CINCINNATI (AP) — Bobby Witt Jr. homered, doubled and singled to boost his major league-leading average to .352, Michael Lorenzen pitched into the sixth inning to get his first win since being traded and the Kansas City Royals beat the Cincinnati Reds 7-1 in the opener of an interleague series on Friday night.

Witt, the Royals' All-Star shortstop, hit a four-seam fastball from Nick Martinez 430 feet into the upper deck for his 25th homer in the fourth inning. He doubled and scored on a fielder’s choice in the sixth and had an infield single in the seventh.

The Reds intentionally walked him with two outs in the ninth, just before he trotted home on Vinnie Pasquantino's 18th homer.

Lorenzen (6-6), acquired by the Royals in a July 29 trade with Texas, started his third game after two no-decisions. He allowed a run and two hits in 5 2/3 innings and departed after 83 pitches.

Salvador Perez, Adam Frazier and Freddie Fermin also drove in runs for Kansas City, helping snap Cincinnati's four-game win streak.

Martinez (6-6) pitched six innings, allowing three runs and three hits with four strikeouts.

Tyler Stephenson had an RBI double for the Reds in the sixth.

Royals: RHP John Schreiber (knee) is on a rehab assignment at Single-A Quad Cities. He landed on the 15-day injury list July 29.

Reds: LHP Brent Suter pitched live batting practice Friday. He went on the 15-day injured list July 20 with a partially torn muscle in the back of his left shoulder.

The Royals send right-hander Michael Wacha (9-6, 3.50 ERA) to the mound to oppose Reds lefty Nick Lodolo (9-4, 3.99) as the series continues Saturday night.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1723861437207.png" alt="Photo Kansas City Royals" />
 <figcaption>Photo Kansas City Royals</figcaption>
 </figure>CINCINNATI (AP) — Bobby Witt Jr. homered, doubled and singled to boost his major league-leading average to .352, Michael Lorenzen pitched into the sixth inning to get his first win since being traded and the Kansas City Royals beat the Cincinnati Reds 7-1 in the opener of an interleague series on Friday night.Witt, the Royals' All-Star shortstop, hit a four-seam fastball from Nick Martinez 430 feet into the upper deck for his 25th homer in the fourth inning. He doubled and scored on a fielder’s choice in the sixth and had an infield single in the seventh.The Reds intentionally walked him with two outs in the ninth, just before he trotted home on Vinnie Pasquantino's 18th homer.Lorenzen (6-6), acquired by the Royals in a July 29 trade with Texas, started his third game after two no-decisions. He allowed a run and two hits in 5 2/3 innings and departed after 83 pitches.Salvador Perez, Adam Frazier and Freddie Fermin also drove in runs for Kansas City, helping snap Cincinnati's four-game win streak.Martinez (6-6) pitched six innings, allowing three runs and three hits with four strikeouts.Tyler Stephenson had an RBI double for the Reds in the sixth.TRAINER'S ROOMRoyals: RHP John Schreiber (knee) is on a rehab assignment at Single-A Quad Cities. He landed on the 15-day injury list July 29.Reds: LHP Brent Suter pitched live batting practice Friday. He went on the 15-day injured list July 20 with a partially torn muscle in the back of his left shoulder.UP NEXTThe Royals send right-hander Michael Wacha (9-6, 3.50 ERA) to the mound to oppose Reds lefty Nick Lodolo (9-4, 3.99) as the series continues Saturday night.

⚾Bobby Witt Jr. collects 3 hits as Royals beat the Reds

MANHATTAN, Kan.&nbsp;– Former K-State All-American&nbsp;Michael Beasley&nbsp;was named the 2024 BIG3 Most Valuable Player by league players and coaches on Friday afternoon (August 16).

The BIG3 is a 12-team, 3-on-3 basketball league that was founded by musician and actor&nbsp;Ice Cube&nbsp;and entertainment executive&nbsp;Jeff Kwatinetz&nbsp;in 2017. Rosters include both former NBA and international players in a variation of 3-on-3 basketball seen in FIBA and the Olympics.

Beasley is averaging 21.3 points, 6.3 rebounds and 0.7 assists for 3’s Company, which includes former Kansas star&nbsp;Mario Chalmers. Beasley leads the BIG3 in total field goals (62), while he is second in scoring average and third in total points (149). The team also features former Iowa star&nbsp;Reggie Evans, Boston College’s&nbsp;Sean Williams&nbsp;and Florida A&amp;M’s&nbsp;Nasir Core&nbsp;and is coached by 5-time NBA champion&nbsp;Michael Cooper.3’s Company (6-2) will play Bivouac (7-1) for the BIG3 Championship on Sunday (August 18) at TD Garden in Boston at 2 p.m., CT. The game will air live on CBS.

The No. 2 overall pick in the 2008 NBA Draft, Beasley played parts of 11 seasons in the NBA, including four seasons with the Miami HEAT. He has also spent time in the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA), earning Foreign MVP accolades in 2016 along with all-star honors (2015, 2016) while playing with the Shandong Golden Stars.

The 2008 consensus First Team All-American and Big 12 Player of the Year averaged 26.2 points and a nation-leading 12.4 rebounds in his lone season playing at K-State.

MANHATTAN, Kan.&nbsp;– Former K-State All-American&nbsp;Michael Beasley&nbsp;was named the 2024 BIG3 Most Valuable Player by league players and coaches on Friday afternoon (August 16).The BIG3 is a 12-team, 3-on-3 basketball league that was founded by musician and actor&nbsp;Ice Cube&nbsp;and entertainment executive&nbsp;Jeff Kwatinetz&nbsp;in 2017. Rosters include both former NBA and international players in a variation of 3-on-3 basketball seen in FIBA and the Olympics.Beasley is averaging 21.3 points, 6.3 rebounds and 0.7 assists for 3’s Company, which includes former Kansas star&nbsp;Mario Chalmers. Beasley leads the BIG3 in total field goals (62), while he is second in scoring average and third in total points (149). The team also features former Iowa star&nbsp;Reggie Evans, Boston College’s&nbsp;Sean Williams&nbsp;and Florida A&amp;M’s&nbsp;Nasir Core&nbsp;and is coached by 5-time NBA champion&nbsp;Michael Cooper.3’s Company (6-2) will play Bivouac (7-1) for the BIG3 Championship on Sunday (August 18) at TD Garden in Boston at 2 p.m., CT. The game will air live on CBS.The No. 2 overall pick in the 2008 NBA Draft, Beasley played parts of 11 seasons in the NBA, including four seasons with the Miami HEAT. He has also spent time in the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA), earning Foreign MVP accolades in 2016 along with all-star honors (2015, 2016) while playing with the Shandong Golden Stars.The 2008 consensus First Team All-American and Big 12 Player of the Year averaged 26.2 points and a nation-leading 12.4 rebounds in his lone season playing at K-State.

Beasley Named BIG3 MVP

By TYLER HENRY Lead Sportswriter - Salina Post

Southeast of Saline officially locked down its final head coaching vacancy on Thursday when it announced that Chance Ptacek would be taking over as head baseball coach at SES.

Ptacek steps in to replace Mike Garretson, who accumulated 423 wins in 28 years coaching at Southeast before retiring last spring.

The Trojans are coming off of a 14-10 campaign that saw them win a playoff game in the opening round of the 3A regional.

In addition to 17 years on the Trojan football coaching staff, Ptacek has also coached the Salina Spikes and Salina American Legion baseball teams for the last 16 years.

Prior to his tenures as a teacher and a coach at SES, Ptacek played baseball as a Trojan himself before moving into a successful collegiate career with Bethany College.

“This program has meant a lot to me,” Ptacek said. “Some of the coaches that have had the biggest impact on me were right here. The bar has been set high by Dee Kozlow and Mike Garretson for a long time, but I’m excited to take this on and maintain the standard that they’ve set.”

Ptacek was a natural fit for this position thanks to his deep-rooted loyalty to Southeast of Saline, its student-athletes, and its larger community, strengths that were recognized by AD Doug Minneman.

“Watching Chance coach football, you can see what a fantastic job he does,” Minneman said. “He has a lot of experience coaching baseball, and his pride in being a Trojan is so apparent to everybody. That shows in everything from his willingness to take care of the field in the summer to the way he coaches his players. I’m sure the program will continue to thrive under his leadership.”

As right-hand man to Mitch Gebhardt, Ptacek will continue to lead one of the fiercest defensive units in the state of Kansas on the gridiron this fall, with several of those athletes planning to join him on the diamond in the spring.

“We have a good thing going here, and it’s natural for that to spill over into other programs,” Ptacek said. “We have a strong culture across the board at Southeast, and it’s going to be very convenient for me already knowing a lot of these dual sport athletes here.”

With several returning pieces from last year’s 14-10 squad, the Trojans could very well be a force to be reckoned with come the spring of 2025.

By TYLER HENRY Lead Sportswriter - Salina PostSoutheast of Saline officially locked down its final head coaching vacancy on Thursday when it announced that Chance Ptacek would be taking over as head baseball coach at SES.Ptacek steps in to replace Mike Garretson, who accumulated 423 wins in 28 years coaching at Southeast before retiring last spring.<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>The Trojans are coming off of a 14-10 campaign that saw them win a playoff game in the opening round of the 3A regional.In addition to 17 years on the Trojan football coaching staff, Ptacek has also coached the Salina Spikes and Salina American Legion baseball teams for the last 16 years.Prior to his tenures as a teacher and a coach at SES, Ptacek played baseball as a Trojan himself before moving into a successful collegiate career with Bethany College.“This program has meant a lot to me,” Ptacek said. “Some of the coaches that have had the biggest impact on me were right here. The bar has been set high by Dee Kozlow and Mike Garretson for a long time, but I’m excited to take this on and maintain the standard that they’ve set.”Ptacek was a natural fit for this position thanks to his deep-rooted loyalty to Southeast of Saline, its student-athletes, and its larger community, strengths that were recognized by AD Doug Minneman.“Watching Chance coach football, you can see what a fantastic job he does,” Minneman said. “He has a lot of experience coaching baseball, and his pride in being a Trojan is so apparent to everybody. That shows in everything from his willingness to take care of the field in the summer to the way he coaches his players. I’m sure the program will continue to thrive under his leadership.”As right-hand man to Mitch Gebhardt, Ptacek will continue to lead one of the fiercest defensive units in the state of Kansas on the gridiron this fall, with several of those athletes planning to join him on the diamond in the spring.“We have a good thing going here, and it’s natural for that to spill over into other programs,” Ptacek said. “We have a strong culture across the board at Southeast, and it’s going to be very convenient for me already knowing a lot of these dual sport athletes here.”With several returning pieces from last year’s 14-10 squad, the Trojans could very well be a force to be reckoned with come the spring of 2025.

Chance Ptacek stepping up as new head baseball coach at SES

Southeast of Saline officially filled another of its head coaching vacancies on Thursday when it announced that Julianna Yanez would be stepping in to lead the Lady Trojan volleyball team this fall.

Yanez will continue in her role as assistant men’s volleyball coach at Kansas Wesleyan in the spring while also leading a Southeast squad that finished 22-12 a season ago.

“I’m super excited, and I can’t wait to meet the girls,” Yanez said. “I’m looking forward to testing my abilities with what I’ve learned over at Kansas Wesleyan, and I look forward to what’s to come.”

This marks the second high school coaching stop for Yanez, who coached at Wichita West High School before joining the Coyotes last season.

Yanez also made her mark as a college volleyball player, helping McPherson College (NAIA) to its first KCAC conference championships in program history.

“Through coaching, I’ve really found my love and passion for the sport,” she said. I saw how volleyball can help people in life through the life skills that you gain. Seeing the joy that this game brings people when things click has been great as well.”

The hire was praised by SES Athletic Director Doug Minneman, who made the move official in a statement released on Thursday.

“Bringing somebody like Julianna in with her experience and seeing what Kansas Wesleyan has been able to do on the men’s side gets me excited,” he said. “KWU has had a lot of success under her and I’m looking forward to seeing how that translates to our fall season.”

Under her leadership, Kansas Wesleyan's men's volleyball team posted its first winning season in 2024, hosting a GPAC playoff game and making the GPAC final four for the first time in program history.

While Yanez will certainly look to get the most out of the rising Lady Trojan team this fall, a big focus remains on continuing to elevate the culture around the program itself.

“I really want to develop a cohesive team spirit,” she said. “It’s a family sport whether you’re playing or not, and you can’t do anything without your teammates. I want to build a cohesive, family-like environment within the team. Your relationships with the girls is the most important part, and that helps build on your success as time goes on.”

The Lady Trojans will open their 2024 campaign on September 3rd when they travel to Hoisington.

By TYLER HENRY Lead Sportswriter - Salina PostSoutheast of Saline officially filled another of its head coaching vacancies on Thursday when it announced that Julianna Yanez would be stepping in to lead the Lady Trojan volleyball team this fall.Yanez will continue in her role as assistant men’s volleyball coach at Kansas Wesleyan in the spring while also leading a Southeast squad that finished 22-12 a season ago.“I’m super excited, and I can’t wait to meet the girls,” Yanez said. “I’m looking forward to testing my abilities with what I’ve learned over at Kansas Wesleyan, and I look forward to what’s to come.”This marks the second high school coaching stop for Yanez, who coached at Wichita West High School before joining the Coyotes last season.Yanez also made her mark as a college volleyball player, helping McPherson College (NAIA) to its first KCAC conference championships in program history.“Through coaching, I’ve really found my love and passion for the sport,” she said. I saw how volleyball can help people in life through the life skills that you gain. Seeing the joy that this game brings people when things click has been great as well.”The hire was praised by SES Athletic Director Doug Minneman, who made the move official in a statement released on Thursday.“Bringing somebody like Julianna in with her experience and seeing what Kansas Wesleyan has been able to do on the men’s side gets me excited,” he said. “KWU has had a lot of success under her and I’m looking forward to seeing how that translates to our fall season.”Under her leadership, Kansas Wesleyan's men's volleyball team posted its first winning season in 2024, hosting a GPAC playoff game and making the GPAC final four for the first time in program history.While Yanez will certainly look to get the most out of the rising Lady Trojan team this fall, a big focus remains on continuing to elevate the culture around the program itself.“I really want to develop a cohesive team spirit,” she said. “It’s a family sport whether you’re playing or not, and you can’t do anything without your teammates. I want to build a cohesive, family-like environment within the team. Your relationships with the girls is the most important part, and that helps build on your success as time goes on.”The Lady Trojans will open their 2024 campaign on September 3rd when they travel to Hoisington.

KWUs Julianna Yanez hired as SES head volleyball coach

On Thursday, Southeast of Saline officially announced that Tyler Smith would be assuming the head coaching role of the Lady Trojan softball program for the 2025 season.

Smith takes the reigns from Pesha Ptacek, who racked up 247 career wins at SES during her combined 15-year tenure with the purple and white.

In addition to four years of college baseball playing experience at Northwest Oklahoma State (DII) and Bethany College (NAIA), Smith has been in the coaching game for 20 years, serving most recently as an assistant baseball and football coach at Salina South.

Last season, Smith helped lead the Cougar baseball program from a 11-seed at sub-state to a fourth-place finish at state in Class 5A.

“I’m excited to see what I can do in a new role like this,” Smith said. “I’ve been doing this for a long time and I’ve learned a lot from many great coaches. A lot of great softball coaches get their start in baseball and I have a lot to learn but it’s a challenge I’m excited to take on.”

That excitement is shared by Athletic Director Doug Minneman, who welcomed Smith with open arms this week.

“Tyler is a dynamic leader,” he said. “He just has that personality that people gravitate to and I’m looking forward to seeing him take the reigns of the softball program and lead them. It feels like a great fit for what we’re looking for in a head coach at Southeast of Saline.”

The softball team, which went 21-3 with a trip to state last season, will return a great deal of talent, and should be ready to compete once again when the 2025 season opens this spring.

“Normally coaches don’t leave the cupboards completely full like this,” Smith said. “That had no bearing on my decision, I’m just excited to be a part of this Southeast of Saline community and to be closer to my daughters but having a team with this much talent makes the transition easier.”

In addition to an opportunity to be closer to family, Smith is excited to contribute to the culture of excellence built up over the years in Trojan Country.

“Southeast of Saline has such a great athletics tradition,” he said. “It seems like every program is making runs year in and year out and that’s a culture that’s already been created. We’re not doing everything brand new, Coach Ptacek built this program the right way, and we’ll be continuing to build on that.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1723833583292.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>By TYLER HENRY Lead Sportswriter - Salina PostOn Thursday, Southeast of Saline officially announced that Tyler Smith would be assuming the head coaching role of the Lady Trojan softball program for the 2025 season.Smith takes the reigns from Pesha Ptacek, who racked up 247 career wins at SES during her combined 15-year tenure with the purple and white.<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 addition to four years of college baseball playing experience at Northwest Oklahoma State (DII) and Bethany College (NAIA), Smith has been in the coaching game for 20 years, serving most recently as an assistant baseball and football coach at Salina South.Last season, Smith helped lead the Cougar baseball program from a 11-seed at sub-state to a fourth-place finish at state in Class 5A.“I’m excited to see what I can do in a new role like this,” Smith said. “I’ve been doing this for a long time and I’ve learned a lot from many great coaches. A lot of great softball coaches get their start in baseball and I have a lot to learn but it’s a challenge I’m excited to take on.”That excitement is shared by Athletic Director Doug Minneman, who welcomed Smith with open arms this week.“Tyler is a dynamic leader,” he said. “He just has that personality that people gravitate to and I’m looking forward to seeing him take the reigns of the softball program and lead them. It feels like a great fit for what we’re looking for in a head coach at Southeast of Saline.”The softball team, which went 21-3 with a trip to state last season, will return a great deal of talent, and should be ready to compete once again when the 2025 season opens this spring.“Normally coaches don’t leave the cupboards completely full like this,” Smith said. “That had no bearing on my decision, I’m just excited to be a part of this Southeast of Saline community and to be closer to my daughters but having a team with this much talent makes the transition easier.”In addition to an opportunity to be closer to family, Smith is excited to contribute to the culture of excellence built up over the years in Trojan Country.“Southeast of Saline has such a great athletics tradition,” he said. “It seems like every program is making runs year in and year out and that’s a culture that’s already been created. We’re not doing everything brand new, Coach Ptacek built this program the right way, and we’ll be continuing to build on that.”

Tyler Smith tabbed to lead Lady Trojan softball program

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

Big news out of Southeast of Saline broke on Thursday as it was announced that both spring sport coaching vacancies have now been filled.

On the baseball diamond Chance Ptacek, will be taking over as head coach of a Trojan program that went 14-10 last season.

Ptacek will continue serving in both of his other roles as assistant football coach and teacher at SES

On the softball diamond the Lady Trojans made another great hire in Tyler Smith, who will also continuing teaching and coaching football at Salina South.

Last year the SES softball program fiished 21-3 with a trip to the state tournament in Topeka

Elsewhere In conjunction with Major League Baseball, the Royals today announced their 33-game exhibition schedule for 2025. Game times will be announced at a later date.

The Royals will begin their 23rd season in the Cactus League on Friday, Feb. 21 as the home team against the Texas Rangers at Surprise Stadium. Kansas City’s schedule features 15 home games at Surprise Stadium, plus 3 games as the visiting team against the Rangers on Feb. 25, March 8 and March 22.

And finally speaking of the Royals the 66-55 unit will be back on the road tonight to open a three-game series with the Reds with first pitch scheduled for 5:40

<figure>
 <iframe width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/7cyxJcCzzGI"></iframe>
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>BY SALINA POST(Transcript)Hello and happy Friday, everybody, it’s Tyler Henry, back with another KINA Sports Update presented by Salina Regional Orthopedic and Sports Medicine…_________Big news out of Southeast of Saline broke on Thursday as it was announced that both spring sport coaching vacancies have now been filled.On the baseball diamond Chance Ptacek, will be taking over as head coach of a Trojan program that went 14-10 last season.Ptacek will continue serving in both of his other roles as assistant football coach and teacher at SESOn the softball diamond the Lady Trojans made another great hire in Tyler Smith, who will also continuing teaching and coaching football at Salina South.Last year the SES softball program fiished 21-3 with a trip to the state tournament in Topeka_________Elsewhere In conjunction with Major League Baseball, the Royals today announced their 33-game exhibition schedule for 2025. Game times will be announced at a later date.The Royals will begin their 23rd season in the Cactus League on Friday, Feb. 21 as the home team against the Texas Rangers at Surprise Stadium. Kansas City’s schedule features 15 home games at Surprise Stadium, plus 3 games as the visiting team against the Rangers on Feb. 25, March 8 and March 22._________And finally speaking of the Royals the 66-55 unit will be back on the road tonight to open a three-game series with the Reds with first pitch scheduled for 5:40_________

910 KINA Sports Headlines — August 16

KANSAS CITY, Mo.—In conjunction with Major League Baseball, the Royals today announced their 33-game exhibition schedule for 2025. Game times will be announced at a later date.

The Royals will begin their 23rd season in the Cactus League on Friday, Feb. 21 as the home team vs. the Texas Rangers at Surprise Stadium. Kansas City’s schedule features 15 home games at Surprise Stadium, plus 3 games as the visiting team vs. the Rangers on Feb. 25, March 8 and March 22.

The Royals will play 33 games in 33 days next spring, including 31 Cactus League games in 30 days. The Royals are scheduled for three off days, on Tuesday, March 4, Tuesday March 18 and Sunday, March 23. There are three split-squad dates, on which the Royals will field a pair of teams and play 2 games, on Saturday, March 8, Saturday, March 15 and Friday, March 21.

The Royals will play every other Cactus League team at least once. They’ll play their neighbors in Surprise, the Texas Rangers, seven times, including 2 games as the home team. Four of their 6 exhibition games vs. the Rangers will be part of Cactus League play, and 2 others will take place at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas from March 24-25.

The Royals will play 3 games vs. Seattle and Arizona, 2 games vs. Cleveland, Oakland, Colorado, San Diego, San Francisco, Cincinnati, Milwaukee, the Cubs and Angels. They will play the White Sox and Dodgers once.

The Royals will play their regular season opener on Thursday, March 27 at Kauffman Stadium vs. the Cleveland Guardians.

In addition to their 33 exhibition games, the Royals will play a Spring Breakout Game on Friday, March 14 at the Diamondbacks, in which both organizations will field a team of minor league prospects.

A complete Spring Training schedule is attached. Games are subject to change.

2025 Spring Training ticket packages, including season tickets, mini-plans, and group tickets will go on sale starting Tuesday, Oct. 29 at 10 a.m. MST. Each ticket option offers savings over individual game ticket prices, first choice of the best available seating locations, and exclusive access to pre-sale opportunities.

Individual game tickets for Spring Training at Surprise Stadium will go on sale Nov. 12 at 10 a.m. MST online at&nbsp;SurpriseStadium.com. Information regarding game times and promotional events will be announced later.

KANSAS CITY, Mo.—In conjunction with Major League Baseball, the Royals today announced their 33-game exhibition schedule for 2025. Game times will be announced at a later date.The Royals will begin their 23rd season in the Cactus League on Friday, Feb. 21 as the home team vs. the Texas Rangers at Surprise Stadium. Kansas City’s schedule features 15 home games at Surprise Stadium, plus 3 games as the visiting team vs. the Rangers on Feb. 25, March 8 and March 22.The Royals will play 33 games in 33 days next spring, including 31 Cactus League games in 30 days. The Royals are scheduled for three off days, on Tuesday, March 4, Tuesday March 18 and Sunday, March 23. There are three split-squad dates, on which the Royals will field a pair of teams and play 2 games, on Saturday, March 8, Saturday, March 15 and Friday, March 21.The Royals will play every other Cactus League team at least once. They’ll play their neighbors in Surprise, the Texas Rangers, seven times, including 2 games as the home team. Four of their 6 exhibition games vs. the Rangers will be part of Cactus League play, and 2 others will take place at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas from March 24-25.The Royals will play 3 games vs. Seattle and Arizona, 2 games vs. Cleveland, Oakland, Colorado, San Diego, San Francisco, Cincinnati, Milwaukee, the Cubs and Angels. They will play the White Sox and Dodgers once.The Royals will play their regular season opener on Thursday, March 27 at Kauffman Stadium vs. the Cleveland Guardians.In addition to their 33 exhibition games, the Royals will play a Spring Breakout Game on Friday, March 14 at the Diamondbacks, in which both organizations will field a team of minor league prospects.A complete Spring Training schedule is attached. Games are subject to change.2025 Spring Training ticket packages, including season tickets, mini-plans, and group tickets will go on sale starting Tuesday, Oct. 29 at 10 a.m. MST. Each ticket option offers savings over individual game ticket prices, first choice of the best available seating locations, and exclusive access to pre-sale opportunities.Individual game tickets for Spring Training at Surprise Stadium will go on sale Nov. 12 at 10 a.m. MST online at&nbsp;SurpriseStadium.com. Information regarding game times and promotional events will be announced later.

Royals announce 2025 spring training schedule

Chiefs Head Coach Andy Reid Quotes

OPENING STATEMENT:&nbsp;“Alright, don’t have any updates on injuries, we’ll get those to you – (Vice President of Football Communications) Brad Gee will get them to you later. As far as the play time goes, the ones will take a half and then we’ll kind of fill in after that, we’ll just see how the rest of that goes – after the third and fourth quarters. It’s great to have the military out here, so important to all of us players, coaches (and) you guys right here to do what we do. I had a chance, I told them I had a chance to go to Afghanistan a few years back and kind of see the guys in action and what a confidence builder that was, just to know how dedicated they are and obviously giving us that chance to do all of this over here and protect us. Then the people of St. Joe here at Missouri Western State University - we appreciate all their hospitality. What a great job they did in taking care of us. There were people that were making our beds, to the people that were cooking the food, to the grounds crew that was taking care of the area here and everybody was just first class and on the ball. We appreciate that. It makes it a lot easier when we’re all pulling in the same direction. It was a great thing. Anyways, with that, time’s yours.”

Q: Will Joe Thuney get some reps in the Lions game?

REID:&nbsp;“I’m just kind of going to see on that. I’m not going to force it. (We’ll) see how he (Joe Thuney) feels after today, but we’ll let you know on that.”

REID:&nbsp;“I don’t think Jaylen (Watson) will play.”

Q: Will Carson Wentz get some reps with the starters?

REID:&nbsp;“Yeah there’s a chance, there’s a chance we’ll get him (Carson Wentz) in there. (We’ll) just see how that goes, I’m just going to play it by ear but he’ll be ready to do that.”

Q: How involved would you like Xavier Worthy? Would you like to get him jumpstarted?

REID:&nbsp;“We’re not going to force that but I just want him (Xavier Worthy) to play. You play in this thing, somewhere it’ll come to you but we’re not forcing anything in there, no.”

Q: Would you be open to him returning a punt?

REID:&nbsp;“There’s a chance, small chance.”

Q: Is Jawaan Taylor’s injury long term?

REID:&nbsp;“No, he (Jawaan Taylor) won’t go this weekend, but I think he’s going to be ok.”

Q: What does staying in the dorms do for you?

REID:&nbsp;“I was telling somebody that in this day and age when everybody is on their cellphones and doing that it kind of brings everybody together. You can’t help but talk to the person sitting next to you there, and I think that’s a positive - staying in the same dorms and I think it just develops a comradery and I think that’s a positive.”

Q: What’s the significance to the bracelet you’re wearing?

REID:&nbsp;“You know what, they just gave them to me – the military. So, I threw them on, I didn’t even notice but it has me name on it, appreciate that.”

Q: From the first day of training camp to now, what has this group improved on and how have they gelled together?

REID:&nbsp;“I think the – I mean you’ve been able to see the growth. We’ve added a ton in the last few days up here and the guys have digested it but have been able to spit it back, retain it, that’s a positive. Maybe most of all is just get yourself in football shape – kind of ramping up to your first game against the Ravens. We still have a couple weeks ahead of us here before all of that takes place, but we’ll keep working at it. So, we’re not ready yet, but we’ll keep working and get ourselves sharpened up a little bit to play. I appreciated the attitude the guys had; we caught a break with the weather. I mean I think this is the first year that we didn’t have a rain out where we had to go inside, I think that’s a positive.”

Q: How is Clyde Edwards-Helaire doing?

REID:&nbsp;“He’s (Clyde Edwards-Helaire) doing good, he was actually feeling a little bit better last night which is good. We’ll just keep an eye on him. He’s in good hands, so we’ll keep an eye on him.”

Q: What was your reaction to Hollywood Brown’s injury? What will you guys miss while he’s out?

MAHOMES:&nbsp;“Obviously, (it’s) unfortunate. I guess we’re lucky that it wasn’t as bad as it could have been. He’s (Hollywood Brown) in good spirits. He’s doing well, so just kind of getting him back going again – back moving around. Obviously, we lose a little bit of that veteran type (of) receiver in that room. I mean, we have other guys that kind of replace a little bit but to have that much talent (and) have a good understanding of what I want but he’s in the room, I think that’s what’s awesome. He’s talking to those guys and everything like that. Hopefully, we’re getting him back sooner rather than later, but we’ve got to just keep pushing those young guys to keep getting better and better every day.”

Q: Offensive Coordinator Matt Nagy said that Justin Watson would have to step up a little bit more. How confident are you in Justin?

MAHOMES:&nbsp;“Very confident. A guy (Justin Watson) that’s knows everything, can play all three (wide receiver) positions, can block, can catch, can stretch the field deep and can work a little bit underneath as well. That’s the type of guys that are going to have to step up while he’s (Hollywood Brown) out. Like I said, we’re lucky that it doesn’t seem like it’s going to be too long. So, J Wat will come in and fill that role and right when Hollywood (Brown) gets back we’ll throw him right back in there and he’ll be ready to go.”

Q: What position groups stood out during camp?

MAHOMES:&nbsp;“I thought it was a competitive camp. I think that was the best thing. (It’s) more than just standouts, I thought every day, you just didn’t know if the offense or defense was going to win. That’s when it’s a great camp is that you want to compete. There are days (that) the defense gets after us (and) there’s days that I feel like we had the advantage. I think that was the most positive thing that I took from camp. Obviously, players had (good) days and stuff like that but I think just the competitive nature of camp was the best part about it.”

Q: What led to the behind the back pass to Isiah Pacheco in the redzone period? Is there a possibility of that during the season?

MAHOMES:&nbsp;“There definitely is a possibility of it. If you do it (the behind the back pass), it’s got to work. It was a similar play to the one in the Super Bowl and I wasn’t going to do it in that situation. It was a good day for the offense, especially the last period. I had kind of got it going (with) two completions and then once you’re having a good day, you have the freedom to kind of try stuff like that. Obviously, when stuff’s not working out well, you don’t have that opportunity. It was cool that I completed it and it’s just that you want to get it in like a live type (of) atmosphere and that’s as live as you’re going to get in practice.”

Q: What did Head Coach Andy Reid think of the behind the back pass?

MAHOMES:&nbsp;“The first thing that he (Head Coach Andy Reid) said was ‘I’ve been telling you to do that for a while.’ That’s all he said. He said, ‘that’s one of the plays that I’ve been telling you that you could do it (the behind the back pass).’ I’m telling you, he’s all for it. It’s me the one that’s hesitant to do it in a game.”

Q: You said you wanted to be better than last year. Do you think that you’ve taken the steps at this camp to do it?

MAHOMES:&nbsp;“Yeah, I’ve been trying to push the envelope, trying to push the ball down the field, trying to make sure that we stay in that attacking mindset but at the same time, find that right balance. There’s been days that we connected on a lot of deep passes (and) there’s days that we’ve missed them. That’s what this (training camp) is for. For us to see what we can try to get away with, try to see what we can do and see what everybody’s great at. I thought we had a great camp, like I said, but it’s not done now. We have to continue into this preseason game against the Lions (which) will be a great test. They play hard (and they’re) a great football team. Then, going back to KC, you can’t let off the gas, you have to keep pushing because the beginning of our schedule is tough (and) you have to be ready for it.”

Q:&nbsp;On getting Xavier Worthy involved.

MAHOMES:&nbsp;“We obviously want to get him some catches. We called a play for him, that first play in this last preseason game. Obviously, they brought pressure. I got it out to Hollywood (Brown.) Obviously, we want to try to see what he can do in the live – as live as you can get before the season. You’ve got to take what’s there, but you want to give him chances to go out there and make plays and get that live action at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium, but you know defenses are accounting for that as well, too. It’s trying to find that balance. You want to get those young guys those plays – him, (Jared) Wiley, some of these guys that haven’t got a ton of reps – Justyn Ross, stuff like that – Skyy Moore but at the same time you have to play within yourself and within the offense.”

Q:&nbsp;What have you observed from those extra sessions with the wide receivers?

MAHOMES:&nbsp;“I think just watching the extra film with them, you see those positive things happen almost the next day. Just talking through stuff. In this offense, I mean y’all know, it’s so much of freedom within structure. I think them hearing me talk, hearing Travis (Kelce) talk and then them having their input as well, I feel like it helps them have their stamp on the offense. I think that’s important. Obviously, I started a couple years ago with Trav (Travis Kelce), and then it kind of went to JuJu (Smith-Schuster) and 11 (Marquez Valdes-Scantling) last year. Now, all these young guys are kind of taking it on themselves – Skyy (Moore), Rashee (Rice), Nikko (Remigio) and Justyn Ross, they’re coming in those meetings, they’re listening, they’re talking through it and making those adjustments the next day.”

Q:&nbsp;Could you share how brotherhood has been built by staying in the dorms?

MAHOMES:&nbsp;“For me, it’s – even more than the dorms, we always go to Il Lazzarone a couple times. We take the guys. We get some pizzas. I usually do it like the second padded day before the 10-10-10, so we were there yesterday. Don’t remember that for next year and try to storm our party. We go there and you just eat and joke around. I think Ian Book had like nine pieces of pizza yesterday. I had to calm him down. The first time we went, the o line – he only got one piece because the o line ate all his pizza, so he went in this last day. Stuff like that is where you build that bond and then you have those jokes and stuff for the rest of the year and that’s what builds the great culture that we have.

Q:&nbsp;How has Head Coach Andy Reid’s evolution of practice affected you?

MAHOMES:&nbsp;“I think the best thing about (Head) Coach (Andy) Reid is he pushes you to be great and he pushes himself to be great. He always is trying to just be more creative. What else can you do to help the offense out, help players out, help with different motions or different plays and he challenges the coaches to do that as well. When you see that they’re working that hard and they’re challenging themselves, whenever they ask you to try something that might be a little different, they want you to work on – you can say, ‘Alright, I’ll try it. If y’all are trying new stuff, we can all try it. We’ll see if we can get better together. I think that’s important because he could be – I mean, he’s one of the best coaches of all time. He could just go out saying, ‘This is how we do it. This is how I’m going to coach it, and this is how it works.’ He’s pushing himself to be better and then he asks a lot of us, but he also asks a lot of himself. I think that’s super important.”

Q:&nbsp;What kind of training camp did you think Travis Kelce had and what allows him to be effective?

Chiefs Head Coach Andy Reid QuotesAugust 15, 2024OPENING STATEMENT:&nbsp;“Alright, don’t have any updates on injuries, we’ll get those to you – (Vice President of Football Communications) Brad Gee will get them to you later. As far as the play time goes, the ones will take a half and then we’ll kind of fill in after that, we’ll just see how the rest of that goes – after the third and fourth quarters. It’s great to have the military out here, so important to all of us players, coaches (and) you guys right here to do what we do. I had a chance, I told them I had a chance to go to Afghanistan a few years back and kind of see the guys in action and what a confidence builder that was, just to know how dedicated they are and obviously giving us that chance to do all of this over here and protect us. Then the people of St. Joe here at Missouri Western State University - we appreciate all their hospitality. What a great job they did in taking care of us. There were people that were making our beds, to the people that were cooking the food, to the grounds crew that was taking care of the area here and everybody was just first class and on the ball. We appreciate that. It makes it a lot easier when we’re all pulling in the same direction. It was a great thing. Anyways, with that, time’s yours.”Q: Will Joe Thuney get some reps in the Lions game?REID:&nbsp;“I’m just kind of going to see on that. I’m not going to force it. (We’ll) see how he (Joe Thuney) feels after today, but we’ll let you know on that.”Q: What about Jaylen Watson?REID:&nbsp;“I don’t think Jaylen (Watson) will play.”Q: Will Carson Wentz get some reps with the starters?REID:&nbsp;“Yeah there’s a chance, there’s a chance we’ll get him (Carson Wentz) in there. (We’ll) just see how that goes, I’m just going to play it by ear but he’ll be ready to do that.”Q: How involved would you like Xavier Worthy? Would you like to get him jumpstarted?REID:&nbsp;“We’re not going to force that but I just want him (Xavier Worthy) to play. You play in this thing, somewhere it’ll come to you but we’re not forcing anything in there, no.”Q: Would you be open to him returning a punt?REID:&nbsp;“There’s a chance, small chance.”Q: Is Jawaan Taylor’s injury long term?REID:&nbsp;“No, he (Jawaan Taylor) won’t go this weekend, but I think he’s going to be ok.”Q: What does staying in the dorms do for you?REID:&nbsp;“I was telling somebody that in this day and age when everybody is on their cellphones and doing that it kind of brings everybody together. You can’t help but talk to the person sitting next to you there, and I think that’s a positive - staying in the same dorms and I think it just develops a comradery and I think that’s a positive.”Q: What’s the significance to the bracelet you’re wearing?REID:&nbsp;“You know what, they just gave them to me – the military. So, I threw them on, I didn’t even notice but it has me name on it, appreciate that.”Q: From the first day of training camp to now, what has this group improved on and how have they gelled together?REID:&nbsp;“I think the – I mean you’ve been able to see the growth. We’ve added a ton in the last few days up here and the guys have digested it but have been able to spit it back, retain it, that’s a positive. Maybe most of all is just get yourself in football shape – kind of ramping up to your first game against the Ravens. We still have a couple weeks ahead of us here before all of that takes place, but we’ll keep working at it. So, we’re not ready yet, but we’ll keep working and get ourselves sharpened up a little bit to play. I appreciated the attitude the guys had; we caught a break with the weather. I mean I think this is the first year that we didn’t have a rain out where we had to go inside, I think that’s a positive.”Q: How is Clyde Edwards-Helaire doing?REID:&nbsp;“He’s (Clyde Edwards-Helaire) doing good, he was actually feeling a little bit better last night which is good. We’ll just keep an eye on him. He’s in good hands, so we’ll keep an eye on him.”Chiefs Player QuotesAugust 15, 2024QB PATRICK MAHOMESQ: What was your reaction to Hollywood Brown’s injury? What will you guys miss while he’s out?MAHOMES:&nbsp;“Obviously, (it’s) unfortunate. I guess we’re lucky that it wasn’t as bad as it could have been. He’s (Hollywood Brown) in good spirits. He’s doing well, so just kind of getting him back going again – back moving around. Obviously, we lose a little bit of that veteran type (of) receiver in that room. I mean, we have other guys that kind of replace a little bit but to have that much talent (and) have a good understanding of what I want but he’s in the room, I think that’s what’s awesome. He’s talking to those guys and everything like that. Hopefully, we’re getting him back sooner rather than later, but we’ve got to just keep pushing those young guys to keep getting better and better every day.”Q: Offensive Coordinator Matt Nagy said that Justin Watson would have to step up a little bit more. How confident are you in Justin?MAHOMES:&nbsp;“Very confident. A guy (Justin Watson) that’s knows everything, can play all three (wide receiver) positions, can block, can catch, can stretch the field deep and can work a little bit underneath as well. That’s the type of guys that are going to have to step up while he’s (Hollywood Brown) out. Like I said, we’re lucky that it doesn’t seem like it’s going to be too long. So, J Wat will come in and fill that role and right when Hollywood (Brown) gets back we’ll throw him right back in there and he’ll be ready to go.”Q: What position groups stood out during camp?MAHOMES:&nbsp;“I thought it was a competitive camp. I think that was the best thing. (It’s) more than just standouts, I thought every day, you just didn’t know if the offense or defense was going to win. That’s when it’s a great camp is that you want to compete. There are days (that) the defense gets after us (and) there’s days that I feel like we had the advantage. I think that was the most positive thing that I took from camp. Obviously, players had (good) days and stuff like that but I think just the competitive nature of camp was the best part about it.”Q: What led to the behind the back pass to Isiah Pacheco in the redzone period? Is there a possibility of that during the season?MAHOMES:&nbsp;“There definitely is a possibility of it. If you do it (the behind the back pass), it’s got to work. It was a similar play to the one in the Super Bowl and I wasn’t going to do it in that situation. It was a good day for the offense, especially the last period. I had kind of got it going (with) two completions and then once you’re having a good day, you have the freedom to kind of try stuff like that. Obviously, when stuff’s not working out well, you don’t have that opportunity. It was cool that I completed it and it’s just that you want to get it in like a live type (of) atmosphere and that’s as live as you’re going to get in practice.”Q: What did Head Coach Andy Reid think of the behind the back pass?MAHOMES:&nbsp;“The first thing that he (Head Coach Andy Reid) said was ‘I’ve been telling you to do that for a while.’ That’s all he said. He said, ‘that’s one of the plays that I’ve been telling you that you could do it (the behind the back pass).’ I’m telling you, he’s all for it. It’s me the one that’s hesitant to do it in a game.”Q: You said you wanted to be better than last year. Do you think that you’ve taken the steps at this camp to do it?MAHOMES:&nbsp;“Yeah, I’ve been trying to push the envelope, trying to push the ball down the field, trying to make sure that we stay in that attacking mindset but at the same time, find that right balance. There’s been days that we connected on a lot of deep passes (and) there’s days that we’ve missed them. That’s what this (training camp) is for. For us to see what we can try to get away with, try to see what we can do and see what everybody’s great at. I thought we had a great camp, like I said, but it’s not done now. We have to continue into this preseason game against the Lions (which) will be a great test. They play hard (and they’re) a great football team. Then, going back to KC, you can’t let off the gas, you have to keep pushing because the beginning of our schedule is tough (and) you have to be ready for it.”Q:&nbsp;On getting Xavier Worthy involved.MAHOMES:&nbsp;“We obviously want to get him some catches. We called a play for him, that first play in this last preseason game. Obviously, they brought pressure. I got it out to Hollywood (Brown.) Obviously, we want to try to see what he can do in the live – as live as you can get before the season. You’ve got to take what’s there, but you want to give him chances to go out there and make plays and get that live action at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium, but you know defenses are accounting for that as well, too. It’s trying to find that balance. You want to get those young guys those plays – him, (Jared) Wiley, some of these guys that haven’t got a ton of reps – Justyn Ross, stuff like that – Skyy Moore but at the same time you have to play within yourself and within the offense.”Q:&nbsp;What have you observed from those extra sessions with the wide receivers?MAHOMES:&nbsp;“I think just watching the extra film with them, you see those positive things happen almost the next day. Just talking through stuff. In this offense, I mean y’all know, it’s so much of freedom within structure. I think them hearing me talk, hearing Travis (Kelce) talk and then them having their input as well, I feel like it helps them have their stamp on the offense. I think that’s important. Obviously, I started a couple years ago with Trav (Travis Kelce), and then it kind of went to JuJu (Smith-Schuster) and 11 (Marquez Valdes-Scantling) last year. Now, all these young guys are kind of taking it on themselves – Skyy (Moore), Rashee (Rice), Nikko (Remigio) and Justyn Ross, they’re coming in those meetings, they’re listening, they’re talking through it and making those adjustments the next day.”Q:&nbsp;Could you share how brotherhood has been built by staying in the dorms?MAHOMES:&nbsp;“For me, it’s – even more than the dorms, we always go to Il Lazzarone a couple times. We take the guys. We get some pizzas. I usually do it like the second padded day before the 10-10-10, so we were there yesterday. Don’t remember that for next year and try to storm our party. We go there and you just eat and joke around. I think Ian Book had like nine pieces of pizza yesterday. I had to calm him down. The first time we went, the o line – he only got one piece because the o line ate all his pizza, so he went in this last day. Stuff like that is where you build that bond and then you have those jokes and stuff for the rest of the year and that’s what builds the great culture that we have.Q:&nbsp;How has Head Coach Andy Reid’s evolution of practice affected you?MAHOMES:&nbsp;“I think the best thing about (Head) Coach (Andy) Reid is he pushes you to be great and he pushes himself to be great. He always is trying to just be more creative. What else can you do to help the offense out, help players out, help with different motions or different plays and he challenges the coaches to do that as well. When you see that they’re working that hard and they’re challenging themselves, whenever they ask you to try something that might be a little different, they want you to work on – you can say, ‘Alright, I’ll try it. If y’all are trying new stuff, we can all try it. We’ll see if we can get better together. I think that’s important because he could be – I mean, he’s one of the best coaches of all time. He could just go out saying, ‘This is how we do it. This is how I’m going to coach it, and this is how it works.’ He’s pushing himself to be better and then he asks a lot of us, but he also asks a lot of himself. I think that’s super important.”Q:&nbsp;What kind of training camp did you think Travis Kelce had and what allows him to be effective?

Chiefs Quotes: 8-15-24

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

On Wednesday Bobby Witt Jr. homered on a pitch outside the zone for the fourth time this season and Paul DeJong finished a triple short of the cycle, helping the Kansas City Royals beat the Minnesota Twins 4-1 to avoid a series sweep.

Cole Ragans struck out eight and walked none in seven innings, allowing one run and five hits. He has now won three straight starts for the first time as a major leaguer.

Despite losing ground in the AL Central the Royals still sit in the American Leagues third Wild Card spot two games ahead of the Red Sox and three games ahead of the Mariners, these standings come with just six weeks remaining in the regular season.

Staying in Kansas City the KC Current continue to cruise through 16 matches, sitting second on the UWSL table behind only the Orlando Pride.

The Current have played their way into the Championship Final of the women’s cup and will take on Spains Atletico Madrid this Friday at 8:00 in Kansas City before resuming the regular season at the Washington Spirit on August 25th.

And finally Southeast of Saline has hired Julianna Yanez as its next head volleyball coach.

Yanez served as assistant men’s volleyball coach at Kansas Wesleyan last season, helping the Coyotes to their first ever playoff berth

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 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>BY SALINA POST(Transcript)Hello and happy Thursday, everybody, it’s Tyler Henry, back with another KINA Sports Update presented by Salina Regional Orthopedic and Sports Medicine…_________On Wednesday Bobby Witt Jr. homered on a pitch outside the zone for the fourth time this season and Paul DeJong finished a triple short of the cycle, helping the Kansas City Royals beat the Minnesota Twins 4-1 to avoid a series sweep.Cole Ragans struck out eight and walked none in seven innings, allowing one run and five hits. He has now won three straight starts for the first time as a major leaguer.Despite losing ground in the AL Central the Royals still sit in the American Leagues third Wild Card spot two games ahead of the Red Sox and three games ahead of the Mariners, these standings come with just six weeks remaining in the regular season._________Staying in Kansas City the KC Current continue to cruise through 16 matches, sitting second on the UWSL table behind only the Orlando Pride.The Current have played their way into the Championship Final of the women’s cup and will take on Spains Atletico Madrid this Friday at 8:00 in Kansas City before resuming the regular season at the Washington Spirit on August 25th._________And finally Southeast of Saline has hired Julianna Yanez as its next head volleyball coach.Yanez served as assistant men’s volleyball coach at Kansas Wesleyan last season, helping the Coyotes to their first ever playoff berth_________

910 KINA Sports Headlines — August 15

Assistant General Manager Mike Borgonzi Quotes

OPENING STATEMENT:&nbsp;“Hey guys, good to see everybody. It's good to be up here at camp. I think we’ve had some really good work here at camp.&nbsp; I think the competition has been really good. That’s credit again to our personnel department for all the work they put in throughout the season not only evaluating the talent piece but also the character and the makeup which is a long process throughout the season. Once we get them inside the building, I think we have the best coaching staff in the National Football League just in terms of teaching and developing these guys to really maximize their abilities out here on the field. We get another preseason game here this week to evaluate them, (I’m) excited about that. Open up to questions.”

Q: Are there any guys in this 2024 Draft class that have surprised you in one way or another?

BORGONZI:&nbsp;“I’ve been impressed with just some of the guys (who’re) being thrown right in there. Kingsley (Suamataia) especially, playing left tackle as a rookie in the NFL is not (an) easy job. He’s going to go through his ups and downs, but just as far as you know he’s coachable, the consistency with him. All the rookies really, Jaden’s (Hicks) kind of made an impact early on. You saw that in the game, and you saw it out here in practice, and that’s kind of carried over to what we saw at Washington State. I think – you’re hopeful that what you see on film is what comes out here in practice and so far, those two guys are standing out to me.”

Q: On filling Hollywood Brown’s role.

BORGONZI:&nbsp;“I mean we have some veteran guys here that have played, obviously we threw in J Wat (Justin Watson) right after – in practice here to kind of replace him (Hollywood Brown). So, it’s really, you know you’re putting together a puzzle at the end of the cut-down day and where you might be heavy at certain positions (and) where you might be light. You take that all into account, where you have injuries maybe at that position. We’re a couple of weeks away from doing that, but that certainly factors into it.”

Q: Is it easier or harder that you have one big cut?

BORGONZI:&nbsp;“I think it’s easier for us because we get another week to evaluate some of these guys. For us, it really doesn’t matter. It’s almost better that we can take a longer look at some of these guys whether it’s practice or that last preseason game.”

Chiefs Coordinators &amp; Assistant Coaches Quotes

ASSISTANT HEAD COACH/SPECIAL TEAMS COORDINATOR DAVE TOUB

Q:&nbsp;What was the overall impression of last Saturday’s game?

TOUB:&nbsp;“We’ve got a lot of work to do. You look at it and you – (look) at coaching. We just need to get more reps out there and make sure it’s clear what the rules are. Obviously, we made a mistake in the game – ended up costing us. It’s a great learning experience for us.”

Q:&nbsp;Who will be returning kicks this Saturday night?

TOUB:&nbsp;“Same guys. Same guys that you saw. We didn’t get a lot (of returns.) Like I said, there were a lot of touchbacks. I still want to see other guys. I wanted to see (Louis) Rees(-Zammit), but he didn’t practice today. He might not be available. We’ll see. I still want to see – there’s a lot of guys I want to see. We’ve got time to do that.”

Q:&nbsp;Is Xavier Worthy able to return punts?

TOUB:&nbsp;“Yeah, he’s able. He’s probably one of our better guys. The injury to Hollywood (Brown) kind of changed things a little bit there with his status. We said, ‘We’ll keep him out this game.’ We still got two more games. We might get him in there, but if not, he’s done a lot in practice to show us that he can do it.”

DEFENSIVE BACKS COACH DAVE MERRITT

Q: Defensive Coordinator Steve Spagnuolo has talked about wanting someone to step up and play on the opposite of Trent McDuffie. What’s your message to the other cornerbacks?

MERRITT:&nbsp;“(The) same thing. You want a guy to step up. 35, Jaylen Watson, and Joshua Williams have played a lot of football for us. Nazeeh Johnson, of course, coming back off of a knee injury but you want someone to step up and be able to claim that position and not have a guy rotating and always looking over his shoulder. We’re looking for the same thing and I echo what (Defensive Coordinator Steve Spagnuolo) Spags said.”

Q: How do you determine who is ready to take over that second cornerback position?

MERRITT:&nbsp;“Consistency in practice, consistency in technique as well as consistency in understanding and knowing the calls. You can feel when a guy is ready to take over and just take it. (I’m) not saying that he’s going to be clean in everything that he does but once you see a guy consistently, day in and day out, not having the big lows (or the) big drops, you know that ‘Hey, this guy may be ready to go.’ Again, we have a great thing going here because the fab five, all those guys have played, a lot. So, with 35 (Jaylen Watson) and 2 (Joshua Williams), Josh and Jaylen – either guy that goes in and starts for us – you have to understand, we normally play six DBs on the field, sometimes five because the NFL puts out three wide receivers. Both of the guys are starters, anyway, so we’re really just talking about base personnel when it’s just two wide receivers in the game.”

Q: Has Jaden Hicks been everything as advertised?

MERRITT:&nbsp;“Yes. Yes. He (Jaden Hicks) is playing probably four positions right now. Strong (safety), free (safety), dime (back) – so he’s everywhere. The kid is smart (and) he’s able to absorb a lot of information. His head is spinning a little bit, but he’s definitely everything that we thought he was going to be. You can see the skillset, he made a couple of tackles last week, which was pretty good. (His) block destruction, (just) continue to work on being physical and quick as you’re shedding those blocks but yes, he is everything he advertised.”

OPENING STATEMENT:&nbsp;“What a great day out here at St. Joe in training camp, (I) appreciate everybody being here. (It was a) great spirited practice. (It) seems I’ve been here for about three months, and it’s been a great camp. (It was a) great physical camp, (a) tough training camp the way (Head) Coach (Andy) Reid goes about it, and we’ve had great work. Defensive line going against (Offensive Line) Coach (Andy) Heck. I’ve been with him before. It’s been a great training camp and with that, I’ll open it up to questions.”

Q: What have you seen from the interior defensive tackles?

CULLEN:&nbsp;“Well I know – obviously Chris (Jones) had a great training camp up to the point (of) getting nicked up, but he’s – he’ll be back. Turk (Tershawn) Wharton had a dominating training camp, just strong (and) he’s physical – love where he’s at. Getting Mike Pennel back was really big, and he’s done a great job in training camp. He’s just so big and physical in there at the point of attack, but they’re really developing. Neil Farrell has done some good things, (he) just has to be more consistent and then we’re getting (Derrick) Nnadi back and the young guys have really worked hard.”

Q: What do you see as a role for Neil Farrell?

CULLEN:&nbsp;“Well, I’ll tell you he (Neil Farrell) really picked it up at the end of the year and we’ve got some competition there, in terms of that nose (tackle) spot. You have Mike Pennel (and) you have Derrick Nnadi who have both started a lot of years in the league. You have Neil (Farrell) who came on at the end of the year, you have Matt Dickerson, who had a good – really did a nice job in the game (and) we know what Matt’s done here for us. So, it’s – there’s some competition. I expect Neil – Neil’s a big physical guy at the point of attack and when he plays low pad level and uses his hands, he’s hard to block.”

Q: Do you have any inside-out flexibility guys to help out with the depth on the edge?

CULLEN:&nbsp;“Yeah, we do. Chris (Jones) obviously in passing downs we move out there. Turk (Tershawn Wharton) can do that. Earlier in camp we’re moving Turk outside in some base situations so he’s – there’s a 290-pound guy that’s quick and physical, but absolutely. We’ve got Mike Danna, George (Karlaftis), Felix (Anudike-Uzomah), and even Truman Jones who has done a nice job. (They) all can move in or out and then we’ve got Turk and Chris that can go out when we they have to.”

Q: What have you learned so far about Kingsley Suamataia and how he is fitting in? What’s his comfort level on the left tackle position?

HECK:&nbsp;“Yeah, Kingsley (Suamataia) – you can see it right off (the bat) – his talent, his physical talent.&nbsp; (He’s) big, strong, (and has) great movement skills. He’s shown a knack for being able to pull and make blocks in space. He’s a young guy that’s trying to grasp all of our techniques and as well as the playbook, so that’s a work in progress. (For the coaches), (just) kind of figuring out how does he learn best so we can help him grow as quickly as possible.”

Q: What’s been the key to starting rookie linemen and making sure they are ready?

HECK:&nbsp;“Well, first it starts with our scouts bringing in good people. Guys with requisite skills, size, strength. We’ve been fortunate here to get some really good guys in here. When you talk about Creed (Humphrey) and Trey (Smith), Kingsley (Suamataia) has that ability that you can put up against anybody. Now, it’s just a matter of execution, details (and) learning our offense.”

Q: Joe Thuney seemed to be helping Kingsley Suamataia. From your perspective, how helpful is it to have a veteran helping and filling in the blanks for rookies like Kingsley?

HECK:&nbsp;“That is huge. So, Joe (Thuney) especially, but not just Joe – I mean all of our veteran guys are fantastic with our young guys. We’ve got a super young (offensive line) room with seven rookies, but you talk about Joe Thuney grabbing Kingsley (Suamataia) it’s like another coach on the field. He’s able to be supportive, he’s able to push him, he’s able to hit him on some details, (or) maybe answer a question that he didn’t have a chance to ask in a meeting. That is absolutely invaluable and that’s one of the reasons we’ve got such a great culture in our room.”

Q:&nbsp;What have you seen from Xavier Worthy and his ability to grasp the playbook so far?

EMBREE:&nbsp;“He’s been great. He’s been working hard and picking up the playbook. That’s probably been the best thing, or most impressive thing, to me is how quick he’s been picking up the playbook.”

Q:&nbsp;What are you guys asking Rashee Rice to do as far as being better this year?

EMBREE:&nbsp;“With Rashee (Rice), I’m just really asking him to now just develop into a leader. Last year, any rookie – he’s just trying to focus on himself, know what to do, (and) do his own job. Now that next step is do your job and help out all the other receivers.”

Q:&nbsp;You won the Super Bowl but led the league in drops. How do you work on that this season?

Assistant General Manager Mike Borgonzi QuotesAugust 14, 2024OPENING STATEMENT:&nbsp;“Hey guys, good to see everybody. It's good to be up here at camp. I think we’ve had some really good work here at camp.&nbsp; I think the competition has been really good. That’s credit again to our personnel department for all the work they put in throughout the season not only evaluating the talent piece but also the character and the makeup which is a long process throughout the season. Once we get them inside the building, I think we have the best coaching staff in the National Football League just in terms of teaching and developing these guys to really maximize their abilities out here on the field. We get another preseason game here this week to evaluate them, (I’m) excited about that. Open up to questions.”Q: Are there any guys in this 2024 Draft class that have surprised you in one way or another?BORGONZI:&nbsp;“I’ve been impressed with just some of the guys (who’re) being thrown right in there. Kingsley (Suamataia) especially, playing left tackle as a rookie in the NFL is not (an) easy job. He’s going to go through his ups and downs, but just as far as you know he’s coachable, the consistency with him. All the rookies really, Jaden’s (Hicks) kind of made an impact early on. You saw that in the game, and you saw it out here in practice, and that’s kind of carried over to what we saw at Washington State. I think – you’re hopeful that what you see on film is what comes out here in practice and so far, those two guys are standing out to me.”Q: On filling Hollywood Brown’s role.BORGONZI:&nbsp;“I mean we have some veteran guys here that have played, obviously we threw in J Wat (Justin Watson) right after – in practice here to kind of replace him (Hollywood Brown). So, it’s really, you know you’re putting together a puzzle at the end of the cut-down day and where you might be heavy at certain positions (and) where you might be light. You take that all into account, where you have injuries maybe at that position. We’re a couple of weeks away from doing that, but that certainly factors into it.”Q: Is it easier or harder that you have one big cut?BORGONZI:&nbsp;“I think it’s easier for us because we get another week to evaluate some of these guys. For us, it really doesn’t matter. It’s almost better that we can take a longer look at some of these guys whether it’s practice or that last preseason game.”Chiefs Coordinators &amp; Assistant Coaches QuotesAugust 14, 2024ASSISTANT HEAD COACH/SPECIAL TEAMS COORDINATOR DAVE TOUBQ:&nbsp;What was the overall impression of last Saturday’s game?TOUB:&nbsp;“We’ve got a lot of work to do. You look at it and you – (look) at coaching. We just need to get more reps out there and make sure it’s clear what the rules are. Obviously, we made a mistake in the game – ended up costing us. It’s a great learning experience for us.”Q:&nbsp;Who will be returning kicks this Saturday night?TOUB:&nbsp;“Same guys. Same guys that you saw. We didn’t get a lot (of returns.) Like I said, there were a lot of touchbacks. I still want to see other guys. I wanted to see (Louis) Rees(-Zammit), but he didn’t practice today. He might not be available. We’ll see. I still want to see – there’s a lot of guys I want to see. We’ve got time to do that.”Q:&nbsp;Is Xavier Worthy able to return punts?TOUB:&nbsp;“Yeah, he’s able. He’s probably one of our better guys. The injury to Hollywood (Brown) kind of changed things a little bit there with his status. We said, ‘We’ll keep him out this game.’ We still got two more games. We might get him in there, but if not, he’s done a lot in practice to show us that he can do it.”DEFENSIVE BACKS COACH DAVE MERRITTQ: Defensive Coordinator Steve Spagnuolo has talked about wanting someone to step up and play on the opposite of Trent McDuffie. What’s your message to the other cornerbacks?MERRITT:&nbsp;“(The) same thing. You want a guy to step up. 35, Jaylen Watson, and Joshua Williams have played a lot of football for us. Nazeeh Johnson, of course, coming back off of a knee injury but you want someone to step up and be able to claim that position and not have a guy rotating and always looking over his shoulder. We’re looking for the same thing and I echo what (Defensive Coordinator Steve Spagnuolo) Spags said.”Q: How do you determine who is ready to take over that second cornerback position?MERRITT:&nbsp;“Consistency in practice, consistency in technique as well as consistency in understanding and knowing the calls. You can feel when a guy is ready to take over and just take it. (I’m) not saying that he’s going to be clean in everything that he does but once you see a guy consistently, day in and day out, not having the big lows (or the) big drops, you know that ‘Hey, this guy may be ready to go.’ Again, we have a great thing going here because the fab five, all those guys have played, a lot. So, with 35 (Jaylen Watson) and 2 (Joshua Williams), Josh and Jaylen – either guy that goes in and starts for us – you have to understand, we normally play six DBs on the field, sometimes five because the NFL puts out three wide receivers. Both of the guys are starters, anyway, so we’re really just talking about base personnel when it’s just two wide receivers in the game.”Q: Has Jaden Hicks been everything as advertised?MERRITT:&nbsp;“Yes. Yes. He (Jaden Hicks) is playing probably four positions right now. Strong (safety), free (safety), dime (back) – so he’s everywhere. The kid is smart (and) he’s able to absorb a lot of information. His head is spinning a little bit, but he’s definitely everything that we thought he was going to be. You can see the skillset, he made a couple of tackles last week, which was pretty good. (His) block destruction, (just) continue to work on being physical and quick as you’re shedding those blocks but yes, he is everything he advertised.”DEFENSIVE LINE COACH JOE CULLENOPENING STATEMENT:&nbsp;“What a great day out here at St. Joe in training camp, (I) appreciate everybody being here. (It was a) great spirited practice. (It) seems I’ve been here for about three months, and it’s been a great camp. (It was a) great physical camp, (a) tough training camp the way (Head) Coach (Andy) Reid goes about it, and we’ve had great work. Defensive line going against (Offensive Line) Coach (Andy) Heck. I’ve been with him before. It’s been a great training camp and with that, I’ll open it up to questions.”Q: What have you seen from the interior defensive tackles?CULLEN:&nbsp;“Well I know – obviously Chris (Jones) had a great training camp up to the point (of) getting nicked up, but he’s – he’ll be back. Turk (Tershawn) Wharton had a dominating training camp, just strong (and) he’s physical – love where he’s at. Getting Mike Pennel back was really big, and he’s done a great job in training camp. He’s just so big and physical in there at the point of attack, but they’re really developing. Neil Farrell has done some good things, (he) just has to be more consistent and then we’re getting (Derrick) Nnadi back and the young guys have really worked hard.”Q: What do you see as a role for Neil Farrell?CULLEN:&nbsp;“Well, I’ll tell you he (Neil Farrell) really picked it up at the end of the year and we’ve got some competition there, in terms of that nose (tackle) spot. You have Mike Pennel (and) you have Derrick Nnadi who have both started a lot of years in the league. You have Neil (Farrell) who came on at the end of the year, you have Matt Dickerson, who had a good – really did a nice job in the game (and) we know what Matt’s done here for us. So, it’s – there’s some competition. I expect Neil – Neil’s a big physical guy at the point of attack and when he plays low pad level and uses his hands, he’s hard to block.”Q: Do you have any inside-out flexibility guys to help out with the depth on the edge?CULLEN:&nbsp;“Yeah, we do. Chris (Jones) obviously in passing downs we move out there. Turk (Tershawn Wharton) can do that. Earlier in camp we’re moving Turk outside in some base situations so he’s – there’s a 290-pound guy that’s quick and physical, but absolutely. We’ve got Mike Danna, George (Karlaftis), Felix (Anudike-Uzomah), and even Truman Jones who has done a nice job. (They) all can move in or out and then we’ve got Turk and Chris that can go out when we they have to.”OFFENSIVE LINE COACH ANDY HECKQ: What have you learned so far about Kingsley Suamataia and how he is fitting in? What’s his comfort level on the left tackle position?HECK:&nbsp;“Yeah, Kingsley (Suamataia) – you can see it right off (the bat) – his talent, his physical talent.&nbsp; (He’s) big, strong, (and has) great movement skills. He’s shown a knack for being able to pull and make blocks in space. He’s a young guy that’s trying to grasp all of our techniques and as well as the playbook, so that’s a work in progress. (For the coaches), (just) kind of figuring out how does he learn best so we can help him grow as quickly as possible.”Q: What’s been the key to starting rookie linemen and making sure they are ready?HECK:&nbsp;“Well, first it starts with our scouts bringing in good people. Guys with requisite skills, size, strength. We’ve been fortunate here to get some really good guys in here. When you talk about Creed (Humphrey) and Trey (Smith), Kingsley (Suamataia) has that ability that you can put up against anybody. Now, it’s just a matter of execution, details (and) learning our offense.”Q: Joe Thuney seemed to be helping Kingsley Suamataia. From your perspective, how helpful is it to have a veteran helping and filling in the blanks for rookies like Kingsley?HECK:&nbsp;“That is huge. So, Joe (Thuney) especially, but not just Joe – I mean all of our veteran guys are fantastic with our young guys. We’ve got a super young (offensive line) room with seven rookies, but you talk about Joe Thuney grabbing Kingsley (Suamataia) it’s like another coach on the field. He’s able to be supportive, he’s able to push him, he’s able to hit him on some details, (or) maybe answer a question that he didn’t have a chance to ask in a meeting. That is absolutely invaluable and that’s one of the reasons we’ve got such a great culture in our room.”WIDE RECEIVER COACH CONNOR EMBREEQ:&nbsp;What have you seen from Xavier Worthy and his ability to grasp the playbook so far?EMBREE:&nbsp;“He’s been great. He’s been working hard and picking up the playbook. That’s probably been the best thing, or most impressive thing, to me is how quick he’s been picking up the playbook.”Q:&nbsp;What are you guys asking Rashee Rice to do as far as being better this year?EMBREE:&nbsp;“With Rashee (Rice), I’m just really asking him to now just develop into a leader. Last year, any rookie – he’s just trying to focus on himself, know what to do, (and) do his own job. Now that next step is do your job and help out all the other receivers.”Q:&nbsp;You won the Super Bowl but led the league in drops. How do you work on that this season?

Chiefs Quotes: 8-14-24

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Bobby Witt Jr. homered on a pitch outside the strike zone for the fourth time this season and Paul DeJong finished a triple short of the cycle, helping the Kansas City Royals beat the Minnesota Twins 4-1 Wednesday to avoid a series sweep.

Witt homered into the left-center bullpen on a shoulder-high, full-count fastball from Louie Varland (0-5) in the third inning, putting the Royals ahead 2-0 with his 24th home run this season. The pitch was 4.07 feet above the ground, the highest hit by a Kansas City player for a home run since pitch tracking started in 2008, according to MLB Statcast.

Witt leads the major leagues with a .349 average.

DeJong doubled in the second inning and scored on Kyle Isbel's groundout, singled in the fourth and homered in the sixth. DeJong reached 20 homers for the first time since hitting a career-high 30 for St. Louis in 2019, when he was an All-Star.

Cole Ragans (10-7) struck out eight and walked none in seven innings, allowing one run and five hits. He has won three straight starts for the first time as a major leaguer.

Mixing 20 changeups, 12 knuckle-curves, 11 sliders and nine cutters with 54 fastballs that averaged 95.3 mph, the All-Star retired 13 of his first 15 batters and his final six. He gave up Carlos Santana's fourth-inning homer on a changeup, then stranded the bases loaded in the fifth when Royce Lewis grounded out.

Lucas Erceg induced two groundouts and a popup in a 13-pitch outing for his fifth save in eight chances.

Kansas City (66-55) is in position for the third AL wild card berth while the Twins (67-53) are on track for the second wild card spot. The Royals are 3-7 against the Twins this season and 14-28 against Minnesota since 2022.

Varland gave up three runs and eight hits in six innings, remaining winless since Sept. 12. He was recalled from St. Paul by the Twins, who optioned right-hander Josh Winder to the Triple-A club.

Vinnie Pasquantino added an RBI double in the seventh on a 100.3 mph pitch from Jhoan Duran.

Royals: INF Michael Massey (back tightness) didn't play.

Twins: Manager Rocco Baldelli said OF Byron Buxton will likely remain out of the lineup “not a long while, but a little while.” Buxton&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/twins-buxton-injury-415d16c520152c86c0eebce042f9ed8a">exited</a>&nbsp;Monday's game with right hip discomfort, but an MRI test did not show a significant issue.

Royals: RHP Michael Lorenzen (5-6, 3.79 ERA) is set to open Kansas City's three-game series in Cincinnati against Reds RHP Nick Martinez (6-5, 3.16) on Friday.

Twins: RHP Bailey Ober (12-5, 3.52 ERA) is to be on the mound on Thursday night at Texas, which starts LHP Cody Bradford (4-0, 3.60).

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1723667063976.jpeg" alt="Bobby Witt Jr., right, celebrates his solo home run with Royals teammate Vinnie Pasquantino, left, during the third inning Wednesday at Target Field. (Matt Krohn/Associated Press)" />
 <figcaption>Bobby Witt Jr., right, celebrates his solo home run with Royals teammate Vinnie Pasquantino, left, during the third inning Wednesday at Target Field. (Matt Krohn/Associated Press)</figcaption>
 </figure>MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Bobby Witt Jr. homered on a pitch outside the strike zone for the fourth time this season and Paul DeJong finished a triple short of the cycle, helping the Kansas City Royals beat the Minnesota Twins 4-1 Wednesday to avoid a series sweep.Witt homered into the left-center bullpen on a shoulder-high, full-count fastball from Louie Varland (0-5) in the third inning, putting the Royals ahead 2-0 with his 24th home run this season. The pitch was 4.07 feet above the ground, the highest hit by a Kansas City player for a home run since pitch tracking started in 2008, according to MLB Statcast.Witt leads the major leagues with a .349 average.DeJong doubled in the second inning and scored on Kyle Isbel's groundout, singled in the fourth and homered in the sixth. DeJong reached 20 homers for the first time since hitting a career-high 30 for St. Louis in 2019, when he was an All-Star.Cole Ragans (10-7) struck out eight and walked none in seven innings, allowing one run and five hits. He has won three straight starts for the first time as a major leaguer.Mixing 20 changeups, 12 knuckle-curves, 11 sliders and nine cutters with 54 fastballs that averaged 95.3 mph, the All-Star retired 13 of his first 15 batters and his final six. He gave up Carlos Santana's fourth-inning homer on a changeup, then stranded the bases loaded in the fifth when Royce Lewis grounded out.Lucas Erceg induced two groundouts and a popup in a 13-pitch outing for his fifth save in eight chances.Kansas City (66-55) is in position for the third AL wild card berth while the Twins (67-53) are on track for the second wild card spot. The Royals are 3-7 against the Twins this season and 14-28 against Minnesota since 2022.Varland gave up three runs and eight hits in six innings, remaining winless since Sept. 12. He was recalled from St. Paul by the Twins, who optioned right-hander Josh Winder to the Triple-A club.Vinnie Pasquantino added an RBI double in the seventh on a 100.3 mph pitch from Jhoan Duran.TRAINER'S ROOMRoyals: INF Michael Massey (back tightness) didn't play.Twins: Manager Rocco Baldelli said OF Byron Buxton will likely remain out of the lineup “not a long while, but a little while.” Buxton&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/twins-buxton-injury-415d16c520152c86c0eebce042f9ed8a">exited</a>&nbsp;Monday's game with right hip discomfort, but an MRI test did not show a significant issue.UP NEXTRoyals: RHP Michael Lorenzen (5-6, 3.79 ERA) is set to open Kansas City's three-game series in Cincinnati against Reds RHP Nick Martinez (6-5, 3.16) on Friday.Twins: RHP Bailey Ober (12-5, 3.52 ERA) is to be on the mound on Thursday night at Texas, which starts LHP Cody Bradford (4-0, 3.60).

⚾ Witt homers as Royals beat the Twins to avoid a sweep

BY GARY VAN CLEAVE Salina Post Contributor

The plains of Kansas could easily be depicted as the plains of Africa when observing Salina Central’s Connor Carter making a tackle.

“He looks like a lion tackling a gazelle,” junior defensive end Saijon Mills said of his Mustang DE counterpart.

Like the hungry lion prides on the rich Serengeti grassland, Carter picks out his feeble target and locks in as his hunger for a ball carrier reaches epic conditions.

“It’s energizing, you don’t really realize it’s a sack until you actually get up and see who you tackled,” the 6-foot-1, 202-pound Mustang junior said. “You hear your teammates screaming your name getting really hyped up. It’s a great feeling especially when it’s a clean tackle, it feels amazing.”

BY GARY VAN CLEAVE Salina Post ContributorThe plains of Kansas could easily be depicted as the plains of Africa when observing Salina Central’s Connor Carter making a tackle.“He looks like a lion tackling a gazelle,” junior defensive end Saijon Mills said of his Mustang DE counterpart.Like the hungry lion prides on the rich Serengeti grassland, Carter picks out his feeble target and locks in as his hunger for a ball carrier reaches epic conditions.<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>“It’s energizing, you don’t really realize it’s a sack until you actually get up and see who you tackled,” the 6-foot-1, 202-pound Mustang junior said. “You hear your teammates screaming your name getting really hyped up. It’s a great feeling especially when it’s a clean tackle, it feels amazing.”Nobody is more eager for the 2024 season than Carter.“It’s been fun to get back into football after almost half a year,” he said. “We had practice twice a week and it was a blast getting to reconnect with my teammates. I can’t wait to see where my teammates are at and I have really high hopes for this season regarding how far we can go and the opportunities that we have to eventually get to state this year.”As a sophomore, Carter played in four games and notched 11 tackles, five of them solo, including a pair of tackles for loss.While a knee injury sidelined him for two weeks, Carter was energized in his return and had a real impact for the Mustangs last season.“He’s quick off the start and can make any pass rush move work,” junior DE Jesse Sternberger said. “He can stop the run efficiently and is a tough time for any offensive lineman, big or small.”“Lengthy, twitchy aggressive and fast paced,” junior safety Kory Serocki said. “He leads by example, always doing the right thing on and off the field and always locked in.”For all the production Carter is expected to bring off the field, all of that is the product of the work he puts in off the field.“He is a great competitor and a great friend and teammate,” junior DE Kaden Snyder said. “He might not have always been the fastest or the most athletic, but he works really hard and is getting stronger and faster everyday.”Carter said he’s been dialed in on hitting the weights this summer.“I've also been working on being more aggressive with hand fighting and more accurate with my hand placement,” Carter said.&nbsp;Those efforts have also been recognized by Carter's teammates in the trenches who will welcome him back into their hunting pack in 2024.“Connor has a big role on our team and he does his job really well,” senior lineman James MacKinney said. “He is relentless and never gives up on plays. I remember last year he ran me over in a game trying to chase down a ball.”“Hard-working, persistent Beast,” senior receiver Drew Schneweis said.“Connor is a dog out there. He has a great mentality and is very tough,” Mills said.A few things came to mind when Carter was asked what makes a good defensive end.“Being able to react to the guy across from you and to be able to redirect your body where it needs to go as fast as you can,” he said. “Also, knowing when to go screaming into the backfield and when to stay in your gap so no one can get through.”“Connor is a lead-by-example kind of guy and always does the right thing,” MacKinney said. “He shows up to every lifting session and he puts in the extra work off the field. He helps our whole D-line get better every time he is on the field. He’s improved a lot this summer. He's added more than 15 pounds of muscle and has improved his techniques tenfold.”While many would be happy to simply be an impact player at the high school level, Carter hopes to hone his skills someday at the collegiate level.“It’s something that I have been thinking a lot about these past couple weeks,” Carter said. “I can’t wait to start putting myself out there to hopefully get some offers from different colleges.”The Mustangs open their 2024 campaign against the cross-town rival Salina South Cougars on Friday, September 6 at Salina Stadium.