LEAVENWORTH -&nbsp;Much like the sun coming up every morning, Kansas Wesleyan Women's Soccer will play in the KCAC Semifinals.

<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/4d8d0eba-a09d-4630-b4b4-818492191512?elinkdata=2497" target="_blank">Graciela Lopez's</a>&nbsp;85th-minute goal was all the Coyotes needed as KWU held on to knock off No. 3 seed Saint Mary 1-0 on Saturday night at Berkel Memorial Stadium in the KCAC quarterfinals.

With the win, the Coyotes move on to next Wednesday's KCAC Semifinals, where they'll face No. 2 seed Friends at 7:30 p.m. at the Stryker Sports Complex in Wichita.It will be Kansas Wesleyan's 19th consecutive appearance in the KCAC Semifinals.

Lopez scored the goal on a deep shot from the left side that deflected off the outstretched arm of the Saint Mary keeper Marisol Vargas' arm and into the right side netting of the goal. Lopez got the loose ball and sent the shot into the box finding nylon.

Saint Mary nearly had the equalizer in the 88th minute but hit the cross bar with the shot.

The lone goal was the highlight of the defensive battle that only saw 15 combined shots between the teams. Saint Mary led the shots 9-6. Lopez had three of KWU's six.

LEAVENWORTH -&nbsp;Much like the sun coming up every morning, Kansas Wesleyan Women's Soccer will play in the KCAC Semifinals.<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/4d8d0eba-a09d-4630-b4b4-818492191512?elinkdata=2497" target="_blank">Graciela Lopez's</a>&nbsp;85th-minute goal was all the Coyotes needed as KWU held on to knock off No. 3 seed Saint Mary 1-0 on Saturday night at Berkel Memorial Stadium in the KCAC quarterfinals.With the win, the Coyotes move on to next Wednesday's KCAC Semifinals, where they'll face No. 2 seed Friends at 7:30 p.m. at the Stryker Sports Complex in Wichita.It will be Kansas Wesleyan's 19th consecutive appearance in the KCAC Semifinals.Lopez scored the goal on a deep shot from the left side that deflected off the outstretched arm of the Saint Mary keeper Marisol Vargas' arm and into the right side netting of the goal. Lopez got the loose ball and sent the shot into the box finding nylon.Saint Mary nearly had the equalizer in the 88th minute but hit the cross bar with the shot.The lone goal was the highlight of the defensive battle that only saw 15 combined shots between the teams. Saint Mary led the shots 9-6. Lopez had three of KWU's six.

KWU Women's Soccer tops third-seeded Saint Mary Spires 1-0 in KCAC quarterfinals

WINFIELD -&nbsp;Kansas Wesleyan Men's Cross Country posted a second place finish at the 2023 KCAC Men's Cross Country Championships on Saturday.

The Coyotes now await final determination if they will receive the second automatic qualifying bid from the NAIA. NAIA rules state a second automatic qualifier must be rated in the Top 30 in order to receive the bid. The Coyotes are currently ranked No. 20 in the latest NAIA Top 25 rating.

Wesleyan was 14 points better than Tabor in the final standings as the Coyotes finished with 59 points.

Three runners finished in the Top 10 led by&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/25847d0d-59d6-44bd-810c-ed1e837fa49d?elinkdata=2434" target="_blank">Shane Calvin</a>&nbsp;with a seventh place finish, covering the 8K course in 24:47.44.&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/ac86dca6-13a3-4975-a6b7-a92650e75c16?elinkdata=2434" target="_blank">Damion Jackson</a>&nbsp;was eighth in 24:51.59, and&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/1777ebeb-fbf3-442d-925c-926803422c2b?elinkdata=2434" target="_blank">Austin Hess</a>&nbsp;was ninth in 25:01.74.

<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/0996148c-a1b9-4f1e-9067-22ec8a66d461?elinkdata=2434" target="_blank">Carter Huyser</a>&nbsp;was 22nd in 25:57.89,&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/16275dd6-8b33-47cd-91c0-123c4a584106?elinkdata=2434" target="_blank">Julian Avila</a>&nbsp;was 23rd in 25:58.64.

The next eight spots from 26th to 33rd were all Coyotes.&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/43dc3ce6-7098-430a-b4ab-0c7eac3e8f36?elinkdata=2434" target="_blank">Jake Cruz</a>&nbsp;led the group with a time of 26:09.48,&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/dfa9e573-caf2-4512-81a4-cfb1f96d6ff0?elinkdata=2434" target="_blank">Giovanni Rios</a>&nbsp;finished in 26:15.78,&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/2f7812e4-ca41-4d0a-9349-cd62293db6f5?elinkdata=2434" target="_blank">Tytus Reed</a>&nbsp;in 26:16.94,&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/c646518c-ee05-4584-bd22-031e773c4a60?elinkdata=2434" target="_blank">Wyatt Johnson</a>&nbsp;in 26:17.44,&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/4711b4e8-f8a4-4085-a454-48948a4b15e7?elinkdata=2434" target="_blank">Ty Davidson</a>&nbsp;in 26:17.46,&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/9b01e973-e7a5-4946-b8ef-de6c982a1f86?elinkdata=2434" target="_blank">Brenden Ellis</a>&nbsp;in 26:18.26,&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/3fdae5c2-bc35-4d0e-adc2-d8a06abf4dc3?elinkdata=2434" target="_blank">Nicolas Martinez</a>&nbsp;in 26:24.18 and&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/79015f4e-20f8-4e21-aa8e-0931c97b1632?elinkdata=2434" target="_blank">Cisco Alvarez</a>&nbsp;in 26:28.90.

<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/88c1a524-c7b5-41ca-87a4-6ac375554ff5?elinkdata=2434" target="_blank">Triston Cottone</a>&nbsp;was 35th in 26:35.04,&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/21e76150-888a-4739-a20d-897d4c6b332d?elinkdata=2434" target="_blank">Jack Horacek</a>&nbsp;was 45th in 26:59.24,&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/13611955-e4ff-4ee5-985d-404c3b72adc9?elinkdata=2434" target="_blank">Cameron Churchill-Dowd</a>&nbsp;was 49th in 27:05.20,&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/6a5a7d23-a87d-432d-b1ec-761df4cc2e98?elinkdata=2434" target="_blank">Roman Mai</a>&nbsp;was 59th in 27:45.43,&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/d2e50775-df70-4909-8c23-ae4e8797192f?elinkdata=2434" target="_blank">Brodie Bradshaw</a>&nbsp;was 64th in 28:01.09, Zack Tibbits was 75th in 28:34.66,&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/bd229c74-98e6-46a6-b97c-e75533e13126?elinkdata=2434" target="_blank">Remington Wiseman</a>&nbsp;was 97th in 31:19.04, and&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/ee970ba3-14e2-4bb6-b518-445e6a2e5112?elinkdata=2434" target="_blank">Hayden Dotson</a>&nbsp;was 109th in 33:21.91.

Saint Mary was the KCAC Champion posting a perfect cross country score of 15 points. Evangel was fourth and Friends was fifth to round out the Top 5 finishing teams.

WINFIELD -&nbsp;Kansas Wesleyan Men's Cross Country posted a second place finish at the 2023 KCAC Men's Cross Country Championships on Saturday.The Coyotes now await final determination if they will receive the second automatic qualifying bid from the NAIA. NAIA rules state a second automatic qualifier must be rated in the Top 30 in order to receive the bid. The Coyotes are currently ranked No. 20 in the latest NAIA Top 25 rating.Wesleyan was 14 points better than Tabor in the final standings as the Coyotes finished with 59 points.Three runners finished in the Top 10 led by&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/25847d0d-59d6-44bd-810c-ed1e837fa49d?elinkdata=2434" target="_blank">Shane Calvin</a>&nbsp;with a seventh place finish, covering the 8K course in 24:47.44.&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/ac86dca6-13a3-4975-a6b7-a92650e75c16?elinkdata=2434" target="_blank">Damion Jackson</a>&nbsp;was eighth in 24:51.59, and&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/1777ebeb-fbf3-442d-925c-926803422c2b?elinkdata=2434" target="_blank">Austin Hess</a>&nbsp;was ninth in 25:01.74.<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/0996148c-a1b9-4f1e-9067-22ec8a66d461?elinkdata=2434" target="_blank">Carter Huyser</a>&nbsp;was 22nd in 25:57.89,&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/16275dd6-8b33-47cd-91c0-123c4a584106?elinkdata=2434" target="_blank">Julian Avila</a>&nbsp;was 23rd in 25:58.64.The next eight spots from 26th to 33rd were all Coyotes.&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/43dc3ce6-7098-430a-b4ab-0c7eac3e8f36?elinkdata=2434" target="_blank">Jake Cruz</a>&nbsp;led the group with a time of 26:09.48,&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/dfa9e573-caf2-4512-81a4-cfb1f96d6ff0?elinkdata=2434" target="_blank">Giovanni Rios</a>&nbsp;finished in 26:15.78,&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/2f7812e4-ca41-4d0a-9349-cd62293db6f5?elinkdata=2434" target="_blank">Tytus Reed</a>&nbsp;in 26:16.94,&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/c646518c-ee05-4584-bd22-031e773c4a60?elinkdata=2434" target="_blank">Wyatt Johnson</a>&nbsp;in 26:17.44,&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/4711b4e8-f8a4-4085-a454-48948a4b15e7?elinkdata=2434" target="_blank">Ty Davidson</a>&nbsp;in 26:17.46,&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/9b01e973-e7a5-4946-b8ef-de6c982a1f86?elinkdata=2434" target="_blank">Brenden Ellis</a>&nbsp;in 26:18.26,&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/3fdae5c2-bc35-4d0e-adc2-d8a06abf4dc3?elinkdata=2434" target="_blank">Nicolas Martinez</a>&nbsp;in 26:24.18 and&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/79015f4e-20f8-4e21-aa8e-0931c97b1632?elinkdata=2434" target="_blank">Cisco Alvarez</a>&nbsp;in 26:28.90.<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/88c1a524-c7b5-41ca-87a4-6ac375554ff5?elinkdata=2434" target="_blank">Triston Cottone</a>&nbsp;was 35th in 26:35.04,&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/21e76150-888a-4739-a20d-897d4c6b332d?elinkdata=2434" target="_blank">Jack Horacek</a>&nbsp;was 45th in 26:59.24,&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/13611955-e4ff-4ee5-985d-404c3b72adc9?elinkdata=2434" target="_blank">Cameron Churchill-Dowd</a>&nbsp;was 49th in 27:05.20,&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/6a5a7d23-a87d-432d-b1ec-761df4cc2e98?elinkdata=2434" target="_blank">Roman Mai</a>&nbsp;was 59th in 27:45.43,&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/d2e50775-df70-4909-8c23-ae4e8797192f?elinkdata=2434" target="_blank">Brodie Bradshaw</a>&nbsp;was 64th in 28:01.09, Zack Tibbits was 75th in 28:34.66,&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/bd229c74-98e6-46a6-b97c-e75533e13126?elinkdata=2434" target="_blank">Remington Wiseman</a>&nbsp;was 97th in 31:19.04, and&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/ee970ba3-14e2-4bb6-b518-445e6a2e5112?elinkdata=2434" target="_blank">Hayden Dotson</a>&nbsp;was 109th in 33:21.91.Saint Mary was the KCAC Champion posting a perfect cross country score of 15 points. Evangel was fourth and Friends was fifth to round out the Top 5 finishing teams.

Coyote Men's Cross Country finishes second at KCAC Championships

WINFIELD -&nbsp;Kansas Wesleyan Women's Cross Country finished third at the 2023 KCAC Women's Cross Country Championships held at the Winfield Veterans Home on Saturday.

The Coyotes had three Top 20 finishers in the field, led by&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/1afa9351-b558-4eee-a0d8-b841ca1cacf2?elinkdata=2413" target="_blank">Josie Koppes</a>&nbsp;who finished 11th with a time of 23:07.55 for the 6K course.&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/f6e099e5-d7d0-41bc-8f75-07596c506b05?elinkdata=2413" target="_blank">Madisyn Ehrlich</a>&nbsp;was 12th finishing almost in a tie with Koppes with a time of 23:07.58.

<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/a04233b5-23db-4875-a1ca-44491714c19d?elinkdata=2413" target="_blank">Charlee Lind</a>&nbsp;placed 18th with a time of 23:50.43.

<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/bb95a2b1-0b94-4667-86d2-fa1082865bf6?elinkdata=2413" target="_blank">Joni Schroeder</a>&nbsp;finished 25th with a time of 24:39.45,&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/ba902d9c-dd90-4efa-9156-f5a99aaff5e3?elinkdata=2413" target="_blank">Alayna Behrman</a>&nbsp;was 27th with a time of 24:45.59,&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/53e357d4-3552-40fa-b64f-fa0aa7ca4026?elinkdata=2413" target="_blank">Shelby Lingle</a>&nbsp;was 33rd in 25:14.27.&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/0729d147-0009-4fc9-a372-0cc379220aaa?elinkdata=2413" target="_blank">Josey Arthurs</a>&nbsp;was 37th in 25:45.07, and&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/546895a7-f770-4857-aaf1-25323dbdc80b?elinkdata=2413" target="_blank">Allyson Taylor</a>&nbsp;was 44th in 26:32.78.

The Coyotes finished with a team score of 82 points, well ahead of Evangel in fourth with 120.

Saint Mary was the KCAC Champion missing a perfect cross country score by one point with 16 points. Tabor was second with 55. Bethel was fifth with 171 to round out the top five teams.

WINFIELD -&nbsp;Kansas Wesleyan Women's Cross Country finished third at the 2023 KCAC Women's Cross Country Championships held at the Winfield Veterans Home on Saturday.The Coyotes had three Top 20 finishers in the field, led by&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/1afa9351-b558-4eee-a0d8-b841ca1cacf2?elinkdata=2413" target="_blank">Josie Koppes</a>&nbsp;who finished 11th with a time of 23:07.55 for the 6K course.&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/f6e099e5-d7d0-41bc-8f75-07596c506b05?elinkdata=2413" target="_blank">Madisyn Ehrlich</a>&nbsp;was 12th finishing almost in a tie with Koppes with a time of 23:07.58.<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/a04233b5-23db-4875-a1ca-44491714c19d?elinkdata=2413" target="_blank">Charlee Lind</a>&nbsp;placed 18th with a time of 23:50.43.<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/bb95a2b1-0b94-4667-86d2-fa1082865bf6?elinkdata=2413" target="_blank">Joni Schroeder</a>&nbsp;finished 25th with a time of 24:39.45,&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/ba902d9c-dd90-4efa-9156-f5a99aaff5e3?elinkdata=2413" target="_blank">Alayna Behrman</a>&nbsp;was 27th with a time of 24:45.59,&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/53e357d4-3552-40fa-b64f-fa0aa7ca4026?elinkdata=2413" target="_blank">Shelby Lingle</a>&nbsp;was 33rd in 25:14.27.&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/0729d147-0009-4fc9-a372-0cc379220aaa?elinkdata=2413" target="_blank">Josey Arthurs</a>&nbsp;was 37th in 25:45.07, and&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/546895a7-f770-4857-aaf1-25323dbdc80b?elinkdata=2413" target="_blank">Allyson Taylor</a>&nbsp;was 44th in 26:32.78.The Coyotes finished with a team score of 82 points, well ahead of Evangel in fourth with 120.Saint Mary was the KCAC Champion missing a perfect cross country score by one point with 16 points. Tabor was second with 55. Bethel was fifth with 171 to round out the top five teams.

KWU Women's Cross Country places third at KCAC Championships

AMES, Iowa (AP) — Jason Bean passed for 287 yards, including an 80-yard touchdown to Lawrence Arnold after Iowa State pulled within three points in the fourth quarter, and the No. 22 Jayhawks held off the Cyclones for a 28-21 victory Saturday night.

The Jayhawks (7-2, 4-2 Big 12) won consecutive conference games for the first time since 2008. They also reached the seven-win benchmark and won in Ames for the first time since that '08 season.

Iowa State (5-4, 4-2) began the day in a five-way tie for first place in the Big 12, but the Cyclones' comeback bid came up short after they trailed 21-3 with 9:24 left in the third quarter.

Bean completed 14 of 23 passes, his biggest one to Arnold giving Kansas a 10-point cushion right after Iowa State had scored to make it 21-18. Arnold got behind the secondary to make the catch at the 50 and ran the rest of the way untouched.

A field goal got the Cyclones within 28-21 with 4:53 left. The Jayhawks were able to pick up two first downs on their final possession to run out the clock.

Arnold finished with 112 yards on three catches.

Kansas' Devin Neal scored the first of his two touchdowns on the game's opening series, capping a nine-play, 87-yard drive.

Mello Dotson returned an interception 50 yards for Kansas' second touchdown, and his second pick-six in two games. The Jayhawks missed two field goals before Iowa State trimmed the margin to 14-3 on Chase Contreraz's 35-yard kick before halftime.

Neal's second touchdown completed a 75-yard drive to start the third quarter and gave Kansas a 21-3 lead.

The first two times Kansas was in the Top 25 this season, it lost its next game. The Jayhawks should stay in the rankings a second straight week.

Kansas' Dotson appeared woozy after hitting his head while making a diving tackle of Dimitri Stanley with 10 seconds left in the first half. Athletic trainers tended to Dotson on the field for a few minutes, but he was able to walk off the field on his own.

Bean grabbed the back of his left leg after ISU’s Will McLaughlin hit him low after he threw a pass in the second half. No. 3 quarterback Cole Ballard came on to take one snap.

Iowa State's defense neutralized the top running back duo in the Power Five. Neal and Daniel Hishaw came into Saturday with a combined 1,259 rushing yards on the season but netted a combined 86 yards on 30 carries. Neal ended up with 57 rushing yards and two touchdowns.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/11/1699155934075.jpeg" alt="Kansas wide receiver Lawrence Arnold (2) catchers a pass over Iowa State defensive back Jontez Williams (31) during the first half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Nov. 4, 2023, in Ames, Iowa. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)" />
 <figcaption>Kansas wide receiver Lawrence Arnold (2) catchers a pass over Iowa State defensive back Jontez Williams (31) during the first half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Nov. 4, 2023, in Ames, Iowa. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)</figcaption>
 </figure>AMES, Iowa (AP) — Jason Bean passed for 287 yards, including an 80-yard touchdown to Lawrence Arnold after Iowa State pulled within three points in the fourth quarter, and the No. 22 Jayhawks held off the Cyclones for a 28-21 victory Saturday night.The Jayhawks (7-2, 4-2 Big 12) won consecutive conference games for the first time since 2008. They also reached the seven-win benchmark and won in Ames for the first time since that '08 season.Iowa State (5-4, 4-2) began the day in a five-way tie for first place in the Big 12, but the Cyclones' comeback bid came up short after they trailed 21-3 with 9:24 left in the third quarter.Bean completed 14 of 23 passes, his biggest one to Arnold giving Kansas a 10-point cushion right after Iowa State had scored to make it 21-18. Arnold got behind the secondary to make the catch at the 50 and ran the rest of the way untouched.A field goal got the Cyclones within 28-21 with 4:53 left. The Jayhawks were able to pick up two first downs on their final possession to run out the clock.Arnold finished with 112 yards on three catches.Kansas' Devin Neal scored the first of his two touchdowns on the game's opening series, capping a nine-play, 87-yard drive.Mello Dotson returned an interception 50 yards for Kansas' second touchdown, and his second pick-six in two games. The Jayhawks missed two field goals before Iowa State trimmed the margin to 14-3 on Chase Contreraz's 35-yard kick before halftime.Neal's second touchdown completed a 75-yard drive to start the third quarter and gave Kansas a 21-3 lead.POLL IMPLICATIONSThe first two times Kansas was in the Top 25 this season, it lost its next game. The Jayhawks should stay in the rankings a second straight week.INJURY REPORTKansas' Dotson appeared woozy after hitting his head while making a diving tackle of Dimitri Stanley with 10 seconds left in the first half. Athletic trainers tended to Dotson on the field for a few minutes, but he was able to walk off the field on his own.Bean grabbed the back of his left leg after ISU’s Will McLaughlin hit him low after he threw a pass in the second half. No. 3 quarterback Cole Ballard came on to take one snap.NOT GAINING ON THE GROUNDIowa State's defense neutralized the top running back duo in the Power Five. Neal and Daniel Hishaw came into Saturday with a combined 1,259 rushing yards on the season but netted a combined 86 yards on 30 carries. Neal ended up with 57 rushing yards and two touchdowns.UP NEXTKansas hosts Texas Tech on Saturday.

No. 22 Kansas holds off Iowa State to reach 7-win mark 

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Texas was dominant for most of three quarters against Kansas State, building a comfortable 20-point lead behind a suffocating defense.

Then the No. 7 Longhorns found themselves in overtime, clinging to a three point lead with just six yards between the No. 25 Wildcats, the end zone and a loss.

“These are the moments you live for. Everybody wants to be the person to make that play,” Texas defensive back Jahdae Barron said. “Trust one another. And that's what we did.”

With a chance to win and all the momentum, Kansas State gained just two yards in three plays before Texas' Barryn Sorrell pressured Will Howard into a desperate, off-balance pass that fell incomplete, as the Longhorns made Bert Auburn's 42-yard field goal stand up for a 33-30 win that keeps them atop the Big 12.

Texas (8-1, 5-1 Big 12, No. 7 CFP) matched last season's win total and stayed on track for a possible berth in the Big 12 championship game. Texas hasn't won the league since 2009, and this is the last chance before the program leaves for the Southeastern Conference next season.

“Versatility, resilience, perseverance ... those are all qualities championship teams have,” Texas coach Steve Sarkisian said. “They can make plays at critical moments.”

That was Kansas State (6-3, 402, No. 23 CFP) when the Wildcats came storming back from a 27-7 deficit late in the third quarter. Kansas State rallied behind three touchdown passes from Howard in less than three minutes.

Kansas State forced overtime on Chris Tennant's 45-yard field goal with 1 second left. Tennant had earlier missed a short chance to tie with just under two minutes left.

Texas went nowhere on its first possession of overtime before Auburn's go-ahead kick, his fourth field goal of the game. Kansas State was then quickly inside the Texas 10.

Facing fourth down, the Wildcats went for the win instead of another field goal to tie and more overtime. Kansas State coach Chris Klieman said he didn't hesitate to make the call and would do it again if given another chance.

“Our kids always believe we have a shot,” Klieman said. “I’m upset that we lost, but watching what our guys were able to do in the second half was pretty special.”

Jonathon Brooks ran for 112 yards and a touchdown for Texas, which also got a 54-yard scoring run early from C.J. Baxter. Howard passed for 327 yards and four touchdowns for the Wildcats, two of them to Phillip Brooks.

Kansas State's rally was helped by consecutive Texas turnovers — an interception and fumble — that set up two quick Howard touchdown passes. A blocked punt set up Kansas State's only touchdown in the first half.

“It tested us. It tested our resilience," Sarkisian said. “It tested our culture to stick together.”

Texas has been dominant on run defense all season and allowed just 33 yards on the ground Saturday.

“I think we're proving the physicality that Texas can play with on defense that probably hasn't been there in the past decade,” said Texas edge rusher Ethan Burker, who had two sacks. "We're really showing the country how physical and strong we are.

Kansas State: The Wildcats stubbornly stuck to a running game that was going nowhere in the first half. Even when they rotated in speedy freshman quarterback Avery Johnson, his first full series produced three consecutive handoffs instead of letting him probe for an opening. The Wildcats moved the ball through the air on a short scoring drive in the second quarter before opening up the offense on Howard's passing in the second half.

Texas: Maalik Murphy has managed the last two games at quarterback for Texas but has been erratic and struggled with accuracy and turnovers Saturday. After a quick start Saturday, he threw one interception and two more passes that were dropped by Wildcats defenders. Ewers has been deemed “week-to-week” by coach Steve Sarkisian with a sprained right throwing shoulder.

“Quinn is moving in the right direction" to return, Sarkisian said. "How quickly I don't know yet.”

Texas wide receiver Adonai Mitchell, a transfer from Georgia, caught eight passes for 149 yards and touchdown, his third scoring connection with Murphy in two games.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/11/1699135850346.jpeg" alt="Kansas State wide receiver Keagan Johnson (10) scores on a touchdown catch against Texas during the second half of an NCAA college football game in Austin, Texas, Saturday, Nov. 4, 2023. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)" />
 <figcaption>Kansas State wide receiver Keagan Johnson (10) scores on a touchdown catch against Texas during the second half of an NCAA college football game in Austin, Texas, Saturday, Nov. 4, 2023. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)</figcaption>
 </figure>AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Texas was dominant for most of three quarters against Kansas State, building a comfortable 20-point lead behind a suffocating defense.Then the No. 7 Longhorns found themselves in overtime, clinging to a three point lead with just six yards between the No. 25 Wildcats, the end zone and a loss.“These are the moments you live for. Everybody wants to be the person to make that play,” Texas defensive back Jahdae Barron said. “Trust one another. And that's what we did.”With a chance to win and all the momentum, Kansas State gained just two yards in three plays before Texas' Barryn Sorrell pressured Will Howard into a desperate, off-balance pass that fell incomplete, as the Longhorns made Bert Auburn's 42-yard field goal stand up for a 33-30 win that keeps them atop the Big 12.Texas (8-1, 5-1 Big 12, No. 7 CFP) matched last season's win total and stayed on track for a possible berth in the Big 12 championship game. Texas hasn't won the league since 2009, and this is the last chance before the program leaves for the Southeastern Conference next season.“Versatility, resilience, perseverance ... those are all qualities championship teams have,” Texas coach Steve Sarkisian said. “They can make plays at critical moments.”That was Kansas State (6-3, 402, No. 23 CFP) when the Wildcats came storming back from a 27-7 deficit late in the third quarter. Kansas State rallied behind three touchdown passes from Howard in less than three minutes.Kansas State forced overtime on Chris Tennant's 45-yard field goal with 1 second left. Tennant had earlier missed a short chance to tie with just under two minutes left.Texas went nowhere on its first possession of overtime before Auburn's go-ahead kick, his fourth field goal of the game. Kansas State was then quickly inside the Texas 10.Facing fourth down, the Wildcats went for the win instead of another field goal to tie and more overtime. Kansas State coach Chris Klieman said he didn't hesitate to make the call and would do it again if given another chance.“Our kids always believe we have a shot,” Klieman said. “I’m upset that we lost, but watching what our guys were able to do in the second half was pretty special.”Jonathon Brooks ran for 112 yards and a touchdown for Texas, which also got a 54-yard scoring run early from C.J. Baxter. Howard passed for 327 yards and four touchdowns for the Wildcats, two of them to Phillip Brooks.Kansas State's rally was helped by consecutive Texas turnovers — an interception and fumble — that set up two quick Howard touchdown passes. A blocked punt set up Kansas State's only touchdown in the first half.“It tested us. It tested our resilience," Sarkisian said. “It tested our culture to stick together.”STUFFING THE RUNTexas has been dominant on run defense all season and allowed just 33 yards on the ground Saturday.“I think we're proving the physicality that Texas can play with on defense that probably hasn't been there in the past decade,” said Texas edge rusher Ethan Burker, who had two sacks. "We're really showing the country how physical and strong we are.THE TAKEAWAYKansas State: The Wildcats stubbornly stuck to a running game that was going nowhere in the first half. Even when they rotated in speedy freshman quarterback Avery Johnson, his first full series produced three consecutive handoffs instead of letting him probe for an opening. The Wildcats moved the ball through the air on a short scoring drive in the second quarter before opening up the offense on Howard's passing in the second half.Texas: Maalik Murphy has managed the last two games at quarterback for Texas but has been erratic and struggled with accuracy and turnovers Saturday. After a quick start Saturday, he threw one interception and two more passes that were dropped by Wildcats defenders. Ewers has been deemed “week-to-week” by coach Steve Sarkisian with a sprained right throwing shoulder.“Quinn is moving in the right direction" to return, Sarkisian said. "How quickly I don't know yet.”BIG TARGETTexas wide receiver Adonai Mitchell, a transfer from Georgia, caught eight passes for 149 yards and touchdown, his third scoring connection with Murphy in two games.UP NEXTKansas State hosts Baylor next Saturday.

FG and late defensive stand lift Texas over Kansas State in OT

<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/cf1e6faf-0734-4369-8d16-613dcd771788?elinkdata=2371" target="_blank">Jun Murdock</a>&nbsp;had not forgotten Kansas Wesleyan's final basketball game of the 2022-23 season as he took the court Friday night for the No. 16 ranked Coyotes' game against No. 13 ranked Morningside.

KWU's season ended with an 87-80 loss to the Mustangs in the second round of the NAIA Men's Championship on March 8 in Wichita. The Coyotes led 41-36 at halftime but couldn't hang on.

Murdock did his part, scoring 23 points, but the sting remained throughout the offseason.

The pain has finally subsided a bit following Wesleyan's 84-73 victory over Morningside in the Kansas Wesleyan Coyote Classic inside Mabee Arena. They did so thanks to another incredible effort from Murdock.

The Coyotes' irrepressible point guard scored their first 10 points and finished with 31 to go along with 10 assists, six rebounds and four steals while playing the entire 40 minutes.

"I think (that game) was on all of our minds," Murdock said. "They got us in the national tournament last year so that added a lot of fuel to the fire. We wanted to come out with a lot of energy and I think we had that."

Morningside, which returns four starters including the top three scorers from the game in Wichita, threw the first punch by taking an early 8-3 lead. Murdock responded in dazzling fashion scoring the game's next seven points igniting a withering 23-0 run that gave the Coyotes a 26-8 lead. And they never looked back.

Murdock scored two points in the KWU's victory over Bellevue last Saturday in Bellevue, Nebraska but said that was not a consideration.

"That just happened out there," he said. "My teammates believe in me; my coaches believe in me and they just told me to keep my confidence. I'm in the gym all the time so it's going to show.

It certainly did Friday. Murdock was 8 of 15 from the field including two 3-pointers and 13 of 16 from the foul line.

"He didn't have a great first weekend and kind of struggled to finish," KWU coach&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/c9c33dcd-babc-4e74-86b9-9a6c426ad77d?elinkdata=2371" target="_blank">Anthony Monson</a>&nbsp;said. "We love it when he's aggressive like he was tonight and he's been aggressive all year. Tonight, he was just able to finish."We needed it. We were struggling, getting off to a slow start and he responded in a big way and helped us get the job done."

Four other Coyotes scored in double figures as well -&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/3e0e51c1-80c0-470a-8f25-347b4507d021?elinkdata=2371" target="_blank">Alex Littlejohn</a>&nbsp;had 13 points to go along with 11 rebounds, backup forward&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/fd2fae6e-46c6-49a0-86ce-dcef164a034d?elinkdata=2371" target="_blank">Grant Dye</a>&nbsp;12 points off the bench, and reserve guard&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/2de34f67-5257-43d5-b970-1991851e4ba9?elinkdata=2371" target="_blank">Caden Hale</a>&nbsp;11.

Monson was especially pleased with Dye and reserve forward&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/13f3fb74-96e5-4a08-9f71-6e6a7a080a46?elinkdata=2371" target="_blank">Gabe Phillips</a>."A big key was&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/0be75e3f-54b6-4701-b6ce-1a51045716a1?elinkdata=2371" target="_blank">Grant Dye</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/4003dc0f-d031-4afc-9aa2-464f877f3474?elinkdata=2371" target="_blank">Gabe Phillips</a>&nbsp;off the bench," he said.

"We got in foul trouble with (<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/37909d55-5eff-4e78-bf32-8796dada1d59?elinkdata=2371" target="_blank">Thurbil Bile</a>) and Gabe being undersized was super physical. Grant stretching the floor at a five spot gave them problems and made them have to come out away from the basket. You can't say enough about those two coming off the bench."

KWU led 45-38 at halftime after Morningside rallied from the 18-point deficit. The Coyotes remained in control the second half, though - the Mustangs getting no closer than seven the final 20 minutes.

Wesleyan shot 47.4 percent for the game (27 of 57) including 9 of 23 beyond the arc and was 21 of 28 at the line. Morningside shot 37.7 percent (20 of 53), was just 4 of 17 from deep and 29 of 37 at the line.

Ely Doble, Morningside's post player who scored 22 against KWU last year, led the Mustangs Friday with 24 points and 14 rebounds."We guarded well but they got too many free throws, they lived at the line," Monson said. 

"We kind of kept them in the game the whole night but I thought we battled defensively, we boarded well and we competed. That's a national tournament we beat right there."Murdock said it was a big improvement over last weekend."I felt like we weren't locked in all the way those two game (in Nebraska) but we're starting to get it together," he said.

The Coyotes play Briar Cliff (Iowa) at 6 p.m. Saturday in the Classic. Briar Cliff (3-0) defeated Bethany 76-59 Friday.

"They've got five guys running around throwing the ball everywhere, screening and causing a lot of confusion," Monson said. "If we're not on top of our game and if we think we're just going to roll in there because we beat Morningside we're going to get it handed to us tomorrow. It's a long season and we can't become complacent with this."

<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/cf1e6faf-0734-4369-8d16-613dcd771788?elinkdata=2371" target="_blank">Jun Murdock</a>&nbsp;had not forgotten Kansas Wesleyan's final basketball game of the 2022-23 season as he took the court Friday night for the No. 16 ranked Coyotes' game against No. 13 ranked Morningside.KWU's season ended with an 87-80 loss to the Mustangs in the second round of the NAIA Men's Championship on March 8 in Wichita. The Coyotes led 41-36 at halftime but couldn't hang on.Murdock did his part, scoring 23 points, but the sting remained throughout the offseason.The pain has finally subsided a bit following Wesleyan's 84-73 victory over Morningside in the Kansas Wesleyan Coyote Classic inside Mabee Arena. They did so thanks to another incredible effort from Murdock.The Coyotes' irrepressible point guard scored their first 10 points and finished with 31 to go along with 10 assists, six rebounds and four steals while playing the entire 40 minutes."I think (that game) was on all of our minds," Murdock said. "They got us in the national tournament last year so that added a lot of fuel to the fire. We wanted to come out with a lot of energy and I think we had that."Morningside, which returns four starters including the top three scorers from the game in Wichita, threw the first punch by taking an early 8-3 lead. Murdock responded in dazzling fashion scoring the game's next seven points igniting a withering 23-0 run that gave the Coyotes a 26-8 lead. And they never looked back.Murdock scored two points in the KWU's victory over Bellevue last Saturday in Bellevue, Nebraska but said that was not a consideration."That just happened out there," he said. "My teammates believe in me; my coaches believe in me and they just told me to keep my confidence. I'm in the gym all the time so it's going to show.It certainly did Friday. Murdock was 8 of 15 from the field including two 3-pointers and 13 of 16 from the foul line."He didn't have a great first weekend and kind of struggled to finish," KWU coach&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/c9c33dcd-babc-4e74-86b9-9a6c426ad77d?elinkdata=2371" target="_blank">Anthony Monson</a>&nbsp;said. "We love it when he's aggressive like he was tonight and he's been aggressive all year. Tonight, he was just able to finish."We needed it. We were struggling, getting off to a slow start and he responded in a big way and helped us get the job done."Four other Coyotes scored in double figures as well -&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/3e0e51c1-80c0-470a-8f25-347b4507d021?elinkdata=2371" target="_blank">Alex Littlejohn</a>&nbsp;had 13 points to go along with 11 rebounds, backup forward&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/fd2fae6e-46c6-49a0-86ce-dcef164a034d?elinkdata=2371" target="_blank">Grant Dye</a>&nbsp;12 points off the bench, and reserve guard&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/2de34f67-5257-43d5-b970-1991851e4ba9?elinkdata=2371" target="_blank">Caden Hale</a>&nbsp;11.Monson was especially pleased with Dye and reserve forward&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/13f3fb74-96e5-4a08-9f71-6e6a7a080a46?elinkdata=2371" target="_blank">Gabe Phillips</a>."A big key was&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/0be75e3f-54b6-4701-b6ce-1a51045716a1?elinkdata=2371" target="_blank">Grant Dye</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/4003dc0f-d031-4afc-9aa2-464f877f3474?elinkdata=2371" target="_blank">Gabe Phillips</a>&nbsp;off the bench," he said. "We got in foul trouble with (<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/37909d55-5eff-4e78-bf32-8796dada1d59?elinkdata=2371" target="_blank">Thurbil Bile</a>) and Gabe being undersized was super physical. Grant stretching the floor at a five spot gave them problems and made them have to come out away from the basket. You can't say enough about those two coming off the bench."KWU led 45-38 at halftime after Morningside rallied from the 18-point deficit. The Coyotes remained in control the second half, though - the Mustangs getting no closer than seven the final 20 minutes.Wesleyan shot 47.4 percent for the game (27 of 57) including 9 of 23 beyond the arc and was 21 of 28 at the line. Morningside shot 37.7 percent (20 of 53), was just 4 of 17 from deep and 29 of 37 at the line.Ely Doble, Morningside's post player who scored 22 against KWU last year, led the Mustangs Friday with 24 points and 14 rebounds."We guarded well but they got too many free throws, they lived at the line," Monson said. "We kind of kept them in the game the whole night but I thought we battled defensively, we boarded well and we competed. That's a national tournament we beat right there."Murdock said it was a big improvement over last weekend."I felt like we weren't locked in all the way those two game (in Nebraska) but we're starting to get it together," he said.The Coyotes play Briar Cliff (Iowa) at 6 p.m. Saturday in the Classic. Briar Cliff (3-0) defeated Bethany 76-59 Friday."They've got five guys running around throwing the ball everywhere, screening and causing a lot of confusion," Monson said. "If we're not on top of our game and if we think we're just going to roll in there because we beat Morningside we're going to get it handed to us tomorrow. It's a long season and we can't become complacent with this."

Sweet Revenge: Murdock leads No. 16 KWU past No. 13 Morningside

Kansas Wesleyan Men's Soccer got two second half goals in a three-minute span to secure a trip to the Kansas Conference semifinals as the Coyotes beat Tabor 2-0 in the conference quarterfinals at JRI Hospitality Stadium.

The victory sends the Coyotes to Wichita, and the KCAC semifinals to face Ottawa on Wednesday at 2:30 p.m. at Stryker Sports Complex.

It's the first trip to the conference semifinals for the Coyotes since the 2019 season.

<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/1a74f97a-c7d4-4341-90b9-b07297b18647?elinkdata=2308" target="_blank">Jacob Langebartels</a>&nbsp;scored the first goal for the Coyotes in the 51st minute on a corner kick set piece. The ball was sent in from the right side and bounced off the heads of several players before finally ending up at Langebartels for the score.

Abeanya Nundu scored the second goal for the Coyotes in the 54th minute, getting the ball across the middle of the pitch and weaving through several defenders before scoring it.

<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/aa4164f4-c362-43a9-bbaf-7f05eb938964?elinkdata=2308" target="_blank">Jesus Moreno</a>&nbsp;had five shots to lead the Coyotes who edged Tabor 13-11 in total tries.

<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/2e021153-f773-4663-b366-fef8a85f11ce?elinkdata=2308" target="_blank">Santiago Pagnutti</a>&nbsp;had seven saves to preserve the clean sheet.

Kansas Wesleyan Men's Soccer got two second half goals in a three-minute span to secure a trip to the Kansas Conference semifinals as the Coyotes beat Tabor 2-0 in the conference quarterfinals at JRI Hospitality Stadium.The victory sends the Coyotes to Wichita, and the KCAC semifinals to face Ottawa on Wednesday at 2:30 p.m. at Stryker Sports Complex.It's the first trip to the conference semifinals for the Coyotes since the 2019 season.<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/1a74f97a-c7d4-4341-90b9-b07297b18647?elinkdata=2308" target="_blank">Jacob Langebartels</a>&nbsp;scored the first goal for the Coyotes in the 51st minute on a corner kick set piece. The ball was sent in from the right side and bounced off the heads of several players before finally ending up at Langebartels for the score.Abeanya Nundu scored the second goal for the Coyotes in the 54th minute, getting the ball across the middle of the pitch and weaving through several defenders before scoring it.<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/aa4164f4-c362-43a9-bbaf-7f05eb938964?elinkdata=2308" target="_blank">Jesus Moreno</a>&nbsp;had five shots to lead the Coyotes who edged Tabor 13-11 in total tries.<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/2e021153-f773-4663-b366-fef8a85f11ce?elinkdata=2308" target="_blank">Santiago Pagnutti</a>&nbsp;had seven saves to preserve the clean sheet.

Coyote Men's Soccer knocks off Tabor 2-0 in KCAC Quarterfinals

On Friday night, the Southeast of Saline Trojans got exactly what they wanted...a rematch with Kingman. It was the Eagles who eliminated the Trojans 50 weeks ago in the Sub-State final four game and kept them from the State Championship. That game went to double overtime. This game would be settled in regulation.

Southeast started quickly and scored on the opening drive behind a 58 yard run from senior running back Nathan Friesen. That run would set up a big night for Friesen who finished with 11 carries, 128 yards and 2 touchdowns on offense. Kingman would answer after a 14 play drive with a Tristan Davidson 6 yard run. SES led at the end of the opening quarter, 8-6.

The two teams would continue battle in the second quarter with big plays on both sides, but neither team would be able to capitalize. The key play for SES came with 3.8 seconds left when quarterback Daniel Kejr hit senior Cameron Witte over the middle. Witte would do the rest, weaving through traffic and finding the end zone. That score would put the Trojans in the lead, 20-14 at the half.&nbsp;

Kingman would start the third quarter with the football, but the Trojan defense would quickly force them to punt. Shortly after getting the ball back, Friesen would find the end zone again on a 40 yard touchdown run. The two-point conversion from Kejr to Tucker Thaxton would give Southeast a 28-14 lead. The Eagles would strike again on a touchdown pass that would draw them back to within a possession and a 28-21 score going into the final quarter.&nbsp;

SES would assemble an 8 play drive capped by Daniel Kejr's 4 yard touchdown run. Kejr would also add the two-point conversion giving the Trojans a 36-21 lead. Kingman would score again but Southeast would never give the football back, ending the game with a 36-28 victory.&nbsp;

For Southeast of Saline, this is the third consecutive season they have started 10-0. The Regional Championship will propel the Trojans into the round of eight and a road trip next Friday to play unbeaten Hoisington.&nbsp;

You can watch a replay of the Southeast of Saline vs. Kingman game here:&nbsp;

On Friday night, the Southeast of Saline Trojans got exactly what they wanted...a rematch with Kingman. It was the Eagles who eliminated the Trojans 50 weeks ago in the Sub-State final four game and kept them from the State Championship. That game went to double overtime. This game would be settled in regulation.Southeast started quickly and scored on the opening drive behind a 58 yard run from senior running back Nathan Friesen. That run would set up a big night for Friesen who finished with 11 carries, 128 yards and 2 touchdowns on offense. Kingman would answer after a 14 play drive with a Tristan Davidson 6 yard run. SES led at the end of the opening quarter, 8-6.The two teams would continue battle in the second quarter with big plays on both sides, but neither team would be able to capitalize. The key play for SES came with 3.8 seconds left when quarterback Daniel Kejr hit senior Cameron Witte over the middle. Witte would do the rest, weaving through traffic and finding the end zone. That score would put the Trojans in the lead, 20-14 at the half.&nbsp;Kingman would start the third quarter with the football, but the Trojan defense would quickly force them to punt. Shortly after getting the ball back, Friesen would find the end zone again on a 40 yard touchdown run. The two-point conversion from Kejr to Tucker Thaxton would give Southeast a 28-14 lead. The Eagles would strike again on a touchdown pass that would draw them back to within a possession and a 28-21 score going into the final quarter.&nbsp;SES would assemble an 8 play drive capped by Daniel Kejr's 4 yard touchdown run. Kejr would also add the two-point conversion giving the Trojans a 36-21 lead. Kingman would score again but Southeast would never give the football back, ending the game with a 36-28 victory.&nbsp;For Southeast of Saline, this is the third consecutive season they have started 10-0. The Regional Championship will propel the Trojans into the round of eight and a road trip next Friday to play unbeaten Hoisington.&nbsp;You can watch a replay of the Southeast of Saline vs. Kingman game here:&nbsp;<figure>
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Trojans Remain Perfect, Beat Kingman

By TYLER HENRY Lead Sportswriter - Salina Post

Last week, the Ell-Saline Cardinals rolled to the first playoff win of their 8-man tenure in dominant 48-0 fashion over Quinter, pitching their third shutout of the 2023 season.

Now, the Cardinals (8-1) turn their attention to a battle with a perennial power in Meade (8-1), who defeated Pratt-Skyline 76-50 in their opening-round matchup.

“We’re playing with confidence,” Ell-Saline head coach Joe Roche said. “We’ve played some really good teams tough and we’ve worked very hard to get to where we are right now.”

There’s no question that this year’s Cardinals have faced a gauntlet of a schedule, going 2-1 in games with Moundridge, Little River, and Clifton-Clyde, three games that should have Ell-Saline ready to go come Friday night.

“I can only hope that our games against some tough opponents have prepared us for this,” Roche said. “We’re healthy, we’re working hard and we’re looking forward to facing a new team with a great tradition that presents a big challenge.”

That challenge comes in the form of a Buffalo team that has run all over its opponents this season, scoring 50 or more points in all but two of their games.

&nbsp;“They’re a physical bunch on offense and we’ll have to play hard and disciplined with sound technique to handle all of that,” he said. “They’re a run-heavy team and they want to beat you at the point of attack and put their speed underneath those blocks.”

Defensively, Meade has looked good, but does have weaknesses, surrendering 30 or more points in three games already this season.

“They have a good secondary and I don’t know how many great passing offenses they’ve faced but they’re sound back there,” Roche said. “They have aggressive linebackers and they have a good three-man front that’s going to test our O-Line for sure.”

To have success again this week, and to continue pushing the 8-man envelope, the Cardinals will have to keep another opponent guessing on defense and find an answer for another team that comes in with an edge in size.

“We’re going to have to continue spreading the wealth offensively and force Meade to play the entire field at all times,” he said. “I don’t know where they grow em but they have a lot of big 200-pound kids and that will be a challenge as well.”

Fortunately for Ell-Saline, this game comes in front of the Brookville faithful, who will be packed in to see their Cardinals attempt to punch their ticket to a quarterfinal.

“Being at home in front of friends, family, and loved ones is so big for us and we view this as a real opportunity,” Roche said. “Our guys are awfully excited for this one.”

Kickoff between the Cardinals and Buffaloes is set for 6:00 in Brookville, and the winner will advance to the 8MDI quarterfinals to face either 8-1 Hoxie or 6-3 LaCrosse.

By TYLER HENRY Lead Sportswriter - Salina Post<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1697215856555.jpeg" alt="Salina Regional Orthopedic &amp; Sports Medicine- Your home-field advantage starts here." />
 <figcaption>Salina Regional Orthopedic &amp; Sports Medicine- Your home-field advantage starts here.</figcaption>
 </figure>Last week, the Ell-Saline Cardinals rolled to the first playoff win of their 8-man tenure in dominant 48-0 fashion over Quinter, pitching their third shutout of the 2023 season.Now, the Cardinals (8-1) turn their attention to a battle with a perennial power in Meade (8-1), who defeated Pratt-Skyline 76-50 in their opening-round matchup.“We’re playing with confidence,” Ell-Saline head coach Joe Roche said. “We’ve played some really good teams tough and we’ve worked very hard to get to where we are right now.”There’s no question that this year’s Cardinals have faced a gauntlet of a schedule, going 2-1 in games with Moundridge, Little River, and Clifton-Clyde, three games that should have Ell-Saline ready to go come Friday night.“I can only hope that our games against some tough opponents have prepared us for this,” Roche said. “We’re healthy, we’re working hard and we’re looking forward to facing a new team with a great tradition that presents a big challenge.”That challenge comes in the form of a Buffalo team that has run all over its opponents this season, scoring 50 or more points in all but two of their games.&nbsp;“They’re a physical bunch on offense and we’ll have to play hard and disciplined with sound technique to handle all of that,” he said. “They’re a run-heavy team and they want to beat you at the point of attack and put their speed underneath those blocks.”Defensively, Meade has looked good, but does have weaknesses, surrendering 30 or more points in three games already this season.“They have a good secondary and I don’t know how many great passing offenses they’ve faced but they’re sound back there,” Roche said. “They have aggressive linebackers and they have a good three-man front that’s going to test our O-Line for sure.”To have success again this week, and to continue pushing the 8-man envelope, the Cardinals will have to keep another opponent guessing on defense and find an answer for another team that comes in with an edge in size.“We’re going to have to continue spreading the wealth offensively and force Meade to play the entire field at all times,” he said. “I don’t know where they grow em but they have a lot of big 200-pound kids and that will be a challenge as well.”Fortunately for Ell-Saline, this game comes in front of the Brookville faithful, who will be packed in to see their Cardinals attempt to punch their ticket to a quarterfinal.“Being at home in front of friends, family, and loved ones is so big for us and we view this as a real opportunity,” Roche said. “Our guys are awfully excited for this one.”Kickoff between the Cardinals and Buffaloes is set for 6:00 in Brookville, and the winner will advance to the 8MDI quarterfinals to face either 8-1 Hoxie or 6-3 LaCrosse.

Cardinals Welcome in Meade Looking to Unseat Another Perrenial Power

After breezing through the opening round of the playoffs in a 42-0 shutout of Haven, the Ellsworth Bearcats will hit the road this week in search of a big round-of-16 win over Garden Plain.

Both teams come into this contest at 8-1 with the Owls entering fresh off a 21-7 victory over Halstead last week.

Despite the dominant performance, Ellsworth understands that to reach their full potential, they must take yet another step this week to advance to the first quarterfinal in recent memory.

“I thought we played really well defensively again,” Bearcat head coach Josh Homolka said. “Those guys really clamped down. We still need to continue progressing on offense, moving the ball and getting points on the board to keep our defense off the field will be key.”

This week’s challenge comes in the form of a Garden Plain team that ranks fifth in Class 2A in rushing offense (286 yds/g), and 11th in scoring defense (15 PPGA).

“They’re not afraid of grinding it out on offense and they’re content fighting for three yards all night and then popping a big one late,” Homolka said. “They’re built to be a four-down offense and you have to get them off schedule to get off the field but that’s easier said than done.”

The Bearcats got a firsthand look at this offense a season ago in a 21-7 opening-round victory over the Owls in 2022.

This matchup will also pit strength against strength, as Ellsworth currently holds the 3rd best scoring defense (7.3 PPGA), and fourth-best run defense (82 yds/ga) in their class.

“We’ve seen teams like this but I don’t think we’ve seen a team as strong as what they are in the run game this year,” Homolka said. “I like their style, they’re willing to pound their head into the wall until it cracks open and they do a good job of it.”

On the other side of the matchup, the Owls have struggled at times to stop the pass, surrendering more air yards on average than almost any other team in 2A, which could play right into the hands of the always-dangerous Will Cravens come kickoff.

Ultimately, this game could very well come down to which team takes better care of the football, as the Bearcats will need to find ways to keep a slow, methodical Owl offense off the field.

“We have to play solid on defense and make sure that we can get them off schedule and doing things that they don’t like to do,” he said. “Turnovers will be the biggest factor in this game and if we can get a few that’ll go a long way, you have to manufacture extra possessions against a team like Garden Plain.”

Kickoff between the Bearcats and Owls is scheduled for 7:00 on the campus of Garden Plain High School, with the winner advancing to the quarterfinal to face either Hoisington (9-0) or Beloit (5-4) next week.

By TYLER HENRY Lead Sportswriter - Salina Post<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1697215856555.jpeg" alt="Salina Regional Orthopedic &amp; Sports Medicine- Your home-field advantage starts here." />
 <figcaption>Salina Regional Orthopedic &amp; Sports Medicine- Your home-field advantage starts here.</figcaption>
 </figure>After breezing through the opening round of the playoffs in a 42-0 shutout of Haven, the Ellsworth Bearcats will hit the road this week in search of a big round-of-16 win over Garden Plain.Both teams come into this contest at 8-1 with the Owls entering fresh off a 21-7 victory over Halstead last week.Despite the dominant performance, Ellsworth understands that to reach their full potential, they must take yet another step this week to advance to the first quarterfinal in recent memory.“I thought we played really well defensively again,” Bearcat head coach Josh Homolka said. “Those guys really clamped down. We still need to continue progressing on offense, moving the ball and getting points on the board to keep our defense off the field will be key.”This week’s challenge comes in the form of a Garden Plain team that ranks fifth in Class 2A in rushing offense (286 yds/g), and 11th in scoring defense (15 PPGA).“They’re not afraid of grinding it out on offense and they’re content fighting for three yards all night and then popping a big one late,” Homolka said. “They’re built to be a four-down offense and you have to get them off schedule to get off the field but that’s easier said than done.”The Bearcats got a firsthand look at this offense a season ago in a 21-7 opening-round victory over the Owls in 2022.This matchup will also pit strength against strength, as Ellsworth currently holds the 3rd best scoring defense (7.3 PPGA), and fourth-best run defense (82 yds/ga) in their class.“We’ve seen teams like this but I don’t think we’ve seen a team as strong as what they are in the run game this year,” Homolka said. “I like their style, they’re willing to pound their head into the wall until it cracks open and they do a good job of it.”On the other side of the matchup, the Owls have struggled at times to stop the pass, surrendering more air yards on average than almost any other team in 2A, which could play right into the hands of the always-dangerous Will Cravens come kickoff.Ultimately, this game could very well come down to which team takes better care of the football, as the Bearcats will need to find ways to keep a slow, methodical Owl offense off the field.“We have to play solid on defense and make sure that we can get them off schedule and doing things that they don’t like to do,” he said. “Turnovers will be the biggest factor in this game and if we can get a few that’ll go a long way, you have to manufacture extra possessions against a team like Garden Plain.”Kickoff between the Bearcats and Owls is scheduled for 7:00 on the campus of Garden Plain High School, with the winner advancing to the quarterfinal to face either Hoisington (9-0) or Beloit (5-4) next week.

Bearcats Travel to Garden Plain Looking to Eliminate Owls for Second-Straight Season

After knocking off Ark City 38-12 in the opening round last week, the Abilene Cowboys will host a second-round playoff game for the first time in over a decade as they prepare to welcome in Andover Central.

The Cowboys come into this contest at 7-2 while the Jaguars enter at 6-3, fresh off a 41-20 win over Independence last week.

This will also mark the second straight playoff game for Abilene against an opponent with a deceptive resume, as Andover Central, like Ark City, has faced a steady diet of 5A opponents this year.

“Andover Central is absolutely better than their record,” Cowboy head coach Brad Nicks said. “Offensively they have great weapons and they like to throw it around. They also have a very strong line and one of the best running backs we’ve seen this year.”

The Jaguars have been led all season by the junior duo of quarterback Jace Jefferson, and running back Maddox Archibald.

Jefferson has completed 56% of his passes for 1,534 yards and 16 touchdowns while Archibald averages over five yards per carry as part of a 1,000-yard season with 14 scores.

That tandem will go toe-to-toe with a Cowboy offense that still ranks as one of Class 4A's best, leading the pack in passing offense (260 yds/g).

“For us, everything we do starts up front and we’ll have to be able to run the ball a bit and buy Stocton time to sit back and throw it when we need to,” Nicks said.

While this season has undoubtedly been one of Abilene’s best in recent memory, the Cowboys continue to look for ways to push that envelope even further as they look to make a real run in Class 4A.

“We’re still looking for a little more consistency,” he said. “We play really well a lot of the time but we still have breakdowns here and there. We’re getting to the point in the season where every little thing matters now more than it does in the regular season.”

Having this game at home isn’t just a boost on Friday night, it serves as a reminder of just how far the Cowboys have come as a program just two years removed from another winless season.

“The kids told me they wanted to host the second round at home before the season began and I remember thinking that was going to be tough but we set out to do it and here we are,” Nicks said. “We have such a great community here in Abilene and they really come out and support our program, it’s great to be back at Cowboy Stadium again this week.”

Kickoff between the Cowboys and Jaguars is set for 7:00 at Abilene High School.

The winner of this game will advance to the 4A quarterfinals to await either Buhler (7-2) or McPherson (6-3).

By TYLER HENRY Lead Sportswriter - Salina Post<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1697215856555.jpeg" alt="Salina Regional Orthopedic &amp; Sports Medicine- Your home-field advantage starts here." />
 <figcaption>Salina Regional Orthopedic &amp; Sports Medicine- Your home-field advantage starts here.</figcaption>
 </figure>After knocking off Ark City 38-12 in the opening round last week, the Abilene Cowboys will host a second-round playoff game for the first time in over a decade as they prepare to welcome in Andover Central.The Cowboys come into this contest at 7-2 while the Jaguars enter at 6-3, fresh off a 41-20 win over Independence last week.This will also mark the second straight playoff game for Abilene against an opponent with a deceptive resume, as Andover Central, like Ark City, has faced a steady diet of 5A opponents this year.“Andover Central is absolutely better than their record,” Cowboy head coach Brad Nicks said. “Offensively they have great weapons and they like to throw it around. They also have a very strong line and one of the best running backs we’ve seen this year.”The Jaguars have been led all season by the junior duo of quarterback Jace Jefferson, and running back Maddox Archibald.Jefferson has completed 56% of his passes for 1,534 yards and 16 touchdowns while Archibald averages over five yards per carry as part of a 1,000-yard season with 14 scores.That tandem will go toe-to-toe with a Cowboy offense that still ranks as one of Class 4A's best, leading the pack in passing offense (260 yds/g).“For us, everything we do starts up front and we’ll have to be able to run the ball a bit and buy Stocton time to sit back and throw it when we need to,” Nicks said.While this season has undoubtedly been one of Abilene’s best in recent memory, the Cowboys continue to look for ways to push that envelope even further as they look to make a real run in Class 4A.“We’re still looking for a little more consistency,” he said. “We play really well a lot of the time but we still have breakdowns here and there. We’re getting to the point in the season where every little thing matters now more than it does in the regular season.”Having this game at home isn’t just a boost on Friday night, it serves as a reminder of just how far the Cowboys have come as a program just two years removed from another winless season.“The kids told me they wanted to host the second round at home before the season began and I remember thinking that was going to be tough but we set out to do it and here we are,” Nicks said. “We have such a great community here in Abilene and they really come out and support our program, it’s great to be back at Cowboy Stadium again this week.”Kickoff between the Cowboys and Jaguars is set for 7:00 at Abilene High School.The winner of this game will advance to the 4A quarterfinals to await either Buhler (7-2) or McPherson (6-3).

Cowboys Host Jaguars in Search of First Quarterfinal Berth Since 2011

After dispatching Chaparral 56-7 in their playoff opener last week, the Southeast of Saline Trojans will return to Gypsum for a rematch of last year’s 2A semifinal with the Kingman Eagles.

SES enters this contest still undefeated at 9-0 while Kingman comes in at 7-2 having handled Hillsboro 31-6 last week.

While the Trojans appear to be all business this week, several starters, including seven seniors, haven’t forgotten last year’s double overtime result that held Southeast out of the 2A state title match.

“This is a playoff game and we know that if we don’t play well we’re going home,” SES head coach Mitch Gebhardt said. “They ended our season last year and I’m sure that’s in the back of some guys’ minds but we have to continue to do a good job of taking care of our business against a very good football team this week.”

Statistically, this year’s Kingman team is more balanced than the unit Southeast faced a season ago, and still holds a top-15 scoring defense, holding their opponents to just 15 points per game on average.

Those numbers are made all the more impressive when looking at the Eagle’s resume, which features opponents like Cheney, Garden Plain, Hesston, and Wichita Trinity.

“Like last year their speed on defense is a big key for them,” Gebhardt said. “They play physical team defense but their speed might allow them to survive a mistake or two and they’ve played a good schedule.”

Offensively, Kingman comes into this game in disarray, having lost quarterback Ben Bradshaw to a broken hand in the Garden Plain game.

In his absence, two-way star and leading receiver Tristen Davidson has stepped up to fill the void, but the Eagle offense clearly missed their starter as they committed five turnovers in their week nine win.

Despite that, Kingman remains a dangerous bunch, and Southeast will have to stay on their toes for four quarters on Friday night.

“Kingman is well coached on both sides of the ball and they look similar to what we saw a season ago,” he said. “Their kids understand what they need to do and they’ve got speed, size up front and they run to the ball hard on defense.”

Unlike last year’s matchup, this one will take place in Gypsum, and the Trojans will be excited to play it in front of a purple wave at The Fritz.

“It’s always great to play at home and our kids feel great about playing in front of our fans,” Gebhardt said. “We worked hard to handle our business throughout the season and we get to do this as a result. We have to take care of the football, keep their offense off the field, play good team defense, and play sound on special teams.”

Kickoff between the Trojans and Eagles is set for 7:00 on the campus of SES and as always the game can be heard on KINA (910 AM or 107.5 FM), or streamed with live audio and video on the Salina Post <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-dI-fTQj4xQ">HERE</a>.

The winner of this contest will advance to the 2A quarterfinals to face either Hoisington (9-0), or Beloit (5-4).

By TYLER HENRY Lead Sportswriter - Salina Post<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1697215856555.jpeg" alt="Salina Regional Orthopedic &amp; Sports Medicine- Your home-field advantage starts here." />
 <figcaption>Salina Regional Orthopedic &amp; Sports Medicine- Your home-field advantage starts here.</figcaption>
 </figure>After dispatching Chaparral 56-7 in their playoff opener last week, the Southeast of Saline Trojans will return to Gypsum for a rematch of last year’s 2A semifinal with the Kingman Eagles.SES enters this contest still undefeated at 9-0 while Kingman comes in at 7-2 having handled Hillsboro 31-6 last week.While the Trojans appear to be all business this week, several starters, including seven seniors, haven’t forgotten last year’s double overtime result that held Southeast out of the 2A state title match.“This is a playoff game and we know that if we don’t play well we’re going home,” SES head coach Mitch Gebhardt said. “They ended our season last year and I’m sure that’s in the back of some guys’ minds but we have to continue to do a good job of taking care of our business against a very good football team this week.”Statistically, this year’s Kingman team is more balanced than the unit Southeast faced a season ago, and still holds a top-15 scoring defense, holding their opponents to just 15 points per game on average.Those numbers are made all the more impressive when looking at the Eagle’s resume, which features opponents like Cheney, Garden Plain, Hesston, and Wichita Trinity.“Like last year their speed on defense is a big key for them,” Gebhardt said. “They play physical team defense but their speed might allow them to survive a mistake or two and they’ve played a good schedule.”Offensively, Kingman comes into this game in disarray, having lost quarterback Ben Bradshaw to a broken hand in the Garden Plain game.In his absence, two-way star and leading receiver Tristen Davidson has stepped up to fill the void, but the Eagle offense clearly missed their starter as they committed five turnovers in their week nine win.Despite that, Kingman remains a dangerous bunch, and Southeast will have to stay on their toes for four quarters on Friday night.“Kingman is well coached on both sides of the ball and they look similar to what we saw a season ago,” he said. “Their kids understand what they need to do and they’ve got speed, size up front and they run to the ball hard on defense.”Unlike last year’s matchup, this one will take place in Gypsum, and the Trojans will be excited to play it in front of a purple wave at The Fritz.“It’s always great to play at home and our kids feel great about playing in front of our fans,” Gebhardt said. “We worked hard to handle our business throughout the season and we get to do this as a result. We have to take care of the football, keep their offense off the field, play good team defense, and play sound on special teams.”Kickoff between the Trojans and Eagles is set for 7:00 on the campus of SES and as always the game can be heard on KINA (910 AM or 107.5 FM), or streamed with live audio and video on the Salina Post <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-dI-fTQj4xQ">HERE</a>.The winner of this contest will advance to the 2A quarterfinals to face either Hoisington (9-0), or Beloit (5-4).

Trojans Welcome Kingman for Semifinal Rematch in Round of 16

KANSAS CITY, Mo.&nbsp;— Kansas City Royals shortstop&nbsp;Bobby Witt Jr.&nbsp;and catcher&nbsp;Salvador Perez&nbsp;have been named American League finalists for the 2023 Louisville Silver Slugger Awards, as announced by&nbsp;Louisville Slugger&nbsp;today. Witt Jr. is one of three AL finalists at shortstop, along with Seattle’s&nbsp;J.P. Crawford&nbsp;and Texas’&nbsp;Corey Seager, while Perez is joined by Seattle’s&nbsp;Cal Raleigh&nbsp;and Baltimore’s&nbsp;Adley Rutschman&nbsp;as candidates at the catcher position. Finalists are based on votes cast by managers and coaches in each league to determine the best offensive producers at each position.

All Louisville Silver Slugger Award winners will be announced on MLB Network during an hour-long telecast beginning at 5:00 p.m. CT on Thursday, Nov. 9.

Witt Jr., who is seeking his first career Silver Slugger Award, recorded 30 home runs and 49 stolen bases during his age-23 season in 2023, becoming the first player in Royals history with a 30-homer, 30-steal campaign. Only four other players have matched Witt Jr.’s combination of home runs and stolen bases in a season, a feat that was also achieved by&nbsp;Eric Davis&nbsp;(1987),&nbsp;Barry Bonds&nbsp;(1990),&nbsp;Mike Trout&nbsp;(2012) and&nbsp;Ronald Acuña Jr.&nbsp;(2023). He ranked 3rd in the American League in 2023 with 177 hits, trailing&nbsp;Marcus Semien&nbsp;(185) and&nbsp;Julio Rodríguez&nbsp;(180), and he led the Majors with 11 triples, the most by a Royal since&nbsp;Carlos Beltrán&nbsp;had 12 triples in 2001. Witt Jr. became the sixth American League player in the last 75 years with at least 30 home runs and 10 triples in a season, following&nbsp;Joe DiMaggio&nbsp;(1950),&nbsp;Mickey Mantle&nbsp;(1955),&nbsp;Jim Rice&nbsp;(1977 and 1978),&nbsp;Nomar Garciaparra&nbsp;(1997) and&nbsp;Curtis Granderson&nbsp;(2011). Among all American League leaders in 2023, Witt Jr. ranked 2nd in stolen bases, tied for 3rd in total bases (317), tied for 7th in runs scored (97), 8th in extra-base hits (69) and tied for 9th in batting average (.276).

Perez hit 23 home runs in 2023 to mark his seventh career season with at least 20 homers, breaking a tie with Royals Hall of Famer&nbsp;Mike Sweeney&nbsp;for the 2nd most such seasons in Royals history, and he trails only Hall of Famer&nbsp;George Brett&nbsp;(8) for the club record. He also recorded his sixth season with at least 75 RBI, which ranks 4th most in franchise history behind only Brett (12), Sweeney (7) and&nbsp;Amos Otis&nbsp;(7). Among primary catchers in 2023, he ranked tied for 2nd in RBI (80), 3rd in hits (137), 3rd in multi-hit games (38), tied for 3rd in home runs and 6th in slugging percentage (.422). Perez finished the season with 246 career home runs, which are the 4th most homers by any primary catcher with a single team, behind only&nbsp;Johnny Bench&nbsp;(389 with Cincinnati),&nbsp;Yogi Berra&nbsp;(358 with the Yankees) and&nbsp;Jorge Posada&nbsp;(275 with the Yankees). His 246 career home runs lead all active catchers (min. 75% of games at catcher).

Should Perez win the award (which was established in 1980), it would be his fifth career honor, following 2016, 2018, 2020 and 2021. His four career Silver Slugger Awards are already a club record, ahead of Brett’s three. He would become the ninth player to win at least five Louisville Silver Slugger Awards as a catcher, along with&nbsp;Mike Piazza&nbsp;(10),&nbsp;Iván Rodríguez&nbsp;(7),&nbsp;Brian McCann&nbsp;(6),&nbsp;Lance Parrish&nbsp;(6),&nbsp;Gary Carter&nbsp;(5),&nbsp;Joe Mauer&nbsp;(5),&nbsp;Jorge Posada&nbsp;(5) and&nbsp;Buster Posey&nbsp;(5).

KANSAS CITY, Mo.&nbsp;— Kansas City Royals shortstop&nbsp;Bobby Witt Jr.&nbsp;and catcher&nbsp;Salvador Perez&nbsp;have been named American League finalists for the 2023 Louisville Silver Slugger Awards, as announced by&nbsp;Louisville Slugger&nbsp;today. Witt Jr. is one of three AL finalists at shortstop, along with Seattle’s&nbsp;J.P. Crawford&nbsp;and Texas’&nbsp;Corey Seager, while Perez is joined by Seattle’s&nbsp;Cal Raleigh&nbsp;and Baltimore’s&nbsp;Adley Rutschman&nbsp;as candidates at the catcher position. Finalists are based on votes cast by managers and coaches in each league to determine the best offensive producers at each position.All Louisville Silver Slugger Award winners will be announced on MLB Network during an hour-long telecast beginning at 5:00 p.m. CT on Thursday, Nov. 9.Witt Jr., who is seeking his first career Silver Slugger Award, recorded 30 home runs and 49 stolen bases during his age-23 season in 2023, becoming the first player in Royals history with a 30-homer, 30-steal campaign. Only four other players have matched Witt Jr.’s combination of home runs and stolen bases in a season, a feat that was also achieved by&nbsp;Eric Davis&nbsp;(1987),&nbsp;Barry Bonds&nbsp;(1990),&nbsp;Mike Trout&nbsp;(2012) and&nbsp;Ronald Acuña Jr.&nbsp;(2023). He ranked 3rd in the American League in 2023 with 177 hits, trailing&nbsp;Marcus Semien&nbsp;(185) and&nbsp;Julio Rodríguez&nbsp;(180), and he led the Majors with 11 triples, the most by a Royal since&nbsp;Carlos Beltrán&nbsp;had 12 triples in 2001. Witt Jr. became the sixth American League player in the last 75 years with at least 30 home runs and 10 triples in a season, following&nbsp;Joe DiMaggio&nbsp;(1950),&nbsp;Mickey Mantle&nbsp;(1955),&nbsp;Jim Rice&nbsp;(1977 and 1978),&nbsp;Nomar Garciaparra&nbsp;(1997) and&nbsp;Curtis Granderson&nbsp;(2011). Among all American League leaders in 2023, Witt Jr. ranked 2nd in stolen bases, tied for 3rd in total bases (317), tied for 7th in runs scored (97), 8th in extra-base hits (69) and tied for 9th in batting average (.276).Perez hit 23 home runs in 2023 to mark his seventh career season with at least 20 homers, breaking a tie with Royals Hall of Famer&nbsp;Mike Sweeney&nbsp;for the 2nd most such seasons in Royals history, and he trails only Hall of Famer&nbsp;George Brett&nbsp;(8) for the club record. He also recorded his sixth season with at least 75 RBI, which ranks 4th most in franchise history behind only Brett (12), Sweeney (7) and&nbsp;Amos Otis&nbsp;(7). Among primary catchers in 2023, he ranked tied for 2nd in RBI (80), 3rd in hits (137), 3rd in multi-hit games (38), tied for 3rd in home runs and 6th in slugging percentage (.422). Perez finished the season with 246 career home runs, which are the 4th most homers by any primary catcher with a single team, behind only&nbsp;Johnny Bench&nbsp;(389 with Cincinnati),&nbsp;Yogi Berra&nbsp;(358 with the Yankees) and&nbsp;Jorge Posada&nbsp;(275 with the Yankees). His 246 career home runs lead all active catchers (min. 75% of games at catcher).Should Perez win the award (which was established in 1980), it would be his fifth career honor, following 2016, 2018, 2020 and 2021. His four career Silver Slugger Awards are already a club record, ahead of Brett’s three. He would become the ninth player to win at least five Louisville Silver Slugger Awards as a catcher, along with&nbsp;Mike Piazza&nbsp;(10),&nbsp;Iván Rodríguez&nbsp;(7),&nbsp;Brian McCann&nbsp;(6),&nbsp;Lance Parrish&nbsp;(6),&nbsp;Gary Carter&nbsp;(5),&nbsp;Joe Mauer&nbsp;(5),&nbsp;Jorge Posada&nbsp;(5) and&nbsp;Buster Posey&nbsp;(5).

Bobby Witt Jr, Salvador Perez Named Louisville Slugger Finalists

ASSISTANT HEAD COACH/SPECIAL TEAMS COORDINATOR DAVE TOUB

Q: How do you feel about going to Germany?

TOUB: “(I’m) excited. The guys worked hard all week, and everybody is excited. We got a lot of good work in, staying here, sleeping in our own bed, getting a good Wednesday and Thursday in before we leave. Got to get sleep on the plane. That’s obviously the key to this thing to make it work, everybody is excited.”

Q: On Mecole Hardman’s muffed punt return.

TOUB: “I’ve talked about this a lot of times, and with punters today, they can put the ball on the one (yard-line), they hit it at the five and can put it on the one. In that case, in his case, if you looked at the tape and saw that situation, he did the right things trying to field the football. It was wide open. There was nobody there. He’s just got to do the routine things routinely, which is catch the football, keep his elbows tight, take care of fundamentals, and we would’ve been fine. He probably could’ve had 10-15 yards on the play, I mean that’s what you want to do there.”

Q: Was part of the idea of Mecole Hardman trying to return the kick trying to get a spark?

TOUB: “We had a spark with the field goal block. That’s what we do on special teams, we provide sparks. In that situation there, he just catches the ball and gets 10 (yards), we’re not playing football on the one. If he lets it bounce, it’s going to stop and could possibly go to the endzone, but really I mean, punters put the ball on the one now, that’s what they do.”

Q: On Justin Reid blocking the field goal.

TOUB: “That was a great play, and a lot of credit to him (Justin Reid) because he studies teams. He’s a smart, smart football player. No matter where you put him, he’s going to work at it, he’s going to look at tape, and he studied those guys. He had the get-off down, and he told me, he goes, ‘You call New York,’ which is a right, ‘You call that, and we’re going to make a play.’ He called his shot, and he did it at the perfect time. We needed that right then, coming out of halftime they drove down field, used up a lot of time, and we prevented them from scoring. We got the ball back; it was a huge play at the moment.”

DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR STEVE SPAGNUOLO

Q: Are you going to pull out the old Frankfurt Galaxy gear?

SPAGNUOLO:&nbsp;“I had an old windbreaker, button down jacket that was purple, because we were purple, and I think there was a little gold, they’re great uniforms. That was a tremendous experience, I loved it. We ended up going to the World Bowl, which was in Frankfurt that year. The Berlin Fire beat us. You always remember when you get beat, right? It was a great atmosphere.&nbsp; The people there, the game was exciting – they cheer constantly. You can’t tell if you did good or bad because they’re always cheering – which is great, they’re really into it. It was a great experience. I wish I could find that jacket.”

Q:&nbsp;How concerned are you with injuries at the linebacker position with the speed of the Dolphins?

SPAGNUOLO:&nbsp;“It’s a great point. Nick (Bolton) and Willie (Gay) are speed linebackers. They cover as much ground as anybody in this league. We’re not sure (if) Willie is out right now, Nick we know is not going to play. We’re just going to have to rely on the guys we put in there. Now Drue (Tranquill) certainly is going to run around real fast and you guys can see that. Jack (Cochrane) will step in there if he has to. Leo (Chenal) will step in there. He made some plays for us last week. I feel confident in the guys we’ll put out there. We certainly would like to have Nick and Willie, but we’ll see what happens with that. If we don’t have them, we’ll use the guys we’ve got and rally around that.”

Q: How quick can Darius Harris work into the defense?

SPAGNUOLO:&nbsp;“The one good thing about Darius (Harris) is he was here. The other thing we remembered when we first brought Darius here – if you guys remember he had kind of a red shirt year because he had the injury, so he didn’t do anything that first year. What we knew right from the beginning – (former Chiefs Linebackers Coach) Matt House was here, and we interviewed Darius. He was a very cerebral linebacker, he’s really smart. So, I think he’ll pick up things quickly, and if we got stuck in a situation where he had to go, at least we know he’s had parts of the system before.”

Q: How big of a key in this game will it be for your front four to get the Dolphins off rhythm?

SPAGNUOLO:&nbsp;“Huge. It’s a rhythm passing game and he’s (Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa) really good at it. What I think is really challenging – I was just talking to (The Voice of the Chiefs) Mitch (Holthus) about it as I was coming in here – it’s one thing to be a drop-back team and be rhythm because you know as soon as the lineman pass set, you’re in a pass rush mode as a d-line and then you go from there. This team has a lot of play-action rhythm passing. Everybody up front has to at least respect that it could be a run, and then, boom, all of the sudden it’s a pass play and he’s getting the ball out really quick. That’s what he's really good at. I think that’s one of the main reasons for the success and the high percentage completion rate. What would work best for us is if we can – we’re talking about the pass, they run the ball as good as anybody. We have to begin there, if there is a way somehow some way, we can get the game one dimensional then we have the chance to do what you’re talking about, up until that point it’s going to be a little difficult. We’ve got to play it honest, stop the run first, hopefully get them in longer down-and-distances, so we know what they’re going to do, then try to disrupt them.”

Q:&nbsp;How fixable are the issues on offense right now?

NAGY:&nbsp;“It’s very fixable. There’s not panic – it’s there for us to understand. A few things, when you look back a few weeks ago, we put a pretty good game together. The players played well, they executed, we played complementary football with the defense (and) the special teams. This past weekend against Denver – in any football game, you can’t turn the football over, and we did that. We did it three times in the first half. We were not very good in the red zone when we got down there and didn’t turn the ball over. We didn’t score whether it’s a turnover or a field goal or just not getting a touchdown. We were I think one-for-eight in two games against that defense, so you’ve got to give them credit, but at the same point in time, we know we can be better. Going back to the drawing board, seeing where we went wrong, not placing blame but also accepting that we have to be better. We know we can, you get a great opportunity here for us to show what we can do in all three phases this weekend.”

Q:&nbsp;Where is the trust between Patrick Mahomes and the wide receivers?

NAGY:&nbsp;“There is trust. I think for every receiver it’s a little different based off the routes that they run, and it’s growing. We know that they know that Patrick (Mahomes) understands that. It’s just working towards getting the most trust possible with those guys. Again, when you have six or seven receivers and you’re using them all in different ways it probably slows down that a little bit in regards to just getting reps of specific routes with that guy and how that timing works. Then you throw a defense into it, you might throw some injuries, you might throw different factors that come into it. Every one of those guys Patrick has trust in, and they have trust in Patrick. It’s just different levels, and we as a staff have to figure out where those levels are and how we put it into the game plan.”

Q:&nbsp;What has Patrick been like this week coming off a game he wasn’t thrilled with, is he more focused?

NAGY:&nbsp;“The word isn’t more focused for us. To everybody – it’s human nature you win five or six or seven games, whatever it is for any team you start getting in a winning streak and you have to always make sure – one of the toughest things is the complacency and that’s not with him, that’s not with us, but for Patrick what I see is somebody that loves to win and hates to lose. When that happens and you lose, the first thing he does is he starts with himself. His teammates see that, his coaches see it and it’s infectious that there’s not pointing fingers. It’s that we all need to coach better, play better, and if we do that we have a pretty good chance of winning. I think that it’s an ability for him to say, ‘You know what, I get another chance.’ I think when we lost on Sunday, Monday morning couldn’t get here soon enough because he was ready to go. You have to accept what happened, that’s real, you give credit – because Denver played a great game and they made that happen to us so respect there but now what do we do moving forward? That’s the beauty of Patrick (Mahomes) and (Head) Coach (Andy) Reid is there is no looking back. It’s finding solutions, fixing it and moving on. I’ve seen a little bit of a tick of urgency in that.”

Q:&nbsp;As a play caller what are the biggest challenges inside of a game?

NAGY:&nbsp;“You want to be able to get rhythm is the biggest thing. A lot of that comes down to having a feel for what plays are working and not working in practice and then you take it to the game. Making sure your players the (Travis) Kelce’s and getting Patrick (Mahomes) into rhythm, they touch the football – you get them involved, that’s important. There’s also – probably the biggest part of any type of play calling is adjustments and being able to adjust within the game.”

ASSISTANT HEAD COACH/SPECIAL TEAMS COORDINATOR DAVE TOUBQ: How do you feel about going to Germany?TOUB: “(I’m) excited. The guys worked hard all week, and everybody is excited. We got a lot of good work in, staying here, sleeping in our own bed, getting a good Wednesday and Thursday in before we leave. Got to get sleep on the plane. That’s obviously the key to this thing to make it work, everybody is excited.”Q: On Mecole Hardman’s muffed punt return.TOUB: “I’ve talked about this a lot of times, and with punters today, they can put the ball on the one (yard-line), they hit it at the five and can put it on the one. In that case, in his case, if you looked at the tape and saw that situation, he did the right things trying to field the football. It was wide open. There was nobody there. He’s just got to do the routine things routinely, which is catch the football, keep his elbows tight, take care of fundamentals, and we would’ve been fine. He probably could’ve had 10-15 yards on the play, I mean that’s what you want to do there.”Q: Was part of the idea of Mecole Hardman trying to return the kick trying to get a spark?TOUB: “We had a spark with the field goal block. That’s what we do on special teams, we provide sparks. In that situation there, he just catches the ball and gets 10 (yards), we’re not playing football on the one. If he lets it bounce, it’s going to stop and could possibly go to the endzone, but really I mean, punters put the ball on the one now, that’s what they do.”Q: On Justin Reid blocking the field goal.TOUB: “That was a great play, and a lot of credit to him (Justin Reid) because he studies teams. He’s a smart, smart football player. No matter where you put him, he’s going to work at it, he’s going to look at tape, and he studied those guys. He had the get-off down, and he told me, he goes, ‘You call New York,’ which is a right, ‘You call that, and we’re going to make a play.’ He called his shot, and he did it at the perfect time. We needed that right then, coming out of halftime they drove down field, used up a lot of time, and we prevented them from scoring. We got the ball back; it was a huge play at the moment.”DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR STEVE SPAGNUOLOQ: Are you going to pull out the old Frankfurt Galaxy gear?SPAGNUOLO:&nbsp;“I had an old windbreaker, button down jacket that was purple, because we were purple, and I think there was a little gold, they’re great uniforms. That was a tremendous experience, I loved it. We ended up going to the World Bowl, which was in Frankfurt that year. The Berlin Fire beat us. You always remember when you get beat, right? It was a great atmosphere.&nbsp; The people there, the game was exciting – they cheer constantly. You can’t tell if you did good or bad because they’re always cheering – which is great, they’re really into it. It was a great experience. I wish I could find that jacket.”Q:&nbsp;How concerned are you with injuries at the linebacker position with the speed of the Dolphins?SPAGNUOLO:&nbsp;“It’s a great point. Nick (Bolton) and Willie (Gay) are speed linebackers. They cover as much ground as anybody in this league. We’re not sure (if) Willie is out right now, Nick we know is not going to play. We’re just going to have to rely on the guys we put in there. Now Drue (Tranquill) certainly is going to run around real fast and you guys can see that. Jack (Cochrane) will step in there if he has to. Leo (Chenal) will step in there. He made some plays for us last week. I feel confident in the guys we’ll put out there. We certainly would like to have Nick and Willie, but we’ll see what happens with that. If we don’t have them, we’ll use the guys we’ve got and rally around that.”Q: How quick can Darius Harris work into the defense?SPAGNUOLO:&nbsp;“The one good thing about Darius (Harris) is he was here. The other thing we remembered when we first brought Darius here – if you guys remember he had kind of a red shirt year because he had the injury, so he didn’t do anything that first year. What we knew right from the beginning – (former Chiefs Linebackers Coach) Matt House was here, and we interviewed Darius. He was a very cerebral linebacker, he’s really smart. So, I think he’ll pick up things quickly, and if we got stuck in a situation where he had to go, at least we know he’s had parts of the system before.”Q: How big of a key in this game will it be for your front four to get the Dolphins off rhythm?SPAGNUOLO:&nbsp;“Huge. It’s a rhythm passing game and he’s (Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa) really good at it. What I think is really challenging – I was just talking to (The Voice of the Chiefs) Mitch (Holthus) about it as I was coming in here – it’s one thing to be a drop-back team and be rhythm because you know as soon as the lineman pass set, you’re in a pass rush mode as a d-line and then you go from there. This team has a lot of play-action rhythm passing. Everybody up front has to at least respect that it could be a run, and then, boom, all of the sudden it’s a pass play and he’s getting the ball out really quick. That’s what he's really good at. I think that’s one of the main reasons for the success and the high percentage completion rate. What would work best for us is if we can – we’re talking about the pass, they run the ball as good as anybody. We have to begin there, if there is a way somehow some way, we can get the game one dimensional then we have the chance to do what you’re talking about, up until that point it’s going to be a little difficult. We’ve got to play it honest, stop the run first, hopefully get them in longer down-and-distances, so we know what they’re going to do, then try to disrupt them.”OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR MATT NAGYQ:&nbsp;How fixable are the issues on offense right now?NAGY:&nbsp;“It’s very fixable. There’s not panic – it’s there for us to understand. A few things, when you look back a few weeks ago, we put a pretty good game together. The players played well, they executed, we played complementary football with the defense (and) the special teams. This past weekend against Denver – in any football game, you can’t turn the football over, and we did that. We did it three times in the first half. We were not very good in the red zone when we got down there and didn’t turn the ball over. We didn’t score whether it’s a turnover or a field goal or just not getting a touchdown. We were I think one-for-eight in two games against that defense, so you’ve got to give them credit, but at the same point in time, we know we can be better. Going back to the drawing board, seeing where we went wrong, not placing blame but also accepting that we have to be better. We know we can, you get a great opportunity here for us to show what we can do in all three phases this weekend.”Q:&nbsp;Where is the trust between Patrick Mahomes and the wide receivers?NAGY:&nbsp;“There is trust. I think for every receiver it’s a little different based off the routes that they run, and it’s growing. We know that they know that Patrick (Mahomes) understands that. It’s just working towards getting the most trust possible with those guys. Again, when you have six or seven receivers and you’re using them all in different ways it probably slows down that a little bit in regards to just getting reps of specific routes with that guy and how that timing works. Then you throw a defense into it, you might throw some injuries, you might throw different factors that come into it. Every one of those guys Patrick has trust in, and they have trust in Patrick. It’s just different levels, and we as a staff have to figure out where those levels are and how we put it into the game plan.”Q:&nbsp;What has Patrick been like this week coming off a game he wasn’t thrilled with, is he more focused?NAGY:&nbsp;“The word isn’t more focused for us. To everybody – it’s human nature you win five or six or seven games, whatever it is for any team you start getting in a winning streak and you have to always make sure – one of the toughest things is the complacency and that’s not with him, that’s not with us, but for Patrick what I see is somebody that loves to win and hates to lose. When that happens and you lose, the first thing he does is he starts with himself. His teammates see that, his coaches see it and it’s infectious that there’s not pointing fingers. It’s that we all need to coach better, play better, and if we do that we have a pretty good chance of winning. I think that it’s an ability for him to say, ‘You know what, I get another chance.’ I think when we lost on Sunday, Monday morning couldn’t get here soon enough because he was ready to go. You have to accept what happened, that’s real, you give credit – because Denver played a great game and they made that happen to us so respect there but now what do we do moving forward? That’s the beauty of Patrick (Mahomes) and (Head) Coach (Andy) Reid is there is no looking back. It’s finding solutions, fixing it and moving on. I’ve seen a little bit of a tick of urgency in that.”Q:&nbsp;As a play caller what are the biggest challenges inside of a game?NAGY:&nbsp;“You want to be able to get rhythm is the biggest thing. A lot of that comes down to having a feel for what plays are working and not working in practice and then you take it to the game. Making sure your players the (Travis) Kelce’s and getting Patrick (Mahomes) into rhythm, they touch the football – you get them involved, that’s important. There’s also – probably the biggest part of any type of play calling is adjustments and being able to adjust within the game.”