Cowboys Dominate Irish in Battle for Dickinson County

Sacred Heart Shuts Out Belle Plaine, 40-0

Cardinals and Bulldogs Renew Their Rivalry in Bennington

ASSISTANT HEAD COACH/SPECIAL TEAMS COORDINATOR DAVE TOUB

Q:&nbsp;On the decision to punt instead of kick a field goal early in the Jaguars game.

TOUB:&nbsp;“In pregame – like I talked about before – we always go through his (Harrison Butker) warm up, and we felt like his yard line on that side was (the) 35-yard line so we were two and a half yards outside of that spot and it was early in the game. Sometimes you’ve got to weigh it out and say, ‘Do we kick it, miss it, give them filed position?’ Our defense was playing great. We decided to play field position in that case, and Tommy (Townsend) came through and put it on the one (yard-line) now they have to go 99 yards. I’m glad Tommy came through, didn’t hit a touchback right there, it would have been a bigger issue. I think you have to protect (Harrison) Butker, too. We come to a decision on where we’re going to go, and I don’t want to try to go out of that zone early in the game. Later in the game, we can stretch it a little bit when we need it. It’s all about percentages of what we think he can make and not make.”

Q:&nbsp;What do you coach a player to do when they lose a ball in the sun on punt return?

TOUB:&nbsp;“I think he (Richie James) thought he was – and I’m speaking for him – I think he thought he was in the perfect position to catch it. You watch the tape on the TV copy, and you can see his eyes. He was looking at the ball, it wasn’t like he was looking at the coverage or anything. He thought he was looking at the ball, and all of the sudden it moved late on him. Obviously, it didn’t work out like we wanted it to. He is a good catcher, that was an odd ball, a thing that I don’t think is going to be a problem going forward. We just need him to get better (healthy).”

Q:&nbsp;Do you ever intentionally try to kick the ball into the sun?

TOUB:&nbsp;“Oh yeah, we’ll look at that. The sun makes a difference, and we’ll – depending on if we win the (coin) toss, lose the toss it depends on our kick direction, so we know we’re going to get it in the second half and all those things, all that stuff comes into play all the time.”

Q:&nbsp;What goes into your decision on who you pick as returners?

TOUB:&nbsp;“NFL experience preferably. There’s a big difference between college and NFL catching punts and kickoffs and guys coming down the field, the type of ball, hang times and different stuff you’re going to get. I’d rather have a guy that’s done it in a game, so he has that experience. We have guys who have done it and done it at a high level, so we’ll be okay. We just need 17 (Richie James) to get back healthy again.”

DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR STEVE SPAGNUOLO

Q:&nbsp;Is the defense ahead of where you thought it might be and if so, what are some of the reasons why?

SPAGNUOLO:&nbsp;“I don’t know – my expectations are never, ‘We’re going to be here, after two games, we’ll be there.’ It’s always the hope that we’re going to get better. I’ll tell you what I told them Tuesday, that I’m proud of the way they played, and we have to just keep stacking those kind of games. We kind of put it to bed real quickly on Tuesday, and we’re on to Chicago now. We’ve done some good things, (but) that doesn’t mean it’s going to continue because it’s a different challenge this week than it was last week. There’s a whole different challenge, a lot of unknowns here in our opinion. Hopefully the play in certain situational areas, hopefully that remains the same because I think that’s always really important – third-down, red zone – we probably haven’t had as many turnovers as we’d like to get, we still can probably sure up some tackling in areas here and there. Really, generally overall in the run defense, it’s not quite where we want it – I’m talking mostly just first and second down. Those are some of the things we looked at and talked about on Tuesday as we got ready for this game.”

Q:&nbsp;How do you quantify the impact Chris Jones has on the defense?

SPAGNUOLO:&nbsp;“Chris (Jones) is an all-pro player, so I think he influences what offensive lines do – if anybody on either side of the ball in any football is going to concentrate assets to one guy, it should open things for other guys, I think that’s happened a little bit in this last game for us. Hopefully that continues to happen because guys like George (Karlaftis), Mike (Danna) and Felix (Anudike-Uzomah) we need that – I thought Derrick (Nnadi) had a really good game, knocking that ball down was really important. Having a player like Chris in there certainly opens things up for the other guys.”

Q:&nbsp;Are you surprised with what Chris Jones was able to do with so little practice?

SPAGNUOLO:&nbsp;“In some regards, no. I think we talked about this before he got back, he’s always kept himself in really great shape, so I really didn’t worry about that part. We did fear the injury things just because your body is not trained for what you have to go through on a Sunday. But I think (Defensive Line Coach) Joe (Cullen) and (Assistant Defensive Line Coach) Terry (Bradden) managed it pretty good; the numbers came out about where we thought they should. I think he was in the 30’s somewhere with numbers of plays, and we’ll just see as we go forward but we like having him out there.”

Q:&nbsp;What do you think of the defensive red zone performances?

SPAGNUOLO:&nbsp;“I think mostly is I hope it continues (laughter). I was proud of those guys, the way we stood up in the red zone in some adverse situations. Down there more than any other place on the field, I think that the group has to play like that, and it’s not just about an individual making plays here or there, you’ve got to be on all cylinders down in the red zone because things happen fast (Head Coach) Andy (Reid) talks about that all the time. I thought the way we functioned down there – we’ve done a couple of different things, not a lot different, maybe just enough tweaks in there to help us. Last year, if I remember correctly, one of the things that was challenging back there when we went back and studied was controlling the quarterback with beating us with his feet or getting out of the pocket and making plays. If we can keep doing that – and this week going to a pretty good challenge with the quarterback we got down there (Bears QB Justin Fields).”

Q:&nbsp;What are the coaching points with Jawaan Taylor this week?

NAGY:&nbsp;“Again, we talked Week 1 about some of the drops with the wideouts, emphasizing it, but yet not making it such a huge deal to where it impacts him (Jawaan Taylor) again this week. Jawaan is a really really good football player, he’s a great person, he wants to be better. The only thing you can possibly do is just continue to just keep practicing with the cadence, whether it’s verbal or nonverbal which we were more nonverbal there in Jacksonville. So, just keep working on it and if there's times in practice where it happens, why did it happen and how do we fix it. We know that officials and other teams are looking for it, he knows that. We know that, so we just have to keep working at it. That’s the only thing you can do.”

Q:&nbsp;In the Jaguars game, you guys were able to start the second half with a 30-yard run, how does that help your offense in totality?

NAGY:&nbsp;“It’s big. Any big plays, explosives, when you have a big – and especially in the run game that’s an easy breather for the quarterback, it’s a great momentum builder for the O-line, it sets the defense because now play action is better because you are running it, and then when you do it the first play of the third quarter, that’s momentum as far as being able to just get going and get points. So, that was great. But (we had) too many drives last week where we were going backward, and we’re way too detailed and way too hard on ourselves in regards to making sure that coaches and players are on the same page with doing everything the right way and not beating ourselves. Jacksonville, that’s a great defense and a great team, but it just goes to show in the end, when you play like that, we still won the game; now what can we do when don’t do that had kind of been where we are at this week.”

Q:&nbsp;On favoring the pass game over the run game in the first two games.

NAGY:&nbsp;“Well, every game you always have an idea of what you think you want to do, and then you get into the game and you have to adjust to what’s working and what’s not working. I think (Head) Coach (Andy) Reid does such a great job since the day he started coaching of being able to really formulate how we want to win, start off that way, and then personnel-wise and whatever it is schematically and if the run game is going. Then we’ll go ahead and get to that if the pass game is going – it just so happens there's been a few more passes recently. I think if you know Coach Reid, that probably doesn’t shock you. That’s who we are, and we want to be able to be balanced and we have great players to be able to do both.”

Q:&nbsp;Can you walk us through the game for you and what was going on in your head?

TAYLOR:&nbsp;“A lot of highs and lows definitely, but overall, I feel like my performance wasn’t too bad. But the penalties definitely have to be cleaned up.”

Q:&nbsp;Having a game that wasn’t your best, where are you at mentally?

TAYLOR:&nbsp;“I’m fine mentally. I didn’t let it get the best of me. I just want to go out there and be my best and help my team win.”

Q:&nbsp;How do you work on avoiding false starts and procedural penalties?

TAYLOR:&nbsp;“Definitely just been working on it this week to clean it up. (I) definitely know that’s a problem that needs to be fixed. (It’s a) good thing I have a great group of coaches around me to help me fix it. Just staying poised throughout the game, staying even keeled not letting it get the best of me. (I’m) definitely working to fix it. That’s pretty much it.”

Q:&nbsp;What does it say about the teams that you can deal with adversity and still find ways to win games?

TAYLOR:&nbsp;“It just tells – our coaching, having a great group of coaches like that they keep us up throughout the week and let us know, ‘Things happen, but at the end of the day, we just have to go out there and get a win.’ Everybody knows that, so I feel like everybody plays with great poise.”

OPENING STATEMENT:&nbsp;“As far as injuries go, the guys that didn’t practice today were (Nick) Bolton and Richie James. They're making progress and just weren’t able to practice. Kadarius (Toney) practiced, and Willie (Gay) practiced those were the other guys that were hurt a little bit, (Isiah) Pacheco he’s practicing. (I) look forward to the challenge of playing the Bears, good football team, you know how things are in the league, every team is good, that’s just how it works out. We had a good week of preparation and again, like I said, look forward to the challenge of playing here at (GEHA Field at) Arrowhead. With that, the time is yours.”

Q:&nbsp;Do you have to address with the players how dangerous every team can be or do the veterans take care of that?

REID:&nbsp;“Yeah, I don’t even look into that. When you’re in the season, you’re so occupied with trying to maximize what you can do, that’s where your energy goes. I don’t look at that and I'm not sure the players look at that, there’s no time for all that.”

Q: Is Kadarius Toney feeling better?

REID:&nbsp;“I think so, I mean we just finished. I’ll see, I mean he was good at the end there.”

Q:&nbsp;If Nick Bolton is unable to play, will Drue Tranquill likely be his replacement?

REID:&nbsp;“Yeah, he’s been working in there. I mean he’s a part of – (Defensive Coordinator Steve) Spags (Spagnuolo) has all of these different packages so everybody has a chance to play and he’s got all of the experience so he would be most likely candidate.”

Q:&nbsp;As you guys are working on being more in sync on offense, do you feel the unit has progressed this week?

REID:&nbsp;“We’re working at it. We will see how things go on Sunday. The guys work hard, (so) we’ll just see how it works out.”

Q: The Bears QB, Justin Fields, is known to have speed. How did your scout team do with replicating that this week?

REID: “I mean you’re talking about a guy that has been as fast as (Dolphins wide receiver) Tyreek (Hill) in a number of cases. I’m not sure we have that but we have Chris (Oladokun) who jumped in and I thought did a nice job for us, running around and doing what - playing the game. I mean this kid (Bears QB Justin Fields) is 230 lbs., 6’3”, and can run as fast as Tyreek, that’s pretty good.”

Q:&nbsp;BYU football is playing against Kansas tomorrow. Will you have time to see any old friends?

REID:&nbsp;“I probably won't be able to get to it but you know, I love BYU. I also love Kansas, I do have blue blood in me, you can take that any way you want.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1691529941375.png" alt="Chiefs Logo no cut off" />
 <figcaption>Chiefs Logo no cut off</figcaption>
 </figure>ASSISTANT HEAD COACH/SPECIAL TEAMS COORDINATOR DAVE TOUBQ:&nbsp;On the decision to punt instead of kick a field goal early in the Jaguars game.TOUB:&nbsp;“In pregame – like I talked about before – we always go through his (Harrison Butker) warm up, and we felt like his yard line on that side was (the) 35-yard line so we were two and a half yards outside of that spot and it was early in the game. Sometimes you’ve got to weigh it out and say, ‘Do we kick it, miss it, give them filed position?’ Our defense was playing great. We decided to play field position in that case, and Tommy (Townsend) came through and put it on the one (yard-line) now they have to go 99 yards. I’m glad Tommy came through, didn’t hit a touchback right there, it would have been a bigger issue. I think you have to protect (Harrison) Butker, too. We come to a decision on where we’re going to go, and I don’t want to try to go out of that zone early in the game. Later in the game, we can stretch it a little bit when we need it. It’s all about percentages of what we think he can make and not make.”Q:&nbsp;What do you coach a player to do when they lose a ball in the sun on punt return?TOUB:&nbsp;“I think he (Richie James) thought he was – and I’m speaking for him – I think he thought he was in the perfect position to catch it. You watch the tape on the TV copy, and you can see his eyes. He was looking at the ball, it wasn’t like he was looking at the coverage or anything. He thought he was looking at the ball, and all of the sudden it moved late on him. Obviously, it didn’t work out like we wanted it to. He is a good catcher, that was an odd ball, a thing that I don’t think is going to be a problem going forward. We just need him to get better (healthy).”Q:&nbsp;Do you ever intentionally try to kick the ball into the sun?TOUB:&nbsp;“Oh yeah, we’ll look at that. The sun makes a difference, and we’ll – depending on if we win the (coin) toss, lose the toss it depends on our kick direction, so we know we’re going to get it in the second half and all those things, all that stuff comes into play all the time.”Q:&nbsp;What goes into your decision on who you pick as returners?TOUB:&nbsp;“NFL experience preferably. There’s a big difference between college and NFL catching punts and kickoffs and guys coming down the field, the type of ball, hang times and different stuff you’re going to get. I’d rather have a guy that’s done it in a game, so he has that experience. We have guys who have done it and done it at a high level, so we’ll be okay. We just need 17 (Richie James) to get back healthy again.”DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR STEVE SPAGNUOLOQ:&nbsp;Is the defense ahead of where you thought it might be and if so, what are some of the reasons why?SPAGNUOLO:&nbsp;“I don’t know – my expectations are never, ‘We’re going to be here, after two games, we’ll be there.’ It’s always the hope that we’re going to get better. I’ll tell you what I told them Tuesday, that I’m proud of the way they played, and we have to just keep stacking those kind of games. We kind of put it to bed real quickly on Tuesday, and we’re on to Chicago now. We’ve done some good things, (but) that doesn’t mean it’s going to continue because it’s a different challenge this week than it was last week. There’s a whole different challenge, a lot of unknowns here in our opinion. Hopefully the play in certain situational areas, hopefully that remains the same because I think that’s always really important – third-down, red zone – we probably haven’t had as many turnovers as we’d like to get, we still can probably sure up some tackling in areas here and there. Really, generally overall in the run defense, it’s not quite where we want it – I’m talking mostly just first and second down. Those are some of the things we looked at and talked about on Tuesday as we got ready for this game.”Q:&nbsp;How do you quantify the impact Chris Jones has on the defense?SPAGNUOLO:&nbsp;“Chris (Jones) is an all-pro player, so I think he influences what offensive lines do – if anybody on either side of the ball in any football is going to concentrate assets to one guy, it should open things for other guys, I think that’s happened a little bit in this last game for us. Hopefully that continues to happen because guys like George (Karlaftis), Mike (Danna) and Felix (Anudike-Uzomah) we need that – I thought Derrick (Nnadi) had a really good game, knocking that ball down was really important. Having a player like Chris in there certainly opens things up for the other guys.”Q:&nbsp;Are you surprised with what Chris Jones was able to do with so little practice?SPAGNUOLO:&nbsp;“In some regards, no. I think we talked about this before he got back, he’s always kept himself in really great shape, so I really didn’t worry about that part. We did fear the injury things just because your body is not trained for what you have to go through on a Sunday. But I think (Defensive Line Coach) Joe (Cullen) and (Assistant Defensive Line Coach) Terry (Bradden) managed it pretty good; the numbers came out about where we thought they should. I think he was in the 30’s somewhere with numbers of plays, and we’ll just see as we go forward but we like having him out there.”Q:&nbsp;What do you think of the defensive red zone performances?SPAGNUOLO:&nbsp;“I think mostly is I hope it continues (laughter). I was proud of those guys, the way we stood up in the red zone in some adverse situations. Down there more than any other place on the field, I think that the group has to play like that, and it’s not just about an individual making plays here or there, you’ve got to be on all cylinders down in the red zone because things happen fast (Head Coach) Andy (Reid) talks about that all the time. I thought the way we functioned down there – we’ve done a couple of different things, not a lot different, maybe just enough tweaks in there to help us. Last year, if I remember correctly, one of the things that was challenging back there when we went back and studied was controlling the quarterback with beating us with his feet or getting out of the pocket and making plays. If we can keep doing that – and this week going to a pretty good challenge with the quarterback we got down there (Bears QB Justin Fields).”OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR MATT NAGYQ:&nbsp;What are the coaching points with Jawaan Taylor this week?NAGY:&nbsp;“Again, we talked Week 1 about some of the drops with the wideouts, emphasizing it, but yet not making it such a huge deal to where it impacts him (Jawaan Taylor) again this week. Jawaan is a really really good football player, he’s a great person, he wants to be better. The only thing you can possibly do is just continue to just keep practicing with the cadence, whether it’s verbal or nonverbal which we were more nonverbal there in Jacksonville. So, just keep working on it and if there's times in practice where it happens, why did it happen and how do we fix it. We know that officials and other teams are looking for it, he knows that. We know that, so we just have to keep working at it. That’s the only thing you can do.”Q:&nbsp;In the Jaguars game, you guys were able to start the second half with a 30-yard run, how does that help your offense in totality?NAGY:&nbsp;“It’s big. Any big plays, explosives, when you have a big – and especially in the run game that’s an easy breather for the quarterback, it’s a great momentum builder for the O-line, it sets the defense because now play action is better because you are running it, and then when you do it the first play of the third quarter, that’s momentum as far as being able to just get going and get points. So, that was great. But (we had) too many drives last week where we were going backward, and we’re way too detailed and way too hard on ourselves in regards to making sure that coaches and players are on the same page with doing everything the right way and not beating ourselves. Jacksonville, that’s a great defense and a great team, but it just goes to show in the end, when you play like that, we still won the game; now what can we do when don’t do that had kind of been where we are at this week.”Q:&nbsp;On favoring the pass game over the run game in the first two games.NAGY:&nbsp;“Well, every game you always have an idea of what you think you want to do, and then you get into the game and you have to adjust to what’s working and what’s not working. I think (Head) Coach (Andy) Reid does such a great job since the day he started coaching of being able to really formulate how we want to win, start off that way, and then personnel-wise and whatever it is schematically and if the run game is going. Then we’ll go ahead and get to that if the pass game is going – it just so happens there's been a few more passes recently. I think if you know Coach Reid, that probably doesn’t shock you. That’s who we are, and we want to be able to be balanced and we have great players to be able to do both.”Chiefs Player QuotesSeptember 21, 2023T JAWAAN TAYLORQ:&nbsp;Can you walk us through the game for you and what was going on in your head?TAYLOR:&nbsp;“A lot of highs and lows definitely, but overall, I feel like my performance wasn’t too bad. But the penalties definitely have to be cleaned up.”Q:&nbsp;Having a game that wasn’t your best, where are you at mentally?TAYLOR:&nbsp;“I’m fine mentally. I didn’t let it get the best of me. I just want to go out there and be my best and help my team win.”Q:&nbsp;How do you work on avoiding false starts and procedural penalties?TAYLOR:&nbsp;“Definitely just been working on it this week to clean it up. (I) definitely know that’s a problem that needs to be fixed. (It’s a) good thing I have a great group of coaches around me to help me fix it. Just staying poised throughout the game, staying even keeled not letting it get the best of me. (I’m) definitely working to fix it. That’s pretty much it.”Q:&nbsp;What does it say about the teams that you can deal with adversity and still find ways to win games?TAYLOR:&nbsp;“It just tells – our coaching, having a great group of coaches like that they keep us up throughout the week and let us know, ‘Things happen, but at the end of the day, we just have to go out there and get a win.’ Everybody knows that, so I feel like everybody plays with great poise.”HEAD COACH ANDY REIDOPENING STATEMENT:&nbsp;“As far as injuries go, the guys that didn’t practice today were (Nick) Bolton and Richie James. They're making progress and just weren’t able to practice. Kadarius (Toney) practiced, and Willie (Gay) practiced those were the other guys that were hurt a little bit, (Isiah) Pacheco he’s practicing. (I) look forward to the challenge of playing the Bears, good football team, you know how things are in the league, every team is good, that’s just how it works out. We had a good week of preparation and again, like I said, look forward to the challenge of playing here at (GEHA Field at) Arrowhead. With that, the time is yours.”Q:&nbsp;Do you have to address with the players how dangerous every team can be or do the veterans take care of that?REID:&nbsp;“Yeah, I don’t even look into that. When you’re in the season, you’re so occupied with trying to maximize what you can do, that’s where your energy goes. I don’t look at that and I'm not sure the players look at that, there’s no time for all that.”Q: Is Kadarius Toney feeling better?REID:&nbsp;“I think so, I mean we just finished. I’ll see, I mean he was good at the end there.”Q:&nbsp;If Nick Bolton is unable to play, will Drue Tranquill likely be his replacement?REID:&nbsp;“Yeah, he’s been working in there. I mean he’s a part of – (Defensive Coordinator Steve) Spags (Spagnuolo) has all of these different packages so everybody has a chance to play and he’s got all of the experience so he would be most likely candidate.”Q:&nbsp;As you guys are working on being more in sync on offense, do you feel the unit has progressed this week?REID:&nbsp;“We’re working at it. We will see how things go on Sunday. The guys work hard, (so) we’ll just see how it works out.”Q: The Bears QB, Justin Fields, is known to have speed. How did your scout team do with replicating that this week?REID: “I mean you’re talking about a guy that has been as fast as (Dolphins wide receiver) Tyreek (Hill) in a number of cases. I’m not sure we have that but we have Chris (Oladokun) who jumped in and I thought did a nice job for us, running around and doing what - playing the game. I mean this kid (Bears QB Justin Fields) is 230 lbs., 6’3”, and can run as fast as Tyreek, that’s pretty good.”Q:&nbsp;BYU football is playing against Kansas tomorrow. Will you have time to see any old friends?REID:&nbsp;“I probably won't be able to get to it but you know, I love BYU. I also love Kansas, I do have blue blood in me, you can take that any way you want.”Q:&nbsp;On the Bear’s defense.

KC Chiefs Head Coach, Coordinator, Player Quotes 

Abilene sweeps Wamego (25-11, 25-22) (21-25, 25-13, 27-25)

Salina South falls to Newton (21-25, 19-25) Salina South defeats Maize (9-25, 25-21, 25-15)

Chapman beats Jeff West (25-17, 25-18) Chapman beats Wamego (25-20, 26-24) Chapman beats Rossville (27-25, 12-25, 15-8) Chapman falls to Jeff West (15-25, 21-25) Chapman takes 2nd place in tournament

SE of Saline sweeps Minneapolis Match 1 (24-26, 25-15, 25-17) Match 2 (20-25, 30-28, 25-17)&nbsp;

Sacred Heart swept by Beloit Match 1 (16-25, 10-25) Match 2 (16-25, 10-25)

Thursday ResultsAbilene sweeps Wamego (25-11, 25-22) (21-25, 25-13, 27-25)Tuesday ResultsSalina South falls to Newton (21-25, 19-25) Salina South defeats Maize (9-25, 25-21, 25-15)Chapman beats Jeff West (25-17, 25-18) Chapman beats Wamego (25-20, 26-24) Chapman beats Rossville (27-25, 12-25, 15-8) Chapman falls to Jeff West (15-25, 21-25) Chapman takes 2nd place in tournamentSE of Saline sweeps Minneapolis Match 1 (24-26, 25-15, 25-17) Match 2 (20-25, 30-28, 25-17)&nbsp;Sacred Heart swept by Beloit Match 1 (16-25, 10-25) Match 2 (16-25, 10-25)

Area HS Volleyball Scores 9/18-23

Battle For Dickinson County Gets 131st Installment

Knights Welcome in Belle Plaine Looking to Right the Ship

Trojans Host Halstead to Open District Play

Southeast of Saline XC Dominates Home Meet

&nbsp;K-State football fans heading to Manhattan on Saturday for the Wildcats’ Big 12 opener against UCF are reminded to allow for additional travel time as road construction on I-70 in Junction City will impact traffic.

Kansas Department of Transportation officials are continuing to suggest that fans driving to Manhattan from the south or west who typically utilize I-70 through Junction City consider using an alternate route to avoid construction through a 6-mile stretch on I-70. A pavement replacement project is underway between Exit 295 on the west and mile marker 302 on the east of Junction City. The passing lanes in each direction are currently closed, and traffic has been moved to a head-to-head configuration between mile markers 299 and 301.

As an alternative to using I-70, fans traveling from the south on US-77 are asked to continue past the Junction City exit and stay on US-77 north through Riley, where US-77 merges into US-24. At the junction of Tuttle Creek Boulevard, turn south toward Manhattan, where fans can get to the stadium by either exiting at Seth Child Road on the west or staying on Tuttle Creek Boulevard to Marlatt or Kimball avenues on the east.

Fans driving from the west on I-70 could follow the same route by exiting at US-77 prior to reaching the construction in Junction City or exit at Abilene north onto K-15 to the junction of K-18, turning east to US-77 north of Junction City, then following US-77 north to Riley and into Manhattan.

To avoid potential traffic backups postgame on K-18 leaving Manhattan, officials encourage fans to use K-177 (Bill Snyder Highway) or McDowell Creek Road from the east side of the city to access I-70. Those utilizing K-18 should be prepared to reduce their speed and anticipate heavier than normal traffic.

Fans are encouraged to plan ahead and allow for additional travel time, as well as utilize a GPS system for seeking alternative routing.

K-State and UCF kick off at 7 p.m., Saturday night inside Bill Snyder Family Stadium in a game televised by FS1. Standing-room only tickets remain for the game against the Knights, and those can be purchased online at&nbsp;<a href="http://www.k-statesports.com/tickets" target="_blank">www.k-statesports.com/tickets</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1695327194847.jpeg" alt="K-State Football I-70 detour" />
 <figcaption>K-State Football I-70 detour</figcaption>
 </figure>&nbsp;K-State football fans heading to Manhattan on Saturday for the Wildcats’ Big 12 opener against UCF are reminded to allow for additional travel time as road construction on I-70 in Junction City will impact traffic.Kansas Department of Transportation officials are continuing to suggest that fans driving to Manhattan from the south or west who typically utilize I-70 through Junction City consider using an alternate route to avoid construction through a 6-mile stretch on I-70. A pavement replacement project is underway between Exit 295 on the west and mile marker 302 on the east of Junction City. The passing lanes in each direction are currently closed, and traffic has been moved to a head-to-head configuration between mile markers 299 and 301.As an alternative to using I-70, fans traveling from the south on US-77 are asked to continue past the Junction City exit and stay on US-77 north through Riley, where US-77 merges into US-24. At the junction of Tuttle Creek Boulevard, turn south toward Manhattan, where fans can get to the stadium by either exiting at Seth Child Road on the west or staying on Tuttle Creek Boulevard to Marlatt or Kimball avenues on the east.Fans driving from the west on I-70 could follow the same route by exiting at US-77 prior to reaching the construction in Junction City or exit at Abilene north onto K-15 to the junction of K-18, turning east to US-77 north of Junction City, then following US-77 north to Riley and into Manhattan.To avoid potential traffic backups postgame on K-18 leaving Manhattan, officials encourage fans to use K-177 (Bill Snyder Highway) or McDowell Creek Road from the east side of the city to access I-70. Those utilizing K-18 should be prepared to reduce their speed and anticipate heavier than normal traffic.Fans are encouraged to plan ahead and allow for additional travel time, as well as utilize a GPS system for seeking alternative routing.K-State and UCF kick off at 7 p.m., Saturday night inside Bill Snyder Family Stadium in a game televised by FS1. Standing-room only tickets remain for the game against the Knights, and those can be purchased online at&nbsp;<a href="http://www.k-statesports.com/tickets" target="_blank">www.k-statesports.com/tickets</a>.

K-State fans reminded of construction on Interstate 70

A back and forth fourth set was one of the many highlights of the night for the Kansas Wesleyan Women's Volleyball team as the Coyotes knocked off the McPherson Bulldogs 26-24, 25-17, 15-25, 25-19 in front of a loud and boisterous crowd inside Mabee Arena.

The night was wild from start to finish as the Coyotes had to rally big in the first set, and then pulled away in the second before dropping the third.

Wesleyan bounced back in the fourth, in a crazy back and forth set that saw neither team lead by more than three until the Coyotes pulled away late, breaking an 18-all tie with a match-ending 7-1 run to close things out.

The fourth was tied 5-5 when McPherson rattled off three straight points to take an 8-5 lead forcing a KWU timeout. After the break, the Coyotes regrouped scoring the next five points, including back-to-back&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/80f741c6-dbcd-4be9-b470-5deb21811a09?elinkdata=891" target="_blank">Kylee Harris</a>&nbsp;kills to take a 10-8 lead.

KWU led 12-9 in the set, but a 4-1 run by McPherson tied it back up at 13-all. The Coyotes scored two in a row on a&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/3835124b-14bc-423f-aed8-fc7ad9b60a5e?elinkdata=891" target="_blank">Gianna Adriaanse</a>&nbsp;kill and a block by&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/9d74828c-1104-44a3-bf96-9a7d54af11d4?elinkdata=891" target="_blank">Kyla Moore</a>&nbsp;to give KWU the lead.

Back came McPherson, taking its own lead several times, the last at 18-17 when the Coyotes got things going. An error started KWU's rally, and a Harris kill made it 21-18 Coyotes. 

A&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/748d1b9b-f7cb-44c4-8815-42f990d7f4c2?elinkdata=891" target="_blank">Kelcey Hund</a>&nbsp;service ace and another hitting error on McPherson made it 23-18. The Bulldogs got a point but a&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/3cbd9fb5-fed5-420e-b50e-7adf02db94b3?elinkdata=891" target="_blank">Sarah Girard</a>&nbsp;kill and a McPherson error ended it.

The fourth set wasn't quite the craziest moment of the night. Rewind all the way back to the first set.

It was 11-10 Coyotes in the first when McPherson rattled off five straight points to take a 15-11 lead in the set. 

After a KWU timeout, the Coyotes got back into it, getting within a point at 15-14 on Girard's ace, but McPherson again built a 19-14 lead. 

KWU fought back, getting within a point at 23-22 on Serpan's kill, but the Coyotes faced set point at 24-22.

Never fear,&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/d76f5106-217c-47b4-a554-1347a817e503?elinkdata=891" target="_blank">Rylee Serpan</a>&nbsp;is here. Back-to-back kills from the sophomore and reigning NAIA Attacker of the Week, tied the set at 24-all. Girard served another ace to give the Coyotes a 25-24 lead, and it was a wild play to end the set.

McPherson went for a kill to try to tie things back up but Girard got to the ball in the deep corner and hit it back over and off a McPherson player for the kill to give Wesleyan a 26-24 win in the set.

The Coyotes trailed 10-7 in the second set but came back to tie it up at 13-all on a kill by Adriaanse and a McPherson error gave the Coyotes the lead. 

A block by Moore and Adriaanse again gave the Coyotes the lead 15-14 and the Coyotes pushed out to an 18-14 lead on a Adriaanse kill. KWU led 20-17 before scoring the final five points of the set to take the win.

Wesleyan trailed 14-12 in the third, but five straight from McPherson gave the Bulldogs a 19-12 lead. The Coyotes dropped the third set 25-15.

Serpan again led the Coyotes with 15 kills while Harris had 13 and Adriaanse had nine.&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/5d03f129-e5a1-4848-9694-1339c39ee38c?elinkdata=891" target="_blank">Josie Deckinger</a>&nbsp;had 40 assists and 13 digs.&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/4f526d6a-6768-4a46-812e-08bb607d758b?elinkdata=891" target="_blank">Kelcey Hund</a>, the reigning NAIA Defender of the Week had 28 digs. The Coyotes had eight service aces in the match, led by three from Deckinger, while Hund and Girard had two each.

Wesleyan is back in action on Saturday, hosting a triangular with Ottawa University and Hannibal-LaGrange inside Mabee Arena. KWU plays Ottawa at Noon, then Hannibal at 4 p.m.

A back and forth fourth set was one of the many highlights of the night for the Kansas Wesleyan Women's Volleyball team as the Coyotes knocked off the McPherson Bulldogs 26-24, 25-17, 15-25, 25-19 in front of a loud and boisterous crowd inside Mabee Arena.The night was wild from start to finish as the Coyotes had to rally big in the first set, and then pulled away in the second before dropping the third.Wesleyan bounced back in the fourth, in a crazy back and forth set that saw neither team lead by more than three until the Coyotes pulled away late, breaking an 18-all tie with a match-ending 7-1 run to close things out.The fourth was tied 5-5 when McPherson rattled off three straight points to take an 8-5 lead forcing a KWU timeout. After the break, the Coyotes regrouped scoring the next five points, including back-to-back&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/80f741c6-dbcd-4be9-b470-5deb21811a09?elinkdata=891" target="_blank">Kylee Harris</a>&nbsp;kills to take a 10-8 lead.KWU led 12-9 in the set, but a 4-1 run by McPherson tied it back up at 13-all. The Coyotes scored two in a row on a&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/3835124b-14bc-423f-aed8-fc7ad9b60a5e?elinkdata=891" target="_blank">Gianna Adriaanse</a>&nbsp;kill and a block by&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/9d74828c-1104-44a3-bf96-9a7d54af11d4?elinkdata=891" target="_blank">Kyla Moore</a>&nbsp;to give KWU the lead. Back came McPherson, taking its own lead several times, the last at 18-17 when the Coyotes got things going. An error started KWU's rally, and a Harris kill made it 21-18 Coyotes. A&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/748d1b9b-f7cb-44c4-8815-42f990d7f4c2?elinkdata=891" target="_blank">Kelcey Hund</a>&nbsp;service ace and another hitting error on McPherson made it 23-18. The Bulldogs got a point but a&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/3cbd9fb5-fed5-420e-b50e-7adf02db94b3?elinkdata=891" target="_blank">Sarah Girard</a>&nbsp;kill and a McPherson error ended it.The fourth set wasn't quite the craziest moment of the night. Rewind all the way back to the first set.It was 11-10 Coyotes in the first when McPherson rattled off five straight points to take a 15-11 lead in the set. After a KWU timeout, the Coyotes got back into it, getting within a point at 15-14 on Girard's ace, but McPherson again built a 19-14 lead. KWU fought back, getting within a point at 23-22 on Serpan's kill, but the Coyotes faced set point at 24-22.Never fear,&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/d76f5106-217c-47b4-a554-1347a817e503?elinkdata=891" target="_blank">Rylee Serpan</a>&nbsp;is here. Back-to-back kills from the sophomore and reigning NAIA Attacker of the Week, tied the set at 24-all. Girard served another ace to give the Coyotes a 25-24 lead, and it was a wild play to end the set. McPherson went for a kill to try to tie things back up but Girard got to the ball in the deep corner and hit it back over and off a McPherson player for the kill to give Wesleyan a 26-24 win in the set.The Coyotes trailed 10-7 in the second set but came back to tie it up at 13-all on a kill by Adriaanse and a McPherson error gave the Coyotes the lead. A block by Moore and Adriaanse again gave the Coyotes the lead 15-14 and the Coyotes pushed out to an 18-14 lead on a Adriaanse kill. KWU led 20-17 before scoring the final five points of the set to take the win.Wesleyan trailed 14-12 in the third, but five straight from McPherson gave the Bulldogs a 19-12 lead. The Coyotes dropped the third set 25-15.Serpan again led the Coyotes with 15 kills while Harris had 13 and Adriaanse had nine.&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/5d03f129-e5a1-4848-9694-1339c39ee38c?elinkdata=891" target="_blank">Josie Deckinger</a>&nbsp;had 40 assists and 13 digs.&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/4f526d6a-6768-4a46-812e-08bb607d758b?elinkdata=891" target="_blank">Kelcey Hund</a>, the reigning NAIA Defender of the Week had 28 digs. The Coyotes had eight service aces in the match, led by three from Deckinger, while Hund and Girard had two each.Wesleyan is back in action on Saturday, hosting a triangular with Ottawa University and Hannibal-LaGrange inside Mabee Arena. KWU plays Ottawa at Noon, then Hannibal at 4 p.m.

KWU Volleyball knocks off McPherson in four sets for sixth straight win

McPHERSON&nbsp;-&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/e20aab58-e6c0-43d7-8448-ffb3a25d5aa4?elinkdata=871" target="_blank">Jesus Moreno</a>&nbsp;scored twice to help the Kansas Wesleyan Men's Soccer team pick up a 3-1 win over McPherson on Wednesday night at McPherson Stadium.

The win is the third in a row for the Coyotes, who stay unbeaten in KCAC play at 3-0, and are 6-2 overall.

Moreno netted Wesleyan's first goal in the 24th minute and in the 27th, the Coyotes scored again as&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/eddf1ced-10b7-45f4-b8af-7409db0b44d5?elinkdata=871" target="_blank">Abaenya Nundu</a>&nbsp;scored off an assist by&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/877f351d-edb8-403c-a70d-edaab7b349e6?elinkdata=871" target="_blank">Kamille Kum</a>.

Wesleyan would lead 2-0 at the half.McPherson scored in the 64th minute to halve Wesleyan's lead, but the Coyotes got a second tally from Moreno to put the Coyotes up 3-1.

Kum led the Coyotes with seven shots while Moreno had six as KWU outshot McPherson 22-9 in the match.

The Coyotes are on the road on Saturday at Ottawa before returning back to JRI Stadium next Wednesday to host Tabor.

McPHERSON&nbsp;-&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/e20aab58-e6c0-43d7-8448-ffb3a25d5aa4?elinkdata=871" target="_blank">Jesus Moreno</a>&nbsp;scored twice to help the Kansas Wesleyan Men's Soccer team pick up a 3-1 win over McPherson on Wednesday night at McPherson Stadium.The win is the third in a row for the Coyotes, who stay unbeaten in KCAC play at 3-0, and are 6-2 overall.Moreno netted Wesleyan's first goal in the 24th minute and in the 27th, the Coyotes scored again as&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/eddf1ced-10b7-45f4-b8af-7409db0b44d5?elinkdata=871" target="_blank">Abaenya Nundu</a>&nbsp;scored off an assist by&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/877f351d-edb8-403c-a70d-edaab7b349e6?elinkdata=871" target="_blank">Kamille Kum</a>.Wesleyan would lead 2-0 at the half.McPherson scored in the 64th minute to halve Wesleyan's lead, but the Coyotes got a second tally from Moreno to put the Coyotes up 3-1.Kum led the Coyotes with seven shots while Moreno had six as KWU outshot McPherson 22-9 in the match.The Coyotes are on the road on Saturday at Ottawa before returning back to JRI Stadium next Wednesday to host Tabor.

Coyote Men's Soccer stays unbeaten in KCAC play with 3-1 win over McPherson

McPHERSON -&nbsp;Kansas Wesleyan Women's Soccer saw six different players score as the Coyotes blanked the McPherson Bulldogs 7-0 on Wednesday night at McPherson Stadium.

The victory also keeps Wesleyan's unbeaten streak against McPherson intact. KWU now leads the all-time series 30-0-4 over the Bulldogs since 1996.

The Coyotes wasted no time in getting the scoring going as&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/70ed5cd2-3a36-44c0-bf1f-8eee9d6ee66e?elinkdata=851" target="_blank">Grace Conner</a>&nbsp;scored the first goal in the second minute of play. Five minutes later it was 2-0 Coyotes as&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/2842a69c-2baf-400a-898c-60ecc683647a?elinkdata=851" target="_blank">Maleia Jackson</a>&nbsp;scored off an assist from&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/3438cd02-62fb-4cc3-9f58-fd480895468f?elinkdata=851" target="_blank">Yissel Navarro</a>.

Wesleyan made it 3-0 just before the break as&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/56132e81-85f4-44e9-ba35-6a7f252eeee0?elinkdata=851" target="_blank">Caitlyn Carlos</a>&nbsp;scored with 12 seconds left in the half.

The second half saw the Coyotes score four times. Conner scored her second of the match in the 58th minute and three minutes later it was&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/2b85f8d7-21c5-4c2c-b42c-506d47a09df5?elinkdata=851" target="_blank">Leoni Enzlmuller</a>&nbsp;scoring.

KWU added two more in the 66th by&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/84d828ff-6fa3-4a62-afae-e8c9fd852c84?elinkdata=851" target="_blank">Sara Wall</a>, and in the 71st by&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/0634f08e-6819-40d0-a47d-e54364526635?elinkdata=851" target="_blank">Precious Nwosu</a>, both assisted by Navarro to cap the scoring.

Wesleyan outshot the Bulldogs 30-3, with 17 shots on frame. Navarro and Wall led the way with five shots. Enzlmuller had four.&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/33defd76-a5a7-49f6-b015-57cbd99c7b7e?elinkdata=851" target="_blank">Allison Blumenthal</a>&nbsp;picked up the clean sheet win in goal, with two saves.

The Coyotes are on the road Saturday at Ottawa before returning home to host Tabor next Wednesday at JRI Stadium at the Graves Family Sports Complex.

McPHERSON -&nbsp;Kansas Wesleyan Women's Soccer saw six different players score as the Coyotes blanked the McPherson Bulldogs 7-0 on Wednesday night at McPherson Stadium.The victory also keeps Wesleyan's unbeaten streak against McPherson intact. KWU now leads the all-time series 30-0-4 over the Bulldogs since 1996.The Coyotes wasted no time in getting the scoring going as&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/70ed5cd2-3a36-44c0-bf1f-8eee9d6ee66e?elinkdata=851" target="_blank">Grace Conner</a>&nbsp;scored the first goal in the second minute of play. Five minutes later it was 2-0 Coyotes as&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/2842a69c-2baf-400a-898c-60ecc683647a?elinkdata=851" target="_blank">Maleia Jackson</a>&nbsp;scored off an assist from&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/3438cd02-62fb-4cc3-9f58-fd480895468f?elinkdata=851" target="_blank">Yissel Navarro</a>.Wesleyan made it 3-0 just before the break as&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/56132e81-85f4-44e9-ba35-6a7f252eeee0?elinkdata=851" target="_blank">Caitlyn Carlos</a>&nbsp;scored with 12 seconds left in the half.The second half saw the Coyotes score four times. Conner scored her second of the match in the 58th minute and three minutes later it was&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/2b85f8d7-21c5-4c2c-b42c-506d47a09df5?elinkdata=851" target="_blank">Leoni Enzlmuller</a>&nbsp;scoring.KWU added two more in the 66th by&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/84d828ff-6fa3-4a62-afae-e8c9fd852c84?elinkdata=851" target="_blank">Sara Wall</a>, and in the 71st by&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/0634f08e-6819-40d0-a47d-e54364526635?elinkdata=851" target="_blank">Precious Nwosu</a>, both assisted by Navarro to cap the scoring.Wesleyan outshot the Bulldogs 30-3, with 17 shots on frame. Navarro and Wall led the way with five shots. Enzlmuller had four.&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/33defd76-a5a7-49f6-b015-57cbd99c7b7e?elinkdata=851" target="_blank">Allison Blumenthal</a>&nbsp;picked up the clean sheet win in goal, with two saves.The Coyotes are on the road Saturday at Ottawa before returning home to host Tabor next Wednesday at JRI Stadium at the Graves Family Sports Complex.

K-Dub Women's Soccer posts 7-0 win over McPherson

KANSAS CITY, Mo.—The Kansas City Royals announced today four enhancements to the front office, including the promotion of&nbsp;Danny Ontiveros&nbsp;to Vice President of Scouting. Additionally, the Royals have hired long-time executive&nbsp;Brian Bridges&nbsp;as the Director of Amateur Scouting,&nbsp; promoted&nbsp;Jim Cuthbert&nbsp;to Director of Pro Personnel &amp; Strategy and promoted&nbsp;Daniel Guerrero&nbsp;to Director of International Scouting.

“Danny is a critical part of what we do, and his ability to work across multiple parts of scouting operations will serve us well in this new role,” said&nbsp;J.J. Picollo, Royals Executive Vice President and General Manager. “His partnership with Brian will make us all better, as Brian takes over the day-to-day operations surrounding the amateur draft.

“We all have benefited from Jim’s professionalism and advice, so we’re excited for him to oversee all professional scouting strategy and player acquisition opportunities,” Picollo added. “It was evident from the time we hired Daniel that he would excel in scouting, but in addition to his evaluation skills, he is extremely organized and prepared to lead this department, which is essential to our success.”

Ontiveros is in his 17th&nbsp;season with the Royals and 2023 marked his second as the Director, Amateur Scouting. The 2008&nbsp;Art Stewart&nbsp;Scout of the Year previously was the Assistant Director of Scouting from 2017-21 and has also worked for the organization as an Area Scout, West Coast Supervisor and National Cross Checker. His scouting career also includes stints with the St. Louis Cardinals (1998-04) and Chicago White Sox (2005-07).

Bridges joins the Royals from the San Francisco Giants where he was a National Crosschecker since 2019.&nbsp; Previously, Brian worked with the Atlanta Braves from 2007-2018 where he began as an Area Supervisor from 2008-2010. From 2011-2014 he served as the Southeast Regional Cross Checker before being promoted to Director of Amateur Scouting in October 2014, a role he held until January 2019. Before working for Atlanta, he had stops as a scout with Anaheim (2000-2003) and Florida (2004-2007). He played collegiately at Florida Community College and Florida Southern College while earning his bachelor’s degree in education from Florida Southern College in 1995.

Cuthbert was hired in February 2023 as an Advance &amp; Special Assignment Scout after spending the last two seasons with the Boston Red Sox as a Professional/Advance Scout. Prior to his time in Boston, Jim worked for the Nationals from 2018-20, which included their 2019 World Series championship, as a Major League Advance Scout. He spent three years with the Miami Marlins as a Special Assignment Scout (2015-16) and Director of Professional Scouting (2016-18). Cuthbert also spent time with Cleveland as a Minor League Professional Scout (2009-12) and Major League Advance Scout (2012-15), the Texas Rangers as an Area Scout (1999-09) and the Colorado Rockies as an Associate Scout (1997-98).

Guerrero is completing his sixth season with the Royals and his first season as the Coordinator of International Scouting. Guerrero previously served as a Florida Area Supervisor from 2021-22, an Underclass Scout from 2019-21 and the Assistant to International Operations from 2017-19. Prior to joining the Royals, Daniel served as a Player Development and Baseball Operations Intern for the Washington Nationals in 2017.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1688169444150.jpeg" alt="Royals release" />
 <figcaption>Royals release</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY, Mo.—The Kansas City Royals announced today four enhancements to the front office, including the promotion of&nbsp;Danny Ontiveros&nbsp;to Vice President of Scouting. Additionally, the Royals have hired long-time executive&nbsp;Brian Bridges&nbsp;as the Director of Amateur Scouting,&nbsp; promoted&nbsp;Jim Cuthbert&nbsp;to Director of Pro Personnel &amp; Strategy and promoted&nbsp;Daniel Guerrero&nbsp;to Director of International Scouting.“Danny is a critical part of what we do, and his ability to work across multiple parts of scouting operations will serve us well in this new role,” said&nbsp;J.J. Picollo, Royals Executive Vice President and General Manager. “His partnership with Brian will make us all better, as Brian takes over the day-to-day operations surrounding the amateur draft.“We all have benefited from Jim’s professionalism and advice, so we’re excited for him to oversee all professional scouting strategy and player acquisition opportunities,” Picollo added. “It was evident from the time we hired Daniel that he would excel in scouting, but in addition to his evaluation skills, he is extremely organized and prepared to lead this department, which is essential to our success.”Ontiveros is in his 17th&nbsp;season with the Royals and 2023 marked his second as the Director, Amateur Scouting. The 2008&nbsp;Art Stewart&nbsp;Scout of the Year previously was the Assistant Director of Scouting from 2017-21 and has also worked for the organization as an Area Scout, West Coast Supervisor and National Cross Checker. His scouting career also includes stints with the St. Louis Cardinals (1998-04) and Chicago White Sox (2005-07).Bridges joins the Royals from the San Francisco Giants where he was a National Crosschecker since 2019.&nbsp; Previously, Brian worked with the Atlanta Braves from 2007-2018 where he began as an Area Supervisor from 2008-2010. From 2011-2014 he served as the Southeast Regional Cross Checker before being promoted to Director of Amateur Scouting in October 2014, a role he held until January 2019. Before working for Atlanta, he had stops as a scout with Anaheim (2000-2003) and Florida (2004-2007). He played collegiately at Florida Community College and Florida Southern College while earning his bachelor’s degree in education from Florida Southern College in 1995.Cuthbert was hired in February 2023 as an Advance &amp; Special Assignment Scout after spending the last two seasons with the Boston Red Sox as a Professional/Advance Scout. Prior to his time in Boston, Jim worked for the Nationals from 2018-20, which included their 2019 World Series championship, as a Major League Advance Scout. He spent three years with the Miami Marlins as a Special Assignment Scout (2015-16) and Director of Professional Scouting (2016-18). Cuthbert also spent time with Cleveland as a Minor League Professional Scout (2009-12) and Major League Advance Scout (2012-15), the Texas Rangers as an Area Scout (1999-09) and the Colorado Rockies as an Associate Scout (1997-98).Guerrero is completing his sixth season with the Royals and his first season as the Coordinator of International Scouting. Guerrero previously served as a Florida Area Supervisor from 2021-22, an Underclass Scout from 2019-21 and the Assistant to International Operations from 2017-19. Prior to joining the Royals, Daniel served as a Player Development and Baseball Operations Intern for the Washington Nationals in 2017.

Royals announce promotion of Danny Ontiveros to Vice President of Scouting

Q: You just got a nice contract restructure. How does it feel that the Chiefs owner wants to make sure you feel supported?

MAHOMES: “Yeah, I mean I’m in a great spot. I have a lot of great people around me, very thankful to the Hunt Family and the Chiefs organization and glad that now I can just go out there and play football. You get that security, and I already had it but to just to get a little bump and then be able to go back out there and just play football, I’m excited for it.”

Q: Did you want to ensure that you reworked your contract or was it more of your agent?

MAHOMES: “I think it’s just constant communication between me, my people, the front office, (Chiefs Owner) Clark Hunt, (Head) Coach (Andy) Reid, to find the right spot to where I can get paid and keep the quarterback market going at the same time keep a lot of great dudes around me and keep cap space for other guys to get signed as well. That’ll be something that I do throughout my entire career to try to obviously make money for myself and my family but keep a lot of great players around me as well.”

Q: How do you find the balance between making money and leaving money for other great players?

MAHOMES: “I mean, it’s hard. You get to watch and see what’s going on around the league and find that right spot, and I thought we found a good one in this negotiation that we did that we’ll be able to still keep cap space for other guys to get signed but obviously, I got a little bit more money upfront and then we’ll kind of redo it and re-negotiate it whenever we get to that mark that we talked about. It’s a special place and a special relationship that I have with the team to be able to trust them to be able to – even when I signed the last contract know that this was going to happen and then probably going to happen again at some point.”

Q: When negotiating your contract, do you keep the other players and the salary cap in mind?

MAHOMES: “Yeah, 100% I mean you have a lot of great players that I want to be here so we can win a lot of Super Bowls. I want to make a lot of money, but I also want to win. I think when you look back on teams and players, you look back at how they won and the perception of how they did things, and so that’s what I try to manage and find the right median of getting the money but also winning football games.”

Q: Justin Fields is struggling right now. What would you say to him?

MAHOMES: “Trust your talent. Trust your instincts. He’s here for a reason. He’s made a lot of big plays happen in the NFL and college, wherever he’s been. Just trusting in your instincts and then go out there be the player you’ve always been, just not against us hopefully (laughter).”

Q: How does the conversation come about when talking about your contract?

MAHOMES: “It’s not a ton of communication, I think it’s just kind of a know that you’ve got to keep the bar going, you’ve got to keep it moving. I don’t want people to be negotiated against me and so that’s a

reason that you do something like I did this last week, just trying to keep the market moving in the right direction, trending in the right direction so not only me but other quarterbacks and other positions can get paid the money that they deserve.”

Q: With all of this contract talk, does this make you study business more?

MAHOMES: “I’ve always kind of liked it. If I didn’t become an NFL player, I wanted to be either a sports agent or work in sports marketing. I’ve always wanted to help players so I’ve always been interested in it and I know I’m doing it in a different way than other people but I feel like it’s the right way for me because the trust I have in the front office that I’m still going to make a lot of money, be set for life and for my kids and everything like that but hopefully give us a chance to go out there and win football games as well.”

Q: Does a contract like this add more pressure?

MAHOMES: “I always feel like I’m under pressure to go out there and succeed. I feel like that’s a standard that I have on myself, and I want to go out there and maximize this opportunity that I have. I always talk about not having any regrets and I mean money is the money; it’s awesome, it’s amazing, I know I can do a lot of great things not only for myself but for the people who have given me so much. But at the end of the day, I’m going to look back on how I played the game and I hope that that’s intensity and leaving everything out there and hopefully that means winning a lot of football games.”

Q: Do you feel like you are getting the best out of Marquez Valdez-Scantling?

MAHOMES: “We haven’t been great offensively just in general, so I think as the offense gets going and we start find our rhythm, you’re going to start seeing those shots to Marquez (Valdez-Scantling) down the field. You’re going to start seeing him more involved in the offense. When you can’t stay in rhythm, that’s me included, as an offense, it’s hard to get the guys targets that they deserve and that they should get and so we have to find that rhythm and find the way to spread the ball around and then get the guys the catches so that we can go out there and have a better offensive day.”

Q: Do you sense any frustration coming from the wide receivers?

MAHOMES: “No, I haven’t. From that whole receiving room, I haven’t sensed any frustration. I think the frustration is probably more of me about myself and how the offense has been doing. Everybody has had that mentality that we just have to keep working, keep getting better, me included. Obviously, we want to play better because the defense is playing so well, we want to take some of that pressure off of them.”

Q: Over your career how have defenses evolved to force you to be more patient?

MAHOMES: “You see it, we get a lot more zone coverages, a lot more deeper coverages. You look at the interception I threw to (Justin) Watson this last week, in previous years that safety on the back side is not that deep and is not able to get back there. I looked over to the right and saw him open his hip to the right, so I thought there was a chance I could throw it over the top and I got it over the top of that other guy that was covering J-Wat (Justin Watson) but the safety made a play. It just shows that defenses are going to continue to play back and make me be patient. I have to be able to do that, take what’s there and not have negative plays happen. With our defense playing like it is, we’ll continue to score and then defenses will have to become aggressive at some point.”

Q: On more black quarterbacks being in the league.

MAHOMES: “I think as the game gets more diversified and the way that it’s played, you’ll see more black quarterbacks in the league and having opportunities. I think the next step is having the backup quarterbacks and stuff like that. That’s something we will continue to push in the right direction. It just

shows you can play the quarterback position in a lot of different ways I think that’s the coolest thing. Offensive coordinators are giving these quarterbacks, no matter where you come from, the best chance to go out there and succeed. I think you see that this should have been happening for years because of how high the level of quarterback play has been throughout the league.”

Q: How do you as quarterbacks push each other?

MAHOMES: “There’s not a group text message or anything like that. It’s always good to see those guys in the offseason, in the Pro Bowl or wherever it is. Just say, ‘Hey man I was watching, hell of a year.’ It’s cool to see the position in general, how it’s changed over the last few years, even since I’ve been in the NFL. We’re hoping to keep pushing that forward, so when we leave, it’s even in a better spot than when we got here.”

Q: There have been a couple snap issues. Is that just a blip on the radar or something you need to work on?

MAHOMES: “I think last week was a little bit greedy by me, I tried to go verbal on some of those cadences, and we had a bit of a miscommunication where I wasn’t loud enough for those guys to hear. When we’re in away games just try to go back to that silent count, just work on that instead of trying to be greedy and trying to do the verbal stuff. As far as the snaps, whenever we’re going back and forth that can get a little messed up here and there, but we’ve done it for two years, and it’s worked well so we’ll be alright.”

Q: Are you happy with the way the defense has performed thus far?

MCDUFFIE: “Yeah, I mean you just look at the points we’ve let up, and just the overall of how we've been competing every day. This is a defense that’s young and hungry and I know (Defensive Coordinator Steve) Spags (Spagnuolo) has been calling some great plays for us and the defense is happy with where we’re at, but we definitely have some things that we need to clean up and definitely looking to trend in an upwards direction for sure.”

Q: What’s the mentality of the defense?

MCDUFFIE: “Like I said, we’re hungry. I know off of last year, just based off of stats and everything that went on, yeah, we won the Super Bowl but I know this defense definitely felt like we could’ve done more and produced more. Coming into this year, this is something that we definitely have been looking at and want to continue to succeed with and show that just because last week and the week before we held them to nine and 14 points, this is a defense that’s going to continue to do that and be consistent with it.”

Q: You’re in year two now, how much has the game slowed down?

MCDUFFIE: “A lot actually. I feel like last year was my first time on the inside playing nickel and stuff so things that I didn’t see before as far as football in general, playing on the inside were so different. It was such a learning process that this year being able to slow it down during OTA’s and kind of break it down, and what my position is and just my job and my responsibilities. The game slowed down a ton, and so it’s been very beneficial with that.”

Q: The defense had some huge stops in the red zone against the Jaguars, what does this say about your defense?

MCDUFFIE: “Man, the resilience, honestly. This is a defense where – I always say football is not perfect, we’re going to have mistakes, they’re going to make plays, we’re going to make plays, and over the course of the game, you can kind of get lost in everything that’s happening play-by-play. But to stop a team that’s on the one-yard line who is a really high-powered offense, and you just keep driving them back even – it’s not like they finished at the one-yard line they keep going backwards, I think it just brings a confidence to the defense. It shows that you know what, things that we’ve been doing since training camp, all the time, all the practice, all those reps are finally paying off and I think we’re just going to continue to improve and stack up on that.”

Q: With all the publicity the offense gets, do you ever feel like that leaves the defense in the shadows?

KARLAFTIS: “We’re not really focused on who gets the publicity as long as we get the win to be quite honest.”

Q: Do you feel like the work you’ve put in this offseason has been paying off?

KARLAFTIS: “Oh, yeah, absolutely. All the work I did in the offseason I feel like really helped. Having that experience from the first year, knowing what to work on, having a plan and executing it in the offseason. Whether it was with Tamba (Hali) who helped me tremendously, in OTAs with coaches, when I was training at Louisville with my college strength coach and all of them. Just having a plan and executing, that was the biggest thing.”

Q: When you see Felix Anudike-Uzomah do you see him going through some of the same things you did last year?

KARLAFTIS: “Absolutely. With a rookie, a defensive lineman, a pass rusher, not just him, but all the rookie guys we have KC (Keondre Coburn), BJ (Thompson) and even Truman (Jones) all those guys are going through figuring it all out because I know for me, I’m still figuring stuff out right now. As a pass rusher it takes some time. Our coaches are pretty graceful, they understand that it takes time and we’re grateful that they do. Definitely see some stuff with Felix (Anudike-Uzomah) that I went through, and I can empathize with it like, ‘I’ve been in your shoes, I know what it’s like.’ Just try to help him out a little bit. As a rookie, you have guys telling you one thing or another and your head kind of explodes sometimes. Just got to take a deep breath and listen to your coaches and everything will be good.”

Q: How did it feel to get your first sack of the year and are you still working on the celebration?

KARLAFTIS: “(Laughter) I didn’t really think about the celebration to be honest. It felt good just to be out there, help the team, make a positive play for the team and all that stuff. It’s great.”

OPENING STATEMENT: “As far as injuries go Richie James knee, he has an MCL (injury), he won’t practice today. (Isiah) Pacheco has a hamstring contusion, he won’t practice – it’s not a tear. (Kadarius) Toney has the sprained toe then (Nick) Bolton and Willie (Gay) have a sprained ankle and a quad contusion, so they’re working through those. The latter two (Nick Bolton and Willie Gay) did the walkthrough but no practice. Look forward to the challenge of playing the Bears, (they’re a) good football team, well coached by (Bears Head Coach) Matt (Eberflus) and his staff. They’ve got good players, so we’ve got to make sure we have a good week of preparations. With that time’s yours.”

Q: On not calling a lot of running plays in the first half.

REID: “Just trying to do what we needed to do to move the ball. We’ll keep mixing it.”

Q: What are the keys to playing against zone defense?

REID: “Feel is the first thing. Players being able to sit in holes and do those things. They (the Chicago Bears) have been playing zone, but they’ve also been playing man on third down, so they’ve got that package in. Last year they mixed it between man and single safety middle man, zone (and) all the shell coverages. They’ve got a big package of stuff they can roll at you. But to answer your question – zone – you’ve got to have a feel for it.”

Q: How much of getting that feel is just getting more experience in the system?

REID: “We’ve got to do a better job there. It’s everybody, and then don’t put ourselves in long yardage situations where you potentially can’t run the ball.”

Q: With less contact in training camp, is the first month of the season more of a guessing game on what your players and other players will be able to do?

REID: “I’ll tell you that’s every year. The first few games everybody is bringing out their new stuff and working with that, new players, working with them. Everything settles down after about a month or so.”

Q: Do any of the injuries you mentioned appear to be long term?

REID: “Most of them are just day-to-day. Richie James might be a little bit longer possibly. The other ones are day-to-day.”

Q: You tied PFHOF Coach Tom Landry in combine regular season and post season wins. What perspective do you have on Coach Tom Landry?

REID: “I know who both of them are (laughter). Tom Landry, I’d tell you when I was a kid I’d go out to their (Dallas Cowboys) training camps at Cal Lutheran, California there, (I was) very impressed by how they operated. A phenomenal coach, phenomenal teams. Loved watching.”

Q: What moved you to go out there to training camp? You would have been pretty young.

REID: “I was in junior high school and high school yeah. We had the opportunity to go out and watch practice and it was great for a kid, you know great deal.”

Q: Did you have any thoughts of being in the NFL at that point?

REID: “No, I was just watching the guys. They had a lot of great players (former Cowboy) Lee Roy Jordan, (former Cowboy Bob) Lilly, he was still going. I mean you could go on and on they had a bunch of them.”

Q: What are your thoughts on PFHOF Coach George Halas?

REID: “(He was a) great innovator. He helped get this league started, you know that, and I know his daughter (Bears Owner Virginia Halas McCaskey) so I know that part of it and his grandkids but I didn’t know him but he left a great legacy.”

Q: Jamaal Charles is up in this Hall of Fame class. What do you remember about him?

REID: “Hall of Fame player. He was tremendous, could do everything. I mean literally everything; he could have played wide receiver, did play running back. You give him the ball, you’re guaranteed – whatever his average is but it’s one of the highest if not the highest in league history. He’s a great player, wish I would have had him when he was even younger than what I got him at.”

Q: Do you feel like Jamaal Charles should be a first ballot Hall of Famer?

REID: “Oh, absolutely. There are a lot of running backs who have played the game, and he’s right there statistically at the top and all the things he could do to help you win a football game. Not a lot of guys can do that. He did it easily.”

Q: You mentioned the issues Jawaan Taylor had against the Jaguars can be fixed. Can you elaborate on how you can do that?

REID: “He works hard on getting off the snap on time, he does that. He’s just going to have to tame that down just a little bit where he doesn’t get called on it. That’s just working through it.”

Q: On the positives from Jawaan Taylor and Donovan Smith.

REID: “Yeah you take the penalties away from – I’ve said before he had a really good game. So it’s a shame it happened. He’s got to work on that. Donovan (Smith), likewise. I mean you’re right Donovan (Smith) has done a nice job.”

Q: Bears quarterback Justin Fields has mentioned trying to play without thinking too much. How do you balance letting a quarterback like that play their game and still coaching them up?

REID: “He’s (Bears QB Justin Fields) a good football player, and he can do so many things. I don’t know – I mean I’m not there. I think they’ll work it out. That’s what they’re doing right now. I don’t know exactly what he said, but if he’s saying that, then he’s working through it and it’s important that we get ourselves right to play a guy that can do so many different things. He’ll be one of the faster guys on the field. He can do all that, (he’s) smart, he’s got a good arm.”

Q: How do you feel Ryan Poles is doing as the Bears General Manager?

REID: “I’m a big Ryan Poles fan, I think he’s good. He needs time. That’s what it takes to do what he’s being asked to do. He’s gotten in there and grinded like crazy and made changes that look like they’re pretty good players.”

Q: Does Travis Kelce have a different intensity this year?

REID: “No, not necessarily. He’s always been feisty and competitive as all get out. My point was that he went into that game – he was banged up a little bit, didn’t have an opportunity to knock the rust off in the first game, so he put himself in a certain mindset and the great ones can do that. He was there, and he was battling through it, and I thought he did a heck of a job with it. He never complains, never says anything, just goes. He’s not the youngest one out there, but I thought he did a good job. That’s what he did, he went out and he had a certain attitude that knew he was going to have to have to get through that game and he put it on. Anybody that was going to mess with him was going to get messed back (laughter).”

Q: What do you say to Patrick Mahomes after he gets a contract restructure like he did? Do you congratulate him?

REID: “Yeah, I congratulate him, that was nice. He’s (Patrick Mahomes) not big on all of that. He just kind of moves through it like he does most things and wants to keep getting better at what he’s doing. That’s what makes him unique. When people sit there and go, ‘Oh he’s going to have a letdown.’ No, you never think of that he just – congrats and keep moving. That’s how he rolls; I’m happy for him. The fact that (Chiefs Chairman &amp; CEO) Clark Hunt did that just shows you what kind of owner he is. (General Manager) Brett (Veach) and his crew there, (Vice President of Football Operations) Brandt (Tilis) and (Vice President of Football Operations/Team Counsel) Chris (Shea) just working through that with his agent Chris (Cabott). You know those aren’t easy; they’re complicated. They worked through it and came up with good formula I think for both parties. It was good.”

Q: Do you make him pay now when you go out to eat?

REID: “I might think of that (laughter).”

Q: You have had a lot of success in nickel and dime defense. What do you think has led to that success?