Former Nickerson High School standout, Roger Detter, will be inducted into the Arizona State Sun Devil Hall of Fame on Saturday evening in Tempe, Ariz.

Detter graduated from Nickerson High School in 1965 and attended Arizona State from 1965-69. 

He is one of the most decorated athletes in ASU history, competing in three sports, baseball, men's basketball and track.

He was a member of two national championship teams in his time in Tempe, winning a title with the Sun Devil baseball team in 1967 and 1969. He is one of just four players in program history to win a pair of national titles.&nbsp;

Per an Arizona State release, "He captained the 1969 championship team and set the then College World Series record for stolen bases (7) that summer, while making the All-CWS team at shortstop. On the hardwood, Detter was the 1968 Most Valuable Player for Sun Devil Basketball as the team's star point guard, serving as the captain in back-to-back seasons (1968-69). He remains the team's record-holder for consecutive free throws made (36) and averaged 12.0 points per game in his final season. Later in the 1968 season, Detter competed in all home events for Sun Devil Track &amp; Field, completing double-headers for baseball before racing to the track to throw the javelin. A true Sun Devil for life, the mark that Detter made on ASU is still felt to this day."

The induction ceremony will take place on Saturday at halftime of the ASU and KU football game.

<a href="https://thesundevils.com/news/2020/12/4/baseball-former-captain-cws-winner-and-three-sport-athlete-roger-detter-is-an-asu-lifer.aspx">Article from ASU Athletics on the impact Detter had and still has on Arizona State University.</a>

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1728061780324.jpeg" alt="Photo Courtesy Arizona State Athletics" />
 <figcaption>Photo Courtesy Arizona State Athletics</figcaption>
 </figure>Former Nickerson High School standout, Roger Detter, will be inducted into the Arizona State Sun Devil Hall of Fame on Saturday evening in Tempe, Ariz.Detter graduated from Nickerson High School in 1965 and attended Arizona State from 1965-69. He is one of the most decorated athletes in ASU history, competing in three sports, baseball, men's basketball and track.He was a member of two national championship teams in his time in Tempe, winning a title with the Sun Devil baseball team in 1967 and 1969. He is one of just four players in program history to win a pair of national titles.&nbsp;Per an Arizona State release, "He captained the 1969 championship team and set the then College World Series record for stolen bases (7) that summer, while making the All-CWS team at shortstop. On the hardwood, Detter was the 1968 Most Valuable Player for Sun Devil Basketball as the team's star point guard, serving as the captain in back-to-back seasons (1968-69). He remains the team's record-holder for consecutive free throws made (36) and averaged 12.0 points per game in his final season. Later in the 1968 season, Detter competed in all home events for Sun Devil Track &amp; Field, completing double-headers for baseball before racing to the track to throw the javelin. A true Sun Devil for life, the mark that Detter made on ASU is still felt to this day."The induction ceremony will take place on Saturday at halftime of the ASU and KU football game.<a href="https://thesundevils.com/news/2020/12/4/baseball-former-captain-cws-winner-and-three-sport-athlete-roger-detter-is-an-asu-lifer.aspx">Article from ASU Athletics on the impact Detter had and still has on Arizona State University.</a>

Nickerson alum and 3-sport standout to be inducted into Arizona State HOF Saturday

Week 5 of the high school football season is upon us in the Sunflower State. See below for the schedule involving area teams.

Week 5 Hutchinson vs. Derby Central Christian at St. Paul Trinity Catholic at Conway Springs Buhler vs. Wamego Fairfield at Attica-Argonia Haven vs. Garden Plain Inman vs. Marion Nickerson at Andale Pretty Prairie vs. Norwich Sterling at Medicine Lodge Burrton vs. Tescott Halstead at Minneapolis Little River at Canton-Galva McPherson at Rose Hill Newton at Salina Central Pratt at Wichita Collegiate Pratt-Skyline vs. Oxford

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

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/6/1719520482079.png" alt="EAGLE Media High School Football Scoreboard" />
 <figcaption>EAGLE Media High School Football Scoreboard</figcaption>
 </figure>Week 5 of the high school football season is upon us in the Sunflower State. See below for the schedule involving area teams.Week 5 Hutchinson vs. Derby Central Christian at St. Paul Trinity Catholic at Conway Springs Buhler vs. Wamego Fairfield at Attica-Argonia Haven vs. Garden Plain Inman vs. Marion Nickerson at Andale Pretty Prairie vs. Norwich Sterling at Medicine Lodge Burrton vs. Tescott Halstead at Minneapolis Little River at Canton-Galva McPherson at Rose Hill Newton at Salina Central Pratt at Wichita Collegiate Pratt-Skyline vs. Oxford You can find all of the Hutch Post area football schedules for the entire season&nbsp;<a href="https://hutchpost.com/posts/8e247860-8dc7-4f3a-86de-3a909aec11d2">here</a>.&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;

🏈 Week 5 area high school schedule

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — They were the sons of big league ballplayers, the lazy summer days of their youth spent listening to stories about baseball.

Their dads were both journeyman pitchers — maybe faced each other a time or two — who bounced from team to team as they tried to carve out long and productive careers, even as their kids grew up in east Texas, just a couple of hours apart.

Yet at some point,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-city-chiefs-patrick-mahomes-bbe19f6e9376dd1405b6a1a3dad78fe8">the paths of Patrick Mahomes</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/royals-bobby-witt-jr-steals-homers-2f244fb981427ad0622cbc0d73c200df">Bobby Witt Jr.</a>&nbsp;diverged. One stepped off the infield and onto the football field, his first love giving way to his lifelong passion, and the other continued a remarkable trajectory toward baseball stardom.

Years later, their paths are crossing again. Mahomes is now the record-setting quarterback of the Chiefs, the leader of an unbeaten team chasing an unprecedented third consecutive Super Bowl title. And he is a part owner of the Royals, who are in their first AL Division Series in a decade thanks largely to an MVP-caliber season from Witt, their star shortstop.

They&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2024-mlb-playoffs-royals-65292d9561a2cb14771fb3a69c16efa1">face the Yankees in the best-of-five series</a>&nbsp;beginning Saturday night in New York.

“We talk quite a bit,” Mahomes told a small group of reporters this week. “I’ve texted him kind of throughout the season, and we’ve talked about slumps, and getting into the playoffs and everything like that. So I stay in touch, because even though we play different sports — I mean, we’re very similar in age as well. Younger than me, but similar in age. We grew up in the same type of area. And have the same type of upbring with him, his dad playing sports, too.”

They’ve formed the kind of bond that rarely exists for the sons of professional athletes: that of a shared background.

Pat Mahomes broke into the big leagues with Minnesota in 1991, the young right-hander getting drafted right out of Lindale High School. His son came along four years later, and pictures exist of a young Patrick Mahomes dressed in a Twins uniform, held by his father and his mother, Randi Martin, before a game at the Metrodome.

By that point, Bobby Witt already had a decade in the big leagues. He began his career with the Rangers in 1986 and proceeded to pitch for six other clubs before finishing his career with the Diamondbacks in 2001. Along the way, Bobby Witt Jr. was born — the only son to go with three daughters in a busy household in Colleyville, Texas.

That both ended up in Kansas City seems somehow serendipitous.

In the case of Mahomes, who starred in college at Texas Tech, he took over a franchise that was respectable and turned it into juggernaut. He won his first Super Bowl title in his second year as the starter, and with the Chiefs off to a 4-0 start heading into&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/saints-chiefs-preview-30a12565ad8cb79839d8187b6456fd37">Monday night’s game against the Saints</a>, he has them chasing a record third in a row.

Witt was drafted second overall by the Royals out of Colleyville Heritage High School, rocketed through the minor leagues and broke into the big leagues two years ago. He quickly became the face of a team that had fallen on hard times, losing 106 games a year ago, and helped to turn it around with his preternatural maturity and extraordinary ability.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/arraez-ohtani-witt-sale-35895411b4f31ac27ed74c1b9495b53a">Witt won the AL batting title this year</a>&nbsp;as the Royals secured a wild-card spot in the playoffs. Then, he drove in both go-ahead runs as they beat the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mlb-baseball-playoffs-2024-royals-orioles-088619707dc5aed035f49ee0fbbce578">Orioles 1-0</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2024-mlb-playoffs-royals-orioles-score-537540033ada068a67c81aadd207ae96">2-1</a>&nbsp;in consecutive games this week to earn a date with the Yankees.

“This is what you dream about,” Witt said amid a sparkling wine celebration in Baltimore. “My 15-year-old self, I was dreaming, so now we’re here. Now we’ve got this opportunity right here, so we’ve got to make the most of it.”

That singular focus on winning? Sounds a lot like Mahomes after every game.

“He does have a slow heartbeat. He understands that the moment is not too big,” Kansas City manager Matt Quatraro said of his young superstar. “He’s plenty good. His talent is plenty good. His heart, his belief is plenty good.”

Almost sounds as if Quatraro is describing Mahomes, too.

The parallels hardly stop there. Both players have signed long-term deals with their teams, an unwavering commitment to Kansas City when they no doubt could demand more money elsewhere. For Mahomes, it was a 10-year, $450 million extension with the Chiefs in 2020. For Witt, it was an 11-year deal worth nearly $289 million signed earlier this year.

One of the smallest markets in professional sports with two of their games’ biggest stars.

“It’s great for the city,” Mahomes said with a smile. “I’ve heard all the stories about how awesome the environment was the last time the Royals were in the playoffs. And they’re going up against a great baseball team — a historic team. I’m excited for these guys. They are hungry. They’re playing some great baseball.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1728051811127.jpeg" alt="Kansas City Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. celebrates with teammates after defeating the Baltimore Orioles 2-1 in Game 2 of an AL Wild Card Series baseball game, Wednesday, Oct. 2, 2024 in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough)" />
 <figcaption>Kansas City Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. celebrates with teammates after defeating the Baltimore Orioles 2-1 in Game 2 of an AL Wild Card Series baseball game, Wednesday, Oct. 2, 2024 in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough)</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — They were the sons of big league ballplayers, the lazy summer days of their youth spent listening to stories about baseball.Their dads were both journeyman pitchers — maybe faced each other a time or two — who bounced from team to team as they tried to carve out long and productive careers, even as their kids grew up in east Texas, just a couple of hours apart.Yet at some point,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-city-chiefs-patrick-mahomes-bbe19f6e9376dd1405b6a1a3dad78fe8">the paths of Patrick Mahomes</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/royals-bobby-witt-jr-steals-homers-2f244fb981427ad0622cbc0d73c200df">Bobby Witt Jr.</a>&nbsp;diverged. One stepped off the infield and onto the football field, his first love giving way to his lifelong passion, and the other continued a remarkable trajectory toward baseball stardom.Years later, their paths are crossing again. Mahomes is now the record-setting quarterback of the Chiefs, the leader of an unbeaten team chasing an unprecedented third consecutive Super Bowl title. And he is a part owner of the Royals, who are in their first AL Division Series in a decade thanks largely to an MVP-caliber season from Witt, their star shortstop.They&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2024-mlb-playoffs-royals-65292d9561a2cb14771fb3a69c16efa1">face the Yankees in the best-of-five series</a>&nbsp;beginning Saturday night in New York.“We talk quite a bit,” Mahomes told a small group of reporters this week. “I’ve texted him kind of throughout the season, and we’ve talked about slumps, and getting into the playoffs and everything like that. So I stay in touch, because even though we play different sports — I mean, we’re very similar in age as well. Younger than me, but similar in age. We grew up in the same type of area. And have the same type of upbring with him, his dad playing sports, too.”They’ve formed the kind of bond that rarely exists for the sons of professional athletes: that of a shared background.Pat Mahomes broke into the big leagues with Minnesota in 1991, the young right-hander getting drafted right out of Lindale High School. His son came along four years later, and pictures exist of a young Patrick Mahomes dressed in a Twins uniform, held by his father and his mother, Randi Martin, before a game at the Metrodome.By that point, Bobby Witt already had a decade in the big leagues. He began his career with the Rangers in 1986 and proceeded to pitch for six other clubs before finishing his career with the Diamondbacks in 2001. Along the way, Bobby Witt Jr. was born — the only son to go with three daughters in a busy household in Colleyville, Texas.That both ended up in Kansas City seems somehow serendipitous.In the case of Mahomes, who starred in college at Texas Tech, he took over a franchise that was respectable and turned it into juggernaut. He won his first Super Bowl title in his second year as the starter, and with the Chiefs off to a 4-0 start heading into&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/saints-chiefs-preview-30a12565ad8cb79839d8187b6456fd37">Monday night’s game against the Saints</a>, he has them chasing a record third in a row.Witt was drafted second overall by the Royals out of Colleyville Heritage High School, rocketed through the minor leagues and broke into the big leagues two years ago. He quickly became the face of a team that had fallen on hard times, losing 106 games a year ago, and helped to turn it around with his preternatural maturity and extraordinary ability.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/arraez-ohtani-witt-sale-35895411b4f31ac27ed74c1b9495b53a">Witt won the AL batting title this year</a>&nbsp;as the Royals secured a wild-card spot in the playoffs. Then, he drove in both go-ahead runs as they beat the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mlb-baseball-playoffs-2024-royals-orioles-088619707dc5aed035f49ee0fbbce578">Orioles 1-0</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2024-mlb-playoffs-royals-orioles-score-537540033ada068a67c81aadd207ae96">2-1</a>&nbsp;in consecutive games this week to earn a date with the Yankees.“This is what you dream about,” Witt said amid a sparkling wine celebration in Baltimore. “My 15-year-old self, I was dreaming, so now we’re here. Now we’ve got this opportunity right here, so we’ve got to make the most of it.”That singular focus on winning? Sounds a lot like Mahomes after every game.“He does have a slow heartbeat. He understands that the moment is not too big,” Kansas City manager Matt Quatraro said of his young superstar. “He’s plenty good. His talent is plenty good. His heart, his belief is plenty good.”Almost sounds as if Quatraro is describing Mahomes, too.The parallels hardly stop there. Both players have signed long-term deals with their teams, an unwavering commitment to Kansas City when they no doubt could demand more money elsewhere. For Mahomes, it was a 10-year, $450 million extension with the Chiefs in 2020. For Witt, it was an 11-year deal worth nearly $289 million signed earlier this year.One of the smallest markets in professional sports with two of their games’ biggest stars.“It’s great for the city,” Mahomes said with a smile. “I’ve heard all the stories about how awesome the environment was the last time the Royals were in the playoffs. And they’re going up against a great baseball team — a historic team. I’m excited for these guys. They are hungry. They’re playing some great baseball.”

Mahomes and Witt Jr. come from shared backgrounds. Both have KC teams chasing titles

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/11/1701263164849.png" alt="Early Morning Sports with Rob Dreher for Friday, October 4th, 2024." />
 <figcaption>Early Morning Sports with Rob Dreher for Friday, October 4th, 2024.</figcaption>
 </figure><div><iframe title="Early Morning Sports for October 4th, 2024" allowtransparency="true" height="150" width="100%" style="border: none; min-width: min(100%, 430px);height:150px;" scrolling="no" data-name="pb-iframe-player" src="https://www.podbean.com/player-v2/?i=8atui-16f3ccb-pb&from=pb6admin&share=1&download=1&rtl=0&fonts=Arial&skin=60a0c8&font-color=&logo_link=episode_page&btn-skin=ff6d00" loading="lazy"></iframe></div>

🎧 LISTEN: ⚾ Royals versus Yankees in ALDS,  🏈 Hutch High hosts Derby in key AVCT league battle

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The Hutchinson Salthawks football team (3-1) returns home to host class 6A top-ranked and undefeated Derby Panthers (4-0) for Homecoming on Friday night. Kickoff scheduled for 7 p.m.&nbsp;at Gowans Stadium.

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

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

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

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

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

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1727693056201.png" alt="GameDay vs Derby - October 3rd 2024&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>GameDay vs Derby - October 3rd 2024&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure>HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The Hutchinson Salthawks football team (3-1) returns home to host class 6A top-ranked and undefeated Derby Panthers (4-0) for Homecoming on Friday night. Kickoff scheduled for 7 p.m.&nbsp;at Gowans Stadium.Catch the Salthawk Football Pregame Show sponsored by The Medicine Shoppe at 6:30 p.m. on <a href="https://radio.securenetsystems.net/v5/KWBW">KWBW-AM/FM (1450/98.5)</a>.The award winning EAGLE Media sportscast crew consisting of Glen Grunwald with the play-by-play and color analysts Dan "Coach Nac" Naccarato. Hutch High senior Matt Peterson will provide the NFHS video stream on the Hutch High&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nfhsnetwork.com/">NFHS Video Stream</a>&nbsp;Channel.Game audio is available at kwbwradio.com of click <a href="https://radio.securenetsystems.net/v5/KWBW">HERE</a>. Download the KWBW Radio app and take the game with you on the road.The NFHS Network Hutch High Channel is a pay-per-view broadcast this season. Choose either an annual pass or pay month-to-month.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1726224332945.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>The live broadcast will begin at 6:50 p.m.<div><iframe src="https://player.nfhsnetwork.com/#/events/hutchinson-high-school-hutchinson-ks/gam907be9b0df" allowfullscreen="true" frameborder="0" width="640" height="360"></iframe>

</div>

🏈🎥🎧 Hutch High hosts Derby for Homecoming

Alonso's night turns around with season-saving homer for Mets in 9th inning

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Pete Alonso was having a rather disappointing evening in what could have been his final game for the New York Mets. Then everything changed with one swing of the bat. The slugger broke out of a prolonged slump by smashing a three-run homer off closer Devin Williams in the ninth inning to put the Mets ahead for good in a 4-2 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers in the decisive third game of their NL Wild Card Series.

Cincinnati Reds hiring Terry Francona as manager, year after leaving Cleveland, AP source says.

Terry Francona has been hired to manage the Cincinnati Reds, returning to the major leagues a year after he stepped down in Cleveland because of health reasons. A person familiar with the situation confirmed the move on condition of anonymity because the Reds had not announced the decision. Francona is replacing David Bell, who was fired by Cincinnati in the final days of his sixth season. Bell had a 409-456 record with the Reds. Francona, who turns 66 in April, played for Cincinnati in 1987. He hit .227 with three homers and 12 RBIs in 102 games.

Cousins throws for 509 yards, hits Hodge in OT to give Falcons 36-30 win over Bucs

ATLANTA (AP) — Kirk Cousins threw for a career-high 509 yards and four touchdowns, the last of them a 45-yard scoring pass to KhaDarel Hodge in overtime that gave the Atlanta Falcons an improbable 36-30 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. After a wild fourth quarter that featured a blocked field goal, a fumble and an interception, Cousins and the Falcons got the ball back at their own 20 with 1:14 remaining in regulation and no timeouts, trailing 30-27. Cousins completed five passes to push Atlanta to the Buccaneers 29, then hustled to the line to spike the ball with a single second on the clock. Younghoe Koo knocked it through from 52 yards to force overtime. The Falcons won the coin toss in overtime and scored.

Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark a near-unanimous choice as WNBA's Rookie of the Year

NEW YORK (AP) — Caitlin Clark has been named WNBA Rookie of the Year in a near-unanimous vote. A national panel of sportswriters and sportscasters gave the Indiana Fever guard 66 of 67 votes. Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese received the other vote. Clark, the No. 1 overall pick from Iowa, averaged 19.2 points and a league-best 8.4 assists per game while helping the WNBA set attendance records and garner mainstream attention. She struggled a bit early in the season, but found her groove and was an All-Star starter. She led the Fever to the playoffs and a 20-20 record after a 1-8 start.

Patrick Mahomes and Bobby Witt Jr. come from shared backgrounds. Both have KC teams chasing titles

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Patrick Mahomes and Bobby Witt Jr. grew up as the sons of big league ballplayers. Both were excellent baseball players in their own right. Mahomes eventually stepped away from the game and embraced football, becoming the quarterback of the two-time defending Super Bowl champion Chiefs. Along the way, he became a part owner of the Royals, which Witt has helped turn from a 106-loss laughingstock into a team chasing a World Series title. He drove in both go-ahead runs in wins over the Orioles in the wild-card round, and he will lead the Royals against the Yankees in the AL Division Series beginning Saturday night in New York.

Augusta chairman confident Masters will go on as club focuses on community recovery from Helene

Masters chairman Fred Ridley says Augusta National sustained a lot of damage from Hurricane Helene, just like the rest of the area. Ridley is in Japan for the Asia-Pacific Amateur. He says he's confident the Masters will go on as scheduled the second full week in April. He says the focus now is on employees and neighbors. Augusta National and a community charity organization have donated $5 million toward recovery and relief, along with separate donations. Ridley did not discuss the extent of the damage at the home of the Masters. But he expects to recover sooner rather than later.

The 'Prime Effect' is real at Colorado. How long will Deion Sanders stay is a lingering question

BOULDER, Colo. (AP) — The arrival of Deion Sanders has turned Colorado football into a national program, a place where NFL prospects mingle with celebrities and everyone feels the love. Sanders has improved almost every number at Boulder, from enrollment figures at the school to the program's economic impact in town. CU has already matched its four wins from last year and things are trending up. Will Sanders stick around long enough to turn CU into more than a brand, but also a legitimate contender?

LeBron James, Anthony Davis will play in Lakers' first preseason games in Palm Springs, Redick says

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. (AP) — LeBron James and Anthony Davis will play at some point during the Los Angeles Lakers' first two preseason games this weekend. James and Davis could play in one or both games, new head coach JJ Redick said Thursday before the Lakers headed to the Coachella Valley. Los Angeles will face Minnesota on Friday and Phoenix on Sunday in Palm Desert, California. The decision means James could be on the court this weekend with Bronny James, his oldest son and the Lakers' second-round draft pick. No father and son have ever played in the NBA at the same time, let alone on the same team.

Brewers closer Devin Williams makes no excuses after Mets' stunning 9th-inning comeback

MILWAUKEE (AP) — The Milwaukee Brewers couldn't have set things up any better for themselves as they headed into the ninth inning of the deciding game in their NL Wild Card Series. They owned a 2-0 lead over the New York Mets. They had retired 12 consecutive Mets batters. And they had two-time NL reliever of the year Devin Williams coming out of the bullpen. Then everything fell apart in stunningly swift fashion. Williams gave up four runs in the ninth inning of a 4-2 loss that ended the Brewers' season. He had allowed just three runs all year before Thursday.

Overlooked AL Central gets its revenge by putting 3 teams in Division Series

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The AL Central was overlooked to the point of mockery before opening day. Now, what was widely considered the weakest division in baseball is exacting a measure of revenge. Not only did the Central secure two wild cards in the Royals and Tigers, both won their series this week to reach the divisional round. Kansas City will face the AL East champion Yankees on Saturday night, while the Tigers will play AL Central champ Cleveland in a showdown of division rivals. Regardless of what happens in the best-of-five series, at least one team from the Central — and maybe two — will be playing for a spot in the World Series.

Here are the scores from yesterday's sports events:

NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION PRESEASON

WOMEN'S NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION PLAYOFFS

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/12/1701494597443.png" alt="Sports Headlines and News for Friday, October 4th, 2024." />
 <figcaption>Sports Headlines and News for Friday, October 4th, 2024.</figcaption>
 </figure>AP Sports Summary for October 4th, 2024:<div><iframe width="100%" height="95" src="https://embeds.audioboom.com/posts/8582566/embed?v=202301" style="background-color: transparent; display: block; padding: 0; width: 100%" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="allowtransparency" scrolling="no" title="Audioboom player" allow="autoplay" sandbox="allow-downloads allow-forms allow-popups allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-storage-access-by-user-activation allow-top-navigation-by-user-activation"></iframe></div>Alonso's night turns around with season-saving homer for Mets in 9th inningMILWAUKEE (AP) — Pete Alonso was having a rather disappointing evening in what could have been his final game for the New York Mets. Then everything changed with one swing of the bat. The slugger broke out of a prolonged slump by smashing a three-run homer off closer Devin Williams in the ninth inning to put the Mets ahead for good in a 4-2 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers in the decisive third game of their NL Wild Card Series.Cincinnati Reds hiring Terry Francona as manager, year after leaving Cleveland, AP source says.Terry Francona has been hired to manage the Cincinnati Reds, returning to the major leagues a year after he stepped down in Cleveland because of health reasons. A person familiar with the situation confirmed the move on condition of anonymity because the Reds had not announced the decision. Francona is replacing David Bell, who was fired by Cincinnati in the final days of his sixth season. Bell had a 409-456 record with the Reds. Francona, who turns 66 in April, played for Cincinnati in 1987. He hit .227 with three homers and 12 RBIs in 102 games.Cousins throws for 509 yards, hits Hodge in OT to give Falcons 36-30 win over BucsATLANTA (AP) — Kirk Cousins threw for a career-high 509 yards and four touchdowns, the last of them a 45-yard scoring pass to KhaDarel Hodge in overtime that gave the Atlanta Falcons an improbable 36-30 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. After a wild fourth quarter that featured a blocked field goal, a fumble and an interception, Cousins and the Falcons got the ball back at their own 20 with 1:14 remaining in regulation and no timeouts, trailing 30-27. Cousins completed five passes to push Atlanta to the Buccaneers 29, then hustled to the line to spike the ball with a single second on the clock. Younghoe Koo knocked it through from 52 yards to force overtime. The Falcons won the coin toss in overtime and scored.Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark a near-unanimous choice as WNBA's Rookie of the YearNEW YORK (AP) — Caitlin Clark has been named WNBA Rookie of the Year in a near-unanimous vote. A national panel of sportswriters and sportscasters gave the Indiana Fever guard 66 of 67 votes. Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese received the other vote. Clark, the No. 1 overall pick from Iowa, averaged 19.2 points and a league-best 8.4 assists per game while helping the WNBA set attendance records and garner mainstream attention. She struggled a bit early in the season, but found her groove and was an All-Star starter. She led the Fever to the playoffs and a 20-20 record after a 1-8 start.Patrick Mahomes and Bobby Witt Jr. come from shared backgrounds. Both have KC teams chasing titlesKANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Patrick Mahomes and Bobby Witt Jr. grew up as the sons of big league ballplayers. Both were excellent baseball players in their own right. Mahomes eventually stepped away from the game and embraced football, becoming the quarterback of the two-time defending Super Bowl champion Chiefs. Along the way, he became a part owner of the Royals, which Witt has helped turn from a 106-loss laughingstock into a team chasing a World Series title. He drove in both go-ahead runs in wins over the Orioles in the wild-card round, and he will lead the Royals against the Yankees in the AL Division Series beginning Saturday night in New York.Augusta chairman confident Masters will go on as club focuses on community recovery from HeleneMasters chairman Fred Ridley says Augusta National sustained a lot of damage from Hurricane Helene, just like the rest of the area. Ridley is in Japan for the Asia-Pacific Amateur. He says he's confident the Masters will go on as scheduled the second full week in April. He says the focus now is on employees and neighbors. Augusta National and a community charity organization have donated $5 million toward recovery and relief, along with separate donations. Ridley did not discuss the extent of the damage at the home of the Masters. But he expects to recover sooner rather than later.The 'Prime Effect' is real at Colorado. How long will Deion Sanders stay is a lingering questionBOULDER, Colo. (AP) — The arrival of Deion Sanders has turned Colorado football into a national program, a place where NFL prospects mingle with celebrities and everyone feels the love. Sanders has improved almost every number at Boulder, from enrollment figures at the school to the program's economic impact in town. CU has already matched its four wins from last year and things are trending up. Will Sanders stick around long enough to turn CU into more than a brand, but also a legitimate contender?LeBron James, Anthony Davis will play in Lakers' first preseason games in Palm Springs, Redick saysEL SEGUNDO, Calif. (AP) — LeBron James and Anthony Davis will play at some point during the Los Angeles Lakers' first two preseason games this weekend. James and Davis could play in one or both games, new head coach JJ Redick said Thursday before the Lakers headed to the Coachella Valley. Los Angeles will face Minnesota on Friday and Phoenix on Sunday in Palm Desert, California. The decision means James could be on the court this weekend with Bronny James, his oldest son and the Lakers' second-round draft pick. No father and son have ever played in the NBA at the same time, let alone on the same team.Brewers closer Devin Williams makes no excuses after Mets' stunning 9th-inning comebackMILWAUKEE (AP) — The Milwaukee Brewers couldn't have set things up any better for themselves as they headed into the ninth inning of the deciding game in their NL Wild Card Series. They owned a 2-0 lead over the New York Mets. They had retired 12 consecutive Mets batters. And they had two-time NL reliever of the year Devin Williams coming out of the bullpen. Then everything fell apart in stunningly swift fashion. Williams gave up four runs in the ninth inning of a 4-2 loss that ended the Brewers' season. He had allowed just three runs all year before Thursday.Overlooked AL Central gets its revenge by putting 3 teams in Division SeriesKANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The AL Central was overlooked to the point of mockery before opening day. Now, what was widely considered the weakest division in baseball is exacting a measure of revenge. Not only did the Central secure two wild cards in the Royals and Tigers, both won their series this week to reach the divisional round. Kansas City will face the AL East champion Yankees on Saturday night, while the Tigers will play AL Central champ Cleveland in a showdown of division rivals. Regardless of what happens in the best-of-five series, at least one team from the Central — and maybe two — will be playing for a spot in the World Series.AP-ScorecardHere are the scores from yesterday's sports events:___NATIONAL LEAGUE PLAYOFFSFinal	N.Y. Mets	4	Milwaukee	2	___NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUEFinal	Los Angeles	4	Boston	1	Final	Pittsburgh	3	Columbus	1	Final	Toronto	2	Detroit	0	Final	Philadelphia	5	New Jersey	4	Final OT	St. Louis	4	Dallas	3	Final	Colorado	3	Vegas	1	___NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUEFinal OT	Atlanta	36	Tampa Bay	30	___TODAY'S SPORTS SCHEDULE___NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION PRESEASON		Boston	at	Denver	12 p.m.			New Zealand Breakers	at	Utah	9 p.m.			Minnesota	at	L.A. Lakers	10:30 p.m.	___NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE		New Jersey	at	Buffalo	1 p.m.			Columbus	at	Pittsburgh	7 p.m.			N-Y Rangers	at	N-Y Islanders	7 p.m.			Ottawa	at	Detroit	7 p.m.			Tampa Bay	at	Carolina	7 p.m.			Minnesota	at	Chicago	8:30 p.m.			Winnipeg	at	Calgary	9 p.m.			Anaheim	at	San Jose	10 p.m.			Edmonton	at	Vancouver	10 p.m.	___TOP-25 COLLEGE FOOTBALL		Syracuse	at	(25)UNLV	9 p.m.			Michigan St.	at	(6)Oregon	9 p.m.	___WOMEN'S NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION PLAYOFFS		Minnesota	at	Connecticut	7:30 p.m.			New York	at	Las Vegas	9:30 p.m.	___

📢📰🎧 Sports Headlines for Friday

INMAN, Kan. — The Inman High School volleyball team is off to a 23-1 start on the season and ranked No. 1 in the Kansas Volleyball Association (KVA) rankings.&nbsp;

The Teutons, which have placed fourth place the past two seasons at the state tournament, are ready to take that next step under head coach Kathy Russell, who accepted the job last February. Russell is well-known in the area, having coached at Buhler and Haven, as well as several years as a club coach.

"It's like a dream for a coach to walk into something like that," Russell said. "When I walked in they had all the talent, but they had no guidance, and they can't do it alone. We're working together and bond together, so they are just thriving at what I'm selling. It's not about you, it's about your team and what you can do for your team. They are all diving in and just doing great things."&nbsp;

The players are poised to accomplish their goal of claiming the state title next month.

"That's their goal, that's what they want, and they have all the talent," Russell said. "It takes discipline, teamwork, them working together to help each other be the best that we can be, and I think we have all of those things. The girls are playing with confidence and walking into the gym, the girls are on fire, they just want to be the best that they can be. They're like little sponges."

The Teutons' lone loss this season came on Sept. 14 to Cheney in three sets, 20-25, 28-26, 20-25.

"Cheney is well-coached and are a very scrappy team," Russell said. "They're not very big, but we kept swinging at them, we weren't patient enough and kind of played soft. We were just a little off that day. Cheney played well and they deserved to win, but I'd love to meet up with them again. I think it was good for the girls to get a loss, because they don't like that taste in their mouth, so it was kind of a blessing in disguise."

The Kansas State High School Activities Association (KSHSAA) has implemented a new postseason format for classes 3-1A for the 2024 season. The teams will be placed into four groupings for regional play, with each group having two quads. The format is more similar to how the larger classifications have done it in the years past in volleyball and basketball.

"We have so many teams in 2A, so it's going to be different," Russell said. "We pulled some really tough teams in there, so we're going to have to beat them all anyway to get where we want to get, so it doesn't matter where we meet them."

Russell is hopeful the tough competition the Teutons have played in the regular season will pay off come postseason.

"I love the competition, like I said earlier, that's the only way we're going to get better," Russell said. "We want to play tough teams, so we look forward to it. That's something we're training for and preparing the girls for."

The Teutons are led by two-time all-state selection, and <a href="https://hutchpost.com/posts/9c3f101e-bbe2-4f5f-ae09-03ca272b3436">Utah commit</a>, Suttyn Harris. The 5-foot-11 junior outside hitter is off to another strong year.

"Suttyn is an amazing young lady," Russell said. "She's just really committed to her team, she's an excellent teammate, she knows the game, she's been playing it for awhile. I coached her back when I think she was in sixth grade, I taught some lessons to her, so she's come a long way since then. She's a gamer, she just wants to win and wants her teammates to do well, so we're thrilled that she's on our team. She's just an all-around kid, not only on the court, but off the court as well. She works hard to be the best she can be."

Russell knew she had talent when she took the job at Inman, but that's not the only thing that has caught her eye since the first day of practice.

"I knew that we had a lot of talent on the team, but not only that, we have an amazing work ethic," Russell said. "During the offseason, they were just working so hard in the weight room and so determined. I've got a full team of those girls, and it's kind of like a dream team as a coach to walk in and have girls so dedicated and want to be the best that they can be."

"I have eight strong core girls that I can play in any position I needed to," Russell said. "I also have a bench that's really strong. My middles, Morgan Froese and Brooke Aden, they're both really strong in the middle. I also have Kenna Woods who plays defense in club ball, but here she plays outside and she can just rip the ball, too. My setters are Taylor Froese, a sophomore, and Maddi Parsons, a freshman, I could move them wherever I want. I can switch between a 5-1 or a 6-2, whatever we need to do."

Russell has been around the game of volleyball for a number of years, but she says this team is special.

"I have been in it a long time and have seen some really good players, but this group is just something special," Russell said. "They are just amazing young ladies and I am just thrilled to be apart of this."

One thing that Russell said made taking the job even better was the fact she gets to coach alongside her daughter, Emme, who played at HutchCC and then at Arkansas State.&nbsp;

"She's been a head coach and is also a big part of this program," Russell said. "Between Emily and our other assistant,&nbsp;Nicole McClellan, we have all the pieces of the puzzle put together and we're just improving every time we step on the floor."

The Teutons will host class 1A-Division I No.1-ranked Little River tonight for a best-of-5 match against the Redskins.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1727963614791.jpeg" alt="Photo Courtesy Kat Russell" />
 <figcaption>Photo Courtesy Kat Russell</figcaption>
 </figure>SEAN BOSTON Hutch PostINMAN, Kan. — The Inman High School volleyball team is off to a 23-1 start on the season and ranked No. 1 in the Kansas Volleyball Association (KVA) rankings.&nbsp;The Teutons, which have placed fourth place the past two seasons at the state tournament, are ready to take that next step under head coach Kathy Russell, who accepted the job last February. Russell is well-known in the area, having coached at Buhler and Haven, as well as several years as a club coach."It's like a dream for a coach to walk into something like that," Russell said. "When I walked in they had all the talent, but they had no guidance, and they can't do it alone. We're working together and bond together, so they are just thriving at what I'm selling. It's not about you, it's about your team and what you can do for your team. They are all diving in and just doing great things."&nbsp;The players are poised to accomplish their goal of claiming the state title next month."That's their goal, that's what they want, and they have all the talent," Russell said. "It takes discipline, teamwork, them working together to help each other be the best that we can be, and I think we have all of those things. The girls are playing with confidence and walking into the gym, the girls are on fire, they just want to be the best that they can be. They're like little sponges."The Teutons' lone loss this season came on Sept. 14 to Cheney in three sets, 20-25, 28-26, 20-25."Cheney is well-coached and are a very scrappy team," Russell said. "They're not very big, but we kept swinging at them, we weren't patient enough and kind of played soft. We were just a little off that day. Cheney played well and they deserved to win, but I'd love to meet up with them again. I think it was good for the girls to get a loss, because they don't like that taste in their mouth, so it was kind of a blessing in disguise."The Kansas State High School Activities Association (KSHSAA) has implemented a new postseason format for classes 3-1A for the 2024 season. The teams will be placed into four groupings for regional play, with each group having two quads. The format is more similar to how the larger classifications have done it in the years past in volleyball and basketball."We have so many teams in 2A, so it's going to be different," Russell said. "We pulled some really tough teams in there, so we're going to have to beat them all anyway to get where we want to get, so it doesn't matter where we meet them."Russell is hopeful the tough competition the Teutons have played in the regular season will pay off come postseason."I love the competition, like I said earlier, that's the only way we're going to get better," Russell said. "We want to play tough teams, so we look forward to it. That's something we're training for and preparing the girls for."The Teutons are led by two-time all-state selection, and <a href="https://hutchpost.com/posts/9c3f101e-bbe2-4f5f-ae09-03ca272b3436">Utah commit</a>, Suttyn Harris. The 5-foot-11 junior outside hitter is off to another strong year."Suttyn is an amazing young lady," Russell said. "She's just really committed to her team, she's an excellent teammate, she knows the game, she's been playing it for awhile. I coached her back when I think she was in sixth grade, I taught some lessons to her, so she's come a long way since then. She's a gamer, she just wants to win and wants her teammates to do well, so we're thrilled that she's on our team. She's just an all-around kid, not only on the court, but off the court as well. She works hard to be the best she can be."Russell knew she had talent when she took the job at Inman, but that's not the only thing that has caught her eye since the first day of practice."I knew that we had a lot of talent on the team, but not only that, we have an amazing work ethic," Russell said. "During the offseason, they were just working so hard in the weight room and so determined. I've got a full team of those girls, and it's kind of like a dream team as a coach to walk in and have girls so dedicated and want to be the best that they can be.""I have eight strong core girls that I can play in any position I needed to," Russell said. "I also have a bench that's really strong. My middles, Morgan Froese and Brooke Aden, they're both really strong in the middle. I also have Kenna Woods who plays defense in club ball, but here she plays outside and she can just rip the ball, too. My setters are Taylor Froese, a sophomore, and Maddi Parsons, a freshman, I could move them wherever I want. I can switch between a 5-1 or a 6-2, whatever we need to do."Russell has been around the game of volleyball for a number of years, but she says this team is special."I have been in it a long time and have seen some really good players, but this group is just something special," Russell said. "They are just amazing young ladies and I am just thrilled to be apart of this."One thing that Russell said made taking the job even better was the fact she gets to coach alongside her daughter, Emme, who played at HutchCC and then at Arkansas State.&nbsp;"She's been a head coach and is also a big part of this program," Russell said. "Between Emily and our other assistant,&nbsp;Nicole McClellan, we have all the pieces of the puzzle put together and we're just improving every time we step on the floor."The Teutons will host class 1A-Division I No.1-ranked Little River tonight for a best-of-5 match against the Redskins.&nbsp;

🏐 'It's kind of like a dream team' Teutons thriving as No. 1 team in class 2A

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1727983730090.jpeg" alt="Photo Courtesy Kansas State Athletics" />
 <figcaption>Photo Courtesy Kansas State Athletics</figcaption>
 </figure><div>The Conference has announced the preseason awards and poll for the 2024-25 Big 12 women&rsquo;s basketball season. League coaches voted on the awards and poll and were not allowed to vote for their own team. K-State was selected as the favorite in the league&rsquo;s preseason poll for the first time in program history while Ayoka Lee is the first Wildcat to be named the Conference&rsquo;s Preseason Player of the Year since a three-year stretch when Nicole Ohlde earned the honors consecutively (2002-03, 2003-04) followed by Kendra Wecker in 2004-05. The Wildcats collected 26 wins last year for the first time since the 2002-03 season and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Lee is a four-time All-Big 12 First Team selection and the two-time All-America honoree averaged 19.7 points per game and 8.6 rebounds last season. Baylor&rsquo;s Aaronette Vonleh and TCU&rsquo;s Hailey Van Lith were tabbed as the league&rsquo;s Preseason Co-Newcomers of the Year. It is the sixth consecutive season that BU has had a player collect newcomer honors while Van Lith is TCU&rsquo;s first newcomer selection.&nbsp; Vonleh was a Pac-12 All-Conference member for the 2023-2024 season and was named the league&rsquo;s Co-Most Improved Player during the 2022-23 season. Van Lith is a 2024 Olympics 3X3 bronze medalist and is the only active Division I player who has tallied at least 1,900 career points, 500 rebounds and 350 assists. Colorado&rsquo;s Tabitha Betson was chosen as the Big 12 Preseason Freshman of the Year in the Buffaloes&rsquo; first year back in the league since the 2010-11 season. The No. 48 ranked player in ESPN&rsquo;s Top 100 for the class of 2024 is the first CU student-athlete to earn the award since a three-year run of Colorado selections from the 1997-98 season through 1999-2000.&nbsp; Baylor and K-State have two selections each to the 10-member preseason team while Iowa State&rsquo;s Audi Crooks, K-State&rsquo;s Lee and West Virginia&rsquo;s JJ Quinerly were unanimous honorees. The&nbsp;<a id="OWAcc3acf99-0002-9903-2eb3-fb7157b271e5" href="https://big12sports.com/calendar.aspx?path=wbball" data-auth="NotApplicable" data-linkindex="0">2024-25 season</a>&nbsp;tips off Monday, Nov. 4 with&nbsp;<a id="OWA43620997-5d79-d73b-2855-2267e16c4bb5" href="https://big12sports.com/news/2024/9/25/2024-25-big-12-womens-basketball-league-schedule-unveiled.aspx" data-auth="NotApplicable" data-linkindex="1">league action</a>&nbsp;set to commence Saturday, Dec. 21 as this year marks the Conference&rsquo;s first with 16 members. The regular season will be followed by the 2025 Phillips 66 Big 12 Women&rsquo;s Basketball Championship, which will take place in Kansas City&rsquo;s T-Mobile Center for the second consecutive season. The current league members combined to go 8-0 in their first game of the 2024 NCAA Tournament while 15 of the 16 teams finished the 2023-24 season in the top 101 of the NET rankings. Four Big 12 teams are ranked in the top 16 of ESPN&rsquo;s Women&rsquo;s Basketball Way-Too-Early Top 25, tied for the most of any league. 2024-25 Big 12 Women&rsquo;s Basketball Preseason Poll
<ol start="1" data-editing-info="{&quot;orderedStyleType&quot;:1}">
<li>K-State (7), 211 points</li>
<li>Iowa State (6), 209 points</li>
<li>Baylor (2), 194 points</li>
<li>TCU, 185 points</li>
<li>West Virginia (1), 184 points</li>
<li>Utah, 149 points</li>
<li>Arizona, 136 points</li>
<li>Kansas, 128 points</li>
<li>Colorado, 113 points</li>
<li>Texas Tech, 84 points</li>
<li>Oklahoma State, 80 points</li>
<li>BYU, 59 points</li>
<li>Cincinnati, 56 points</li>
<li>UCF, 54 points</li>
<li>Arizona State, 51 points</li>
<li>Houston, 27 points</li>
</ol>
(first-place votes) &nbsp; 2024-25 Big 12 Women&rsquo;s Basketball Preseason Player of the Year Ayoka Lee, K-State &nbsp; 2024-25 Big 12 Women&rsquo;s Basketball Preseason Co-Newcomers of the Year Aaronette Vonleh, Baylor Hailey Van Lith, TCU &nbsp; 2024-25 Big 12 Women&rsquo;s Basketball Preseason Freshman of the Year Tabitha Betson, Colorado &nbsp; 2024-25 Big 12 Women&rsquo;s Basketball Preseason All-Big 12 Team Sarah Andrews, Baylor Aaronette Vonleh, Baylor&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Kaitlin Peterson, UCF Audi Crooks, Iowa State* S'Mya Nichols, Kansas Ayoka Lee, K-State* Serena Sundell, K-State Hailey Van Lith, TCU Gianna Kneepkens, Utah JJ Quinerly, West Virginia* *Indicates unanimous selection. Players are sorted alphabetically by school.</div>

🏀 WBB: K-State picked No. 1 in Big 12 preseason poll for first time

STERLING, Kan. — The Sterling High School football team has one of the more difficult schedules in class 1A, but the Black Bears have used that to their advantage and have found themselves sitting at 2-2, following back-to-back wins.&nbsp;

"We have just a buzzsaw of a schedule, and we knew that going into the year," Sterling head coach Brent Schneider said. "The thing that we kind of say is we play Conway and they won state last year and they're great, and we play Medicine Lodge and in my opinion they're probably the second best team in the state. We play good football teams, and the way we spin it is there is nobody we're going to face in districts or playoffs that play football that we haven't seen before. That's kind of what we take pride in, that we play a tough schedule, and that we fight and grind."

The Black Bears graduated a strong senior class that helped the team go 6-4 last fall. Sterling opened this season with a pair of losses to Sedgwick, 42-13, and Moundridge, 28-7.

"We have about seven starters on both sides of the ball that haven't played a lot of varsity football," Schneider said. "We opened the season with a really good Sedgwick team that I think has 16 seniors, and then a really good Moundridge team who's coming up from 8-man, but has a really good senior and junior class. They were definitely challenging opening games to start the season, but I was very proud of how our kids just kept getting better every day."

Schneider knew it was going to take a little bit of time for his team to get up to speed at the varsity level. The Black Bears picked up its first win of the year in Week 3 over Inman, 21-20, handing the Teutons its first loss.

"We put it together in a game against Inman where there was a lot of adversity," Schneider said. "We had a late start with some thunderstorm stuff, so we spent an hour and a half in a hot gym. They had their homecoming week, so we were kind of fighting that stuff, and then we had a kid get stretchered off in the third quarter with some muscle spasms in his neck that they were pretty concerned about about, so I was just proud of how our team responded there."

The Black Bears added another win in Week 4, downing then-undefeated Ellinwood, 41-35.

"We kind of got punched in the mouth a little bit by Ellinwood," Schneider said. "We responded very well, and told our kids that's kind of the benefit of having difficult games early in the season, because we've been challenged and I thought that was the biggest reason we were able to come back in the second half against Ellinwood."

The Black Bears run the flexbone offense and are led by junior Zane Farney at tailback, the two-time all-state selection is off to another strong campaign. As a sophomore Farney rushed for 1,500 yards, and so far this year is up to 577 yards for a 144-yard average per game. Junior Wyatt Newberry has 277 yards rushing for three touchdowns and a nine-yard average per attempt. Sterling as a team has rushed for nearly 300 yards per game to go along with 10 touchdowns.&nbsp;

Junior Boston Ekart has caught all five passes thrown by junior Logan Isaac for 107 yards and two touchdowns. Isaac has also been a threat on the ground with 135 yards.

One of the big reasons for the Black Bear success has been the offensive line, a brand new unit at the varsity level this year.

"Everybody on our offensive line is new to varsity football," Schneider said. "That unit is led by Waylon Schmidt, he's a senior, and he has done a really nice job with his leadership on that front."

The Sterling defense has made some changes early in the season.

"We have kind of been trying to find our identity on defense," Schneider said. "We changed some things around in Week 2, and really have been figuring things out. We played well against Inman, and then we turned around and Ellinwood did some things we weren't prepared for. Kevin Ploutz and Teyton Savage have been anchoring us up front. We're really young at the linebacker position, but we've got some really good athletes there."

Schneider says to knock off Medicine Lodge (3-1) on the road this week all comes down to execution.

"We've got to execute," Schneider said. "Medicine Lodge had a really good game plan for our run game last year, and we did some nice things against it, but it's just kind of those things you have to stick with it. Sometimes it's tough to watch from the stands because it's a little bit slow going, but you just stick with it and then the run game starts popping. We need to possess the ball and keep it out of their quarterbacks hands, he's a great kid and an all-state athlete, probably one of the better quarterbacks in all of 3-2-1A."

The Black Bears are hoping for a different outcome than last year, a game in which Sterling lost at home to Medicine Lodge, 21-20. The Black Bears went for the 2-point conversion and the win, but failed and suffered the loss.

"It was a dogfight and a lot of good stuff," Schneider said. "I do know they're going to fast and physical."

Schneider is happy with where the program is in his sixth year as the Black Bears head coach.

"When we really struggling and our numbers were really low, one thing as a coaching staff and administration we talked about is that we wanted to really make the culture something we should be proud of," Schneider said. "I really do think that we're there. I hear compliments about how are kids act and behave in the community. I just had a compliment the other day about how a group of our kids were at the local cafe, and how they interacted with the community members and how they cleaned up after themselves. It's really great to hear things like that and see how our kids act in the hallways and I couldn't be more proud. We always say that we want to raise young men of character, and you can't guarantee the wins and the losses, but I got into coaching because I had great role models growing up and I kind of want to return the favor on that.&nbsp;

The Black Bears only have three seniors, but Schneider is happy with their leadership.

"I've been really proud of our seniors," Schneider said. "They're not necessarily the focal point of our team, but they definitely have made sure things are rolling in the right direction. They're a big part in what we do. I think our community does know that we have good leadership, but we have good leadership and we have kids that are very coachable, and I couldn't be more proud of how our parents in the community have raised our young men and how they're buying into our culture."

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1727884098856.jpeg" alt="Photo Courtesy Sterling Bulletin - Rene Wilson" />
 <figcaption>Photo Courtesy Sterling Bulletin - Rene Wilson</figcaption>
 </figure>SEAN BOSTON Hutch PostSTERLING, Kan. — The Sterling High School football team has one of the more difficult schedules in class 1A, but the Black Bears have used that to their advantage and have found themselves sitting at 2-2, following back-to-back wins.&nbsp;"We have just a buzzsaw of a schedule, and we knew that going into the year," Sterling head coach Brent Schneider said. "The thing that we kind of say is we play Conway and they won state last year and they're great, and we play Medicine Lodge and in my opinion they're probably the second best team in the state. We play good football teams, and the way we spin it is there is nobody we're going to face in districts or playoffs that play football that we haven't seen before. That's kind of what we take pride in, that we play a tough schedule, and that we fight and grind."The Black Bears graduated a strong senior class that helped the team go 6-4 last fall. Sterling opened this season with a pair of losses to Sedgwick, 42-13, and Moundridge, 28-7."We have about seven starters on both sides of the ball that haven't played a lot of varsity football," Schneider said. "We opened the season with a really good Sedgwick team that I think has 16 seniors, and then a really good Moundridge team who's coming up from 8-man, but has a really good senior and junior class. They were definitely challenging opening games to start the season, but I was very proud of how our kids just kept getting better every day."Schneider knew it was going to take a little bit of time for his team to get up to speed at the varsity level. The Black Bears picked up its first win of the year in Week 3 over Inman, 21-20, handing the Teutons its first loss."We put it together in a game against Inman where there was a lot of adversity," Schneider said. "We had a late start with some thunderstorm stuff, so we spent an hour and a half in a hot gym. They had their homecoming week, so we were kind of fighting that stuff, and then we had a kid get stretchered off in the third quarter with some muscle spasms in his neck that they were pretty concerned about about, so I was just proud of how our team responded there."The Black Bears added another win in Week 4, downing then-undefeated Ellinwood, 41-35."We kind of got punched in the mouth a little bit by Ellinwood," Schneider said. "We responded very well, and told our kids that's kind of the benefit of having difficult games early in the season, because we've been challenged and I thought that was the biggest reason we were able to come back in the second half against Ellinwood."The Black Bears run the flexbone offense and are led by junior Zane Farney at tailback, the two-time all-state selection is off to another strong campaign. As a sophomore Farney rushed for 1,500 yards, and so far this year is up to 577 yards for a 144-yard average per game. Junior Wyatt Newberry has 277 yards rushing for three touchdowns and a nine-yard average per attempt. Sterling as a team has rushed for nearly 300 yards per game to go along with 10 touchdowns.&nbsp;Junior Boston Ekart has caught all five passes thrown by junior Logan Isaac for 107 yards and two touchdowns. Isaac has also been a threat on the ground with 135 yards.One of the big reasons for the Black Bear success has been the offensive line, a brand new unit at the varsity level this year."Everybody on our offensive line is new to varsity football," Schneider said. "That unit is led by Waylon Schmidt, he's a senior, and he has done a really nice job with his leadership on that front."The Sterling defense has made some changes early in the season."We have kind of been trying to find our identity on defense," Schneider said. "We changed some things around in Week 2, and really have been figuring things out. We played well against Inman, and then we turned around and Ellinwood did some things we weren't prepared for. Kevin Ploutz and Teyton Savage have been anchoring us up front. We're really young at the linebacker position, but we've got some really good athletes there."Schneider says to knock off Medicine Lodge (3-1) on the road this week all comes down to execution."We've got to execute," Schneider said. "Medicine Lodge had a really good game plan for our run game last year, and we did some nice things against it, but it's just kind of those things you have to stick with it. Sometimes it's tough to watch from the stands because it's a little bit slow going, but you just stick with it and then the run game starts popping. We need to possess the ball and keep it out of their quarterbacks hands, he's a great kid and an all-state athlete, probably one of the better quarterbacks in all of 3-2-1A."The Black Bears are hoping for a different outcome than last year, a game in which Sterling lost at home to Medicine Lodge, 21-20. The Black Bears went for the 2-point conversion and the win, but failed and suffered the loss."It was a dogfight and a lot of good stuff," Schneider said. "I do know they're going to fast and physical."Schneider is happy with where the program is in his sixth year as the Black Bears head coach."When we really struggling and our numbers were really low, one thing as a coaching staff and administration we talked about is that we wanted to really make the culture something we should be proud of," Schneider said. "I really do think that we're there. I hear compliments about how are kids act and behave in the community. I just had a compliment the other day about how a group of our kids were at the local cafe, and how they interacted with the community members and how they cleaned up after themselves. It's really great to hear things like that and see how our kids act in the hallways and I couldn't be more proud. We always say that we want to raise young men of character, and you can't guarantee the wins and the losses, but I got into coaching because I had great role models growing up and I kind of want to return the favor on that.&nbsp;The Black Bears only have three seniors, but Schneider is happy with their leadership."I've been really proud of our seniors," Schneider said. "They're not necessarily the focal point of our team, but they definitely have made sure things are rolling in the right direction. They're a big part in what we do. I think our community does know that we have good leadership, but we have good leadership and we have kids that are very coachable, and I couldn't be more proud of how our parents in the community have raised our young men and how they're buying into our culture."

🏈 Sterling gaining momentum with challenging schedule

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The Hutchinson Community College volleyball team fell in three sets to No. 8 Colby on Wednesday night at the Sports Arena.

The Trojans defeated Hutchinson 25-16, 25-20, 25-19.

The Dragons are now 12-12 overall and 3-5 in the Jayhawk Conference. The Trojans are 17-2 overall and 7-1 in the KJCCC.

Sophomore middle blocker Precious Johnson tied for team-high honors with seven kills on .375 hitting to pace the Blue Dragons.

Freshman outside hitter Atlyn Proctor also had seven kills on .043 hitting. Brooke Galey had six kills on .043 hitting.

Sophomore setter Shelbi Wilson finished with 17 assists and 11 digs. Freshman libero Addy Foster had 21 digs.

Colby was led by Karlotta Kaitai with 12 kills. Viola Giangreco had 10 kills.

The Blue Dragons were out-blocked 6-5, but out-dug the Trojans 55-52. Colby had 15 service aces to the Dragons’ three.

Set 1: The Dragons trailed early 6-2, but scored four in a row, tying the set at 6-6 on a Galey kill. Colby, which hit .325 in the opening set, answered with a 4-0 run, which was extended to 10-3 on an Amanda Caputi kill for a 16-9 Trojan lead. The Dragons got back within four on a Foster ace serve at 18-14. Colby finished off the second with three straight kills for a 25-17 win.

Set 2: The Dragons trailed 9-4, but reeled of a 7-0 run Galey’s serve. Her ace gave the Dragons an 11-9 lead. Colby again answered with a seven run, which included three-straight Celia Mbaya ace serves. The Dragons were out-hit .146-.117. The Dragons pulled within 23-20 on a Galey/McKenzie Murphy double block, but the Trojans closed out the set with two-straight points for a 25-20 win.

Set 3: The third set had eight ties and four lead changes. A Johnson kill tied the set at 5-all. Wilson and Murphy had a double block gave the Dragons an 8-7 lead. Tied at 12, Colby opened up a 16-14 lead. Johnson’s kill pulled the Dragons within one, but Colby took control with a 7-2 run.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1727958379878.jpeg" alt="Image Courtesy HutchCC Sports Information" />
 <figcaption>Image Courtesy HutchCC Sports Information</figcaption>
 </figure>HutchCC Sports InformationHUTCHINSON, Kan. — The Hutchinson Community College volleyball team fell in three sets to No. 8 Colby on Wednesday night at the Sports Arena.The Trojans defeated Hutchinson 25-16, 25-20, 25-19.The Dragons are now 12-12 overall and 3-5 in the Jayhawk Conference. The Trojans are 17-2 overall and 7-1 in the KJCCC.Sophomore middle blocker Precious Johnson tied for team-high honors with seven kills on .375 hitting to pace the Blue Dragons.Freshman outside hitter Atlyn Proctor also had seven kills on .043 hitting. Brooke Galey had six kills on .043 hitting.The Blue Dragons hit .128 overall.Sophomore setter Shelbi Wilson finished with 17 assists and 11 digs. Freshman libero Addy Foster had 21 digs.Colby was led by Karlotta Kaitai with 12 kills. Viola Giangreco had 10 kills.The Blue Dragons were out-blocked 6-5, but out-dug the Trojans 55-52. Colby had 15 service aces to the Dragons’ three.Set 1: The Dragons trailed early 6-2, but scored four in a row, tying the set at 6-6 on a Galey kill. Colby, which hit .325 in the opening set, answered with a 4-0 run, which was extended to 10-3 on an Amanda Caputi kill for a 16-9 Trojan lead. The Dragons got back within four on a Foster ace serve at 18-14. Colby finished off the second with three straight kills for a 25-17 win.Set 2: The Dragons trailed 9-4, but reeled of a 7-0 run Galey’s serve. Her ace gave the Dragons an 11-9 lead. Colby again answered with a seven run, which included three-straight Celia Mbaya ace serves. The Dragons were out-hit .146-.117. The Dragons pulled within 23-20 on a Galey/McKenzie Murphy double block, but the Trojans closed out the set with two-straight points for a 25-20 win.Set 3: The third set had eight ties and four lead changes. A Johnson kill tied the set at 5-all. Wilson and Murphy had a double block gave the Dragons an 8-7 lead. Tied at 12, Colby opened up a 16-14 lead. Johnson’s kill pulled the Dragons within one, but Colby took control with a 7-2 run.

🏐 Dragons fall to No. 8 Colby

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Sophomore forward Katharina Marx tied a career high with two goals to provided a needed spark for the No. 18 ranked Hutchinson Community College women’s soccer team on Wednesday against the Seward County Saints.

The Blue Dragons snapped a four-game streak with only one or less goals to win their second-straight game, defeating Seward County 3-1.

Hutchinson improved to 6-2-3 overall and 5-2-3 (18 points) in the Jayhawk Conference. The Dragons travel to Dodge City at 2 p.m. on Saturday. Seward County is now 2-8-3 overall and 1-7-2 (five points) in the KJCCC.

Marx had a five-point game to lead the Blue Dragons against the Saints. She had her fourth career two-goal game and her second-highest single-game point total this season. Marx figured into all three goals scored by the Dragons.

Marx scored the fastest goal of the season on Wednesday, scoring just 1:11 into the game. She hammered in a shot from a Kira Artmann shot and save to give the Dragons a 1-0 lead. Later in the first half, a Blue Dragon corner was tipped twice in the box, but Marx headed home the ball into the upper-left corner of the goal for a 2-0 lead with 8:50 to play in the half.

The Blue Dragons took a 3-0 lead when Marx made a strong counter run up the right side and slid a perfect pass left to Haley Rogers, who scored into an open net with 40:33 remaining in the second half.

Marx how has seven goals and seven assists

Seward County scored its only goal when Nicole Calderon lofted a free kick from 30 yards out with 20:10 left in the half.

The Blue Dragon out-shot the Saints 18-15, including 9-3 in the opening half.

Blue Dragon freshman goalkeeper Marina Lopez (3-0-1) had a season-high seven saves and one goal allowed. She made a pair of key saves in the second half to keep the game at a two-goal deficit.

Seward County’s Miu Kamei had eight saves and allowed three goals.

The Blue Dragons are now 3-0-1 all-time against Seward County.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1727958234727.jpeg" alt="Image Courtesy HutchCC Sports Information" />
 <figcaption>Image Courtesy HutchCC Sports Information</figcaption>
 </figure>HutchCC Sports InformationHUTCHINSON, Kan. — Sophomore forward Katharina Marx tied a career high with two goals to provided a needed spark for the No. 18 ranked Hutchinson Community College women’s soccer team on Wednesday against the Seward County Saints.The Blue Dragons snapped a four-game streak with only one or less goals to win their second-straight game, defeating Seward County 3-1.Hutchinson improved to 6-2-3 overall and 5-2-3 (18 points) in the Jayhawk Conference. The Dragons travel to Dodge City at 2 p.m. on Saturday. Seward County is now 2-8-3 overall and 1-7-2 (five points) in the KJCCC.Marx had a five-point game to lead the Blue Dragons against the Saints. She had her fourth career two-goal game and her second-highest single-game point total this season. Marx figured into all three goals scored by the Dragons.Marx scored the fastest goal of the season on Wednesday, scoring just 1:11 into the game. She hammered in a shot from a Kira Artmann shot and save to give the Dragons a 1-0 lead. Later in the first half, a Blue Dragon corner was tipped twice in the box, but Marx headed home the ball into the upper-left corner of the goal for a 2-0 lead with 8:50 to play in the half.The Blue Dragons took a 3-0 lead when Marx made a strong counter run up the right side and slid a perfect pass left to Haley Rogers, who scored into an open net with 40:33 remaining in the second half.Marx how has seven goals and seven assistsSeward County scored its only goal when Nicole Calderon lofted a free kick from 30 yards out with 20:10 left in the half.The Blue Dragon out-shot the Saints 18-15, including 9-3 in the opening half.Blue Dragon freshman goalkeeper Marina Lopez (3-0-1) had a season-high seven saves and one goal allowed. She made a pair of key saves in the second half to keep the game at a two-goal deficit.Seward County’s Miu Kamei had eight saves and allowed three goals.The Blue Dragons are now 3-0-1 all-time against Seward County.

⚽ Marx leads Dragons to Wednesday win

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/11/1701263164849.png" alt="Early Morning Sports with Rob Dreher for Thursday, October 3rd, 2024." />
 <figcaption>Early Morning Sports with Rob Dreher for Thursday, October 3rd, 2024.</figcaption>
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🎧 LISTEN: ⚾ Royals edge Orioles, advance to ALDS

Lionel Messi, Inter Miami win MLS Supporters Shield with 3-2 win at Crew. It's Messi's 46th trophy

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Lionel Messi and Inter Miami have another trophy, along with home-field advantage throughout the Major League Soccer playoffs. Messi scored twice in the final minutes of the first half, goalie Drake Callender stopped a penalty kick in the 84th minute and Inter Miami beat the defending MLS Cup champion Columbus Crew 3-2 on Wednesday night, wrapping up the Supporters Shield — given annually to the team with the best regular-season record. It was Messi's 46th major trophy won for club or country, extending his record for the most by any men's soccer player in history.

Higashioka's homer starts rally as Padres beat Braves 5-4 to sweep NL Wild Card Series

SAN DIEGO (AP) — Kyle Higashioka's solo homer started a five-run rally against Max Fried with two outs in the second inning, and the San Diego Padres held on to sweep the Atlanta Braves with a 5-4 win in Game 2 of their NL Wild Card Series. Manny Machado added a two-run double with the bases loaded and Jackson Merrill, a top contender for NL Rookie of the Year, followed with a two-run triple as the sellout crowd of 47,705 — the largest in Petco Park history — roared. The Padres advance to face Shohei Ohtani and the NL West rival and top-seeded Los Angeles Dodgers in a National League Division Series beginning Saturday evening at Dodger Stadium.

Mitchell hits tiebreaking HR in the 8th, Chourio goes deep twice and Brewers rally past Mets 5-3

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Jackson Chourio tied the game in the eighth with his second homer of the night and Garrett Mitchell delivered a two-run shot later in the inning to give the Milwaukee Brewers a 5-3 victory over the New York Mets that evened their NL Wild Card Series. The teams will play a decisive Game 3 on Thursday night. The Brewers will attempt to become the first team to rally win a best-of-three Wild Card Series after losing the opener since MLB went to this expanded playoff format in 2022.

Bobby Witt Jr. and the Royals go from 2 late 7-game losing streaks to the AL Division Series

BALTIMORE (AP) — The Kansas City Royals endured two seven-game losing streaks in the final month of the season. The second of those ended with a well-timed joke from a three-time World Series winner. Now they're in the AL Division Series against the New York Yankees after opening the playoffs with a two-game sweep of Baltimore. Kansas City's approach allowed a team that lost 106 games last year to turn things around in a hurry. It will be a bigger challenge for AL batting champion Bobby Witt Jr. and Co. to keep it going.

Gritty Tigers close out playoff sweep of Astros with 5-2 victory in Game 2 of Wild Card Series

HOUSTON (AP) — Andy Ibáñez hit a tiebreaking three-run double in Detroit's four-run eighth inning, and the Tigers swept the Houston Astros with a 5-2 victory in Game 2 of their AL Wild Card Series. Parker Meadows homered as Detroit ended Houston's run of seven consecutive appearances in the AL Championship Series. It was a sweet moment for Tigers manager A.J. Hinch, who led Houston to a championship in 2017 and was fired in the aftermath of the Astros' sign-stealing scandal. Next up for the wild-card Tigers is a trip to Cleveland to take on the AL Central champions in a best-of-five AL Division Series. Game 1 is on Saturday.

Brewers' 20-year-old rookie Jackson Chourio stepping up his game in postseason

MILWAUKEE (AP) — That $82 million contract Jackson Chourio signed before ever playing a major league game looks like more and more of a bargain with every swing the Milwaukee Brewers rookie takes this postseason. Chourio homered twice Wednesday night to help the Brewers save their season with a 5-3 victory over the New York Mets in Game 2 of their NL Wild Card Series. That included a leadoff homer and then a tying drive to start Milwaukee's three-run rally in the eighth inning. The Brewers handed Chourio an eight-year, $82 million contract in December when he had played only six games beyond the Double-A level.

Pete Rose still not going into Hall of Fame. His MLB ban was permanent not 'lifetime'

Pete Rose still isn't going into the Baseball Hall of Fame. The career hits leader's banishment from baseball 35 years ago was often referred to as a lifetime ban, and his death this week led some to believe that would end. But Rose was actually declared permanently ineligible by Major League Baseball rules for betting on the game. As in forever unless there is a formal reinstatement. Since players or officials on MLB's ineligible list can't be considered for election into the Hall of Fame, Rose's status didn't change when he died Monday at age 83.

Dream fire Tanisha Wright in WNBA's 3rd coach firing since playoffs began

The Atlanta Dream have fired coach Tanisha Wright. The franchise announced the move on Wednesday. Wright took over the team in 2021 and helped them reach the playoffs the last two seasons. The Dream lost both years in the opening round of the postseason, including to New York last month. Atlanta went 15-25 this year and had to win its last few games to qualify for the playoffs. There's a strong young nucleus with Rhyne Howard and Allisha Gray leading the way along with veteran center Tina Charles.

Second fan files lawsuit claiming ownership of Shohei Ohtani's 50-50 baseball

MIAMI (AP) — The claim to Shohei Ohtani's potentially lucrative 50th home run ball grew more complicated this week, with a second fan filing a lawsuit asserting he had possession of the historic baseball. According to online records, the latest suit was filed by Joseph Davidov in Florida's 11th Judicial Circuit Court. The defendants are Chris Belanski, Kelvin Ramirez, Max Matus and Goldin Auctions. Belanski is the man who left the stadium with the baseball. Matus — who filed the first lawsuit last week — and Ramirez have also claimed ownership of the ball. Ohtani became the first player in baseball history to hit 50 homers and steal 50 bases, reaching the mark on Sept. 19 with his homer in Miami against the Marlins. The bidding for the baseball through Goldin Auctions is currently at $1.464 million.

Bills place emphasis on defensive backups in wake of NFL's 4-game suspension of Von Miller

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) — The Buffalo Bills have grown accustomed to spending the first month of the season leaning on backups stepping up on a depleted defense. Their depth will be further tested in traveling to play the Houston Texans on Sunday minus Von Miller. The Bills' top pass-rusher is out after he was suspended for four games for violating the NFL's personal conduct policy. Miller was accused in November of assaulting his pregnant girlfriend at their home outside Dallas during the Bills' bye week. Coach Sean McDermott placed the focus forward in calling it an unfortunate situation, while respecting the league's decision.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/12/1701494597443.png" alt="Sports Headlines and News for Thursday, October 3rd, 2024" />
 <figcaption>Sports Headlines and News for Thursday, October 3rd, 2024</figcaption>
 </figure>AP Sports Summary for October 3rd, 2024:<div><iframe width="100%" height="95" src="https://embeds.audioboom.com/posts/8581635/embed?v=202301" style="background-color: transparent; display: block; padding: 0; width: 100%" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="allowtransparency" scrolling="no" title="Audioboom player" allow="autoplay" sandbox="allow-downloads allow-forms allow-popups allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-storage-access-by-user-activation allow-top-navigation-by-user-activation"></iframe></div>Lionel Messi, Inter Miami win MLS Supporters Shield with 3-2 win at Crew. It's Messi's 46th trophyCOLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Lionel Messi and Inter Miami have another trophy, along with home-field advantage throughout the Major League Soccer playoffs. Messi scored twice in the final minutes of the first half, goalie Drake Callender stopped a penalty kick in the 84th minute and Inter Miami beat the defending MLS Cup champion Columbus Crew 3-2 on Wednesday night, wrapping up the Supporters Shield — given annually to the team with the best regular-season record. It was Messi's 46th major trophy won for club or country, extending his record for the most by any men's soccer player in history.Higashioka's homer starts rally as Padres beat Braves 5-4 to sweep NL Wild Card SeriesSAN DIEGO (AP) — Kyle Higashioka's solo homer started a five-run rally against Max Fried with two outs in the second inning, and the San Diego Padres held on to sweep the Atlanta Braves with a 5-4 win in Game 2 of their NL Wild Card Series. Manny Machado added a two-run double with the bases loaded and Jackson Merrill, a top contender for NL Rookie of the Year, followed with a two-run triple as the sellout crowd of 47,705 — the largest in Petco Park history — roared. The Padres advance to face Shohei Ohtani and the NL West rival and top-seeded Los Angeles Dodgers in a National League Division Series beginning Saturday evening at Dodger Stadium.Mitchell hits tiebreaking HR in the 8th, Chourio goes deep twice and Brewers rally past Mets 5-3MILWAUKEE (AP) — Jackson Chourio tied the game in the eighth with his second homer of the night and Garrett Mitchell delivered a two-run shot later in the inning to give the Milwaukee Brewers a 5-3 victory over the New York Mets that evened their NL Wild Card Series. The teams will play a decisive Game 3 on Thursday night. The Brewers will attempt to become the first team to rally win a best-of-three Wild Card Series after losing the opener since MLB went to this expanded playoff format in 2022.Bobby Witt Jr. and the Royals go from 2 late 7-game losing streaks to the AL Division SeriesBALTIMORE (AP) — The Kansas City Royals endured two seven-game losing streaks in the final month of the season. The second of those ended with a well-timed joke from a three-time World Series winner. Now they're in the AL Division Series against the New York Yankees after opening the playoffs with a two-game sweep of Baltimore. Kansas City's approach allowed a team that lost 106 games last year to turn things around in a hurry. It will be a bigger challenge for AL batting champion Bobby Witt Jr. and Co. to keep it going.Gritty Tigers close out playoff sweep of Astros with 5-2 victory in Game 2 of Wild Card SeriesHOUSTON (AP) — Andy Ibáñez hit a tiebreaking three-run double in Detroit's four-run eighth inning, and the Tigers swept the Houston Astros with a 5-2 victory in Game 2 of their AL Wild Card Series. Parker Meadows homered as Detroit ended Houston's run of seven consecutive appearances in the AL Championship Series. It was a sweet moment for Tigers manager A.J. Hinch, who led Houston to a championship in 2017 and was fired in the aftermath of the Astros' sign-stealing scandal. Next up for the wild-card Tigers is a trip to Cleveland to take on the AL Central champions in a best-of-five AL Division Series. Game 1 is on Saturday.Brewers' 20-year-old rookie Jackson Chourio stepping up his game in postseasonMILWAUKEE (AP) — That $82 million contract Jackson Chourio signed before ever playing a major league game looks like more and more of a bargain with every swing the Milwaukee Brewers rookie takes this postseason. Chourio homered twice Wednesday night to help the Brewers save their season with a 5-3 victory over the New York Mets in Game 2 of their NL Wild Card Series. That included a leadoff homer and then a tying drive to start Milwaukee's three-run rally in the eighth inning. The Brewers handed Chourio an eight-year, $82 million contract in December when he had played only six games beyond the Double-A level.Pete Rose still not going into Hall of Fame. His MLB ban was permanent not 'lifetime'Pete Rose still isn't going into the Baseball Hall of Fame. The career hits leader's banishment from baseball 35 years ago was often referred to as a lifetime ban, and his death this week led some to believe that would end. But Rose was actually declared permanently ineligible by Major League Baseball rules for betting on the game. As in forever unless there is a formal reinstatement. Since players or officials on MLB's ineligible list can't be considered for election into the Hall of Fame, Rose's status didn't change when he died Monday at age 83.Dream fire Tanisha Wright in WNBA's 3rd coach firing since playoffs beganThe Atlanta Dream have fired coach Tanisha Wright. The franchise announced the move on Wednesday. Wright took over the team in 2021 and helped them reach the playoffs the last two seasons. The Dream lost both years in the opening round of the postseason, including to New York last month. Atlanta went 15-25 this year and had to win its last few games to qualify for the playoffs. There's a strong young nucleus with Rhyne Howard and Allisha Gray leading the way along with veteran center Tina Charles.Second fan files lawsuit claiming ownership of Shohei Ohtani's 50-50 baseballMIAMI (AP) — The claim to Shohei Ohtani's potentially lucrative 50th home run ball grew more complicated this week, with a second fan filing a lawsuit asserting he had possession of the historic baseball. According to online records, the latest suit was filed by Joseph Davidov in Florida's 11th Judicial Circuit Court. The defendants are Chris Belanski, Kelvin Ramirez, Max Matus and Goldin Auctions. Belanski is the man who left the stadium with the baseball. Matus — who filed the first lawsuit last week — and Ramirez have also claimed ownership of the ball. Ohtani became the first player in baseball history to hit 50 homers and steal 50 bases, reaching the mark on Sept. 19 with his homer in Miami against the Marlins. The bidding for the baseball through Goldin Auctions is currently at $1.464 million.Bills place emphasis on defensive backups in wake of NFL's 4-game suspension of Von MillerORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) — The Buffalo Bills have grown accustomed to spending the first month of the season leaning on backups stepping up on a depleted defense. Their depth will be further tested in traveling to play the Houston Texans on Sunday minus Von Miller. The Bills' top pass-rusher is out after he was suspended for four games for violating the NFL's personal conduct policy. Miller was accused in November of assaulting his pregnant girlfriend at their home outside Dallas during the Bills' bye week. Coach Sean McDermott placed the focus forward in calling it an unfortunate situation, while respecting the league's decision.AP-ScorecardTODAY'S SPORTS SCHEDULE___AMERICAN LEAGUE PLAYOFFSFinal	Detroit	5	Houston	2	Final	Kansas City	2	Baltimore	1	___NATIONAL LEAGUE PLAYOFFSFinal	Milwaukee	5	N.Y. Mets	3	Final	San Diego	5	Atlanta	4	___NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUEFinal OT	Florida	2	Tampa Bay	1	Final	Nashville	6	Carolina	4	Final	Winnipeg	5	Calgary	2	Final	Seattle	6	Edmonton	2	Final	Anaheim	5	Utah	2	___MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCERFinal	CF Montréal	2	Atlanta	1	Final	Charlotte FC	4	Chicago	3	Final	New York City FC	3	Cincinnati	2	Final	Orlando City	2	Philadelphia	1	Final	New York	4	Toronto FC	1	Final	Miami	3	Columbus	2	Final	Houston	2	New England	1	Final	D.C. United	4	Nashville	3	Final	LA Galaxy	3	Colorado	1	Final tie	Minnesota	0	Real Salt Lake	0	Final	Los Angeles FC	1	St Louis City	0	Final	Austin FC	1	Portland	0	Final	San Jose	3	FC Dallas	2	Final	Seattle	3	Vancouver	0	___

📢📰🎧 Sports Headlines for Thursday

BALTIMORE (AP) — Bobby Witt Jr. beat out an infield single to drive in the go-ahead run and send the Kansas City Royals into an AL Division Series with a 2-1 victory over the Baltimore Orioles on Wednesday for a two-game sweep of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/royals-orioles-al-wild-card-b1a51520c564ba2d18ce0c95d6761758">their Wild Card Series</a>.

With two outs and runners at the corners in sixth inning, Witt hit a grounder to the edge of the dirt behind second base, where Jordan Westburg made a diving stop and throw to first. Witt was already there after zooming 90 feet in 4.14 seconds, allowing Kyle Isbel to score from third.

It was the second consecutive game in which the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/bobby-witt-jr">AL batting champion</a>&nbsp;provided the decisive hit. Witt’s RBI single Tuesday in Game 1 plated the only run&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mlb-baseball-playoffs-2024-royals-orioles-088619707dc5aed035f49ee0fbbce578">in a 1-0 victory</a>.

Kansas City, which endured two seven-game losing streaks over the final month of the season, advances to face the AL East champion New York Yankees. Game 1 is Saturday in the Bronx.

Second baseman Michael Massey, who led off the game with a double and scored on a hit by Vinnie Pasquantino, said the front office bringing in experienced veterans with previous playoff experience like Tommy Pham, Yuli Gurriel, Michael Wacha and Will Smith made this possible.

“They’ve been there before, they’ve done it, so I think it’s helped a lot of guys,” Massey said. “It’s helped us, for sure me, to be around those guys and just watch them, more than anything, and see how they go about their business, has been — I think that’s helped us stay even keel.”

The Royals left 12 runners on base and got through another close game with a razor-thin margin for error thanks to some masterful managing by Matt Quatraro, himself a postseason rookie like Witt, Game 1 winner Cole Ragans and so many others.

Quatraro let starter Seth Lugo get an out after loading the bases in the fifth before spinning up bullpen roulette, starting with winning pitcher Angel Zerpa, who got KC out of that jam and got the first out of the sixth. John Schreiber got three more outs, Sam Long two, Kris Bubic three and Lucas Erceg the final three to close it out for his second save of the series.

The Orioles were swept in their only playoff series for a second consecutive year, going 1 for 13 with runners in scoring position this time and 5 for 32 combined. They face numerous offseason questions, from the future of manager Brandon Hyde to the possibility of losing&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/2c5a9a7c148b2c2d84994ab3fcc705fd">pending free-agent starter Corbin Burnes</a>.

Orioles: Left fielder Colton Cowser struck out despite a pitch hitting him in the left hand in the fifth. He stayed in through the sixth before leaving with pain in his hand.

The Royals face&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/carlos-rodon-yankees-alds-ed2934c198986eff681314996cc63641">Yankees ace Gerrit Cole</a>&nbsp;in the opener of the ALDS, with any starter but Ragans or Lugo rested and ready to go. Wacha had been in line to start Game 3 against Baltimore.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1727914133285.png" alt="Kansas City Royals' Bobby Witt Jr. (7) hits a single as home plate umpire Ben May, left, and Baltimore Orioles catcher Adley Rutschman look on during the third inning in Game 2 of an AL Wild Card Series baseball game, Wednesday, Oct. 2, 2024 in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough)" />
 <figcaption>Kansas City Royals' Bobby Witt Jr. (7) hits a single as home plate umpire Ben May, left, and Baltimore Orioles catcher Adley Rutschman look on during the third inning in Game 2 of an AL Wild Card Series baseball game, Wednesday, Oct. 2, 2024 in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough)</figcaption>
 </figure>BALTIMORE (AP) — Bobby Witt Jr. beat out an infield single to drive in the go-ahead run and send the Kansas City Royals into an AL Division Series with a 2-1 victory over the Baltimore Orioles on Wednesday for a two-game sweep of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/royals-orioles-al-wild-card-b1a51520c564ba2d18ce0c95d6761758">their Wild Card Series</a>.With two outs and runners at the corners in sixth inning, Witt hit a grounder to the edge of the dirt behind second base, where Jordan Westburg made a diving stop and throw to first. Witt was already there after zooming 90 feet in 4.14 seconds, allowing Kyle Isbel to score from third.It was the second consecutive game in which the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/bobby-witt-jr">AL batting champion</a>&nbsp;provided the decisive hit. Witt’s RBI single Tuesday in Game 1 plated the only run&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mlb-baseball-playoffs-2024-royals-orioles-088619707dc5aed035f49ee0fbbce578">in a 1-0 victory</a>.Kansas City, which endured two seven-game losing streaks over the final month of the season, advances to face the AL East champion New York Yankees. Game 1 is Saturday in the Bronx.Second baseman Michael Massey, who led off the game with a double and scored on a hit by Vinnie Pasquantino, said the front office bringing in experienced veterans with previous playoff experience like Tommy Pham, Yuli Gurriel, Michael Wacha and Will Smith made this possible.“They’ve been there before, they’ve done it, so I think it’s helped a lot of guys,” Massey said. “It’s helped us, for sure me, to be around those guys and just watch them, more than anything, and see how they go about their business, has been — I think that’s helped us stay even keel.”The Royals left 12 runners on base and got through another close game with a razor-thin margin for error thanks to some masterful managing by Matt Quatraro, himself a postseason rookie like Witt, Game 1 winner Cole Ragans and so many others.Quatraro let starter Seth Lugo get an out after loading the bases in the fifth before spinning up bullpen roulette, starting with winning pitcher Angel Zerpa, who got KC out of that jam and got the first out of the sixth. John Schreiber got three more outs, Sam Long two, Kris Bubic three and Lucas Erceg the final three to close it out for his second save of the series.The Orioles were swept in their only playoff series for a second consecutive year, going 1 for 13 with runners in scoring position this time and 5 for 32 combined. They face numerous offseason questions, from the future of manager Brandon Hyde to the possibility of losing&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/2c5a9a7c148b2c2d84994ab3fcc705fd">pending free-agent starter Corbin Burnes</a>.<h2>TRAINER’S ROOM</h2>Orioles: Left fielder Colton Cowser struck out despite a pitch hitting him in the left hand in the fifth. He stayed in through the sixth before leaving with pain in his hand.<h2>UP NEXT</h2>The Royals face&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/carlos-rodon-yankees-alds-ed2934c198986eff681314996cc63641">Yankees ace Gerrit Cole</a>&nbsp;in the opener of the ALDS, with any starter but Ragans or Lugo rested and ready to go. Wacha had been in line to start Game 3 against Baltimore.

⚾ Witt Jr. gets another big hit to send the Royals into the ALDS

KANSAS CITY, Mo.—Kansas City Royals Triple-A manager&nbsp;Mike Jirschele&nbsp;was named International League Manager of the Year and left-handed pitcher&nbsp;Evan Sisk&nbsp;was named an International League All-Star as a relief pitcher in an announcement made by Minor League Baseball. Votes were cast by International League Managers.

Jirschele led the Triple-A Omaha Storm Chasers to a franchise record 89 wins this season and an appearance in the Triple-A Championship Game after clinching Omaha’s first International League title in franchise history. He led the Chasers to an 89-59 record, which was the 2nd-best mark in club history, behind only the 1969 Omaha Royals (86-50). He guided the Storm Chasers to a minor league-best 49-24 (.671) record in the 1st half, clinching their first postseason berth since 2014. Omaha finished with a 21-win improvement from its 68-77 (.469) record in 2023, which was tied for the 2nd-best jump in Minor League Baseball. In addition to setting the franchise record with 89 wins, the Chasers set single-season records this year in opponents’ average (.242) and doubles (287).

Jirschele finished his 16th season as Triple-A Omaha’s Manager and his 33rd season in the Royals organization overall in 2024. He is the winningest manager in Storm Chasers history (1,152-1,154) and previously managed the club from 1995-97 and 2003-13, leading the team to four division titles, two Pacific Coast League titles (2011, 2013) and a Triple-A Championship in 2013.

Sisk, 27, went 6-2 with a 1.57 ERA (10 ER in 57.1 IP) with 15 saves in 58 games for Triple-A Omaha this season. He paced in the International League in games and ranked 4th in saves, while holding opponents to a .166 average (33-for-199) this season. He converted 15 of his final 16 save opportunities from May 26 through the end of the regular season and stranded 28 of his 32 inherited runners (87.5%), which was the highest rate in among Triple-A relievers (min. 25 inherited runners).

In 3 relief appearances in the postseason, Sisk tossed 3.2 scoreless innings, including a 1-2-3 8th in the Triple-A Championship Game on Sept. 28 vs. the Sugar Land Space Cowboys in Las Vegas, Nev.Sisk was acquired by the Royals with right-handed pitcher&nbsp;Steven Cruz&nbsp;on January 24, 2023 from the Minnesota Twins for outfielder&nbsp;Michael A. Taylor. &nbsp;

Additionally, left-handed pitcher&nbsp;Walter Pennington&nbsp;was also named an International League All-Star as a relief pitcher after spending the majority of his season with Triple-A Omaha. He went 6-3 with a 2.26 ERA (15 ER in 59.2 IP) in 37 games (2 starts) with the Storm Chasers before being traded to the Texas Rangers on July 29 for right-handed pitcher&nbsp;Michael Lorenzen.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1695315090950.jpeg" alt="Photo Courtesy Kansas City Royals" />
 <figcaption>Photo Courtesy Kansas City Royals</figcaption>
 </figure>Kansas City RoyalsKANSAS CITY, Mo.—Kansas City Royals Triple-A manager&nbsp;Mike Jirschele&nbsp;was named International League Manager of the Year and left-handed pitcher&nbsp;Evan Sisk&nbsp;was named an International League All-Star as a relief pitcher in an announcement made by Minor League Baseball. Votes were cast by International League Managers.Jirschele led the Triple-A Omaha Storm Chasers to a franchise record 89 wins this season and an appearance in the Triple-A Championship Game after clinching Omaha’s first International League title in franchise history. He led the Chasers to an 89-59 record, which was the 2nd-best mark in club history, behind only the 1969 Omaha Royals (86-50). He guided the Storm Chasers to a minor league-best 49-24 (.671) record in the 1st half, clinching their first postseason berth since 2014. Omaha finished with a 21-win improvement from its 68-77 (.469) record in 2023, which was tied for the 2nd-best jump in Minor League Baseball. In addition to setting the franchise record with 89 wins, the Chasers set single-season records this year in opponents’ average (.242) and doubles (287).Jirschele finished his 16th season as Triple-A Omaha’s Manager and his 33rd season in the Royals organization overall in 2024. He is the winningest manager in Storm Chasers history (1,152-1,154) and previously managed the club from 1995-97 and 2003-13, leading the team to four division titles, two Pacific Coast League titles (2011, 2013) and a Triple-A Championship in 2013.Sisk, 27, went 6-2 with a 1.57 ERA (10 ER in 57.1 IP) with 15 saves in 58 games for Triple-A Omaha this season. He paced in the International League in games and ranked 4th in saves, while holding opponents to a .166 average (33-for-199) this season. He converted 15 of his final 16 save opportunities from May 26 through the end of the regular season and stranded 28 of his 32 inherited runners (87.5%), which was the highest rate in among Triple-A relievers (min. 25 inherited runners).In 3 relief appearances in the postseason, Sisk tossed 3.2 scoreless innings, including a 1-2-3 8th in the Triple-A Championship Game on Sept. 28 vs. the Sugar Land Space Cowboys in Las Vegas, Nev.Sisk was acquired by the Royals with right-handed pitcher&nbsp;Steven Cruz&nbsp;on January 24, 2023 from the Minnesota Twins for outfielder&nbsp;Michael A. Taylor. &nbsp;Additionally, left-handed pitcher&nbsp;Walter Pennington&nbsp;was also named an International League All-Star as a relief pitcher after spending the majority of his season with Triple-A Omaha. He went 6-3 with a 2.26 ERA (15 ER in 59.2 IP) in 37 games (2 starts) with the Storm Chasers before being traded to the Texas Rangers on July 29 for right-handed pitcher&nbsp;Michael Lorenzen.

⚾ Royals Triple-A skipper named International League Manager of the Year

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1727889129561.jpeg" alt="Photo Courtesy Big 12 Conference" />
 <figcaption>Photo Courtesy Big 12 Conference</figcaption>
 </figure><div>The Big 12 will join forces with the Kansas City Sports Commission to host the Division I Men&rsquo;s Basketball Midwest Regional during the 2027 NCAA Tournament at the T-Mobile Center. &nbsp; With the 2027 selection, the Big 12 has had 18 opportunities to host Men&rsquo;s March Madness since the Conference began competition in 1997. It was previously announced that the Conference would host NCAA First and Second Rounds at the Paycom Center in Oklahoma City in 2026 plus the 2030 NCAA Men&rsquo;s Final Four at AT&amp;T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. &nbsp; Most recently, the Conference hosted the 2024 NCAA South Regional at the American Airlines Center. The Big 12 last hosted the Big Dance in Kansas City during the 2023 Midwest Regional, also playing at the longtime host site of the Phillips 66 Big 12 Championship. &nbsp; Big 12 NCAA Men&rsquo;s Basketball Championship Host History 2001&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Kansas City, Mo (Kemper Arena), First/Second Rounds 2002&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Dallas, Texas (American Airlines Center), First/Second Rounds 2003&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Oklahoma City, Okla. (Ford Center), First/Second Rounds 2004&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Kansas City, Mo. (Kemper Arena), First/Second Rounds 2005&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Oklahoma City, Okla. (Ford Center), First/Second Rounds 2006&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Dallas, Texas (American Airlines Center), First/Second Rounds 2009&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Kansas City, Mo. (Sprint Center), First/Second Rounds 2010&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Oklahoma City, Okla. (Ford Center), First/Second Rounds 2013&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Arlington, Texas (AT&amp;T Stadium), South Regional 2014&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Arlington, Texas (AT&amp;T Stadium), Men&rsquo;s Final Four 2016&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Oklahoma City, Okla. (Chesapeake Energy Arena), First/Second Rounds 2017&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Kansas City, Mo. (Sprint Center), Midwest Regional 2018&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Dallas, Texas (American Airlines Center), First/Second Rounds 2023&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Kansas City, Mo. (T-Mobile Center), Midwest Regional 2024&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Dallas, Texas (American Airlines Center), South Regional 2026&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Oklahoma City, Okla. (Paycom Center), First/Second Rounds 2027&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Kansas City, Mo. (T-Mobile Center), Midwest Regional 2030&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Arlington, Texas (AT&amp;T Stadium), Men&rsquo;s Final Four</div>

Big 12 selected to host 2027 NCAA Men's Basketball Regional in KC

MANHATTAN, Kan.&nbsp;– Former Kansas State All-American&nbsp;Markquis Nowell&nbsp;has signed a contract to play with the Houston Rockets, the organization announced late Tuesday night (Oct. 1).

Nowell signs with the Rockets after spending part of the 2023-24 season with the Toronto Raptors, which signed him to a two-way contract following the 2023 NBA Draft. He spent most of his first professional season with the Raptors’ G-League team, the Raptors 905, playing in just 13 games before an injury sidelined him for the rest of the 2023-24 season. He averaged 13.8 points on 40.7 percent shooting with 7.6 assists, 2.6 rebounds and 1.8 steals in 31.9 minutes per game.

The 5-foot-7, 160-pound point guard from Harlem, N.Y., won the 2023 Bob Cousy Point Guard Award and was named a Third Team All-American by The Associated Press,&nbsp;The Sporting News, NABC and USBWA. He averaged a team-best 17.6 points, 8.3 assists, 3.5 rebounds and 2.6 steals in 36.9 minutes per game en route to helping K-State to a 26-win season in 2022-23.

The school’s single-season leader in assists and steals, Nowell finished second nationally in assists/game (8.3 apg.), total assists (297) and total steals (92), while he ranked among the top 15 in 4 other categories. He finished his college career with a magical run through the NCAA Tournament in helping K-State advance to its 13th&nbsp;Elite Eight. He averaged 23.5 points, 13.5 assists and 4.0 steals during his 4-game NCAA Tournament run en route to earning Most Outstanding Player honors for the NCAA East Regional.

Nowell and the Rockets open the season on Monday, Oct. 7 with a preseason game at the Utah Jazz. The regular season tips off with a home game against former teammate Keyontae Johnson and the Charlotte Hornets on Wednesday, Oct. 23.&nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/3/1679505528403.jpeg" alt="Kansas State guard Markquis Nowell celebrates after scoring against Kentucky during the second half of a second-round college basketball game in the NCAA Tournament on Sunday, March 19, 2023, in Greensboro, N.C. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)" />
 <figcaption>Kansas State guard Markquis Nowell celebrates after scoring against Kentucky during the second half of a second-round college basketball game in the NCAA Tournament on Sunday, March 19, 2023, in Greensboro, N.C. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)</figcaption>
 </figure>Kansas State AthleticsMANHATTAN, Kan.&nbsp;– Former Kansas State All-American&nbsp;Markquis Nowell&nbsp;has signed a contract to play with the Houston Rockets, the organization announced late Tuesday night (Oct. 1).Nowell signs with the Rockets after spending part of the 2023-24 season with the Toronto Raptors, which signed him to a two-way contract following the 2023 NBA Draft. He spent most of his first professional season with the Raptors’ G-League team, the Raptors 905, playing in just 13 games before an injury sidelined him for the rest of the 2023-24 season. He averaged 13.8 points on 40.7 percent shooting with 7.6 assists, 2.6 rebounds and 1.8 steals in 31.9 minutes per game.The 5-foot-7, 160-pound point guard from Harlem, N.Y., won the 2023 Bob Cousy Point Guard Award and was named a Third Team All-American by The Associated Press,&nbsp;The Sporting News, NABC and USBWA. He averaged a team-best 17.6 points, 8.3 assists, 3.5 rebounds and 2.6 steals in 36.9 minutes per game en route to helping K-State to a 26-win season in 2022-23.The school’s single-season leader in assists and steals, Nowell finished second nationally in assists/game (8.3 apg.), total assists (297) and total steals (92), while he ranked among the top 15 in 4 other categories. He finished his college career with a magical run through the NCAA Tournament in helping K-State advance to its 13th&nbsp;Elite Eight. He averaged 23.5 points, 13.5 assists and 4.0 steals during his 4-game NCAA Tournament run en route to earning Most Outstanding Player honors for the NCAA East Regional.Nowell and the Rockets open the season on Monday, Oct. 7 with a preseason game at the Utah Jazz. The regular season tips off with a home game against former teammate Keyontae Johnson and the Charlotte Hornets on Wednesday, Oct. 23.&nbsp;&nbsp;