which have come at K-State.Klein will be introduced to the public Friday in a welcome event at Morgan Family Arena. Doors open at 3 p.m., with the ceremony beginning at 4 p.m. It will also be streamed live on ESPN+."We are excited to welcome one of our all-time greats back home to Manhattan," Taylor said."Collin is a tremendous leader who cares deeply about his players. The grit, toughness and aggression he displayed as a player still fuels him today as a coach, and he is determined to carry on the tremendous success this program has achieved.As we know, college football has changed, and I am confident that Collin is ready to embrace this new model while maintaining the culture that we know as K-State Football.Welcome home, Collin, Shalin, Beric, Rhett, Trek and Briar."Klein, the 36th head football coach in school history, has agreed to a five-year contract with an average base salary of $4.3 million to lead his alma mater.He served as K-State's offensive coordinator in 2022 and 2023 and currently serves as the offensive coordinator at Texas A&amp;M, a role that he will continue in during the Aggies' postseason run."My family and I could not be more grateful for the opportunity to come home," Klein said."Thank you to President Linton and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/staff-directory/gene-taylor/1">Gene Taylor</a>&nbsp;for believing in us to lead the Cats into a new era. The position of Head Coach at Kansas State has a long legacy of service, hard work, determination, and competitive greatness that I am honored to carry forward.This is Family business, and we cannot wait to get to work!"The first K-State alum to serve as head football coach since Ellis Rainsberger from 1975-77,&nbsp; Klein helped the Wildcats to 51 wins and five bowl appearances during his tenure as a full-time assistant coach.He helped guide Kansas State to a 19-8 mark and a Big 12 Championship during his two-year run as offensive coordinator.His first full season as K-State offensive coordinator in 2022 was a success as he led an offense that ranked in the top 10 in school history in 11 categories, including ranking second in offensive yards (5,863) and plays (958), fourth in rushing yards (2,916) and fifth in yards per game (418.8).The Wildcats finished the 2022 season with 421.6 total yards per game – their most since 2014 – while their 32.3 points per game were the most by the squad since 2017. K-State improved its production in Klein's second season at the offensive controls, as its 37.1 points per game ranked 10th nationally and sixth in school history, while it was the highest average by a K-State team since Klein's senior season of 2012 (38.9 points per game).Kansas State produced 445.2 total yards per game in 2023 to rank second in school history.In Klein's offense, running back Deuce Vaughn became the second player in school history to twice earn Consensus All-America honors, while Cooper Beebe became the first offensive lineman in school history to earn Consensus All-America honors.Prior to serving as K-State's offensive coordinator, Klein was the Wildcats' quarterbacks coach in 2017, 2019 and 2021, while he was a co-offensive coordinator in 2018.He earned his first full-time coaching position tutoring the quarterbacks at Northern Iowa in 2016, which was just a year hiatus from Manhattan as he worked as an assistant director of recruiting and defensive quality control coach for the Wildcats in 2014 and an offensive graduate assistant in 2015.The 2012 Johnny Unitas Award winner, Klein finished his K-State career ranking in the school's top 10 in 34 different game, season and career record categories. He was the first quarterback from a Power 5 school since 1998 to rush for at least 20 touchdowns and pass for 10 scores in consecutive seasons by doing so in 2011 and 2012.Klein led the Wildcats to a combined 21-5 record as the starting quarterback in 2011 and 2012, which culminated with a No. 1 national ranking, Big 12 Championship and Fiesta Bowl berth in 2012.Serving as the offensive coordinator at Texas A&amp;M the last two seasons, Klein has helped the Aggies to an 11-1 record this season and a possible berth into the College Football Playoff, which will be announced on Sunday.This season, Texas A&amp;M holds an 11-1 record as the Aggies rank in the top 30 nationally in scoring offense (16th; 36.3 points per game), total offense (20th; 454.4 yards per game), rushing offense (26th; 192.7 yards per game), passing offense (32nd; 261.8 yards per game), tackles for loss allowed (1st; 2.83 per game), fourth down percentage (2nd; 75.0%), sacks allowed (11th; 1.00 per game), passing yards per completion (11th; 14.09), time of possession (15th; 32:24) and first downs (29th; 272).Texas A&amp;M has hit the 400-yard mark in total offense 10 times in 12 games thus far in 2025.A 2025 Broyles Award Semifinalist, Klein has guided Aggie quarterback Marcel Reed to top-15 individual marks this season in passing yards per completion (7th; 14.03), points responsible for (13th; 186) and passing touchdowns (14th; 25).In his first season at Texas A&amp;M in 2024, Klein helped guide the Aggies to a 5-0 start in SEC play, marking the program's best start in SEC action and its best conference start since 1998. Texas A&amp;M boasted the No. 2 rushing offense in the SEC, ranking 26th nationally (195.5 yards per game), and the offensive line ranked 10th in the country by allowing just 51.0 tackles for loss on the year.Klein obtained his undergraduate degree from K-State in December 2011 in business financial services and controllership, while he received his master's degree in academic advising in December 2019. He is married to the former Shalin Spani, a former Wildcat women's basketball player. The couple has three sons, Beric, Rhett and Trek, and one daughter, Briar.

Back like he never left: Colin Klein and family arrive in Manhattan 

By TISA MASON Fort Hays State University president

In a world where the hustle and bustle often overshadow gentle acts of kindness, Isaiah Kevin Maxi stood out. Born on August 16, 1994, in Kansas City, Missouri, Isaiah’s earthly journey ended at the age of 30 on July 10, 2025, but his legacy continues to resonate in the hearts of those who knew him.

During the holiday season, when families gather around the warmth of love and laughter, we reflect on the indelible mark Isaiah left on his loved ones and his community. From a young age, Isaiah faced challenges, particularly with the loss of his mother, Kim Alexander-Maxi, when he was just six years old. Yet, amidst personal tragedy, he transformed his grief into a powerful drive for service and leadership, becoming a beacon of hope and positivity for others.

A proud graduate of Fort Hays State University (FHSU) in 2017, Isaiah earned degrees in Sociology and Organizational Leadership while actively participating in student activities, athletics, and working at the Tiger Tots Preschool Center, where he was affectionately known as “Mr. Maxi.” His infectious energy lit up the room, encouraging children to embrace learning and teamwork.

Friends and family describe Isaiah as warm-hearted and approachable, someone who made everyone feel valued. He was not just a talented athlete on the football field, earning accolades as a leader of the Fort Hays State Tigers, but also a compassionate volunteer dedicated to uplifting others. Seth Kastle, professor of leadership, once said, “He was the epitome of what we educate our students to be – dedicated to serving others and helping those in need.”

After graduation, Isaiah continued his mission of service through AmeriCorps, striving to create positive change in the lives of those around him. He embraced every challenge as an opportunity, believing that “everything happens for a reason,” and ensuring his legacy was one of compassion, leadership, and community building.

His sudden passing left a profound void in the hearts of those who loved him. To honor his memory and the values he embodied, the FHSU Leadership Program has renamed its student service award to the “Isaiah Maxi Outstanding Leadership and Service Award.” This accolade will celebrate and recognize students who exemplify the same spirit of dedication and service that Isaiah so passionately embraced.

“Life isn’t just about football,” he would often say. “When I leave here, I want people to say, ‘Maxi was a good dude.’” Indeed, Isaiah was much more than a good dude; he was a phenomenal human being whose legacy will inspire generations to come.

This December, as we gather with those who matter most, we remember Isaiah’s unwavering commitment to lifting others up and the lasting impact of his generous spirit. His legacy lives on through the stories, kindness, and encouragement he shared, inspiring us to embody the&nbsp;gratitude, courage, and compassion he represented so well. As we reflect on his life and the holiday season, may we honor Isaiah by nurturing meaningful connections, extending kindness, and carrying forward his call to “make a difference” in our own lives and communities.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/12/1764785909672.jpeg" alt="Isaiah&nbsp;Maxi. Photo courtesy Fort Hays State University" />
 <figcaption>Isaiah&nbsp;Maxi. Photo courtesy Fort Hays State University</figcaption>
 </figure>By TISA MASON Fort Hays State University presidentIn a world where the hustle and bustle often overshadow gentle acts of kindness, Isaiah Kevin Maxi stood out. Born on August 16, 1994, in Kansas City, Missouri, Isaiah’s earthly journey ended at the age of 30 on July 10, 2025, but his legacy continues to resonate in the hearts of those who knew him.During the holiday season, when families gather around the warmth of love and laughter, we reflect on the indelible mark Isaiah left on his loved ones and his community. From a young age, Isaiah faced challenges, particularly with the loss of his mother, Kim Alexander-Maxi, when he was just six years old. Yet, amidst personal tragedy, he transformed his grief into a powerful drive for service and leadership, becoming a beacon of hope and positivity for others.A proud graduate of Fort Hays State University (FHSU) in 2017, Isaiah earned degrees in Sociology and Organizational Leadership while actively participating in student activities, athletics, and working at the Tiger Tots Preschool Center, where he was affectionately known as “Mr. Maxi.” His infectious energy lit up the room, encouraging children to embrace learning and teamwork.Friends and family describe Isaiah as warm-hearted and approachable, someone who made everyone feel valued. He was not just a talented athlete on the football field, earning accolades as a leader of the Fort Hays State Tigers, but also a compassionate volunteer dedicated to uplifting others. Seth Kastle, professor of leadership, once said, “He was the epitome of what we educate our students to be – dedicated to serving others and helping those in need.”After graduation, Isaiah continued his mission of service through AmeriCorps, striving to create positive change in the lives of those around him. He embraced every challenge as an opportunity, believing that “everything happens for a reason,” and ensuring his legacy was one of compassion, leadership, and community building.His sudden passing left a profound void in the hearts of those who loved him. To honor his memory and the values he embodied, the FHSU Leadership Program has renamed its student service award to the “Isaiah Maxi Outstanding Leadership and Service Award.” This accolade will celebrate and recognize students who exemplify the same spirit of dedication and service that Isaiah so passionately embraced.“Life isn’t just about football,” he would often say. “When I leave here, I want people to say, ‘Maxi was a good dude.’” Indeed, Isaiah was much more than a good dude; he was a phenomenal human being whose legacy will inspire generations to come.This December, as we gather with those who matter most, we remember Isaiah’s unwavering commitment to lifting others up and the lasting impact of his generous spirit. His legacy lives on through the stories, kindness, and encouragement he shared, inspiring us to embody the&nbsp;gratitude, courage, and compassion he represented so well. As we reflect on his life and the holiday season, may we honor Isaiah by nurturing meaningful connections, extending kindness, and carrying forward his call to “make a difference” in our own lives and communities.

K-State confirms return of Colin Klein as head coach of the 'Cats

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/12/1764876803856.jpeg" alt="Blue Dragon Football earns 25 overall spots on the 2025 All-KJCCC Football team, including Drew Dallas (Coach of the Year), Darius Wiley (Defensive Player of the Year) and Derick Salley Jr. (co-Offensive Player of the Year)." />
 <figcaption>Blue Dragon Football earns 25 overall spots on the 2025 All-KJCCC Football team, including Drew Dallas (Coach of the Year), Darius Wiley (Defensive Player of the Year) and Derick Salley Jr. (co-Offensive Player of the Year).</figcaption>
 </figure><div><a href="https://www.bluedragonsports.com/sports/fball/2025-26/files/2025_All-KJCCC_Football_Teams.pdf">CLICK FOR COMPLETE 2025 ALL-KJCCC FOOTBALL TEAM</a>
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Hutchinson CC Sports Information
The Jayhawk Conference champion Hutchinson Community College Football team made a strong haul of awards on the 2025 All-KJCCC Football Teams, which were announced Thursday morning.
That included a near sweep of the conference's three major awards and 24 total players earning 25 all-conference honors.
Hutchinson head coach Drew Dallas was named the KJCCC Coach of the Year. Redshirt freshman defensive end&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bluedragonsports.com/sports/fball/2025-26/bios/wiley_darius_xg0z">Darius Wiley</a>&nbsp;was named the conference's Defensive Player of the Year and sophomore receiver&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bluedragonsports.com/sports/fball/2025-26/bios/salley_jr._derrick_8ftn">Derrick Salley Jr.</a>&nbsp;was named the Jayhawk's co-Offensive Player of the Year. In addition to the major awards, the Blue Dragons had eight players on the first two, eight on the second team and nine more on the honorable mention list.
The top-ranked Blue Dragons (10-0) are set to play No. 4 Northwest Mississippi (10-1) in the NJCAA Division I National Semifinals at 6 p.m. Saturday at Gowans Stadium.
DREW DALLAS (COACH OF THE YEAR) The sixth-year Blue Dragon head coach was named the KJCCC Coach of the Year for the fifth time, also winning in 2020/21, 2022, 2023 and 2024.
This season, the Blue Dragons started the season at No. 1 in the NJCAA Division I National Rankings and have not left that spot. The Blue Dragons are 10-0 this season and won Dallas' fifth regular-season league title with a 6-0 league mark.
The Blue Dragons reached the 10-win mark for the fourth-straight season under Dallas and for the 11th time in program history.
Dallas earned his 50th career win after 76-8 season-opening victory at New Mexico Military on September 6 in Roswell, New Mexico. Dallas reached 50 coaching wins faster than any coach in NJCAA history, doing so in 55 games. That is one game faster than Troy Morrell at Butler, who did it in 56 games.
Dallas is now 59-5 at Hutchinson and has the Blue Dragons on win streaks of 14 consecutive games and 25 straight wins in true road games.
DARIUS WILEY (DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR) Wiley, a 6-foot-7, 250-pound defensive end from Elizabethtown, Kentucky, is the third Blue Dragon to be named the KJCCC Defensive Player of the Year under Dallas. He joins Roterius Torrence (2020-21) and Daniel Brown (2023).
Wiley has been a central figure in the Blue Dragons leading the nation in scoring defense (10.0 ppg allowed) and ranking third in total defense (213.5 ypg) in 2025.
Wiley leads the Blue Dragons with 8.5 quarterback sacks and 19.0 total tackles for loss. Overall Wiley had 47 tackles.
Against No. 10 Iowa Central, in a 35-17 win over the Tritons, Wiley had a career day with 13 total tackles, 6.0 tackles for loss and 2.5 quarterback sacks. Wiley also racked up three more quarterback hurries and a blocked field goal on special teams..
Wiley registered at least one quarterback sack in six games. He also registered a sack for a safety in a 44-3 win at Dodge City on October 11.
Wiley is 1 of 5 Blue Dragons to earn All-KJCCC first-team defensive honors.
DERRICK SALLEY JR. (CO-OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR) Salley is the fifth-straight Blue Dragon to win KJCCC Offensive Player of the Year honors. The 6-4, 2016-pound sophomore from Green Pond, South Carolina joins Anwar Lewis (2021), Dylan Kezior (2022), Samari Collier (2023) and Waymond Jordan Jr. (2024) to win the league's top offensive award in the Dallas era.
He is the 2025 co-Offensive Player of the Year with Coffeyville quarterback Mac Armstrong.
Salley started the season on an incredible tear with touchdown receptions in the first six games of the season. He became the first Blue Dragon receiver in program history to have three three-touchdown games, doing so against New Mexico Military, Iowa Central and Independence.
Salley is tied for the NJCAA national lead in touchdown receptions with 12.
For the season, Salley has team highs of 42 receptions and 725 yards. He has recorded at least two catches or more in every game this season.
Salley's 12 touchdown receptions are tied with All-American Lonnie Crittenden (1970) for second on the Blue Dragon single-season list.
For his career to this point, Salley has 61 receptions for 1,042 yards and 17 touchdowns. His 61 catches are tied for 10th on the Blue Dragon career list with Danny McEvoy (2006-07) and Chris Murray (2013). Salley is the 12th Blue Dragon receiver to reach 1,000 career yards and his 17 touchdowns rank fifth in Blue Dragon career history.
Salley is the only Blue Dragon offensive player to earn first-team All-KJCCC honors.
FIRST-TEAM DEFENSE <a href="https://www.bluedragonsports.com/sports/fball/2025-26/bios/henson_k.j._0bwy">K.J. Henson</a>&nbsp;&ndash; DT: A 6-4, 274-pound defensive tackle from Glen Burnie, Maryland, Henson had an exceptional year with 41 tackles, 8.0 tackles for loss, 5.5 quarterback sacks and five quarterback hurries. He added two passes broken up. Henson was huge against No. 2 Iowa Western with a career-best nine tackles, two TFLs and 1.5 quarterback sacks in a 30-27 victory.
<a href="https://www.bluedragonsports.com/sports/fball/2025-26/bios/haines_teegan_n109">Teegan Haines</a>&nbsp;&ndash; LB: A 6-3, 209-pound transfer linebacker from McPherson, Haines was the Blue Dragons' leading tackler with 71 stops this season. He had three games of 10 or more tackles against No. 2 Iowa Western (12), No. 10 Iowa Central (15) and No. 14 Garden City (11). Haines had 10 tackles for loss and two sacks to go with two forced fumbled, a fumble recovery, three quarterback sacks and three passes broken up.
<a href="https://www.bluedragonsports.com/sports/fball/2025-26/bios/allen_da-mun_9wzy">Da'Mun Allen</a>&nbsp;&ndash; CB: The 6-3, 190-pound sophomore quarterback from Sanford, Florida, was second on the Blue Dragons with five interceptions, which included a two-interception game against Dodge City. Allen had 26 tackles with two passes broken up.
<a href="https://www.bluedragonsports.com/sports/fball/2025-26/bios/graham_michael_mysr">MJ Graham</a>&nbsp;&ndash; S: A 5-11, 189-pound two-year starting safety from Oklahoma City, Graham was Hutchinson's leader in interceptions sixth six. He had two picks against both New Mexico Military and No. 10 Butler. Graham had 32 total tackles, including 5.5 tackles for loss and one quarterback sack. Graham also had three passes broken up and one fumble recovery.
FIRST-TEAM SPECIAL TEAMS <a href="https://www.bluedragonsports.com/sports/fball/2025-26/bios/moore_denzel_wu59">Denzel More</a>&nbsp;&ndash; P: A 6-1, 195-pound freshman from Baskerville, Australia, was second in the KJCCC in gross punting average at 41.7 yards per attempt on 39 punts this season. More led the KJCCC with fewest touchbacks (5) and is second with punts inside the 20-yard line with 13. His long punt this season was 63 yards against Ellsworth and he had a 62-yarder against Highland.
<a href="https://www.bluedragonsports.com/sports/fball/2025-26/bios/gouldsby_kordell_rb8n">Kordell Gouldsby</a>&nbsp;&ndash; RS: A 5-11, 171-pound return specialist from Tulsa, Oklahoma, Gouldsby again showed his return ability to lead the Dragons on special teams this season. On kickoffs, Gouldsby averaged a league-best 31.4 yards per return on 12 attempts with one touchdown. On punts, the Dragon sophomore had two returns for touchdowns and averaged 13.8 yards on 18 returns.
SECOND-TEAM OFFENSE <a href="https://www.bluedragonsports.com/sports/fball/2025-26/bios/johnson_christian_b2h0">Christian Johnson</a>&nbsp;&ndash; QB: A 5-11, 206-pound quarterback from Montgomery, Alabama, has been a duel-threat to lead the Dragon offense. Passing the ball, Johnson is 129 of 212 for 1,807 yards and two touchdowns, which is tied for seventh most in single-season team history. Johnson is also the Dragons' leading rusher with 465 yard on 109 carries and six rushing touchdowns.
<a href="https://www.bluedragonsports.com/sports/fball/2025-26/bios/gouldsby_kordell_rb8n">Kordell Gouldsby</a>&nbsp;&ndash; WR: Gouldsby had a much heavier load in the offense this season with 22 receptions for 216 yards and two touchdowns. He had a career-best seven catches for 68 yards against No. 1 Iowa Western.
<a href="https://www.bluedragonsports.com/sports/fball/2025-26/bios/nolan-cook_dylan_xsfr">Dylan Nolan-Cook</a>&nbsp;&ndash; OT: The 6-5, 305-pound offensive lineman from Scottsdale, Arizona, started all 10 games this season and helped the Dragons average 44.0 points and 400.7 total yards and 184.5 rushing yards in 2025.
SECOND-TEAM DEFENSE <a href="https://www.bluedragonsports.com/sports/fball/2025-26/bios/manns_jeffrey_uxl0">Jeffrey Manns</a>&nbsp;&ndash; DT: A 6-2, 299-pound defensive tackle from Lancaster, Texas, has played a big role on defense and special teams for the Dragons. Matt has 27 total tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss and 3.5 quarterback sacks. He has one interception and two quarterback hurries. Mann also led the Dragons to a school-record nine special teams blocked kicks with three blocks this season.
<a href="https://www.bluedragonsports.com/sports/fball/2025-26/bios/allen_jlynn_o3cg">Jlynn Allen</a>&nbsp;&ndash; DE: A 6-7, 240-pound defensive end from North Little Rock, Arkansas, was third on the team with eight quarterback sacks and 11 tackles for loss. Overall, Allen has 26 tackles, eight quarterback hurries, two passes broken up and two special teams blocks this season.
<a href="https://www.bluedragonsports.com/sports/fball/2025-26/bios/moorer_kevin_g4lb">Kevin Moorer</a>&nbsp;&ndash; DE: A 6-4, 277-pound defensive end from Mobile, Alabama, registered 29 tackles, including 17 unassisted stops. Moorer had 7.5 quarterback sacks and 12.5 tackles for loss. Moorer had three fumble recoveries and one forced fumble, six quarterback hurries and three passes broken up.
<a href="https://www.bluedragonsports.com/sports/fball/2025-26/bios/parker_earl_zuqs">Earl Parker</a>&nbsp;&ndash; CB: A 6-3, 195-pound defensive back from Fairbanks, Alaska, had 26 total tackles this season, including 2.5 tackles for loss. He had one interception, which came against Independence to go with one pass broken up and one quarterback hurry.
SECOND-TEAM SPECIAL TEAMS Alejandro de la Poza &ndash; K: The 6-2, 189-pound freshman kicker from Mallorca, Spain, became just the sixth Blue Dragon kicker to reach 10 made field goals in the same season. Now 12 of 16, de la Poza is tied with Michael Mesh for third in the Blue Dragon single-season field goal list. The Blue Dragon freshman is 49 of 52 on extra points and he has 29 touchbacks on 70 kickoff attempts this season.
HONORABLE MENTION SELECTIONS <a href="https://www.bluedragonsports.com/sports/fball/2025-26/bios/coonrod_cole_w81e">Cole Coonrod</a>&nbsp;&ndash; TE: A 6-5, 235-pound sophomore from Manhattan, Kansas, played in eight games this season as a strong blocking tight end. He played in nine games this season.
<a href="https://www.bluedragonsports.com/sports/fball/2025-26/bios/harris_jabari_8tau">Jabari Harris</a>&nbsp;&ndash; FB: Normally a blocking fullback, the 6-5, 241-pound freshman from Atlanta, caught his first career pass and scored his first career touchdown with a 16-yard scoring reception against Highland. Harris has two catches for 26 yards.
<a href="https://www.bluedragonsports.com/sports/fball/2025-26/bios/jester_david_tttb">David Jester</a>&nbsp;&ndash; S: A 6-3, 185-pound sophomore safety from Homestead, Florida, Jester tallied 36 total tackles with two tackles for loss and one quarterback sack. Jester had two interceptions with his second career pick-six, a 76-yard interception for a touchdown against Iowa Central in September. Jester also had one forced fumble, one quarterback hurry and two passes broken up.
<a href="https://www.bluedragonsports.com/sports/fball/2025-26/bios/johnson_dylan_jy9g">Dylan Johnson</a>&nbsp;&ndash; OL: 6-3, 296-pound sophomore from DeSoto, Texas, helped the Dragons average 44.0 points and 400.7 total yards and 184.5 rushing yards in 2025.
<a href="https://www.bluedragonsports.com/sports/fball/2025-26/bios/robinson_la-terrius_k1cd">LT Robinson</a>&nbsp;&ndash; WR: A 5-10, 170-pound receiver from Wichita had 23 receptions for 382 yards and two touchdowns. He had three catches for a career-best 99 yards against Coffeyville. Robinson also had five rushes for 31 yards.
<a href="https://www.bluedragonsports.com/sports/fball/2025-26/bios/smith_rashad_30zs">Rashad Smith</a>&nbsp;&ndash; OL:A 6-2, 287-pound lineman from Birmingham helped the Dragons average 44.0 points and 400.7 total yards and 184.5 rushing yards in 2025.
<a href="https://www.bluedragonsports.com/sports/fball/2025-26/bios/thrush_mason_7hjn">Mason Thrush</a>&nbsp;&ndash; C: The 6-2, 297-pound center from Maize is a two-time all-conference player, being named to the 2024 All-KJCCC second team last season.
<a href="https://www.bluedragonsports.com/sports/fball/2025-26/bios/thornton_gus_82uc">Gus Thuston</a>&nbsp;&ndash; OL: The 6-4, 315-pound offensive lineman from Chanute started all 10 games this season and helped the Dragons average 44.0 points and 400.7 total yards and 184.5 rushing yards in 2025.
<a href="https://www.bluedragonsports.com/sports/fball/2025-26/bios/whitman_brady_gvvz">Brady Whitman</a>&nbsp;&ndash; LB: A 6-3, 218-point linebacker from Leawood, Kansas, Whitman had 34 tackles, including five tackles for loss and two quarterback hurries.</div>

🏈 Salley Jr., Wiley, Dallas lead Blue Dragon contingent on all-conference team

<a href="https://hutchpost.com/posts/fe26fa8f-e92c-4889-b21f-e9475f8a3d76">FINAL: No. 19 Hutchinson women 65, Barton 42</a>

<a href="https://hutchpost.com/posts/12c04a10-7c5a-498e-9a68-03400c1e58b6">FINAL: Hutchinson men 58, No. 15 Barton 57</a>

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/11/1762665656970.jpeg" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure><div><iframe title="Blue Dragon Rewind: HutchCC WBB & MBB at Barton (Dec. 3, 2025)" allowtransparency="true" height="300" width="100%" style="border: none; min-width: min(100%, 430px);height:300px;" scrolling="no" data-name="pb-iframe-player" src="https://www.podbean.com/player-v2/?i=s4itn-19dfa0b-pb&from=pb6admin&square=1&share=1&download=1&rtl=0&fonts=Arial&skin=60a0c8&font-color=auto&logo_link=episode_page&btn-skin=3267a3&size=300" loading="lazy" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div><a href="https://hutchpost.com/posts/fe26fa8f-e92c-4889-b21f-e9475f8a3d76">FINAL: No. 19 Hutchinson women 65, Barton 42</a><a href="https://hutchpost.com/posts/12c04a10-7c5a-498e-9a68-03400c1e58b6">FINAL: Hutchinson men 58, No. 15 Barton 57</a>

🎧🏀 Blue Dragon Rewind: HutchCC at Barton

GREAT BEND – Sophomore&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bluedragonsports.com/sports/mbkb/2025-26/bios/rudolph_lolo_kra8">Lolo Rudolph</a>'s only basket of the game turned out to be a buzzer-beating game winner to lead the Hutchinson Community College men's basketball team to an upset of the 15th-ranked Barton Cougars on Wednesday night.

Rudolph's game-winning shot completed a comeback from a 10-point deficit as Hutchinson defeated the Cougars 58-57 at the Fleske Fieldhouse, snapping a seven-game losing streak against Barton.

Hutchinson improved to 7-4 overall and 2-3 in the KJCCC. The Blue Dragons play host to No. 21 Cowley at 3 p.m. on Saturday at the Sports Arena. Barton is now 8-3 overall and 3-2 in the KJCCC.

The Blue Dragons trailed by six points at halftime and 32-22 with 18:19 remaining in the second half. The Dragons held Barton to 32.1 percent in the second half to start the comeback. Trailing 57-55 after getting a defensive stop with 23 seconds to play in regulation, the Blue Dragons had the final possession.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bluedragonsports.com/sports/mbkb/2025-26/bios/thomas_daleron_yjqw">Daleron Thomas</a>&nbsp;had the ball in the right corner, who was double teamed by the Cougars. He passed to Rudolph, who drove around one defender and pulled up for a game-winning 3-pointer at the buzzer.

This was the second time this season the Blue Dragons have rallied from a double-figure deficit to win a game. The other was an 11-point deficit against Butler that the Dragons rallied from for an 83-82 win on November 22.

Sophomore&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bluedragonsports.com/sports/mbkb/2025-26/bios/shaw_kyrell_v507">Kyrell Shaw</a>&nbsp;snapped a two-game scoring slump with 14 of his game-high 18 points in the second half. Shaw was 8 of 16 shooting, going 2 of 5 from 3-point range. Shaw had six rebounds.

<a href="https://www.bluedragonsports.com/sports/mbkb/2025-26/bios/cannon_bobby_almy">Bobby Cannon</a>&nbsp;finished with 10 points and seven rebounds with five assists. Freshman&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bluedragonsports.com/sports/mbkb/2025-26/bios/williams_kordell_uy2x">Kordell Williams</a>&nbsp;finished with eight points and Thomas closed with seven points.

The Blue Dragons shot 45.3 percent (24 of 53), hitting 7 of 18 from 3-point range and 3 of 3 from the free-throw line. The Dragons had only 12 turnovers.

Noah Williams' double-double of 15 points and 11 rebounds led Barton. Jayden Ramirez and Aris Rodriguez had 10 points each.

The Cougars shot a season-low 28.8 percent (17 of 59) overall, hitting 5 of 22 from 3-point range and 18 of 24 from the free-throw line.

The Blue Dragons trailed 9-8 with 13:05 remaining in the opening half. Barton scored seven unanswered points to build a 16-8 lead after a Williams 3-pointer with 9:47 to go in the half. Trailing 16-13, the Dragons saw Barton go on a 10-3 run as the Cougars built a 26-16 lead with 1:59 to play in the first half.

The Dragons got a layup from Thomas and a jumper from Cannon to finish the opening half on a 4-0 run and trail the Cougars 26-20 at halftime.

Barton pushed its lead back to 10 at 32-22 with 18:19 to play. A Shaw jumper cut the Barton lead to 32-29 with 16:58 to play.

The Dragons made several small runs through the second half, but Barton maintained its lead and regained a seven-point lead at 49-42 after two Rodríguez free throws with 8:13 to go.

A Williams layup with 5:29 remaining cut the Dragon deficit to 49-48. The Dragons finally grabbed their first lead when&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bluedragonsports.com/sports/mbkb/2025-26/bios/boney_asher_iauy">Asher Boney</a>&nbsp;hit a right-corner 3-pointer with 2:26 to go for a 55-54 lead.

Rodriguez hit 3 of 4 free throws to give Barton a 57-55 lead with 1:18 remaining. After two empty possessions, the Dragons needed a defensive stop and got that stop by forcing Barton into a shot clock violation with 23 second remaining. That stop set up the Blue Dragons' game-winning shot by Rudolph at the buzzer.

GAME NOTES&nbsp;– The Blue Dragons are 92-37 against Barton. … The Dragons earned their first win in Great Bend since November 27, 2021. … This was all-time Blue Dragon win No. 1,949. … This was Hutchinson's first win over a ranked opponent this season. … The Dragons are 1-2 this season when trailing at half. …&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bluedragonsports.com/sports/mbkb/2025-26/bios/dorar_chudier_yrfc">Chudier Dorar</a>&nbsp;had four blocked shots, his fifth game with four or more blocks this season.&nbsp; &nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/12/1764857571460.jpeg" alt="Blue Dragon teammates congratulate Lolo Rudolph (0) after hitting a game-winning 3-pointer at the buzzer for a 58-57 Hutchinson victory over No. 15 Barton on Wednesday in Great Bend. (Billy Watson/Blue Dragon Sports Information)" />
 <figcaption>Blue Dragon teammates congratulate Lolo Rudolph (0) after hitting a game-winning 3-pointer at the buzzer for a 58-57 Hutchinson victory over No. 15 Barton on Wednesday in Great Bend. (Billy Watson/Blue Dragon Sports Information)</figcaption>
 </figure>Hutchinson CC Sports InformationGREAT BEND – Sophomore&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bluedragonsports.com/sports/mbkb/2025-26/bios/rudolph_lolo_kra8">Lolo Rudolph</a>'s only basket of the game turned out to be a buzzer-beating game winner to lead the Hutchinson Community College men's basketball team to an upset of the 15th-ranked Barton Cougars on Wednesday night.Rudolph's game-winning shot completed a comeback from a 10-point deficit as Hutchinson defeated the Cougars 58-57 at the Fleske Fieldhouse, snapping a seven-game losing streak against Barton.Hutchinson improved to 7-4 overall and 2-3 in the KJCCC. The Blue Dragons play host to No. 21 Cowley at 3 p.m. on Saturday at the Sports Arena. Barton is now 8-3 overall and 3-2 in the KJCCC.The Blue Dragons trailed by six points at halftime and 32-22 with 18:19 remaining in the second half. The Dragons held Barton to 32.1 percent in the second half to start the comeback. Trailing 57-55 after getting a defensive stop with 23 seconds to play in regulation, the Blue Dragons had the final possession.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bluedragonsports.com/sports/mbkb/2025-26/bios/thomas_daleron_yjqw">Daleron Thomas</a>&nbsp;had the ball in the right corner, who was double teamed by the Cougars. He passed to Rudolph, who drove around one defender and pulled up for a game-winning 3-pointer at the buzzer.This was the second time this season the Blue Dragons have rallied from a double-figure deficit to win a game. The other was an 11-point deficit against Butler that the Dragons rallied from for an 83-82 win on November 22.Sophomore&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bluedragonsports.com/sports/mbkb/2025-26/bios/shaw_kyrell_v507">Kyrell Shaw</a>&nbsp;snapped a two-game scoring slump with 14 of his game-high 18 points in the second half. Shaw was 8 of 16 shooting, going 2 of 5 from 3-point range. Shaw had six rebounds.<a href="https://www.bluedragonsports.com/sports/mbkb/2025-26/bios/cannon_bobby_almy">Bobby Cannon</a>&nbsp;finished with 10 points and seven rebounds with five assists. Freshman&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bluedragonsports.com/sports/mbkb/2025-26/bios/williams_kordell_uy2x">Kordell Williams</a>&nbsp;finished with eight points and Thomas closed with seven points.The Blue Dragons shot 45.3 percent (24 of 53), hitting 7 of 18 from 3-point range and 3 of 3 from the free-throw line. The Dragons had only 12 turnovers.Noah Williams' double-double of 15 points and 11 rebounds led Barton. Jayden Ramirez and Aris Rodriguez had 10 points each.The Cougars shot a season-low 28.8 percent (17 of 59) overall, hitting 5 of 22 from 3-point range and 18 of 24 from the free-throw line.The Blue Dragons trailed 9-8 with 13:05 remaining in the opening half. Barton scored seven unanswered points to build a 16-8 lead after a Williams 3-pointer with 9:47 to go in the half. Trailing 16-13, the Dragons saw Barton go on a 10-3 run as the Cougars built a 26-16 lead with 1:59 to play in the first half.The Dragons got a layup from Thomas and a jumper from Cannon to finish the opening half on a 4-0 run and trail the Cougars 26-20 at halftime.Barton pushed its lead back to 10 at 32-22 with 18:19 to play. A Shaw jumper cut the Barton lead to 32-29 with 16:58 to play.The Dragons made several small runs through the second half, but Barton maintained its lead and regained a seven-point lead at 49-42 after two Rodríguez free throws with 8:13 to go.A Williams layup with 5:29 remaining cut the Dragon deficit to 49-48. The Dragons finally grabbed their first lead when&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bluedragonsports.com/sports/mbkb/2025-26/bios/boney_asher_iauy">Asher Boney</a>&nbsp;hit a right-corner 3-pointer with 2:26 to go for a 55-54 lead.Rodriguez hit 3 of 4 free throws to give Barton a 57-55 lead with 1:18 remaining. After two empty possessions, the Dragons needed a defensive stop and got that stop by forcing Barton into a shot clock violation with 23 second remaining. That stop set up the Blue Dragons' game-winning shot by Rudolph at the buzzer.GAME NOTES&nbsp;– The Blue Dragons are 92-37 against Barton. … The Dragons earned their first win in Great Bend since November 27, 2021. … This was all-time Blue Dragon win No. 1,949. … This was Hutchinson's first win over a ranked opponent this season. … The Dragons are 1-2 this season when trailing at half. …&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bluedragonsports.com/sports/mbkb/2025-26/bios/dorar_chudier_yrfc">Chudier Dorar</a>&nbsp;had four blocked shots, his fifth game with four or more blocks this season.&nbsp; &nbsp;

🏀 Rudolph buzzer-beater powers Dragons past No. 15 Barton

GREAT BEND – The Hutchinson Community College women's basketball team scored the first seven points of its Jayhawk Conference road matchup on Wednesday at Barton and never looked back.

Led by freshmen&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bluedragonsports.com/sports/wbkb/2025-26/bios/brown_whitney_uv6o">Whitney Brown</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bluedragonsports.com/sports/wbkb/2025-26/bios/smith_kaia_0ktj">Kaia Smith</a>, the No. 19-ranked Blue Dragons extended their winning streak over the Cougars to six games with a 65-42 victory at the Fleske Fieldhouse.

The Blue Dragons improved to 9-2 overall and 4-1 in the KJCCC. Hutchinson will play host to the Cowley Tigers at 1 p.m. on Saturday at the Sports Arena. Barton fell to 3-8 overall and 1-4 in the KJCCC.

Brown scored a game-high 16 points to lead the Blue Dragons. Brown hit 6 of 11 shots, including two 3-pointers. Brown added seven assists, four steals and three rebounds.

Smith posted her first career double-double with 10 points and a season-high 10 rebounds. Smith tied a season high with two 3-pointers.

<a href="https://www.bluedragonsports.com/sports/wbkb/2025-26/bios/anthon_noelle_xf5w">Noelle Anthon</a>&nbsp;scored nine points, while&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bluedragonsports.com/sports/wbkb/2025-26/bios/mcpherson_jamya_airc">Jamya McPherson</a>&nbsp;had eight points.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bluedragonsports.com/sports/wbkb/2025-26/bios/barber_kamyra_spfy">KaMyra Barber</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bluedragonsports.com/sports/wbkb/2025-26/bios/pricop_delora_hckq">Delora Pricop</a>&nbsp;had eight points each.

The Blue Dragons shot 42.4 percent for the game (25 of 59). The Dragons tied a season high with 11 3-pointers, going 11 of 27 from distance. They had a season-low four free throws in four attempts. The Dragons out-rebounded Barton 34-33.

Hutchinson's defense had another strong game holding its third-straight opponent and its fourth opponent in the last five games to less than 50 points.

Barton shot 27.1 percent (13 of 48) overall, hitting 7 of 23 from 3-point range and 9 of 10 from the foul line. The Cougars had 21 turnovers.

Regina Donanu led Barton with 12 points. Kodi Greer had nine points and Mary Akinde had eight points.

The Blue Dragons scored the first seven points of the game, holding Barton scoreless for the first 3:45 of the game. Barton went on a 10-5 run and pulled within 12-10 with 2:20 to go. Hutchinson closed the quarter on an 8-0 run with a jumper in the lane by McPherson and 3-pointers from Barber and McPherson for a 20-10 lead after 10 minutes.

Barton cut the Dragon lead to 24-17, but Hutchinson answered with 11 unanswered points. Brown started the run with a jumper and closed the run with a pair of free throws to build a 35-17 lead with 1:35 left in the half. Smith hit a 3-pointer with 49 seconds left to give the Blue Dragons a 38-19 halftime lead.

Hutchinson opened the third quarter with a 13-5 run, getting a pair of 3-pointers from Duncan and a 3-pointer from Brown to open a 51-25 lead. The Dragons led 55-34 after three quarters. The Dragons' largest lead of the game was 27 points at 65-38 after a Pricop jumper with 2:32 remaining in the game.

GAME NOTES: The Blue Dragons are now 48-59 all-time vs. Barton, including 20-31 in Great Bend. … This was all-time Blue Dragon win No. 1,150. … This was&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bluedragonsports.com/sports/wbkb/2025-26/bios/brown_whitney_uv6o">Whitney Brown</a>'s fifth game with six or more assists. … This was the fourth time this season to hold an opponent to less than 30 percent shooting in a game.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/12/1764857523287.jpeg" alt="Kaia Smith posted her first career double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds in the No. 19 Blue Dragons' 65-42 victory over Barton Wednesday in Great Bend. (Billy Watson/Blue Dragon Sports Information)" />
 <figcaption>Kaia Smith posted her first career double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds in the No. 19 Blue Dragons' 65-42 victory over Barton Wednesday in Great Bend. (Billy Watson/Blue Dragon Sports Information)</figcaption>
 </figure>Hutchinson CC Sports InformationGREAT BEND – The Hutchinson Community College women's basketball team scored the first seven points of its Jayhawk Conference road matchup on Wednesday at Barton and never looked back.Led by freshmen&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bluedragonsports.com/sports/wbkb/2025-26/bios/brown_whitney_uv6o">Whitney Brown</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bluedragonsports.com/sports/wbkb/2025-26/bios/smith_kaia_0ktj">Kaia Smith</a>, the No. 19-ranked Blue Dragons extended their winning streak over the Cougars to six games with a 65-42 victory at the Fleske Fieldhouse.The Blue Dragons improved to 9-2 overall and 4-1 in the KJCCC. Hutchinson will play host to the Cowley Tigers at 1 p.m. on Saturday at the Sports Arena. Barton fell to 3-8 overall and 1-4 in the KJCCC.Brown scored a game-high 16 points to lead the Blue Dragons. Brown hit 6 of 11 shots, including two 3-pointers. Brown added seven assists, four steals and three rebounds.Smith posted her first career double-double with 10 points and a season-high 10 rebounds. Smith tied a season high with two 3-pointers.<a href="https://www.bluedragonsports.com/sports/wbkb/2025-26/bios/anthon_noelle_xf5w">Noelle Anthon</a>&nbsp;scored nine points, while&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bluedragonsports.com/sports/wbkb/2025-26/bios/mcpherson_jamya_airc">Jamya McPherson</a>&nbsp;had eight points.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bluedragonsports.com/sports/wbkb/2025-26/bios/barber_kamyra_spfy">KaMyra Barber</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bluedragonsports.com/sports/wbkb/2025-26/bios/pricop_delora_hckq">Delora Pricop</a>&nbsp;had eight points each.The Blue Dragons shot 42.4 percent for the game (25 of 59). The Dragons tied a season high with 11 3-pointers, going 11 of 27 from distance. They had a season-low four free throws in four attempts. The Dragons out-rebounded Barton 34-33.Hutchinson's defense had another strong game holding its third-straight opponent and its fourth opponent in the last five games to less than 50 points.Barton shot 27.1 percent (13 of 48) overall, hitting 7 of 23 from 3-point range and 9 of 10 from the foul line. The Cougars had 21 turnovers.Regina Donanu led Barton with 12 points. Kodi Greer had nine points and Mary Akinde had eight points.The Blue Dragons scored the first seven points of the game, holding Barton scoreless for the first 3:45 of the game. Barton went on a 10-5 run and pulled within 12-10 with 2:20 to go. Hutchinson closed the quarter on an 8-0 run with a jumper in the lane by McPherson and 3-pointers from Barber and McPherson for a 20-10 lead after 10 minutes.Barton cut the Dragon lead to 24-17, but Hutchinson answered with 11 unanswered points. Brown started the run with a jumper and closed the run with a pair of free throws to build a 35-17 lead with 1:35 left in the half. Smith hit a 3-pointer with 49 seconds left to give the Blue Dragons a 38-19 halftime lead.Hutchinson opened the third quarter with a 13-5 run, getting a pair of 3-pointers from Duncan and a 3-pointer from Brown to open a 51-25 lead. The Dragons led 55-34 after three quarters. The Dragons' largest lead of the game was 27 points at 65-38 after a Pricop jumper with 2:32 remaining in the game.GAME NOTES: The Blue Dragons are now 48-59 all-time vs. Barton, including 20-31 in Great Bend. … This was all-time Blue Dragon win No. 1,150. … This was&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bluedragonsports.com/sports/wbkb/2025-26/bios/brown_whitney_uv6o">Whitney Brown</a>'s fifth game with six or more assists. … This was the fourth time this season to hold an opponent to less than 30 percent shooting in a game.

🏀 No. 19 HutchCC women roll by Barton

🎧🏀 HutchCC sweeps Barton on the road; 🏈 Klieman retires from K-State

By Anthony Gorges JC/Little Apple Post

Kansas State Athletics announced on Wednesday that head football coach Chris Klieman was retiring. Klieman, who has spent seven years with the school and is 58 years old, stated that for the first time, he’s putting his family first and looks forward to spending more time with them moving forward. K-State held a press conference at the Vanier Family Football Complex on Wednesday afternoon where Klieman and Athletics Director Gene Taylor spoke about Klieman’s decision.

A full room of media and K-State staff gave Coach Klieman a round of applause as he made his way to the podium. Klieman began his press conference by thanking everyone for being there. “It just goes to show me that the good guys win,” Kansas State head football coach Chris Klieman said. “Doing things the right way, doing it with class and doing it with integrity is the right way. Guys, that’s the K-State way.”

Klieman said despite it being an emotional day, “I am at peace.” He noted that colleagues, former players, and parents of current players reached out to him and congratulated him and his wife, Rhonda. Klieman stated one of the reasons he was in the business of coaching was to have that kind of impact.

Chris Klieman previously served as head coach at North Dakota State before coming to Kansas State to lead the Wildcats. He held many other coaching positions after spending more than thirty years as a coach. “I am one of the lucky ones,” Klieman said. He pointed out that he spent fifteen years at his last two stops and noted that is very rare in the coaching profession. Current Kansas State Athletic Director (AD) Gene Taylor previously served as AD at North Dakota State and was the one who hired Klieman to be a head coach at both schools. Klieman expressed his thanks and gratitude to Taylor at the press conference.

Speaking about his twelve years as a head coach (five at NDSU and seven at K-State), Klieman said, “I am damn proud of the body of work that all of us put together.” He stated that he was up for the challenge of following in the footsteps of legendary K-State coach Bill Snyder, and said, “I think we did a pretty damn good job here.” Klieman closed out the press conference by thanking everyone “for allowing the Kliemans to come into Manhattan and build something here.” As Klieman left the press conference, he and Director of Athletics Gene Taylor shared a hug.

*Highlights for Klieman at K-State include winning the 2022 Big 12 Championship, winning eight or more games for four straight years, and qualifying for a bowl game in six out of seven years. (The only year KSU did not make a bowl game was during the 2020 COVID season.)

K-State Athletic Director Gene Taylor spoke after Klieman officially announced his retirement. Taylor was passionate that changes need to be made in the current era of college athletics. Taylor, a very close friend of Klieman, was very emotional when speaking to the media. “You just saw one of the greatest guys in this industry walk out of this room and retire from coaching, from the business that he loves,” Taylor said. He continued, “What really pisses me off is he is doing it because of where we are in this industry.” Taylor is referring to the new era of Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) and the transfer portal, among other issues as well. “If we don’t get this thing fixed, and I am a part of that, as is every other AD in the country and conference commissioners, more really, really good guys like Chris Klieman are going to walk away from this business.”

When asked about the timeline of events and when he knew Klieman would retire, Gene Taylor said they met on Monday, where Klieman expressed he needed a few days to think about what he wanted to do. Taylor admitted he was somewhat caught off guard by the retirement talks because he thought they were meeting to discuss the bowl game and potential coaching/staffing changes.

Klieman told Taylor Wednesday morning he was going to retire, and Taylor admitted he had been emotional all day since their discussion. When asked about if Klieman would coach the bowl game, he said it is still being determined. He said he plans to meet with the players on Thursday and discuss it.

As for the rumors and speculation about a new head coach being named, Gene Taylor said at the press conference that he had not had any conversations prior to that moment. He said with the current landscape, the process will certainly move fast, but he wanted to wait and be respectful to Coach Klieman and let him announce his retirement before anything was officially done.

Lastly, Gene Taylor was very complimentary of Klieman’s seven-year run leading the Wildcats and thanked him for what he gave to the Kansas State program.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/12/1764815483798.jpeg" alt="Chris Klieman officially announcing his retirement at a press conference on Wednesday in the Vanier Family Football Complex.-photo photo" />
 <figcaption>Chris Klieman officially announcing his retirement at a press conference on Wednesday in the Vanier Family Football Complex.-photo photo</figcaption>
 </figure>By Anthony Gorges JC/Little Apple PostKansas State Athletics announced on Wednesday that head football coach Chris Klieman was retiring. Klieman, who has spent seven years with the school and is 58 years old, stated that for the first time, he’s putting his family first and looks forward to spending more time with them moving forward. K-State held a press conference at the Vanier Family Football Complex on Wednesday afternoon where Klieman and Athletics Director Gene Taylor spoke about Klieman’s decision.A full room of media and K-State staff gave Coach Klieman a round of applause as he made his way to the podium. Klieman began his press conference by thanking everyone for being there. “It just goes to show me that the good guys win,” Kansas State head football coach Chris Klieman said. “Doing things the right way, doing it with class and doing it with integrity is the right way. Guys, that’s the K-State way.”Klieman said despite it being an emotional day, “I am at peace.” He noted that colleagues, former players, and parents of current players reached out to him and congratulated him and his wife, Rhonda. Klieman stated one of the reasons he was in the business of coaching was to have that kind of impact.Chris Klieman previously served as head coach at North Dakota State before coming to Kansas State to lead the Wildcats. He held many other coaching positions after spending more than thirty years as a coach. “I am one of the lucky ones,” Klieman said. He pointed out that he spent fifteen years at his last two stops and noted that is very rare in the coaching profession. Current Kansas State Athletic Director (AD) Gene Taylor previously served as AD at North Dakota State and was the one who hired Klieman to be a head coach at both schools. Klieman expressed his thanks and gratitude to Taylor at the press conference.Speaking about his twelve years as a head coach (five at NDSU and seven at K-State), Klieman said, “I am damn proud of the body of work that all of us put together.” He stated that he was up for the challenge of following in the footsteps of legendary K-State coach Bill Snyder, and said, “I think we did a pretty damn good job here.” Klieman closed out the press conference by thanking everyone “for allowing the Kliemans to come into Manhattan and build something here.” As Klieman left the press conference, he and Director of Athletics Gene Taylor shared a hug.*Highlights for Klieman at K-State include winning the 2022 Big 12 Championship, winning eight or more games for four straight years, and qualifying for a bowl game in six out of seven years. (The only year KSU did not make a bowl game was during the 2020 COVID season.)<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/12/1764817709243.jpeg" alt="Gene Taylor speaking at Klieman's retirement press conference.-Post photo&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>Gene Taylor speaking at Klieman's retirement press conference.-Post photo&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure>K-State Athletic Director Gene Taylor spoke after Klieman officially announced his retirement. Taylor was passionate that changes need to be made in the current era of college athletics. Taylor, a very close friend of Klieman, was very emotional when speaking to the media. “You just saw one of the greatest guys in this industry walk out of this room and retire from coaching, from the business that he loves,” Taylor said. He continued, “What really pisses me off is he is doing it because of where we are in this industry.” Taylor is referring to the new era of Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) and the transfer portal, among other issues as well. “If we don’t get this thing fixed, and I am a part of that, as is every other AD in the country and conference commissioners, more really, really good guys like Chris Klieman are going to walk away from this business.”When asked about the timeline of events and when he knew Klieman would retire, Gene Taylor said they met on Monday, where Klieman expressed he needed a few days to think about what he wanted to do. Taylor admitted he was somewhat caught off guard by the retirement talks because he thought they were meeting to discuss the bowl game and potential coaching/staffing changes.Klieman told Taylor Wednesday morning he was going to retire, and Taylor admitted he had been emotional all day since their discussion. When asked about if Klieman would coach the bowl game, he said it is still being determined. He said he plans to meet with the players on Thursday and discuss it.As for the rumors and speculation about a new head coach being named, Gene Taylor said at the press conference that he had not had any conversations prior to that moment. He said with the current landscape, the process will certainly move fast, but he wanted to wait and be respectful to Coach Klieman and let him announce his retirement before anything was officially done.Lastly, Gene Taylor was very complimentary of Klieman’s seven-year run leading the Wildcats and thanked him for what he gave to the Kansas State program.

K-State’s Chris Klieman and AD Gene Taylor discuss Klieman's decision to retire

&nbsp; MANHATTAN, Kan.&nbsp;– After guiding the Wildcats to a 2022 Big 12 Championship and six bowl games in seven seasons, Kansas State head coach&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/football/roster/coaches/chris-klieman/2638">Chris Klieman</a>&nbsp;announced his retirement from coaching on Wednesday afternoon.

"After many deep and thoughtful conversations with my family, we have decided that the time is right for me to retire from coaching," said Klieman, the second-winningest coach in school history with 54 victories. "This decision was not taken lightly and was the culmination of many factors, including my own personal health. I absolutely love coaching the game of football and developing players into young men, but now is the time for me to step away and spend more time with Rhonda and our three kids. I truly am thankful to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/staff-directory/gene-taylor/1">Gene Taylor</a>&nbsp;for trusting me with this program in 2018, and we have accomplished many great things including winning the 2022 Big 12 Championship. K-State will always be a special part of our family's story, and we will forever be Wildcats."

The Wildcats' 54 wins during Klieman's seven-year tenure are the most among active Big 12 programs. K-State's six total bowl appearances are tied for the most in the conference, while the Wildcats are one of two Big 12 programs to advance to the postseason each of the last five seasons. Additionally, Klieman kept the Governor's Cup in Manhattan for seven-straight years and extended K-State's winning streak over its in-state rival to 17-consecutive seasons.

"This has been an emotional day for myself, my family and Coach Klieman. Our friendship and family go back to when we first started working together at North Dakota State," athletics director&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/staff-directory/gene-taylor/1">Gene Taylor</a>&nbsp;said. "<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/football/roster/coaches/chris-klieman/2638">Chris Klieman</a>&nbsp;has built a program and culture that embodies what it means to be a K-Stater. Following a legend was no easy task, and he quickly established himself as one of the best coaches in the Big 12 Conference and one of the most successful in our program's history. He is a special person, and we have been fortunate to have him leading the young men in our program and being a first-class representative of Kansas State University. I will miss being able to work with Coach Klieman on a daily basis, and it has been an honor to do so the last several years. We wish him, Rhonda and the kids all the success and happiness they desire as they enter this next phase of their lives."

"Coach Klieman is a person of tremendous character, and I appreciate his passion for his players and their success," University President Dr. Richard Linton said. "Chris is a K-State Wildcat to his core. I am grateful for his dedication and leadership of our football program, and I wish Chris and his family well."

Instilling a culture of selflessness, discipline, toughness and commitment during his time guiding the Wildcats, Klieman guided K-State to eight or more wins in five of his seven seasons, including five victories over teams ranked in the top 10 of the AP Top 25 – the most of any active Big 12 program since 2019 – while they have eight wins over top-20 teams since 2019 – tied for the second most among current Big 12 teams. He led the Wildcats to 10 wins in 2022 and nine wins in both 2023 and 2024, the longest streak of nine or more wins since the 1990s.

Klieman presided over 26 First Team All-American designations and eight total All-Americans in Felix Anudike-Uzomah (2021, 2022), Phillip Brooks (2020), Cooper Beebe (2022, 2023), Malik Knowles (2021, 2022), Randen Plattner (2022, 2023), Ben Sinnott (2023), Deuce Vaughn (2020, 2021, 2022) and Joshua Youngblood (2019).

Under Klieman's guidance, Vaughn became the second player in school history to earn consecutive Consensus All-America honors when he picked up the accolades in 2021 and 2022, while Beebe was the first offensive lineman to be named a Consensus All-American when he earned the honor in 2023.Klieman also overall 104 total All-Big 12 accolades with 2025 honors pending. Among those were the 2019 Big 12 Special Teams Player of the Year (Youngblood), 2020 Big 12 Offensive Freshman of the Year (Vaughn), 2021 Defensive Lineman of the Year (Anudike-Uzomah), 2022 Big 12 Defensive Player and Defensive Lineman of the Year (Anudike-Uzomah), 2022 and 2023 Big 12 Offensive Lineman of the Year (Beebe) and 2024 Big 12 Defensive Lineman of the Year (Bredan Mott).

Not only has Klieman's tenure produced success on the field, but with his mantra of "how you do one thing is how you do everything" has come success in the classroom. Over Klieman's first six seasons, K-State produced a combined 212 Academic All-Big 12 honors – the second most in the conference during that timeframe – which included a school record 45 in 2023. Additionally, the Wildcats boasted three National Football Foundation National Scholar-Athletes under Klieman in Adam Holtorf (2019), Adrian Martinez (2022) and Beebe (2023).

A native of Waterloo, Iowa, Klieman began his career as a graduate assistant as his alma mater, Northern Iowa, and made stops at Western Illinois, Kansas, Missouri State, Loras College and North Dakota State. He was a three-time All-Gateway Conference defensive back at Northern Iowa and four-year letterwinner from 1986 to 1990. He graduated from UNI in 1990 with a bachelor's degree in health education and a master's degree in physical education in 1992.

Klieman and his wife, Rhonda, are parents of two sons, Devin and Colby, and one daughter, Haley.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/12/1764806657605.png" alt="Courtesy K-State Athletics" />
 <figcaption>Courtesy K-State Athletics</figcaption>
 </figure>K-STATE ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS&nbsp; MANHATTAN, Kan.&nbsp;– After guiding the Wildcats to a 2022 Big 12 Championship and six bowl games in seven seasons, Kansas State head coach&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/football/roster/coaches/chris-klieman/2638">Chris Klieman</a>&nbsp;announced his retirement from coaching on Wednesday afternoon."After many deep and thoughtful conversations with my family, we have decided that the time is right for me to retire from coaching," said Klieman, the second-winningest coach in school history with 54 victories. "This decision was not taken lightly and was the culmination of many factors, including my own personal health. I absolutely love coaching the game of football and developing players into young men, but now is the time for me to step away and spend more time with Rhonda and our three kids. I truly am thankful to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/staff-directory/gene-taylor/1">Gene Taylor</a>&nbsp;for trusting me with this program in 2018, and we have accomplished many great things including winning the 2022 Big 12 Championship. K-State will always be a special part of our family's story, and we will forever be Wildcats."The Wildcats' 54 wins during Klieman's seven-year tenure are the most among active Big 12 programs. K-State's six total bowl appearances are tied for the most in the conference, while the Wildcats are one of two Big 12 programs to advance to the postseason each of the last five seasons. Additionally, Klieman kept the Governor's Cup in Manhattan for seven-straight years and extended K-State's winning streak over its in-state rival to 17-consecutive seasons.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/11/1700612351920.png" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>"This has been an emotional day for myself, my family and Coach Klieman. Our friendship and family go back to when we first started working together at North Dakota State," athletics director&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/staff-directory/gene-taylor/1">Gene Taylor</a>&nbsp;said. "<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/football/roster/coaches/chris-klieman/2638">Chris Klieman</a>&nbsp;has built a program and culture that embodies what it means to be a K-Stater. Following a legend was no easy task, and he quickly established himself as one of the best coaches in the Big 12 Conference and one of the most successful in our program's history. He is a special person, and we have been fortunate to have him leading the young men in our program and being a first-class representative of Kansas State University. I will miss being able to work with Coach Klieman on a daily basis, and it has been an honor to do so the last several years. We wish him, Rhonda and the kids all the success and happiness they desire as they enter this next phase of their lives.""Coach Klieman is a person of tremendous character, and I appreciate his passion for his players and their success," University President Dr. Richard Linton said. "Chris is a K-State Wildcat to his core. I am grateful for his dedication and leadership of our football program, and I wish Chris and his family well."Instilling a culture of selflessness, discipline, toughness and commitment during his time guiding the Wildcats, Klieman guided K-State to eight or more wins in five of his seven seasons, including five victories over teams ranked in the top 10 of the AP Top 25 – the most of any active Big 12 program since 2019 – while they have eight wins over top-20 teams since 2019 – tied for the second most among current Big 12 teams. He led the Wildcats to 10 wins in 2022 and nine wins in both 2023 and 2024, the longest streak of nine or more wins since the 1990s.Klieman presided over 26 First Team All-American designations and eight total All-Americans in Felix Anudike-Uzomah (2021, 2022), Phillip Brooks (2020), Cooper Beebe (2022, 2023), Malik Knowles (2021, 2022), Randen Plattner (2022, 2023), Ben Sinnott (2023), Deuce Vaughn (2020, 2021, 2022) and Joshua Youngblood (2019).Under Klieman's guidance, Vaughn became the second player in school history to earn consecutive Consensus All-America honors when he picked up the accolades in 2021 and 2022, while Beebe was the first offensive lineman to be named a Consensus All-American when he earned the honor in 2023.Klieman also overall 104 total All-Big 12 accolades with 2025 honors pending. Among those were the 2019 Big 12 Special Teams Player of the Year (Youngblood), 2020 Big 12 Offensive Freshman of the Year (Vaughn), 2021 Defensive Lineman of the Year (Anudike-Uzomah), 2022 Big 12 Defensive Player and Defensive Lineman of the Year (Anudike-Uzomah), 2022 and 2023 Big 12 Offensive Lineman of the Year (Beebe) and 2024 Big 12 Defensive Lineman of the Year (Bredan Mott).Not only has Klieman's tenure produced success on the field, but with his mantra of "how you do one thing is how you do everything" has come success in the classroom. Over Klieman's first six seasons, K-State produced a combined 212 Academic All-Big 12 honors – the second most in the conference during that timeframe – which included a school record 45 in 2023. Additionally, the Wildcats boasted three National Football Foundation National Scholar-Athletes under Klieman in Adam Holtorf (2019), Adrian Martinez (2022) and Beebe (2023).A native of Waterloo, Iowa, Klieman began his career as a graduate assistant as his alma mater, Northern Iowa, and made stops at Western Illinois, Kansas, Missouri State, Loras College and North Dakota State. He was a three-time All-Gateway Conference defensive back at Northern Iowa and four-year letterwinner from 1986 to 1990. He graduated from UNI in 1990 with a bachelor's degree in health education and a master's degree in physical education in 1992.Klieman and his wife, Rhonda, are parents of two sons, Devin and Colby, and one daughter, Haley.

Chris Klieman announces retirement

Location: Fleske Fieldhouse; Great Bend Pregame: 5:15 p.m. Tipoff: 5:30 p.m. Station(s): KHUT-FM (102.9); KWBW-AM/FM (1450/98.5) Play-by-Play: Sean Boston; Analyst: Daren Dunn

<a href="https://streamdb5web.securenetsystems.net/v5/KHUT">CLICK HERE TO LISTEN LIVE</a>

Location: Fleske Fieldhouse; Great Bend Pregame: 7:15 p.m. Tipoff: 7:30 p.m. Station(s): KHUT-FM (102.9); KWBW-AM/FM (1450/98.5) Play-by-Play: Sean Boston; Analyst: Daren Dunn

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/11/1762665656970.jpeg" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure><h2>No. 20 HutchCC women at Barton</h2>Location: Fleske Fieldhouse; Great Bend Pregame: 5:15 p.m. Tipoff: 5:30 p.m. Station(s): KHUT-FM (102.9); KWBW-AM/FM (1450/98.5) Play-by-Play: Sean Boston; Analyst: Daren Dunn<a href="https://streamdb5web.securenetsystems.net/v5/KHUT">CLICK HERE TO LISTEN LIVE</a><h2>HutchCC men at Barton</h2>Location: Fleske Fieldhouse; Great Bend Pregame: 7:15 p.m. Tipoff: 7:30 p.m. Station(s): KHUT-FM (102.9); KWBW-AM/FM (1450/98.5) Play-by-Play: Sean Boston; Analyst: Daren Dunn<a href="https://streamdb5web.securenetsystems.net/v5/KHUT">CLICK HERE TO LISTEN LIVE</a>

🎧🏀 LISTEN LIVE: HutchCC at Barton

Chris Klieman is expected to step down as Kansas State’s head football coach as early as today, and the Wildcats already have his successor lined up: former K-State quarterback Collin Klein, according to the Manhattan Mercury.

The newspaper reports that the university plans to announce the coaching transition sometime this week. As of early Wednesday, no formal news conference had been scheduled, though the change is anticipated to take effect in the coming days.

Klieman, 58, recently finished his seventh season in Manhattan. He posted a 54–37 record and guided the Wildcats to the 2022 Big 12 championship. K-State is bowl-eligible at 6–6, with its postseason destination still to be determined.

Klein, 36, has spent the past two seasons as offensive coordinator at Texas A&amp;M after previously serving in the same role under Klieman. A program legend, Klein led the Wildcats to a Big 12 title as quarterback in 2012 and finished as the Heisman Trophy runner-up. He is a member of the Ring of Honor at Bill Snyder Family Stadium.

K-State already has an early signing day press conference set for 11 a.m. today.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/11/1669771020225.png" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>Chris Klieman is expected to step down as Kansas State’s head football coach as early as today, and the Wildcats already have his successor lined up: former K-State quarterback Collin Klein, according to the Manhattan Mercury.The newspaper reports that the university plans to announce the coaching transition sometime this week. As of early Wednesday, no formal news conference had been scheduled, though the change is anticipated to take effect in the coming days.Klieman, 58, recently finished his seventh season in Manhattan. He posted a 54–37 record and guided the Wildcats to the 2022 Big 12 championship. K-State is bowl-eligible at 6–6, with its postseason destination still to be determined.Klein, 36, has spent the past two seasons as offensive coordinator at Texas A&amp;M after previously serving in the same role under Klieman. A program legend, Klein led the Wildcats to a Big 12 title as quarterback in 2012 and finished as the Heisman Trophy runner-up. He is a member of the Ring of Honor at Bill Snyder Family Stadium.K-State already has an early signing day press conference set for 11 a.m. today.

🏈 Reports: K-State's Klieman set to retire

🎧🏀 No. 21 KU loses to No. 5 UConn; 🏀 WSU beats Mount Marty; 🏀 HutchCC plays at Barton

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Michael Gray Jr.'s 18 points helped Wichita State defeat Mount Marty 95-69 on Tuesday.

Gray shot 5 for 7 (5 for 6 from 3-point range) and 3 of 3 from the free-throw line for the Shockers (5-4). Dre Kindell added 13 points while going 6 of 8 from the field and had six assists. Brian Amuneke had 11 points and went 4 of 7 from the field (3 for 5 from 3-point range).

The Lancers were led by Jake Jensen, who posted 17 points. Tyler Sandoval added 13 points for Mount Marty, and Damon Opdahl finished with 12 points.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/12/1764763635259.jpeg" alt="Photo Courtesy Wichita State Athletics" />
 <figcaption>Photo Courtesy Wichita State Athletics</figcaption>
 </figure>WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Michael Gray Jr.'s 18 points helped Wichita State defeat Mount Marty 95-69 on Tuesday.Gray shot 5 for 7 (5 for 6 from 3-point range) and 3 of 3 from the free-throw line for the Shockers (5-4). Dre Kindell added 13 points while going 6 of 8 from the field and had six assists. Brian Amuneke had 11 points and went 4 of 7 from the field (3 for 5 from 3-point range).The Lancers were led by Jake Jensen, who posted 17 points. Tyler Sandoval added 13 points for Mount Marty, and Damon Opdahl finished with 12 points.

🏀 WSU has no problems with Mount Marty

LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Solo Ball scored 17 points, Braylon Mullins also had 17 in a breakout performance by the freshman guard, and fifth-ranked UConn overcame a seven-point deficit in the second half to beat No. 21 Kansas 61-56 on Tuesday night in Allen Fieldhouse.

Eric Reibe added 12 points and Alex Karaban scored 11 for the Huskies (7-1), who defeated the Jayhawks (6-3) for the first time in five tries while picking up their third — and arguably most impressive — win over a ranked opponent already this season.

Kansas had a chance to tie the game late after Silas Demary Jr. missed a short jumper. But rather than attempt a tying 3-pointer, the Jayhawks' Jamari McDowell drove to the rim and had his shot blocked by Mullins with just under 10 seconds to go.

Mullins was fouled and made a pair of free throws to put away the game.

Flory Bidunga had 11 points and 12 rebounds to lead Kansas. Melvin Council Jr. added 12 points and Elmark Jackson scored 11.

Both&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-darryn-peterson-442e30890932697161787fbe8c8e6ade">teams were missing stars</a>: Kansas was without five-star prospect Darryn Peterson for the seventh time because of a lingering hamstring injury, and UConn played without big man Tarris Reed Jr. because of his own ankle injury.

Still, the showdown between storied programs that each claim six national championships lived up to the hype.

The Jayhawks, coming off three wins without Peterson at the Players Era Festival, leaned into the same formula of tough defense and aggressive rebounding, while the Huskies tried to get into the open court and run. And through the first 20 minutes, Kansas was able to set the tone, threatening a double-digit lead on a couple of occasions and leading 33-28 at the break.

The Huskies clawed their way back into the game behind some defense of their own. They held the Jayhawks to two field goals over the first 12-plus minutes of the second half, and Mullins finally helped UConn regain the lead with 10 minutes to go.

Ball helped stretch it to 55-49 before back-to-back baskets by Bidunga and Council tightened it up again.

Eventually, the Huskies had enough to hold on down the stretch.

UConn plays East Texas A&amp;M on Friday night.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/12/1764733015325.png" alt="Kansas Athletics" />
 <figcaption>Kansas Athletics</figcaption>
 </figure>LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Solo Ball scored 17 points, Braylon Mullins also had 17 in a breakout performance by the freshman guard, and fifth-ranked UConn overcame a seven-point deficit in the second half to beat No. 21 Kansas 61-56 on Tuesday night in Allen Fieldhouse.Eric Reibe added 12 points and Alex Karaban scored 11 for the Huskies (7-1), who defeated the Jayhawks (6-3) for the first time in five tries while picking up their third — and arguably most impressive — win over a ranked opponent already this season.Kansas had a chance to tie the game late after Silas Demary Jr. missed a short jumper. But rather than attempt a tying 3-pointer, the Jayhawks' Jamari McDowell drove to the rim and had his shot blocked by Mullins with just under 10 seconds to go.Mullins was fouled and made a pair of free throws to put away the game.Flory Bidunga had 11 points and 12 rebounds to lead Kansas. Melvin Council Jr. added 12 points and Elmark Jackson scored 11.Both&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-darryn-peterson-442e30890932697161787fbe8c8e6ade">teams were missing stars</a>: Kansas was without five-star prospect Darryn Peterson for the seventh time because of a lingering hamstring injury, and UConn played without big man Tarris Reed Jr. because of his own ankle injury.Still, the showdown between storied programs that each claim six national championships lived up to the hype.The Jayhawks, coming off three wins without Peterson at the Players Era Festival, leaned into the same formula of tough defense and aggressive rebounding, while the Huskies tried to get into the open court and run. And through the first 20 minutes, Kansas was able to set the tone, threatening a double-digit lead on a couple of occasions and leading 33-28 at the break.The Huskies clawed their way back into the game behind some defense of their own. They held the Jayhawks to two field goals over the first 12-plus minutes of the second half, and Mullins finally helped UConn regain the lead with 10 minutes to go.Ball helped stretch it to 55-49 before back-to-back baskets by Bidunga and Council tightened it up again.Eventually, the Huskies had enough to hold on down the stretch.<h2>Up next</h2>UConn plays East Texas A&amp;M on Friday night.

🏀 Mullins' breakout performance lifts UConn over KU at Allen Fieldhouse

The Kansas Basketball Coaches Association released its preseason rankings for high school girls and boys basketball on Monday. Several area teams are ranked in their respective classifications.

Halstead girls (3A), Moundridge girls (2A), Hesston boys (3A) and Sterling boys (2A) are the area teams ranked No. 1 in their classes heading into this first week of competition.

6A Girls 1. Derby 2. Olathe South 3. Olathe North 4. Topeka - Washburn Rural 5. Olathe West 6. OP - Blue Valley North 7. Wichita East 8. Topeka High 9. Manhattan 10. Liberal

5A Girls 1. St. Thomas Aquinas 2. Maize South 3. Andover 4. St. James Academy 5. Kansas City Piper 6. Topeka Seaman 7. Wichita - Bishop Carroll 8. Spring Hill 9. Topeka - Shawnee Heights 10. Hays

4A Girls 1. Wellington 2. Bishop Miege 3. Topeka–Hayden 4. Eudora 5. Andale 6. Wamego 7. Clay Center 8. Buhler 9. Altamont - Labette County 10. McPherson

3A Girls 1. Halstead 2. Silver Lake 3. Osage City 4. Hesston 5. Colby 6. Holcomb 7. Goodland 8. Girard 9. Riley County 10. Cheney

2A Girls 1. Moundridge 2. Pittsburg- St. Mary's Colgan 3. Inman 4. Highland - Doniphan West 5. Ellinwood 6. Hillsboro 7. Eureka 8. Blue Rapids - Valley Heights 9. Cottonwood Falls - Chase County 10. Oakley

1A Division&nbsp;1&nbsp; Girls 1. Little River 2. Centralia 3. Quinter 4. Alma - Wabaunsee 5. Clyde - Clifton-Clyde 6. Jetmore - Hodgeman County 7. Troy 8. Frankfort 9. Montezuma - South Gray 10. Mankato - Rock Hills

1A Division 2 Girls 1. Hanover 2. Linn 3. Bucklin 4. Melvern - Marais des Cynges Valley 5. Lebo 6. Bird City - Cheylin 7. Wallace County - Sharon Springs 8. Attica 9. Axtell 10. Hutchinson - Central Christian

6A Boys 1. Shawnee Mission South 2. Olathe North 3. Shawnee - Mill Valley 4. OP - Blue Valley High 5. OP - Blue Valley North 6. Derby 7. Wichita Heights 8. Maize 9. Topeka - Washburn Rural 10. OP - Blue Valley Northwest

5A Boys 1. Kapaun Mt. Carmel 2. Kansas City Piper 3. Andover 4. Great Bend 5. Topeka - Highland Park 6. Topeka - Shawnee Heights 7. Topeka West 8. Bonner Springs 9. Topeka - Seaman 10. Maize South

4A Boys 1. Baldwin 2. Rock Creek 3. McPherson 4. Ottawa 5. Andale 6. Pratt 7. OP- Bishop Miege 8. Topeka Hayden 9. Eudora 10. Atchison

3A Boys 1. Hesston 2. Cheney 3. Silver Lake 4. Holcomb 5. Goodland 6. Nemaha Central 7. Burlington 8. Scott City 9. Wichita - Collegiate 10. Beloit

2A Boys 1. Sterling 2. Moundridge 3. Brookville - Ell Saline 4. Rossville 5. Pittsburg - St. Mary's Colgan 6. Salina - Sacred Heart 7. St. Mary's 8. Elbing - Berean Academy 9. Valley Falls 10. Bennington

1A Division 1 Boys 1. Olpe 2. Coldwater-South Central 3. Montezuma-South Gray 4. Lincoln 5. Centralia 6. Little River 7. Frankfort 8. Alma-Wabaunsee 9. Burlingame 10. Canton-Galva

1A Division 2 Boys 1. Axtell 2. Hanover 3. Cunningham 4. McPherson - Elyria Christian 5. Weskan 6. Hutchinson- Central Christian 7. Lebo 8. Wallace County - Sharon Springs 9. Logan - Palco 10. Victoria

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/4/1712064660369.jpeg" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>The Kansas Basketball Coaches Association released its preseason rankings for high school girls and boys basketball on Monday. Several area teams are ranked in their respective classifications.Halstead girls (3A), Moundridge girls (2A), Hesston boys (3A) and Sterling boys (2A) are the area teams ranked No. 1 in their classes heading into this first week of competition.6A Girls 1. Derby 2. Olathe South 3. Olathe North 4. Topeka - Washburn Rural 5. Olathe West 6. OP - Blue Valley North 7. Wichita East 8. Topeka High 9. Manhattan 10. Liberal5A Girls 1. St. Thomas Aquinas 2. Maize South 3. Andover 4. St. James Academy 5. Kansas City Piper 6. Topeka Seaman 7. Wichita - Bishop Carroll 8. Spring Hill 9. Topeka - Shawnee Heights 10. Hays4A Girls 1. Wellington 2. Bishop Miege 3. Topeka–Hayden 4. Eudora 5. Andale 6. Wamego 7. Clay Center 8. Buhler 9. Altamont - Labette County 10. McPherson3A Girls 1. Halstead 2. Silver Lake 3. Osage City 4. Hesston 5. Colby 6. Holcomb 7. Goodland 8. Girard 9. Riley County 10. Cheney2A Girls 1. Moundridge 2. Pittsburg- St. Mary's Colgan 3. Inman 4. Highland - Doniphan West 5. Ellinwood 6. Hillsboro 7. Eureka 8. Blue Rapids - Valley Heights 9. Cottonwood Falls - Chase County 10. Oakley1A Division&nbsp;1&nbsp; Girls 1. Little River 2. Centralia 3. Quinter 4. Alma - Wabaunsee 5. Clyde - Clifton-Clyde 6. Jetmore - Hodgeman County 7. Troy 8. Frankfort 9. Montezuma - South Gray 10. Mankato - Rock Hills1A Division 2 Girls 1. Hanover 2. Linn 3. Bucklin 4. Melvern - Marais des Cynges Valley 5. Lebo 6. Bird City - Cheylin 7. Wallace County - Sharon Springs 8. Attica 9. Axtell 10. Hutchinson - Central Christian6A Boys 1. Shawnee Mission South 2. Olathe North 3. Shawnee - Mill Valley 4. OP - Blue Valley High 5. OP - Blue Valley North 6. Derby 7. Wichita Heights 8. Maize 9. Topeka - Washburn Rural 10. OP - Blue Valley Northwest5A Boys 1. Kapaun Mt. Carmel 2. Kansas City Piper 3. Andover 4. Great Bend 5. Topeka - Highland Park 6. Topeka - Shawnee Heights 7. Topeka West 8. Bonner Springs 9. Topeka - Seaman 10. Maize South4A Boys 1. Baldwin 2. Rock Creek 3. McPherson 4. Ottawa 5. Andale 6. Pratt 7. OP- Bishop Miege 8. Topeka Hayden 9. Eudora 10. Atchison3A Boys 1. Hesston 2. Cheney 3. Silver Lake 4. Holcomb 5. Goodland 6. Nemaha Central 7. Burlington 8. Scott City 9. Wichita - Collegiate 10. Beloit2A Boys 1. Sterling 2. Moundridge 3. Brookville - Ell Saline 4. Rossville 5. Pittsburg - St. Mary's Colgan 6. Salina - Sacred Heart 7. St. Mary's 8. Elbing - Berean Academy 9. Valley Falls 10. Bennington1A Division 1 Boys 1. Olpe 2. Coldwater-South Central 3. Montezuma-South Gray 4. Lincoln 5. Centralia 6. Little River 7. Frankfort 8. Alma-Wabaunsee 9. Burlingame 10. Canton-Galva1A Division 2 Boys 1. Axtell 2. Hanover 3. Cunningham 4. McPherson - Elyria Christian 5. Weskan 6. Hutchinson- Central Christian 7. Lebo 8. Wallace County - Sharon Springs 9. Logan - Palco 10. Victoria

🏀 Several area teams ranked in KBCA preseason high school rankings

🎧🏀 K-State falls to Bowling Green; 🏀 KU hosts UConn in battle of Blue Bloods

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Kansas City Chiefs coach Andy Reid sounded downright defiant Monday when asked about his team’s dwindling playoff hopes, which took a hit not only last week amid&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-city-chiefs-d5f390be8edd69ad348ee80d8e201fc3">a Thanksgiving loss to the Cowboys</a>&nbsp;but over the weekend when other results didn’t go their way.

The reigning AFC champions are 6-6 with five games remaining, and even if the Chiefs win them all, they’ll still need help to return to the postseason. Because when the Steelers lost to the Bills on Sunday, that dropped Kansas City to 10th in the AFC playoff pecking order, thanks in part to a disappointing 3-4 record against the rest of the conference.

Depending on the metrics, the Chiefs have a roughly 1-in-3 chance of playing in the postseason.

“If you’re coming to me,” Reid said Monday, “we’re going to go after you every game, and that’s how we roll. We’re going to tickle your tonsils on every play, every game. But that’s the attitude we’re coming in with, and then you let the chips fall where they may.”

The Chiefs are third in the AFC West as they prepare to play the Texans on Sunday night, and are nearly eliminated from their pursuit of a 10th consecutive division title. Now, their focus is on extending a playoff streak that goes back to the 2015 season, the third with Reid as the head coach, and three full seasons before Patrick Mahomes became the starting quarterback.

There is reason for hope: The previous time Kansas City was 6-6 was 2017, and it won its last four games to earn a wild-card bid.

“Every season is different,” Reid said. “This is a sport of challenges. That’s what it is. It’s probably a microcosm of life as you look at it. There’s always challenges. ... There’s such a small margin between winning and losing that every week is a challenge, a major challenge. That’s how you have to approach it, and you have to be ready for it.”

The biggest challenges the Chiefs are facing right now are of their own making. They’ve been dragged down by penalties and mental mistakes throughout much of the season, including in their 31-28 loss to the Cowboys, when a series of flags during the fourth quarter prevented them from having a chance to pull off a comeback victory.

Kansas City has allowed the fifth-most penalty yardage in the NFL this season.

“We have to make sure we take care of business with the penalties, keep working our fundamentals and techniques,” Reid said. “Not saying I agree with all of them, or half of them (against Dallas). But they took place. We’re not going to use that as an excuse.”

Nor was Reid willing to make any excuses for the Kansas City pass rush, which has produced just 22 sacks this season, a total that is better than just five other teams. Or a defense that has produced 11 turnovers, a total better than three other teams.

“You’re one or two plays away and that’s what this game is,” Reid said. ”You look at our season, we’re one or two plays off, and we take care of that — whether it’s a penalty at a crucial time, a possible turnover somewhere, or having a chance to create a turnover — we are right in position where if we can figure out those two, three plays, you flip this around.”

And while Reid sounded defiant about the Chiefs’ playoff peril Monday, he also understands the reality of the situation.

“You’re not going to hear a lot of positives from the outside coming in,” Reid said, “so you have to make sure you understand where you really sit, and the opportunity you have sitting in front of you. You know, there’s still opportunities.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/11/1762867637580.jpeg" alt="Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid speaks during a news conference following an NFL football game against the Buffalo Bills Sunday, Nov. 2, 2025, in Orchard Park. N.Y. (AP Photo/Adrian Kraus)" />
 <figcaption>Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid speaks during a news conference following an NFL football game against the Buffalo Bills Sunday, Nov. 2, 2025, in Orchard Park. N.Y. (AP Photo/Adrian Kraus)</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Kansas City Chiefs coach Andy Reid sounded downright defiant Monday when asked about his team’s dwindling playoff hopes, which took a hit not only last week amid&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-city-chiefs-d5f390be8edd69ad348ee80d8e201fc3">a Thanksgiving loss to the Cowboys</a>&nbsp;but over the weekend when other results didn’t go their way.The reigning AFC champions are 6-6 with five games remaining, and even if the Chiefs win them all, they’ll still need help to return to the postseason. Because when the Steelers lost to the Bills on Sunday, that dropped Kansas City to 10th in the AFC playoff pecking order, thanks in part to a disappointing 3-4 record against the rest of the conference.Depending on the metrics, the Chiefs have a roughly 1-in-3 chance of playing in the postseason.“If you’re coming to me,” Reid said Monday, “we’re going to go after you every game, and that’s how we roll. We’re going to tickle your tonsils on every play, every game. But that’s the attitude we’re coming in with, and then you let the chips fall where they may.”The Chiefs are third in the AFC West as they prepare to play the Texans on Sunday night, and are nearly eliminated from their pursuit of a 10th consecutive division title. Now, their focus is on extending a playoff streak that goes back to the 2015 season, the third with Reid as the head coach, and three full seasons before Patrick Mahomes became the starting quarterback.There is reason for hope: The previous time Kansas City was 6-6 was 2017, and it won its last four games to earn a wild-card bid.“Every season is different,” Reid said. “This is a sport of challenges. That’s what it is. It’s probably a microcosm of life as you look at it. There’s always challenges. ... There’s such a small margin between winning and losing that every week is a challenge, a major challenge. That’s how you have to approach it, and you have to be ready for it.”The biggest challenges the Chiefs are facing right now are of their own making. They’ve been dragged down by penalties and mental mistakes throughout much of the season, including in their 31-28 loss to the Cowboys, when a series of flags during the fourth quarter prevented them from having a chance to pull off a comeback victory.Kansas City has allowed the fifth-most penalty yardage in the NFL this season.“We have to make sure we take care of business with the penalties, keep working our fundamentals and techniques,” Reid said. “Not saying I agree with all of them, or half of them (against Dallas). But they took place. We’re not going to use that as an excuse.”Nor was Reid willing to make any excuses for the Kansas City pass rush, which has produced just 22 sacks this season, a total that is better than just five other teams. Or a defense that has produced 11 turnovers, a total better than three other teams.“You’re one or two plays away and that’s what this game is,” Reid said. ”You look at our season, we’re one or two plays off, and we take care of that — whether it’s a penalty at a crucial time, a possible turnover somewhere, or having a chance to create a turnover — we are right in position where if we can figure out those two, three plays, you flip this around.”Time is running out, though.And while Reid sounded defiant about the Chiefs’ playoff peril Monday, he also understands the reality of the situation.“You’re not going to hear a lot of positives from the outside coming in,” Reid said, “so you have to make sure you understand where you really sit, and the opportunity you have sitting in front of you. You know, there’s still opportunities.”