Chiefs Head Coach Andy Reid Quotes

OPENING STATEMENT:&nbsp;“As far as the guys not practicing today, Rashee’s (Rice) really the only one. Rashee’s situation is (that) we’re getting the swelling out of his knee and then he’s going to have further tests next week, so (I) really don’t have anything to tell you from there. We’ll see how these tests go next week and once the swelling’s out of there. Congratulations to the Royals, first. What a great job they’ve done to this point, and I know they’re fired up to keep on going. I know we’re all glad to have them coming back here and having another chance to see them play. With that, we look forward to the challenge of playing the Saints. (They’re) a good football team (and they’re) well coached. I mean, (Saints Head Coach) Dennis (Allen) does a nice job with that group. Their coordinators – all three of them do a nice job with their phases and we’ve just got to make sure that we have a good week of preparation here going forward. Then, just on the business side of it, Clyde (Edwards-Helaire), you saw was elevated. He’s got a 21-day window. We’ll just get him back into the swing of things here and see how he does going forward here (in) the next couple of days. Anyways, with that, the time’s yours.”

Q: Is there any more of a sense of optimism with Rashee Rice than there was a few days ago?

REID:&nbsp;“I think it’s just ‘wait and see,’ is where we’re at. For his (Rashee Rice) sake, we’re really hoping that things work out for the best. Let’s just see where it goes and leave it up to the doctors to see. I’m definitely not a doctor.”

Q: What are the plans for Clyde Edwards-Helaire going forward?

REID:&nbsp;“We’ll practice him (Clyde Edwards-Helaire) today, with the scout team (and) give him some reps there and let him just kind of get back into the swing of things. He’s in good shape. He’s been working out so just get him back in the football part.”

Q: Are you close to getting Charles Omenihu back to practice?

REID:&nbsp;“I think that’ll be a little bit here.”

Q: What sorts of things are you seeing offensively when you say that you’re close?

REID:&nbsp;“Just getting rid of the penalties and those self-inflicted wounds – turnovers, penalties. Those hurt you at this level. You’ve got to take care of that, and I’ve got to make sure that I’m putting the guys in the right position to do the right things. I think the coaches would tell you the same thing with that and that’s where we’re at but it’s close. We’ve just got to keep rolling.”

Q: How much does not having Rashee Rice change things schematically for Monday night’s game?

REID:&nbsp;“Listen, Rashee’s (Rice) had a phenomenal year. Unfortunately, in this league, injuries happen, and life goes on. We’ve always expected the next guys to step up and roll and it’s no different now. There’s not another Rashee (but) there’s other guys though that are very, very good, so we’ll be fine.”

Q:&nbsp;Regarding all of the injuries, have you experienced this before to start a season?

REID:&nbsp;“Yeah, I’m sure I have. I’ve been doing this a long time, there’s been injuries that have taken place. I don’t really dwell on them Nate (Taylor), I just kind of move on and go and wish the best of the kids most of all. We’ll take care of business, (General Manager Brett) Veach has done a good job of bringing people in here and depth and that, so (we) just have to take care of business.”

Q: How is Saints QB Derek Carr doing and how is he fitting into the offense?

REID:&nbsp;“He’s (Saints QB Derek Carr) doing a very nice job. He’s always been a good player and that’s not a question from our standpoint on that part. They’re doing a good job of protecting him and he’s doing a good job of delivering it to their receivers and they’ve got good skill players there and (a) good running back who’s also involved in the pass game and the run game. He’s done a very nice job.”

Q: What did Saints S Tyrann Mathieu mean to the Chiefs when he was here and what have you seen from him in these past three years?

REID:&nbsp;“Phenomenal player (Saints S Tyrann Mathieu). I’ll vote for him for the Hall of Fame going forward – I don’t have a vote but I would vote for him. He’s a tremendous leader, he actually makes this his home here so I think when he’s done, he’ll probably come back here. Great kid, great player, brings a lot of energy.”

REID:&nbsp;“Again, the doctors are monitoring him (Clyde Edwards-Helaire). He’s doing good, yeah, to answer your question, he’s doing good. He’s in all the meetings and that, he’s heading in the right direction. We just have to see on that, I think time is a big part of that, we’ll see how that goes.”

Q: On Jawaan Taylor’s penalties.

REID:&nbsp;“He’s (Jawaan Taylor) got to fix those, I mean he’s got to fix those, that’s the bottom line. He’s very quick off of the ball and he takes a lot of pride in that, but you can’t be – you have to make sure that you’re not offsides. He’s got to take care of that part, he will.”

Q:&nbsp;On the play that Rashee Rice got hurt, did you notice how hard you got hit?

MAHOMES:&nbsp;“No, I didn’t notice it in the moment. I was more worried about trying to get the ball. Obviously, I was just trying to make a play, and it happens whenever you’re trying to make tackles.”

Q:&nbsp;What did you think when you saw the replay?

MAHOMES:&nbsp;“When I saw the replay I felt (bad) that I hit Rashee (Rice). I think that’s pretty much all – I wasn’t really worried about myself. I was worried about his injury and hopefully that it wasn’t as bad as it looked because I was the one that hit him.”

Q:&nbsp;What did Saints S Tyrann Mathieu mean to you guys in the locker room when he was here?

MAHOMES:&nbsp;“I think just – me being a young player, especially when he (Saints S Tyrann Mathieu) got here, just seeing that type of leader I think was something that I will forever remember. The way he inspired guys, the energy that he played with – obviously he is a great football player everybody can see that, but he is truly a great leader, one of the best leaders I’ve ever been around. He pushed to get the best out of everybody every single day, he treated practice like games, he tried to get better every single day and that’s something that has helped me become who I am. A great football player, man. I’m hoping that he gets out there, not for me and my sake because he’s a great football player and always around the ball, but I think Kansas City getting to see him come back and be on that field again would be special for the city.”

Q:&nbsp;Were there some traits from him that you could pick up early in your career?

MAHOMES:&nbsp;“Yeah, you sit there and watch those guys – I watched him (Saints S Tyrann Mathieu) when he was in college and he dominated college football and then getting into the NFL and all the great plays that he had made and then being able to see him on a day-to-day basis – you want to see those guys that are the top of the top and how they prepare every single day, and he was one of those guys that you knew why he was great when you saw him practice and how he went about his business.”

Q:&nbsp;You talked about how you guys will have to rely on Travis Kelce more without Rashee Rice on Monday, just curious about JuJu Smith-Schuster and Justin Watson and your rapport with them and how big they now become?

MAHOMES:&nbsp;“Those guys are always the guys that do it the right way. They are always in the right position, they do what they are supposed to do – get guys lined up – and I think having those guys is a luxury because you know that they’re going to be there, they’re going to get open and they’re going to make plays when their numbers are called. I think (General Manager) Brett Veach did a great job of continuing to build within that receiver room. Obviously, not expecting to have these two kind of big injuries early in the year in that receiving room but having the support of the guys to come in and step up and make plays whenever those guys aren’t in there.”

Q:&nbsp;Speaking of JuJu Smith-Schuster, when the Chiefs bring back a player who had been here previously, how much are they able to hit the ground running?

MAHOMES:&nbsp;“They always have a good feel for our main stuff, our base concept stuff. Every year in the offseason (Head) Coach (Andy) Reid adds new stuff and the offensive coaches look around at what we can do better, so they have to learn some of that type of stuff, but I think you’ve seen with the guys that we’ve brought back is its guys that are very intelligent, they’re able to pick up the offense quickly. When stuff like this last game happens, you can throw JuJu (Smith-Schuster) in there and he can run some of those routes that Rashee (Rice) has, and he can even be in different positions maybe that he didn’t practice all week because he prepares the right way and he’s ready for his moment.”

Q:&nbsp;Injuries are part of the game, but you guys have been hit pretty hard so far this year offensively. What’s the difficulty for you and adjusting to a lineup that is seemingly different every week?

MAHOMES:&nbsp;“Once the week goes on and you go through your gameplan, it’s usually pretty smooth because you have an understanding of the guys and what we’re trying to do in the concepts of the plays. During the games sometimes, especially how it happened this last game early where, obviously, Rashee’s (Rice) a huge part of the game plan, you have to kind of throw guys in there and make that timing up. (Head) Coach (Andy Reid) tries to get that done in practice. He tries to throw guys in certain situations, but obviously, there’s limited reps. I thought the guys did a great job of accepting the challenge and being in there in those moments. Coach Reid does a great job of getting guys prepared and ready to go throughout a week of gameplan, and we had an extra day this week, so, I’m sure guys will be ready to go out there and play some great football.”

Q:&nbsp;On facing Saints Head Coach Dennis Allen’s defense.

MAHOMES:&nbsp;“I think just – (Saints Head Coach Dennis Allen is) a very intelligent coach. I mean, (he’s) someone that does a lot of different things. He’s a gameplan specific coach. Someone that – it’s not all about his defense. He looks at the offenses and what they do best (and) he tries to take those away and he’s really good at it. He’ll throw changeups in there (that) you might have not seen the entire season or in his past because he thinks this might work this week. It’ll be a great challenge for us. They’re a physical team, they play extremely fast and they have a lot of great players and veteran players so they can kind of get away with stuff because they know what they can and can’t get away with, so you’ve got to make sure that you’re really on top of every single check at the line of scrimmage and prepared for everything whenever you step to the football.”

Q:&nbsp;What did that big play to Xavier Worthy on Sunday do for the receiver’s confidence and the whole offense?

MAHOMES:&nbsp;“I mean, whenever you hit those deep passes, it kind of opens everything up because defenses have to have more and more respect for any ability to score on one play. It was big in that game. I mean they were starting to get more and more downhill because we were running the ball, and we weren’t moving it and throwing it vertically. When we were able to hit that deep one, it kind of opened up the offense at least a little bit and our goal is to continue to show that we can do that on a week-to-week basis and even more than one time a game. There were more opportunities in that game to go downfield, so I have to continue to push the ball down the field so that it opens up everyone else underneath.”

Q:&nbsp;How long does it normally take for you to build chemistry with a new guy?

MAHOMES:&nbsp;“It depends on every receiver. I think we have a lot of intelligent receivers in this receiving room right now, so I feel like we’re all seeing the field the same way. Now, it’s about me just having that trust and giving them the shots to make plays in traffic and stuff like that. Like I did with Xavier (Worthy) on that deep one, there were more opportunities to throw even to him later on in that game. Just continuing, for myself, to give him those chances to go out there and make plays and be the receiver that he is and that goes throughout the entire receiving room, the tight end room and the running back room.”

Q:&nbsp;What’s your excitement level for the Kansas City Royals playoff success and them coming back in town to play?

MAHOMES:&nbsp;“It’s awesome. I mean, it’s great for the city. I’ve heard all the stories of how awesome the environment was the last time they were in the playoffs and they’re going to go up against a great baseball team in the (New York) Yankees – historic baseball team. I’m excited for these guys. They’re hungry, they’re playing great baseball right now and then to be at the K (Kauffman Stadium) – a sold-out crowd hopefully and I get to see that October baseball there is going to be special.”

Q:&nbsp;Known New York Yankees fan and former Chiefs receiver Gehrig Dieter may be sniffing around you for tickets, is that appropriate for someone like that?

MAHOMES:&nbsp;“Yeah, I’ll let him (former receiver Gehrig Dieter) be there because then when we hopefully win, I’ll get to talk trash. No, it’s a – he’s a big (New York) Yankees fan. I think if the Yankees lost this series, he might have to move cities so let’s see if we can do that for him (laughter).”

Q:&nbsp;Have you ever been to a postseason baseball game?

MAHOMES:&nbsp;“I’ve been to a postseason baseball game. Back when I was in high school, the (Texas) Rangers made the World Series a couple of times and so I got to see them lose I think Game 5 against the (San Francisco) Giants one year and then I watched them lose – or maybe win the game that I was at, when they went up against the (Philadelphia) Phillies and they ended up losing Game 6 and that ball on the warning track. I’ve had some close heartbreaks there with the Rangers, but the (Kansas City) Royals are going to turn it around for me.”

Q: Can you talk about the defense this year? You guys seem to be off to a great start.

KARLAFTIS:&nbsp;“We’d (the defense) like to start games just a little better than we have. Just those first couple drives and whatnot but you know, (I’m) just proud of us sticking together and finishing it out when we need to.”

Q: With the way that the Saints are executing on first and second down, how important is it to get them to third and long?

KARLAFTIS:&nbsp;“(Laughs) It’s critical, you know. It’s going to be a huge task for us. That’ll be one of the keys to the game, if you will. You have to try to stop them on first and second down to get them into those passing situations.”

Q: What kind of season is Chris Jones having?

KARLAFTIS:&nbsp;“He’s (Chris Jones) having a great season. He’s doing everything. He’s playing the run; he’s getting after it in the pass rush. He makes my job a lot easier when I play next to him, too. He’s off to a great start. I’ve never been shy to say I think he’s the best defensive lineman (and) interior defensive lineman in the game. He’s off to a great start again.”

Chiefs Head Coach Andy Reid QuotesOctober 3, 2024HEAD COACH ANDY REIDOPENING STATEMENT:&nbsp;“As far as the guys not practicing today, Rashee’s (Rice) really the only one. Rashee’s situation is (that) we’re getting the swelling out of his knee and then he’s going to have further tests next week, so (I) really don’t have anything to tell you from there. We’ll see how these tests go next week and once the swelling’s out of there. Congratulations to the Royals, first. What a great job they’ve done to this point, and I know they’re fired up to keep on going. I know we’re all glad to have them coming back here and having another chance to see them play. With that, we look forward to the challenge of playing the Saints. (They’re) a good football team (and they’re) well coached. I mean, (Saints Head Coach) Dennis (Allen) does a nice job with that group. Their coordinators – all three of them do a nice job with their phases and we’ve just got to make sure that we have a good week of preparation here going forward. Then, just on the business side of it, Clyde (Edwards-Helaire), you saw was elevated. He’s got a 21-day window. We’ll just get him back into the swing of things here and see how he does going forward here (in) the next couple of days. Anyways, with that, the time’s yours.”Q: Is there any more of a sense of optimism with Rashee Rice than there was a few days ago?REID:&nbsp;“I think it’s just ‘wait and see,’ is where we’re at. For his (Rashee Rice) sake, we’re really hoping that things work out for the best. Let’s just see where it goes and leave it up to the doctors to see. I’m definitely not a doctor.”Q: What are the plans for Clyde Edwards-Helaire going forward?REID:&nbsp;“We’ll practice him (Clyde Edwards-Helaire) today, with the scout team (and) give him some reps there and let him just kind of get back into the swing of things. He’s in good shape. He’s been working out so just get him back in the football part.”Q: Are you close to getting Charles Omenihu back to practice?REID:&nbsp;“I think that’ll be a little bit here.”Q: What sorts of things are you seeing offensively when you say that you’re close?REID:&nbsp;“Just getting rid of the penalties and those self-inflicted wounds – turnovers, penalties. Those hurt you at this level. You’ve got to take care of that, and I’ve got to make sure that I’m putting the guys in the right position to do the right things. I think the coaches would tell you the same thing with that and that’s where we’re at but it’s close. We’ve just got to keep rolling.”Q: How much does not having Rashee Rice change things schematically for Monday night’s game?REID:&nbsp;“Listen, Rashee’s (Rice) had a phenomenal year. Unfortunately, in this league, injuries happen, and life goes on. We’ve always expected the next guys to step up and roll and it’s no different now. There’s not another Rashee (but) there’s other guys though that are very, very good, so we’ll be fine.”Q:&nbsp;Regarding all of the injuries, have you experienced this before to start a season?REID:&nbsp;“Yeah, I’m sure I have. I’ve been doing this a long time, there’s been injuries that have taken place. I don’t really dwell on them Nate (Taylor), I just kind of move on and go and wish the best of the kids most of all. We’ll take care of business, (General Manager Brett) Veach has done a good job of bringing people in here and depth and that, so (we) just have to take care of business.”Q: How is Saints QB Derek Carr doing and how is he fitting into the offense?REID:&nbsp;“He’s (Saints QB Derek Carr) doing a very nice job. He’s always been a good player and that’s not a question from our standpoint on that part. They’re doing a good job of protecting him and he’s doing a good job of delivering it to their receivers and they’ve got good skill players there and (a) good running back who’s also involved in the pass game and the run game. He’s done a very nice job.”Q: What did Saints S Tyrann Mathieu mean to the Chiefs when he was here and what have you seen from him in these past three years?REID:&nbsp;“Phenomenal player (Saints S Tyrann Mathieu). I’ll vote for him for the Hall of Fame going forward – I don’t have a vote but I would vote for him. He’s a tremendous leader, he actually makes this his home here so I think when he’s done, he’ll probably come back here. Great kid, great player, brings a lot of energy.”Q: On Clyde Edwards-Helaire.REID:&nbsp;“Again, the doctors are monitoring him (Clyde Edwards-Helaire). He’s doing good, yeah, to answer your question, he’s doing good. He’s in all the meetings and that, he’s heading in the right direction. We just have to see on that, I think time is a big part of that, we’ll see how that goes.”Q: On Jawaan Taylor’s penalties.REID:&nbsp;“He’s (Jawaan Taylor) got to fix those, I mean he’s got to fix those, that’s the bottom line. He’s very quick off of the ball and he takes a lot of pride in that, but you can’t be – you have to make sure that you’re not offsides. He’s got to take care of that part, he will.”Chiefs Player QuotesQB PATRICK MAHOMESQ:&nbsp;On the play that Rashee Rice got hurt, did you notice how hard you got hit?MAHOMES:&nbsp;“No, I didn’t notice it in the moment. I was more worried about trying to get the ball. Obviously, I was just trying to make a play, and it happens whenever you’re trying to make tackles.”Q:&nbsp;What did you think when you saw the replay?MAHOMES:&nbsp;“When I saw the replay I felt (bad) that I hit Rashee (Rice). I think that’s pretty much all – I wasn’t really worried about myself. I was worried about his injury and hopefully that it wasn’t as bad as it looked because I was the one that hit him.”Q:&nbsp;What did Saints S Tyrann Mathieu mean to you guys in the locker room when he was here?MAHOMES:&nbsp;“I think just – me being a young player, especially when he (Saints S Tyrann Mathieu) got here, just seeing that type of leader I think was something that I will forever remember. The way he inspired guys, the energy that he played with – obviously he is a great football player everybody can see that, but he is truly a great leader, one of the best leaders I’ve ever been around. He pushed to get the best out of everybody every single day, he treated practice like games, he tried to get better every single day and that’s something that has helped me become who I am. A great football player, man. I’m hoping that he gets out there, not for me and my sake because he’s a great football player and always around the ball, but I think Kansas City getting to see him come back and be on that field again would be special for the city.”Q:&nbsp;Were there some traits from him that you could pick up early in your career?MAHOMES:&nbsp;“Yeah, you sit there and watch those guys – I watched him (Saints S Tyrann Mathieu) when he was in college and he dominated college football and then getting into the NFL and all the great plays that he had made and then being able to see him on a day-to-day basis – you want to see those guys that are the top of the top and how they prepare every single day, and he was one of those guys that you knew why he was great when you saw him practice and how he went about his business.”Q:&nbsp;You talked about how you guys will have to rely on Travis Kelce more without Rashee Rice on Monday, just curious about JuJu Smith-Schuster and Justin Watson and your rapport with them and how big they now become?MAHOMES:&nbsp;“Those guys are always the guys that do it the right way. They are always in the right position, they do what they are supposed to do – get guys lined up – and I think having those guys is a luxury because you know that they’re going to be there, they’re going to get open and they’re going to make plays when their numbers are called. I think (General Manager) Brett Veach did a great job of continuing to build within that receiver room. Obviously, not expecting to have these two kind of big injuries early in the year in that receiving room but having the support of the guys to come in and step up and make plays whenever those guys aren’t in there.”Q:&nbsp;Speaking of JuJu Smith-Schuster, when the Chiefs bring back a player who had been here previously, how much are they able to hit the ground running?MAHOMES:&nbsp;“They always have a good feel for our main stuff, our base concept stuff. Every year in the offseason (Head) Coach (Andy) Reid adds new stuff and the offensive coaches look around at what we can do better, so they have to learn some of that type of stuff, but I think you’ve seen with the guys that we’ve brought back is its guys that are very intelligent, they’re able to pick up the offense quickly. When stuff like this last game happens, you can throw JuJu (Smith-Schuster) in there and he can run some of those routes that Rashee (Rice) has, and he can even be in different positions maybe that he didn’t practice all week because he prepares the right way and he’s ready for his moment.”Q:&nbsp;Injuries are part of the game, but you guys have been hit pretty hard so far this year offensively. What’s the difficulty for you and adjusting to a lineup that is seemingly different every week?MAHOMES:&nbsp;“Once the week goes on and you go through your gameplan, it’s usually pretty smooth because you have an understanding of the guys and what we’re trying to do in the concepts of the plays. During the games sometimes, especially how it happened this last game early where, obviously, Rashee’s (Rice) a huge part of the game plan, you have to kind of throw guys in there and make that timing up. (Head) Coach (Andy Reid) tries to get that done in practice. He tries to throw guys in certain situations, but obviously, there’s limited reps. I thought the guys did a great job of accepting the challenge and being in there in those moments. Coach Reid does a great job of getting guys prepared and ready to go throughout a week of gameplan, and we had an extra day this week, so, I’m sure guys will be ready to go out there and play some great football.”Q:&nbsp;On facing Saints Head Coach Dennis Allen’s defense.MAHOMES:&nbsp;“I think just – (Saints Head Coach Dennis Allen is) a very intelligent coach. I mean, (he’s) someone that does a lot of different things. He’s a gameplan specific coach. Someone that – it’s not all about his defense. He looks at the offenses and what they do best (and) he tries to take those away and he’s really good at it. He’ll throw changeups in there (that) you might have not seen the entire season or in his past because he thinks this might work this week. It’ll be a great challenge for us. They’re a physical team, they play extremely fast and they have a lot of great players and veteran players so they can kind of get away with stuff because they know what they can and can’t get away with, so you’ve got to make sure that you’re really on top of every single check at the line of scrimmage and prepared for everything whenever you step to the football.”Q:&nbsp;What did that big play to Xavier Worthy on Sunday do for the receiver’s confidence and the whole offense?MAHOMES:&nbsp;“I mean, whenever you hit those deep passes, it kind of opens everything up because defenses have to have more and more respect for any ability to score on one play. It was big in that game. I mean they were starting to get more and more downhill because we were running the ball, and we weren’t moving it and throwing it vertically. When we were able to hit that deep one, it kind of opened up the offense at least a little bit and our goal is to continue to show that we can do that on a week-to-week basis and even more than one time a game. There were more opportunities in that game to go downfield, so I have to continue to push the ball down the field so that it opens up everyone else underneath.”Q:&nbsp;How long does it normally take for you to build chemistry with a new guy?MAHOMES:&nbsp;“It depends on every receiver. I think we have a lot of intelligent receivers in this receiving room right now, so I feel like we’re all seeing the field the same way. Now, it’s about me just having that trust and giving them the shots to make plays in traffic and stuff like that. Like I did with Xavier (Worthy) on that deep one, there were more opportunities to throw even to him later on in that game. Just continuing, for myself, to give him those chances to go out there and make plays and be the receiver that he is and that goes throughout the entire receiving room, the tight end room and the running back room.”Q:&nbsp;What’s your excitement level for the Kansas City Royals playoff success and them coming back in town to play?MAHOMES:&nbsp;“It’s awesome. I mean, it’s great for the city. I’ve heard all the stories of how awesome the environment was the last time they were in the playoffs and they’re going to go up against a great baseball team in the (New York) Yankees – historic baseball team. I’m excited for these guys. They’re hungry, they’re playing great baseball right now and then to be at the K (Kauffman Stadium) – a sold-out crowd hopefully and I get to see that October baseball there is going to be special.”Q:&nbsp;Known New York Yankees fan and former Chiefs receiver Gehrig Dieter may be sniffing around you for tickets, is that appropriate for someone like that?MAHOMES:&nbsp;“Yeah, I’ll let him (former receiver Gehrig Dieter) be there because then when we hopefully win, I’ll get to talk trash. No, it’s a – he’s a big (New York) Yankees fan. I think if the Yankees lost this series, he might have to move cities so let’s see if we can do that for him (laughter).”Q:&nbsp;Have you ever been to a postseason baseball game?MAHOMES:&nbsp;“I’ve been to a postseason baseball game. Back when I was in high school, the (Texas) Rangers made the World Series a couple of times and so I got to see them lose I think Game 5 against the (San Francisco) Giants one year and then I watched them lose – or maybe win the game that I was at, when they went up against the (Philadelphia) Phillies and they ended up losing Game 6 and that ball on the warning track. I’ve had some close heartbreaks there with the Rangers, but the (Kansas City) Royals are going to turn it around for me.”DE GEORGE KARLAFTISQ: Can you talk about the defense this year? You guys seem to be off to a great start.KARLAFTIS:&nbsp;“We’d (the defense) like to start games just a little better than we have. Just those first couple drives and whatnot but you know, (I’m) just proud of us sticking together and finishing it out when we need to.”Q: With the way that the Saints are executing on first and second down, how important is it to get them to third and long?KARLAFTIS:&nbsp;“(Laughs) It’s critical, you know. It’s going to be a huge task for us. That’ll be one of the keys to the game, if you will. You have to try to stop them on first and second down to get them into those passing situations.”Q: What kind of season is Chris Jones having?KARLAFTIS:&nbsp;“He’s (Chris Jones) having a great season. He’s doing everything. He’s playing the run; he’s getting after it in the pass rush. He makes my job a lot easier when I play next to him, too. He’s off to a great start. I’ve never been shy to say I think he’s the best defensive lineman (and) interior defensive lineman in the game. He’s off to a great start again.”

Chiefs Quotes: 10-3-24

MANHATTAN, Kan.&nbsp;–&nbsp;For the first time in the history of the Big 12 Conference, K-State women’s basketball has been selected as the preseason favorites in the 2024-25 Preseason Big 12 Coaches Poll announced by the league office on Thursday.

In addition to the poll results, K-State senior center Ayoka Lee was named the Big 12 Preseason Player of the Year, while senior guard Serena Sundell joined Lee on the Preseason All-Big 12 Team.

The Big 12 coaches selected K-State as the preseason favorite with 7 first-place votes and 211 total points. Iowa State was second with 6 first-place votes and 209 points. Baylor was third with 2 first-place votes and 194 points while TCU was in fourth with 185 points and West Virginia was fifth with 1 first-place vote and 184 points.

The Wildcats enter the 2024-25 season with the return of 10 letter winners, including four starters from last season’s 2024 NCAA Tournament squad.

The 10 returning letter winners were responsible for 85 percent of K-State’s scoring, 87 percent of the team’s rebounds and 81 percent of the team’s rebounding in the 2023-24 season.

For the Preseason All-Big 12 Team, this was the second straight season in which K-State placed two players on the Preseason All-Big 12 team, as Lee and Gabby Gregory earned the early season honor in 2023-24.

Lee is the third K-State women’s basketball player to earn Big 12 Preseason Player of the Year honors, joining Nicole Ohlde (2002-03 and 2003-04) and Kendra Wecker (2004-05).

During the 2023-24 season, Lee was a Second Team All-America selection by The Athletic, a Third Team All-America honoree by The Sporting News, an honorable mention Associated Press All-American, an honorable mention WBCA All-American, a 2024 John R. Wooden Award National Ballot top-15 candidate, an All-Big 12 First Team selection, a Big 12 All-Defensive Team member and Big 12 All-Tournament Team recipient.

Lee, a four-time All-Big 12 First Team selection, averaged 19.7 points on a .619 field goal percentage, 8.6 rebounds and 2.78 blocked shots. She was the first player in program history with two or more seasons of 500 or more points, 200 or more rebounds and 75 or more blocks. Her 75 blocks were the sixth-most in program history and was her third career season with 75 or more blocked shots.

She ranked sixth in the nation and paced the Big 12 in field goal percentage. Lee was third in the Big 12 in scoring average, second in the league and ninth in the nation for blocks per game and third in the Big 12 for rebounding average.

Lee recorded 14 games last season with 20 or more points including her second career 20-20 double-double with 24 points, 21 rebounds and five blocked shots against Oral Roberts.

In the 2023-24 season, Lee led the Big 12’s top defense with 21 games of two or more blocked shots including a season-high seven at UCF on Jan. 6 and at Iowa State on Feb. 14.

In her career, Lee ranks third in school history for points scored with 2,194, holds the school record for career scoring average at 19.2, owns the school record for career rebounds with 1,118, holds the school record for career rebounding average at 9.8, the school record holder for career blocks with 310 and blocks per game at 2.72 and owns the school record for career double-doubles with 60. She is the first player in program history with 300 or more career blocks and 100 or more career steals.

Sundell, a 2023-24 All-Big 12 First Team selection, was second on the team in scoring in 2023-24 with 12.1 points per game on a career-best .536 field goal percentage. She led the Big 12 for total assists (189) and assists per game (5.6 apg). The All-American candidate was second for Big 12-only games with 5.7 assists per game, she ranked fourth in league-only games for field goal percentage (.539) and was 12th in conference play for scoring (13.82 ppg).

With her points (411) and assists (189) totals last season, Sundell was the first player in program history and the third Big 12 player since at least 2009-10 to record three seasons with 350 or more points and 150 or more assists.

In her career, Sundell is fourth in school history for career assists with 549 and is second in program history for career assists per game (5.3 apg). She ranks 22nd on the K-State career scoring list with 1,263 points. She is the only player in school history with 1,000 or more career points, 500 or more career assists and 50 or more career blocked shots.

K-State women’s basketball season tickets are available now. Prices start at just $75 with a Wildcat 4-Pack to see every game in Bramlage. Order now by visiting&nbsp;<a href="http://kstatesports.com/tickets" target="_blank">kstatesports.com/tickets</a>&nbsp;or calling 1-800-221-CATS.

2024-25 Big 12 Preseason Coaches Poll

2024-25 Preseason Big 12 Player of the Year

2024-25 Preseason co-Newcomers of the Year

2024-25 Preseason Freshman of the Year

MANHATTAN, Kan.&nbsp;–&nbsp;For the first time in the history of the Big 12 Conference, K-State women’s basketball has been selected as the preseason favorites in the 2024-25 Preseason Big 12 Coaches Poll announced by the league office on Thursday.In addition to the poll results, K-State senior center Ayoka Lee was named the Big 12 Preseason Player of the Year, while senior guard Serena Sundell joined Lee on the Preseason All-Big 12 Team.The Big 12 coaches selected K-State as the preseason favorite with 7 first-place votes and 211 total points. Iowa State was second with 6 first-place votes and 209 points. Baylor was third with 2 first-place votes and 194 points while TCU was in fourth with 185 points and West Virginia was fifth with 1 first-place vote and 184 points.The Wildcats enter the 2024-25 season with the return of 10 letter winners, including four starters from last season’s 2024 NCAA Tournament squad.The 10 returning letter winners were responsible for 85 percent of K-State’s scoring, 87 percent of the team’s rebounds and 81 percent of the team’s rebounding in the 2023-24 season.For the Preseason All-Big 12 Team, this was the second straight season in which K-State placed two players on the Preseason All-Big 12 team, as Lee and Gabby Gregory earned the early season honor in 2023-24.Lee is the third K-State women’s basketball player to earn Big 12 Preseason Player of the Year honors, joining Nicole Ohlde (2002-03 and 2003-04) and Kendra Wecker (2004-05).During the 2023-24 season, Lee was a Second Team All-America selection by The Athletic, a Third Team All-America honoree by The Sporting News, an honorable mention Associated Press All-American, an honorable mention WBCA All-American, a 2024 John R. Wooden Award National Ballot top-15 candidate, an All-Big 12 First Team selection, a Big 12 All-Defensive Team member and Big 12 All-Tournament Team recipient.Lee, a four-time All-Big 12 First Team selection, averaged 19.7 points on a .619 field goal percentage, 8.6 rebounds and 2.78 blocked shots. She was the first player in program history with two or more seasons of 500 or more points, 200 or more rebounds and 75 or more blocks. Her 75 blocks were the sixth-most in program history and was her third career season with 75 or more blocked shots.She ranked sixth in the nation and paced the Big 12 in field goal percentage. Lee was third in the Big 12 in scoring average, second in the league and ninth in the nation for blocks per game and third in the Big 12 for rebounding average.Lee recorded 14 games last season with 20 or more points including her second career 20-20 double-double with 24 points, 21 rebounds and five blocked shots against Oral Roberts.In the 2023-24 season, Lee led the Big 12’s top defense with 21 games of two or more blocked shots including a season-high seven at UCF on Jan. 6 and at Iowa State on Feb. 14.In her career, Lee ranks third in school history for points scored with 2,194, holds the school record for career scoring average at 19.2, owns the school record for career rebounds with 1,118, holds the school record for career rebounding average at 9.8, the school record holder for career blocks with 310 and blocks per game at 2.72 and owns the school record for career double-doubles with 60. She is the first player in program history with 300 or more career blocks and 100 or more career steals.Sundell, a 2023-24 All-Big 12 First Team selection, was second on the team in scoring in 2023-24 with 12.1 points per game on a career-best .536 field goal percentage. She led the Big 12 for total assists (189) and assists per game (5.6 apg). The All-American candidate was second for Big 12-only games with 5.7 assists per game, she ranked fourth in league-only games for field goal percentage (.539) and was 12th in conference play for scoring (13.82 ppg).With her points (411) and assists (189) totals last season, Sundell was the first player in program history and the third Big 12 player since at least 2009-10 to record three seasons with 350 or more points and 150 or more assists.In her career, Sundell is fourth in school history for career assists with 549 and is second in program history for career assists per game (5.3 apg). She ranks 22nd on the K-State career scoring list with 1,263 points. She is the only player in school history with 1,000 or more career points, 500 or more career assists and 50 or more career blocked shots.K-State women’s basketball season tickets are available now. Prices start at just $75 with a Wildcat 4-Pack to see every game in Bramlage. Order now by visiting&nbsp;<a href="http://kstatesports.com/tickets" target="_blank">kstatesports.com/tickets</a>&nbsp;or calling 1-800-221-CATS.2024-25 Big 12 Preseason Coaches Poll<ol>
 <li>K-State (7, 1st place votes), 211 Points</li><li>Iowa State (6), 209</li><li>Baylor (2), 194</li><li>TCU, 185</li><li>West Virginia (1), 184</li><li>Utah, 149</li><li>Arizona, 136</li><li>Kansas, 128</li><li>Colorado, 113</li><li>Texas Tech, 84</li><li>Oklahoma State, 80</li><li>BYU, 59</li><li>Cincinnati, 56</li><li>UCF, 54</li><li>Arizona State, 51</li><li>Houston, 27</li>
 </ol>2024-25 Preseason All-Big 12 TeamSarah Andrews, BaylorAaronette Vonleh, BaylorKaitlin Peterson, UCFAudi Crooks, Iowa State *S’Mya Nichols, KansasAyoka Lee, K-State *Serena Sundell, K-StateHailey Van Lith, TCUGianna Kneepkens, UtahJJ Quinerly, West Virginia **-indicates unanimous selection2024-25 Preseason Big 12 Player of the YearAyoka Lee, K-State2024-25 Preseason co-Newcomers of the YearAaronette Vonleh, BaylorHailey Van Lith, TCU2024-25 Preseason Freshman of the Year

K-State Named Big 12 Preseason WBB Favorites; Lee Preseason Player of the Year

Hello and happy Thursday, everybody, it’s Tyler Henry, back with another KINA Sports Update presented by Salina Regional Orthopedic and Sports Medicine…

It took nearly a decade for the Kansas City Royals to return to the playoffs but the wait was well worth it as on Wednesday, Bobby Witt Jr. beat out an infield single to drive in the go-ahead run, sending the Kansas City Royals into an AL Division Series with a 2-1 victory over the Baltimore Orioles with a two-game sweep of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/royals-orioles-al-wild-card-b1a51520c564ba2d18ce0c95d6761758">their Wild Card Series</a>.

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

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

Staying in Kansas City, on Wednesday the NFL announced that Chris Jones had been named AFC Defensive Player of the Week.

Jones recorded four tackles and two sacks in the Chiefs’ 17-10 over the Chargers, helping Kansas City improve to 4-0 for the first time since 2018. Both of Jones’ sacks came on pivotal third downs, including one late in the fourth quarter.

And finally The Chiefs, the Kansas City community and members of Chiefs Kingdom around the world raised $1 million for Ronald McDonald House Charities of Kansas City through flag sales during Red Wednesday.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <iframe width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/YuaZL3CxZKI"></iframe>
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>BY SALINA POST(Transcript)Hello and happy Thursday, everybody, it’s Tyler Henry, back with another KINA Sports Update presented by Salina Regional Orthopedic and Sports Medicine…_________It took nearly a decade for the Kansas City Royals to return to the playoffs but the wait was well worth it as on Wednesday, Bobby Witt Jr. beat out an infield single to drive in the go-ahead run, sending the Kansas City Royals into an AL Division Series with a 2-1 victory over the Baltimore Orioles with a two-game sweep of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/royals-orioles-al-wild-card-b1a51520c564ba2d18ce0c95d6761758">their Wild Card Series</a>.With two outs and runners at the corners in sixth inning, Witt hit a grounder to the edge of the dirt behind second base, where Jordan Westburg made a diving stop and throw to first. But Witt was already there after flying 90 feet in 4.14 seconds, allowing Kyle Isbel to score from third.Kansas City, which endured two seven-game losing streaks over the final month of the season, advanced to face the AL East champion New York Yankees. Game 1 is Saturday in the Bronx._________Staying in Kansas City, on Wednesday the NFL announced that Chris Jones had been named AFC Defensive Player of the Week.Jones recorded four tackles and two sacks in the Chiefs’ 17-10 over the Chargers, helping Kansas City improve to 4-0 for the first time since 2018. Both of Jones’ sacks came on pivotal third downs, including one late in the fourth quarter._________And finally The Chiefs, the Kansas City community and members of Chiefs Kingdom around the world raised $1 million for Ronald McDonald House Charities of Kansas City through flag sales during Red Wednesday.&nbsp;_________

910 KINA Sports Headlines — October 3

HILLSBORO - <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/a767684a-e800-479b-b104-e0073c1caf20?elinkdata=13117">Kamille Kum's</a> goal was the difference for the Kansas Wesleyan Coyotes as KWU beat the Tabor College Bluejays 1-0 at Joel Wiens Stadium on Wednesday night.

Wesleyan's defense was outstanding, holding Tabor to just four shots, but none were on target. KWU outshot Tabor 8-4 in the match.

The Coyote goal was in the 21st minute as <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/fa83abba-7296-4fd7-a470-0cd4757927f7?elinkdata=13117">Kamille Kum</a> scored it on a header off a pair of nifty passes, the first from <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/e2bfa759-b279-4bcb-ad81-d665f825e1e5?elinkdata=13117">Gerardo Garcia</a> on the right wing, to <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/fd903534-246d-4de9-9053-2791a994c25d?elinkdata=13117">Noel Zimbeva</a> in the middle to Kum for the header in.

From there, the Coyotes controlled the match.

Wesleyan nearly added another goal in the 81st minute on a shot by <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/b5620902-f795-424c-a3dc-d04b950d45b0?elinkdata=13117">Mateo Hoyos</a>, but Tabor keeper Alejandro Honrado made a brilliant save on the ball.

HILLSBORO - <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/a767684a-e800-479b-b104-e0073c1caf20?elinkdata=13117">Kamille Kum's</a> goal was the difference for the Kansas Wesleyan Coyotes as KWU beat the Tabor College Bluejays 1-0 at Joel Wiens Stadium on Wednesday night.Wesleyan's defense was outstanding, holding Tabor to just four shots, but none were on target. KWU outshot Tabor 8-4 in the match.The Coyote goal was in the 21st minute as <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/fa83abba-7296-4fd7-a470-0cd4757927f7?elinkdata=13117">Kamille Kum</a> scored it on a header off a pair of nifty passes, the first from <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/e2bfa759-b279-4bcb-ad81-d665f825e1e5?elinkdata=13117">Gerardo Garcia</a> on the right wing, to <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/fd903534-246d-4de9-9053-2791a994c25d?elinkdata=13117">Noel Zimbeva</a> in the middle to Kum for the header in.From there, the Coyotes controlled the match.Wesleyan nearly added another goal in the 81st minute on a shot by <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/b5620902-f795-424c-a3dc-d04b950d45b0?elinkdata=13117">Mateo Hoyos</a>, but Tabor keeper Alejandro Honrado made a brilliant save on the ball.Garcia led the Coyotes with three shots.

Men's Soccer rides defense to a 1-0 win over Tabor

HILLSBORO - Kansas Wesleyan Women's Soccer remained unbeaten in the KCAC as the Coyotes got a 2-1 win over the Tabor College Bluejays on Wednesday at Joel Wiens Stadium.

KWU has now won five straight KCAC matches heading into Saturday's contest with Saint Mary in Leavenworth.

The Coyotes were on the board early as <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/a197f57a-9827-4a91-b850-42a7a854b6f8?elinkdata=13094">Emma Gervy</a> found the back of the net off a pass from <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/6264303f-56c7-461e-b865-ae7aba4a0233?elinkdata=13094">Valeria Hernandez</a>. Hernandez threaded the needle down the seam to Gervy, who shot and scored.

The 1-0 difference would carry over to the half.

KWU added its second goal in the 57th minute as <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/7e90354c-da90-4f8c-8a72-4439bdfabfac?elinkdata=13094">Grace Conner</a> continued her hot streak, scoring it to put the Coyotes up 2-0.

Tabor eluded the shutout, scoring a goal by April Ochoa from 35 yards out to make it 2-1 in the 60th minute.

Conner led the Coyotes with four shots. <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/e4043d6a-1bf8-40bd-9133-554a0cb0f913?elinkdata=13094">Isabella Galvan</a> had three saves.

HILLSBORO - Kansas Wesleyan Women's Soccer remained unbeaten in the KCAC as the Coyotes got a 2-1 win over the Tabor College Bluejays on Wednesday at Joel Wiens Stadium.KWU has now won five straight KCAC matches heading into Saturday's contest with Saint Mary in Leavenworth.The Coyotes were on the board early as <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/a197f57a-9827-4a91-b850-42a7a854b6f8?elinkdata=13094">Emma Gervy</a> found the back of the net off a pass from <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/6264303f-56c7-461e-b865-ae7aba4a0233?elinkdata=13094">Valeria Hernandez</a>. Hernandez threaded the needle down the seam to Gervy, who shot and scored.The 1-0 difference would carry over to the half.KWU added its second goal in the 57th minute as <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/7e90354c-da90-4f8c-8a72-4439bdfabfac?elinkdata=13094">Grace Conner</a> continued her hot streak, scoring it to put the Coyotes up 2-0.Tabor eluded the shutout, scoring a goal by April Ochoa from 35 yards out to make it 2-1 in the 60th minute.Conner led the Coyotes with four shots. <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/e4043d6a-1bf8-40bd-9133-554a0cb0f913?elinkdata=13094">Isabella Galvan</a> had three saves.

Women's Soccer stays unbeaten in KCAC with 2-1 win over Tabor

Welcome home, Coyotes. Kansas Wesleyan Women's Volleyball returned to Salina for the first time in nearly a month, to continue to KCAC play against the Tabor College Bluejays.

The KWU Coyotes dominated and kept a comfortable lead in a quick three set match with scores of 25-15, 25-19, 25-12 to take win the game 3-0.

To start the first set Tabor built off a couple service aces from Naera Techus to give the Bluejays a 6-5 lead. This would be the only time Tabor had the lead the whole night. KWU would slowly build a 12-7 lead from a string of four kills by <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/de7be51f-12dd-47ea-9adc-9464085ddd29?elinkdata=13071">Gianna Adriaanse</a> all set by <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/fd3a0d34-dc05-407d-a7f4-b332ab0b4798?elinkdata=13071">Josie Deckinger</a>. From there the Coyotes kept the Bluejays at arm's length to hold the lead. KWU took the first set 25-15.

Set two was a similar story, where KWU gained a lead a kept it despite Tabor's efforts and occasional small runs. The Coyotes started the set with a 7-2 lead. KWU maintained a 6 point lead from the score being 16-10 after a kill by <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/409af625-3217-4e0e-aa33-af8d877820bc?elinkdata=13071">Gianna Adriaanse</a> all the way to the final set score of 19-25 after yet another kill by <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/273b6679-ec80-4827-b0f7-4b0bb02ac5d2?elinkdata=13071">Gianna Adriaanse</a> served by <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/43466259-65e5-4e94-8f36-0d044cbb4f38?elinkdata=13071">Josie Deckinger</a>. Securing set two at 25-19 and have the Coyotes go up 2-0 in the match.

KWU would ride the momentum of the first two sets and go on three separate 4 point runs to find themselves with a 18-7 lead leaving the Bluejays stunned. Kansas Wesleyan would go on to win set three 25-12 and claim the sweep with a 3-0 win.

KWU improves to 10-8 overall and 2-2 in KCAC play.

Welcome home, Coyotes. Kansas Wesleyan Women's Volleyball returned to Salina for the first time in nearly a month, to continue to KCAC play against the Tabor College Bluejays.The KWU Coyotes dominated and kept a comfortable lead in a quick three set match with scores of 25-15, 25-19, 25-12 to take win the game 3-0.To start the first set Tabor built off a couple service aces from Naera Techus to give the Bluejays a 6-5 lead. This would be the only time Tabor had the lead the whole night. KWU would slowly build a 12-7 lead from a string of four kills by <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/de7be51f-12dd-47ea-9adc-9464085ddd29?elinkdata=13071">Gianna Adriaanse</a> all set by <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/fd3a0d34-dc05-407d-a7f4-b332ab0b4798?elinkdata=13071">Josie Deckinger</a>. From there the Coyotes kept the Bluejays at arm's length to hold the lead. KWU took the first set 25-15.Set two was a similar story, where KWU gained a lead a kept it despite Tabor's efforts and occasional small runs. The Coyotes started the set with a 7-2 lead. KWU maintained a 6 point lead from the score being 16-10 after a kill by <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/409af625-3217-4e0e-aa33-af8d877820bc?elinkdata=13071">Gianna Adriaanse</a> all the way to the final set score of 19-25 after yet another kill by <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/273b6679-ec80-4827-b0f7-4b0bb02ac5d2?elinkdata=13071">Gianna Adriaanse</a> served by <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/43466259-65e5-4e94-8f36-0d044cbb4f38?elinkdata=13071">Josie Deckinger</a>. Securing set two at 25-19 and have the Coyotes go up 2-0 in the match.KWU would ride the momentum of the first two sets and go on three separate 4 point runs to find themselves with a 18-7 lead leaving the Bluejays stunned. Kansas Wesleyan would go on to win set three 25-12 and claim the sweep with a 3-0 win.KWU improves to 10-8 overall and 2-2 in KCAC play.

Road-tested Coyotes return home with sweep of Tabor College Bluejays

NEW YORK —&nbsp;Oct. 2, 2024&nbsp;— Baltimore Ravens running back&nbsp;Derrick Henry, Kansas City Chiefs defensive tackle&nbsp;Chris Jones&nbsp;and Tennessee Titans kicker&nbsp;Nick Folk&nbsp;are the AFC Offensive, Defensive and Special Teams Players of the Week for Week 4 (September 26, 29-30).

OFFENSE: RB DERRICK HENRY, BALTIMORE RAVENS

DEFENSE: DT CHRIS JONES, KANSAS CITY CHIEFS

SPECIAL TEAMS: K NICK FOLK, TENNESSEE TITANS

NEW YORK —&nbsp;Oct. 2, 2024&nbsp;— Baltimore Ravens running back&nbsp;Derrick Henry, Kansas City Chiefs defensive tackle&nbsp;Chris Jones&nbsp;and Tennessee Titans kicker&nbsp;Nick Folk&nbsp;are the AFC Offensive, Defensive and Special Teams Players of the Week for Week 4 (September 26, 29-30).OFFENSE: RB DERRICK HENRY, BALTIMORE RAVENS<ul>
 <li>Henry had 209 scrimmage yards (199 rushing, 10 receiving) and two touchdowns (one rushing, one receiving), including a franchise-record 87-yard touchdown run, in Baltimore’s 35-10 victory against Buffalo. It marked the first 200-yard game in the NFL this season and was Henry’s seventh career game with at least 195 rushing yards, tied for the most such games in NFL history.</li>
 </ul><ul>
 <li>This is the eighth-career Player of the Week Award for Henry, tied with Pro Football Hall of Famer Marshall Faulk for the fifth-most ever by a running back:2018: Week 14 (Titans)2019: Week 17 (Titans)2020: Weeks 6, 17 (Titans)2021: Weeks 2, 6 (Titans)2022: Week 8 (Titans)024: Week 4 (Ravens)</li><li>2018: Week 14 (Titans)</li><li>2019: Week 17 (Titans)</li><li>2020: Weeks 6, 17 (Titans)</li><li>2021: Weeks 2, 6 (Titans)</li><li>2022: Week 8 (Titans)</li><li>024: Week 4 (Ravens)</li>
 </ul><ul>
 <li>Henry becomes the first Ravens running back to earn the honor since Justin Forsett in Week 12 of the 2014 season.</li>
 </ul>DEFENSE: DT CHRIS JONES, KANSAS CITY CHIEFS<ul>
 <li>Jones recorded four tackles and two sacks in the Chiefs’ 17-10 over the Chargers, helping Kansas City improve to 4-0 for the first time since 2018. Both of Jones’ sacks came on pivotal third downs, including one late in the fourth quarter.</li>
 </ul><ul>
 <li>This is Jones’ third-career Player of the Week Award, surpassing Neil Smith and Art Still for the most-ever by a Chiefs defensive lineman:2017: Week 22021: Week 112024: Week 4</li><li>2017: Week 2</li><li>2021: Week 11</li><li>2024: Week 4</li>
 </ul><ul>
 <li>Jones joins quarterback Dak Prescott (five-time winner) and cornerback Darius Slay (five) as the only former Mississippi State Bulldogs to win Player of the Week three-or-more times.</li>
 </ul>SPECIAL TEAMS: K NICK FOLK, TENNESSEE TITANS<ul>
 <li>Folk converted both point after attempts and all five of his field goal attempts in Tennessee’s 31-12 victory at Miami, including three from over 50 yards. Folk’s 17 points scored were the most by any kicker in the NFL in Week 4.</li>
 </ul><ul>
 <li>This is the 10th-career Special Teams Player of the Week Award for Folk and second with the Titans:2007: Week 5 (Cowboys)2010: Week 5 (Jets)2013: Weeks 1, 9 (Jets)2020: Weeks 9, 12 (Patriots)2021: Week 5 (Patriots)2022: Week 8 (Patriots)2023: Week 2 (Titans)2024: Week 4 (Titans)</li><li>2007: Week 5 (Cowboys)</li><li>2010: Week 5 (Jets)</li><li>2013: Weeks 1, 9 (Jets)</li><li>2020: Weeks 9, 12 (Patriots)</li><li>2021: Week 5 (Patriots)</li><li>2022: Week 8 (Patriots)</li><li>2023: Week 2 (Titans)</li><li>2024: Week 4 (Titans)</li>
 </ul><ul>
 <li>Folk becomes the seventh kicker to earn the honor 10 times, joining Adam Vinatieri (19-time winner), Matt Prater (15), John Carney (13), Jason Hanson (12), Justin Tucker (12) and Robbie Gould (10).</li>
 </ul>

Derrick Henry, Chris Jones & Nick Folk Named Week 4 AFC Players of the Week

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

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

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

“You never know when this opportunity ever is going to happen again, so got to make the most of it while you have it,” Witt said. “That’s the fun part of this game. This is why we do it, these situations here.”

Cedric Mullins homered for the Orioles, who fell to 0-5 during two quick playoff exits the past two years. Baltimore has dropped its last 10 postseason games.

The new-look Royals lost 106 games last season but used a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/97e7e58c4c2257c95fa0bebe10cc7144">30-win improvement</a>&nbsp;to get back to October for the first time since winning the 2015 World Series.

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

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

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

Quatraro let starter Seth Lugo get an out after loading the bases with nobody out in the fifth before spinning up bullpen roulette, starting with winning pitcher Angel Zerpa, who got KC out of that jam and then got the first out of the sixth. John Schreiber got three more outs, Sam Long two, Kris Bubic three and Lucas Erceg the final three to earn his second save of the series.

“It’s so impressive that they believe in themselves and they trust their stuff and they just come after some of the best hitters in the world,” Quatraro said.

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

“Especially when you lose like this, there’s frustration, there’s anger, there’s disappointment because you felt like there was opportunities there in those couple games to change the score, and it didn’t happen,” Hyde said.

Orioles: LF Colton Cowser broke his left hand when it was hit by the ball as he struck out swinging in the fifth. He exited after six innings.

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

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1727914133285.png" alt="Kansas City Royals' Bobby Witt Jr. (7) hits a single as home plate umpire Ben May, left, and Baltimore Orioles catcher Adley Rutschman look on during the third inning in Game 2 of an AL Wild Card Series baseball game, Wednesday, Oct. 2, 2024 in Baltimore. (Stephanie Scarbrough/AP)" />
 <figcaption>Kansas City Royals' Bobby Witt Jr. (7) hits a single as home plate umpire Ben May, left, and Baltimore Orioles catcher Adley Rutschman look on during the third inning in Game 2 of an AL Wild Card Series baseball game, Wednesday, Oct. 2, 2024 in Baltimore. (Stephanie Scarbrough/AP)</figcaption>
 </figure>BALTIMORE (AP) — Bobby Witt Jr. beat out an infield single to drive in the go-ahead run and send the Kansas City Royals into an AL Division Series with a 2-1 victory over the Baltimore Orioles on Wednesday for a two-game sweep of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/royals-orioles-al-wild-card-b1a51520c564ba2d18ce0c95d6761758">their Wild Card Series</a>.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">🗣️ This never gets old! <a href="https://t.co/SiSDUcYYBA">pic.twitter.com/SiSDUcYYBA</a>&mdash; Kansas City Royals (@Royals) <a href="https://twitter.com/Royals/status/1841646441241968641?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 3, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>With two outs and runners at the corners in sixth inning, Witt hit a grounder to the edge of the dirt behind second base, where Jordan Westburg made a diving stop and throw to first. Witt was already there after zooming 90 feet in 4.14 seconds, allowing Kyle Isbel to score from third."I just had to try to run," Witt said.It was the second consecutive game in which the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/bobby-witt-jr">AL batting champion</a>&nbsp;provided the decisive hit. Witt's RBI single in Tuesday's series opener plated the only run&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mlb-baseball-playoffs-2024-royals-orioles-088619707dc5aed035f49ee0fbbce578">in a 1-0 victory</a>.“You never know when this opportunity ever is going to happen again, so got to make the most of it while you have it,” Witt said. “That’s the fun part of this game. This is why we do it, these situations here.”Kansas City, which endured two seven-game losing streaks over the final month of the season, advanced to face the AL East champion New York Yankees. Game 1 is Saturday in the Bronx.Cedric Mullins homered for the Orioles, who fell to 0-5 during two quick playoff exits the past two years. Baltimore has dropped its last 10 postseason games.The new-look Royals lost 106 games last season but used a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/97e7e58c4c2257c95fa0bebe10cc7144">30-win improvement</a>&nbsp;to get back to October for the first time since winning the 2015 World Series.Second baseman Michael Massey, who led off the game with a double and scored on a single by Vinnie Pasquantino, said the front office bringing in experienced veterans with playoff experience like Tommy Pham, Yuli Gurriel, Michael Wacha and Will Smith made this possible.“They’ve been there before, they’ve done it, so I think it’s helped a lot of guys,” Massey said. “It’s helped us, for sure me, to be around those guys and just watch them, more than anything, and see how they go about their business, has been — I think that’s helped us stay even keel.”The Royals left 12 runners on base and got through another close game with a razor-thin margin for error thanks to some masterful managing by Matt Quatraro, himself a postseason rookie like Witt, Game 1 winner Cole Ragans and so many others.Quatraro let starter Seth Lugo get an out after loading the bases with nobody out in the fifth before spinning up bullpen roulette, starting with winning pitcher Angel Zerpa, who got KC out of that jam and then got the first out of the sixth. John Schreiber got three more outs, Sam Long two, Kris Bubic three and Lucas Erceg the final three to earn his second save of the series.“It’s so impressive that they believe in themselves and they trust their stuff and they just come after some of the best hitters in the world,” Quatraro said.Cionel Pérez took the loss.The Orioles were swept in their only playoff series for a second consecutive year, going 1 for 13 with runners in scoring position this time and 5 for 32 combined. They face numerous offseason questions, from the future of manager Brandon Hyde to the possibility of losing&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/2c5a9a7c148b2c2d84994ab3fcc705fd">pending free-agent starter Corbin Burnes</a>.“Especially when you lose like this, there’s frustration, there’s anger, there’s disappointment because you felt like there was opportunities there in those couple games to change the score, and it didn’t happen,” Hyde said.TRAINER’S ROOMOrioles: LF Colton Cowser broke his left hand when it was hit by the ball as he struck out swinging in the fifth. He exited after six innings.UP NEXTThe Royals face&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/carlos-rodon-yankees-alds-ed2934c198986eff681314996cc63641">Yankees ace Gerrit Cole</a>&nbsp;in the opener of their ALDS, with any starter but Ragans or Lugo rested and ready to go. Wacha had been in line to start Game 3 against Baltimore.___

⚾ Royals advance to the ALDS with sweep of the Orioles

KANSAS CITY, Mo. –&nbsp;The Chiefs, the Kansas City community and members of Chiefs Kingdom around the world raised $1 million for Ronald McDonald House Charities of Kansas City (RMHC-KC) through flag sales during Red Wednesday – the 33rd&nbsp;edition of Red Friday – on Wednesday, September 4. Over the past decade, Red Friday sales have raised more than $6.5 million to help RMHC-KC continue its mission of keeping families close in times of sickness and need.

Members of the Chiefs Community Caring Team, including S Bryan Cook, CB Trent McDuffie and Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer Lara Krug, visited Ronald McDonald House Charities of Kansas City today to make the formal announcement of the total amount raised and visit with youth and families at the House.

Through a partnership with McDonald’s, the 11th&nbsp;edition of the Red Friday flag – featuring a back-to-back Super Bowl champions design – was sold in all Kansas City- and St. Joseph-area McDonald’s locations and Kansas City Hy-Vee stores for a minimum donation of $5. For the eighth year in a row, flags were also sold online for $10 and available for domestic and international shipping.

"Chiefs Kingdom showed up again for seriously ill children and their families at Ronald McDonald House - $ 1 million back-to-back - just like our beloved team!" CEO of RMHC of Kansas City Tami Greenberg said. "It's incredible to see how the support from the Chiefs organization and our founding mission partner, McDonald's, come together to help families with sick kids. We are so thankful to the Kansas City community for making a huge impact, one flag at a time!”

With this year’s donation, more than $6.5 million has been directed to assisting Ronald McDonald House Charities of Kansas City as they reduce the burden of childhood illness on children and their families by providing a “home away from home” while the children are receiving medical care in Kansas City-area hospitals. For more information on Ronald McDonald House Charities of Kansas City, please visit&nbsp;<a href="http://www.rmhckc.org/" target="_blank">www.rmhckc.org/</a>.

“It’s always rewarding to see how the Kansas City community and all of Chiefs Kingdom rally around RMHC-KC and the families they serve at the start of the football season,” Chiefs President Mark Donovan said. “As one of the events that continues the legacy of founder Lamar Hunt, Red Wednesday (Red Friday) has a truly special impact in our community, and getting to kick off the year with a back-to-back world champions flag made it even sweeter this year.”

Red Wednesday (Red Friday) honors the long-standing tradition of selling team-themed commemorative items around the city to raise money for local charities that was started by Chiefs Founder Lamar Hunt and the Chiefs Red Coaters in 1992. Since the inception of Red Friday, newspaper, magazine and flag sales have raised approximately $7 million for local charities with an emphasis on assisting youth in need.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. –&nbsp;The Chiefs, the Kansas City community and members of Chiefs Kingdom around the world raised $1 million for Ronald McDonald House Charities of Kansas City (RMHC-KC) through flag sales during Red Wednesday – the 33rd&nbsp;edition of Red Friday – on Wednesday, September 4. Over the past decade, Red Friday sales have raised more than $6.5 million to help RMHC-KC continue its mission of keeping families close in times of sickness and need.Members of the Chiefs Community Caring Team, including S Bryan Cook, CB Trent McDuffie and Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer Lara Krug, visited Ronald McDonald House Charities of Kansas City today to make the formal announcement of the total amount raised and visit with youth and families at the House.Through a partnership with McDonald’s, the 11th&nbsp;edition of the Red Friday flag – featuring a back-to-back Super Bowl champions design – was sold in all Kansas City- and St. Joseph-area McDonald’s locations and Kansas City Hy-Vee stores for a minimum donation of $5. For the eighth year in a row, flags were also sold online for $10 and available for domestic and international shipping."Chiefs Kingdom showed up again for seriously ill children and their families at Ronald McDonald House - $ 1 million back-to-back - just like our beloved team!" CEO of RMHC of Kansas City Tami Greenberg said. "It's incredible to see how the support from the Chiefs organization and our founding mission partner, McDonald's, come together to help families with sick kids. We are so thankful to the Kansas City community for making a huge impact, one flag at a time!”With this year’s donation, more than $6.5 million has been directed to assisting Ronald McDonald House Charities of Kansas City as they reduce the burden of childhood illness on children and their families by providing a “home away from home” while the children are receiving medical care in Kansas City-area hospitals. For more information on Ronald McDonald House Charities of Kansas City, please visit&nbsp;<a href="http://www.rmhckc.org/" target="_blank">www.rmhckc.org/</a>.“It’s always rewarding to see how the Kansas City community and all of Chiefs Kingdom rally around RMHC-KC and the families they serve at the start of the football season,” Chiefs President Mark Donovan said. “As one of the events that continues the legacy of founder Lamar Hunt, Red Wednesday (Red Friday) has a truly special impact in our community, and getting to kick off the year with a back-to-back world champions flag made it even sweeter this year.”Red Wednesday (Red Friday) honors the long-standing tradition of selling team-themed commemorative items around the city to raise money for local charities that was started by Chiefs Founder Lamar Hunt and the Chiefs Red Coaters in 1992. Since the inception of Red Friday, newspaper, magazine and flag sales have raised approximately $7 million for local charities with an emphasis on assisting youth in need.

Red Wednesday raises $1M for Ronald McDonald charities of Kansas City

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

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

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

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

In 3 relief appearances in the postseason, Sisk tossed 3.2 scoreless innings, including a 1-2-3 8th in the Triple-A Championship Game on Sept. 28 vs. the Sugar Land Space Cowboys in Las Vegas, Nev.

Sisk was acquired by the Royals with right-handed pitcher Steven Cruz on January 24, 2023 from the Minnesota Twins for outfielder Michael A. Taylor.&nbsp;&nbsp;

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

Mike Jirschele Named International League Manager Of The Year

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

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

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

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

MANHATTAN, Kan. – Former Kansas State All-American Markquis Nowell has signed a contract to play with the Houston Rockets, the organization announced late Tuesday night (Oct. 1).Nowell signs with the Rockets after spending part of the 2023-24 season with the Toronto Raptors, which signed him to a two-way contract following the 2023 NBA Draft. He spent most of his first professional season with the Raptors’ G-League team, the Raptors 905, playing in just 13 games before an injury sidelined him for the rest of the 2023-24 season. He averaged 13.8 points on 40.7 percent shooting with 7.6 assists, 2.6 rebounds and 1.8 steals in 31.9 minutes per game.The 5-foot-7, 160-pound point guard from Harlem, N.Y., won the 2023 Bob Cousy Point Guard Award and was named a Third Team All-American by The Associated Press, The Sporting News, NABC and USBWA. He averaged a team-best 17.6 points, 8.3 assists, 3.5 rebounds and 2.6 steals in 36.9 minutes per game en route to helping K-State to a 26-win season in 2022-23.The school’s single-season leader in assists and steals, Nowell finished second nationally in assists/game (8.3 apg.), total assists (297) and total steals (92), while he ranked among the top 15 in 4 other categories. He finished his college career with a magical run through the NCAA Tournament in helping K-State advance to its 13th Elite Eight. He averaged 23.5 points, 13.5 assists and 4.0 steals during his 4-game NCAA Tournament run en route to earning Most Outstanding Player honors for the NCAA East Regional.

K-State's Nowell Signs with Houston Rockets

Hello and happy Wednesday, everybody, it’s Tyler Henry, back with another KINA Sports Update presented by Salina Regional Orthopedic and Sports Medicine…

On Tuesday, Bobby Witt Jr. made the most of his much-anticipated playoff debut, driving in the only run to back Cole Ragans' six sharp innings and help the Kansas City Royals return from a nine-year postseason absence with a 1-0 victory over the Baltimore Orioles in Game 1 of the AL Wild Card.

Witt, the 24-year-old shortstop who led the majors with 211 hits and a .332 batting average this season, singled to left field off a 95 mph, first-pitch cutter from 2021 NL Cy Young Award winner Corbin Burnes with two outs in the sixth.&nbsp;

Maikel Garcia came around to score after drawing a walk, stealing second and moving to third on a groundout.

The Royals return to Baltimore today at 3:40 looking to punch their ticket to the ALDS

More locally Sacred Heart senior Luke Newell was chosen from thousands of First Tee applicants to participate in the 2024 Pure Insurance Senior PGA Tour event in Monterey, CA.

The selection reveal took place on Tuesday night at Pebble Beach’s driving range facility, featuring a concert by the rock group Train. Additionally, a closest to the pin contest was held, where Luke secured 5th place, winning $2,000 for the Salina First Tee.

And finally don’t forget tonight you can catch the Kansas Wesleyan Coaches Show on KINA at 6pm

That’s your sports update for today, but for even more great area sports content like this, check out Salina Post and stay tuned to KINA.

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 <iframe width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Rhc1ntQXQm8"></iframe>
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>BY SALINA POST(Transcript)Hello and happy Wednesday, everybody, it’s Tyler Henry, back with another KINA Sports Update presented by Salina Regional Orthopedic and Sports Medicine…_________On Tuesday, Bobby Witt Jr. made the most of his much-anticipated playoff debut, driving in the only run to back Cole Ragans' six sharp innings and help the Kansas City Royals return from a nine-year postseason absence with a 1-0 victory over the Baltimore Orioles in Game 1 of the AL Wild Card.Witt, the 24-year-old shortstop who led the majors with 211 hits and a .332 batting average this season, singled to left field off a 95 mph, first-pitch cutter from 2021 NL Cy Young Award winner Corbin Burnes with two outs in the sixth.&nbsp;Maikel Garcia came around to score after drawing a walk, stealing second and moving to third on a groundout.The Royals return to Baltimore today at 3:40 looking to punch their ticket to the ALDS_________More locally Sacred Heart senior Luke Newell was chosen from thousands of First Tee applicants to participate in the 2024 Pure Insurance Senior PGA Tour event in Monterey, CA.The selection reveal took place on Tuesday night at Pebble Beach’s driving range facility, featuring a concert by the rock group Train. Additionally, a closest to the pin contest was held, where Luke secured 5th place, winning $2,000 for the Salina First Tee._________And finally don’t forget tonight you can catch the Kansas Wesleyan Coaches Show on KINA at 6pm_________That’s your sports update for today, but for even more great area sports content like this, check out Salina Post and stay tuned to KINA.

910 KINA Sports Headlines — October 2

The Coyotes take a short trip to McPherson on Saturday for the final cross-division game of the year against Ted Kessinger Division foe McPherson. Kickoff is 1 p.m. at McPherson Stadium.

"(Bethel) is the most downhill running, physical team you usually play throughout the year. Your only goal is to be violent and run through as many hips as possible. The demeanor and the posture and the way that we played defense was much improved from the first couple weeks of the season.

"Lara did a really good job of managing the game. Richard isn't necessarily the fastest guy at the quarterback position but he does make good decisions with the football. Buck was our offensive player of the game; he averaged 7.7 yards. He helped us move the ball down the field and he busted that long run for a touchdown to kind of seal the deal. It also is going to put a lot of pressure on our opponents going forward because they have to start making a gameplan for when he goes into the game.

"(Against McPherson) we need to make sure we're able to run the ball whichever way, whichever form or fashion that exists. We need to keep making sure we're pressing them vertically with the passing game. It will be a little bit more difficult because they do a couple of different things."

"One thing we did differently (against Bethel) is we really challenged the offense in practice. We brought a lot of energy no matter what time of day it was. When we got out there everybody was yelling, everybody was loud, it was a game-day atmosphere. That's how it needs to be every week. I feel like preparation-wise everybody was really locked in.

"It was one of those weeks where everything that I had drawn up in my head just played to perfection - utilizing my speed and my strength in unison. I go back to the drawing board after every game, win or lose, and see what it is I need to work on and perfect to start seeing the results that I want to see on the field.

"The biggest key (against McPherson) is definitely building from where we left off Saturday. (Szabo) got Offensive Player the Week and he's going to be clicking on all cylinders. It's going to be our job to really just stop that momentum."

"We were splitting gaps, getting into the (Bethel) backfield, making them make split-second decisions and then just tackling them. Eighteen tackles for loss and holding them to very little rushing yards is based on the fact that we were able to get off the field and be healthy, fresh and ready to go for the next round.

"Getting three sacks is huge for Josh and it's huge for the team too. They look at him as a leader and he's the dude of this defense. Now that the production is there for him it's going to promote some really good things within us.

"(Szabo) is a Brett Farve-kind of player. He's going to go out there and take some shots and regardless if they hit or not it puts a lot of stress on the defense, on the defensive backs. That's one of the things that I admire about his game, he's going to risk it. And they've got some other good tools there as well."

The Coyotes take a short trip to McPherson on Saturday for the final cross-division game of the year against Ted Kessinger Division foe McPherson. Kickoff is 1 p.m. at McPherson Stadium.LIVE COVERAGE<ul>
 <li>The video stream of the game will be available online through the Coyote Sports Network at <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/4bcaee31-6edf-4d0a-98f8-08879e039a2f?elinkdata=13002">www.kcacnetwork.com/kansaswesleyan</a>.</li><li>Live Stats will be available at <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/7af03472-7f91-4dcd-ad8f-d97ad1fad8c8?elinkdata=13002">https://kwucoyotes.com/sidearmstats/football/summary</a></li><li>Radio coverage will be on the KINA Radio. The online stream is available at <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/d82e7c30-0f8b-4a19-9df2-47e89fe6eb5c?elinkdata=13002">https://radio.securenetsystems.net/ce/kina2</a>. Tyler Henry will have the call with pregame starting at noon.</li>
 </ul>RECORDS<ul>
 <li>Kansas Wesleyan 2-3</li><li>McPherson 4-1</li>
 </ul>THE SERIES<ul>
 <li>It has been all KWU of late, the Coyotes winning the last nine games. They prevailed 10-7 in a defensive battle last season in JRI Stadium and the Graves Family Sports Complex and won 14-12 in 2022 in McPherson as defense again ruled the day. KWU has 17-6 advantage since 2001 including a 9-3 record in McPherson.</li><li>KWU leads the all-time series with McPherson, 59-37-4. Last year was the 100th all-time meeting between the teams. The teams have met annually since 1927, except between 1943-45 because of World War II.</li>
 </ul>KANSAS WESLEYAN AT A GLANCE<ul>
 <li>The Coyotes defeated previously unbeaten Bethel 21-6 last Saturday at JRI Stadium. Defense led the way limiting the Threshers to two field goals and 216 total yards that included 49 rushing on 34 attempts (1.4 yards per carry). KWU had 17 tackles for loss, three sacks and two interceptions.</li><li>Junior end <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/93b4e7e3-07b9-4f05-8a30-af4efc1a6fbf?elinkdata=13002">Josh King-Bradley</a> was named the KCAC Defensive Player of the Week for his performance. He finished with seven tackles (five solo), 4.5 tackles for losses totaling 32 yards and all three sacks for 28 yards.</li><li><a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/c495f4eb-314a-4fe1-9aec-c8a8792c4393?elinkdata=13002">Richard Lara</a> and Daedon "Buck" Taylor played quarterback in place of the injured <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/89e14ff0-cdce-48b2-bee6-b6a8e4281dd9?elinkdata=13002">Byron McNair</a>. Lara was 10 of 17 passing for 129 yards, one interception and one touchdown - a 46-yard strike to <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/5c324649-870b-4870-83a9-7ed8fc8a0ef4?elinkdata=13002">Zarek Fewell</a> in the first quarter. Taylor had a team-best 69 yards rushing one nine carries and a touchdown - a 43-yard dash late in the fourth quarter.</li><li><a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/0860e658-5e65-49e7-b7c5-08a4bae210e8?elinkdata=13002">Tyler Boston's</a> two-yard touchdown run with 4:04 left in the game sent KWU past McPherson last year at JRI Stadium. The Coyotes went 75 yards on nine plays on their final drive. The Bulldogs drove to the KWU 13-yard line, but <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/bec276c9-a407-4c83-8281-1b4b1cff1dab?elinkdata=13002">Dylan Worrell</a> stripped the ball from quarterback Tristan Szabo and King-Bradley recovered with 59 seconds left.</li><li>McPherson had 297 total yards but just 24 rushing on 26 attempts. KWU had 248 total yards. McNair was 7 of 11 passing for 115 yards in relief of Lara who was 7 of 16 for 54 yards.</li>
 </ul>McPHERSON AT A GLANCE<ul>
 <li>The Bulldogs defeated Avila 43-24 last Saturday in Kansas City. It was their fourth consecutive victory after losing to Tabor in the season opener. They've defeated Sterling 42-30, Saint Mary 38-10 and Ottawa 31-14 in addition to Avila.</li><li>Szabo, a senior quarterback, was named this week's KCAC Offensive Player of the Week. He was 13 of 18 for 273 yards and four touchdowns and had 30 yards rushing on five carries and a touchdown against Avila. On the season he's completed 61 percent of his passes for 647 yards, six touchdowns and three interceptions. He also has 165 yards rushing.</li><li>Jalil Brown has a team-best 439 yards rushing, is averaging 7.3 yards per carry and has seven touchdowns. Traven Lewis-Johnson leads the receiving corps with 13 catches for 303 yards and three TDs.</li><li>McPherson averages 32.8 points and allows 19.6. The offensive attack is balanced - 208.4 yards rushing and 182.8 passing per game. Opponents are averaging 288.6 total yards.</li><li>McPherson is coached by Jeremiah Fiscus who's in his sixth season and has a 28-26 overall record. He coached one season at Bluestem High School before going to McPherson. He spent six seasons as an assistant coach at Henderson State (Arkansas) before taking the Bluestem job.</li>
 </ul>HEAD COACH MATT MYERS"(Bethel) is the most downhill running, physical team you usually play throughout the year. Your only goal is to be violent and run through as many hips as possible. The demeanor and the posture and the way that we played defense was much improved from the first couple weeks of the season."Lara did a really good job of managing the game. Richard isn't necessarily the fastest guy at the quarterback position but he does make good decisions with the football. Buck was our offensive player of the game; he averaged 7.7 yards. He helped us move the ball down the field and he busted that long run for a touchdown to kind of seal the deal. It also is going to put a lot of pressure on our opponents going forward because they have to start making a gameplan for when he goes into the game."(Against McPherson) we need to make sure we're able to run the ball whichever way, whichever form or fashion that exists. We need to keep making sure we're pressing them vertically with the passing game. It will be a little bit more difficult because they do a couple of different things."DEFENSIVE END JOSH KING-BRADLEY"One thing we did differently (against Bethel) is we really challenged the offense in practice. We brought a lot of energy no matter what time of day it was. When we got out there everybody was yelling, everybody was loud, it was a game-day atmosphere. That's how it needs to be every week. I feel like preparation-wise everybody was really locked in."It was one of those weeks where everything that I had drawn up in my head just played to perfection - utilizing my speed and my strength in unison. I go back to the drawing board after every game, win or lose, and see what it is I need to work on and perfect to start seeing the results that I want to see on the field."The biggest key (against McPherson) is definitely building from where we left off Saturday. (Szabo) got Offensive Player the Week and he's going to be clicking on all cylinders. It's going to be our job to really just stop that momentum."DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR JUSTIN SULLIVAN"We were splitting gaps, getting into the (Bethel) backfield, making them make split-second decisions and then just tackling them. Eighteen tackles for loss and holding them to very little rushing yards is based on the fact that we were able to get off the field and be healthy, fresh and ready to go for the next round."Getting three sacks is huge for Josh and it's huge for the team too. They look at him as a leader and he's the dude of this defense. Now that the production is there for him it's going to promote some really good things within us."(Szabo) is a Brett Farve-kind of player. He's going to go out there and take some shots and regardless if they hit or not it puts a lot of stress on the defense, on the defensive backs. That's one of the things that I admire about his game, he's going to risk it. And they've got some other good tools there as well."NEXT WEEK

Football wraps up cross-division play on Saturday at McPherson

WICHITA - Kansas Wesleyan Men's Golf posted a second place finish at the Pioneer Prairie Classic, hosted by MidAmerica Nazarene University on Monday and Tuesday at Teradyne Country Club.

KWU finished with a three-round score of 889. The Coyotes opened with a 293 in the first round and closed on Monday with a 279 in the second round. KWU posted a score of 317 in Tuesday's final round.

The Coyotes were led by <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/e92e89d4-03a0-4303-830d-d24a78f5350a?elinkdata=12979">Hank Reeg</a>, who tied for fourth place in the tournament posting a score of 216 for the tournament. <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/14ed935c-dc80-464c-a2a6-a6989267ba5c?elinkdata=12979">Jackson Malone</a> tied for sixth with a 220, <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/1a999a27-d1d2-4b3a-b02c-7f5bc5498b41?elinkdata=12979">Doak Neill</a> tied for 22nd with a 228, along with teammate <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/d380e5a8-8cf8-45ea-a7b0-7ed048f48ead?elinkdata=12979">Tyler Tarvin</a>. <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/dab3ff50-9799-4585-bb93-d4de7a0929e7?elinkdata=12979">Caden Stevens</a> tied for 28th with a 230.

MidAmerica Nazarene was the team champion with a score of 865. Mount Mercy was a shot behind KWU with an 890, Grand View was fourth with an 899 and Bethany was fifth with a 909.

Three MNU players took the top three individual spots in the tournament led by Patrick Neal's 4-under-par 209. Mount Mercy's Yong Junn tied with Reed for fourth place to round out the top five finishers.

WICHITA - Kansas Wesleyan Men's Golf posted a second place finish at the Pioneer Prairie Classic, hosted by MidAmerica Nazarene University on Monday and Tuesday at Teradyne Country Club.KWU finished with a three-round score of 889. The Coyotes opened with a 293 in the first round and closed on Monday with a 279 in the second round. KWU posted a score of 317 in Tuesday's final round.The Coyotes were led by <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/e92e89d4-03a0-4303-830d-d24a78f5350a?elinkdata=12979">Hank Reeg</a>, who tied for fourth place in the tournament posting a score of 216 for the tournament. <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/14ed935c-dc80-464c-a2a6-a6989267ba5c?elinkdata=12979">Jackson Malone</a> tied for sixth with a 220, <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/1a999a27-d1d2-4b3a-b02c-7f5bc5498b41?elinkdata=12979">Doak Neill</a> tied for 22nd with a 228, along with teammate <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/d380e5a8-8cf8-45ea-a7b0-7ed048f48ead?elinkdata=12979">Tyler Tarvin</a>. <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/dab3ff50-9799-4585-bb93-d4de7a0929e7?elinkdata=12979">Caden Stevens</a> tied for 28th with a 230.MidAmerica Nazarene was the team champion with a score of 865. Mount Mercy was a shot behind KWU with an 890, Grand View was fourth with an 899 and Bethany was fifth with a 909.Three MNU players took the top three individual spots in the tournament led by Patrick Neal's 4-under-par 209. Mount Mercy's Yong Junn tied with Reed for fourth place to round out the top five finishers.

Men's Golf finishes second at Pioneer Prairie Classic

BALTIMORE (AP) — Bobby Witt Jr. made the most of his much-anticipated playoff debut, driving in the only run Tuesday to back Cole Ragans' six sharp innings and help the Kansas City Royals return from a nine-year postseason absence with a 1-0 victory over the Baltimore Orioles in Game 1 of their AL Wild Card Series.

Witt, the 24-year-old shortstop who led the majors with 211 hits and a .332 batting average this season, singled to left field off a 95 mph, first-pitch cutter from 2021 NL Cy Young Award winner Corbin Burnes with two outs in the sixth. Maikel Garcia came around to score after drawing a walk, stealing second — Burnes allowed runners to swipe a major league-high 41 bases this season — and moving to third on a groundout.

Just after Witt delivered, Kansas City Chiefs star quarterback Patrick Mahomes&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/PatrickMahomes/status/1841227979432870173">posted on social media</a>: “Let’s go!! Keep it going!!! @Royals”

They couldn't keep adding to their lead, but that didn't matter, thanks to Ragans, who was every bit as good, if not better, than Burnes before leaving after 80 pitches because of cramping in his left calf, plus a bullpen that was KC's weakness during the regular season but was more than fine Tuesday.

Sam Long, Kris Bubic and Lucas Erceg, who earned the save, shut down the Orioles the rest of the way.

The Royals lost 106 games last season but a 30-win improvement has them back in October for the first time since winning the 2015 World Series.

Now they can end this best-of-three series and advance to an AL Division Series against the New York Yankees by winning Game 2 in Baltimore on Wednesday, when KC will send All-Star Seth Lugo to the mound. Orioles manager Brandon Hyde said he wouldn’t announce his starter until after Tuesday’s game, although it was expected to be Zach Elfin.

Baltimore has lost its last nine postseason games, a skid that dates to 2014.

Ragans, a lefty All-Star picked up in a trade with the Texas Rangers last season, was terrific, mixing a 98 mph fastball with a variety of off-speed offerings while allowing just four hits and striking out eight.

Burnes looked every bit the ace Baltimore hoped it was getting when it acquired him from the Milwaukee Brewers in February. The AL's All-Star starter this season exited to a standing ovation from the orange-clad fans at Camden Yards after giving up a leadoff single in the ninth. He allowed one run, five hits and that one key walk.

The right-hander became the first starter to throw a pitch in the ninth inning of a postseason game since Washington ace Stephen Strasburg in Game 6 of the 2019 World Series against Houston.

But Baltimore's sluggers — the team's 232 homers trailed only the Yankees in 2024 — could not come through in the clutch.

The Orioles got a runner to third in the third, but Jordan Westburg flied out to the warning track in left. The hosts then put men at the corners with one out in the fifth, but Ragans struck out James McCann and 2023 AL Rookie of the Year Gunnar Henderson to end that threat.

And in the eighth, with a pair on and two out, Erceg replaced Bubic and got Anthony Santander to ground into a fielder's choice.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1727822807888.jpeg" alt="Photo courtesy Kansas City Royals" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy Kansas City Royals</figcaption>
 </figure>BALTIMORE (AP) — Bobby Witt Jr. made the most of his much-anticipated playoff debut, driving in the only run Tuesday to back Cole Ragans' six sharp innings and help the Kansas City Royals return from a nine-year postseason absence with a 1-0 victory over the Baltimore Orioles in Game 1 of their AL Wild Card Series.Witt, the 24-year-old shortstop who led the majors with 211 hits and a .332 batting average this season, singled to left field off a 95 mph, first-pitch cutter from 2021 NL Cy Young Award winner Corbin Burnes with two outs in the sixth. Maikel Garcia came around to score after drawing a walk, stealing second — Burnes allowed runners to swipe a major league-high 41 bases this season — and moving to third on a groundout.Just after Witt delivered, Kansas City Chiefs star quarterback Patrick Mahomes&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/PatrickMahomes/status/1841227979432870173">posted on social media</a>: “Let’s go!! Keep it going!!! @Royals”They couldn't keep adding to their lead, but that didn't matter, thanks to Ragans, who was every bit as good, if not better, than Burnes before leaving after 80 pitches because of cramping in his left calf, plus a bullpen that was KC's weakness during the regular season but was more than fine Tuesday.Sam Long, Kris Bubic and Lucas Erceg, who earned the save, shut down the Orioles the rest of the way.The Royals lost 106 games last season but a 30-win improvement has them back in October for the first time since winning the 2015 World Series.Now they can end this best-of-three series and advance to an AL Division Series against the New York Yankees by winning Game 2 in Baltimore on Wednesday, when KC will send All-Star Seth Lugo to the mound. Orioles manager Brandon Hyde said he wouldn’t announce his starter until after Tuesday’s game, although it was expected to be Zach Elfin.Baltimore has lost its last nine postseason games, a skid that dates to 2014.Ragans, a lefty All-Star picked up in a trade with the Texas Rangers last season, was terrific, mixing a 98 mph fastball with a variety of off-speed offerings while allowing just four hits and striking out eight.Burnes looked every bit the ace Baltimore hoped it was getting when it acquired him from the Milwaukee Brewers in February. The AL's All-Star starter this season exited to a standing ovation from the orange-clad fans at Camden Yards after giving up a leadoff single in the ninth. He allowed one run, five hits and that one key walk.The right-hander became the first starter to throw a pitch in the ninth inning of a postseason game since Washington ace Stephen Strasburg in Game 6 of the 2019 World Series against Houston.But Baltimore's sluggers — the team's 232 homers trailed only the Yankees in 2024 — could not come through in the clutch.The Orioles got a runner to third in the third, but Jordan Westburg flied out to the warning track in left. The hosts then put men at the corners with one out in the fifth, but Ragans struck out James McCann and 2023 AL Rookie of the Year Gunnar Henderson to end that threat.And in the eighth, with a pair on and two out, Erceg replaced Bubic and got Anthony Santander to ground into a fielder's choice.<h2>Trainer's Room</h2>Royals: 1B&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/royals-kansas-city-injuries-3d58f8b6810ed0d06ffd2cce41107a70">Vinnie Pasquantino</a>&nbsp;came off the injured list for this series after being out since Aug. 29 with a broken right thumb, and he was in his usual No. 3 spot in the starting lineup as the DH. He wouldn't be able to play the field for another two to three weeks — if KC remains in the postseason. Pasquantino went 0 for 3 on Tuesday.<h2>Up Next</h2>Lugo (16-9, 3.00 ERA) will be making the first postseason start of his career. "Something I’ve been looking forward to for a long time," he said.Eflin went 10-9 with a 3.59 ERA combined for Tampa Bay and Baltimore in 2024.