By TYLER HENRY Lead Sportswriter - Salina Post

For the fifth consecutive season, the Mayor’s Cup belongs to Salina Central, who defeated their cross-town rivals in Salina South 31-21 on Friday night.

The result was one that many expected, but how it unfolded and how close it was in the end were anything but.

This game began, like many recent Mayor’s Cup matchups, with a 3-and-out by the South offense, followed by an explosive 75-yard touchdown run by Keaton Smith to put Central ahead 7-0.&nbsp;

Another punt by the Cougars led to another deep drive for the Mustangs. But that’s where the similarities to past blowouts ended.

Backed up deep in their own red zone, South stood tall, turning Central over on downs, and manufacturing a 92-yard touchdown drive that ended when sophomore quarterback Izzy Telles found star wideout Jay Curtis for a 35-yard touchdown bomb to make it 14-7.

New Central starter Griffin Hall would quickly undo that progress with his first career touchdown pass, finding Bodie Rodriguez for six, but again, the Cougars moved the ball efficiently on the ground, and found Curtis for his second touchdown of the day.

At the half, the Mustangs led but only 21-14.

Central’s ground game ate up clock on their first drive of the second half, wasting nearly half of the quarter on one drive that culminated in a Griffin Hall rushing score.

South was turned over on downs, and an Elijah Duxler field goal all but sealed the deal.

The Cougars would score on one final 65-yard strike to Curtis to complete his hat trick, but it was too little too late as the Mustangs held onto the cup by a final score of 31-21.

Central looked all but unstoppable in the run game, as Cooper Reves toted the rock 26 times for 230 yards and a touchdown, with Griffin Hall adding 17 more carries for an additional 103 yards and another score.

In the passing game, Hall was ruthlessly efficient, completing 13 of 15 for 156 yards, two touchdowns, and no interceptions.

Both teams played this game with zero turnovers, but 27 penalties muddied the water on both sides.

South looked as sharp as they had in a long time on both sides of the ball, with Armane Redmond averaging nearly five yards a carry, and Izzy Telles completing 11 of his 17 passing attempts for 230 yards and three touchdowns, all to Jay Curtis.

The Mustangs return home to host Ark City next week, while the Cougars begin a three-game road trip that begins at Maize South.

You can watch the full broadcast on demand any time below.

By TYLER HENRY Lead Sportswriter - Salina PostFor the fifth consecutive season, the Mayor’s Cup belongs to Salina Central, who defeated their cross-town rivals in Salina South 31-21 on Friday night.The result was one that many expected, but how it unfolded and how close it was in the end were anything but.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1746812152965.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>This game began, like many recent Mayor’s Cup matchups, with a 3-and-out by the South offense, followed by an explosive 75-yard touchdown run by Keaton Smith to put Central ahead 7-0.&nbsp;Another punt by the Cougars led to another deep drive for the Mustangs. But that’s where the similarities to past blowouts ended.Backed up deep in their own red zone, South stood tall, turning Central over on downs, and manufacturing a 92-yard touchdown drive that ended when sophomore quarterback Izzy Telles found star wideout Jay Curtis for a 35-yard touchdown bomb to make it 14-7.New Central starter Griffin Hall would quickly undo that progress with his first career touchdown pass, finding Bodie Rodriguez for six, but again, the Cougars moved the ball efficiently on the ground, and found Curtis for his second touchdown of the day.At the half, the Mustangs led but only 21-14.Central’s ground game ate up clock on their first drive of the second half, wasting nearly half of the quarter on one drive that culminated in a Griffin Hall rushing score.South was turned over on downs, and an Elijah Duxler field goal all but sealed the deal.The Cougars would score on one final 65-yard strike to Curtis to complete his hat trick, but it was too little too late as the Mustangs held onto the cup by a final score of 31-21.Central looked all but unstoppable in the run game, as Cooper Reves toted the rock 26 times for 230 yards and a touchdown, with Griffin Hall adding 17 more carries for an additional 103 yards and another score.In the passing game, Hall was ruthlessly efficient, completing 13 of 15 for 156 yards, two touchdowns, and no interceptions.Both teams played this game with zero turnovers, but 27 penalties muddied the water on both sides.South looked as sharp as they had in a long time on both sides of the ball, with Armane Redmond averaging nearly five yards a carry, and Izzy Telles completing 11 of his 17 passing attempts for 230 yards and three touchdowns, all to Jay Curtis.The Mustangs return home to host Ark City next week, while the Cougars begin a three-game road trip that begins at Maize South.You can watch the full broadcast on demand any time below.<figure>
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🏈 Cougars keep things close but Mustangs claim fifth-straight Mayor's Cup

The Ellsworth Bearcats got off to a slow start in Friday’s showdown with Sacred Heart and found themselves trailing 8-7 at the half.

Whatever was said to Ellsworth in the locker room seemed to do the trick.

In the second half, the Bearcats outscored the Knights 42-0 to put the cap on a dominant 49-8 victory.

The rout started innocently enough as quarterback Carson Jacobs took the first score of the second half in himself on a short rush from the five.

On the ensuing drive, Cooper McGowan made a spectacular one-handed interception, and the Bearcats wasted no time capitalizing as McGowan took a handoff on the very next play 35 yards to the house to put Ellsworth in front 21-8.

Not to be outdone, Tucker Goss found paydirt on the next drive of the third quarter for his second rushing score of the game to extend the lead to 20.

Now trailing big, the Knights needed a momentum-swinging drive, but deep in their own territory, disaster struck in the form of a Jace Thomasson pick-six that all but put the game on ice.

Carson Jacobs and Rett Bohl would each find the end zone one more time as the Bearcats put the finishing touches on a dominant week one victory.

Ellsworth will be on the road in Belleville next week as they travel to take on Republic County.

Sacred Heart will have to wait for their home opener as they remain on the road for a week two showdown with Plainville.

The full video broadcast of this game is available on-demand below.

By TYLER HENRY Lead Sportswriter - Salina PostThe Ellsworth Bearcats got off to a slow start in Friday’s showdown with Sacred Heart and found themselves trailing 8-7 at the half.Whatever was said to Ellsworth in the locker room seemed to do the trick.In the second half, the Bearcats outscored the Knights 42-0 to put the cap on a dominant 49-8 victory.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1746812152965.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>The rout started innocently enough as quarterback Carson Jacobs took the first score of the second half in himself on a short rush from the five.On the ensuing drive, Cooper McGowan made a spectacular one-handed interception, and the Bearcats wasted no time capitalizing as McGowan took a handoff on the very next play 35 yards to the house to put Ellsworth in front 21-8.Not to be outdone, Tucker Goss found paydirt on the next drive of the third quarter for his second rushing score of the game to extend the lead to 20.Now trailing big, the Knights needed a momentum-swinging drive, but deep in their own territory, disaster struck in the form of a Jace Thomasson pick-six that all but put the game on ice.Carson Jacobs and Rett Bohl would each find the end zone one more time as the Bearcats put the finishing touches on a dominant week one victory.Ellsworth will be on the road in Belleville next week as they travel to take on Republic County.Sacred Heart will have to wait for their home opener as they remain on the road for a week two showdown with Plainville.The full video broadcast of this game is available on-demand below.<figure>
 <iframe width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/WqcS1ybe7fM?start=9579s"></iframe>
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🏈 Ellsworth outscores Sacred Heart 42-0 in second half of week one rout

By JEREMY OBERMEYER Salina Post Contributor

The Southeast of Saline Trojans traveled to Minneapolis Friday night in the first game of their state title defense.&nbsp;&nbsp;

After stumbling a bit on their first possession, the Trojans scored on their next three on their way to a 60-21 victory.&nbsp;

Minneapolis put together a sustainable drive about midway through the second quarter, capped off by a 35-yard touchdown pass from Owen Just to Brayden Johnson to pull within 14 points of Southeast at 20-6.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The Trojans proceeded to explode for 32 points in the final 7:00 of the second quarter, and the stifling Southeast defense did their part, holding the Lions to 68 total yards, 6 points, and recovering a Lion fumble in the first half.

The Trojan reserves played all of the second half with a running clock, scoring an early touchdown, and allowing just two touchdowns late in the game.

“We had to deal with some adversity already," Head Coach Mitch Gebhardt said.&nbsp; “I don’t like we started well, but I felt like our varsity guys did a really good job of finishing the second quarter.”

Seniors Gannon Jacobson and Grady Gebhardt had an outstanding night for the Trojans as Jacobson completed 14 of 17 passes for 267 yards and 5 touchdowns, while Gebhardt rushed for 87 yards and 2 touchdowns on 9 carries, adding 104 yards and 2 touchdowns on 6 receptions.

Southeast will host Clay Center for their home opener next Friday, while Minneapolis travels to Lyons.

By JEREMY OBERMEYER Salina Post ContributorThe Southeast of Saline Trojans traveled to Minneapolis Friday night in the first game of their state title defense.&nbsp;&nbsp;After stumbling a bit on their first possession, the Trojans scored on their next three on their way to a 60-21 victory.&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1746812152965.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>Minneapolis put together a sustainable drive about midway through the second quarter, capped off by a 35-yard touchdown pass from Owen Just to Brayden Johnson to pull within 14 points of Southeast at 20-6.&nbsp;&nbsp;Enter the Southeast offense.&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1757165558268.jpeg" alt="Grady Gebhardt snaps off a big carry against Minneapolis. Photo courtesy of Jeremy Obermeyer." />
 <figcaption>Grady Gebhardt snaps off a big carry against Minneapolis. Photo courtesy of Jeremy Obermeyer.</figcaption>
 </figure>The Trojans proceeded to explode for 32 points in the final 7:00 of the second quarter, and the stifling Southeast defense did their part, holding the Lions to 68 total yards, 6 points, and recovering a Lion fumble in the first half.The Trojan reserves played all of the second half with a running clock, scoring an early touchdown, and allowing just two touchdowns late in the game.“We had to deal with some adversity already," Head Coach Mitch Gebhardt said.&nbsp; “I don’t like we started well, but I felt like our varsity guys did a really good job of finishing the second quarter.”Seniors Gannon Jacobson and Grady Gebhardt had an outstanding night for the Trojans as Jacobson completed 14 of 17 passes for 267 yards and 5 touchdowns, while Gebhardt rushed for 87 yards and 2 touchdowns on 9 carries, adding 104 yards and 2 touchdowns on 6 receptions.Southeast will host Clay Center for their home opener next Friday, while Minneapolis travels to Lyons.The full video broadcast of this game is available on-demand below.<figure>
 <iframe width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/cWkHz3N16uw?start=3710s"></iframe>
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🏈 Trojans tame Lions in season opener

🏈 Saline County Scoreboard Week One

Justin Herbert finished off the Los Angeles Chargers' season-opening victory in style, sliding for a first down that effectively ended the game.

The quarterback earned style points for his scramble and sideline slide that capped a 318-yard, three-touchdown performance in a 27-21 victory over the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-city-chiefs-patrick-mahomes-nfl-3a25cf16573bfe80e014b469a30c46ee">Patrick Mahomes</a>&nbsp;and the Kansas City Chiefs on Friday night in Sao Paulo. Herbert had 32 yards rushing, too.

Los Angeles' first win over the Chiefs since Sept. 26, 2021, snapped a seven-game skid against the team that has dominated the AFC for nearly a decade.

“It’s monumental,” Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh said. “September 5th will go down in some Charger lore, in my opinion. It was a big win.”

The NFL's second game South America was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/chiefs-chargers-youtube-daa740fb5a4f05722193297b17201b6a">streamed on YouTube</a>, with Brazilian soccer superstar Neymar in attendance. Newly engaged pop superstar&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/brazil-taylor-swift-travis-kelce-17cba7924ac7a744bd0f484252fbaa55">Taylor Swift</a>&nbsp;wasn't there to watch fiancé Travis Kelce and see Colombian singer Karol G perform at halftime.

Herbert became just the third quarterback in Chargers history with 300 yards and three TDs in a season opener. His 19-yard run on third-and-14 dashed any comeback hopes the Chiefs had with 2:21 to play. He finished 25 of 34 and was sacked three times.

“We knew it was going to be a dogfight, so we showed up today with our best effort,” Herbert said. “It was fun to see.”

Mahomes was 24 of 39 for 258 yards, one touchdown and two sacks.

“This will be a big lesson for us,” Mahomes said. “They definitely came out with more energy than we did. We got to get better from the start.”

Herbert's 23-yard TD pass to Quentin Johnston extended the lead to 26-18 with 5:02 remaining in the fourth. They hooked up for a 5-yard TD on the Chargers' opening drive of the game.

Chased by Khalil Mack, Mahomes threw incomplete to Marquise Brown on first-and-goal at the LA 9. Two more incomplete passes brought on Harrison Butker, whose 27-yard field goal cut the deficit to 27-21 with 2:34 remaining.

The Chiefs closed to 20-18 on Mahomes' 37-yard TD pass to Kelce early in the fourth. The 2-point conversion failed as Mahomes' pass was incomplete to Noah Gray.

“Multiple times we shot ourselves in the foot,” Chiefs defensive tackle Chris Jones said.

The Chiefs were already down two receivers to start the game, with Rashee Rice suspended to start the season and rookie Jalen Royals out with a knee injury.

They lost another one three snaps into the game.

Xavier Worthy and teammate Kelce collided on a third-down pass. Worthy had to be helped off the field and was later ruled out with a right shoulder injury.

Chargers linebacker Denzel Perryman didn't return after leaving with an ankle injury in the third.

Chargers running back Omarion Hampton made a rookie mistake late in the first half.

The first-round draft pick got a handoff on 3rd-and-16 in the final minute when the Chiefs had no timeouts left. Instead of staying in bounds and letting the clock run, Hampton ran out of bounds. That stopped the clock and the Chargers got a 36-yard field goal by Cameron Dicker for a 13-3 lead.

Mahomes then moved the Chiefs within field goal range and their kicking unit rushed on the field. Butker hit a 59-yarder with the 40 seconds to go, leaving the Chiefs trailing 13-6.

Kelce shoved Chargers defensive tackle Teair Tart, who responded with a blow to Kelce’s helmet in the third quarter. Tart was penalized for unnecessary roughness, but wasn't thrown out because he used an open hand.

Chiefs: Host Philadelphia on Sept. 14 in a Super Bowl rematch.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1757126487364.png" alt="Photo Kansas City Chiefs" />
 <figcaption>Photo Kansas City Chiefs</figcaption>
 </figure>By BETH HARRIS &nbsp;AP Sports WriterJustin Herbert finished off the Los Angeles Chargers' season-opening victory in style, sliding for a first down that effectively ended the game.The quarterback earned style points for his scramble and sideline slide that capped a 318-yard, three-touchdown performance in a 27-21 victory over the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-city-chiefs-patrick-mahomes-nfl-3a25cf16573bfe80e014b469a30c46ee">Patrick Mahomes</a>&nbsp;and the Kansas City Chiefs on Friday night in Sao Paulo. Herbert had 32 yards rushing, too.Los Angeles' first win over the Chiefs since Sept. 26, 2021, snapped a seven-game skid against the team that has dominated the AFC for nearly a decade.“It’s monumental,” Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh said. “September 5th will go down in some Charger lore, in my opinion. It was a big win.”<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1757126447532.jpeg" alt="Photo Kansas City Chiefs" />
 <figcaption>Photo Kansas City Chiefs</figcaption>
 </figure>The NFL's second game South America was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/chiefs-chargers-youtube-daa740fb5a4f05722193297b17201b6a">streamed on YouTube</a>, with Brazilian soccer superstar Neymar in attendance. Newly engaged pop superstar&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/brazil-taylor-swift-travis-kelce-17cba7924ac7a744bd0f484252fbaa55">Taylor Swift</a>&nbsp;wasn't there to watch fiancé Travis Kelce and see Colombian singer Karol G perform at halftime.Herbert became just the third quarterback in Chargers history with 300 yards and three TDs in a season opener. His 19-yard run on third-and-14 dashed any comeback hopes the Chiefs had with 2:21 to play. He finished 25 of 34 and was sacked three times.“We knew it was going to be a dogfight, so we showed up today with our best effort,” Herbert said. “It was fun to see.”Mahomes was 24 of 39 for 258 yards, one touchdown and two sacks.“This will be a big lesson for us,” Mahomes said. “They definitely came out with more energy than we did. We got to get better from the start.”Herbert's 23-yard TD pass to Quentin Johnston extended the lead to 26-18 with 5:02 remaining in the fourth. They hooked up for a 5-yard TD on the Chargers' opening drive of the game.Chased by Khalil Mack, Mahomes threw incomplete to Marquise Brown on first-and-goal at the LA 9. Two more incomplete passes brought on Harrison Butker, whose 27-yard field goal cut the deficit to 27-21 with 2:34 remaining.The Chiefs closed to 20-18 on Mahomes' 37-yard TD pass to Kelce early in the fourth. The 2-point conversion failed as Mahomes' pass was incomplete to Noah Gray.“Multiple times we shot ourselves in the foot,” Chiefs defensive tackle Chris Jones said.<h2>Injuries</h2>The Chiefs were already down two receivers to start the game, with Rashee Rice suspended to start the season and rookie Jalen Royals out with a knee injury.They lost another one three snaps into the game.Xavier Worthy and teammate Kelce collided on a third-down pass. Worthy had to be helped off the field and was later ruled out with a right shoulder injury.Chargers linebacker Denzel Perryman didn't return after leaving with an ankle injury in the third.<h2>Rookie miscue</h2>Chargers running back Omarion Hampton made a rookie mistake late in the first half.The first-round draft pick got a handoff on 3rd-and-16 in the final minute when the Chiefs had no timeouts left. Instead of staying in bounds and letting the clock run, Hampton ran out of bounds. That stopped the clock and the Chargers got a 36-yard field goal by Cameron Dicker for a 13-3 lead.Mahomes then moved the Chiefs within field goal range and their kicking unit rushed on the field. Butker hit a 59-yarder with the 40 seconds to go, leaving the Chiefs trailing 13-6.<h2>Take that</h2>Kelce shoved Chargers defensive tackle Teair Tart, who responded with a blow to Kelce’s helmet in the third quarter. Tart was penalized for unnecessary roughness, but wasn't thrown out because he used an open hand.<h2>Up next</h2>Chiefs: Host Philadelphia on Sept. 14 in a Super Bowl rematch.Chargers: At Las Vegas on Sept. 15.

🏈 Herbert outduels Mahomes as the Chargers beat the Chiefs in Brazil

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Maikel Garcia hit a two-run homer and Michael Wacha pitched 5 2/3 strong innings as the Kansas City Royals beat the Minnesota Twins 2-1 on Friday night.

Garcia hit Pablo López’s first pitch high above the left-field bullpen after Vinnie Pasquantino singled with two out in the third inning for a 2-0 lead. Pasquantino and Garcia each had a pair of hits.

Brooks Lee and Jhonny Pereda hit consecutive doubles in the fifth inning for the Twins' run. Pereda made his Twins debut behind the plate.

The Twins have lost five straight and have baseball’s worst record since the July 31 trade deadline at 11-22.

Wacha (9-11) allowed a run on four hits and two walks, striking out five. He has allowed fewer than three runs in nine of his 10 career starts against the Twins.

Carlos Estévez earned his major league-best 38th save with help from a sliding catch by center fielder Kyle Isbel.

Bobby Witt Jr.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/royals-bobby-witt-6bcd36293c22fe0e667321eb4c22bdec">left the game</a>&nbsp;after six innings due to low back spasms.

López (5-4) returned from injury for his first start in three months, allowing two runs on six hits in six innings, striking out four. López was placed on the 15-day Injured List on June 4 with a right shoulder strain.

Initially called out on a force at second, Garcia was ruled safe when the Royals challenged that shortstop Lee had dropped the ball before touching second.

Through the first seven games of their current homestand, the Royals are 2 for 26 with runners in scoring position while scoring 10 of 14 runs via home runs.

Twins RHP Joe Ryan (13-7, 3.08 ERA) opposes Royals RHP Stephen Kolek (4-5, 3.99) on Saturday.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1757124612793.png" alt="Photo from Kansas Royals video" />
 <figcaption>Photo from Kansas Royals video</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Maikel Garcia hit a two-run homer and Michael Wacha pitched 5 2/3 strong innings as the Kansas City Royals beat the Minnesota Twins 2-1 on Friday night.Garcia hit Pablo López’s first pitch high above the left-field bullpen after Vinnie Pasquantino singled with two out in the third inning for a 2-0 lead. Pasquantino and Garcia each had a pair of hits.Brooks Lee and Jhonny Pereda hit consecutive doubles in the fifth inning for the Twins' run. Pereda made his Twins debut behind the plate.The Twins have lost five straight and have baseball’s worst record since the July 31 trade deadline at 11-22.Wacha (9-11) allowed a run on four hits and two walks, striking out five. He has allowed fewer than three runs in nine of his 10 career starts against the Twins.Carlos Estévez earned his major league-best 38th save with help from a sliding catch by center fielder Kyle Isbel.Bobby Witt Jr.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/royals-bobby-witt-6bcd36293c22fe0e667321eb4c22bdec">left the game</a>&nbsp;after six innings due to low back spasms.López (5-4) returned from injury for his first start in three months, allowing two runs on six hits in six innings, striking out four. López was placed on the 15-day Injured List on June 4 with a right shoulder strain.<h2>Key Moment</h2>Initially called out on a force at second, Garcia was ruled safe when the Royals challenged that shortstop Lee had dropped the ball before touching second.<h2>Key Stat</h2>Through the first seven games of their current homestand, the Royals are 2 for 26 with runners in scoring position while scoring 10 of 14 runs via home runs.<h2>Up Next</h2>Twins RHP Joe Ryan (13-7, 3.08 ERA) opposes Royals RHP Stephen Kolek (4-5, 3.99) on Saturday.

⚾ Garcia's two-run homer lifts the Royals over the Twins

The Coyotes take a short road trip south for a Kansas Conference game against the archrival Bethany Swedes.

Bethany leads the all-time series 57-51-6, but it has been all KWU since 2012 with the Coyotes winning the last 10 games and 12 of 13. They've outscored the Swedes 525-152 in the last decade including a 54-16 victory last season in Lindsborg. KWU has won 12 of the last 13 games in Lindsborg and is 19-5 vs. Bethany since 2001.

"They say that your biggest growth is from week one to two, so we definitely need it offensively. I was pleased how we played defensively but there's a lot of stuff on offense for us to get fixed. It took us a while to make some adjustments, but we made enough to get the win.

"Up front defensively we felt like we were good, but I think that we can be dominant. I believe that the guys that we brought in have helped us big time. We got pressure on the quarterback. They had 166 yards of total offense, which is unbelievable, and five yards rushing. They threw it (39) times, 161 yards - that's about four yards a pass.

"We need to get the passing game going but if you'd have told me we'd rush for 222 yards I wouldn't have believed it because I thought we were going to have to throw it about 45 times to do that. We gave the offensive MVP of the week to the line. The way they played and all the movement that we faced I thought they did a really good job picking that up. Henry has a cannon arm. If we can get him really rolling and our run game going, I think we have a chance to be really successful.

"Bethany is going to throw it and they're going to score some points. Up front defensively they're good, I think that's their strength. I think offensively their skill spots are good and we're going to have our hands full.

"I've heard a lot from the old-timers that I've come in contact with that you can't wear the wrong blue around here. I get it, I get how things are. But I think the kids that we coach today are not the same as when I was raised or before. I don't think it hits them quite as hard as it hits others. Obviously playing 115 times is really cool, that goes back a long, long time. It's 20 minutes down the road so a big deal for a lot of people; it's a big deal for us being game two. We're going to do our very best to get after it and put on a good show."

"We were extremely disciplined (vs. Ottawa) and that's something we preach all the time. We have really good football players, really good athletes but if they're not disciplined it doesn't look the way it should. They played team defense which is something that we've been preaching over and over. They executed and they played at a super high level, lot of intensity and that's really what we were looking for.

"You can tell (Davis) is built a little different than most players. He's a freak athlete but he is an unbelievable kid. He brings consistency to that group. Every day at practice he shows up, he's the same and I think that's the hardest thing with anything in life - being consistent.

"Bethany's a team that last year had 400 yards on us in running the ball so that's something that we're telling our guys - we've got to be prepared for run and pass. I think their quarterbacks did a really good job against Friends of getting out of the pocket and continuing to look downfield for receivers to make good plays when they've got the ball in space."

The Coyotes take a short road trip south for a Kansas Conference game against the archrival Bethany Swedes.GAME INFORMATION<ul>
 <li>Kickoff: 6 p.m.</li><li>Day: Saturday</li><li>Location: Ted Kessinger Family Stadium, Lindsborg</li><li>Records: Kansas Wesleyan 1-0; Bethany 0-1</li>
 </ul>LIVE COVERAGE<ul>
 <li>The video stream of the game will be available online on the KCAC Channel on the Urban Edge Network at: <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/e3a82a0f-a5b5-4da8-85f6-d241435c7784?elinkdata=28456">https://urbanedgenetwork.net/watch/2695</a>. The stream will also be available on the KCAC Network at <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/1cfcf3a9-cce9-484b-a2db-95195b8b322e?elinkdata=28456">www.kcacnetwork.com/kansaswesleyan</a>. Bethany will be handling production of the video stream of the game.</li><li>Live Stats will be available at <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/51086399-d4a7-4075-bd01-66a85b322f1f?elinkdata=28456">https://kwucoyotes.com/sidearmstats/football/summary</a></li><li>Radio coverage will be on KINA starting at 5 p.m. with Tyler Henry and Brooks Garretson. The online radio stream is available at <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/0bd83c09-f99f-462c-a965-3e0b54a72169?elinkdata=28456">https://radio.securenetsystems.net/ce/kina2</a>.</li>
 </ul>THE SERIESBethany leads the all-time series 57-51-6, but it has been all KWU since 2012 with the Coyotes winning the last 10 games and 12 of 13. They've outscored the Swedes 525-152 in the last decade including a 54-16 victory last season in Lindsborg. KWU has won 12 of the last 13 games in Lindsborg and is 19-5 vs. Bethany since 2001.KANSAS WESLEYAN AT A GLANCE<ul>
 <li>The Coyotes began the <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/978d7083-af6a-4957-9c59-c0a7baa14125?elinkdata=28456">Matt Middleton</a> era with a 27-10 victory over Ottawa in front of a large crowd last Saturday night on Gene Bissell Field at JRI Stadium and Graves Family Sports Complex. They outscored the Braves 13-0 in the second half and were led by a dominant defensive effort and steamroller ground game.</li><li>Ottawa finished with 166 yards total yards that included just five yards rushing on 19 attempts. <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/be213655-00f5-46d3-9f3b-687d55bbf166?elinkdata=28456">Diego Davis</a> recorded four sacks from his end position and safety <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/c3aae9bd-06a9-4241-88c7-065c1f655808?elinkdata=28456">Taylor Collins</a> had a team-best six tackles followed by linebacker <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/5d9eb34e-6bd3-49ae-b8ae-44b998aa5de7?elinkdata=28456">Gavin Skerik</a> with five.</li><li>KWU finished with 362 total yards including 222 rushing on 45 attempts (4.9 per carry). Running back <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/68e32423-e568-4e5c-9661-fe973ef81cc8?elinkdata=28456">Luke Armstrong</a> had 136 yards on 17 carries; <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/eb973d16-65ec-43b0-a5a2-0540d5bcb452?elinkdata=28456">Kohl Nolan</a> added 54 on eight carries and <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/a9248f24-7bd7-49aa-ae81-59f7e46f5638?elinkdata=28456">D'Heaven Domena</a> scored two touchdowns. Quarterback <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/59c3b0d0-1df1-4239-860b-11b691e853c5?elinkdata=28456">Henry Austad</a> completed 15 of 22 passes for 140 yards. Freshman <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/74a8a6d0-4eb8-46f7-829b-ef03db94722d?elinkdata=28456">Will Wilcox</a> had three receptions for 73 yards, <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/8bc63b50-820a-4360-9a0b-8928b4bd8680?elinkdata=28456">Mason Ross</a> four for 19 yards and <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/c3ed7e35-922f-41e7-b9ac-3e2220c913e9?elinkdata=28456">Jevin Dorsey</a> three for 35 yards.</li><li>Placekickers <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/45795bf6-28ac-4bef-91e5-48b0c0c1866c?elinkdata=28456">Cole Segraves</a> and <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/6856f8f4-332b-4c97-9294-540d25daec89?elinkdata=28456">Talon Cope</a> both made field goals - Segraves from 45 yards out and Cope had a 33-yarder.</li><li>KWU trailed 9-7 after one quarter last year but outscored the Swedes 27-7 in the second quarter and won the second half 21-0. Armstrong had a huge game finishing with 168 yards rushing and two touchdowns. He scored on an 85-yard kickoff return in the first quarter and 90-yard run in the second quarter.</li>
 </ul>BETHANY AT A GLANCE<ul>
 <li>The Swedes lost to 12th-ranked Friends 73-14 in their opener last Saturday in Wichita. The Falcons' flexbone offense totaled 595 yards rushing (10.6 per carry) and finished with 695 total yards. Bethany had 251 total yards (133 rushing, 118 passing). Friends led 38-0 at halftime.</li><li>Quarterback Landry Shields was 7 of 14 passing for 77 yards with one touchdown and an interception. Jessie Carver came in and was 4 of 11 for 41 yards and had 29 yards rushing. Chase Hyer and Ryker Grossner had four catches apiece and Carlos Leonard Jr. 85 yards rushing and a touchdown.</li><li>Safety Malcolm Jones led the defense with five tackles and safety Nick Robinson had a sack and recovered a fumble.</li><li>Shields had 274 yards passing and two touchdowns in last year's game, but the Coyotes intercepted three of his passes - one that <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/197bac1e-150c-43b7-bacf-24b2967a686d?elinkdata=28456">Quatama Massaquoi</a> returned 95 yards for a touchdown. KWU had 450 total yards, and Bethany 403.</li><li>The Swedes are coached by Mike Grossner who is in his third season. He spent 15 seasons at head coach at Baker and is a 1988 Bethany graduate.</li>
 </ul>HEAD COACH MATT MIDDLETON"They say that your biggest growth is from week one to two, so we definitely need it offensively. I was pleased how we played defensively but there's a lot of stuff on offense for us to get fixed. It took us a while to make some adjustments, but we made enough to get the win."Up front defensively we felt like we were good, but I think that we can be dominant. I believe that the guys that we brought in have helped us big time. We got pressure on the quarterback. They had 166 yards of total offense, which is unbelievable, and five yards rushing. They threw it (39) times, 161 yards - that's about four yards a pass."We need to get the passing game going but if you'd have told me we'd rush for 222 yards I wouldn't have believed it because I thought we were going to have to throw it about 45 times to do that. We gave the offensive MVP of the week to the line. The way they played and all the movement that we faced I thought they did a really good job picking that up. Henry has a cannon arm. If we can get him really rolling and our run game going, I think we have a chance to be really successful."Bethany is going to throw it and they're going to score some points. Up front defensively they're good, I think that's their strength. I think offensively their skill spots are good and we're going to have our hands full."I've heard a lot from the old-timers that I've come in contact with that you can't wear the wrong blue around here. I get it, I get how things are. But I think the kids that we coach today are not the same as when I was raised or before. I don't think it hits them quite as hard as it hits others. Obviously playing 115 times is really cool, that goes back a long, long time. It's 20 minutes down the road so a big deal for a lot of people; it's a big deal for us being game two. We're going to do our very best to get after it and put on a good show."DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR DAVID LEONARD"We were extremely disciplined (vs. Ottawa) and that's something we preach all the time. We have really good football players, really good athletes but if they're not disciplined it doesn't look the way it should. They played team defense which is something that we've been preaching over and over. They executed and they played at a super high level, lot of intensity and that's really what we were looking for."You can tell (Davis) is built a little different than most players. He's a freak athlete but he is an unbelievable kid. He brings consistency to that group. Every day at practice he shows up, he's the same and I think that's the hardest thing with anything in life - being consistent."Bethany's a team that last year had 400 yards on us in running the ball so that's something that we're telling our guys - we've got to be prepared for run and pass. I think their quarterbacks did a really good job against Friends of getting out of the pocket and continuing to look downfield for receivers to make good plays when they've got the ball in space."NEXT WEEK

🏈 KWU heads to Lindsborg for 115th edition of rivalry on Saturday

The Sacred Heart Knights and Ellsworth Bearcats haven't played much competitive football against one another as of late, but that could all change with a big week one matchup between the two.

Sacred Heart improved their win total in 2024, and nearly doubled it were it not for a rain-related mid-game cancellation in week three.

Ellsworth entered the 2024 season hot, and rode the high of a 9-2 season and deep playoff run the year prior to a 5-0 start before sliding on an 0-4 skid to the season's finish line.

While the Bearcats lose their quarterback, top rusher and leading receiver from 2024, Sacred Heart has kept their skill positions intact, and will be eager to challenge Ellsworth on Friday night under second-year head coach Ryan Krajicek.

Despite all that, Ellsworth enters this matchup as heavy favorites, having won the last five in a row, and nine of the last ten meetings between the two, including a lopsided 39-16 affair last week.

Kickoff is scheduled for 7:00 at Ellsworth High School, this game, along with every other Sacred Heart game all season long, will be broadcast 100% free and available live and on-demand with live video and audio coverage.

A link to tonight's broadcast can be found below.

By TYLER HENRY Lead Sportswriter - Salina PostThe Sacred Heart Knights and Ellsworth Bearcats haven't played much competitive football against one another as of late, but that could all change with a big week one matchup between the two.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1746812152965.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>Sacred Heart improved their win total in 2024, and nearly doubled it were it not for a rain-related mid-game cancellation in week three.Ellsworth entered the 2024 season hot, and rode the high of a 9-2 season and deep playoff run the year prior to a 5-0 start before sliding on an 0-4 skid to the season's finish line.While the Bearcats lose their quarterback, top rusher and leading receiver from 2024, Sacred Heart has kept their skill positions intact, and will be eager to challenge Ellsworth on Friday night under second-year head coach Ryan Krajicek.Despite all that, Ellsworth enters this matchup as heavy favorites, having won the last five in a row, and nine of the last ten meetings between the two, including a lopsided 39-16 affair last week.Kickoff is scheduled for 7:00 at Ellsworth High School, this game, along with every other Sacred Heart game all season long, will be broadcast 100% free and available live and on-demand with live video and audio coverage.A link to tonight's broadcast can be found below.<figure>
 <iframe width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/WqcS1ybe7fM"></iframe>
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🏈 Sacred Heart and Ellsworth meet for NCAA clash on opening night

The defending 2A State Champs open their title defense on the road at Minneapolis, facing their league foe for the 13th time in the Mitch Gebhardt era.

The Trojans have won eight straight meetings against the Lions, and have outscored their league foe 175-20 in the last three contests, including a 64-14 rout in 2024.

Minneapolis will look to snap that streak under first-year head coach Garrett Galanski, who takes over for Tom Flax, now a member of the coaching staff at Concordia High School.

Southeast of Saline won their second-ever 2A state championship in 2024, capping off a perfect 13-0 season. The Trojans will be celebrating the 20th anniversary of their first-ever state title this year, which came back in 2005.

Minneapolis will be eager to get back on the right side of the .500 mark this season after finishing 2024 3-6.

Kickoff is set for 7:00 at Minneapolis High School and in addition to live video coverage on Salina Post you can also listen to this game on KINA (910 AM/107.5 FM) or online at 910KINA.com.

You can find a link to our stream tonight, available 100% free live or on-demand.

By TYLER HENRY Lead Sportswriter - Salina PostThe defending 2A State Champs open their title defense on the road at Minneapolis, facing their league foe for the 13th time in the Mitch Gebhardt era.The Trojans have won eight straight meetings against the Lions, and have outscored their league foe 175-20 in the last three contests, including a 64-14 rout in 2024.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1746812152965.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>Minneapolis will look to snap that streak under first-year head coach Garrett Galanski, who takes over for Tom Flax, now a member of the coaching staff at Concordia High School.Southeast of Saline won their second-ever 2A state championship in 2024, capping off a perfect 13-0 season. The Trojans will be celebrating the 20th anniversary of their first-ever state title this year, which came back in 2005.Minneapolis will be eager to get back on the right side of the .500 mark this season after finishing 2024 3-6.Kickoff is set for 7:00 at Minneapolis High School and in addition to live video coverage on Salina Post you can also listen to this game on KINA (910 AM/107.5 FM) or online at 910KINA.com.You can find a link to our stream tonight, available 100% free live or on-demand.<figure>
 <iframe width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/cWkHz3N16uw"></iframe>
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🏈 Trojans travel to Minneapolis to begin 2A title defense

The Mayor's Cup matchup has become a Kansas high school football staple over the last 60 years and change, and tonight, the rivalry will be renewed for its 62nd installment.

For six years in the early 2000s, these two met in the regular season and the playoffs, with the winner of that playoff contest claiming a state title five times.

The 2010s belonged to the Cougars, who won the cup seven times in a row from 2011-2017, but that run was cut short by then-newly hired head coach Mark Sandbo, who quickly swung the pendulum in the other direction.

Under Sandbo, the Mustangs have won six of the last seven meetings, including the last four by a combined score of 282-127.

Last year, Central graduated just the fourth class since this rivalry was established back in 1970 to enter as freshmen and leave as seniors without ever relinquishing the cup.

This year, the Cougars will be eager to put a stop to that streak, looking to take the next step under second-year head coach Christien Ozores.

Both teams will feature new quarterbacks, as Griffin Hall takes the reigns for Salina Central, and a tandem of Izzy Telles and Aiden Spellman look to lead Salina South.

Kickoff is scheduled for 7:00 with pregame coverage beginning at 6:40.

This game will be broadcast live, and made available on-demand 100% free on the Salina Post Sports Network, a link to the game can be found below.

By TYLER HENRY Lead Sportswriter - Salina PostThe Mayor's Cup matchup has become a Kansas high school football staple over the last 60 years and change, and tonight, the rivalry will be renewed for its 62nd installment.For six years in the early 2000s, these two met in the regular season and the playoffs, with the winner of that playoff contest claiming a state title five times.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1746812152965.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>The 2010s belonged to the Cougars, who won the cup seven times in a row from 2011-2017, but that run was cut short by then-newly hired head coach Mark Sandbo, who quickly swung the pendulum in the other direction.Under Sandbo, the Mustangs have won six of the last seven meetings, including the last four by a combined score of 282-127.Last year, Central graduated just the fourth class since this rivalry was established back in 1970 to enter as freshmen and leave as seniors without ever relinquishing the cup.This year, the Cougars will be eager to put a stop to that streak, looking to take the next step under second-year head coach Christien Ozores.Both teams will feature new quarterbacks, as Griffin Hall takes the reigns for Salina Central, and a tandem of Izzy Telles and Aiden Spellman look to lead Salina South.Kickoff is scheduled for 7:00 with pregame coverage beginning at 6:40.This game will be broadcast live, and made available on-demand 100% free on the Salina Post Sports Network, a link to the game can be found below.<figure>
 <iframe width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/nwXr8qP6AYQ"></iframe>
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🏈 South and Central renew rivalry for 62nd Mayor's Cup

Buried by a brutal NCKL schedule and the challenge of youth, the Chapman football team finished the 2024 campaign at 2-7, marking a third-straight season with three or fewer wins.

Culture changes don’t happen overnight, but under second-year head coach Jason Grider, things appear to be moving in the right direction, and the Irish are hopeful that could translate to more notches in the win column very soon.

“The work we’ve put in is what has me most excited,” Grider said. “That started last year, and our kids bought in right away. They’ve worked their tails off all summer long and into practice. We’re getting to where we need to be to win games, and we’re still going to be young, but we’ve got coachable kids and they’ve put on a lot of size and strength.”

The NCKL has become a gauntlet, with four of its seven schools finishing .500 or better a season ago, and 21 of those 33 total losses coming at the hands of other NCKL foes.

That standard is what Chapman has their eyes on, and it’s teams like Wamego, Rock Creek, Marysville, and Clay Center that the Irish will have to go through to return to playing November football.

“It sounds simple but we’ve improved in our blocking and tackling and we’re getting to spots when we need to a lot faster,” Grider said. “Our conference is loaded and we’ve got no weeks off, our guys know they’ll be in for a fight every week but that should make us battle tested by the time we get to the playoffs.”

Experience will play a big role for the Irish this season, as their starting lineups feature just three underclassmen, all sophomores, across the board.

“We return a lot of talent and the guys that maybe didn't get as much playing time last year have done a great job,” he said. “When you play a bunch of sophomores like we did last year, you don’t always make great decisions, but they’ve got great experience and great leadership.”

The biggest change will come at quarterback, where junior Andrew Scott takes the reins from the recently graduated Cooper Lewis.

“Andrew’s embraced his role from the spring to the summer,” Grider said. “He’s a great leader, a hard worker and a three-sport guy. He was a state qualifier in track and he understands his role and what his job is. In our system you have to make a lot of reads on the fly and he does that well.”

The Chapman backfield will feature a mix of old and new, with returning scrimmage-yards leader Audiel Becker taking over at tailback alongside Colten Bell and Kaicen DeWeese.

In the trenches, seniors Ian Sayers, Jacob Gfeller, and Neziah Brown anchor the O-Line, with Brown playing two-ways as a star on the D-line as well.

Sayers, Becker, DeWeese and Brecken Francis fill out the starting roles in the linebacking corps, while Dom Krogman and Andrew Scott lead efforts in the secondary.

“I think this team has a pretty high ceiling,” he said. “We’re going to be fairly young again this year but we’ve got smart kids who got some experience last year, and the sky could be the limit if we keep developing and stay injury-free.”

The Irish will have a great chance to see just how far they’ve come when they travel to Smith Center to battle the Redmen in week one.

“We’ll see if we’ve improved as much as I think we have, especially in the run game,” Grider said. “If we can get that going, I think that will help our defense a lot as well. We’ve got really smart kids at Chapman and we’ve been building up our football IQs as well.”

Full 2025 Football Schedule 9/5 - at Smith Center 9/12 - vs. Abilene 9/19 - vs. Riley County 9/26 - at Clay Center 10/3 - vs. Concordia 10/10 - at Wamego 10/17 - at Marysville 10/24 - vs. Rock Creek

By TYLER HENRY Lead Sportswriter - Salina PostBuried by a brutal NCKL schedule and the challenge of youth, the Chapman football team finished the 2024 campaign at 2-7, marking a third-straight season with three or fewer wins.Culture changes don’t happen overnight, but under second-year head coach Jason Grider, things appear to be moving in the right direction, and the Irish are hopeful that could translate to more notches in the win column very soon.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1746812152965.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>“The work we’ve put in is what has me most excited,” Grider said. “That started last year, and our kids bought in right away. They’ve worked their tails off all summer long and into practice. We’re getting to where we need to be to win games, and we’re still going to be young, but we’ve got coachable kids and they’ve put on a lot of size and strength.”The NCKL has become a gauntlet, with four of its seven schools finishing .500 or better a season ago, and 21 of those 33 total losses coming at the hands of other NCKL foes.That standard is what Chapman has their eyes on, and it’s teams like Wamego, Rock Creek, Marysville, and Clay Center that the Irish will have to go through to return to playing November football.“It sounds simple but we’ve improved in our blocking and tackling and we’re getting to spots when we need to a lot faster,” Grider said. “Our conference is loaded and we’ve got no weeks off, our guys know they’ll be in for a fight every week but that should make us battle tested by the time we get to the playoffs.”Experience will play a big role for the Irish this season, as their starting lineups feature just three underclassmen, all sophomores, across the board.“We return a lot of talent and the guys that maybe didn't get as much playing time last year have done a great job,” he said. “When you play a bunch of sophomores like we did last year, you don’t always make great decisions, but they’ve got great experience and great leadership.”The biggest change will come at quarterback, where junior Andrew Scott takes the reins from the recently graduated Cooper Lewis.“Andrew’s embraced his role from the spring to the summer,” Grider said. “He’s a great leader, a hard worker and a three-sport guy. He was a state qualifier in track and he understands his role and what his job is. In our system you have to make a lot of reads on the fly and he does that well.”The Chapman backfield will feature a mix of old and new, with returning scrimmage-yards leader Audiel Becker taking over at tailback alongside Colten Bell and Kaicen DeWeese.In the trenches, seniors Ian Sayers, Jacob Gfeller, and Neziah Brown anchor the O-Line, with Brown playing two-ways as a star on the D-line as well.Sayers, Becker, DeWeese and Brecken Francis fill out the starting roles in the linebacking corps, while Dom Krogman and Andrew Scott lead efforts in the secondary.“I think this team has a pretty high ceiling,” he said. “We’re going to be fairly young again this year but we’ve got smart kids who got some experience last year, and the sky could be the limit if we keep developing and stay injury-free.”The Irish will have a great chance to see just how far they’ve come when they travel to Smith Center to battle the Redmen in week one.“We’ll see if we’ve improved as much as I think we have, especially in the run game,” Grider said. “If we can get that going, I think that will help our defense a lot as well. We’ve got really smart kids at Chapman and we’ve been building up our football IQs as well.”Full 2025 Football Schedule 9/5 - at Smith Center 9/12 - vs. Abilene 9/19 - vs. Riley County 9/26 - at Clay Center 10/3 - vs. Concordia 10/10 - at Wamego 10/17 - at Marysville 10/24 - vs. Rock Creek

🏈 Chapman seeking year-two improvement amidst loaded NCKL

WICHITA, Kan. (September 4, 2025)—Kaelen Culpepper hit his 20th overall home run of the season across a split doubleheader. After throwing a combined two-hitter in Game 1, the Wichita Wind Surge split the doubleheader against the Tulsa Drillers with a 2-0 win in Game 1 and a 14-5 defeat in Game 2. The Wind Surge are now one game behind of the Drillers for a playoff spot.

Ricardo Olivar and Ben Ross lined a pair of RBI singles toward center in the bottom of the first to give Wichita the first runs of Game 1.&nbsp;

Sam Armstrong would work with that by giving up just a hit and a walk over five strong innings with four strikeouts to earn the win and improve to 2-1 with the Wind Surge. Mike Paredes earned his sixth save after striking out four over the final two frames of the 2-0 shutout victory.&nbsp;

Tulsa struck first in Game 2 on a run-scoring single by Eduardo Guerrero and a sac fly to right from Zach Ehrhard in the top of the second inning. Maddux Houghton and Kaelen Culpepper each hit a solo home run in the home half of the third to tie the game.&nbsp;

Seven straight runs came across for the Drillers over the fourth and fifth innings, with a Zach Ehrhard grand slam doing the damage in the fourth. Guerrero singled in another, and James Tibbs III made his first hit of the series count on a two-run knock to right to make the score 9-2 Tulsa heading into the bottom of the fifth inning.&nbsp;

Kala’i Rosario singled in Kyle Hess in the bottom of the fifth, then the Drillers got the run back on a base hit to center by Nelson Quiroz in the top of the sixth, 10-3 Tulsa.&nbsp;

A Griffin Lockwood-Powell RBI single to left, a bases-loaded fielder’s choice, and a two-RBI double to right by Taylor Young added four more for the Drillers in the seventh. A run-scoring double from Rosario and a sac fly by Ben Ross made it 14-5 in the home half of the frame, but Wichita would fall by that final score.&nbsp;

C.J. Culpepper fell to 2-2 on the year after taking the loss. Six earned runs came across on nine hits and three walks over three and two-thirds innings; he also had three strikeouts.&nbsp;

WICHITA, Kan. (September 4, 2025)—Kaelen Culpepper hit his 20th overall home run of the season across a split doubleheader. After throwing a combined two-hitter in Game 1, the Wichita Wind Surge split the doubleheader against the Tulsa Drillers with a 2-0 win in Game 1 and a 14-5 defeat in Game 2. The Wind Surge are now one game behind of the Drillers for a playoff spot.Ricardo Olivar and Ben Ross lined a pair of RBI singles toward center in the bottom of the first to give Wichita the first runs of Game 1.&nbsp;Sam Armstrong would work with that by giving up just a hit and a walk over five strong innings with four strikeouts to earn the win and improve to 2-1 with the Wind Surge. Mike Paredes earned his sixth save after striking out four over the final two frames of the 2-0 shutout victory.&nbsp;Tulsa struck first in Game 2 on a run-scoring single by Eduardo Guerrero and a sac fly to right from Zach Ehrhard in the top of the second inning. Maddux Houghton and Kaelen Culpepper each hit a solo home run in the home half of the third to tie the game.&nbsp;Seven straight runs came across for the Drillers over the fourth and fifth innings, with a Zach Ehrhard grand slam doing the damage in the fourth. Guerrero singled in another, and James Tibbs III made his first hit of the series count on a two-run knock to right to make the score 9-2 Tulsa heading into the bottom of the fifth inning.&nbsp;Kala’i Rosario singled in Kyle Hess in the bottom of the fifth, then the Drillers got the run back on a base hit to center by Nelson Quiroz in the top of the sixth, 10-3 Tulsa.&nbsp;A Griffin Lockwood-Powell RBI single to left, a bases-loaded fielder’s choice, and a two-RBI double to right by Taylor Young added four more for the Drillers in the seventh. A run-scoring double from Rosario and a sac fly by Ben Ross made it 14-5 in the home half of the frame, but Wichita would fall by that final score.&nbsp;C.J. Culpepper fell to 2-2 on the year after taking the loss. Six earned runs came across on nine hits and three walks over three and two-thirds innings; he also had three strikeouts.&nbsp;POSTGAME NOTES<ul>
 <li>With the Game 1 victory, the Wind Surge tied their franchise-high with an eight-game winning streak.</li><li>Kaelen Culpepper’s home run in Game 2 gives him a combined 20-20 season between High-A Cedar Rapids and Wichita. He’s the third Twins farmhand to record the feat, alongside Kyler Fedko and Kala’i Rosario.</li><li>Game 2 marked the final Tumba Vacas game of the 2025 season.</li><li>The team’s doubleheader record this year is 1-1-2.&nbsp;</li><li>The Wind Surge are one game back of Tulsa for the playoff spot in the Texas League North.</li>
 </ul>

Wichita Splits Doubleheader Against Tulsa

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Bobby Witt Jr. hit a two-out solo home run in the eighth inning and the Kansas City Royals beat the Los Angeles Angels 4-3 on Thursday night to avoid a sweep in a three-game series.

The Royals hit four solo homers in a game where all seven runs came on home runs.

Lucas Erceg (7-4) struck out two in one inning and Carlos Estévez picked up his major league-best 37th save.

Angels starter Kyle Hendricks allowed two runs on three hits in six innings, while Kansas City starter Noah Cameron allowed three runs on five hits in five innings.

The Angels got on the board in the first on a three-run homer by Luis Rengifo. With two outs, Taylor Ward singled, Jo Adell walked and Rengifo hit a slider 384 feet down the left-field line.

The Royals answered in the second on Adam Frazier's home run, the 1,000th hit of his MLB career. Vinnie Pasquantino connected on his 29th home run of the season leading off the fourth inning to trim the deficit to 3-2.

The Royals tied it when Salvador Perez hit his 24th home run of the season, leading off the seventh inning.

After the Royals tied the score in the bottom of the seventh, Erceg retired the Angels in order in the eighth.

With his home run, Perez reached 495 career RBIs at Kauffman Stadium, breaking a tie with Frank White for the third most RBIs in the history of the ballpark. He trails George Brett (839) and Hal McRae (534).

The Angels return to start a three-game series with the Athletics. The Angels will send RHP José Soriano (10-9, 3.68 ERA) to the mound to face RHP Mason Barnett (0-1, 11.25).

The Royals continue their nine-game homestand against the Twins. RHP Michael Wacha (8-11, 3.52) will start for Kansas City. Minnesota has not named its starter.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1757038330352.png" alt="Image Kansas City Royals" />
 <figcaption>Image Kansas City Royals</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Bobby Witt Jr. hit a two-out solo home run in the eighth inning and the Kansas City Royals beat the Los Angeles Angels 4-3 on Thursday night to avoid a sweep in a three-game series.The Royals hit four solo homers in a game where all seven runs came on home runs.<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?height=476&href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FRoyals%2Fvideos%2F2313421895755658%2F&show_text=true&width=476&t=0" width="476" height="591" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowFullScreen="true"></iframe></div>Lucas Erceg (7-4) struck out two in one inning and Carlos Estévez picked up his major league-best 37th save.Angels starter Kyle Hendricks allowed two runs on three hits in six innings, while Kansas City starter Noah Cameron allowed three runs on five hits in five innings.The Angels got on the board in the first on a three-run homer by Luis Rengifo. With two outs, Taylor Ward singled, Jo Adell walked and Rengifo hit a slider 384 feet down the left-field line.The Royals answered in the second on Adam Frazier's home run, the 1,000th hit of his MLB career. Vinnie Pasquantino connected on his 29th home run of the season leading off the fourth inning to trim the deficit to 3-2.The Royals tied it when Salvador Perez hit his 24th home run of the season, leading off the seventh inning.Ryan Zeferjahn (6-5) took the loss.<h2>Key Moment</h2>After the Royals tied the score in the bottom of the seventh, Erceg retired the Angels in order in the eighth.<h2>Key Stat</h2>With his home run, Perez reached 495 career RBIs at Kauffman Stadium, breaking a tie with Frank White for the third most RBIs in the history of the ballpark. He trails George Brett (839) and Hal McRae (534).<h2>Up Next</h2>The Angels return to start a three-game series with the Athletics. The Angels will send RHP José Soriano (10-9, 3.68 ERA) to the mound to face RHP Mason Barnett (0-1, 11.25).The Royals continue their nine-game homestand against the Twins. RHP Michael Wacha (8-11, 3.52) will start for Kansas City. Minnesota has not named its starter.

⚾ Bobby Witt Jr.'s eighth inning homer helps KC avoid sweep

With the departure of Tom Flax from Minneapolis to Concordia, the Lions found themselves in need of a new head coach ahead of the 2025 season.

Former coordinator Garrett Galanski, who had served as an assistant coach at Minneapolis for the last four years and a coordinator for two, was happy to answer the call.

With a renewed vision and a new skipper at the helm, the Lions are hopeful that they can take their program to the next level after posting a combined finish of 31-59 over the last ten seasons.

“I want us to come out and compete to the best of our ability every week,” Galanski said. “I don’t believe in losing scenarios; there’s always a way for us to do the things we want to do and whether we’re winning or losing by a million, I don’t ever want to see our kids give up.”

This offseason has been an intense one in Minneapolis, but challenge and discipline are necessary to attain success, and could give an edge to the Lions in their upcoming campaign.

“It’ll be interesting to see if we’re going in the right direction once we get out there,” he said. “We need to be able to do our job, that’s something we’ve struggled with for the last six years. We like to do everyone else's job other than our own, but if we can instill trust in the guys around us that will be huge.”

On offense, the Lions will be led by third-year starter Owen Just, who returns to the role for his senior season in a new-look offense that should unlock his full potential.

“I think Owen’s ceiling can be whatever he wants it to be,” Galanski said. “He can play multiple sports at the next level, he’s mentally tough, and I’m excited to see how he works within our tweaked offense. We’re going to play a little more to his skill se,t and we’ll see how that looks on Friday nights.”

Just will be joined in the backfield by the tandem of Bryson Lonberger and Brayton Peters, while a brand new receiving corps is headlined by Kingston Derronet, Brayden Johnson, Nolan Arnold, and Charlie Klein.

In the trenches, the Lions will be veteran-heavy, with five upperclassmen leading the way.

Defensively, Minneapolis will be shaking things up, with just four returning starters in the same spots as last year.

Logan Haley, Wyatt Griffin, and Bladen Johnson will form the Lions’ three-man front, while Brayton Peters, Logan Biggs, Josh White, and Jasper Johns fill out the linebacker positions.

In the secondary, Owen Just and Bryson Lonberger patrol the deepest parts of the field at safety while Charlie Klein and Nolan Arnold play up at cornerback.

For Minneapolis, taking the next step will mean focusing on opponents one at a time, and confidence will play a big role regardless of who lines up across from the blue and white on Friday night.

“Our biggest challenges in the past have been in our ability to look at the next opponent as just the next opponent,” Galanski said. “Past accolades don’t mean anything to me; who a team is going to be on Friday is all that matters. We have to be able to adapt to that.”

The Lions get a huge test in their season opener as they play host to the defending 2A State Champions in Southeast of Saline.

You can stream the season opener free of charge with live video and audio commentary on Salina Post, or tune in on KINA (910 AM/107.5 FM)

Full 2025 Football Schedule 9/5 - vs. SE of Saline 9/12 - at Lyons 9/19 - vs. Ellsworth 9/26 - vs. Norton 10/3 - at Halstead 10/10 - at Beloit 10/17 - vs. Russell 10/24 - at Phillipsburg

By TYLER HENRY Lead Sportswriter - Salina PostWith the departure of Tom Flax from Minneapolis to Concordia, the Lions found themselves in need of a new head coach ahead of the 2025 season.Former coordinator Garrett Galanski, who had served as an assistant coach at Minneapolis for the last four years and a coordinator for two, was happy to answer the call.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1746812152965.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>With a renewed vision and a new skipper at the helm, the Lions are hopeful that they can take their program to the next level after posting a combined finish of 31-59 over the last ten seasons.“I want us to come out and compete to the best of our ability every week,” Galanski said. “I don’t believe in losing scenarios; there’s always a way for us to do the things we want to do and whether we’re winning or losing by a million, I don’t ever want to see our kids give up.”This offseason has been an intense one in Minneapolis, but challenge and discipline are necessary to attain success, and could give an edge to the Lions in their upcoming campaign.“It’ll be interesting to see if we’re going in the right direction once we get out there,” he said. “We need to be able to do our job, that’s something we’ve struggled with for the last six years. We like to do everyone else's job other than our own, but if we can instill trust in the guys around us that will be huge.”On offense, the Lions will be led by third-year starter Owen Just, who returns to the role for his senior season in a new-look offense that should unlock his full potential.“I think Owen’s ceiling can be whatever he wants it to be,” Galanski said. “He can play multiple sports at the next level, he’s mentally tough, and I’m excited to see how he works within our tweaked offense. We’re going to play a little more to his skill se,t and we’ll see how that looks on Friday nights.”Just will be joined in the backfield by the tandem of Bryson Lonberger and Brayton Peters, while a brand new receiving corps is headlined by Kingston Derronet, Brayden Johnson, Nolan Arnold, and Charlie Klein.In the trenches, the Lions will be veteran-heavy, with five upperclassmen leading the way.Defensively, Minneapolis will be shaking things up, with just four returning starters in the same spots as last year.Logan Haley, Wyatt Griffin, and Bladen Johnson will form the Lions’ three-man front, while Brayton Peters, Logan Biggs, Josh White, and Jasper Johns fill out the linebacker positions.In the secondary, Owen Just and Bryson Lonberger patrol the deepest parts of the field at safety while Charlie Klein and Nolan Arnold play up at cornerback.For Minneapolis, taking the next step will mean focusing on opponents one at a time, and confidence will play a big role regardless of who lines up across from the blue and white on Friday night.“Our biggest challenges in the past have been in our ability to look at the next opponent as just the next opponent,” Galanski said. “Past accolades don’t mean anything to me; who a team is going to be on Friday is all that matters. We have to be able to adapt to that.”The Lions get a huge test in their season opener as they play host to the defending 2A State Champions in Southeast of Saline.You can stream the season opener free of charge with live video and audio commentary on Salina Post, or tune in on KINA (910 AM/107.5 FM)Full 2025 Football Schedule 9/5 - vs. SE of Saline 9/12 - at Lyons 9/19 - vs. Ellsworth 9/26 - vs. Norton 10/3 - at Halstead 10/10 - at Beloit 10/17 - vs. Russell 10/24 - at Phillipsburg

🏈 New coach, new mindset: Minneapolis enters Galanski era in 2025

The Kansas Wesleyan women's cross country team checks the boxes that are needed for a successful season - talent, experience, depth.

The challenge for fourth-year coach <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/92f33724-1b9c-4928-aa08-9a312e286282?elinkdata=28392">Garrett Young</a> and his staff is building off previous successes that include a second-place finish in the Kansas Conference meet and berth in the NAIA National Championship in 2024.

Young is confident the process will continue this fall.

"We've been here, and we've done this but we're going back and we're doing this at a higher level now," he said. "They know the training is going to be a little bit faster, they know the miles are going to be a little bit longer, they know we're going to continue to push them to that next level."

Young is impressed with what he has seen during summer and preseason workouts. The Coyotes are ranked 13th in the NAIA's preseason poll after placing 14th in the field of 35 teams in 2024.

"I think the whole group took some really big steps in the track season," he said. "The women that have been at the national level before or earned an All-American took some steps. We had a lot of the younger women that maybe got under 19 minutes for 5 (kilometers) for the first time on the track and I think we had eight or nine women last year break 19 (minutes) on the track for 5K."

Three Coyotes are grizzled veterans of NAIA competition. Senior <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/52c70a8a-974a-4376-8268-6dabdab3fed5?elinkdata=28392">Madisyn Ehrlich</a> is seeking her fourth trip to nationals while classmates <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/fb6195b9-336d-462c-a41b-d024ebcb2197?elinkdata=28392">Josie Koppes</a> and <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/d92b677c-dbf4-444c-aa36-998821a3ccde?elinkdata=28392">Charlee Lind</a> are chasing their third. Senior <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/6b28e480-9ac9-4b6e-8c25-ba1c72c2ccf3?elinkdata=28392">Kirstin Hackney</a> and sophomore <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/820cf908-ef07-48a7-99aa-63c67b8433a0?elinkdata=28392">Hailey Nordhus</a> ran in the NAIA meet last year and are back as well. Sophomore <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/0e45be9f-2348-46f4-a702-22d6995e91d4?elinkdata=28392">Micah Dickens</a> as an alternate at nationals a year ago and returns.

"I don't know what our top seven is going to be, but we're excited to see who shakes out," Young said.

It took a while for last year's squad to realize its potential.

"The whole year we were telling them 'you guys are good,'" Young said. "It wasn't until the first national ranking came in and that was the first time that they're like 'oh, people are noticing.' And then we jumped in the national rankings and at that point I distinctly remember one of the runners being like 'we're like, good.' It was not a surprise to any of the coaching staff."

Six Coyotes were among the top 20 finishers in the conference meet led by Koppes' ninth-place finish. Saint Mary was the champion, and Young expects another battle between his team and the Spires this fall. The KCAC meet is in Leavenworth.

"Saint Mary loses a lot from their top seven," he said. "The thing about Saint Mary is it doesn't matter what they lose a lot of times because they bring a lot back as well. It's just about being out there and competing on that day. I'm sure other teams in the conference are going to try and have their say in it but I could see the top 20 being a whole lot of Coyotes and a whole lot of Spires so it might literally just be who finishes in front of who at that given point."

The Kansas Wesleyan women's cross country team checks the boxes that are needed for a successful season - talent, experience, depth.The challenge for fourth-year coach <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/92f33724-1b9c-4928-aa08-9a312e286282?elinkdata=28392">Garrett Young</a> and his staff is building off previous successes that include a second-place finish in the Kansas Conference meet and berth in the NAIA National Championship in 2024.Young is confident the process will continue this fall."We've been here, and we've done this but we're going back and we're doing this at a higher level now," he said. "They know the training is going to be a little bit faster, they know the miles are going to be a little bit longer, they know we're going to continue to push them to that next level."Young is impressed with what he has seen during summer and preseason workouts. The Coyotes are ranked 13th in the NAIA's preseason poll after placing 14th in the field of 35 teams in 2024."I think the whole group took some really big steps in the track season," he said. "The women that have been at the national level before or earned an All-American took some steps. We had a lot of the younger women that maybe got under 19 minutes for 5 (kilometers) for the first time on the track and I think we had eight or nine women last year break 19 (minutes) on the track for 5K."Three Coyotes are grizzled veterans of NAIA competition. Senior <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/52c70a8a-974a-4376-8268-6dabdab3fed5?elinkdata=28392">Madisyn Ehrlich</a> is seeking her fourth trip to nationals while classmates <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/fb6195b9-336d-462c-a41b-d024ebcb2197?elinkdata=28392">Josie Koppes</a> and <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/d92b677c-dbf4-444c-aa36-998821a3ccde?elinkdata=28392">Charlee Lind</a> are chasing their third. Senior <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/6b28e480-9ac9-4b6e-8c25-ba1c72c2ccf3?elinkdata=28392">Kirstin Hackney</a> and sophomore <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/820cf908-ef07-48a7-99aa-63c67b8433a0?elinkdata=28392">Hailey Nordhus</a> ran in the NAIA meet last year and are back as well. Sophomore <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/0e45be9f-2348-46f4-a702-22d6995e91d4?elinkdata=28392">Micah Dickens</a> as an alternate at nationals a year ago and returns."I don't know what our top seven is going to be, but we're excited to see who shakes out," Young said.It took a while for last year's squad to realize its potential."The whole year we were telling them 'you guys are good,'" Young said. "It wasn't until the first national ranking came in and that was the first time that they're like 'oh, people are noticing.' And then we jumped in the national rankings and at that point I distinctly remember one of the runners being like 'we're like, good.' It was not a surprise to any of the coaching staff."Six Coyotes were among the top 20 finishers in the conference meet led by Koppes' ninth-place finish. Saint Mary was the champion, and Young expects another battle between his team and the Spires this fall. The KCAC meet is in Leavenworth."Saint Mary loses a lot from their top seven," he said. "The thing about Saint Mary is it doesn't matter what they lose a lot of times because they bring a lot back as well. It's just about being out there and competing on that day. I'm sure other teams in the conference are going to try and have their say in it but I could see the top 20 being a whole lot of Coyotes and a whole lot of Spires so it might literally just be who finishes in front of who at that given point."

WOMEN'S XC SEASON PREVIEW: 2025 Coyotes check all boxes for successful season with talent, experience and depth

Most college cross country coaches would be more than a little concerned after losing three of their top five runners from the previous season - the trio having competed at the national level in the postseason.

Kansas Wesleyan coach <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/0f557481-3e32-4c64-8f78-8e5b7e3f7dec?elinkdata=28360">Garrett Young</a> is an exception.

Most college cross country coaches would be more than a little concerned after losing three of their top five runners from the previous season - the trio having competed at the national level in the postseason.Kansas Wesleyan coach <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/0f557481-3e32-4c64-8f78-8e5b7e3f7dec?elinkdata=28360">Garrett Young</a> is an exception.<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/0ed26de4-2be6-4ef2-a827-1868a57a867b?elinkdata=28360">Julian Avila</a> was KWU's top finisher in the NAIA National Championship meet a year ago in Columbia, Missouri while <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/c009cc43-4b73-4676-9234-58246b2d523c?elinkdata=28360">Austin Hess</a> was the team's third runner and <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/8c2f76e9-a325-4994-95c5-f21a367b9ab5?elinkdata=28360">Giovanni Rios</a> fifth.While those departures are significant, Young is confident the Coyotes will remain in contention in 2025."I think we've got some guys who are back and have taken some big steps," said Young who enters his fourth season. "I think the pressure is there for more guys understanding that 'I need to step up and perform at a certain quality or a certain level.'"Young's optimism is based on a large number of returning runners and some newcomers."We bring back pretty much everyone else out of that top 10 back and then we brought in some talented freshmen," he said. "The thing about freshmen is they still have to learn what college running is and about, but they've looked good early on, so we'll see what we've got."<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/9c0a4107-18b6-4442-ad3e-490ee41d7ccd?elinkdata=28360">Damion Jackson</a> headlines the list of returners. He earned cross country All-America honors as a freshman two years ago and was an All-American in the 3,000 meter indoors last year. Seniors <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/717fdf79-61fb-432d-bbe1-fe8f1c87bbdc?elinkdata=28360">Jake Cruz</a>, team captain Austin Schaefer, Nick Martinez and graduate student <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/57b275b7-9e96-44e6-b877-2b595f827d9a?elinkdata=28360">Ty Davidson</a> also return as do juniors <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/6218fc05-ee64-4a01-9ad2-d92d3d721028?elinkdata=28360">Wyatt Johnson</a>, <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/b01b9399-0888-4fe2-a790-6d61a551557d?elinkdata=28360">Brenden Ellis</a>, <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/777694e7-5d29-4543-8393-791c12318e77?elinkdata=28360">Tytus Reed</a> and <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/be1518d4-c385-41ca-a0b4-32045eaa19a7?elinkdata=28360">Triston Cottone</a>.Johnson is a three-time All-American and has been to cross country nationals as an alternate. Sophomore <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/a09870c7-3ee6-4c24-a508-1f20b1bbc015?elinkdata=28360">Evan Pearce</a> has improved since last season according to Young."He was one that we were really excited about out of high school, and I think he's done the work this summer to deserve some mention and be in contention to be a guy that we expect to be running pretty well for us," he said.Young likes what he seen from two newcomers in particular, Ethan Ochona and <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/4c9f6451-eb42-4308-88ae-0a4d756ab26e?elinkdata=28360">Braulio Torres</a>."Ethan is a transfer from Cloud County Community College that we're pretty excited about," he said. "Torres is a freshman from El Paso, Texas who had really strong credentials and PRs (personal records) out of high school. But the whole freshman class is pretty talented - it's just seeing who can step up to that 8 (kilometer) distance."Jackson placed second in the KCAC Championship last season while Ellis was 13th and Cruz 18th as the Coyotes finished second in the team standings behind Saint Mary.Young expects a similar scenario to unfold this fall."It's pretty much a Spire and Coyote battle," he said.Teamwork is the key to success for KWU."We need more guys to be able to consistently step up on any given weekend," Young said. "I think for this group it's going to be finding a team identity. This has to be a group effort. We need guys running together and placing well together."