OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Hall of Famer Rickey Henderson, the brash speedster who shattered stolen base records and redefined baseball's leadoff position,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/rickey-henderson-dies-dbc401d2db457ee16d7e74b3d80d3e92">has died</a>. He was 65.

Henderson died on Friday. The Athletics said Saturday they were “shocked and heartbroken by his passing," but did not specify a cause of death.

Known as baseball's “Man of Steal,” Henderson had a lengthy list of accolades and accomplishments over his nomadic 25-year career — an MVP, 10 All-Star selections, two World Series titles and a Gold Glove award.

“Rickey was simply the best player I ever played with. He could change the outcome of a game in so many ways," said Don Mattingly, Henderson's teammate with the New York Yankees from 1985-89. "It puts a smile on my face just thinking about him. I will miss my friend.”

It was stealing bases where Henderson made his name and dominated the sport like no other.

He broke through with 100 steals in his first full season in the majors in 1980, topping Ty Cobb's AL single-season record with Billy Martin's “Billy Ball” Oakland Athletics. He barely slowed playing for nine franchises over the next two decades. He broke Lou Brock's single-season record of 118 by stealing 130 bases in 1982 and led the league in steals for seven straight seasons and 12 overall.

Henderson surpassed Brock's career record when he stole his 939th base on May 1, 1991, for Oakland, and famously pulled third base out of the ground and showed it off to the adoring crowd before giving a speech that he capped by saying: “Lou Brock was a great base stealer, but today I am the greatest of all time.”

Henderson finished his career with 1,406 steals. His 468-steal edge over Brock matches the margin between Brock and Jimmy Rollins, who is in 46th place with 470.

“He’s the greatest leadoff hitter of all time, and I’m not sure there’s a close second,” former A's executive Billy Beane said of Henderson.

In September, Henderson insisted he would have had many more steals in his career and in the record-breaking 1982 season if&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mlb-pitch-clock-shift-limits-bigger-bases-311fdb091b61f40b654c05e600a0d4ce">rules introduced in 2023 to limit pickoff throws and increase the size of bases</a>&nbsp;had overlapped with his career.

“If I was playing today, I would get 162, right now, without a doubt," he said. "Because if they had had that rule, you can only throw over there twice, you know how many times they would be throwing over there twice and they’d be going, ‘Ah, (shoot), can y’all send him to third? Give him two bases and send him to third.’ That would be me.”

He even predicted how he could still be stealing more bases than the current major leaguers even 20-plus years post-retirement: "If they’re stealing 40-50 bases right now I’d lead the league.”

Henderson’s accomplishment that record-breaking day in 1991 was slightly overshadowed that night when Nolan Ryan threw his record seventh career no-hitter. Henderson already had been Ryan’s 5,000th career strikeout victim, which led him to say, “If you haven’t been struck out by Nolan Ryan, you’re nobody.”

That was clearly not the case for Henderson. He is also the career leader in runs scored with 2,295 and in leadoff home runs with 81, ranks second to Barry Bonds with 2,190 walks and is fourth in games played (3,081) and plate appearances (13,346). He finished his career with 3,055 hits over 25 seasons spent with Oakland, the Yankees, Toronto, San Diego, Anaheim, the New York Mets, Seattle, Boston and the Los Angeles Dodgers.

He fittingly finished his career with the Dodgers at age 44 in 2003 by scoring a run in his final play on a major league field.

Henderson is the third prominent baseball Hall of Famer with ties to the Bay Area who died this year, following the deaths in June of former Giants stars&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/willie-mays-dies-at-93-baseball-33b31cc2d6382676ed54517d20ea36a3">Willie Mays</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/orlando-cepeda-died-86-giants-2d8b17a39dd0814b290f175196b938d8">Orlando Cepeda</a>.

Henderson was the rare position player who hit from the right side and threw with his left arm — but then again, everything about Henderson was unique.

He batted out of an extreme crouch, making for a tighter strike zone that contributed to his high walk total. He struck fear in opponents with his aggressive leads off first, his fingers twitching between his legs inside his batting gloves as he eyed the pitcher and the next base.

Born on Christmas Day in 1958 in Chicago in the back of his parents' Chevy, Henderson grew up in Oakland and developed into a star athlete. He played baseball, basketball and football at Oakland Tech High School and was a highly sought-after football recruit who could have played tailback at Southern California — where he likely would have eventually had the chance to run alongside football Hall of Famer Marcus Allen.

But Henderson said his mother loved baseball and thought it would be the safer career in a decision that proved to be prescient.

“She didn’t want her baby to get hurt,” Henderson told the San Francisco Chronicle in 2019. “I was mad, but she was smart. Overall, with the career longevity and the success I had, she made the right decision. Some of the players in football now have short careers and they can barely move around when they’re done.”

Henderson was selected in the fourth round of the 1976 amateur draft by the hometown A's and made his big league debut in 1979 with two hits — and, of course, one stolen base.

He became a star for the A's the following season and remained in Oakland through 1984 before being traded to the Yankees. Henderson was part of some talented teams in New York that never made the postseason. In 1985, he scored 146 runs in 143 games to go along with a league-leading 80 steals and 24 homers, helping start the "80-20 club" that season with Cincinnati's Eric Davis.

Henderson was traded back to Oakland in June 1989, leading to his greatest successes. He topped the AL that season with 113 runs, 126 walks and 77 steals, was named the ALCS MVP and helped lead the A's to the World Series title in the earthquake-interrupted Bay Bridge series by sweeping the Giants.

Henderson then won the AL MVP the following season for Oakland before the A's lost the World Series to Cincinnati.

He set the career steals record in 1991 and then was traded two years later to Toronto, where he won his second World Series. He spent the final decade of his career bouncing around the majors and still led the AL with 66 steals and 118 walks at age 39 with Oakland in 1998.

In 2017, the A's named their playing surface “Rickey Henderson Field” at the Oakland Coliseum in his honor.

“When you’re old and grey, sitting around with your buds talking about your career in baseball, you are going to talk about Rickey," said Ron Guidry, another of Henderson's former Yankees teammates. "He was just amazing to watch. There were great outfielders. There were great base stealers. There were great home run hitters. Rickey was a combination of all of those players. He did things out there on the field that the rest of us dreamed of.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/12/1734811062415.jpeg" alt="Oakland A's Rickey Henderson steals second base against the Minnesota Twins in the first inning at the Oakland Coliseum, Calif., April 10, 1991. Henderson needs two more stolen bases to break Lou Brock's record of 938 bases. Th A's beat the Twins 7-2. (AP Photo/Alan Greth)" />
 <figcaption>Oakland A's Rickey Henderson steals second base against the Minnesota Twins in the first inning at the Oakland Coliseum, Calif., April 10, 1991. Henderson needs two more stolen bases to break Lou Brock's record of 938 bases. Th A's beat the Twins 7-2. (AP Photo/Alan Greth)</figcaption>
 </figure>OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Hall of Famer Rickey Henderson, the brash speedster who shattered stolen base records and redefined baseball's leadoff position,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/rickey-henderson-dies-dbc401d2db457ee16d7e74b3d80d3e92">has died</a>. He was 65.Henderson died on Friday. The Athletics said Saturday they were “shocked and heartbroken by his passing," but did not specify a cause of death.Known as baseball's “Man of Steal,” Henderson had a lengthy list of accolades and accomplishments over his nomadic 25-year career — an MVP, 10 All-Star selections, two World Series titles and a Gold Glove award.“Rickey was simply the best player I ever played with. He could change the outcome of a game in so many ways," said Don Mattingly, Henderson's teammate with the New York Yankees from 1985-89. "It puts a smile on my face just thinking about him. I will miss my friend.”It was stealing bases where Henderson made his name and dominated the sport like no other.He broke through with 100 steals in his first full season in the majors in 1980, topping Ty Cobb's AL single-season record with Billy Martin's “Billy Ball” Oakland Athletics. He barely slowed playing for nine franchises over the next two decades. He broke Lou Brock's single-season record of 118 by stealing 130 bases in 1982 and led the league in steals for seven straight seasons and 12 overall.Henderson surpassed Brock's career record when he stole his 939th base on May 1, 1991, for Oakland, and famously pulled third base out of the ground and showed it off to the adoring crowd before giving a speech that he capped by saying: “Lou Brock was a great base stealer, but today I am the greatest of all time.”Henderson finished his career with 1,406 steals. His 468-steal edge over Brock matches the margin between Brock and Jimmy Rollins, who is in 46th place with 470.“He’s the greatest leadoff hitter of all time, and I’m not sure there’s a close second,” former A's executive Billy Beane said of Henderson.In September, Henderson insisted he would have had many more steals in his career and in the record-breaking 1982 season if&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mlb-pitch-clock-shift-limits-bigger-bases-311fdb091b61f40b654c05e600a0d4ce">rules introduced in 2023 to limit pickoff throws and increase the size of bases</a>&nbsp;had overlapped with his career.“If I was playing today, I would get 162, right now, without a doubt," he said. "Because if they had had that rule, you can only throw over there twice, you know how many times they would be throwing over there twice and they’d be going, ‘Ah, (shoot), can y’all send him to third? Give him two bases and send him to third.’ That would be me.”He even predicted how he could still be stealing more bases than the current major leaguers even 20-plus years post-retirement: "If they’re stealing 40-50 bases right now I’d lead the league.”Henderson’s accomplishment that record-breaking day in 1991 was slightly overshadowed that night when Nolan Ryan threw his record seventh career no-hitter. Henderson already had been Ryan’s 5,000th career strikeout victim, which led him to say, “If you haven’t been struck out by Nolan Ryan, you’re nobody.”That was clearly not the case for Henderson. He is also the career leader in runs scored with 2,295 and in leadoff home runs with 81, ranks second to Barry Bonds with 2,190 walks and is fourth in games played (3,081) and plate appearances (13,346). He finished his career with 3,055 hits over 25 seasons spent with Oakland, the Yankees, Toronto, San Diego, Anaheim, the New York Mets, Seattle, Boston and the Los Angeles Dodgers.He fittingly finished his career with the Dodgers at age 44 in 2003 by scoring a run in his final play on a major league field.Henderson is the third prominent baseball Hall of Famer with ties to the Bay Area who died this year, following the deaths in June of former Giants stars&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/willie-mays-dies-at-93-baseball-33b31cc2d6382676ed54517d20ea36a3">Willie Mays</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/orlando-cepeda-died-86-giants-2d8b17a39dd0814b290f175196b938d8">Orlando Cepeda</a>.Henderson was the rare position player who hit from the right side and threw with his left arm — but then again, everything about Henderson was unique.He batted out of an extreme crouch, making for a tighter strike zone that contributed to his high walk total. He struck fear in opponents with his aggressive leads off first, his fingers twitching between his legs inside his batting gloves as he eyed the pitcher and the next base.Born on Christmas Day in 1958 in Chicago in the back of his parents' Chevy, Henderson grew up in Oakland and developed into a star athlete. He played baseball, basketball and football at Oakland Tech High School and was a highly sought-after football recruit who could have played tailback at Southern California — where he likely would have eventually had the chance to run alongside football Hall of Famer Marcus Allen.But Henderson said his mother loved baseball and thought it would be the safer career in a decision that proved to be prescient.“She didn’t want her baby to get hurt,” Henderson told the San Francisco Chronicle in 2019. “I was mad, but she was smart. Overall, with the career longevity and the success I had, she made the right decision. Some of the players in football now have short careers and they can barely move around when they’re done.”Henderson was selected in the fourth round of the 1976 amateur draft by the hometown A's and made his big league debut in 1979 with two hits — and, of course, one stolen base.He became a star for the A's the following season and remained in Oakland through 1984 before being traded to the Yankees. Henderson was part of some talented teams in New York that never made the postseason. In 1985, he scored 146 runs in 143 games to go along with a league-leading 80 steals and 24 homers, helping start the "80-20 club" that season with Cincinnati's Eric Davis.Henderson was traded back to Oakland in June 1989, leading to his greatest successes. He topped the AL that season with 113 runs, 126 walks and 77 steals, was named the ALCS MVP and helped lead the A's to the World Series title in the earthquake-interrupted Bay Bridge series by sweeping the Giants.Henderson then won the AL MVP the following season for Oakland before the A's lost the World Series to Cincinnati.He set the career steals record in 1991 and then was traded two years later to Toronto, where he won his second World Series. He spent the final decade of his career bouncing around the majors and still led the AL with 66 steals and 118 walks at age 39 with Oakland in 1998.In 2017, the A's named their playing surface “Rickey Henderson Field” at the Oakland Coliseum in his honor.“When you’re old and grey, sitting around with your buds talking about your career in baseball, you are going to talk about Rickey," said Ron Guidry, another of Henderson's former Yankees teammates. "He was just amazing to watch. There were great outfielders. There were great base stealers. There were great home run hitters. Rickey was a combination of all of those players. He did things out there on the field that the rest of us dreamed of.”___

Hall of Famer Rickey Henderson, baseball's stolen base king, has died

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Patrick Mahomes threw for 260 yards and a touchdown while running for a score&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/texans-chiefs-nfl-inactives-d2e3212152218c0f4d773a806b90ce70">on his ailing ankle</a>, and the Kansas City Chiefs took a big step toward securing the No. 1 seed in the AFC playoffs with a 27-19 victory over the Houston Texans on Saturday.

The AFC West champion Chiefs (14-1), who have won four straight against the AFC South champ Texans (9-6), can clinch the postseason bye if Buffalo loses to or ties New England on Sunday. If the Bills win, Kansas City can wrap it up by beating Pittsburgh on Christmas Day.

Xavier Worthy had seven catches for 65 yards and a touchdown, Kareem Hunt ran for 55 yards and another score, and Marquise Brown had five catches for 45 yards for Kansas City in his first game this season after recovering from a shoulder injury.

C.J. Stroud had 244 yards and two touchdown passes with two interceptions for Houston, though one of those TD throws came at great expense. Tank Dell, who had six catches for 98 yards,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/texans-tank-dell-injury-chiefs-846aab7b6825a1febee75eee1dc453cb">hurt his left knee on the play</a>&nbsp;and was carted from the field.

Dalton Schultz also had a TD reception for the Texans. Joe Mixon was held to 57 yards rushing.

There were questions early in the week about whether Mahomes would play after sustaining a high ankle sprain late in last week's win over Cleveland. But the two-time MVP was off the injury report by Friday, and Mahomes showed no problems on the Chiefs' opening drive Saturday, finishing it off with a 15-yard scramble to the end zone.

It was merely the start of a back-and-forth first half.

The Texans answered with a 33-yard field goal, then went on a 13-play, 82-yard drive that ended with Stroud's touchdown toss to Schutlz. But the Chiefs quickly regained the lead when Hunt barreled into the end zone, and they tacked on a field goal after Stroud's second interception to lead 17-10 at the break.

Dell was hurt on the Texans' opening drive of the third quarter. He came across the back of the end zone and&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/NFL/status/1870558728891826553">made a spectacular catch</a>&nbsp;but collided with teammate Jared Wayne on his way to the ground. He immediately grabbed his left knee, and Stroud was tearful and visibly shaken as one of his top wide receivers was loaded on a cart and driven from the field.

Ka'imi Fairbairn promptly missed the extra point, and any momentum Houston might've had disappeared.

Kansas City marched the other way, relying heavily on Worthy, who touched the ball four times on the drive. He finished it off with an 8-yard reception, giving the first-round a season-high for receiving yards and his eighth touchdown.

The teams matched fourth-quarter field goals, and the Texans took over trailing 27-19 with just over five minutes to go.

They promptly went three-and-out and Kansas City ran out the clock from there.

Pop star Taylor Swift was on hand for the Chiefs' regular-season finale. She has been spending more time with her boyfriend, Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, in Kansas City since she wrapped up her Eras Tour on Dec. 8 in Vancouver, British Columbia, including&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/taylor-swift-chiefs-childrens-hospital-63677e7d794ea29053c32fe84d44355d">making a surprise visit</a>&nbsp;to Children's Mercy Hospital.

Houston: OG Shaq Mason (left knee) left on the fourth play of the game. FS Jimmie Ward (foot) was hurt late in the first half.

Kansas City: LB Jack Cochrane (ankle) left in the first quarter. RT Jawaan Taylor (knee) left in the third quarter and DT Chris Jones sustained a minor calf injury in the fourth.

The Chiefs head to Pittsburgh and Houston welcomes Baltimore for the NFL's doubleheader on Christmas Day.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/12/1734809639722.png" alt="Photo Kansas City Chiefs" />
 <figcaption>Photo Kansas City Chiefs</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Patrick Mahomes threw for 260 yards and a touchdown while running for a score&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/texans-chiefs-nfl-inactives-d2e3212152218c0f4d773a806b90ce70">on his ailing ankle</a>, and the Kansas City Chiefs took a big step toward securing the No. 1 seed in the AFC playoffs with a 27-19 victory over the Houston Texans on Saturday.The AFC West champion Chiefs (14-1), who have won four straight against the AFC South champ Texans (9-6), can clinch the postseason bye if Buffalo loses to or ties New England on Sunday. If the Bills win, Kansas City can wrap it up by beating Pittsburgh on Christmas Day.Xavier Worthy had seven catches for 65 yards and a touchdown, Kareem Hunt ran for 55 yards and another score, and Marquise Brown had five catches for 45 yards for Kansas City in his first game this season after recovering from a shoulder injury.C.J. Stroud had 244 yards and two touchdown passes with two interceptions for Houston, though one of those TD throws came at great expense. Tank Dell, who had six catches for 98 yards,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/texans-tank-dell-injury-chiefs-846aab7b6825a1febee75eee1dc453cb">hurt his left knee on the play</a>&nbsp;and was carted from the field.Dalton Schultz also had a TD reception for the Texans. Joe Mixon was held to 57 yards rushing.There were questions early in the week about whether Mahomes would play after sustaining a high ankle sprain late in last week's win over Cleveland. But the two-time MVP was off the injury report by Friday, and Mahomes showed no problems on the Chiefs' opening drive Saturday, finishing it off with a 15-yard scramble to the end zone.It was merely the start of a back-and-forth first half.The Texans answered with a 33-yard field goal, then went on a 13-play, 82-yard drive that ended with Stroud's touchdown toss to Schutlz. But the Chiefs quickly regained the lead when Hunt barreled into the end zone, and they tacked on a field goal after Stroud's second interception to lead 17-10 at the break.Dell was hurt on the Texans' opening drive of the third quarter. He came across the back of the end zone and&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/NFL/status/1870558728891826553">made a spectacular catch</a>&nbsp;but collided with teammate Jared Wayne on his way to the ground. He immediately grabbed his left knee, and Stroud was tearful and visibly shaken as one of his top wide receivers was loaded on a cart and driven from the field.Ka'imi Fairbairn promptly missed the extra point, and any momentum Houston might've had disappeared.Kansas City marched the other way, relying heavily on Worthy, who touched the ball four times on the drive. He finished it off with an 8-yard reception, giving the first-round a season-high for receiving yards and his eighth touchdown.The teams matched fourth-quarter field goals, and the Texans took over trailing 27-19 with just over five minutes to go.They promptly went three-and-out and Kansas City ran out the clock from there.<h2>Taylor time</h2>Pop star Taylor Swift was on hand for the Chiefs' regular-season finale. She has been spending more time with her boyfriend, Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, in Kansas City since she wrapped up her Eras Tour on Dec. 8 in Vancouver, British Columbia, including&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/taylor-swift-chiefs-childrens-hospital-63677e7d794ea29053c32fe84d44355d">making a surprise visit</a>&nbsp;to Children's Mercy Hospital.<h2>Injuries</h2>Houston: OG Shaq Mason (left knee) left on the fourth play of the game. FS Jimmie Ward (foot) was hurt late in the first half.Kansas City: LB Jack Cochrane (ankle) left in the first quarter. RT Jawaan Taylor (knee) left in the third quarter and DT Chris Jones sustained a minor calf injury in the fourth.<h2>Up next</h2>The Chiefs head to Pittsburgh and Houston welcomes Baltimore for the NFL's doubleheader on Christmas Day.___

🏈 Mahomes throws for TD and runs for score as Chiefs beat Texans 

By ADAM COULTER Salina Post Contributor

Sacred Heart traveled to Lyons Friday night to begin its NCAA league schedule and came home with a doubleheader sweep. The Lady Knights never trailed in a 62-25 blowout and the Sacred Heart boys followed with a 70-57 triumph.&nbsp;

In the first matchup of the evening, the Sacred Heart girls opened on a 7-0 run and led the entire game. By the end of the first quarter, the Lady Knights were ahead by as many as 20 points and held a 22-4 advantage.

Sacred Heart extended its advantage to 37-12 at halftime and 55-19 after three quarters. With a running fourth-quarter clock, the Lady Knights went on for a 37-point win.

The Sacred Heart girls improve to 3-3 overall and 1-0 in the NCAA league. Skylar Douglas led the way with 26 points. Adelyn Lee scored 19 and Mia Hamilton added nine off the bench.

In the boys game, Sacred Heart trailed only once. Down 2-0, the Knights scored the next eight points and never looked back. The Lions trailed 21-13 after the opening quarter.

After building its first double-figure lead, Sacred Heart surrendered a surge by Lyons and clung to a 33-29 advantage at halftime.

Sacred Heart began the third quarter on another run. This time a 7-0 spurt put the Knights back on top by 11 points, but the Lions answered to again cut the deficit to four.

The Knights were on top 53-44 entering the final period and, after leading by as many as 14, finished the game on top by a baker's dozen. Sacred Heart remains perfect with a 6-0 overall record and is 1-0 in the NCAA league.&nbsp;

In a statistical anomaly, the Knights didn't score a two-point field goal after the opening quarter. Every Sacred Heart basket the last three quarters either came from the free-throw line or behind the arc.

Will Tuttle scored 22 points to lead the Knights. Maddox Wells added 19 and Noah Hines scored 11 points. Luke Koland tallied 9 as well.

Sacred Heart resumes its schedule on Friday, January 3rd and will host Minneapolis in an NCAA league doubleheader. Coverage of both games will be available at <a href="http://salinapost.com/">salinapost.com</a>.

By ADAM COULTER Salina Post ContributorSacred Heart traveled to Lyons Friday night to begin its NCAA league schedule and came home with a doubleheader sweep. The Lady Knights never trailed in a 62-25 blowout and the Sacred Heart boys followed with a 70-57 triumph.&nbsp;<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>In the first matchup of the evening, the Sacred Heart girls opened on a 7-0 run and led the entire game. By the end of the first quarter, the Lady Knights were ahead by as many as 20 points and held a 22-4 advantage.Sacred Heart extended its advantage to 37-12 at halftime and 55-19 after three quarters. With a running fourth-quarter clock, the Lady Knights went on for a 37-point win.The Sacred Heart girls improve to 3-3 overall and 1-0 in the NCAA league. Skylar Douglas led the way with 26 points. Adelyn Lee scored 19 and Mia Hamilton added nine off the bench.In the boys game, Sacred Heart trailed only once. Down 2-0, the Knights scored the next eight points and never looked back. The Lions trailed 21-13 after the opening quarter.After building its first double-figure lead, Sacred Heart surrendered a surge by Lyons and clung to a 33-29 advantage at halftime.Sacred Heart began the third quarter on another run. This time a 7-0 spurt put the Knights back on top by 11 points, but the Lions answered to again cut the deficit to four.The Knights were on top 53-44 entering the final period and, after leading by as many as 14, finished the game on top by a baker's dozen. Sacred Heart remains perfect with a 6-0 overall record and is 1-0 in the NCAA league.&nbsp;In a statistical anomaly, the Knights didn't score a two-point field goal after the opening quarter. Every Sacred Heart basket the last three quarters either came from the free-throw line or behind the arc.Will Tuttle scored 22 points to lead the Knights. Maddox Wells added 19 and Noah Hines scored 11 points. Luke Koland tallied 9 as well.Sacred Heart resumes its schedule on Friday, January 3rd and will host Minneapolis in an NCAA league doubleheader. Coverage of both games will be available at <a href="http://salinapost.com/">salinapost.com</a>.

Sacred Heart sweeps Lyons to open NCAA league slate

Cincinnati (8-2, 0-0 Big 12) vs. (13/12) Kansas State (12-1, 0-0 Big 12)

Sunday, December 22, 2024&nbsp; |&nbsp; 1 p.m. |&nbsp; Bramlage Coliseum (11,010)&nbsp; |&nbsp; Manhattan, Kan.

K-State Sports Network &amp; SiriusXM (Ch. 199 or 211)

<a href="http://www.kstatesports.com/" target="_blank">www.kstatesports.com</a>

• K-State leads the series with Cincinnati, 1-0.

• Head coach Jeff Mittie is 5-1 in his career against Cincinnati.

• This will be the first game in the series in Manhattan.

(13/12) Wildcats Open Big 12 Play Sunday Against Cincinnati

MANHATTAN, Kansas -&nbsp;(13/12) K-State (12-1) starts its 29th Big 12 schedule on Sunday afternoon at 1 p.m., as the Wildcats host Cincinnati (8-2). This is the second straight season the Wildcats and Bearcats will open a league season.

• Sunday’s game is $2 Day, as general admission tickets purchased in advance are available for $2 as well as select concession items on game day.

• K-State has opened with a 12-1 record for the second straight season and the third time since 2008-09. With a win Sunday, K-State would achieve the sixth 13-1 or better start to a season in school history and its second straight.

• Sunday’s game will air on ESPN+, as Brian Smoller (play-by-play), Missy Heidrick (analyst) and Sophie Smith (sideline) will have the call.

Five names, numbers or storylines about K-State women’s basketball

• K-State owns a 13-game winning streak in games played in December. The Wildcats are 6-0 in December this season and with a win on Sunday would end the month with a perfect record for the second straight season. It would be the first time since the 2000-01 through 2003-04 seasons when the Wildcats went four straight seasons without a loss in the 12th month.

• K-State leads the nation in scoring margin (+37.7) and assists per game (22.9).

• K-State leads the Big 12 and is sixth in the nation with an assist on 69.3 percent of its made field goals this season.

• Senior center and perennial All-America candidate Ayoka Lee is the only player averaging 18.0 points in 19 minutes or less this season.

5. Glenn Closing in on 1K &amp; Rare Club

• With 14 points, senior guard Jaelyn Glenn would become the 46th player in program history to score 1,000 or more points during their time at K-State. With 14 points and two assists, Glenn would be the fifth player and first since 2009 (Shalee Lehning) to achieve 1,000 or more points, 500 or more rebounds, 250 or more assists and 225 or more steals.

• Senior center Ayoka Lee carded her 15th career game with 30 or more points with her 34-point effort against New Mexico State on Dec. 18.

• Lee owns the school record for 30-point games.

• In its history, K-State has 69 games in which a Wildcat scored 30 or more points which was achieved by 29 different players.

• Of the 69 games, 21 came in the month of December with Lee notching four 30-point efforts in December.

• Lee’s effort against New Mexico State was the 51st time a Wildcat player has scored 30 or more points in a home game, with Lee notching 12 home games with 30 or more points.

• Five players in program history recorded one or more career 30-point games without doing so in a home game - Gabby Gregory, Kendra Wecker, Jalana Childs, Serena Sundell and Peyton Williams.

2024-25 K-State Coach &amp; Player Milestones to Watch

• Needs five wins to move into second on the K-State Women’s Basketball wins list (Judy Akers, 206)

• Needs three double-doubles to move into second in Big 12 history for career double-doubles

• Needs 204 rebounds to move into second in Big 12 history for career rebounds

• Needs 26 made free throws to set the school record for career free throws made

• Needs 62 points to reach 1,500 career points

• Needs 14 points to reach 1,000 career points

• Needs 64 steals to move into third on K-State career steals list

• Needs four rebounds to move into 28th on the K-State career rebounds list

• Cincinnati (8-2) enters Big 12 play on a four-game winning streak following a 67-64 home win over Marshall on Dec. 18.

• On the sideline, the Bearcats are led by second-year head coach Katrina Merriweather. A 2001 graduate of Cincinnati, Merriweather owns a career record of 173-90 (.658) which includes a 22-20 record at her alma mater.

• On the floor, Cincinnati is led by Jillian Hayes and Tineya Hylton.

• Hayes, a 5th-year forward from Cincinnati, is eighth in the Big 12 and paces the Bearcats with 17.6 points on a .458 field goal percentage and 10.2 rebounds. She leads the Big 12 in double-doubles with six.

• Hylton, a senior transfer guard from Texas A&amp;M and Toronto, Ontario, Canada, is second on the team with 14.1 points per game on a .420 field goal percentage and paces Cincinnati with 3.8 assists per game. Hylton led the Bearcats against Marshall with 16 points and three assists.

• Since the 2001-02 season, K-State is 386-52 (.881) when leading at the break, including a 11-0 record in the 2024-25 season.

• K-State is 161-19 (.894) when leading at the break under head coach Jeff Mittie.

• Since the start of the 2007-08 season, K-State is 293-19 (.939) when leading with five minutes to play including a 177-8 (.957) record under Mittie.

Three is not a Crowd, It’s a Benefit

• Since 2011-12, when three or more players reach double figures in scoring in the same game, K-State is 186-85 (.686) including an 11-1 record in the 2024-25 season.

• The Wildcats had a season-high six players reach double figures against Milwaukee on Nov. 20.

• The combination of Ayoka Lee and Serena Sundell have scored in double figures in 41 of 70 games played together since 2021-22.

• Lee and Sundell combined to score 52 points in a win over New Mexico State on Dec. 18. This is the third time the duo has combined to score 50 or more points in the same game including the school record of 72 against Oklahoma on Jan. 23, 2022.

• When K-State shoots 50.0 percent or better in a game during the Jeff Mittie era, they have been victorious. Since the 2014-15 season, the Wildcats are 45-5 (.900) when shooting 50.0 percent or better in a game.

• K-State has shot over 50.0 percent in a game eight times this season including a season-best of 60.0 percent (45-of-75) against Milwaukee on Nov. 20. The 60.0 field goal percentage was the fourth-highest in under Mittie and highest since Feb. 15, 2023, against Baylor (60.4).

• The Wildcats’ 45 made field goals against Milwaukee were the second-most in K-State history, trailing the school record of 46 set on Nov. 23, 1981 against Pacific Christian.

• For the season, the Wildcats are shooting 51.1 percent from the floor. K-State leads the Big 12 and ranks second in the nation for field goal percentage.

• K-State has shot 50.0 percent or better in 33 quarters this season including all four quarters against Milwaukee, Eastern Illinois, USC Upstate and New Mexico State.

• The Wildcats shot 45.6 percent from the field in the 2023-24 season, which ranked third in the Big 12 and 25th in the nation. It was the highest field goal percentage under Mittie at K-State.

• K-State owned 48 quarters with a field goal percentage of 50.0 percent or better. This was the most quarters with a field goal percentage of 50.0 percent or better since the beginning of the quarter system in 2015-16. Of the 136 regulation quarters played last season, the Wildcats have tallied a 50.0 percent field goal percentage or better in 35.3 percent of quarters played.

• K-State opened the 2024-25 season similar to how it attacked the 2023-24 season.

• The Wildcats have registered 30 or more points in the lane in 12 games this season including a season-high 56 points in the paint against Milwaukee on Nov. 20 and DePaul on Nov. 27. The 56 points are the most since scoring 58 against McNeese State on Dec. 6, 2023.

• This season, K-State is averaging 44.0 points per game (572 points) in the paint with 50.6 percent of its points from inside the lane and have outscored its foes in the lane in 12 games.

• In the 2023-24 season, K-State scored 1,268 points (37.3 ppg) in the paint which was 52.0 percent of K-State’s overall point total.

• The 1,268 points in the paint were the most scored in the lane in Jeff Mittie’s 11 seasons in Manhattan. K-State has scored 1,000 or more points in the paint in four of Mittie’s 11 seasons.

• K-State remains unselfish in its play to open the 2024-25 season.

• The Wildcats are averaging 22.9 assists per game and own an assist percentage of 69.3. K-State leads the nation for assists per game and leads the Big 12 and is second in the nation in assist/turnover ratio (1.97).

• Since assists became an officially tracked stat in 1981-82, K-State has registered an assisted shot rate of 60.0 percent or higher at the end of a season 24 times in its history.

• The Wildcats have handed out 20 or more assists in 10 games this season including a season-high 30 assists on 37 made field goals against DePaul on Nov. 27. The 30 assists were the most since carding 30 against UIW on Dec. 3, 2019.

• Over the last 17 years, the Wildcats are 102-8 (.927) when handing out 20 or more assists.

• K-State continued to share the ball in the 2023-24 season. The Wildcats handed out a school record 631 assists (18.6 apg) and owned an assist to turnover ratio of 1.31. K-State tallied an assisted shot rate of 68.2.

• K-State was third in the Big 12 and 12th in the nation for assists per game and were second in the league and ranked sixth in the nation for assisted shot rate. K-State led the Big 12 and ranked 18th in the nation for assist to turnover ratio.

• Serena Sundell (189) and Gabby Gregory (114) combined for 303 assists in the 2023-24 season, which was second in school history for combined assists by two K-State players in a season.

• Jaelyn Glenn is approaching an important career scoring milestone.

• With 14 points, Glenn would become the 46th player in program history to score 1,000 or more points in her K-State career.

• When she reaches the 1,000-point mark and collects two more assists, Glenn will become the fifth player in program history and first since 2009 with 1,000 or more points, 500 or more rebounds, 250 or more assists and 225 or more steals.

• This season, Glenn is averaging 10.1 points on a .441 field goal percentage including seven games with 10 or more points.

GAME #14Cincinnati (8-2, 0-0 Big 12) vs. (13/12) Kansas State (12-1, 0-0 Big 12)Sunday, December 22, 2024&nbsp; |&nbsp; 1 p.m. |&nbsp; Bramlage Coliseum (11,010)&nbsp; |&nbsp; Manhattan, Kan.TELEVISIONESPN+Play-by-Play: Brian SmollerAnalyst: Missy HeidrickSideline: Sophie SmithRADIOK-State Sports Network &amp; SiriusXM (Ch. 199 or 211)Play-by-Play: Matt WaltersAnalyst: Kristin WallerLIVE STATS<a href="http://www.kstatesports.com/" target="_blank">www.kstatesports.com</a>SERIES HISTORY vs. Cincinnati1-0• K-State leads the series with Cincinnati, 1-0.• Head coach Jeff Mittie is 5-1 in his career against Cincinnati.• This will be the first game in the series in Manhattan.(13/12) Wildcats Open Big 12 Play Sunday Against CincinnatiMANHATTAN, Kansas -&nbsp;(13/12) K-State (12-1) starts its 29th Big 12 schedule on Sunday afternoon at 1 p.m., as the Wildcats host Cincinnati (8-2). This is the second straight season the Wildcats and Bearcats will open a league season.• Sunday’s game is $2 Day, as general admission tickets purchased in advance are available for $2 as well as select concession items on game day.• K-State has opened with a 12-1 record for the second straight season and the third time since 2008-09. With a win Sunday, K-State would achieve the sixth 13-1 or better start to a season in school history and its second straight.• Sunday’s game will air on ESPN+, as Brian Smoller (play-by-play), Missy Heidrick (analyst) and Sophie Smith (sideline) will have the call.Starting 5Five names, numbers or storylines about K-State women’s basketball1. Back to December• K-State owns a 13-game winning streak in games played in December. The Wildcats are 6-0 in December this season and with a win on Sunday would end the month with a perfect record for the second straight season. It would be the first time since the 2000-01 through 2003-04 seasons when the Wildcats went four straight seasons without a loss in the 12th month.2. Cats Pacing the Nation• K-State leads the nation in scoring margin (+37.7) and assists per game (22.9).3. Assistance Available• K-State leads the Big 12 and is sixth in the nation with an assist on 69.3 percent of its made field goals this season.4. Lee a Rare One• Senior center and perennial All-America candidate Ayoka Lee is the only player averaging 18.0 points in 19 minutes or less this season.5. Glenn Closing in on 1K &amp; Rare Club• With 14 points, senior guard Jaelyn Glenn would become the 46th player in program history to score 1,000 or more points during their time at K-State. With 14 points and two assists, Glenn would be the fifth player and first since 2009 (Shalee Lehning) to achieve 1,000 or more points, 500 or more rebounds, 250 or more assists and 225 or more steals.Number to Know30• Senior center Ayoka Lee carded her 15th career game with 30 or more points with her 34-point effort against New Mexico State on Dec. 18.• Lee owns the school record for 30-point games.• In its history, K-State has 69 games in which a Wildcat scored 30 or more points which was achieved by 29 different players.• Of the 69 games, 21 came in the month of December with Lee notching four 30-point efforts in December.• Lee’s effort against New Mexico State was the 51st time a Wildcat player has scored 30 or more points in a home game, with Lee notching 12 home games with 30 or more points.• Five players in program history recorded one or more career 30-point games without doing so in a home game - Gabby Gregory, Kendra Wecker, Jalana Childs, Serena Sundell and Peyton Williams.2024-25 K-State Coach &amp; Player Milestones to WatchJeff Mittie• Needs five wins to move into second on the K-State Women’s Basketball wins list (Judy Akers, 206)Ayoka Lee• Needs three double-doubles to move into second in Big 12 history for career double-doubles• Needs 204 rebounds to move into second in Big 12 history for career rebounds• Needs 26 made free throws to set the school record for career free throws madeSerena Sundell• Needs 62 points to reach 1,500 career pointsJaelyn Glenn• Needs 14 points to reach 1,000 career points• Needs 64 steals to move into third on K-State career steals list• Needs four rebounds to move into 28th on the K-State career rebounds listAt a Glance: Cincinnati• Cincinnati (8-2) enters Big 12 play on a four-game winning streak following a 67-64 home win over Marshall on Dec. 18.• On the sideline, the Bearcats are led by second-year head coach Katrina Merriweather. A 2001 graduate of Cincinnati, Merriweather owns a career record of 173-90 (.658) which includes a 22-20 record at her alma mater.• On the floor, Cincinnati is led by Jillian Hayes and Tineya Hylton.• Hayes, a 5th-year forward from Cincinnati, is eighth in the Big 12 and paces the Bearcats with 17.6 points on a .458 field goal percentage and 10.2 rebounds. She leads the Big 12 in double-doubles with six.• Hylton, a senior transfer guard from Texas A&amp;M and Toronto, Ontario, Canada, is second on the team with 14.1 points per game on a .420 field goal percentage and paces Cincinnati with 3.8 assists per game. Hylton led the Bearcats against Marshall with 16 points and three assists.Halftime Lead = K-State ‘W’• Since the 2001-02 season, K-State is 386-52 (.881) when leading at the break, including a 11-0 record in the 2024-25 season.• K-State is 161-19 (.894) when leading at the break under head coach Jeff Mittie.• Since the start of the 2007-08 season, K-State is 293-19 (.939) when leading with five minutes to play including a 177-8 (.957) record under Mittie.Three is not a Crowd, It’s a Benefit• Since 2011-12, when three or more players reach double figures in scoring in the same game, K-State is 186-85 (.686) including an 11-1 record in the 2024-25 season.• The Wildcats had a season-high six players reach double figures against Milwaukee on Nov. 20.• The combination of Ayoka Lee and Serena Sundell have scored in double figures in 41 of 70 games played together since 2021-22.• Lee and Sundell combined to score 52 points in a win over New Mexico State on Dec. 18. This is the third time the duo has combined to score 50 or more points in the same game including the school record of 72 against Oklahoma on Jan. 23, 2022.Sky-High Field Goal Percentage• When K-State shoots 50.0 percent or better in a game during the Jeff Mittie era, they have been victorious. Since the 2014-15 season, the Wildcats are 45-5 (.900) when shooting 50.0 percent or better in a game.• K-State has shot over 50.0 percent in a game eight times this season including a season-best of 60.0 percent (45-of-75) against Milwaukee on Nov. 20. The 60.0 field goal percentage was the fourth-highest in under Mittie and highest since Feb. 15, 2023, against Baylor (60.4).• The Wildcats’ 45 made field goals against Milwaukee were the second-most in K-State history, trailing the school record of 46 set on Nov. 23, 1981 against Pacific Christian.• For the season, the Wildcats are shooting 51.1 percent from the floor. K-State leads the Big 12 and ranks second in the nation for field goal percentage.• K-State has shot 50.0 percent or better in 33 quarters this season including all four quarters against Milwaukee, Eastern Illinois, USC Upstate and New Mexico State.• The Wildcats shot 45.6 percent from the field in the 2023-24 season, which ranked third in the Big 12 and 25th in the nation. It was the highest field goal percentage under Mittie at K-State.• K-State owned 48 quarters with a field goal percentage of 50.0 percent or better. This was the most quarters with a field goal percentage of 50.0 percent or better since the beginning of the quarter system in 2015-16. Of the 136 regulation quarters played last season, the Wildcats have tallied a 50.0 percent field goal percentage or better in 35.3 percent of quarters played.K-State Attacking the Paint• K-State opened the 2024-25 season similar to how it attacked the 2023-24 season.• The Wildcats have registered 30 or more points in the lane in 12 games this season including a season-high 56 points in the paint against Milwaukee on Nov. 20 and DePaul on Nov. 27. The 56 points are the most since scoring 58 against McNeese State on Dec. 6, 2023.• This season, K-State is averaging 44.0 points per game (572 points) in the paint with 50.6 percent of its points from inside the lane and have outscored its foes in the lane in 12 games.• In the 2023-24 season, K-State scored 1,268 points (37.3 ppg) in the paint which was 52.0 percent of K-State’s overall point total.• The 1,268 points in the paint were the most scored in the lane in Jeff Mittie’s 11 seasons in Manhattan. K-State has scored 1,000 or more points in the paint in four of Mittie’s 11 seasons.Sharing is Caring• K-State remains unselfish in its play to open the 2024-25 season.• The Wildcats are averaging 22.9 assists per game and own an assist percentage of 69.3. K-State leads the nation for assists per game and leads the Big 12 and is second in the nation in assist/turnover ratio (1.97).• Since assists became an officially tracked stat in 1981-82, K-State has registered an assisted shot rate of 60.0 percent or higher at the end of a season 24 times in its history.• The Wildcats have handed out 20 or more assists in 10 games this season including a season-high 30 assists on 37 made field goals against DePaul on Nov. 27. The 30 assists were the most since carding 30 against UIW on Dec. 3, 2019.• Over the last 17 years, the Wildcats are 102-8 (.927) when handing out 20 or more assists.• K-State continued to share the ball in the 2023-24 season. The Wildcats handed out a school record 631 assists (18.6 apg) and owned an assist to turnover ratio of 1.31. K-State tallied an assisted shot rate of 68.2.• K-State was third in the Big 12 and 12th in the nation for assists per game and were second in the league and ranked sixth in the nation for assisted shot rate. K-State led the Big 12 and ranked 18th in the nation for assist to turnover ratio.• Serena Sundell (189) and Gabby Gregory (114) combined for 303 assists in the 2023-24 season, which was second in school history for combined assists by two K-State players in a season.Glenn Nears 1K• Jaelyn Glenn is approaching an important career scoring milestone.• With 14 points, Glenn would become the 46th player in program history to score 1,000 or more points in her K-State career.• When she reaches the 1,000-point mark and collects two more assists, Glenn will become the fifth player in program history and first since 2009 with 1,000 or more points, 500 or more rebounds, 250 or more assists and 225 or more steals.• This season, Glenn is averaging 10.1 points on a .441 field goal percentage including seven games with 10 or more points.Sundell 2nd for Career Assists• Serena Sundell has established herself at the point for K-State with her distribution skills.• Sundell, a 2024-25 Preseason All-Big 12 recipient, owns a career assist total of 637 and ranks second on the K-State career list. She is the second player in school history with 600 or more career assists.• Sundell, a 2023-24 All-Big 12 First Team recipient, ranks second in school history for career assists per game at 5.49. She ranks third in the nation among active NCAA Division I players for career assists and fifth in the nation among active NCAA Division I players for career assists per game.• She has 75 career games with five or more assists including seven games with 10 or more assists and a career-high of 13 assists. Her 75 career games with five or more assists ranks second in school history. She ranks fourth in program history for career games with 10 or more assists.• Her combined assist total from the 2022-23 (184) and 2023-24 (189) seasons of 373 ranked fourth in program history for most assists over consecutive seasons.• Her career assist to turnover ratio of 1.80 is third in program history (min. 100 career assists).• This season, Sundell is averaging 6.77 assists per game and ranks third in the Big 12 and seventh in the nation. She is second in the nation for total assists (88). She is second in the Big 12 for assist/turnover ratio and ranks 10th in the nation (3.38).• Against USC Upstate on Dec. 5, Sundell set a new career-high and tied the school record for assists in a single-game with 13 assists.• In the 2023-24 season, Sundell averaged 5.56 assists per game (189 assists) and was the Big 12 leader for assists per game and total assists. In league action, Sundell was second in the league at 5.71 assists per game.• Sundell’s 189 assists last season were a career-high and ranked tied for fifth in program history for assists in a single season. The 2023-24 season marked her third straight with 150 or more assists. She was the first Wildcat since Shalee Lehning (four seasons) and the third overall (Megan Mahoney; three seasons) to hand out 150 or more assists in three or more seasons.• In the 2022-23 season, Sundell handed out a career-high 184 assists (5.11 apg) including a season-high 10 against Oklahoma State on Jan. 4.• Sundell was the second player in program history (Shalee Lehning, 368) with 350 or more assists by the conclusion of their sophomore season.• Sundell’s 184 assists in the 2022-23 season set the school record for assists in a sophomore season and ranked as the sixth-most in a season in program history.Lee Efficient from the Field• Ayoka Lee continues to put the ball in the hoop at a high rate and is among the top-five on the K-State career field goal percentage list.• In her career, Lee has a field goal percentage of .595 (970-of-1631) and is second in program history for career field goal percentage. Her career field goal percentage ranks sixth in Big 12 history, while she ranks fifth in league history for career field goals made.• Lee owns the school record for career field goals made and is fourth for career field goals attempted.• Lee owns 91 career games with a field goal percentage of .500 or better. She has made 10 or more field goals in a game 34 times in her career - a school record.• This season, Lee is shooting .667 (84-of-126) from the field and ranks second in the Big 12 and seventh in the nation in field goal percentage. She ranks 18th in the nation for field goals made.• In the 2023-24 season, Lee led the Big 12 by shooting .619 (221-of-357) from the field. Her field goal percentage of .619 ranked third in school history for a single season.• In the 2021-22 season, Lee set a new school record for field goals made in a single season (296). She ranked fifth in school history for field goals attempted in a season (526).• Against Oklahoma on Jan. 23, Lee set the Big 12 and K-State records for field goals made with 23. Of the 23 made field goals, 22 came inside the paint and needed only three total dribbles.

Wildcat WBB Opens Big 12 Play Sunday Against Cincinnati

Kansas Wesleyan football coach <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/0bcbfe93-5b1b-4444-9719-8563e8f938a9?elinkdata=16827">Matt Middleton</a> went back to the future to fill two key staff positions.

Robert "Boomer" Cunningham is the Coyotes' new offensive coordinator and assistant head coach, and <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/e2fc7054-8759-4891-8f8f-cff6c99c460e?elinkdata=16827">Greg Parker</a> is the new defensive coordinator.

Middleton, who was named KWU's coach on Nov. 25, previously worked with Cunningham while they were together at Division I Central Arkansas. Middleton and Parker were on the same staff at Division II Southern Arkansas.

Cunningham comes to Salina after three seasons as running backs and tight ends coach at Division II Delta State (Miss.). Before going to DSU, he was offensive line coach and recruiting coordinator for seven years at Southern Arkansas, spent one season as offensive line coach and recruiting coordinator at LaGrange (Georgia), and was assistant offensive line and offensive quality control coach at Central Arkansas for six years.

"Here's the thing about Boomer - he's super smart and impressive," Middleton said. "He's going to help me with a lot of the head coaching duties, but more importantly, it's knowing who he is as a person and a man and the character he has. And obviously, his background and success at winning at a high level. It's his trust factor, so when I'm having to handle head coaching duties, he knows what I expect and will be able to run with it.

"Not only were we together, but we've worked for some of the same people. I think that our vision and our background align with what we want to do offensively."

Cunningham, who played one season at Missouri Southern and three at Central Arkansas, said he is eager and ready to be a coordinator.

"Who I've worked for has helped me grow as a coach throughout my 15 years," he said. "Obviously, the O-line, that's the big part. That's where it starts, first and foremost. A play doesn't start without a center snapping the football.

"It's definitely taking bits and pieces from everywhere I've been. Now that I've gotten a little bit older and more comfortable with the offenses - whether it's running backs, tight ends, offensive line - having the opportunity to be a coordinator is a big step for me and my career."

Cunningham said KWU's offense will be a work in progress during the spring semester.

"Coach Middleton and I haven't really sat down and talked to a great extent," he said. "We have an idea of what we want to be - up-tempo, no huddle. That's kind of what we're heading toward."

Parker spent this fall as defensive line coach at Thomas (Florida), just its second season of football after starting the program in 2023. He was defensive line and outside linebackers coach at Division I Bucknell for two years before going to Thomas and also coached at Division I Arkansas State, Division II Black Hills State (South Dakota) and Southern Arkansas.

Parker had a long and distinguished military career before becoming a coach. He enlisted in the Marines in 1992 and was deployed as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom, receiving numerous service awards from the Navy and Marines in the process.

During his 20-year career Parker also served as a drill instructor at Parris Island, S.C., and California-Berkeley. He retired as a master sergeant.

"Greg brings a wealth of experience, obviously, from leading units and teams from his time in the military," Middleton said. "The thing that I get with him is super high energy and a passion for kids, passion for people. You'll be able to find him real quick from the energy that he brings to practice every day, just his tenacity and how he carries himself and his very disciplined approach to doing things."

Middleton said KWU's defense will reflect Parker's passion.

"One thing is for sure, all these players will be flying to the football to emulate his personality," he said.

Parker said the decision to join Middleton's staff was easy.

"I would have gone as a position coach," he said. "There are a lot of coaches in this business, but there are not a lot of really good people who coach football. He's a really good person who coaches football."

Parker said his military background has served him well as a coach.

"They're very closely related in that whatever you train for, you do a lot of things that are repetitive and redundant, and you become really good at the little things," he said. "I think if you do that, you're able to adjust to the bigger things."

Parker said he is driven by three principles.

"I inspire, encourage and motivate. I want my mannerisms, I want my demeanor, I want my voice to inspire and encourage and motivate. I'm responsible for putting those young guys in a position to win. As long as I can put them in a position to win, it builds their confidence," he said.

"They're going to make mistakes; I'm going to make mistakes. It's just part of who we are as people. But we can recover from mistakes by encouraging each other and inspiring and motivating each other to just want to do better."

Parker said his defenses won't hold back.

Kansas Wesleyan football coach <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/0bcbfe93-5b1b-4444-9719-8563e8f938a9?elinkdata=16827">Matt Middleton</a> went back to the future to fill two key staff positions.Robert "Boomer" Cunningham is the Coyotes' new offensive coordinator and assistant head coach, and <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/e2fc7054-8759-4891-8f8f-cff6c99c460e?elinkdata=16827">Greg Parker</a> is the new defensive coordinator.Middleton, who was named KWU's coach on Nov. 25, previously worked with Cunningham while they were together at Division I Central Arkansas. Middleton and Parker were on the same staff at Division II Southern Arkansas.Cunningham comes to Salina after three seasons as running backs and tight ends coach at Division II Delta State (Miss.). Before going to DSU, he was offensive line coach and recruiting coordinator for seven years at Southern Arkansas, spent one season as offensive line coach and recruiting coordinator at LaGrange (Georgia), and was assistant offensive line and offensive quality control coach at Central Arkansas for six years."Here's the thing about Boomer - he's super smart and impressive," Middleton said. "He's going to help me with a lot of the head coaching duties, but more importantly, it's knowing who he is as a person and a man and the character he has. And obviously, his background and success at winning at a high level. It's his trust factor, so when I'm having to handle head coaching duties, he knows what I expect and will be able to run with it."Not only were we together, but we've worked for some of the same people. I think that our vision and our background align with what we want to do offensively."Cunningham, who played one season at Missouri Southern and three at Central Arkansas, said he is eager and ready to be a coordinator."Who I've worked for has helped me grow as a coach throughout my 15 years," he said. "Obviously, the O-line, that's the big part. That's where it starts, first and foremost. A play doesn't start without a center snapping the football."It's definitely taking bits and pieces from everywhere I've been. Now that I've gotten a little bit older and more comfortable with the offenses - whether it's running backs, tight ends, offensive line - having the opportunity to be a coordinator is a big step for me and my career."Cunningham said KWU's offense will be a work in progress during the spring semester."Coach Middleton and I haven't really sat down and talked to a great extent," he said. "We have an idea of what we want to be - up-tempo, no huddle. That's kind of what we're heading toward."Parker spent this fall as defensive line coach at Thomas (Florida), just its second season of football after starting the program in 2023. He was defensive line and outside linebackers coach at Division I Bucknell for two years before going to Thomas and also coached at Division I Arkansas State, Division II Black Hills State (South Dakota) and Southern Arkansas.Parker had a long and distinguished military career before becoming a coach. He enlisted in the Marines in 1992 and was deployed as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom, receiving numerous service awards from the Navy and Marines in the process.During his 20-year career Parker also served as a drill instructor at Parris Island, S.C., and California-Berkeley. He retired as a master sergeant."Greg brings a wealth of experience, obviously, from leading units and teams from his time in the military," Middleton said. "The thing that I get with him is super high energy and a passion for kids, passion for people. You'll be able to find him real quick from the energy that he brings to practice every day, just his tenacity and how he carries himself and his very disciplined approach to doing things."Middleton said KWU's defense will reflect Parker's passion."One thing is for sure, all these players will be flying to the football to emulate his personality," he said.Parker said the decision to join Middleton's staff was easy."I would have gone as a position coach," he said. "There are a lot of coaches in this business, but there are not a lot of really good people who coach football. He's a really good person who coaches football."Parker said his military background has served him well as a coach."They're very closely related in that whatever you train for, you do a lot of things that are repetitive and redundant, and you become really good at the little things," he said. "I think if you do that, you're able to adjust to the bigger things."Parker said he is driven by three principles."I inspire, encourage and motivate. I want my mannerisms, I want my demeanor, I want my voice to inspire and encourage and motivate. I'm responsible for putting those young guys in a position to win. As long as I can put them in a position to win, it builds their confidence," he said."They're going to make mistakes; I'm going to make mistakes. It's just part of who we are as people. But we can recover from mistakes by encouraging each other and inspiring and motivating each other to just want to do better."Parker said his defenses won't hold back.

Middleton adds Cunningham and Parker to Coyote Football staff

By TYLER HENRY Lead Sportswriter - Salina Post

The Southeast of Saline basketball teams traveled to Hillsboro on Thursday night for a bonus Trojan War.

Hillsboro would take both games, defeating SES 44-25 on the girl’s side and 62-43 on the boy’s side.

Girls: SE of Saline 25, Hillsboro 44

The first quarter of this game was one of the lowest scoring affairs across the state, with just four total field goals and a 6-5 Hillsboro lead at the end of the frame.

Both teams picked things up from there, and behind 12 second-half points for Kyiah Samuelson and Annabell Villalaz, Southeast pulled ahead to take a 17-15 lead at halftime.

Unfortunately for SES, the Lady Trojans in purple would score just eight points for the remainder of the game, including a lone three in the fourth quarter, as Hillsboro pulled away in a dominant second half.

Samuelson finished with 11 of Southeast’s 25 points, and was the only member of the purple and white in double figures.

Hillsboro was led in scoring by Amyah Werth (15), Ella Potucek (12), and Talia Jost (8).

SES falls to 2-2 on the year at the Christmas break while Hillsboro improves to 3-3.

Boys: SE of Saline 43, Hillsboro 62

The boy’s side of this doubleheader saw Southeast struggle right out of the gate, scoring just eight points and finding themselves down 23-8 after the first quarter.

Both sides of the ball would improve in the second, and SES managed to whittle down the lead a bit, but the damage was done as Hillsboro pulled away down the stretch in a 19-point win.

Just four Trojans found the scoring column in this game, led by a herculean effort from Gannon Jacobson, who dropped a new career-high 17 points in this game.

Jacobson was joined in double figures by Owen Bailey (11), but the rest of the team chipped in just five total points on two made field goals.

Hillsboro had six total players in scoring including three in double figures, led by Lincoln Wichert (18), Nash Dickinson (17), and Easton Shahan (11).

Southeast’s first win of the season will have to come in the new year as they fall to 0-4, Hillsboro meanwhile moves to 4-2.

Both SES teams will be back in action on January 3rd to open a 3-game homestand against Republic County.

By TYLER HENRY Lead Sportswriter - Salina PostThe Southeast of Saline basketball teams traveled to Hillsboro on Thursday night for a bonus Trojan War.Hillsboro would take both games, defeating SES 44-25 on the girl’s side and 62-43 on the boy’s side.<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.jpg" />
 <figcaption>Salina Regional Orthopedic &amp; Sports Medicine- Your home-field advantage starts here.jpg</figcaption>
 </figure>Girls: SE of Saline 25, Hillsboro 44The first quarter of this game was one of the lowest scoring affairs across the state, with just four total field goals and a 6-5 Hillsboro lead at the end of the frame.Both teams picked things up from there, and behind 12 second-half points for Kyiah Samuelson and Annabell Villalaz, Southeast pulled ahead to take a 17-15 lead at halftime.Unfortunately for SES, the Lady Trojans in purple would score just eight points for the remainder of the game, including a lone three in the fourth quarter, as Hillsboro pulled away in a dominant second half.Samuelson finished with 11 of Southeast’s 25 points, and was the only member of the purple and white in double figures.Hillsboro was led in scoring by Amyah Werth (15), Ella Potucek (12), and Talia Jost (8).SES falls to 2-2 on the year at the Christmas break while Hillsboro improves to 3-3.Boys: SE of Saline 43, Hillsboro 62The boy’s side of this doubleheader saw Southeast struggle right out of the gate, scoring just eight points and finding themselves down 23-8 after the first quarter.Both sides of the ball would improve in the second, and SES managed to whittle down the lead a bit, but the damage was done as Hillsboro pulled away down the stretch in a 19-point win.Just four Trojans found the scoring column in this game, led by a herculean effort from Gannon Jacobson, who dropped a new career-high 17 points in this game.Jacobson was joined in double figures by Owen Bailey (11), but the rest of the team chipped in just five total points on two made field goals.Hillsboro had six total players in scoring including three in double figures, led by Lincoln Wichert (18), Nash Dickinson (17), and Easton Shahan (11).Southeast’s first win of the season will have to come in the new year as they fall to 0-4, Hillsboro meanwhile moves to 4-2.Both SES teams will be back in action on January 3rd to open a 3-game homestand against Republic County.

Southeast swept by Hillsboro in 2024 finale

OPENING STATEMENT:&nbsp;“Alright, as far as the guys that didn’t practice today, it was Chamarri (Conner) and D.J. (Humphries) and then the rest of the guys were out there working. I know the questions are about Patrick (Mahomes). He worked out this week, full and will most likely end up playing. We’ll just see how things worked out today – rotated guys at the left tackle position, Joe Thuney being one of them and then the young guys (Wanya Morris and Kingsley Suamataia) so – and we’ll just finalize that as we get closer here, but they all got work in there. (We) look forward to the challenge of playing the Texans. (Houston Texans Head Coach) DeMeco’s (Ryans) done a great job there and they’re good offensively, defensively and special teams-wise, but our guys have had a real good week of preparation (and we) look forward to that challenge. With that, time’s yours.”

Q:&nbsp;Do you expect Hollywood Brown to play on Saturday?

REID:&nbsp;“Yeah, there’s a good chance on that.”

Q:&nbsp;On the comments from the Texans players.

REID:&nbsp;“Listen, we just play. We practice and we play so (we’re) not worried about that.”

Q:&nbsp;How has Hollywood Brown looked in practice?

REID:&nbsp;“He’s (Hollywood Brown) done a nice job. I mentioned earlier just about (how) it’s not – it wasn’t his legs, so he’s been able to run and keep himself in running shape, but the rest of it where the surgery wasn’t at, he – it looked good and (he) was doing fine, yeah.”

Q:&nbsp;Do you feel like at this point that Patrick Mahomes will play unless he has a setback?

REID:&nbsp;“Yeah, listen I don’t want to lead you one way or the other. I’m (going to) make sure that – we’ve been taking it day-by-day and that’s kind of where we’re at, but he (Patrick Mahomes) did look good out there.”

Q: When you say look good, can you elaborate on that?

REID:&nbsp;“He (Patrick Mahomes) moved around pretty good. You’re always looking to make sure that he can get out of the way, not to further any harm to him so that’s what I look at.”

Q: Did you give Carson Wentz more reps with the regular guys this week?

REID:&nbsp;“Well, not necessarily with the regular guys but he (Carson Wentz) did some extra stuff, yeah.”

Q: Where is Chamarri Conner in his concussion protocol? Is there a chance he could play on Wednesday?

REID:&nbsp;“There’s a chance Wednesday but right now, he’s (Chamarri Conner) still in the protocol and going through it. He’s doing better every day, so we’ll just – we’ll have to see. Definitely though out for this game.”

Q: Five days ago, did you think Patrick Mahomes would be where he is today physically?

REID:&nbsp;“I wasn’t sure. I’ve been through it with him (Patrick Mahomes) before and he amazes me every time he does it. I mean, the guy, he’s so mentally tough and just puts – it’s a mindset that he has going into it. Where he was a few days ago, yeah, I’d probably say it was a long shot, but you know he’s done well with it.”

Q: Is your goal to get D.J. Humphries back in the left tackle spot?

HEAD COACH ANDY REIDOPENING STATEMENT:&nbsp;“Alright, as far as the guys that didn’t practice today, it was Chamarri (Conner) and D.J. (Humphries) and then the rest of the guys were out there working. I know the questions are about Patrick (Mahomes). He worked out this week, full and will most likely end up playing. We’ll just see how things worked out today – rotated guys at the left tackle position, Joe Thuney being one of them and then the young guys (Wanya Morris and Kingsley Suamataia) so – and we’ll just finalize that as we get closer here, but they all got work in there. (We) look forward to the challenge of playing the Texans. (Houston Texans Head Coach) DeMeco’s (Ryans) done a great job there and they’re good offensively, defensively and special teams-wise, but our guys have had a real good week of preparation (and we) look forward to that challenge. With that, time’s yours.”Q:&nbsp;Do you expect Hollywood Brown to play on Saturday?REID:&nbsp;“Yeah, there’s a good chance on that.”Q:&nbsp;On the comments from the Texans players.REID:&nbsp;“Listen, we just play. We practice and we play so (we’re) not worried about that.”Q:&nbsp;How has Hollywood Brown looked in practice?REID:&nbsp;“He’s (Hollywood Brown) done a nice job. I mentioned earlier just about (how) it’s not – it wasn’t his legs, so he’s been able to run and keep himself in running shape, but the rest of it where the surgery wasn’t at, he – it looked good and (he) was doing fine, yeah.”Q:&nbsp;Do you feel like at this point that Patrick Mahomes will play unless he has a setback?REID:&nbsp;“Yeah, listen I don’t want to lead you one way or the other. I’m (going to) make sure that – we’ve been taking it day-by-day and that’s kind of where we’re at, but he (Patrick Mahomes) did look good out there.”Q: When you say look good, can you elaborate on that?REID:&nbsp;“He (Patrick Mahomes) moved around pretty good. You’re always looking to make sure that he can get out of the way, not to further any harm to him so that’s what I look at.”Q: Did you give Carson Wentz more reps with the regular guys this week?REID:&nbsp;“Well, not necessarily with the regular guys but he (Carson Wentz) did some extra stuff, yeah.”Q: Where is Chamarri Conner in his concussion protocol? Is there a chance he could play on Wednesday?REID:&nbsp;“There’s a chance Wednesday but right now, he’s (Chamarri Conner) still in the protocol and going through it. He’s doing better every day, so we’ll just – we’ll have to see. Definitely though out for this game.”Q: Five days ago, did you think Patrick Mahomes would be where he is today physically?REID:&nbsp;“I wasn’t sure. I’ve been through it with him (Patrick Mahomes) before and he amazes me every time he does it. I mean, the guy, he’s so mentally tough and just puts – it’s a mindset that he has going into it. Where he was a few days ago, yeah, I’d probably say it was a long shot, but you know he’s done well with it.”Q: Is your goal to get D.J. Humphries back in the left tackle spot?REID:&nbsp;“Yeah, we just have to let that hamstring – being a big - cause just because I don’t want him (D.J. Humphries) to go out and do it again but yeah, eventually he’ll get back in there and get going.”Q: Is there a chance he can play against the Steelers?