<a href="https://www.chiefs.com/news/chiefs-announce-roster-moves-2024">Via Chiefs.com</a>

The Chiefs made the below roster moves to get down to their 53-man roster.

The Kansas City Chiefs traded for the following players:

The Kansas City Chiefs placed the following player on Reserve/PUP:

The Kansas City Chiefs placed the following player on Reserve/NFI:

The Kansas City Chiefs waived the following players:

Bozeman, Swayze (LB- Southern Mississippi)

Ingram, Keaontay (RB- Southern California)

The Kansas City Chiefs released the following players:

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1723386436838.png" alt="chiefs new.png" />
 <figcaption>chiefs new.png</figcaption>
 </figure><a href="https://www.chiefs.com/news/chiefs-announce-roster-moves-2024">Via Chiefs.com</a>The Chiefs made the below roster moves to get down to their 53-man roster.The Kansas City Chiefs traded for the following players:Hendershot, Peyton (TE- Indiana)Thomas, Cameron (DE- San Diego State)The Kansas City Chiefs placed the following player on Reserve/PUP:Omenihu, Charles (DE- Texas)The Kansas City Chiefs placed the following player on Reserve/NFI:Thompson, B.J. (DE- Stephen F. Austin)The Kansas City Chiefs waived the following players:Bailey, Emani (RB- Texas Christian)Bozeman, Swayze (LB- Southern Mississippi)Cupp, Baylor (TE- Texas Tech)Farrell, Neil (DT- Louisiana State)Godrick, Chukwuebuka (T- No College)Hadden, Kamal (CB- Tennessee)Ingram, Keaontay (RB- Southern California)Jacobs, Curtis (LB- Penn State)Jones, Truman (DE- Harvard)Lovett, Fabien (DT- Florida State)Miller, D.J. (CB- Kent State)Niang, Lucas (T- Texas Christian)Oladokun, Chris (QB- South Dakota State)Powell, Cornell (WR- Clemson)Prince, Deneric (RB- Tulsa)Rees-Zammit, Louis (RB- No College)Remigio, Nikko (WR- Fresno State)Ross, Justyn (WR- Clemson)Taylor, Keith (CB- Washington)Toney, Kadarius (WR- Florida)Washington, Montrell (WR- Samford)The Kansas City Chiefs released the following players:Bush, Deon (S- Miami)Christiansen, Cole (LB- Army)Dickerson, Matt (DT- UCLA)Smith, Irv (TE- Alabama)

🏈 Chiefs make roster moves Tuesday

WICHITA, Kan. — The Wichita Wind Surge got out in front early in a 4-3 victory over the Springfield Cardinals at Riverfront Stadium. All four of Wichita’s runs came in the first four innings, providing a big enough hole to hold off the Cardinals in the series opener.

Alex Isola&nbsp;singled up the middle in his first at-bat back at Riverfront and moved up to second on a five-pitch walk by&nbsp;Aaron Sabato. Both men scored on a double that carried off the left field wall by&nbsp;Andrew Cossetti&nbsp;for an early 2-0 Wind Surge lead in the bottom of the first.

Jorel Ortega&nbsp;yanked a bouncer off an infielder’s glove out to shallow left field three innings later to give Wichita another run. Two pitches later, Ortega scored on an RBI double placed a little bit deeper out to left from&nbsp;Tanner Schobel&nbsp;to push Wichita out in front 4-0.

Springfield strung together three straight runs in the seventh and eighth innings. R.J. Yeager smoked a solo shot, his 13th of the season, deep out to left-center in the seventh. Then Matt Lloyd pulled a two-out, two-run double of his own to right field in the top of the eighth.

Pierson Ohl&nbsp;set down the side on eight pitches in the ninth to give the Wind Surge a series-opening 4-3 win over the Cardinals.&nbsp;Travis Adams&nbsp;picks up the win over five innings of three-hit baseball with two walks and three strikeouts to improve to 5-7 on the season. Ohl picks up his first save with Wichita after throwing for the final four innings and giving up three earned runs on five hits with a pair of punchouts.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1724839516304.jpeg" alt="Photo courtesy of Wichita Wind Surge" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy of Wichita Wind Surge</figcaption>
 </figure>Wichita Wind SurgeWICHITA, Kan. — The Wichita Wind Surge got out in front early in a 4-3 victory over the Springfield Cardinals at Riverfront Stadium. All four of Wichita’s runs came in the first four innings, providing a big enough hole to hold off the Cardinals in the series opener.Alex Isola&nbsp;singled up the middle in his first at-bat back at Riverfront and moved up to second on a five-pitch walk by&nbsp;Aaron Sabato. Both men scored on a double that carried off the left field wall by&nbsp;Andrew Cossetti&nbsp;for an early 2-0 Wind Surge lead in the bottom of the first.Jorel Ortega&nbsp;yanked a bouncer off an infielder’s glove out to shallow left field three innings later to give Wichita another run. Two pitches later, Ortega scored on an RBI double placed a little bit deeper out to left from&nbsp;Tanner Schobel&nbsp;to push Wichita out in front 4-0.Springfield strung together three straight runs in the seventh and eighth innings. R.J. Yeager smoked a solo shot, his 13th of the season, deep out to left-center in the seventh. Then Matt Lloyd pulled a two-out, two-run double of his own to right field in the top of the eighth.Pierson Ohl&nbsp;set down the side on eight pitches in the ninth to give the Wind Surge a series-opening 4-3 win over the Cardinals.&nbsp;Travis Adams&nbsp;picks up the win over five innings of three-hit baseball with two walks and three strikeouts to improve to 5-7 on the season. Ohl picks up his first save with Wichita after throwing for the final four innings and giving up three earned runs on five hits with a pair of punchouts.

⚾ Wind Surge win series opener over Cardinals

CLEVELAND (AP) — Paul DeJong hit a two-run homer as the Kansas City Royals caught Cleveland atop the AL Central by beating the Guardians 6-1 in a game delayed more than two hours by rain. The Royals, who lost 106 games last season, improved to a league-best 23-13 since the All-Star break, when they trailed the Guardians by seven games. Cleveland had been all alone in first since April 14 before dropping the first three games in this four-game series. The Guardians have lost nine of 12 and are just 17-21 since the break. DeJong homered in the second off Gavin Williams.

CLEVELAND (AP) — Kansas City Royals starter Michael Lorenzen will undergo an MRI on Wednesday after injuring his left hamstring in the second inning of Tuesday night’s 6-1 win over the Cleveland Guardians. Lorenzen got hurt while stretching as he covered first base. He tried to stay in the game, but exited after facing one batter. Manager Matt Quatraro said Lorenzen will fly back to Kansas City for imaging tests while the Royals finish their four-game series in Cleveland. Lorenzen was acquired in a July trade from Texas. He was coming off his best performance with the Royals, pitching seven scoreless innings last week against the Angels.

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Jake Cronenworth hit a tiebreaking RBI single in San Diego’s two-run seventh inning, and the Padres beat the St. Louis Cardinals 7-5 for their third consecutive win. Manny Machado homered for San Diego, and Luis Arraez had three hits. Yuki Matsui pitched an inning for the win, and Tanner Scott handled the ninth for his 20th save in 22 chances. Padres right-hander Dylan Cease threw 96 pitches in 4 1/3 innings on a night when the gametime temperature was announced at 98 degrees. Paul Goldschmidt homered for St. Louis in its third loss in four games.

UNDATED (AP) — Kansas City receiver Kadarius Toney and Tennessee cornerback Caleb Farley, both first-round picks in the 2021 NFL draft, are among the cuts as teams trim their rosters for the regular season. Toney was on his second team since the New York Giants drafted him 20th overall three years ago. The Titans took Farley two picks later. Teams had to cut their rosters to 53 players from the training camp maximum of 90. Toney, Farley and hundreds of others will be eligible to return on practice squads that allow up to 17 players.

EAGAN, Minn. (AP) — NFL owners have approved a rule allowing private equity investors in their teams. They voted to let certain league-sanctioned firms buy up a stake of up to 10% in the 32 franchises that are steadily soaring in value. The previously prohibited practice was studied for the past five years. During that time the Denver Broncos sold for $4.65 billion and the Washington Commanders went for $6.05 billion. The NFL took this vote at a special meeting in Minnesota. It vetted three standalone funds and one consortium of five firms as the only allowable investors.

ATLANTA (AP) — The PGA Tour could use a change of scenery for its postseason. For the third straight year, the path to the FedEx Cup finale starts at the TPC Southwind in Memphis, Tennessee. The only playoff event that changes venues is the BMW Championship. The problem for the tour is that Memphis is the headquarters of FedEx, the company that pays the bills. The FedEx Cup began in big markets like New York and Boston and two of them moved around. Now it starts in Memphis and ends in Atlanta. It would be ideal to persuade FedEx to alternate out of Memphis.

UNDATED (AP) — The NCAA Division I Council will consider eliminating the 15-day spring transfer window for football as part of a move to decrease the overall number of days from 45 to 30 that players can declare their intentions to switch schools while maintaining immediate eligibility. The NCAA has announced the football oversight committees have recommended decreasing the transfer portal windows from two to one. The council will meet in October and if approved, the new one-window arrangement could go into effect this year from Dec. 9-Jan. 7.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The new-look Big 12 begins play this weekend and the pressure is on to perform. The four newcomers have some tough games right out of the blocks with Arizona State playing perennial bowl contender Wyoming, Colorado facing FCS power North Dakota State, Utah against Baylor after its opener against Southern Utah, and Arizona facing Kansas State in Week 3. But they are not the only ones under immediate pressure to win. The entire league, which is trying to prove its playoff worth, will be watching to see what West Virginia does when it welcomes No. 8 Penn State to town on Saturday night.

BOULDER, Colo. (AP) — Hall of Fame defensive tackle Warren Sapp never figured he'd get into coaching. But that changed when he visited Deion Sanders a year ago after Coach Prime had been hired at the University of Colorado. Sapp is serving as a graduate assistant and helping with the defensive line this season under Sanders. Sapp said he enjoys connecting with Gen Z players and working alongside another former Miami Hurricanes star in Damione Lewis.

Texas at Chi White Sox 5:10 p.m. (Suspended)

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/12/1701494597443.png" alt="Sports Headlines and News for Wednesday August 28th, 2024" />
 <figcaption>Sports Headlines and News for Wednesday August 28th, 2024</figcaption>
 </figure><div><iframe width="100%" height="95" src="https://embeds.audioboom.com/posts/8562387/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>CLEVELAND (AP) — Paul DeJong hit a two-run homer as the Kansas City Royals caught Cleveland atop the AL Central by beating the Guardians 6-1 in a game delayed more than two hours by rain. The Royals, who lost 106 games last season, improved to a league-best 23-13 since the All-Star break, when they trailed the Guardians by seven games. Cleveland had been all alone in first since April 14 before dropping the first three games in this four-game series. The Guardians have lost nine of 12 and are just 17-21 since the break. DeJong homered in the second off Gavin Williams.CLEVELAND (AP) — Kansas City Royals starter Michael Lorenzen will undergo an MRI on Wednesday after injuring his left hamstring in the second inning of Tuesday night’s 6-1 win over the Cleveland Guardians. Lorenzen got hurt while stretching as he covered first base. He tried to stay in the game, but exited after facing one batter. Manager Matt Quatraro said Lorenzen will fly back to Kansas City for imaging tests while the Royals finish their four-game series in Cleveland. Lorenzen was acquired in a July trade from Texas. He was coming off his best performance with the Royals, pitching seven scoreless innings last week against the Angels.ST. LOUIS (AP) — Jake Cronenworth hit a tiebreaking RBI single in San Diego’s two-run seventh inning, and the Padres beat the St. Louis Cardinals 7-5 for their third consecutive win. Manny Machado homered for San Diego, and Luis Arraez had three hits. Yuki Matsui pitched an inning for the win, and Tanner Scott handled the ninth for his 20th save in 22 chances. Padres right-hander Dylan Cease threw 96 pitches in 4 1/3 innings on a night when the gametime temperature was announced at 98 degrees. Paul Goldschmidt homered for St. Louis in its third loss in four games.UNDATED (AP) — Kansas City receiver Kadarius Toney and Tennessee cornerback Caleb Farley, both first-round picks in the 2021 NFL draft, are among the cuts as teams trim their rosters for the regular season. Toney was on his second team since the New York Giants drafted him 20th overall three years ago. The Titans took Farley two picks later. Teams had to cut their rosters to 53 players from the training camp maximum of 90. Toney, Farley and hundreds of others will be eligible to return on practice squads that allow up to 17 players.EAGAN, Minn. (AP) — NFL owners have approved a rule allowing private equity investors in their teams. They voted to let certain league-sanctioned firms buy up a stake of up to 10% in the 32 franchises that are steadily soaring in value. The previously prohibited practice was studied for the past five years. During that time the Denver Broncos sold for $4.65 billion and the Washington Commanders went for $6.05 billion. The NFL took this vote at a special meeting in Minnesota. It vetted three standalone funds and one consortium of five firms as the only allowable investors.ATLANTA (AP) — The PGA Tour could use a change of scenery for its postseason. For the third straight year, the path to the FedEx Cup finale starts at the TPC Southwind in Memphis, Tennessee. The only playoff event that changes venues is the BMW Championship. The problem for the tour is that Memphis is the headquarters of FedEx, the company that pays the bills. The FedEx Cup began in big markets like New York and Boston and two of them moved around. Now it starts in Memphis and ends in Atlanta. It would be ideal to persuade FedEx to alternate out of Memphis.UNDATED (AP) — The NCAA Division I Council will consider eliminating the 15-day spring transfer window for football as part of a move to decrease the overall number of days from 45 to 30 that players can declare their intentions to switch schools while maintaining immediate eligibility. The NCAA has announced the football oversight committees have recommended decreasing the transfer portal windows from two to one. The council will meet in October and if approved, the new one-window arrangement could go into effect this year from Dec. 9-Jan. 7.KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The new-look Big 12 begins play this weekend and the pressure is on to perform. The four newcomers have some tough games right out of the blocks with Arizona State playing perennial bowl contender Wyoming, Colorado facing FCS power North Dakota State, Utah against Baylor after its opener against Southern Utah, and Arizona facing Kansas State in Week 3. But they are not the only ones under immediate pressure to win. The entire league, which is trying to prove its playoff worth, will be watching to see what West Virginia does when it welcomes No. 8 Penn State to town on Saturday night.BOULDER, Colo. (AP) — Hall of Fame defensive tackle Warren Sapp never figured he'd get into coaching. But that changed when he visited Deion Sanders a year ago after Coach Prime had been hired at the University of Colorado. Sapp is serving as a graduate assistant and helping with the defensive line this season under Sanders. Sapp said he enjoys connecting with Gen Z players and working alongside another former Miami Hurricanes star in Damione Lewis.TUESDAY SCORESMAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALLINTERLEAGUEFinal Philadelphia 5 Houston 0Final Washington 4 N.Y. Yankees 2Final Oakland 5 Cincinnati 4Final Atlanta 8 Minnesota 6Final Baltimore 3 L.A. Dodgers 2AMERICAN LEAGUETexas at Chi White Sox 5:10 p.m. (Suspended)Final Detroit 6 L.A. Angels 2Final Kansas City 6 Cleveland 1Final Boston 6 Toronto 3Final Tampa Bay 3 Seattle 2NATIONAL LEAGUEFinal Chicago Cubs 9 Pittsburgh 5Final San Diego 7 St. Louis 5Final San Francisco 5 Milwaukee 4Final Miami 9 Colorado 8Final N.Y. Mets 8 Arizona 3

📢📰🎧 Sports Headlines for Wednesday

CLEVELAND (AP) — After four months and a lengthy rain delay, there's a second team sitting atop the AL Central.

Paul DeJong hit a two-run homer and Kansas City moved into a tie for first with Cleveland by beating the Guardians 6-1 on Tuesday night in a game delayed more than two hours by rain.

The Royals, who lost 106 games last season, improved to a league-best 23-13 since the All-Star break, when they trailed the Guardians by seven games.

“That’s our goal, to win the division," Kansas City manager Matt Quatraro said. “Clearly nothing is decided. We got a month-plus to go, but we like the way we’re playing. Our guys are super competitive. They don’t back down from anything and this is what a pennant race should be.”

Cleveland had led the division since April 14 — 154 days — before dropping the first three games in this series, which concludes with a matinee Wednesday. The Guardians have lost nine of 12 and are just 17-21 since the break.

Cleveland had a nine-game lead on June 26. It's gone now.

“For me, it’s about the end of the season,” first-year manager Stephen Vogt said. "It doesn’t matter how you get there. What matters is that we do get there. Yeah, if you want to look back at the standings, you have a big lead that’s early in the season, that’s why you play 162 games.

“There’s nothing that says in this final stretch that we don’t go on a run. There’s nothing that says we don’t do it again. So you can’t look at the standings and worry about where you are on any given day. You’ve got to wait one day at a time, look where you are at the end of the season and then see where it lands.”

DeJong connected in the second inning off Gavin Williams (2-7), and the Royals tacked on three runs in the seventh off Scott Barlow on RBI singles by Maikel Garcia and Michael Massey, to go along with a wild pitch.

James McArthur (5-5) struck out four in two innings, and the Royals' solid bullpen closed with five perfect innings following the rain delay. The Guardians were held to just three hits.

Kansas City's win came with a minor scare.

All-Star shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. got hit on the right hand by a pitch from Pedro Avila in the seventh inning. Witt grabbed his right hand in pain, but the majors' leader in average, hits and runs stayed in the game and ripped a double in the ninth.

Quatraro said Witt got hit on the right middle finger. In the clubhouse, Witt indicated to reporters he was OK.

Cleveland was coming to bat in the bottom of the fifth — and three outs from making the game official — when the ballpark's grounds crew rolled out the tarp at 8:06 p.m. to cover the infield before the rain hit.

When it finally came and lightning raced across the sky above Progressive Field, fans retreated for protection in the concourses. The game was delayed for 2 hours, 14 minutes before resuming at 10:20 p.m. with few thousand die-hards on hand.

DeJong, who came over in a trade with the last-place White Sox in July, said the Royals killed time during the delay by playing video games in the clubhouse. He said All-Star catcher Salvado Perez even tried to learn to play chess.

DeJong said he quickly recognized the Royals have a special group.

“Watching them from the outside in, you saw they got their core pieces," he said. "They got starting pitching. They got Salvador Perez and Bobby Witt, so it’s a great combo right there to build a team around.

“It’s nice to have those guys, but we have depth and guys who can play all over. A lot of guys are contributing from a lot of different angles and a lot of things are going our way.”

Royals starter Michael Lorenzen left in the second after straining his left hamstring while covering first base. Quatraro said Lorenzen will return to Kansas City on Wednesday to undergo imaging tests.

“We think it’s mild, but doubtful he’ll be able to pitch in five days,” Quatraro said. “We’ll have to wait until tomorrow.”

Royals: OF Hunter Renfroe (strained right hamstring) continues to undergo treatment and Quatraro said the hope is “to get him back out there as quickly as we can.” Renfroe was placed on the 10-day injured list on Sunday after his leg tightened against Philadelphia.

Guardians: RHP Alex Cobb (broken fingernail) threw three simulated innings in a live batting practice against minor leaguers before the game. Cobb is eligible to come off the injured list on Sunday. Vogt said the team is still determining whether to have him go on a minor league rehab assignment.

Guardians RHP Tanner Bibee (10-6, 3.46 ERA) starts the series finale against Royals RHP Michael Wacha (11-6, 3.23 ERA), who is 7-0 with a 2.40 ERA in 10 starts since June 22.

AP MLB:&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/MLB">https://apnews.com/hub/MLB</a>

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1724817642569.jpeg" alt="Kansas City Royals Paul DeJong celebrates his home run in the second inning of a baseball game against the Cleveland Guardians, Tuesday, Aug. 27, 2024 in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)" />
 <figcaption>Kansas City Royals Paul DeJong celebrates his home run in the second inning of a baseball game against the Cleveland Guardians, Tuesday, Aug. 27, 2024 in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)</figcaption>
 </figure>TOM WITHERS AP Sports WriterCLEVELAND (AP) — After four months and a lengthy rain delay, there's a second team sitting atop the AL Central.The Royals have run down the Guardians.Paul DeJong hit a two-run homer and Kansas City moved into a tie for first with Cleveland by beating the Guardians 6-1 on Tuesday night in a game delayed more than two hours by rain.The Royals, who lost 106 games last season, improved to a league-best 23-13 since the All-Star break, when they trailed the Guardians by seven games.“That’s our goal, to win the division," Kansas City manager Matt Quatraro said. “Clearly nothing is decided. We got a month-plus to go, but we like the way we’re playing. Our guys are super competitive. They don’t back down from anything and this is what a pennant race should be.”Cleveland had led the division since April 14 — 154 days — before dropping the first three games in this series, which concludes with a matinee Wednesday. The Guardians have lost nine of 12 and are just 17-21 since the break.Cleveland had a nine-game lead on June 26. It's gone now.“For me, it’s about the end of the season,” first-year manager Stephen Vogt said. "It doesn’t matter how you get there. What matters is that we do get there. Yeah, if you want to look back at the standings, you have a big lead that’s early in the season, that’s why you play 162 games.“There’s nothing that says in this final stretch that we don’t go on a run. There’s nothing that says we don’t do it again. So you can’t look at the standings and worry about where you are on any given day. You’ve got to wait one day at a time, look where you are at the end of the season and then see where it lands.”DeJong connected in the second inning off Gavin Williams (2-7), and the Royals tacked on three runs in the seventh off Scott Barlow on RBI singles by Maikel Garcia and Michael Massey, to go along with a wild pitch.James McArthur (5-5) struck out four in two innings, and the Royals' solid bullpen closed with five perfect innings following the rain delay. The Guardians were held to just three hits.Kansas City's win came with a minor scare.All-Star shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. got hit on the right hand by a pitch from Pedro Avila in the seventh inning. Witt grabbed his right hand in pain, but the majors' leader in average, hits and runs stayed in the game and ripped a double in the ninth.Quatraro said Witt got hit on the right middle finger. In the clubhouse, Witt indicated to reporters he was OK.Cleveland was coming to bat in the bottom of the fifth — and three outs from making the game official — when the ballpark's grounds crew rolled out the tarp at 8:06 p.m. to cover the infield before the rain hit.When it finally came and lightning raced across the sky above Progressive Field, fans retreated for protection in the concourses. The game was delayed for 2 hours, 14 minutes before resuming at 10:20 p.m. with few thousand die-hards on hand.DeJong, who came over in a trade with the last-place White Sox in July, said the Royals killed time during the delay by playing video games in the clubhouse. He said All-Star catcher Salvado Perez even tried to learn to play chess.DeJong said he quickly recognized the Royals have a special group.“Watching them from the outside in, you saw they got their core pieces," he said. "They got starting pitching. They got Salvador Perez and Bobby Witt, so it’s a great combo right there to build a team around.“It’s nice to have those guys, but we have depth and guys who can play all over. A lot of guys are contributing from a lot of different angles and a lot of things are going our way.”Royals starter Michael Lorenzen left in the second after straining his left hamstring while covering first base. Quatraro said Lorenzen will return to Kansas City on Wednesday to undergo imaging tests.“We think it’s mild, but doubtful he’ll be able to pitch in five days,” Quatraro said. “We’ll have to wait until tomorrow.”TRAINER'S ROOMRoyals: OF Hunter Renfroe (strained right hamstring) continues to undergo treatment and Quatraro said the hope is “to get him back out there as quickly as we can.” Renfroe was placed on the 10-day injured list on Sunday after his leg tightened against Philadelphia.Guardians: RHP Alex Cobb (broken fingernail) threw three simulated innings in a live batting practice against minor leaguers before the game. Cobb is eligible to come off the injured list on Sunday. Vogt said the team is still determining whether to have him go on a minor league rehab assignment.UP NEXTGuardians RHP Tanner Bibee (10-6, 3.46 ERA) starts the series finale against Royals RHP Michael Wacha (11-6, 3.23 ERA), who is 7-0 with a 2.40 ERA in 10 starts since June 22.___AP MLB:&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/MLB">https://apnews.com/hub/MLB</a>

⚾ Royals catch Guardians atop AL Central after win in rain delayed game

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1724813598155.png" alt="Photo Courtesy Wichita State Athletics" />
 <figcaption>Photo Courtesy Wichita State Athletics</figcaption>
 </figure><div>Wichita State Athletics
 
WICHITA &ndash;&nbsp;Second-year head coach&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/coaches/terry-nooner/1225" rel="smarttag" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Terry Nooner</a>&nbsp;unveiled his 13-game non-conference schedule Tuesday afternoon.
&nbsp;
The Shockers open their season with six-straight games in Charles Koch Arena, beginning with an Oct. 30 exhibition against Northeastern State and the regular season opener versus Oklahoma Christian on Nov. 4. They will then face off against Belmont (Nov. 9) and Missouri State (Nov.13) after playing both teams on the road last season.
&nbsp;
Wichita State could play as many as four of its 13 non-conference games against teams that danced last March, starting with home opponent Oklahoma on Nov. 19. The Sooners, along with Emerald Coast Classic teams, Creighton (Nov. 25) and Syracuse (Nov. 26*), as well as in-state road foe Kansas (Dec.5), all advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament last spring.
&nbsp;
<a href="https://goshockers.evenue.net/events/WBS" style="text-align: start;color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-size: 16px;">Season ticket packages</a>, which also include nine American Athletic Conference home games, are on sale now through the Shocker Ticket Office starting as low as $54.
&nbsp;
The Shockers end their non-conference slate on the road, taking on two California teams, Loyola Marymount (Dec.15) and Cal State Bakersfield (Dec. 18), in The Golden State before wrapping things up in Tulsa, Okla. against 2024 WNIT first round team, Oral Roberts.
<hr>
2024-25 Non-Conference Schedule
<table align="left" border="0" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="1" style="text-align: start;color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-size: 16px;">
 <tbody>
 <tr>
 <td>Oct. 30</td>
 <td>Northeastern State (Exhibition)</td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>Nov. 4</td>
 <td>Oklahoma Christian</td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>Nov. 9</td>
 <td>Belmont</td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>Nov. 13</td>
 <td>Missouri State</td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>Nov. 16</td>
 <td>St. Thomas</td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>Nov. 19</td>
 <td>Oklahoma</td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>Nov. 25</td>
 <td>vs. Creighton (Emerald Coast Classic // Niceville, Fla.)</td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>Nov. 26</td>
 <td>vs. Missouri/Syracuse (Emerald Coast Classic // Niceville, Fla.)</td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>Dec. 2</td>
 <td>Prairie View A&amp;M</td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>Dec. 5</td>
 <td>at Kansas</td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>Dec. 8</td>
 <td>Western Kentucky</td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>Dec. 15</td>
 <td>at Loyola Marymount</td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>Dec. 18</td>
 <td>at Cal State Bakersfield</td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>Dec. 21</td>
 <td>at Oral Roberts</td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td colspan="2">Home games in bold.</td>
 </tr>
 </tbody>
</table></div>

🏀 WBB: Nooner finalizes WSU non-conference schedule

NEWTON, Kan. — The Newton High School football program is under new leadership heading into 2024, as Taylor Counts takes over.&nbsp;

"You always talk about the history of Newton football," Counts said. "Back when they were really physical and tough and other schools didn't want to play them. However long that takes to get back to that, I'm here for the ride. We are going to work our tails off to get Newton back to that."

Counts is pleased with how practice has gone thus far in his first year.

"We've been preaching we want to play fast and we want to play physical," Counts said. "We've got to practice that way too if we're wanting to play that way and we definitely have so far."

The Railers have roughly 40 guys out, as far as sophomores through seniors go.

"We don't have a lot of players," Counts said. "We've got to be in some dang good shape, so we're going to practice into shape."

Counts has been pleased with his team showing up to practice at 5 a.m.

"The kids have been showing up ready to go at 4:45 every morning," Counts said.&nbsp;

Counts is a Salina native and played at Salina Central before playing collegiately at Pittsburg State University, where he was apart of the 2011 national championship team.

"I actually never played against Newton when I was in high school," Counts said. "People think I'm crazy when I say that, but I never got to play them, so that will be fun to play Salina Central in Salina this year."

Counts is really looking forward to playing at Fischer Field for the home opener on Sept. 13.

"I'm excited as heck honestly," Counts said. "I think Fischer Field is such a unique place. People still show up in the town of Newton, even though there hasn't been a lot of winning in so many years. I can't wait to see what this place looks like when we do start winning some games. We've got some excited traditions we want to get in place and start. I think we can get that to be a place where you don't want to come there and play."

The Railers offensively will be led by former Derby and Friends University quarterback Dan Dawdy. He will serve as an offensive coordinator for the first time in his coaching career.

"He's a young energetic guy that will be really good for our team," Counts said. "We've got the option of going really fast, or we can slow it down if we need to. We've got a good group of skill guys, so really looking forward to seeing it all in place."

The Railers' defense will get up in your face and defend on the corners.

"We're going to bring a 3-3 stack," Counts said. "I think it's kind of that organized chaos of defense. You'll have guys blitzing from who knows where. We're going to be physical, that's for sure. The kids have been catching onto it fast."

NEWTON RAILERS SCHEDULE Sept. 6 @ Maize South Sept. 13 ANDOVER CENTRAL Sept. 20 EISENHOWER Sept. 27 @ Goddard Oct. 4 @ Salina Central Oct. 11 ANDOVER Oct. 18 @ Hutchinson Oct. 25 ARK CITY

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1693649161866.jpeg" alt="Photo Courtesy USD 373 Newton" />
 <figcaption>Photo Courtesy USD 373 Newton</figcaption>
 </figure>SEAN BOSTON Hutch PostNEWTON, Kan. — The Newton High School football program is under new leadership heading into 2024, as Taylor Counts takes over.&nbsp;"You always talk about the history of Newton football," Counts said. "Back when they were really physical and tough and other schools didn't want to play them. However long that takes to get back to that, I'm here for the ride. We are going to work our tails off to get Newton back to that."Counts is pleased with how practice has gone thus far in his first year."We've been preaching we want to play fast and we want to play physical," Counts said. "We've got to practice that way too if we're wanting to play that way and we definitely have so far."The Railers have roughly 40 guys out, as far as sophomores through seniors go."We don't have a lot of players," Counts said. "We've got to be in some dang good shape, so we're going to practice into shape."Counts has been pleased with his team showing up to practice at 5 a.m."The kids have been showing up ready to go at 4:45 every morning," Counts said.&nbsp;Counts is a Salina native and played at Salina Central before playing collegiately at Pittsburg State University, where he was apart of the 2011 national championship team."I actually never played against Newton when I was in high school," Counts said. "People think I'm crazy when I say that, but I never got to play them, so that will be fun to play Salina Central in Salina this year."Counts is really looking forward to playing at Fischer Field for the home opener on Sept. 13."I'm excited as heck honestly," Counts said. "I think Fischer Field is such a unique place. People still show up in the town of Newton, even though there hasn't been a lot of winning in so many years. I can't wait to see what this place looks like when we do start winning some games. We've got some excited traditions we want to get in place and start. I think we can get that to be a place where you don't want to come there and play."The Railers offensively will be led by former Derby and Friends University quarterback Dan Dawdy. He will serve as an offensive coordinator for the first time in his coaching career."He's a young energetic guy that will be really good for our team," Counts said. "We've got the option of going really fast, or we can slow it down if we need to. We've got a good group of skill guys, so really looking forward to seeing it all in place."The Railers' defense will get up in your face and defend on the corners."We're going to bring a 3-3 stack," Counts said. "I think it's kind of that organized chaos of defense. You'll have guys blitzing from who knows where. We're going to be physical, that's for sure. The kids have been catching onto it fast."NEWTON RAILERS SCHEDULE Sept. 6 @ Maize South Sept. 13 ANDOVER CENTRAL Sept. 20 EISENHOWER Sept. 27 @ Goddard Oct. 4 @ Salina Central Oct. 11 ANDOVER Oct. 18 @ Hutchinson Oct. 25 ARK CITY

🏈 HSFB Preview: Newton

<a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search/?query=byline:%22DAVE%20SKRETTA%22&amp;mediaType=text&amp;st=keyword&amp;sortOrder=newest">By DAVE SKRETTA AP Sports Writer</a>

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — All the talk is over in the Big 12. The preseason hype has hit and settled.

Now it's time for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/big-12-college-football-preview-79d12ff2e295b73c0b670db9cf1d4e6d">the new-look conference,</a>&nbsp;where longtime members Oklahoma and Texas have been replaced by Arizona State, Arizona, Utah and Colorado in the latest round of college football musical chairs, to prove its worth on the field.

The newcomers don't exactly have it easy out of the gate.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/arizona-state-kenny-dillingham-6d0a61c703199b0e40cd829eaf07788b">Start with the Sun Devils</a>, who open Saturday with perennially bowl-bound Wyoming, which won nine games a year ago. The Cowboys' season ended with a win over Toledo in the Arizona Bowl, which&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/arizona-football-brent-brennan-noah-fifita-509d99b83d1195f530559deb37cd5ee7">the No. 21 Wildcats call home</a>.

Arizona, meanwhile, gets a softer opening against New Mexico, then plays Northern Arizona the following week. But things get rough in a hurry with a trip to No. 18 Kansas State for a nonconference matchup against a new conference rival.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/utah-big-12-top-25-ba794355b434bc7f7addb8d75eeb0bff">No. 12 Utah opens against Southern Utah</a>&nbsp;before it, like Arizona, gets a nonconference game against a Big 12 foe. In the Utes' case, it's Baylor, which is trying to bounce back from a three-win season but won 12 games just a few years ago.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/deion-sanders-colorado-100a3b14d45693578cb67a3921c3e4d2">Then there is Colorado</a>, which might attract the most attention of any newcomer not just because of their play — the Buffaloes won four games in their last season in the Pac-12 — but because of their high-profile coach. Deion Sanders is confident that they will be vastly improved this season, and they have a chance to prove it right away against North Dakota State.

The Bison may play at the Football Championship Subdivision level, but they've won fewer than 11 games only once in the past 12 years. During that stretch, they've beaten Big 12 schools Kansas State and Iowa State along with No. 13 Iowa of the Big Ten.

“They're good. They're really darned good,” Sanders said recently, “and I'm mad at (athletic director) Rick (George) right now for putting them on the schedule, to open up with them. Like, can you give me a layup or something? Those guys are wonderful."

The Bison played in five of the previous six FCS title games before losing in the semifinals last season.

“Their staff has always been amongst the best. Many people have matriculated from that staff to go to higher levels. Those kids play their butts off. They play tough. They don’t make many mistakes. They’re accustomed to winning,” Sanders said. “They don’t give a darned about being at home or on the road. That doesn’t faze them whatsoever.”

The quartet of newcomers — though Colorado is in fact returning the league after 13 years in the Pac 12 — aren't the only ones who face a challenge right away.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tcu-college-football-preview-da0b0c09b2b3056921eb021489c12ae3">TCU hits the road to face Stanford</a>, which is now a member of the ACC, while&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/west-virginia-season-preview-4fa690e81dc67f5b54d0d89049efc2ce">West Virginia has perhaps the toughest task</a>&nbsp;when it welcomes No. 8 Penn State to town Saturday night.

“I think the Penn State game is huge for us,” said Mountaineers coach Neal Brown, whose job was starting to come into question before they won nine games last season. “That's a regional rivalry, which I know that you're very entrenched in traditions. It's not a rivalry that's gone West Virginia's way very often. So that's a great opportunity for us.”

It's also a great opportunity for the Big 12 to beat one of the best programs in the expanded Big Ten.

“You're correct,” Brown said, “it's a big game for our league, and this new Big 12, without a couple schools that have been part of the Big 12 for a long time in that first weekend on a marquee stage, to show what kind of football we play in this league.”

There will be other chances for marquee nonconference wins, of course. Take next week: Iowa State plays No. 25 Iowa, No. 22 Kansas heads to Illinois and Colorado visits Nebraska in games against Big Ten foes; Arkansas visits No. 17 Oklahoma State and Mississippi State visits Arizona State in Big 12-SEC showdowns; and Cincinnati plays ACC rival Pittsburgh.

Yet there is something meaningful about winning in Week 1, both for West Virginia and the Big 12 as a conference.

“Whether it’s West Virginia or any other program in the Big 12 gets those kind of marquee wins, our brand will continue to grow,” Brown said, “and we’ve got to make some noise in the playoff. I think Commissioner (Brett) Yormark spoke about this: We’re the most competitive league. I would say we’re the deepest football league in the entire country. But we’ve got to go. TCU had a nice run (in 2022), but we’ve got to have more wins in the playoff once we get in.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1724794767065.jpeg" alt="Colorado head coach Deion Sanders directs his team during the first half of an NCAA spring college football game Saturday, April 27, 2024, in Boulder, Colo. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)" />
 <figcaption>Colorado head coach Deion Sanders directs his team during the first half of an NCAA spring college football game Saturday, April 27, 2024, in Boulder, Colo. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)</figcaption>
 </figure><a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search/?query=byline:%22DAVE%20SKRETTA%22&amp;mediaType=text&amp;st=keyword&amp;sortOrder=newest">By DAVE SKRETTA AP Sports Writer</a>KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — All the talk is over in the Big 12. The preseason hype has hit and settled.Now it's time for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/big-12-college-football-preview-79d12ff2e295b73c0b670db9cf1d4e6d">the new-look conference,</a>&nbsp;where longtime members Oklahoma and Texas have been replaced by Arizona State, Arizona, Utah and Colorado in the latest round of college football musical chairs, to prove its worth on the field.The newcomers don't exactly have it easy out of the gate.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/arizona-state-kenny-dillingham-6d0a61c703199b0e40cd829eaf07788b">Start with the Sun Devils</a>, who open Saturday with perennially bowl-bound Wyoming, which won nine games a year ago. The Cowboys' season ended with a win over Toledo in the Arizona Bowl, which&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/arizona-football-brent-brennan-noah-fifita-509d99b83d1195f530559deb37cd5ee7">the No. 21 Wildcats call home</a>.Arizona, meanwhile, gets a softer opening against New Mexico, then plays Northern Arizona the following week. But things get rough in a hurry with a trip to No. 18 Kansas State for a nonconference matchup against a new conference rival.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/utah-big-12-top-25-ba794355b434bc7f7addb8d75eeb0bff">No. 12 Utah opens against Southern Utah</a>&nbsp;before it, like Arizona, gets a nonconference game against a Big 12 foe. In the Utes' case, it's Baylor, which is trying to bounce back from a three-win season but won 12 games just a few years ago.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/deion-sanders-colorado-100a3b14d45693578cb67a3921c3e4d2">Then there is Colorado</a>, which might attract the most attention of any newcomer not just because of their play — the Buffaloes won four games in their last season in the Pac-12 — but because of their high-profile coach. Deion Sanders is confident that they will be vastly improved this season, and they have a chance to prove it right away against North Dakota State.The Bison may play at the Football Championship Subdivision level, but they've won fewer than 11 games only once in the past 12 years. During that stretch, they've beaten Big 12 schools Kansas State and Iowa State along with No. 13 Iowa of the Big Ten.“They're good. They're really darned good,” Sanders said recently, “and I'm mad at (athletic director) Rick (George) right now for putting them on the schedule, to open up with them. Like, can you give me a layup or something? Those guys are wonderful."The Bison played in five of the previous six FCS title games before losing in the semifinals last season.“Their staff has always been amongst the best. Many people have matriculated from that staff to go to higher levels. Those kids play their butts off. They play tough. They don’t make many mistakes. They’re accustomed to winning,” Sanders said. “They don’t give a darned about being at home or on the road. That doesn’t faze them whatsoever.”The quartet of newcomers — though Colorado is in fact returning the league after 13 years in the Pac 12 — aren't the only ones who face a challenge right away.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tcu-college-football-preview-da0b0c09b2b3056921eb021489c12ae3">TCU hits the road to face Stanford</a>, which is now a member of the ACC, while&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/west-virginia-season-preview-4fa690e81dc67f5b54d0d89049efc2ce">West Virginia has perhaps the toughest task</a>&nbsp;when it welcomes No. 8 Penn State to town Saturday night.“I think the Penn State game is huge for us,” said Mountaineers coach Neal Brown, whose job was starting to come into question before they won nine games last season. “That's a regional rivalry, which I know that you're very entrenched in traditions. It's not a rivalry that's gone West Virginia's way very often. So that's a great opportunity for us.”It's also a great opportunity for the Big 12 to beat one of the best programs in the expanded Big Ten.“You're correct,” Brown said, “it's a big game for our league, and this new Big 12, without a couple schools that have been part of the Big 12 for a long time in that first weekend on a marquee stage, to show what kind of football we play in this league.”There will be other chances for marquee nonconference wins, of course. Take next week: Iowa State plays No. 25 Iowa, No. 22 Kansas heads to Illinois and Colorado visits Nebraska in games against Big Ten foes; Arkansas visits No. 17 Oklahoma State and Mississippi State visits Arizona State in Big 12-SEC showdowns; and Cincinnati plays ACC rival Pittsburgh.Yet there is something meaningful about winning in Week 1, both for West Virginia and the Big 12 as a conference.“Whether it’s West Virginia or any other program in the Big 12 gets those kind of marquee wins, our brand will continue to grow,” Brown said, “and we’ve got to make some noise in the playoff. I think Commissioner (Brett) Yormark spoke about this: We’re the most competitive league. I would say we’re the deepest football league in the entire country. But we’ve got to go. TCU had a nice run (in 2022), but we’ve got to have more wins in the playoff once we get in.”

🏈New-look Big 12 ready to embark on a season of big expectations, enormous pressure to win

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce and his brother, former Eagles center Jason Kelce, are taking their popular “New Heights” podcast to Amazon’s Wondery under a three-year deal that gives the company exclusive advertising sales and distribution rights.

The financial terms of the deal were not immediately available, though some reports put the total at nine figures.

The deal, announced by Wondery on Tuesday, will begin with this week’s episode, which drops Wednesday. It includes the back catalog of podcast content along with exclusive rights to monetize and distribute audio and video episodes.

“We couldn’t be more excited to team up with Wondery for the next phase of ‘New Heights,’” the Kelce brothers said in a statement. “We love this show and the fanbase that has grown with us over the last two seasons. Wondery understands the shared vision and will offer a wealth of experience and resources to take us to ‘New Heights!’”

The personable Kelce brothers launched their podcast two years ago. It initially was designed to peel back the cover on the world of professional football players, but has since expanded to touch other corners of the pop culture universe.

The weekly series was chosen podcast of the year at the 2024 iHeartPodcast Awards.

“‘New Heights’ on the surface is a sports podcast, and sports is such a well-listened-to category,” Wondery chief executive Jen Sargent said, “but it’s become a cultural phenomenon. They’re in that cultural zeitgeist.”

Travis Kelce’s celebrity status reached another level early last season, when the tight end of the two-time defending Super Bowl champion Chiefs began dating pop superstar Taylor Swift. He has several crossover projects in the works, including a 20-episode game show for Amazon Prime Video called “Are You Smarter Than a Celebrity?”

Jason Kelce recently retired after a 13-year career spent entirely with the Eagles. But his popularity also has been on the rise; he was frequently seen attending the Paris Olympics and will appear on “Monday Night Countdown” on ESPN.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/1/1675194896582.jpeg" alt="Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, left, talks to his brother, Philadelphia Eagles center Jason Kelce, after they exchanged jerseys following an NFL football game in Kansas City, Mo., Sept. 17, 2017. For the first time in Super Bowl history, a pair of siblings will play each other on the NFL's grandest stage. Travis helped the Chiefs return to their third championship game in four seasons on Sunday night when they beat the Bengals for the AFC title, while Jason has the Eagles back for the second time in six years after their NFC title win over the 49ers. (AP Photo/Ed Zurga, file).jpg" />
 <figcaption>Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, left, talks to his brother, Philadelphia Eagles center Jason Kelce, after they exchanged jerseys following an NFL football game in Kansas City, Mo., Sept. 17, 2017. For the first time in Super Bowl history, a pair of siblings will play each other on the NFL's grandest stage. Travis helped the Chiefs return to their third championship game in four seasons on Sunday night when they beat the Bengals for the AFC title, while Jason has the Eagles back for the second time in six years after their NFC title win over the 49ers. (AP Photo/Ed Zurga, file).jpg</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce and his brother, former Eagles center Jason Kelce, are taking their popular “New Heights” podcast to Amazon’s Wondery under a three-year deal that gives the company exclusive advertising sales and distribution rights.The financial terms of the deal were not immediately available, though some reports put the total at nine figures.The deal, announced by Wondery on Tuesday, will begin with this week’s episode, which drops Wednesday. It includes the back catalog of podcast content along with exclusive rights to monetize and distribute audio and video episodes.“We couldn’t be more excited to team up with Wondery for the next phase of ‘New Heights,’” the Kelce brothers said in a statement. “We love this show and the fanbase that has grown with us over the last two seasons. Wondery understands the shared vision and will offer a wealth of experience and resources to take us to ‘New Heights!’”The personable Kelce brothers launched their podcast two years ago. It initially was designed to peel back the cover on the world of professional football players, but has since expanded to touch other corners of the pop culture universe.The weekly series was chosen podcast of the year at the 2024 iHeartPodcast Awards.“‘New Heights’ on the surface is a sports podcast, and sports is such a well-listened-to category,” Wondery chief executive Jen Sargent said, “but it’s become a cultural phenomenon. They’re in that cultural zeitgeist.”Travis Kelce’s celebrity status reached another level early last season, when the tight end of the two-time defending Super Bowl champion Chiefs began dating pop superstar Taylor Swift. He has several crossover projects in the works, including a 20-episode game show for Amazon Prime Video called “Are You Smarter Than a Celebrity?”Jason Kelce recently retired after a 13-year career spent entirely with the Eagles. But his popularity also has been on the rise; he was frequently seen attending the Paris Olympics and will appear on “Monday Night Countdown” on ESPN.

🏈 Kelces take popular ‘New Heights’ podcast to Amazon’s Wondery

HAVEN, Kan. — The Haven High School football team won three games in 2021, four games in 2022 and five games in 2023. The Wildcats look to continue that trend of winning heading into the 2024 season.

"I think the leadership we have out of these seniors is really good," co-head coach Drew Thalmann said. "That's what we had with the crew that went 8-3 in 2020, we had a really good group of seniors. This group we have this year really reminds me of those guys and that's where we've got to start. If you've got good leaders then you can go deep into the playoffs. I think we've got a good group of seniors this year that can lead us there."

Haven is one of the few schools in the state of Kansas with co-head coaches. Thalmann and Thomas Cooprider each have the co-head coach title next to their names.

"I coach the offense and Thomas coaches the defense," Thalmann said. "All of the other stuff we kind of just work together on."&nbsp;

Thalmann is hopeful the team speed will help the Wildcats on offense this year.

"We're going to be pretty fast offensively," Thalmann said. "We had a 4x1 that went to state in the spring, all four are skill position guys we have. We're going to have a lot of team speed. Any one of our skill position guys could take it to the house on any given play."

Thalmann emphasized the team speed will contribute a lot to the defensive success, as well.

Haven opens the season on Sept. 6 at Hillsboro.

"Hillsboro is always a tough first game," Thalmann said. "They're always really athletic and have had our number the last several years. I think we lost to them by three last year."

The Wildcats then host Nickerson in Week 2.

"Nickerson is a county rivalry game," Thalmann said. "It's been fun to play that game again. With us being in class 2A and them in class 3A we didn't have that game, but we've been able to schedule that within the league again."

Thalmann said Garden Plain and Kingman will be games to circle for this years schedule.

"Garden Plain and Kingman at the end of the year will tell us a lot about where we're at," Thalmann said. "Those two are really good teams that we'll see where we're at against."

HAVEN WILDCATS SCHEDULE Sept. 6 @ Hillsboro Sept. 13 NICKERSON Sept. 20 SMOKY VALLEY Sept. 27 @ Douglass Oct. 4 GARDEN PLAIN Oct. 11 @ Belle Plaine Oct. 18 @ Chaparral Oct. 25 KINGMAN

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1724773306372.jpeg" alt="Photo Courtesy Haven Wildcats Football" />
 <figcaption>Photo Courtesy Haven Wildcats Football</figcaption>
 </figure>SEAN BOSTON Hutch PostHAVEN, Kan. — The Haven High School football team won three games in 2021, four games in 2022 and five games in 2023. The Wildcats look to continue that trend of winning heading into the 2024 season."I think the leadership we have out of these seniors is really good," co-head coach Drew Thalmann said. "That's what we had with the crew that went 8-3 in 2020, we had a really good group of seniors. This group we have this year really reminds me of those guys and that's where we've got to start. If you've got good leaders then you can go deep into the playoffs. I think we've got a good group of seniors this year that can lead us there."Haven is one of the few schools in the state of Kansas with co-head coaches. Thalmann and Thomas Cooprider each have the co-head coach title next to their names."I coach the offense and Thomas coaches the defense," Thalmann said. "All of the other stuff we kind of just work together on."&nbsp;Thalmann is hopeful the team speed will help the Wildcats on offense this year."We're going to be pretty fast offensively," Thalmann said. "We had a 4x1 that went to state in the spring, all four are skill position guys we have. We're going to have a lot of team speed. Any one of our skill position guys could take it to the house on any given play."Thalmann emphasized the team speed will contribute a lot to the defensive success, as well.Haven opens the season on Sept. 6 at Hillsboro."Hillsboro is always a tough first game," Thalmann said. "They're always really athletic and have had our number the last several years. I think we lost to them by three last year."The Wildcats then host Nickerson in Week 2."Nickerson is a county rivalry game," Thalmann said. "It's been fun to play that game again. With us being in class 2A and them in class 3A we didn't have that game, but we've been able to schedule that within the league again."Thalmann said Garden Plain and Kingman will be games to circle for this years schedule."Garden Plain and Kingman at the end of the year will tell us a lot about where we're at," Thalmann said. "Those two are really good teams that we'll see where we're at against."HAVEN WILDCATS SCHEDULE Sept. 6 @ Hillsboro Sept. 13 NICKERSON Sept. 20 SMOKY VALLEY Sept. 27 @ Douglass Oct. 4 GARDEN PLAIN Oct. 11 @ Belle Plaine Oct. 18 @ Chaparral Oct. 25 KINGMAN

🏈 HSFB Preview: Haven

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The Central Christian School Cougars football team enters the 2024 season with a lot of experience returning from a 6-4 season last fall.

"We're really excited about this year," CCS head coach Matt Barnett said. "We've got a lot returning, so we came in with a lot of energy from the summer. We only lost one senior from last year, so having that many guys coming back that have been apart of the program makes it easier, that's for sure."

Barnett says his offense should be dangerous again this year and it all starts up front.

"I think offensive line again will be a big strength for us," Barnett said. "We've got a lot of senior leadership up there with guys like Caleb Glover, Keaton Miller, Kaleb Sullivan and then a junior that played center last year, Konnor Sullivan. I think we're getting better and better up there."

Senior quarterback Nate Reed threw for nearly 1,000 yards his shortened junior campaign.

"He got banged up and missed the last three weeks of the season last year," Barnett said. "So having him back and healthy with us this year is huge. He's such a strong leader and you know he's going to make the right decisions on the field."

Barnett is confident his offense is capable of making a lot of explosive plays this fall.

"Offensively as a whole we've got a lot of pieces, we've got a lot of weapons," Barnett said. "We've got a lot of guys that we can plug in, as well. We've got a lot of experience which will definitely help us."

Barnett, being a defensive minded coach is excited about what that side of the ball can do, too.

"The defense is kind of my baby, so I get real excited about that part of it,"&nbsp; Barnett said. "We've got a lot returning. We'll have to fill the shoes of Justice Huff, which we're going to miss him big time. His brother, Piercen, at the safety spot has such a good nose for the football. It seems like he's in on every single tackle. We've got a lot of guys like that."

The Cougars get started with their jamboree on Friday at CCS.

"We have a couple of teams that come in and give us a good workout to start the season," Barnett said. "Meade and Little River are each coming back, and they're two traditional powerhouses that are in the playoffs every year."

CCS will open the regular season on Sept. 6 at home against Sunrise Christian Academy from Bel Aire.

"Starting off with Sunrise Christian, they were a really good team last year," Barnett said. "We're excited about getting them at home this year. They're well-coached and it will be a tough one. Overall we've got a tough schedule, but I'm really looking forward to it."

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/7/1627664196634.jpeg" alt="Photo Courtesy Central Christian School" />
 <figcaption>Photo Courtesy Central Christian School</figcaption>
 </figure>HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The Central Christian School Cougars football team enters the 2024 season with a lot of experience returning from a 6-4 season last fall."We're really excited about this year," CCS head coach Matt Barnett said. "We've got a lot returning, so we came in with a lot of energy from the summer. We only lost one senior from last year, so having that many guys coming back that have been apart of the program makes it easier, that's for sure."Barnett says his offense should be dangerous again this year and it all starts up front."I think offensive line again will be a big strength for us," Barnett said. "We've got a lot of senior leadership up there with guys like Caleb Glover, Keaton Miller, Kaleb Sullivan and then a junior that played center last year, Konnor Sullivan. I think we're getting better and better up there."Senior quarterback Nate Reed threw for nearly 1,000 yards his shortened junior campaign."He got banged up and missed the last three weeks of the season last year," Barnett said. "So having him back and healthy with us this year is huge. He's such a strong leader and you know he's going to make the right decisions on the field."Barnett is confident his offense is capable of making a lot of explosive plays this fall."Offensively as a whole we've got a lot of pieces, we've got a lot of weapons," Barnett said. "We've got a lot of guys that we can plug in, as well. We've got a lot of experience which will definitely help us."Barnett, being a defensive minded coach is excited about what that side of the ball can do, too."The defense is kind of my baby, so I get real excited about that part of it,"&nbsp; Barnett said. "We've got a lot returning. We'll have to fill the shoes of Justice Huff, which we're going to miss him big time. His brother, Piercen, at the safety spot has such a good nose for the football. It seems like he's in on every single tackle. We've got a lot of guys like that."The Cougars get started with their jamboree on Friday at CCS."We have a couple of teams that come in and give us a good workout to start the season," Barnett said. "Meade and Little River are each coming back, and they're two traditional powerhouses that are in the playoffs every year."CCS will open the regular season on Sept. 6 at home against Sunrise Christian Academy from Bel Aire."Starting off with Sunrise Christian, they were a really good team last year," Barnett said. "We're excited about getting them at home this year. They're well-coached and it will be a tough one. Overall we've got a tough schedule, but I'm really looking forward to it."

🏈 HSFB Preview: Central Christian School

The Kansas Shrine Bowl is proud to announce the selection of Dominick Dingle, Wichita Heights High School,&nbsp;and Garrett Michael, Sabetha High School, as the Head Coaches for the 52nd Kansas Shrine Bowl presented by Mammoth. 

The head coaches are selected from the group of assistant coaches from the previous year’s game. Their selection is determined by a vote from the previous year’s coaching staff, camp directors and supportstaff. The 52nd Kansas Shrine Bowl presented by Mammoth will be played on Saturday, June 21, 2025, at Memorial Stadium in Dodge City, Kansas.

The West team will be led by Wichita Heights Head Coach Dominick Dingle. Coach Dingle is entering his 7th season at Wichita Heights High School, where he has compiled an overall record of 26-27. Prior to being named the Head Coach at Wichita Heights in 2018, Dingle spent ten seasons as the Assistant Head Coach/Defensive Coordinator at Garden City High School and one season as an assistant coach at Leavenworth High School.

“First, I would like to thank God for allowing me to be selected as the Head coach of the Shrine Bowl West team. I am honored and grateful that God continues to work exceedingly and abundantly in my life,” said Coach Dominick Dingle. “This opportunity is more than I could ever ask or imagine (Eph. 3:20). I am truly blessed for the opportunity to serve a role in helping the Shriners and the Kansas Shrine Bowl continue to make a positive impact on the lives of so many young people in Kansas and around the world. I would also like to thank my family, Wichita Heights players, coaching staff, administration, and the entire Falcon Family. Without your continued support and dedication this opportunity to represent Wichita Heights in the 2025 Kansas Shrine Bowl would not be possible. Westside!”

The 2025 East squad will be led by Garrett Michael of Sabetha High School. Coach Michael led the Sabetha program for 15 years as the Head Coach, compiling an overall record of 104-59. During his leadership, the Bluejays won back-to-back 3A state championships in 2017 and 2018, while also making back-to-back runs to the state semifinals in 2022 and 2023. Along with this past summer, Coach Michael previously coached in the Kansas Shrine Bowl in 2018 as an assistant coach.

“The Kansas Shrine Bowl is #For The Kids! It’s a life-changing experience, because you're playing for a cause much bigger than yourself. The hospital kids have a spectacular view on life and their talents top the charts. When the world gives them setbacks, the Shriners gives them bounce backs,” said Coach Garrett Michael. “I’m so humbled and honored to be selected to participate in this great event. This is the pinnacle of high school football. My father was the East Shrine Bowl head coach in 1985, so this is a dream come true for me. I wouldn’t be able to serve in this role without my faith, family, our excellent players, our outstanding coaches and the wonderful community of Sabetha. I’m beyond excited for our 2025 Shrine Bowl players, to put on a show for the state of Kansas. Go East!”

The West holds the all-time series advantage with a 31-18-2 record after the East team ended a six-year drought with a 35-26 win during the 51st Kansas Shrine Bowl presented by Mammoth. The East will be looking to win consecutive games for the first time since 2015 and 2016.

“We are excited to have Coach Dingle and Coach Michael leading our teams,” said Kansas Shrine Bowl Executive Director, Brice Kesler. “Not only are these two men great football coaches, but they are exceptional leaders and genuinely great people. They will not only do a great job coaching our all-star football teams, but they are perfect advocates for the bigger purpose and mission behind the Kansas Shrine Bowl.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1715785398923.png" alt="Shrine Bowl Press Release" />
 <figcaption>Shrine Bowl Press Release</figcaption>
 </figure>The Kansas Shrine Bowl is proud to announce the selection of Dominick Dingle, Wichita Heights High School,&nbsp;and Garrett Michael, Sabetha High School, as the Head Coaches for the 52nd Kansas Shrine Bowl presented by Mammoth. The head coaches are selected from the group of assistant coaches from the previous year’s game. Their selection is determined by a vote from the previous year’s coaching staff, camp directors and supportstaff. The 52nd Kansas Shrine Bowl presented by Mammoth will be played on Saturday, June 21, 2025, at Memorial Stadium in Dodge City, Kansas.The West team will be led by Wichita Heights Head Coach Dominick Dingle. Coach Dingle is entering his 7th season at Wichita Heights High School, where he has compiled an overall record of 26-27. Prior to being named the Head Coach at Wichita Heights in 2018, Dingle spent ten seasons as the Assistant Head Coach/Defensive Coordinator at Garden City High School and one season as an assistant coach at Leavenworth High School.“First, I would like to thank God for allowing me to be selected as the Head coach of the Shrine Bowl West team. I am honored and grateful that God continues to work exceedingly and abundantly in my life,” said Coach Dominick Dingle. “This opportunity is more than I could ever ask or imagine (Eph. 3:20). I am truly blessed for the opportunity to serve a role in helping the Shriners and the Kansas Shrine Bowl continue to make a positive impact on the lives of so many young people in Kansas and around the world. I would also like to thank my family, Wichita Heights players, coaching staff, administration, and the entire Falcon Family. Without your continued support and dedication this opportunity to represent Wichita Heights in the 2025 Kansas Shrine Bowl would not be possible. Westside!”The 2025 East squad will be led by Garrett Michael of Sabetha High School. Coach Michael led the Sabetha program for 15 years as the Head Coach, compiling an overall record of 104-59. During his leadership, the Bluejays won back-to-back 3A state championships in 2017 and 2018, while also making back-to-back runs to the state semifinals in 2022 and 2023. Along with this past summer, Coach Michael previously coached in the Kansas Shrine Bowl in 2018 as an assistant coach.“The Kansas Shrine Bowl is #For The Kids! It’s a life-changing experience, because you're playing for a cause much bigger than yourself. The hospital kids have a spectacular view on life and their talents top the charts. When the world gives them setbacks, the Shriners gives them bounce backs,” said Coach Garrett Michael. “I’m so humbled and honored to be selected to participate in this great event. This is the pinnacle of high school football. My father was the East Shrine Bowl head coach in 1985, so this is a dream come true for me. I wouldn’t be able to serve in this role without my faith, family, our excellent players, our outstanding coaches and the wonderful community of Sabetha. I’m beyond excited for our 2025 Shrine Bowl players, to put on a show for the state of Kansas. Go East!”The West holds the all-time series advantage with a 31-18-2 record after the East team ended a six-year drought with a 35-26 win during the 51st Kansas Shrine Bowl presented by Mammoth. The East will be looking to win consecutive games for the first time since 2015 and 2016.“We are excited to have Coach Dingle and Coach Michael leading our teams,” said Kansas Shrine Bowl Executive Director, Brice Kesler. “Not only are these two men great football coaches, but they are exceptional leaders and genuinely great people. They will not only do a great job coaching our all-star football teams, but they are perfect advocates for the bigger purpose and mission behind the Kansas Shrine Bowl.”

2025 Kansas Shrine Bowl Head Coaches Announced

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — There are a few rule changes to watch on Thursday evening when the Hutchinson Community College football team opens the season. The Blue Dragons host New Mexico Military Institute at Gowans Stadium at 6 p.m.

The first rule change to keep an eye on will be the two-minute timeout. Most people are familiar with the Two-Minute Warning at the NFL level, that occurs when the clock strikes 2:00, or any stoppage of play under the two-minute mark.

This past April, the NCAA rules panel approved the addition of the two-minute timeout at the collegiate level. The panel voted in favor of the two-minute stoppage in the second and fourth quarters.

Per the NCAA release, this rule change synchronizes all timing rules, such as 10-second runoffs and stopping the clock when a first down is gained in bounds, which coincides with the two-minute timeout.

HutchCC head coach Drew Dallas on the two-minute timeout and how that will change the game at the junior college level.

"Yeah, I mean obviously it's going to be a huge change for us," Dallas said. "It will change how us coaches call timeouts and manage end of the half and end of the game situations."

The other change you may notice is the use of tablets for players on the sidelines.

The NCAA rules panel approved the option for teams to use tables to view in-game video. The video can include the broadcast feed and camera angles from the coach's sideline and coach's end zone.

Although the NCAA is allowing teams to have up to 18 active tables for use in the coaching booth, sideline and locker room, the KJCCC has established that up to four tablets will be permitted to use.

"I think that's a great rule change for us," KJCCC supervisor of officials Craig Helser said. "It will let our coaches be able to show their players film during the game, so that's a nice rule change."

Dallas also thinks it will be a great addition to the conference this season.

"We'll have a couple in the press box and a couple down on the field for our guys," Dallas said. "Obviously that's going to play a big part in games to identify what teams are doing offensively, defensively and on special teams. I think it will give us a chance to make better in-game adjustments if we use it properly."

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/11/1699677852140.jpeg" alt="Football 2.jpg" />
 <figcaption>Football 2.jpg</figcaption>
 </figure>SEAN BOSTON Hutch PostHUTCHINSON, Kan. — There are a few rule changes to watch on Thursday evening when the Hutchinson Community College football team opens the season. The Blue Dragons host New Mexico Military Institute at Gowans Stadium at 6 p.m.The first rule change to keep an eye on will be the two-minute timeout. Most people are familiar with the Two-Minute Warning at the NFL level, that occurs when the clock strikes 2:00, or any stoppage of play under the two-minute mark.This past April, the NCAA rules panel approved the addition of the two-minute timeout at the collegiate level. The panel voted in favor of the two-minute stoppage in the second and fourth quarters.Per the NCAA release, this rule change synchronizes all timing rules, such as 10-second runoffs and stopping the clock when a first down is gained in bounds, which coincides with the two-minute timeout.HutchCC head coach Drew Dallas on the two-minute timeout and how that will change the game at the junior college level."Yeah, I mean obviously it's going to be a huge change for us," Dallas said. "It will change how us coaches call timeouts and manage end of the half and end of the game situations."The other change you may notice is the use of tablets for players on the sidelines.The NCAA rules panel approved the option for teams to use tables to view in-game video. The video can include the broadcast feed and camera angles from the coach's sideline and coach's end zone.Although the NCAA is allowing teams to have up to 18 active tables for use in the coaching booth, sideline and locker room, the KJCCC has established that up to four tablets will be permitted to use."I think that's a great rule change for us," KJCCC supervisor of officials Craig Helser said. "It will let our coaches be able to show their players film during the game, so that's a nice rule change."Dallas also thinks it will be a great addition to the conference this season."We'll have a couple in the press box and a couple down on the field for our guys," Dallas said. "Obviously that's going to play a big part in games to identify what teams are doing offensively, defensively and on special teams. I think it will give us a chance to make better in-game adjustments if we use it properly."

🏈 HutchCC's Dallas talks new rules changes for 2024

RYAN HANNABLE OF BETMGM SPORTSBOOK Associated Press

The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nfl-football-season-preview-guide-de7a80e854f87bb0729ca4561f499c27">NFL</a>&nbsp;preseason is officially over and the next game on the schedule is the season opener between the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-city-chiefs-training-camp-979460a7e6969001e9b6c8aa61a65bda">Chiefs</a>&nbsp;and the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ravens-packers-score-f7b22fa93efc55f2df1c948a705d9894">Baltimore Ravens</a>&nbsp;in Kansas City on Sept. 5 — a rematch of last year’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/chiefs-ravens-score-afc-championship-2d7d4c43fe8fc614b27bf5fc7f4e94d1">AFC championship game</a>.

With the regular season coming, Kansas City has the best&nbsp;<a href="https://sports.betmgm.com/en/blog/nfl/super-bowl-odds-nfl-betting-bm06/" target="_blank">Super Bowl odds</a>&nbsp;at the BetMGM&nbsp;<a href="https://sports.betmgm.com/en/sports" target="_blank">online sportsbook</a>.

The Chiefs are at +500, followed by the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/49ers-injuries-49fc41703bbd0680681c130145ac7dc0">San Francisco 49ers</a>&nbsp;at +600. Baltimore follows at +1000 with the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/steelers-lions-score-1430b2a93c849f06e791db3b1dd1841f">Detroit Lions</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/vikings-eagles-score-f0682e24811afed8f3dc706209d0ad1d">Philadelphia Eagles</a>&nbsp;rounding out the top five, both at +1200.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/6/1719308655175.jpeg" alt="Photo Courtesy Kansas City Chiefs" />
 <figcaption>Photo Courtesy Kansas City Chiefs</figcaption>
 </figure>RYAN HANNABLE OF BETMGM SPORTSBOOK Associated PressThe&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nfl-football-season-preview-guide-de7a80e854f87bb0729ca4561f499c27">NFL</a>&nbsp;preseason is officially over and the next game on the schedule is the season opener between the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-city-chiefs-training-camp-979460a7e6969001e9b6c8aa61a65bda">Chiefs</a>&nbsp;and the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ravens-packers-score-f7b22fa93efc55f2df1c948a705d9894">Baltimore Ravens</a>&nbsp;in Kansas City on Sept. 5 — a rematch of last year’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/chiefs-ravens-score-afc-championship-2d7d4c43fe8fc614b27bf5fc7f4e94d1">AFC championship game</a>.With the regular season coming, Kansas City has the best&nbsp;<a href="https://sports.betmgm.com/en/blog/nfl/super-bowl-odds-nfl-betting-bm06/" target="_blank">Super Bowl odds</a>&nbsp;at the BetMGM&nbsp;<a href="https://sports.betmgm.com/en/sports" target="_blank">online sportsbook</a>.The Chiefs are at +500, followed by the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/49ers-injuries-49fc41703bbd0680681c130145ac7dc0">San Francisco 49ers</a>&nbsp;at +600. Baltimore follows at +1000 with the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/steelers-lions-score-1430b2a93c849f06e791db3b1dd1841f">Detroit Lions</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/vikings-eagles-score-f0682e24811afed8f3dc706209d0ad1d">Philadelphia Eagles</a>&nbsp;rounding out the top five, both at +1200.

🏈 Chiefs open NFL season with the best odds to win the Super Bowl

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/11/1701263164849.png" alt="Early Morning Sports with Rob Dreher for Tuesday August 27th, 2024." />
 <figcaption>Early Morning Sports with Rob Dreher for Tuesday August 27th, 2024.</figcaption>
 </figure><div><iframe title="August 27th, 2024 Early Morning Sports" allowtransparency="true" height="150" width="100%" style="border: none; min-width: min(100%, 430px);height:150px;" scrolling="no" data-name="pb-iframe-player" src="https://www.podbean.com/player-v2/?i=p2ff3-16b3b0c-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 sweep Cleveland; 🏈 Chiefs make additions prior to roster cuts

NFL Teams make their cuts to 53-man rosters on Tuesday. The Kansas City Chiefs are bringing on a young linebacker to help.

NFL Teams make their cuts to 53-man rosters on Tuesday. The Kansas City Chiefs are bringing on a young linebacker to help.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">With depth at OLB, the Cardinals swing a trade of a former third-rounder, as KC bolsters its room. <a href="https://t.co/uqxVNgNuyp">https://t.co/uqxVNgNuyp</a>&mdash; Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapSheet/status/1828264264219373965?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 27, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>

🏈 Chiefs add pass rusher

AP Sports Summary for Tuesday August 27th, 2024:

Salvador Perez hits grand slam, drives in 6 as Royals sweep Guardians, close within 1 in AL Central

CLEVELAND (AP) — Salvador Perez hit a grand slam and drove in a career-high six runs as the Kansas City Royals completed a doubleheader sweep of Cleveland, beating the Guardians 9-4 to pull within one game of first in the AL Central. Bobby Witt Jr.'s 27th homer — and 11th since July 19 — snapped a tie in the eighth inning and sent the Royals to a 4-3 win in the day game. In Game 2, Perez hit a solo homer in the fifth inning and connected for his sixth career slam in the sixth. Kansas City was nine games back in early July, but have chipped away at Cleveland's lead by posting an AL-best 22-13 record since the break. The Guardians dropped to 0-8 in doubleheaders this season.

Receiver CeeDee Lamb agrees to 4-year, $136M deal with Cowboys, AP sources say

FRISCO, Texas (AP) — Three people familiar with the deal say All-Pro wide receiver CeeDee Lamb has ended his holdout with the Dallas Cowboys by agreeing to a $136 million, four-year contract. Lamb is going into the last year of his rookie contract after being drafted 17th overall in 2020. He is a close second to Minnesota receiver Justin Jefferson as the highest-paid non-quarterback in NFL history. Lamb led the NFL in receptions last season with 135 and was second in yards receiving with 1,749 and third in touchdown receptions with 12.

Danny Jansen plays for both teams in Blue Jays-Red Sox game, an MLB first

BOSTON (AP) — Red Sox catcher Danny Jansen became the first player in Major League Baseball history to appear in the same game for both teams when he took the field for Boston in the resumption of a rain-delayed game he started for Toronto back in June. Jansen was in the Blue Jays' lineup at catcher and batting in the second inning on June 26 when the game was suspended. He was traded to the Red Sox last month, and on Monday he took his position behind the plate as pinch-hitter Daulton Varsho completed an at-bat that Jansen started.

Coco Gauff begins her US Open title defense with an easy win after a two-match losing streak

NEW YORK (AP) — Coco Gauff's U.S. Open title defense is off to a successful start. The 20-year-old American beat Varvara Gracheva 6-2, 6-0 in just 66 minutes on Monday. Gauff had lost two matches in a row on hard courts before arriving in New York, where she won last year's championship for her first Grand Slam trophy. Other winners on Day 1 included No. 7 Zheng Qinwen, No. 14 Madison Keys, No. 4 Alexander Zverev, No. 6 Andrey Rublev, No. 8 Casper Ruud and Americans Taylor Fritz and Ben Shelton. Shelton beat 2020 U.S. Open champion Dominic Thiem, who is retiring after the season.

Prescott's time with the Cowboys, Russell Wilson's fading career among the hot QB questions in 2024

Dak Prescott figures to get paid one way or another. The star Dallas quarterback would love for that to be with the Cowboys, but the question lingers in the final year of his current contract. Russell Wilson is in Pittsburgh after two mostly miserable years in Denver. The end of the line could be near for the former Seattle star. Wilson hasn't been announced as the starter by the Steelers, who traded for Justin Fields after adding Wilson. The look and feel of the hot seat is a bit different for Prescott and Wilson, among others in potential make-or-break situations, but it's a hot seat nonetheless.

Does American tennis have a pickleball problem? Upstart's boom looms out of view at the US Open

NEW YORK (AP) — Does American tennis have a pickleball problem? Even as the U.S. Open opened this week with more than a million fans expected for the sport's biggest showcase, the game's leaders are being forced to confront the fact that the nation's fastest-growing sport is actually pickleball, which has seen participation boom 223% in the past three years. The U.S. Tennis Association is flipping the script on pickleball by promoting its own short-court version of tennis called "red ball tennis." Backers bill it as the ideal way for people of all ages to get into tennis, and say the best place to try it is on pickleball courts.

Viva La México: NASCAR to take Cup Series international for 1st points race of modern era

NASCAR will take its top Cup Series international for the first points-paying race outside the United States next year with a June stop in Mexico City. The Cup Series will race at storied Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez and have a Tuesday morning news conference in Mexico City to discuss the event. The Cup race will be June 15 and NASCAR's second-tier Xfinity Series and NASCAR Mexico Series will be part of the weekend. The Cup Series has never gone international in the modern era for anything besides exhibition races. It held exhibitions in Japan between 1996 and 1998, and once in Australia in 1988. The only two points-paying Cup races previously held internationally were in Canada, in 1952 and 1958.

NASCAR appeal officer upholds decision to revoke Austin Dillon's playoff berth after win at Richmond

CONCORD, N.C. (AP) — Austin Dillon's overly aggressive victory at Richmond Raceway won't land him a spot in the Cup Series playoffs. A NASCAR appeal officer on Monday upheld the sanctioning body's decision to revoke Dillon's automatic postseason berth that came with his controversial win at Richmond on Aug. 11. Dillon intentionally wrecked Denny Hamlin and Joey Logano coming out of the final turn to take the checkered flag for his first victory in two years. Three days later, NASCAR announced that Dillon's victory "crossed a line." Richard Childress Racing appealed. A NASCAR "final appeal officer" upheld the penalties and said race data indicated "that more likely than not a rule violation did occur."

US Open fans can move around in the stands and don't need to wait for changeovers to enter or exit

NEW YORK (AP) — Fans at the U.S. Open now have the freedom to do what fans at other sporting events take for granted. They can get out of their seats and move around during the action. Etiquette at tennis matches has long demanded that no one gets in or out during a game. But under a new policy instituted this year, people with tickets for certain sections at every court can move around whenever they want, even during play. Fans who spoke to The Associated Press on Monday said they liked the change. For players, it takes a little getting used to, but most don't see it as a big deal.

US Open: 16-year-old Californian Iva Jovic beats Magda Linette in the first round

NEW YORK (AP) — Iva Jovic is a 16-year-old from California who has became the youngest American to win a women's main-draw match at the U.S. Open since 2000. She eliminated 2023 Australian Open semifinalist Magda Linette of Poland 6-4, 6-3 on Monday. Katrina Scott of the U.S. was 16 when she won a match at the U.S. Open four years ago. Last year, Mirra Andreeva of Russia was 16 when she did it. Here's one indication of Jovic's youth: She still is planning to enter the junior event later in the tournament. Here's another: Jovic is still in school, taking online courses through a program she described as "convenient and ... very lenient."

Here are the scores from yesterday's sports events:

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/12/1701494597443.png" alt="Sports Headlines and News for Tuesday, August 27th, 2024." />
 <figcaption>Sports Headlines and News for Tuesday, August 27th, 2024.</figcaption>
 </figure>AP Sports Summary for Tuesday August 27th, 2024:<div><iframe width="100%" height="95" src="https://embeds.audioboom.com/posts/8561153/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>Salvador Perez hits grand slam, drives in 6 as Royals sweep Guardians, close within 1 in AL CentralCLEVELAND (AP) — Salvador Perez hit a grand slam and drove in a career-high six runs as the Kansas City Royals completed a doubleheader sweep of Cleveland, beating the Guardians 9-4 to pull within one game of first in the AL Central. Bobby Witt Jr.'s 27th homer — and 11th since July 19 — snapped a tie in the eighth inning and sent the Royals to a 4-3 win in the day game. In Game 2, Perez hit a solo homer in the fifth inning and connected for his sixth career slam in the sixth. Kansas City was nine games back in early July, but have chipped away at Cleveland's lead by posting an AL-best 22-13 record since the break. The Guardians dropped to 0-8 in doubleheaders this season.Receiver CeeDee Lamb agrees to 4-year, $136M deal with Cowboys, AP sources sayFRISCO, Texas (AP) — Three people familiar with the deal say All-Pro wide receiver CeeDee Lamb has ended his holdout with the Dallas Cowboys by agreeing to a $136 million, four-year contract. Lamb is going into the last year of his rookie contract after being drafted 17th overall in 2020. He is a close second to Minnesota receiver Justin Jefferson as the highest-paid non-quarterback in NFL history. Lamb led the NFL in receptions last season with 135 and was second in yards receiving with 1,749 and third in touchdown receptions with 12.Danny Jansen plays for both teams in Blue Jays-Red Sox game, an MLB firstBOSTON (AP) — Red Sox catcher Danny Jansen became the first player in Major League Baseball history to appear in the same game for both teams when he took the field for Boston in the resumption of a rain-delayed game he started for Toronto back in June. Jansen was in the Blue Jays' lineup at catcher and batting in the second inning on June 26 when the game was suspended. He was traded to the Red Sox last month, and on Monday he took his position behind the plate as pinch-hitter Daulton Varsho completed an at-bat that Jansen started.Coco Gauff begins her US Open title defense with an easy win after a two-match losing streakNEW YORK (AP) — Coco Gauff's U.S. Open title defense is off to a successful start. The 20-year-old American beat Varvara Gracheva 6-2, 6-0 in just 66 minutes on Monday. Gauff had lost two matches in a row on hard courts before arriving in New York, where she won last year's championship for her first Grand Slam trophy. Other winners on Day 1 included No. 7 Zheng Qinwen, No. 14 Madison Keys, No. 4 Alexander Zverev, No. 6 Andrey Rublev, No. 8 Casper Ruud and Americans Taylor Fritz and Ben Shelton. Shelton beat 2020 U.S. Open champion Dominic Thiem, who is retiring after the season.Prescott's time with the Cowboys, Russell Wilson's fading career among the hot QB questions in 2024Dak Prescott figures to get paid one way or another. The star Dallas quarterback would love for that to be with the Cowboys, but the question lingers in the final year of his current contract. Russell Wilson is in Pittsburgh after two mostly miserable years in Denver. The end of the line could be near for the former Seattle star. Wilson hasn't been announced as the starter by the Steelers, who traded for Justin Fields after adding Wilson. The look and feel of the hot seat is a bit different for Prescott and Wilson, among others in potential make-or-break situations, but it's a hot seat nonetheless.Does American tennis have a pickleball problem? Upstart's boom looms out of view at the US OpenNEW YORK (AP) — Does American tennis have a pickleball problem? Even as the U.S. Open opened this week with more than a million fans expected for the sport's biggest showcase, the game's leaders are being forced to confront the fact that the nation's fastest-growing sport is actually pickleball, which has seen participation boom 223% in the past three years. The U.S. Tennis Association is flipping the script on pickleball by promoting its own short-court version of tennis called "red ball tennis." Backers bill it as the ideal way for people of all ages to get into tennis, and say the best place to try it is on pickleball courts.Viva La México: NASCAR to take Cup Series international for 1st points race of modern eraNASCAR will take its top Cup Series international for the first points-paying race outside the United States next year with a June stop in Mexico City. The Cup Series will race at storied Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez and have a Tuesday morning news conference in Mexico City to discuss the event. The Cup race will be June 15 and NASCAR's second-tier Xfinity Series and NASCAR Mexico Series will be part of the weekend. The Cup Series has never gone international in the modern era for anything besides exhibition races. It held exhibitions in Japan between 1996 and 1998, and once in Australia in 1988. The only two points-paying Cup races previously held internationally were in Canada, in 1952 and 1958.NASCAR appeal officer upholds decision to revoke Austin Dillon's playoff berth after win at RichmondCONCORD, N.C. (AP) — Austin Dillon's overly aggressive victory at Richmond Raceway won't land him a spot in the Cup Series playoffs. A NASCAR appeal officer on Monday upheld the sanctioning body's decision to revoke Dillon's automatic postseason berth that came with his controversial win at Richmond on Aug. 11. Dillon intentionally wrecked Denny Hamlin and Joey Logano coming out of the final turn to take the checkered flag for his first victory in two years. Three days later, NASCAR announced that Dillon's victory "crossed a line." Richard Childress Racing appealed. A NASCAR "final appeal officer" upheld the penalties and said race data indicated "that more likely than not a rule violation did occur."US Open fans can move around in the stands and don't need to wait for changeovers to enter or exitNEW YORK (AP) — Fans at the U.S. Open now have the freedom to do what fans at other sporting events take for granted. They can get out of their seats and move around during the action. Etiquette at tennis matches has long demanded that no one gets in or out during a game. But under a new policy instituted this year, people with tickets for certain sections at every court can move around whenever they want, even during play. Fans who spoke to The Associated Press on Monday said they liked the change. For players, it takes a little getting used to, but most don't see it as a big deal.US Open: 16-year-old Californian Iva Jovic beats Magda Linette in the first roundNEW YORK (AP) — Iva Jovic is a 16-year-old from California who has became the youngest American to win a women's main-draw match at the U.S. Open since 2000. She eliminated 2023 Australian Open semifinalist Magda Linette of Poland 6-4, 6-3 on Monday. Katrina Scott of the U.S. was 16 when she won a match at the U.S. Open four years ago. Last year, Mirra Andreeva of Russia was 16 when she did it. Here's one indication of Jovic's youth: She still is planning to enter the junior event later in the tournament. Here's another: Jovic is still in school, taking online courses through a program she described as "convenient and ... very lenient."AP-ScorecardHere are the scores from yesterday's sports events:___INTERLEAGUEFinal	Philadelphia	3	Houston	2	Final	N.Y. Yankees	5	Washington	2	Final	Atlanta	10	Minnesota	6	___AMERICAN LEAGUEFinal	Kansas City	4	Cleveland	3	Final	Toronto	4	Boston	1	Final	Kansas City	9	Cleveland	4	Final	Toronto	7	Boston	3	Final	Detroit	6	Chicago White Sox	3	Final	Seattle	5	Tampa Bay	1	___NATIONAL LEAGUEFinal	Chicago Cubs	18	Pittsburgh	8	Final	San Diego	7	St. Louis	4	Final	Colorado	3	Miami	2	___WOMEN'S NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATIONFinal	Indiana	84	Atlanta	79	Final	New York	84	Phoenix	70	Final	Washington	74	Seattle	72	___TODAY'S SPORTS SCHEDULE___INTERLEAGUE		Houston	at	Philadelphia	6:40 p.m.			Oakland	at	Cincinnati	6:40 p.m.			N-Y Yankees	at	Washington	6:45 p.m.			Atlanta	at	Minnesota	7:40 p.m.			Baltimore	at	L-A Dodgers	10:10 p.m.	___AMERICAN LEAGUE		Kansas City	at	Cleveland	6:40 p.m.			L-A Angels	at	Detroit	6:40 p.m.			Toronto	at	Boston	7:10 p.m.			Texas	at	Chi White Sox	8:10 p.m.			Tampa Bay	at	Seattle	9:40 p.m.	___NATIONAL LEAGUE		Chi Cubs	at	Pittsburgh	6:40 p.m.			San Diego	at	St. Louis	7:45 p.m.			San Francisco	at	Milwaukee	8:10 p.m.			Miami	at	Colorado	8:40 p.m.			N-Y Mets	at	Arizona	9:40 p.m.	___WOMEN'S NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION		Las Vegas	at	Dallas	8 p.m.	___