By TYLER HENRY Lead Sportswriter - Salina Post

After steamrolling Larned 76-12 to open their playoff push, the Southeast of Saline football team will turn its attention to a fellow contender from 2023 when they welcome in the Norton Blue Jays.

The Trojans have been firing on all cylinders from the word go and enter this pivotal matchup at 9-0 while Norton comes in at 8-1 with their lone loss coming at the hands of Phillipsburg.

Southeast played arguably its best game a week ago, opening the playoffs with a beatdown that saw them score 70 points in the first half after falling behind on the first drive of the game.

“I felt like our kids were ready and locked in even before the game,” SES head coach Mitch Gebhardt said. “They understand that we’re in playoff mode and that showed in the way we practiced. Our kids are playing with a lot of confidence right now. We were upset that we got scored on but nobody flinched and we just kept playing.”

To advance to the state quarterfinals for a fifth straight season, the Trojans will have to take down a perennial power in Norton, who somehow managed to slide to third place in their district despite finishing the regular season at 7-1.

“Norton is a very good football team,” Gebhardt said. “They’re very solid up front, they have a seasoned quarterback, good receivers and a back that does a good job of running the football. Defensively they present a lot of problems for people, we have a real battle ahead of us.”

The Norton offense runs through senior quarterback Eli Jones, who has put up ridiculous numbers in 2024, completing 59% of his passes for 1,467 yards, 12 touchdowns and only 3 picks, while also leading the running game with another 628 yards and 16 more touchdowns.

Norton’s defense will have to contend with Southeast’s own powerhouse offense, which sees Gannon Jacobson leading the way with exactly 1,467 passing yards of his own, and 30 total touchdowns to nine interceptions.

Grady Gebhardt has been a force on the ground for Southeast, racking up 889 yards and nine touchdowns on 106 carries, while Tucker Thaxton has roasted secondaries, hauling in 50 catches for 712 yards and 11 touchdowns.

All of this, coupled with a defense that has allowed less than ten points per game all season, has created a seemingly unstoppable brand of football that will be put to one of its toughest tests this week.

“We have to take care of the football in a game like this and continue to get first downs to keep their high-powered offense off the field,” Gebhardt said. “Defensively we have to rally to the football and take care of our responsibilities. In close ballgames a special teams play here and there can also make the difference so we have to be solid in all facets of the game.”

Kickoff for this game is scheduled for 7:00 at Kansas Wesleyan’s JRI Stadium in Salina, and as always, can be streamed with live video and commentary on Salina Post by clicking <a href="https://youtube.com/live/Y7ne-t35IT8">HERE</a>, or heard on KINA (910 AM/107.5 FM).

By TYLER HENRY Lead Sportswriter - Salina PostAfter steamrolling Larned 76-12 to open their playoff push, the Southeast of Saline football team will turn its attention to a fellow contender from 2023 when they welcome in the Norton Blue Jays.The Trojans have been firing on all cylinders from the word go and enter this pivotal matchup at 9-0 while Norton comes in at 8-1 with their lone loss coming at the hands of Phillipsburg.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1715807615208.jpeg" alt="Salina Regional Orthopedic &amp; Sports Medicine- Your home-field advantage starts here." />
 <figcaption>Salina Regional Orthopedic &amp; Sports Medicine- Your home-field advantage starts here.</figcaption>
 </figure>Southeast played arguably its best game a week ago, opening the playoffs with a beatdown that saw them score 70 points in the first half after falling behind on the first drive of the game.“I felt like our kids were ready and locked in even before the game,” SES head coach Mitch Gebhardt said. “They understand that we’re in playoff mode and that showed in the way we practiced. Our kids are playing with a lot of confidence right now. We were upset that we got scored on but nobody flinched and we just kept playing.”To advance to the state quarterfinals for a fifth straight season, the Trojans will have to take down a perennial power in Norton, who somehow managed to slide to third place in their district despite finishing the regular season at 7-1.“Norton is a very good football team,” Gebhardt said. “They’re very solid up front, they have a seasoned quarterback, good receivers and a back that does a good job of running the football. Defensively they present a lot of problems for people, we have a real battle ahead of us.”The Norton offense runs through senior quarterback Eli Jones, who has put up ridiculous numbers in 2024, completing 59% of his passes for 1,467 yards, 12 touchdowns and only 3 picks, while also leading the running game with another 628 yards and 16 more touchdowns.Norton’s defense will have to contend with Southeast’s own powerhouse offense, which sees Gannon Jacobson leading the way with exactly 1,467 passing yards of his own, and 30 total touchdowns to nine interceptions.Grady Gebhardt has been a force on the ground for Southeast, racking up 889 yards and nine touchdowns on 106 carries, while Tucker Thaxton has roasted secondaries, hauling in 50 catches for 712 yards and 11 touchdowns.All of this, coupled with a defense that has allowed less than ten points per game all season, has created a seemingly unstoppable brand of football that will be put to one of its toughest tests this week.“We have to take care of the football in a game like this and continue to get first downs to keep their high-powered offense off the field,” Gebhardt said. “Defensively we have to rally to the football and take care of our responsibilities. In close ballgames a special teams play here and there can also make the difference so we have to be solid in all facets of the game.”Kickoff for this game is scheduled for 7:00 at Kansas Wesleyan’s JRI Stadium in Salina, and as always, can be streamed with live video and commentary on Salina Post by clicking <a href="https://youtube.com/live/Y7ne-t35IT8">HERE</a>, or heard on KINA (910 AM/107.5 FM).

🏈 Trojans host Norton on campus of KWU in 2A postseason clash

The Southeast of Saline cross country teams posted another pair of podium finishes over the weekend, with the boy’s team finishing runner-up and the girl's team coming in third at state in Lawrence.

On the boys side, the Trojans finished just 21 points shy of the mark to beat set by Holcomb, and 14 points ahead of the defending champs in Wichita Trinity, led on the day by Brayden Walker, who returned to the course to finish 12th after missing several races due to injury.

“I was really excited for the boys,” SES head cross country coach Wade Caselman said. “After not having Brayden for a couple of weeks, we didn’t know where he would be physically but for him to end up being our number one runner was very exciting and the whole team performed well.”

On the girl’s side, the Lady Trojans were favored, but battled some adversity of their own, sliding to third place in a field that saw the top three teams separated by just five points.

Freshman Ava McGraw led the way for the girls with a strong 24th-place finish.

“I thought our girls did a really good job,” Caselman said. “We were hoping to pull off that five-peat, but unfortunately we had some girls come down with some illness that affected their performance. Even despite that to be five points out of first place is an exciting result and I’m proud of the way they ran all season.”

Of the group of runners who took to the course at state, Southeast will lose just two seniors in Cali Augustine and Jacob Tonne, and should be a force to be reckoned with when the 2025 season gets underway.

“We’re going to miss our seniors but we’ve got some young kids that should be able to step into those roles and the kids we had running this year are only going to get stronger,” he said. “We’re really excited about the future.”

Full results from this year’s state meet can be found below.

3A GIRLS TEAM RESULTS 1. Hesston - 104 2. Wichita Trinity - 105 3. SE of Saline - 109 4. Norton - 133 5. Scott City - 145 6. West Franklin - 151 7. Hiawatha - 175 8. Southwestern Height - 178 9. Jayhawk Linn - 199

SE OF SALINE GIRLS RESULTS 24. Ava McGraw (20:39.83) 28. Cali Augustine (20:46.91) 39. Anna Jackson (21:33.46) 45. Regan Duran (21:46.29) 50. Piper Brown (21:54.76) 54. Alea Barnaby (22:07.26) 69. Layla Lund (22:56.68)

3A BOYS TEAM RESULTS 1. Holcomb - 58 2. SE of Saline - 79 3. Wichita Trinity - 93 4. West Franklin - 113 5. Lakin - 124 6. Scott City - 150 T7. Girard - 201 T7. Santa Fe Trail - 201 9. Nemaha Central - 214 10. Jayhawk Linn - 234

SE OF SALINE BOYS RESULTS 12. Brayden Walker (16:47.34) 15. Jacob Bircher (16:52.44) 19. Jacob Tonne (17:05.36) 34. Zach Carlin (17:32.02) 35. Brooks Carlin (17:32.28) 43. Cole Franklin (17:43.55) 78. Caleb Knopf (18:42.26)

By TYLER HENRY Lead Sportswriter - Salina PostThe Southeast of Saline cross country teams posted another pair of podium finishes over the weekend, with the boy’s team finishing runner-up and the girl's team coming in third at state in Lawrence.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1715807615208.jpeg" alt="Salina Regional Orthopedic &amp; Sports Medicine- Your home-field advantage starts here." />
 <figcaption>Salina Regional Orthopedic &amp; Sports Medicine- Your home-field advantage starts here.</figcaption>
 </figure>On the boys side, the Trojans finished just 21 points shy of the mark to beat set by Holcomb, and 14 points ahead of the defending champs in Wichita Trinity, led on the day by Brayden Walker, who returned to the course to finish 12th after missing several races due to injury.“I was really excited for the boys,” SES head cross country coach Wade Caselman said. “After not having Brayden for a couple of weeks, we didn’t know where he would be physically but for him to end up being our number one runner was very exciting and the whole team performed well.”On the girl’s side, the Lady Trojans were favored, but battled some adversity of their own, sliding to third place in a field that saw the top three teams separated by just five points.Freshman Ava McGraw led the way for the girls with a strong 24th-place finish.“I thought our girls did a really good job,” Caselman said. “We were hoping to pull off that five-peat, but unfortunately we had some girls come down with some illness that affected their performance. Even despite that to be five points out of first place is an exciting result and I’m proud of the way they ran all season.”Of the group of runners who took to the course at state, Southeast will lose just two seniors in Cali Augustine and Jacob Tonne, and should be a force to be reckoned with when the 2025 season gets underway.“We’re going to miss our seniors but we’ve got some young kids that should be able to step into those roles and the kids we had running this year are only going to get stronger,” he said. “We’re really excited about the future.”Full results from this year’s state meet can be found below.3A GIRLS TEAM RESULTS 1. Hesston - 104 2. Wichita Trinity - 105 3. SE of Saline - 109 4. Norton - 133 5. Scott City - 145 6. West Franklin - 151 7. Hiawatha - 175 8. Southwestern Height - 178 9. Jayhawk Linn - 199SE OF SALINE GIRLS RESULTS 24. Ava McGraw (20:39.83) 28. Cali Augustine (20:46.91) 39. Anna Jackson (21:33.46) 45. Regan Duran (21:46.29) 50. Piper Brown (21:54.76) 54. Alea Barnaby (22:07.26) 69. Layla Lund (22:56.68)3A BOYS TEAM RESULTS 1. Holcomb - 58 2. SE of Saline - 79 3. Wichita Trinity - 93 4. West Franklin - 113 5. Lakin - 124 6. Scott City - 150 T7. Girard - 201 T7. Santa Fe Trail - 201 9. Nemaha Central - 214 10. Jayhawk Linn - 234SE OF SALINE BOYS RESULTS 12. Brayden Walker (16:47.34) 15. Jacob Bircher (16:52.44) 19. Jacob Tonne (17:05.36) 34. Zach Carlin (17:32.02) 35. Brooks Carlin (17:32.28) 43. Cole Franklin (17:43.55) 78. Caleb Knopf (18:42.26)

SES XC Posts pair of podium finishes at state

MANHATTAN, Kan.&nbsp;–&nbsp;Using a strong first half from Temira Poindexter, (13/13) K-State eased past Belmont, 82-56, at Bramlage Coliseum on Thursday night.

Poindexter led all scorers with 23 points, including 19 in the first half which featured five 3-pointers. The forward from Sapulpa, Oklahoma, finished 9-of-16 from the field including 5-of-11 from long range. She also filled up her stat line with four rebounds, two assists, two steals and two blocks.

Senior forward Kennedy Taylor made her first K-State start and responded with 18 points, including 12 in the second half, on 6-of-10 shooting and a 6-of-8 effort from the foul line and hauled in five rebounds.

Sophomore guard Zyanna Walker carded 14 points, five assists, six rebounds and three steals, while senior guard Jaelyn Glenn notched 10 points, five rebounds, four assists and two steals.

- K-State (2-0) used a 15-2 run midway through the first quarter to build a 19-10 lead before Belmont (0-1) cut the deficit to three, 19-16, at the end of the frame. Poindexter registered six of K-State’s 15 points during the run.

- The Wildcats used a 12-0 run to begin the second quarter to boost its lead to 31-16 with 5:48 remaining in the opening half. Poindexter registered eight of the 12 points during the run, carding her fourth 3-pointer of the first half with 6:11 to play.

- Poindexter cashed in her fifth 3-pointer of the first half with 3:14 remaining and followed with a fastbreak layup with 2:43 left to give the Wildcats their halftime lead of 42-24.

- A three-point play from Walker with 6:50 to play in the third quarter gave the Wildcats their largest of the night at 22, 50-28.

- After the Bruins narrowed the deficit to 15, 50-35, the Wildcats used a 12-3 run to close the third quarter to build a 65-40 lead. Taylor scored eight of the final 12 points of the frame for K-State.

- In the fourth quarter, K-State would shoot over 50.0 percent (54.5 percent) for the second time on Thursday night and edge the Bruins in the frame, 17-16.

- The Wildcats finished the night shooting 51.7 percent (31-of-60) from the field including 40.9 percent (9-of-22) from deep.

- K-State held Belmont to 31.3 percent (21-of-67) shooting including 18.2 percent (4-of-22) from long range.

- K-State and Belmont met for the first time in the series. The Wildcats are 45-14 against current members of the Missouri Valley Conference.

- K-State is 398-156 (.718) in its 37-season history inside Bramlage Coliseum. The Wildcats own a 231-30 (.885) record against non-conference opponents inside Bramlage.

- K-State owns a record of 250-95 (.725) as an AP ranked team. K-State is 17-3 (.850) all-time when ranked 13th in the nation.

- K-State head coach Jeff Mittie owns a career record of 646-370 (.636) in his 33 seasons as a head coach, including a mark of 192-135 (.587) in his 11 seasons at K-State. Mittie is 402-113 (.781) in games played in his home venue, including a 128-48 (.727) mark in Bramlage Coliseum.

- The Wildcats are 162-54 (.750) in games played in the month of November, including wins in 50 of its last 61 games in the month. Under head coach Jeff Mittie, K-State is 48-11 (.814) in games during the 11th&nbsp;month.

- K-State's starting five consisted of guards: Zyanna Walker, Jaelyn Glenn and Serena Sundell; forward Temira Poindexter and forward Kennedy Taylor. This was the 105th career start for Sundell, the 101st career start for Jaelyn Glenn, the 89th&nbsp;career collegiate start and second at K-State for Poindexter, the second career start for Walker and the 42nd&nbsp;career start for Taylor and her first at K-State.

- The Wildcats held a 42-24 lead at halftime on Thursday. Under head coach Jeff Mittie, K-State is 152-19 (.889) when leading at halftime.

- K-State shot 50.0 percent or better in a quarter twice on Thursday night (second and fourth frames). The Wildcats have four quarters of 50.0 percent or better shooting this season.

- The Wildcats handed out 21 assists on Thursday. Over the last 17 seasons, K-State is 94-8 (.922) when handing out 20 or more assists in a game.

- K-State pulled in 41 rebounds on Thursday to outrebounds Belmont (41-37). Over the last four seasons, K-State is 44-3 (.936) when holding the advantage on the glass.

- Poindexter tallied her 37th&nbsp;career game with 20 or more points and her 82nd career game with 10 or more points. She improved her collegiate point total to 1,609.

- Poindexter made five 3-pointers on Thursday. This was her 16th&nbsp;career game with four or more connections from long range and her 56th&nbsp;time with two or more. She is the first Wildcat to make five or more 3-pointers in a game since Gabby Gregory at Washington on March 24, 2023.

- Poindexter collected two steals, which was her 28th&nbsp;career game and second at K-State with two or more steals.

- Poindexter sent back two shots on Thursday. She owns 42 career games with two or more blocks.

- Taylor registered her 45th&nbsp;career game with 10 or more points.

- Walker recorded her 12th&nbsp;career game, all at K-State, with 10 or more points.

- Walker dished out five assists, her fourth career game with five or more assists and her second this season.

- Walker owns 12 career games with two or more steals.

- Glenn scored 10 or more points in a game for the 41st time in her career. She needs 118 points to reach 1,000 career points.

- Glenn made two 3-pointers on Thursday. This was her 49th career game with two or more connections from long range. She needs six connections to move into 10th on the K-State career 3-point field goals made list.

- Glenn pulled in five rebounds, her 46th career game with five or more rebounds. She needs 31 rebounds to move into the top-30 in school history for career rebounds.

- Glenn dished out four assists. She needs 14 assists to move into 25th&nbsp;on the K-State career assists list.

- Glenn pocketed two steals on Monday. This was her 60th career game with two or more steals. Glenn passed Mariah White (2009-13; 209) for ninth on the K-State career steals list with 210.

- Sundell’s six assists on Thursday improved her career total to 558 and ranks fourth in school history for career assists. This was her 66th&nbsp;career game with five or more assists.

“Good win for our group tonight. I thought we did some good things. Poindexter got off to a great start in the first half. I thought defensively we gave up the early threes to 35, she really got the first couple, but we did a great job on 14 tonight. She comes into the game as a really, really good shooter. We don't give her anything from three tonight. I thought for the most part, we have pretty good communication, even though we had some players that were maybe playing a little different spot or maybe some extended minutes, I thought overall, this is a really good win for us.”

On much of the early season production coming from the transfer portal…

“It's the way of college athletics now. Well, 70% of our roster is players that started with us. Every year, there's going to be needs that you've got to be able to fill in the transfer portal. Hopefully those needs come from graduation, and that's how our needs have come, but you don't always know, and you've just got to be ready. So credit to my staff for doing a good job of identifying who fits what I'm looking for, and who fits all of the things that we want in a player, not just on the basketball floor, but work ethic, chemistry wise, character, all the above.”

On [Ayoke] Lee and [Taryn] Sides’ potential returns from injuries…

“Yoki ecould have gone in tonight but I just would feel better if she wasn’t 85% and I think that she'll be really, really good here through the weekend, and that'll give her good practice time. Taryn, I think will be the same way. I think it'll be good to have&nbsp; the weekend, and then hopefully we won't have any lingering effects after that.”

On Tamira Poindexter’s play this season…

“She seems just so effortless at times out there, right? And very instinctual and smart. She is picking up things that we're wanting her to pick up. And I noticed that right away in the summer, when we were going through a lot of plays, she was out there with veterans, and we're running an action that we've run, so everybody knows it, and she didn't take long to pick it up. So all those things come to mind. I've been impressed with her from the start of just how she wanted to acclimate herself with her teammates. I did want her to be more aggressive, but that hasn't been a problem in the first two games. I think she's found the right balance of aggressiveness and making the right play. There are things she needs to improve, she's got improved defensively. She had a stretch tonight where I didn't think she played through fatigue very well. She's got to play through that fatigue better. She was forced into a more ball handling role tonight, and I thought she did a pretty good job for the most part.”

On Kennedy Taylor replicating some of the things Ayoka Lee does…

“I think we could stay with some of it. But what was challenging tonight about staying with some of it was the other lineups that we had on the floor. But you did see in the second half where we were able to run some stuff that has been bread and butter for Ayoka [Lee], because she is strong down low, and when she has an advantage down there, she does a pretty good job of using it.”

K-State Senior Forward Temira Poindexter

On embracing her new role with Kansas State…

“It's better than what I envisioned. I really am enjoying my time here, and I'm just very grateful to be here and be able to play with the teammates that I’ve met, and I feel like we're gonna be good this year.

“I just have to give it up to my teammates for finding me, giving me good passes, and letting me get in my rhythm. So that's a lot to do with it.”

K-State Sophomore Guard Zyanna Walker

On gaining more minutes through the loss of depth…

“Yeah, losing Taryn (Sides) we lost a ball handler so that makes it harder out there. We ended up playing more minutes, so I feel like that's good for us going into the season and getting that cardio, endurance, and learning to play through fatigue, but we definitely missed her tonight for sure.”

On playing without Ayoka Lee in the offense…

“Yeah, it really stresses that we need to stay in front of the ball because we don't have her to send out of the paint. Rebounding–everybody has to rebound. Everybody has to box out. It really makes it hard on offense too, because we have to score, and we probably have to hit more outside shots. “

On potential with team depth this year…

“I think this team's potential is very high, just because of our depth. People were out who usually play a lot today, but we were able to hold it down and I still think we look pretty good out there. It's good for us to work through it early.”

The Wildcats continue its five-game home stand on Thursday, November 14 at 5:30 p.m., as K-State hosts Creighton. Thursday is a doubleheader night with the men’s basketball game against LSU following at 8 p.m. Thursday’s game is Purple Pride Night, as fans are encouraged to wear purple. For tickets, visit&nbsp;<a href="http://kstatesports.com/tickets" target="_blank">kstatesports.com/tickets</a>&nbsp;or call (800) 221-CATS.

MANHATTAN, Kan.&nbsp;–&nbsp;Using a strong first half from Temira Poindexter, (13/13) K-State eased past Belmont, 82-56, at Bramlage Coliseum on Thursday night.Poindexter led all scorers with 23 points, including 19 in the first half which featured five 3-pointers. The forward from Sapulpa, Oklahoma, finished 9-of-16 from the field including 5-of-11 from long range. She also filled up her stat line with four rebounds, two assists, two steals and two blocks.Senior forward Kennedy Taylor made her first K-State start and responded with 18 points, including 12 in the second half, on 6-of-10 shooting and a 6-of-8 effort from the foul line and hauled in five rebounds.Sophomore guard Zyanna Walker carded 14 points, five assists, six rebounds and three steals, while senior guard Jaelyn Glenn notched 10 points, five rebounds, four assists and two steals.HOW IT HAPPENED- K-State (2-0) used a 15-2 run midway through the first quarter to build a 19-10 lead before Belmont (0-1) cut the deficit to three, 19-16, at the end of the frame. Poindexter registered six of K-State’s 15 points during the run.- The Wildcats used a 12-0 run to begin the second quarter to boost its lead to 31-16 with 5:48 remaining in the opening half. Poindexter registered eight of the 12 points during the run, carding her fourth 3-pointer of the first half with 6:11 to play.- Poindexter cashed in her fifth 3-pointer of the first half with 3:14 remaining and followed with a fastbreak layup with 2:43 left to give the Wildcats their halftime lead of 42-24.- A three-point play from Walker with 6:50 to play in the third quarter gave the Wildcats their largest of the night at 22, 50-28.- After the Bruins narrowed the deficit to 15, 50-35, the Wildcats used a 12-3 run to close the third quarter to build a 65-40 lead. Taylor scored eight of the final 12 points of the frame for K-State.- In the fourth quarter, K-State would shoot over 50.0 percent (54.5 percent) for the second time on Thursday night and edge the Bruins in the frame, 17-16.- The Wildcats finished the night shooting 51.7 percent (31-of-60) from the field including 40.9 percent (9-of-22) from deep.- K-State held Belmont to 31.3 percent (21-of-67) shooting including 18.2 percent (4-of-22) from long range.QUICK FACTS- K-State and Belmont met for the first time in the series. The Wildcats are 45-14 against current members of the Missouri Valley Conference.- K-State is 398-156 (.718) in its 37-season history inside Bramlage Coliseum. The Wildcats own a 231-30 (.885) record against non-conference opponents inside Bramlage.- K-State owns a record of 250-95 (.725) as an AP ranked team. K-State is 17-3 (.850) all-time when ranked 13th in the nation.- K-State head coach Jeff Mittie owns a career record of 646-370 (.636) in his 33 seasons as a head coach, including a mark of 192-135 (.587) in his 11 seasons at K-State. Mittie is 402-113 (.781) in games played in his home venue, including a 128-48 (.727) mark in Bramlage Coliseum.- The Wildcats are 162-54 (.750) in games played in the month of November, including wins in 50 of its last 61 games in the month. Under head coach Jeff Mittie, K-State is 48-11 (.814) in games during the 11th&nbsp;month.TEAM NOTES- K-State's starting five consisted of guards: Zyanna Walker, Jaelyn Glenn and Serena Sundell; forward Temira Poindexter and forward Kennedy Taylor. This was the 105th career start for Sundell, the 101st career start for Jaelyn Glenn, the 89th&nbsp;career collegiate start and second at K-State for Poindexter, the second career start for Walker and the 42nd&nbsp;career start for Taylor and her first at K-State.- The Wildcats held a 42-24 lead at halftime on Thursday. Under head coach Jeff Mittie, K-State is 152-19 (.889) when leading at halftime.- K-State shot 50.0 percent or better in a quarter twice on Thursday night (second and fourth frames). The Wildcats have four quarters of 50.0 percent or better shooting this season.- The Wildcats handed out 21 assists on Thursday. Over the last 17 seasons, K-State is 94-8 (.922) when handing out 20 or more assists in a game.- K-State pulled in 41 rebounds on Thursday to outrebounds Belmont (41-37). Over the last four seasons, K-State is 44-3 (.936) when holding the advantage on the glass.PLAYER NOTES- Poindexter tallied her 37th&nbsp;career game with 20 or more points and her 82nd career game with 10 or more points. She improved her collegiate point total to 1,609.- Poindexter made five 3-pointers on Thursday. This was her 16th&nbsp;career game with four or more connections from long range and her 56th&nbsp;time with two or more. She is the first Wildcat to make five or more 3-pointers in a game since Gabby Gregory at Washington on March 24, 2023.- Poindexter collected two steals, which was her 28th&nbsp;career game and second at K-State with two or more steals.- Poindexter sent back two shots on Thursday. She owns 42 career games with two or more blocks.- Taylor registered her 45th&nbsp;career game with 10 or more points.- Walker recorded her 12th&nbsp;career game, all at K-State, with 10 or more points.- Walker dished out five assists, her fourth career game with five or more assists and her second this season.- Walker owns 12 career games with two or more steals.- Glenn scored 10 or more points in a game for the 41st time in her career. She needs 118 points to reach 1,000 career points.- Glenn made two 3-pointers on Thursday. This was her 49th career game with two or more connections from long range. She needs six connections to move into 10th on the K-State career 3-point field goals made list.- Glenn pulled in five rebounds, her 46th career game with five or more rebounds. She needs 31 rebounds to move into the top-30 in school history for career rebounds.- Glenn dished out four assists. She needs 14 assists to move into 25th&nbsp;on the K-State career assists list.- Glenn pocketed two steals on Monday. This was her 60th career game with two or more steals. Glenn passed Mariah White (2009-13; 209) for ninth on the K-State career steals list with 210.- Sundell’s six assists on Thursday improved her career total to 558 and ranks fourth in school history for career assists. This was her 66th&nbsp;career game with five or more assists.FROM THE HEAD COACHK-State Head Coach Jeff MittieOpening Statement…“Good win for our group tonight. I thought we did some good things. Poindexter got off to a great start in the first half. I thought defensively we gave up the early threes to 35, she really got the first couple, but we did a great job on 14 tonight. She comes into the game as a really, really good shooter. We don't give her anything from three tonight. I thought for the most part, we have pretty good communication, even though we had some players that were maybe playing a little different spot or maybe some extended minutes, I thought overall, this is a really good win for us.”On much of the early season production coming from the transfer portal…“It's the way of college athletics now. Well, 70% of our roster is players that started with us. Every year, there's going to be needs that you've got to be able to fill in the transfer portal. Hopefully those needs come from graduation, and that's how our needs have come, but you don't always know, and you've just got to be ready. So credit to my staff for doing a good job of identifying who fits what I'm looking for, and who fits all of the things that we want in a player, not just on the basketball floor, but work ethic, chemistry wise, character, all the above.”On [Ayoke] Lee and [Taryn] Sides’ potential returns from injuries…“Yoki ecould have gone in tonight but I just would feel better if she wasn’t 85% and I think that she'll be really, really good here through the weekend, and that'll give her good practice time. Taryn, I think will be the same way. I think it'll be good to have&nbsp; the weekend, and then hopefully we won't have any lingering effects after that.”On Tamira Poindexter’s play this season…“She seems just so effortless at times out there, right? And very instinctual and smart. She is picking up things that we're wanting her to pick up. And I noticed that right away in the summer, when we were going through a lot of plays, she was out there with veterans, and we're running an action that we've run, so everybody knows it, and she didn't take long to pick it up. So all those things come to mind. I've been impressed with her from the start of just how she wanted to acclimate herself with her teammates. I did want her to be more aggressive, but that hasn't been a problem in the first two games. I think she's found the right balance of aggressiveness and making the right play. There are things she needs to improve, she's got improved defensively. She had a stretch tonight where I didn't think she played through fatigue very well. She's got to play through that fatigue better. She was forced into a more ball handling role tonight, and I thought she did a pretty good job for the most part.”On Kennedy Taylor replicating some of the things Ayoka Lee does…“I think we could stay with some of it. But what was challenging tonight about staying with some of it was the other lineups that we had on the floor. But you did see in the second half where we were able to run some stuff that has been bread and butter for Ayoka [Lee], because she is strong down low, and when she has an advantage down there, she does a pretty good job of using it.”FROM THE FLOORK-State Senior Forward Temira PoindexterOn embracing her new role with Kansas State…“It's better than what I envisioned. I really am enjoying my time here, and I'm just very grateful to be here and be able to play with the teammates that I’ve met, and I feel like we're gonna be good this year.On her 23-point performance…“I just have to give it up to my teammates for finding me, giving me good passes, and letting me get in my rhythm. So that's a lot to do with it.”K-State Sophomore Guard Zyanna WalkerOn gaining more minutes through the loss of depth…“Yeah, losing Taryn (Sides) we lost a ball handler so that makes it harder out there. We ended up playing more minutes, so I feel like that's good for us going into the season and getting that cardio, endurance, and learning to play through fatigue, but we definitely missed her tonight for sure.”On playing without Ayoka Lee in the offense…“Yeah, it really stresses that we need to stay in front of the ball because we don't have her to send out of the paint. Rebounding–everybody has to rebound. Everybody has to box out. It really makes it hard on offense too, because we have to score, and we probably have to hit more outside shots. “On potential with team depth this year…“I think this team's potential is very high, just because of our depth. People were out who usually play a lot today, but we were able to hold it down and I still think we look pretty good out there. It's good for us to work through it early.”UP NEXTThe Wildcats continue its five-game home stand on Thursday, November 14 at 5:30 p.m., as K-State hosts Creighton. Thursday is a doubleheader night with the men’s basketball game against LSU following at 8 p.m. Thursday’s game is Purple Pride Night, as fans are encouraged to wear purple. For tickets, visit&nbsp;<a href="http://kstatesports.com/tickets" target="_blank">kstatesports.com/tickets</a>&nbsp;or call (800) 221-CATS.

#13 K-State WBB Sails Past Belmont

MANHATTAN, Kan.&nbsp;–&nbsp;For the fourth time in her career, K-State senior center Ayoka Lee has been named to the Los Angeles Athletic Club John R. Wooden Award, presented by Principal, Preseason Women’s Top 50 Watch List.

Lee was previously named to the Wooden Award Watch List in the 2021, 2022 and 2024 seasons. The product of Byron, Minnesota, was named to the Wood Award National Ballot in the 2022 and 2024 seasons.

The players on the list are considered strong candidates for the 2025 John R. Wooden Award® Women’s Player of the Year. The National Ballot consists of 15 top players who have proven to their universities that they meet or exceed the qualifications of the Wooden Award®. Wooden Award™ voters will rank in order 10 of those 15 players when voting opens prior to the NCAA Tournament and will allow voters to take into consideration performance during the tournament’s early round games. The Wooden Award All-American Team™ will be announced the week of the “Elite Eight” round of the NCAA Tournament. The winner of the 2025 John R. Wooden Award®, presented by Principal, will be presented at the Los Angeles Athletic Club on April 11, 2025.

Lee adds Thursday’s recognition to her preseason haul of honors which includes: Associated Press All-America honorable mention selection, preseason All-America Second Team honors from The Athletic, selection to the Jersey Mike’s Naismith Women’s Player of the Year Watch List, 2024-25 Lisa Leslie Award Watch List and being named the Big 12 Preseason Player of the Year by the league’s coaches and her unanimous selection to the preseason All-Big 12 team.

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.

In her career, Lee ranks third in school history for points scored with 2,201, holds the school record for career scoring average at 19.1, owns the school record for career rebounds with 1,122, holds the school record for career rebounding average at 9.8, the school record holder for career blocks with 312 and blocks per game at 2.71 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.

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.

K-State, ranked 13th&nbsp;in the preseason Associated Press and USA Today/WBCA Coaches polls, opens returns to action tonight at 6:30 p.m., as the Wildcats host Belmont. For tickets, visit&nbsp;<a href="http://kstatesports.com/tickets" target="_blank">kstatesports.com/tickets</a>&nbsp;or call (800) 221-CATS.

MANHATTAN, Kan.&nbsp;–&nbsp;For the fourth time in her career, K-State senior center Ayoka Lee has been named to the Los Angeles Athletic Club John R. Wooden Award, presented by Principal, Preseason Women’s Top 50 Watch List.Lee was previously named to the Wooden Award Watch List in the 2021, 2022 and 2024 seasons. The product of Byron, Minnesota, was named to the Wood Award National Ballot in the 2022 and 2024 seasons.The players on the list are considered strong candidates for the 2025 John R. Wooden Award® Women’s Player of the Year. The National Ballot consists of 15 top players who have proven to their universities that they meet or exceed the qualifications of the Wooden Award®. Wooden Award™ voters will rank in order 10 of those 15 players when voting opens prior to the NCAA Tournament and will allow voters to take into consideration performance during the tournament’s early round games. The Wooden Award All-American Team™ will be announced the week of the “Elite Eight” round of the NCAA Tournament. The winner of the 2025 John R. Wooden Award®, presented by Principal, will be presented at the Los Angeles Athletic Club on April 11, 2025.Lee adds Thursday’s recognition to her preseason haul of honors which includes: Associated Press All-America honorable mention selection, preseason All-America Second Team honors from The Athletic, selection to the Jersey Mike’s Naismith Women’s Player of the Year Watch List, 2024-25 Lisa Leslie Award Watch List and being named the Big 12 Preseason Player of the Year by the league’s coaches and her unanimous selection to the preseason All-Big 12 team.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.In her career, Lee ranks third in school history for points scored with 2,201, holds the school record for career scoring average at 19.1, owns the school record for career rebounds with 1,122, holds the school record for career rebounding average at 9.8, the school record holder for career blocks with 312 and blocks per game at 2.71 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.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.K-State, ranked 13th&nbsp;in the preseason Associated Press and USA Today/WBCA Coaches polls, opens returns to action tonight at 6:30 p.m., as the Wildcats host Belmont. For tickets, visit&nbsp;<a href="http://kstatesports.com/tickets" target="_blank">kstatesports.com/tickets</a>&nbsp;or call (800) 221-CATS.

K-State’s Lee Named to Wooden Award Watch List

ASSISTANT HEAD COACH/SPECIAL TEAMS COORDINATOR DAVE TOUB

Q: When you got Peyton Hendershot, did you have your eye on having him contribute on special teams?

TOUB: “Yeah, he (Peyton Hendershot) was a good player in Dallas. I talk to (Cowboys Special Teams Coordinator John) Fassel down there and he called me immediately as soon as we traded for him, and he said, ‘You got my guy.’ He does a good job. He can run and he does a good job, he’s real physical. He understands, he has good instincts, and he helped us in that game. He was able to step in on a short – you know obviously when he (Jared Wiley) got hurt – he got (called up) on a short notice and was able to be a three-phase player for us in that game so it helped.”

Q: What did you see on Mecole Hardman’s 30-yard return?

TOUB: “It was a good job by him (Mecole Hardman). You know we blocked it up pretty good, we doubled down the gunners, we had six guys in the box. We got a good punt, he set it up really well and bounced it out to the wall. Once we got to the wall, he was able to use his speed and get out. Unfortunately, that’s where he got hit and landed on his shoulder, but he was able to come back in the game and he toughed it out and came back. It says a lot about him.”

Q: What’s the scouting report on the Broncos?

TOUB: “Ah man, they are really good and I’m not just – I mean this is real. They are probably (a) top five unit right now. You know as it speaks – as it is right now, statistically. You put on the tape, and it got our attention right away. They fly around, the (Broncos) returner (Marvin) Mims is probably the best guy we’ve faced all year. (Broncos) Punter Riley Dixon moves the ball well. (Broncos) Kicker (Wil) Lutz is doing a great job. I mean, (they’re) well coached. (Broncos Special Teams Coordinator) Ben Kotwica is probably the – you know I have a lot of respect for him, I think he is one of the best coaches in the league. We’ve got our hands full. They’re built to dominate on special teams. They’ve got a few of our ex-players too. They’ve got (Broncos CB) Tremon Smith and – (Broncos FB Michael) Burton. I can’t forget about Burton, I mean shoot, he’s a great player.”

DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR STEVE SPAGNUOLO

OPENING STATEMENT:&nbsp;“Listen, we got a – it’s a quick week coming off a Monday night game, hopefully we get plenty of rest and get ready to play on Sunday. (It’s) nice to have a noon time game with a little sunlight out so we’re looking forward to that – AFC West Divisional Game so we’re pretty fired up about that. With that, I’ll open it up.”

Q:&nbsp;How do you feel Joshua Williams did with the added snaps?

SPAGNUOLO:&nbsp;“(Joshua Williams did a) solid job. We have some things we have to work on. I think if you asked all the guys – I don’t know, maybe you’ve spoken to them. Listen, the most important thing is we won the game. Nobody felt good about the way it ended defensively. The last thing we want to do is put the offense back out there, go to overtime – the whole thing, so that part was disappointing. Quite frankly, we need to get better there because in the last three games – I mean the other two games were two possessions, it’s a little bit different, but this one stung a little bit and we hope to improve there. Getting back to the original question, I thought Josh (Joshua Williams) was solid. There’s some things we have to get better (at), and we’ll see where we go from here.”

Q:&nbsp;When you look at where you guys are now, what traits stand out to you about how you’re finding all these different ways to win and what is it that drives that?

SPAGNUOLO:&nbsp;“The head coach drives it first, then the quarterback, then hopefully the defense is factored in there somewhere. It’s funny, you ask the question, and I don’t know, maybe this is a fault, I don’t know but I get – I’m kind of like so here (motions hands to indicate being focused) that sometimes I’m unaware that we’re winning games like we’re winning them because all I’m really concerned about is not letting them score points to give our team a chance to win. We’ve found ways, ahead, behind, overtime, field goals, touchdowns and that’s – I think it’s a credit to the guys in the locker room – the character of those guys.”

Q:&nbsp;What do you see out of Broncos Quarterback Bo Nix?

SPAGNUOLO:&nbsp;“When are we going to get one that’s not so good (laughter)? Boy, for a rookie, he (Broncos QB Bo Nix) has a command. I watched – I went back and watched the first game he played in and was – I thought he – (Broncos Head Coach) Sean (Payton) had him doing things that sometimes you say, ‘Do you have a rookie do it in the first game that he plays?’ But yet, there he is doing it. I just think he’s gotten better every week. He looks more comfortable. You guys (the media) see it. It’s another athletic quarterback and I think those guys are always headaches because there’s certain things you can and can’t do because you’re afraid that he’s going to make you look bad with his feet and he can do that. I think he’s getting – listen, the guy can throw the football, there’s no doubt about that. They have themselves a good one.”

Q: What are some of the keys to the success on third down and what is the importance of converting on third down?

NAGY:&nbsp;“It’s very important. Probably just staying ahead of the sticks first (and) second down and it always goes to that. (That’s) kind of the commonsense answer but then also there’s been some stuff with Pat (Patrick Mahomes) using his legs. Conceptionally, if something’s not there I think he does a good job of ‘eyes down and then how can I make something happen with my feet.’ Then, (it’s) almost like you see whether it’s first, second or third down, he also now entices the defense that they’ve got to stop him and now he does a good job of still kind of playing that ‘go, throw or go’ type (of) deal with the line of scrimmage where you either go and run, you throw it or all of a sudden they think you’re going to do that then he runs and gets a first down. It’s a combination of all of that but I’ll go back to the start. First and second down, staying ahead of that – the sticks and then eliminating the penalties.”

Q: How have you guys been able to be so adaptable despite all the injuries this season?

NAGY:&nbsp;“Probably the mentality that (Head) Coach (Andy) Reid has. No matter who it is – I say this and I mean it, he doesn’t care and we don’t care. Whoever’s out there, we put it on us that we’ve got to stay together, we’ve got to do what’s best for the players – whoever it is. We believe in those guys (and) we hope (that) they believe in us and then let’s go stay positive and make things happen and guys have done that. They’ve been able to step in, some guys have had prior history that we know with JuJu (Smith-Schuster) and Kareem (Hunt) but there’s other guys too that are going to have to step up. They feel the belief and Coach Reid has the belief in his players and coaches. We all feel that and it’s something that just organically grows.”

Q: Does it feel like you have so many different ways to win now? Is that something that has come from your ability to adjust with injuries?

Chiefs Coordinator QuotesNovember 7, 2024ASSISTANT HEAD COACH/SPECIAL TEAMS COORDINATOR DAVE TOUBQ: When you got Peyton Hendershot, did you have your eye on having him contribute on special teams?TOUB: “Yeah, he (Peyton Hendershot) was a good player in Dallas. I talk to (Cowboys Special Teams Coordinator John) Fassel down there and he called me immediately as soon as we traded for him, and he said, ‘You got my guy.’ He does a good job. He can run and he does a good job, he’s real physical. He understands, he has good instincts, and he helped us in that game. He was able to step in on a short – you know obviously when he (Jared Wiley) got hurt – he got (called up) on a short notice and was able to be a three-phase player for us in that game so it helped.”Q: What did you see on Mecole Hardman’s 30-yard return?TOUB: “It was a good job by him (Mecole Hardman). You know we blocked it up pretty good, we doubled down the gunners, we had six guys in the box. We got a good punt, he set it up really well and bounced it out to the wall. Once we got to the wall, he was able to use his speed and get out. Unfortunately, that’s where he got hit and landed on his shoulder, but he was able to come back in the game and he toughed it out and came back. It says a lot about him.”Q: What’s the scouting report on the Broncos?TOUB: “Ah man, they are really good and I’m not just – I mean this is real. They are probably (a) top five unit right now. You know as it speaks – as it is right now, statistically. You put on the tape, and it got our attention right away. They fly around, the (Broncos) returner (Marvin) Mims is probably the best guy we’ve faced all year. (Broncos) Punter Riley Dixon moves the ball well. (Broncos) Kicker (Wil) Lutz is doing a great job. I mean, (they’re) well coached. (Broncos Special Teams Coordinator) Ben Kotwica is probably the – you know I have a lot of respect for him, I think he is one of the best coaches in the league. We’ve got our hands full. They’re built to dominate on special teams. They’ve got a few of our ex-players too. They’ve got (Broncos CB) Tremon Smith and – (Broncos FB Michael) Burton. I can’t forget about Burton, I mean shoot, he’s a great player.”DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR STEVE SPAGNUOLOOPENING STATEMENT:&nbsp;“Listen, we got a – it’s a quick week coming off a Monday night game, hopefully we get plenty of rest and get ready to play on Sunday. (It’s) nice to have a noon time game with a little sunlight out so we’re looking forward to that – AFC West Divisional Game so we’re pretty fired up about that. With that, I’ll open it up.”Q:&nbsp;How do you feel Joshua Williams did with the added snaps?SPAGNUOLO:&nbsp;“(Joshua Williams did a) solid job. We have some things we have to work on. I think if you asked all the guys – I don’t know, maybe you’ve spoken to them. Listen, the most important thing is we won the game. Nobody felt good about the way it ended defensively. The last thing we want to do is put the offense back out there, go to overtime – the whole thing, so that part was disappointing. Quite frankly, we need to get better there because in the last three games – I mean the other two games were two possessions, it’s a little bit different, but this one stung a little bit and we hope to improve there. Getting back to the original question, I thought Josh (Joshua Williams) was solid. There’s some things we have to get better (at), and we’ll see where we go from here.”Q:&nbsp;When you look at where you guys are now, what traits stand out to you about how you’re finding all these different ways to win and what is it that drives that?SPAGNUOLO:&nbsp;“The head coach drives it first, then the quarterback, then hopefully the defense is factored in there somewhere. It’s funny, you ask the question, and I don’t know, maybe this is a fault, I don’t know but I get – I’m kind of like so here (motions hands to indicate being focused) that sometimes I’m unaware that we’re winning games like we’re winning them because all I’m really concerned about is not letting them score points to give our team a chance to win. We’ve found ways, ahead, behind, overtime, field goals, touchdowns and that’s – I think it’s a credit to the guys in the locker room – the character of those guys.”Q:&nbsp;What do you see out of Broncos Quarterback Bo Nix?SPAGNUOLO:&nbsp;“When are we going to get one that’s not so good (laughter)? Boy, for a rookie, he (Broncos QB Bo Nix) has a command. I watched – I went back and watched the first game he played in and was – I thought he – (Broncos Head Coach) Sean (Payton) had him doing things that sometimes you say, ‘Do you have a rookie do it in the first game that he plays?’ But yet, there he is doing it. I just think he’s gotten better every week. He looks more comfortable. You guys (the media) see it. It’s another athletic quarterback and I think those guys are always headaches because there’s certain things you can and can’t do because you’re afraid that he’s going to make you look bad with his feet and he can do that. I think he’s getting – listen, the guy can throw the football, there’s no doubt about that. They have themselves a good one.”OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR MATT NAGYQ: What are some of the keys to the success on third down and what is the importance of converting on third down?NAGY:&nbsp;“It’s very important. Probably just staying ahead of the sticks first (and) second down and it always goes to that. (That’s) kind of the commonsense answer but then also there’s been some stuff with Pat (Patrick Mahomes) using his legs. Conceptionally, if something’s not there I think he does a good job of ‘eyes down and then how can I make something happen with my feet.’ Then, (it’s) almost like you see whether it’s first, second or third down, he also now entices the defense that they’ve got to stop him and now he does a good job of still kind of playing that ‘go, throw or go’ type (of) deal with the line of scrimmage where you either go and run, you throw it or all of a sudden they think you’re going to do that then he runs and gets a first down. It’s a combination of all of that but I’ll go back to the start. First and second down, staying ahead of that – the sticks and then eliminating the penalties.”Q: How have you guys been able to be so adaptable despite all the injuries this season?NAGY:&nbsp;“Probably the mentality that (Head) Coach (Andy) Reid has. No matter who it is – I say this and I mean it, he doesn’t care and we don’t care. Whoever’s out there, we put it on us that we’ve got to stay together, we’ve got to do what’s best for the players – whoever it is. We believe in those guys (and) we hope (that) they believe in us and then let’s go stay positive and make things happen and guys have done that. They’ve been able to step in, some guys have had prior history that we know with JuJu (Smith-Schuster) and Kareem (Hunt) but there’s other guys too that are going to have to step up. They feel the belief and Coach Reid has the belief in his players and coaches. We all feel that and it’s something that just organically grows.”Q: Does it feel like you have so many different ways to win now? Is that something that has come from your ability to adjust with injuries?

Chiefs Quotes: 11-8-24

The Kansas Wesleyan Coyotes collected a victory over the No. 7 seed Southwestern Moundbuilders on Wednesday night at JRI Hospitality Stadium at the Graves Family Sports Complex.

The No. 2 seeded Coyotes now advance to Friday's semifinal match and will face No. 3 seed Ottawa at Scheels-Stryker Sports Complex in Wichita at 4:30 p.m.

After the two teams met just three days ago, the tournament saw the teams meet again with the season on the line. The Coyotes controlled the match from the kickoff, never giving Southwestern a chance to get any sort of offensive chance going.

Wesleyan's first goal came in the 19th minute as <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/01daa475-3b5c-4b09-b367-80896aee0b74?elinkdata=14834">Jakob Treitl</a> delivered a perfectly placed ball off the right side to Juan Lozada who was streaking down the middle of the final and finished just inside the far post.

KWU outshot Southwestern 10-1 in the first half.

The Coyotes got a second goal in the 60th minute as Treitl came through again stealing a pass from the Southwestern back line players and driving in and scoring.

Wesleyan held possession for a majority of the second half, and possessed the ball for about a six-minute stretch in the final ten minutes before giving up possession when the ball was knocked out of bound and Southwestern was finally able to run five substitutes onto the pitch.

The Kansas Wesleyan Coyotes collected a victory over the No. 7 seed Southwestern Moundbuilders on Wednesday night at JRI Hospitality Stadium at the Graves Family Sports Complex.The No. 2 seeded Coyotes now advance to Friday's semifinal match and will face No. 3 seed Ottawa at Scheels-Stryker Sports Complex in Wichita at 4:30 p.m.After the two teams met just three days ago, the tournament saw the teams meet again with the season on the line. The Coyotes controlled the match from the kickoff, never giving Southwestern a chance to get any sort of offensive chance going.Wesleyan's first goal came in the 19th minute as <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/01daa475-3b5c-4b09-b367-80896aee0b74?elinkdata=14834">Jakob Treitl</a> delivered a perfectly placed ball off the right side to Juan Lozada who was streaking down the middle of the final and finished just inside the far post.KWU outshot Southwestern 10-1 in the first half.The Coyotes got a second goal in the 60th minute as Treitl came through again stealing a pass from the Southwestern back line players and driving in and scoring.Wesleyan held possession for a majority of the second half, and possessed the ball for about a six-minute stretch in the final ten minutes before giving up possession when the ball was knocked out of bound and Southwestern was finally able to run five substitutes onto the pitch.

KWU MSOC dominates Southwestern 2-0 to advance in KCAC Tournament

Kansas Wesleyan volleyball coach <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/080e05a8-bcf4-4f8a-8c16-9a244e9cba93?elinkdata=14808">Jessica Biegert</a> was looking for some positive signs from her team in their final home match of the season.

The Coyotes provided plenty in a 3-0 (25-15, 25-17, 25-19) Kansas Conference sweep of York on Wednesday night inside Mabee Arena.

KWU improved to 17-11 overall and 7-5 in the conference while York fell to 19-13 and 5-7.

The Coyotes hit at a .300 percentage while York managed just .107 percent. They also had 12 service aces.

"It was a good recovery from Saturday," Biegert said, referring to KWU's 3-2 loss to Southwestern in Mabee Arena.

The regular season concludes this Saturday with a trip to Springfield, Missouri for a match against Evangel starting at 11 a.m. Quarterfinal play in the KCAC postseason tournament begins February 12 at campus sites.

<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/2b5b1895-07c1-4cee-9e05-046a26740962?elinkdata=14808">Gianna Adriaanse</a> led the Wesleyan attack with 13 kills on a .379 hitting percentage while <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/7c93c73e-4e07-4a3f-8109-6c41ce5238bb?elinkdata=14808">Kylee Harris</a> had 11 kills and hit .346. <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/d4330633-094e-4acb-8dc9-3f3bec9d9b1c?elinkdata=14808">Rylee Serpan</a> added eight kills and hit .238. <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/90a4a15a-1d06-4910-8cc2-d2aadb160a8a?elinkdata=14808">Sara Bebout</a> had four service aces, <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/05e1c16e-56dd-4918-82fe-faf9414fe114?elinkdata=14808">Sarah Girard</a> and <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/d5125821-ce9d-4bfa-88cd-4b728624e80b?elinkdata=14808">Kori Arnold</a> three apiece and <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/c6a862fc-9ef6-4691-97d9-077e9028799f?elinkdata=14808">Josie Deckinger</a> 30 assists.

Arnold led the defense with 16 digs, Deckinger had 12 and Girard was superb at the net with five block assists.

"We served super aggressive," Biegert said. "It was good to play with stability and play loose, get our confidence back and remind us what K-Dub volleyball is." Biegert said.

Biegert said she saw some of the individual attributes she was looking for.

"Mental toughness and consistency - if you make an error how are you responding?" she said.

Leading 4-3 in the opening set the Coyotes scored seven unanswered points. A 5-1 run extended the lead to 19-8.

KWU bolted to a 14-4 lead in the second set, but York answered with a 7-1 run and trailed 15-11. The Coyotes immediately responded with a 6-1 burst for a 21-12 lead. Four consecutive York points trimmed the lead to 21-16 but Wesleyan scored four of the final five points.

Another fast start in the third set gave the Coyotes an 11-5 lead. A 4-0 York run trimmed the advantage to 11-9 before KWU extended the lead back to 17-11. York made it interesting, though, with a 6-1 burst and trailed 18-17 then 19-18.

Clinging to a 20-19 lead the Coyotes seized control scoring the game's final five points, two on Harris kills.

Biegert said she is looking forward to the Evangel challenge. The Valor (22-5) defeated Avila 3-0 Wednesday in Kansas City, Missouri and is tied for fourth with Ottawa in the KCAC standings at 9-3.

Kansas Wesleyan volleyball coach <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/080e05a8-bcf4-4f8a-8c16-9a244e9cba93?elinkdata=14808">Jessica Biegert</a> was looking for some positive signs from her team in their final home match of the season.The Coyotes provided plenty in a 3-0 (25-15, 25-17, 25-19) Kansas Conference sweep of York on Wednesday night inside Mabee Arena.KWU improved to 17-11 overall and 7-5 in the conference while York fell to 19-13 and 5-7.The Coyotes hit at a .300 percentage while York managed just .107 percent. They also had 12 service aces."It was a good recovery from Saturday," Biegert said, referring to KWU's 3-2 loss to Southwestern in Mabee Arena.The regular season concludes this Saturday with a trip to Springfield, Missouri for a match against Evangel starting at 11 a.m. Quarterfinal play in the KCAC postseason tournament begins February 12 at campus sites.<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/2b5b1895-07c1-4cee-9e05-046a26740962?elinkdata=14808">Gianna Adriaanse</a> led the Wesleyan attack with 13 kills on a .379 hitting percentage while <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/7c93c73e-4e07-4a3f-8109-6c41ce5238bb?elinkdata=14808">Kylee Harris</a> had 11 kills and hit .346. <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/d4330633-094e-4acb-8dc9-3f3bec9d9b1c?elinkdata=14808">Rylee Serpan</a> added eight kills and hit .238. <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/90a4a15a-1d06-4910-8cc2-d2aadb160a8a?elinkdata=14808">Sara Bebout</a> had four service aces, <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/05e1c16e-56dd-4918-82fe-faf9414fe114?elinkdata=14808">Sarah Girard</a> and <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/d5125821-ce9d-4bfa-88cd-4b728624e80b?elinkdata=14808">Kori Arnold</a> three apiece and <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/c6a862fc-9ef6-4691-97d9-077e9028799f?elinkdata=14808">Josie Deckinger</a> 30 assists.Arnold led the defense with 16 digs, Deckinger had 12 and Girard was superb at the net with five block assists."We served super aggressive," Biegert said. "It was good to play with stability and play loose, get our confidence back and remind us what K-Dub volleyball is." Biegert said.Biegert said she saw some of the individual attributes she was looking for."Mental toughness and consistency - if you make an error how are you responding?" she said.Leading 4-3 in the opening set the Coyotes scored seven unanswered points. A 5-1 run extended the lead to 19-8.KWU bolted to a 14-4 lead in the second set, but York answered with a 7-1 run and trailed 15-11. The Coyotes immediately responded with a 6-1 burst for a 21-12 lead. Four consecutive York points trimmed the lead to 21-16 but Wesleyan scored four of the final five points.Another fast start in the third set gave the Coyotes an 11-5 lead. A 4-0 York run trimmed the advantage to 11-9 before KWU extended the lead back to 17-11. York made it interesting, though, with a 6-1 burst and trailed 18-17 then 19-18.Clinging to a 20-19 lead the Coyotes seized control scoring the game's final five points, two on Harris kills.Biegert said she is looking forward to the Evangel challenge. The Valor (22-5) defeated Avila 3-0 Wednesday in Kansas City, Missouri and is tied for fourth with Ottawa in the KCAC standings at 9-3.

Coyote WVB closes home portion of schedule with sweep of York

OKLAHOMA CITY - Kansas Wesleyan Women's Basketball used a big second half rally to get past the Oklahoma City Stars 71-65 on Wednesday night at Abe Lemons Arena.

After trailing 35-26 at the half, the Coyotes outscored the Stars 45-30 in the second 20 minutes of the game to come away with the six-point win.

A 3-pointer by <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/ec1b5555-3b94-455a-9d41-957e0bfa8bcc?elinkdata=14860">LaMyah Ricks</a> with 5:28 left in the third got the Coyotes back within three points at 42-39. Free throws by <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/f48ccd5f-b122-4d82-a145-3c3fa2a854af?elinkdata=14860">Jill Stephens</a> got the Coyotes within a point at 45-44 with 2:33 in the quarter, and <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/799d6482-944d-432c-9254-a4cadb819a20?elinkdata=14860">Hampton Williams'</a> bucket with a minute left got the Coyotes within a point.

<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/cb324e6a-9a1e-400a-a089-b56c9abf4824?elinkdata=14860">Odessa Ozuna's</a> 3-pointer right before the quarter ran out got the Coyotes back within two at 51-49.

Another 3-pointer, this time by <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/9f7054a4-aef5-4e30-b9a3-101ec86dbbd7?elinkdata=14860">Catherine Bowman</a> to open the fourth gave the Coyotes their first lead since it was 4-0 KWU to start the game at 52-51. Wesleyan pushed its lead out to five at 58-53 on a bucket by Ricks with 7:30 left.

OCU tied it up with 2:57 left at 63, but Williams scored it for the Coyotes putting them back on top and it would remain that way the rest of the way.

KWU led 4-0 to start the game, but got stuck on four points for over five minutes while the Stars built a 13-4 lead. A 3-pointer by <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/b52f087f-707e-4f7c-bf48-e63823e33689?elinkdata=14860">Jill Stephens</a> stopped the OCU run.

Another Stephens triple tied it at 17 to start the second quarter, but another over four-minute scoring drought for the Coyotes gave the Stars a 24-18 lead with 5:14 to go in the half. OCU pushed its lead out to 13 with 1:18 to go.

Stephens led the Coyotes with 19 points hitting five 3-pointers and four free throws, while Ricks added 16 and <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/0a8f08a3-d45d-403b-8122-da26326bfd79?elinkdata=14860">Angel Lee</a> had 10. KWU shot 44.6 percent from the field. Willams led the Coyotes with seven rebounds, while Ricks had six.

OKLAHOMA CITY - Kansas Wesleyan Women's Basketball used a big second half rally to get past the Oklahoma City Stars 71-65 on Wednesday night at Abe Lemons Arena.After trailing 35-26 at the half, the Coyotes outscored the Stars 45-30 in the second 20 minutes of the game to come away with the six-point win.A 3-pointer by <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/ec1b5555-3b94-455a-9d41-957e0bfa8bcc?elinkdata=14860">LaMyah Ricks</a> with 5:28 left in the third got the Coyotes back within three points at 42-39. Free throws by <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/f48ccd5f-b122-4d82-a145-3c3fa2a854af?elinkdata=14860">Jill Stephens</a> got the Coyotes within a point at 45-44 with 2:33 in the quarter, and <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/799d6482-944d-432c-9254-a4cadb819a20?elinkdata=14860">Hampton Williams'</a> bucket with a minute left got the Coyotes within a point.<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/cb324e6a-9a1e-400a-a089-b56c9abf4824?elinkdata=14860">Odessa Ozuna's</a> 3-pointer right before the quarter ran out got the Coyotes back within two at 51-49.Another 3-pointer, this time by <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/9f7054a4-aef5-4e30-b9a3-101ec86dbbd7?elinkdata=14860">Catherine Bowman</a> to open the fourth gave the Coyotes their first lead since it was 4-0 KWU to start the game at 52-51. Wesleyan pushed its lead out to five at 58-53 on a bucket by Ricks with 7:30 left.OCU tied it up with 2:57 left at 63, but Williams scored it for the Coyotes putting them back on top and it would remain that way the rest of the way.KWU led 4-0 to start the game, but got stuck on four points for over five minutes while the Stars built a 13-4 lead. A 3-pointer by <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/b52f087f-707e-4f7c-bf48-e63823e33689?elinkdata=14860">Jill Stephens</a> stopped the OCU run.Another Stephens triple tied it at 17 to start the second quarter, but another over four-minute scoring drought for the Coyotes gave the Stars a 24-18 lead with 5:14 to go in the half. OCU pushed its lead out to 13 with 1:18 to go.Stephens led the Coyotes with 19 points hitting five 3-pointers and four free throws, while Ricks added 16 and <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/0a8f08a3-d45d-403b-8122-da26326bfd79?elinkdata=14860">Angel Lee</a> had 10. KWU shot 44.6 percent from the field. Willams led the Coyotes with seven rebounds, while Ricks had six.

Big second half propels KWU WBB to 71-65 win over Oklahoma City

MANHATTAN - Kansas Wesleyan Men's Basketball trailed 54-47 with 10 minutes left on Tuesday night against the Manhattan Christian Thunder at Howie's Activities Center. The Coyotes would rally over the next three minutes to take the lead back and pull away for a 70-62 victory.

Dan Morgan's free throws with 6:59 left in the game completed the rally for the Coyotes while was a 9-1 run for the Coyotes.

KWU trailed 30-29 at the half, and <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/dc4c401a-3ef4-4c39-9d40-6bb3603c13e8?elinkdata=14782">Alex Littlejohn's</a> steal and bucket got the Coyotes back on top at 31-30. MCC tied it a 35 all and then took the lead 38-35 with 15:47 left and would lead until a 3-pointer by <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/5640cf52-aca8-464f-a86c-133eeb0d5fed?elinkdata=14782">Landon Wagler</a> put KWU up 44-43 with 11:49 left.

The Thunder rolled back into the lead pushing back and building the seven-point margin with 10:02 to go.

Back came the Coyotes, on free throws by Wagler and <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/e82b0d38-55e7-4b62-a763-ef895b0aac7c?elinkdata=14782">Easton Hunter</a> ahead of a 3-pointer by Durrell Hudspeth that got the Coyotes within a point. Morgan's free throws with 6:59 left put the Coyotes up for good.

The game was back and forth to start between the teams, as both shared the early lead. KWU led 16-11 on <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/531de01d-abf2-4c3c-a482-4b5fc45b0468?elinkdata=14782">Stefan Spray's</a> bucket with 12:17 in the first, and another bucket by Spray with 8:58 left made the lead seven points at 20-13. A dunk by <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/e7d7f7fd-d11e-47fc-90e3-01ee60b0fb45?elinkdata=14782">Evens Appolon</a> made it 24-15 Coyotes with 7:19 to go. An 11-0 run by Manhattan Christian gave the Thunder a 26-24 lead with 2:38 left before the half.

<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/5f5cddfd-b0bc-44e7-8db6-10ec4cc35c80?elinkdata=14782">Alex Littlejohn</a> led the Coyotes with 15 points, while Wagler added 12 and Hunter 10. KWU shot just 31.3 percent from the field for 31.3 percent, including going 8 of 29 in the second half.

MANHATTAN - Kansas Wesleyan Men's Basketball trailed 54-47 with 10 minutes left on Tuesday night against the Manhattan Christian Thunder at Howie's Activities Center. The Coyotes would rally over the next three minutes to take the lead back and pull away for a 70-62 victory.Dan Morgan's free throws with 6:59 left in the game completed the rally for the Coyotes while was a 9-1 run for the Coyotes.KWU trailed 30-29 at the half, and <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/dc4c401a-3ef4-4c39-9d40-6bb3603c13e8?elinkdata=14782">Alex Littlejohn's</a> steal and bucket got the Coyotes back on top at 31-30. MCC tied it a 35 all and then took the lead 38-35 with 15:47 left and would lead until a 3-pointer by <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/5640cf52-aca8-464f-a86c-133eeb0d5fed?elinkdata=14782">Landon Wagler</a> put KWU up 44-43 with 11:49 left.The Thunder rolled back into the lead pushing back and building the seven-point margin with 10:02 to go.Back came the Coyotes, on free throws by Wagler and <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/e82b0d38-55e7-4b62-a763-ef895b0aac7c?elinkdata=14782">Easton Hunter</a> ahead of a 3-pointer by Durrell Hudspeth that got the Coyotes within a point. Morgan's free throws with 6:59 left put the Coyotes up for good.The game was back and forth to start between the teams, as both shared the early lead. KWU led 16-11 on <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/531de01d-abf2-4c3c-a482-4b5fc45b0468?elinkdata=14782">Stefan Spray's</a> bucket with 12:17 in the first, and another bucket by Spray with 8:58 left made the lead seven points at 20-13. A dunk by <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/e7d7f7fd-d11e-47fc-90e3-01ee60b0fb45?elinkdata=14782">Evens Appolon</a> made it 24-15 Coyotes with 7:19 to go. An 11-0 run by Manhattan Christian gave the Thunder a 26-24 lead with 2:38 left before the half.<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/5f5cddfd-b0bc-44e7-8db6-10ec4cc35c80?elinkdata=14782">Alex Littlejohn</a> led the Coyotes with 15 points, while Wagler added 12 and Hunter 10. KWU shot just 31.3 percent from the field for 31.3 percent, including going 8 of 29 in the second half.

Coyotes rally to beat Manhattan Christian 70-62

The Kansas Wesleyan Coaches' Show returns for week ten as the Kansas Wesleyan Coyotes (5-4), return to JRI Stadium in Salina one last time to take on the Ottawa Braves (1-8).

On this week's show, we sat down and visited with co-interim head coaches David Leonard and Chris Snyder, free safety Quatama Massaquoi, and offensive coordinator James Bauer

Saturday's football game can be heard on KINA (910 AM/107.5 FM) with Tyler Henry and Brooks Garretson on the call. Pregame coverage begins at noon with kickoff scheduled for 1:00.

<figure>
 <iframe width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/s3tMzceIMF4"></iframe>
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>The Kansas Wesleyan Coaches' Show returns for week ten as the Kansas Wesleyan Coyotes (5-4), return to JRI Stadium in Salina one last time to take on the Ottawa Braves (1-8).On this week's show, we sat down and visited with co-interim head coaches David Leonard and Chris Snyder, free safety Quatama Massaquoi, and offensive coordinator James BauerSaturday's football game can be heard on KINA (910 AM/107.5 FM) with Tyler Henry and Brooks Garretson on the call. Pregame coverage begins at noon with kickoff scheduled for 1:00.

Kansas Wesleyan Coaches Show- Week Ten

Chiefs Head Coach Andy Reid Quotes

OPENING STATEMENT:&nbsp;“Alright, as far as the guys that won’t go (practice) today, JuJu (Smith-Schuster) won’t but (he’s) making good progress, (he’s) just a little bit away. Then, Turk (Tershawn Wharton) won’t go today but it is good. He had a knee contusion and so we’re just letting it rest today. Everybody else will be out there and working. Again, we look forward to the challenge of playing Denver. We know they’re a good football team (and) they’re very well coached in all the phases. (Broncos Offensive Coordinator) Joe (Lombardi) does a good job with the offense along with (Broncos Head Coach) Sean (Payton) and (Broncos Defensive Coordinator) Vance (Joseph) on defense. (He’s) been a head coach, he’s a great football coach (and he) has a tremendous scheme there. Then, (Broncos Special Teams Coordinator) Ben (Kotwica) works with the special teams and does a nice job there and they’ve got good players. Like I said, they’re playing well (and) they’re executing well in all three phases so anyways, with that, the time’s yours.”

Q: With Patrick Mahomes, is there any expectations as far as managing the ankle that you need to back off a little this week?

REID:&nbsp;“No, we won’t have to back off, but he (Patrick Mahomes) manages it. He stays on top of all that.”

Q: Kingsley Suamataia played a couple of snaps on the first drive. What was happening on that?

REID:&nbsp;“So, our called player was 64 (Wanya Morris) so then we could sub Kingsley (Suamataia) out. When we put Mike (Caliendo) in and Mike could come in – you have to sub the guy out – the called player. So, to do what we were trying to do you had to make that move but I mean, it shows you the trust that we have in Kingsley too, because we came in and threw the ball. It didn’t matter what the play was. We have two good young guys. They’re getting better as we go.”

Q: Is it easier to have Wanya Morris eligible based on his limited receiving skills that we’ve seen? Is that a part of the equation as well?

REID:&nbsp;“Yeah. I mean, you know – we’re not – yeah. Listen, they both can catch so yeah, they both (Wanya Morris and Kingsley Suamataia) can catch.”

Q: What are the timetables for Charles Omenihu and Isiah Pacheco in terms of returning to practice?

REID:&nbsp;“We’re taking it week-by-week, day-by-day, that whole deal. I mean, we’ve got to work through the doctors on that so – and the checkups there. They’re both (Charles Omenihu and Isiah Pacheco) doing great, they’re both making progress. JuJu (Smith-Schuster) the same way so we’re getting close.”

REID:&nbsp;“Eh, I don’t think so. No.”

Q: What do you think has enabled you guys to keep moving forward and stay undefeated?

REID:&nbsp;“These games have been close. A lot of them. So, I’m proud of the guys for playing for four quarters and hanging together for that time but – so I’d probably tell you that. We can get better in all the different spots, me included. We’re just all kind of working in the same direction right now and that’s important to see if we can improve as we go.”

Q: Does it seem to you that it’s been a variety of different ways to win?

REID:&nbsp;“Different things have shown up at important times. I’d tell you, yes and guys have stepped up and really all three phases have been involved in that. So, I’d tell you yes.”

Q: Are there key ingredients to the successful third downs over the past few weeks?

REID:&nbsp;“First of all, (Offensive Coordinator) Matt (Nagy) does a great job supplying the plays on that and the guys buy in and believe in it. You’ve got an offensive line that’s doing a nice job protecting and a quarterback (Patrick Mahomes) that’s a real good player (laughs). Then, the receivers and (Travis) Kelce and Noah (Gray) have done a great job with their execution there – and staying alive. So, if there was a breakdown here or there or they did a great job in coverage, the guys stay alive and are able to get themselves open. It starts with Matt and what he’s put together for them.”

Q: What stands out about your three-interior offensive lineman?

REID:&nbsp;“Well they’re (Trey Smith, Creed Humphrey and Joe Thuney) all best buddies, they’re always together. They’re good players and they work at it. They’ve played together long enough where they kind of know each other’s strengths and weaknesses and cover up the weakness with each other’s strengths. Again, these challenges that we had – and this week won’t be any different. Their (Denver Broncos) inside guys are great, so it’ll be another big challenge for those inside three to execute. Just like last week was, that was a big challenge. They’re good friends, they spend a lot of time together, they study, they’re smart guys.”

Q: On Xavier Worthy’s development.

REID:&nbsp;“He’s (Xavier Worthy) doing a good job. You know he just had that luck of stepping out of bounds there but what a great route. That was an adjustment he made to even put himself in that position off of the route but he’s doing a good job. He didn’t have his number dialed up as much as he did the weeks in the past. I mean, most of the stuff ended up going to (Travis) Kelce and 8 (DeAndre Hopkins) so that – but there will be weeks that his number is called a lot more, that’s just how it goes in these games.

Q: What adjustment did Xavier Worthy make on that route?

REID:&nbsp;“They clouded that side, and he (Xavier Worthy) adjusted back outside and was able to escape where you can get yourself forced wide. He was able to keep himself in bounds and escape that corner and force him wider than the play normally brings you to. I thought he did a great job on that part and then just – you know, he’ll learn from that – young guy, he’ll learn from it. You won’t see him step out of bounds very often, that’s not going to – but it was good, it was good. He can take some positive out of it and then he can take something he can learn from out of it too.”

Q: How much of DeAndre Hopkins’ early success is due to the way he thinks about football in the same way that Patrick Mahomes does?

REID:&nbsp;“I mean they’re both (Patrick Mahomes and DeAndre Hopkins) football guys. I’m not sure they turn it off for a long period of time, if at all. He studies like crazy. I mean we have him in a bunch of different spots so just for him to be able to pick it up like he has and be able to get out of the huddle and get lined up has been a plus and then know the routes that are coming to him. He and Pat do a ton of talking and they – you see this with good receivers, good quarterbacks, they’ve got a feel for one another in their games, and you say receivers are quarterback friendly, well some of it’s just body language and seeing the same space together and being able to work in that.”

Q: What do expect from a team coached by Broncos Head Coach Sean Payton?

REID:&nbsp;“Well first of all, he’s (Broncos Head Coach Sean Payton) a great football coach and a heck of an offensive mind. He’s got a young quarterback there that you can just see him developing every week, the kid gets better and better. He knows how to do all that and he does it as well as anybody in this league. They’re improving, their defense is playing out of their minds, they’re one of the top defenses in the National Football League in a bunch of categories. He’s got a good staff that he’s hired and he’s leading it the right way.”

Q: Is there something that you find more satisfying about a longer drive that ends in a touchdown?