MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) — Avery Johnson threw for 168 yards and two touchdowns, Dylan Edwards ran for 166 yards and another score, and Kansas State held on to beat UCF 34-20 on Saturday for its first Big 12 win of the season.

Johnson also ran for 75 yards, and the Wildcats (2-3, 1-1) piled up 268 yards on the ground, while their defense made a critical fourth-down stop with just over 4 minutes left after the Knights (3-1, 0-1) had closed to within 31-20.

“I'm like, ‘Here we go again,’” said Kansas State coach Chris Klieman, whose team's first four games this season had been decided by one score, and who nearly had his 58th birthday spoiled when the Knights began to mount their comeback.

“Proud of the guys to get some stops on defense after we gave up some explosive plays," Klieman said.

Tayven Jackson, who missed a chunk of the game with an injury, returned to throw for 115 yards for UCF, which had won its last 16 games under Scott Frost dating to his first tenure with the program. Myles Montgomery had 119 yards rushing.

Kansas State has never lost to UCF in three meetings.

“We fought. We just weren’t consistent enough, and that’s what we have to keep working on is not making the mistakes that hurt you,” Frost said. “We needed to be better on offense early on to keep our defense off the field.”

The Knights were rolling off a 34-9 rout of North Carolina, but Kansas State must have had plenty of time to scout them during their bye. The Wildcats shut down the UCF offense even before Jackson got hurt with 10:48 left in the first half.

Jacurri Brown entered the game and immediately threw an interception, leading to Joe Jackson's TD run and a 10-0 lead.

UCF finally got a big play moments later, when Brown hit DJ Black down the sideline. Kansas State's Wesley Fair missed a tackle, and the resulting 82-yard TD reception was the longest by a Knights player since Doug Gabriel's 83-yarder in 2001.

But the Wildcats answered with a 73-yard touchdown march, and Will Anciaux's catch gave them a 17-7 lead at the break.

“We just didn't get started as fast as we like to," Montgomery said, "and on the road in the Big 12, you have to start fast.”

Not much changed after halftime. Brown and the Knights went three-and-out to start the third quarter, and Kansas State added to the lead with another long touchdown drive. And when Jackson's surprising return sparked the UCF offense, Brown came in to run a sneak on fourth down, and the backup quarterback promptly fumbled the ball away.

Edwards added a 75-yard touchdown run later in the third quarter, helping to put the game out of UCF's reach.

The Wildcats played most of the way without wide receiver Jayce Brown, who had been dealing with “something,” Klieman said, and tried to play but ultimately could not. He's their leading receiver with 25 catches for 284 yards and two scores.

The Knights were playing for the first time since offensive line coach Shawn Clark died unexpectedly on Sunday. The 50-year-old Clark was hospitalized after a medical emergency on Sept. 9, but the school said last week that he had been stable.

UCF struggled mightily to move the ball when Jackson was out of the game. Once he returned, the ground game got going and the Knights began to resemble the offense that scored 68 points in a rout of North Carolina A&amp;T.

Kansas State turned loose Johnson to run the ball for the first time this season, and that seemed to open up an offense that had struggled with inconsistency. The athletic QB finished with the third-best rushing total of his 26-game career.

UCF returns home to face Kansas on Saturday night.

Kansas State heads to Baylor on Saturday.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1759004147612.png" alt="Photo K-State Athletics" />
 <figcaption>Photo K-State Athletics</figcaption>
 </figure>MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) — Avery Johnson threw for 168 yards and two touchdowns, Dylan Edwards ran for 166 yards and another score, and Kansas State held on to beat UCF 34-20 on Saturday for its first Big 12 win of the season.Johnson also ran for 75 yards, and the Wildcats (2-3, 1-1) piled up 268 yards on the ground, while their defense made a critical fourth-down stop with just over 4 minutes left after the Knights (3-1, 0-1) had closed to within 31-20.“I'm like, ‘Here we go again,’” said Kansas State coach Chris Klieman, whose team's first four games this season had been decided by one score, and who nearly had his 58th birthday spoiled when the Knights began to mount their comeback.“Proud of the guys to get some stops on defense after we gave up some explosive plays," Klieman said.Tayven Jackson, who missed a chunk of the game with an injury, returned to throw for 115 yards for UCF, which had won its last 16 games under Scott Frost dating to his first tenure with the program. Myles Montgomery had 119 yards rushing.Kansas State has never lost to UCF in three meetings.“We fought. We just weren’t consistent enough, and that’s what we have to keep working on is not making the mistakes that hurt you,” Frost said. “We needed to be better on offense early on to keep our defense off the field.”The Knights were rolling off a 34-9 rout of North Carolina, but Kansas State must have had plenty of time to scout them during their bye. The Wildcats shut down the UCF offense even before Jackson got hurt with 10:48 left in the first half.Jacurri Brown entered the game and immediately threw an interception, leading to Joe Jackson's TD run and a 10-0 lead.UCF finally got a big play moments later, when Brown hit DJ Black down the sideline. Kansas State's Wesley Fair missed a tackle, and the resulting 82-yard TD reception was the longest by a Knights player since Doug Gabriel's 83-yarder in 2001.But the Wildcats answered with a 73-yard touchdown march, and Will Anciaux's catch gave them a 17-7 lead at the break.“We just didn't get started as fast as we like to," Montgomery said, "and on the road in the Big 12, you have to start fast.”Not much changed after halftime. Brown and the Knights went three-and-out to start the third quarter, and Kansas State added to the lead with another long touchdown drive. And when Jackson's surprising return sparked the UCF offense, Brown came in to run a sneak on fourth down, and the backup quarterback promptly fumbled the ball away.Edwards added a 75-yard touchdown run later in the third quarter, helping to put the game out of UCF's reach.<h2>K-State's injury</h2>The Wildcats played most of the way without wide receiver Jayce Brown, who had been dealing with “something,” Klieman said, and tried to play but ultimately could not. He's their leading receiver with 25 catches for 284 yards and two scores.<h2>Fond farewell</h2>The Knights were playing for the first time since offensive line coach Shawn Clark died unexpectedly on Sunday. The 50-year-old Clark was hospitalized after a medical emergency on Sept. 9, but the school said last week that he had been stable.<h2>The takeaway</h2>UCF struggled mightily to move the ball when Jackson was out of the game. Once he returned, the ground game got going and the Knights began to resemble the offense that scored 68 points in a rout of North Carolina A&amp;T.Kansas State turned loose Johnson to run the ball for the first time this season, and that seemed to open up an offense that had struggled with inconsistency. The athletic QB finished with the third-best rushing total of his 26-game career.<h2>Up next</h2>UCF returns home to face Kansas on Saturday night.Kansas State heads to Baylor on Saturday.

🏈  Wildcats secure first Big 12 win with victory over UCF

LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Tawee Walker scored on a 2-yard touchdown run with 29 seconds left to lift Cincinnati to a 37-34 victory over Kansas on Saturday.

The Bearcats (3-1, 1-0 Big 12) drove 75 yards in 1:16 for the game-winning score.

Jalon Daniels put Kansas (3-2, 1-1) ahead 34-30 with 1:45 left when he found Levi Wentz for a 6-yard touchdown. But there was too much time for Brendan Sorsby and the Bearcats.

Sorsby was 29 of 43 for 388 yards and two touchdowns for Cincinnati.

Daniels threw for four touchdowns and 445 yards.

Kansas took the opening drive of the second half and marched 75 yards for the tying score. Daniels found Boden Groen on a 24-yard, wide-open touchdown pass. But Cincinnati answered with a 14-yard Sorsby to Cyrus Allen touchdown to retake the lead.

Daniels found Emmanuel Henderson for a 75-yard touchdown to tie the game at 27-all. Cincinnati had first-and-goal inside the 1-yard line but had to settle for a 24-yard Stephen Rusnak field goal.

Kansas struck quickly on a 93-yard touchdown pass from Daniels to Henderson on the Jayhawks' first play from scrimmage. Cincinnati responded with a methodical 13-play, 75-yard drive, capped by a 2-yard touchdown run by Walker. The Bearcats attempted and succeeded on two fourth-down conversions on the drive.

Cincinnati appeared to score on an 88-yard punt return just before halftime, but it was nullified by an illegal-block penalty. The Bearcats still drove from their own 6 to the Kansas 25, using a 43-yard field goal by Rusnak for a 20-13 halftime lead.

Cincinnati returns home to take on Iowa State, while Kansas travels to UCF next Saturday.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1759004170827.png" alt="Photo Kansas Athletics" />
 <figcaption>Photo Kansas Athletics</figcaption>
 </figure>LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Tawee Walker scored on a 2-yard touchdown run with 29 seconds left to lift Cincinnati to a 37-34 victory over Kansas on Saturday.The Bearcats (3-1, 1-0 Big 12) drove 75 yards in 1:16 for the game-winning score.Jalon Daniels put Kansas (3-2, 1-1) ahead 34-30 with 1:45 left when he found Levi Wentz for a 6-yard touchdown. But there was too much time for Brendan Sorsby and the Bearcats.Sorsby was 29 of 43 for 388 yards and two touchdowns for Cincinnati.Daniels threw for four touchdowns and 445 yards.Kansas took the opening drive of the second half and marched 75 yards for the tying score. Daniels found Boden Groen on a 24-yard, wide-open touchdown pass. But Cincinnati answered with a 14-yard Sorsby to Cyrus Allen touchdown to retake the lead.Daniels found Emmanuel Henderson for a 75-yard touchdown to tie the game at 27-all. Cincinnati had first-and-goal inside the 1-yard line but had to settle for a 24-yard Stephen Rusnak field goal.Kansas struck quickly on a 93-yard touchdown pass from Daniels to Henderson on the Jayhawks' first play from scrimmage. Cincinnati responded with a methodical 13-play, 75-yard drive, capped by a 2-yard touchdown run by Walker. The Bearcats attempted and succeeded on two fourth-down conversions on the drive.Cincinnati appeared to score on an 88-yard punt return just before halftime, but it was nullified by an illegal-block penalty. The Bearcats still drove from their own 6 to the Kansas 25, using a 43-yard field goal by Rusnak for a 20-13 halftime lead.<h2>Up next</h2>Cincinnati returns home to take on Iowa State, while Kansas travels to UCF next Saturday.

🏈 Tawee Walker scores with 29 seconds left and Cincinnati defeats KU

By JEREMY OBERMEYER Salina Post Contributor

Facing an 0-3 Kingman squad, some teams might worry about a letdown following a big 50-0 win like the one Southeast had over arch-rival Beloit last week.

Southeast of Saline put those worries to bed quickly, beating the Eagles by a decisive 58-6 score at Steve Fritz Field on Friday night.

The stingy Southeast of Saline defense rose to the occasion, their efforts highlighted by two Malachi Hopkins interceptions.&nbsp;

That unit gave up only 33 total yards of offense and 0 first downs in the first half.

After a quick three-and-out on Kingman’s first possession, it was time for the Grady Gebhardt show.&nbsp;

Gebhardt scored all four of Southeast’s first-quarter touchdowns, including a 63-yard scamper on the Trojans’ first play from scrimmage.

He followed that with a 6-yard rushing score, a 53-yard touchdown on a screen pass from quarterback Gannon Jacobson, and finished off with a 3-yard scoring run.

In the second quarter, Jacobson stepped up to the plate, playing a key role in the next two Southeast touchdowns.&nbsp;

After setting himself up with a 42-yard run, Jacobson was rewarded with a 1-yard touchdown run, and followed that up with a 22-yard strike to Bryson Lippold for the second touchdown of the quarter.&nbsp;

Junior backup quarterback, Tiernan Ptacek, completed the purple scoring barrage, scoring on a 7-yard run late in the second quarter, followed by a 5-yard touchdown run in the third quarter.

Kingman scored their lone touchdown of the night, late in the third quarter on a 31-yard pass from Logan Birkenbaugh to Trent Clark.

Gebhardt rushed for 128 yards and three touchdowns on eight carries, hauling in two additional receptions for 70 yards and a fourth score.

Jacobson went 6-10 through the air on the day for 111 yards and two touchdowns, adding 47 yards and a third score on three carries.

Southeast remains undefeated at 4-0 and will travel to Lyons next week. Kingman will fall to 0-4 and travel to Douglass.

The full broadcast can be found at the link below.

By JEREMY OBERMEYER Salina Post ContributorFacing an 0-3 Kingman squad, some teams might worry about a letdown following a big 50-0 win like the one Southeast had over arch-rival Beloit last week.Southeast of Saline put those worries to bed quickly, beating the Eagles by a decisive 58-6 score at Steve Fritz Field on Friday night.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1746812152965.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 stingy Southeast of Saline defense rose to the occasion, their efforts highlighted by two Malachi Hopkins interceptions.&nbsp;That unit gave up only 33 total yards of offense and 0 first downs in the first half.After a quick three-and-out on Kingman’s first possession, it was time for the Grady Gebhardt show.&nbsp;Gebhardt scored all four of Southeast’s first-quarter touchdowns, including a 63-yard scamper on the Trojans’ first play from scrimmage.He followed that with a 6-yard rushing score, a 53-yard touchdown on a screen pass from quarterback Gannon Jacobson, and finished off with a 3-yard scoring run.In the second quarter, Jacobson stepped up to the plate, playing a key role in the next two Southeast touchdowns.&nbsp;After setting himself up with a 42-yard run, Jacobson was rewarded with a 1-yard touchdown run, and followed that up with a 22-yard strike to Bryson Lippold for the second touchdown of the quarter.&nbsp;Junior backup quarterback, Tiernan Ptacek, completed the purple scoring barrage, scoring on a 7-yard run late in the second quarter, followed by a 5-yard touchdown run in the third quarter.Kingman scored their lone touchdown of the night, late in the third quarter on a 31-yard pass from Logan Birkenbaugh to Trent Clark.Gebhardt rushed for 128 yards and three touchdowns on eight carries, hauling in two additional receptions for 70 yards and a fourth score.Jacobson went 6-10 through the air on the day for 111 yards and two touchdowns, adding 47 yards and a third score on three carries.Southeast remains undefeated at 4-0 and will travel to Lyons next week. Kingman will fall to 0-4 and travel to Douglass.The full broadcast can be found at the link below.https://www.youtube.com/live/qeFNo8y4D-Q

🏈 Trojans maintain dominance in 58-6 rout of Kingman

By: NICOLAS FIERRO Salina Post

After earning their 1st win of the season, the Knights repeat the same result with a 26-16 victory over the Valley Heights Mustangs.

The Knights opened their first home game at JRI Stadium, as they hosted the Mustangs on beautiful evening of week 4 Kansas High School Football. Early in the game, the Knights scored first with a 10-yard passing TD from Maddox Wells to Noah Hines in the 1st, making the score 6-0.

At the start of the 2nd quarter, Wells completed his 2nd TD of the day after a 19-yard pass to Dom Matteucci and a successful 2-pt conversion, bringing the score 14-0 early on.

Mustangs got on the board for the first time after a 25-yard field goal, which made the score 14-3 at the half.

Once the 3rd quarter started, Brady Dawalt of Valley Heights took it to the house with a 81-yard kickoff return to lessen the Knights' lead by 5.

On the very next drive, the Knights fumbled the football and Gabriel Padilla of Valley Heights converted a 65-yard fumble recovery return. Mustangs gained a lead of 16-14 all the way to the end of the 3rd.

In just the 2nd play of the 4th quarter, Wells earned his 3rd TD of the day after completing a 74-yard pass to Hines and regaining the lead for the Knights, 20-16.

The Knights then obtained some insurance points with 3:26 left in the 4th, as Matteucci gave the Knights a 10-point lead with a 9-yard rushing TD.

The defense also shined for the Knights as they forced the Mustangs to fumble 3 times and recovering all of them. Hines also earned an interception in his efforts for the Knights' Friday night win.

On October 3rd, the Knights will host the Sedgwick Cardinals at JRI Stadium. Kickoff @ 7:00 pm.

Noah Hines - 5 receptions, 126 receiving yards, 2 TD, 1 INT

Dom Matteucci - 130 all purpose yards, 1 rushing TD, 1 receiving TD

Brady Dawalt - 81 yard kickoff return&nbsp;

Gabriel Padilla -&nbsp;65 yard fumble recovery return

By: NICOLAS FIERRO Salina PostAfter earning their 1st win of the season, the Knights repeat the same result with a 26-16 victory over the Valley Heights Mustangs.The Knights opened their first home game at JRI Stadium, as they hosted the Mustangs on beautiful evening of week 4 Kansas High School Football. Early in the game, the Knights scored first with a 10-yard passing TD from Maddox Wells to Noah Hines in the 1st, making the score 6-0.At the start of the 2nd quarter, Wells completed his 2nd TD of the day after a 19-yard pass to Dom Matteucci and a successful 2-pt conversion, bringing the score 14-0 early on.Mustangs got on the board for the first time after a 25-yard field goal, which made the score 14-3 at the half.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1746812152965.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>Once the 3rd quarter started, Brady Dawalt of Valley Heights took it to the house with a 81-yard kickoff return to lessen the Knights' lead by 5.On the very next drive, the Knights fumbled the football and Gabriel Padilla of Valley Heights converted a 65-yard fumble recovery return. Mustangs gained a lead of 16-14 all the way to the end of the 3rd.In just the 2nd play of the 4th quarter, Wells earned his 3rd TD of the day after completing a 74-yard pass to Hines and regaining the lead for the Knights, 20-16.The Knights then obtained some insurance points with 3:26 left in the 4th, as Matteucci gave the Knights a 10-point lead with a 9-yard rushing TD.The defense also shined for the Knights as they forced the Mustangs to fumble 3 times and recovering all of them. Hines also earned an interception in his efforts for the Knights' Friday night win.On October 3rd, the Knights will host the Sedgwick Cardinals at JRI Stadium. Kickoff @ 7:00 pm.<h2>Sacred Heart key players and stats</h2>Maddox Wells - 246 passing yards, 3 TDNoah Hines - 5 receptions, 126 receiving yards, 2 TD, 1 INTDom Matteucci - 130 all purpose yards, 1 rushing TD, 1 receiving TD<h2>Valley Heights key players and stats</h2>Aiden Unruh - 77 rushing yardsBrady Dawalt - 81 yard kickoff return&nbsp;Gabriel Padilla -&nbsp;65 yard fumble recovery returnWatch the full game below:&nbsp;<figure>
 <iframe width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/dhzQstGDrQ0"></iframe>
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>

🏈 Knights earn 2nd win in a row after strong outing over Mustangs

🏈 Saline County Scoreboard Week Four

WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Shea Langeliers hit a walk-off RBI double in the ninth inning, Jacob Wilson drove in three runs and the Athletics beat the Kansas City Royals 4-3 on Friday night.

Langeliers singled and Brent Rooker and Tyler Soderstrom walked before Taylor Clarke replaced Royals starter Noah Cameron (9-7) with two out in the fifth. Five pitches later, Wilson hit a bases-clearing double to left field that made it 3-3.

Maikel Garcia and Carter Jensen singled before Jonathan India's three-run homer for Kansas City opened the scoring in the fourth.

Soderstrom hit his 34th double of the season and walked twice.

Justin Sterner (4-3) got the final four outs to earn the win. Athletics starter Mason Barnett allowed three runs in 5 2/3 innings and Hogan Harris pitched two scoreless inning.

Luinder Avila (1-1) gave up a run and two hits in a third of an inning.

Wilson finished 1 for 4 and the rookie is hitting .313 this season, second in MLB behind Aaron Judge (.330) of the New York Yankees.

Angel Zerpa struck out Lawrence Butler swinging to lead off the ninth and was replaced by Avila. Darell Hernaiz singled before Brett Harris reached on force out and was replaced by pinch-runner Max Schuemann, who scored when Langeliers doubled.

Cameron has a 2.99 ERA this season, the lowest by a first-year pitcher in the American League (minimum of 20 games started) since 1995 behind Masahiro Tanaka (2.77 in 2014) and Tanner Bibee (2.98 in 2023).

WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Shea Langeliers hit a walk-off RBI double in the ninth inning, Jacob Wilson drove in three runs and the Athletics beat the Kansas City Royals 4-3 on Friday night.Langeliers singled and Brent Rooker and Tyler Soderstrom walked before Taylor Clarke replaced Royals starter Noah Cameron (9-7) with two out in the fifth. Five pitches later, Wilson hit a bases-clearing double to left field that made it 3-3.Maikel Garcia and Carter Jensen singled before Jonathan India's three-run homer for Kansas City opened the scoring in the fourth.Soderstrom hit his 34th double of the season and walked twice.Justin Sterner (4-3) got the final four outs to earn the win. Athletics starter Mason Barnett allowed three runs in 5 2/3 innings and Hogan Harris pitched two scoreless inning.Luinder Avila (1-1) gave up a run and two hits in a third of an inning.Wilson finished 1 for 4 and the rookie is hitting .313 this season, second in MLB behind Aaron Judge (.330) of the New York Yankees.<h2>Key moment</h2>Angel Zerpa struck out Lawrence Butler swinging to lead off the ninth and was replaced by Avila. Darell Hernaiz singled before Brett Harris reached on force out and was replaced by pinch-runner Max Schuemann, who scored when Langeliers doubled.<h2>Key stats</h2>Cameron has a 2.99 ERA this season, the lowest by a first-year pitcher in the American League (minimum of 20 games started) since 1995 behind Masahiro Tanaka (2.77 in 2014) and Tanner Bibee (2.98 in 2023).<h2>Up next</h2>

⚾Langeliers hits walk-off double as Athletics beat the Royals 

The Coyotes are back home for a game against Tabor on Family Weekend.

KWU has won seven in a row and eight of the last nine. The Coyotes won 28-14 last season at JRI Stadium and 31-0 in 2023 in Hillsboro. They have a 15-9 advantage in the series since 2001. KWU leads the all-time series 35-21.

"I thought (Lomax-Spivey) played with really strong hands which is a cliche with receivers. There are body catchers and there are hand catchers and I just think he's really strong with his hands and thought he had a big night. (Domena) finally has done what we've asked him to do, and that's be a downhill runner. Not look to bounce and cut everything and get after it. He has emerged but make no mistake about it they're all going to do it the right way, or it'll be by committee.

"I think I'm playing the Green Bay Packers every week. ... I know anytime you're dealing with kids anything can happen. (Gardner) is a good football coach, there's no doubt about it. They flipped their roster. If you go look at a year ago versus now on film and paper they went and got some guys. I think they play hard. I have enough sense to know that the last three games they have gone through the gauntlet so it's hard to really know (how good they are) but I do believe we're going to get their best shot.

"We've got to be extremely smart with our eyes and our rules. They're what I call rulebreakers, especially up front defensively. They try to do things that are going to cause you to break your rules, make you misfire on somebody or bust an assignment. They're very unorthodox. We have to play within our scheme, within our system.

"I think (defensive coordinator <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/2976c46f-94f9-4a75-8cc0-1ed801defa84?elinkdata=29617">David Leonard</a>) has done a great job along with the staff. There is no ego with him. We play really, really hard. We don't do a ton of things and it's because we want our kids to be able to play fast with their hair on fire, not overthink and play. Make no mistake about it, our front four are really good. We get pressure on the quarterback without blitzing a lot. We're solid."

"My freshman and sophomore year (of high school) I was not very good. I was a backup quarterback, backup halfback wherever to get on the field. But then my junior year that's when I moved full time to receiver. I went to a lot of camps, and I played a lot of seven-on-seven and then I hit the weight room pretty good. I think that just all around helped me.

"Coach Middleton was very thorough and made sure we knew the plays, and we were all on the same page and we've just been clicking. O-line has been doing a great job and really just everybody, the quarterbacks, running backs ... we wouldn't be able to throw it without all of them. (Austad) is a guy that doesn't mind throwing it up for a little 50-50 ball and I like that. He's just very smart and he can make the reads."

The Coyotes are back home for a game against Tabor on Family Weekend.GAME INFORMATION<ul>
 <li>Kickoff: 6 p.m.</li><li>Day: Saturday</li><li>Location: Gene Bissell Field at JRI Hospitality Stadium and the Graves Family Sports Complex</li><li>Records: Kansas Wesleyan 4-0; Tabor 1-3</li>
 </ul>LIVE COVERAGE<ul>
 <li>The video stream of the game will be available online through the Coyote Sports Network on the Urban Edge Network (<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/b3f16609-881c-4736-b856-625b80b2a907?elinkdata=29617">https://urbanedgenetwork.net/watch/2869</a>). The game will also be available on the KCAC Network at <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/f1db8f8d-5cd8-4b65-8dcf-3824ef2ef95b?elinkdata=29617">www.kcacnetwork.com/kansaswesleyan</a>.</li><li>Live Stats will be available at <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/939f2f78-e5ee-4c60-a8e1-069fd526d859?elinkdata=29617">https://kwucoyotes.com/sidearmstats/football/summary</a></li><li>Radio coverage will be on KINA starting at 5 p.m. with Tyler Henry and Brooks Garretson. The online radio stream is available at <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/9ca94985-f959-4db1-9d2d-e17985ab7d60?elinkdata=29617">https://radio.securenetsystems.net/ce/kina2</a>.</li>
 </ul>THE SERIESKWU has won seven in a row and eight of the last nine. The Coyotes won 28-14 last season at JRI Stadium and 31-0 in 2023 in Hillsboro. They have a 15-9 advantage in the series since 2001. KWU leads the all-time series 35-21.KANSAS WESLEYAN AT A GLANCE<ul>
 <li>The Coyotes remained unbeaten with a 38-7 victory over Bethel last Saturday in North Newton. <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/6a458994-073a-4400-b9e5-4cc406d67fab?elinkdata=29617">Henry Austad</a> ran for two touchdowns, threw two touchdown passes to <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/6f6d371f-9e34-4cf4-b7d7-6fbc250457f5?elinkdata=29617">Rhadarious Lomax-Spivey</a> and the defense was dominant once again. KWU led 21-7 at halftime and blanked Bethel for the final 30 minutes.</li><li>Austad was 15 of 30 for 159 yards and no interceptions. Lomax-Spivey caught six passes for 64 yards and his first two touchdowns of the season. <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/95185907-6398-4647-9a40-86db23470191?elinkdata=29617">Will Wilcox</a> had five catches for 60 yards. <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/7fed17a9-dd3a-490a-817d-36ac34d41232?elinkdata=29617">D'Heaven Domena</a> led the ground game with 101 yards rushing on 18 carries (5.6 per carry) while Austad had 58 yards on seven attempts. KWU finished with 451 total yards - 240 yards rushing, 211 passing.</li><li>Defensively the Coyotes were phenomenal, limiting Bethel to 172 yards that included 50 rushing on 33 tries - 1.5 per carry - and four first downs after halftime. <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/6efc0f89-1216-4eae-8e38-afde725b4c3c?elinkdata=29617">Josh King-Bradley</a> and <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/a49d5880-c592-48ce-aa18-7123181e6c71?elinkdata=29617">Gavin Skerik</a> each had eight tackles and a sack while <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/69a1ab94-2ac3-41c8-8e77-9408423f3c4b?elinkdata=29617">Taylor Collins</a> and <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/1dc9adf2-672a-44a8-bafb-a31f7da403ff?elinkdata=29617">Derrean Morgan</a> finished with seven stops apiece. KWU is allowing 7.5 points and 214.5 yards per game through four games.</li><li>Wesleyan continues to receive votes in the NAIA rankings. The Coyotes received 56 in the poll released Monday and are 27th. McPherson also received votes (87, 26th overall) as did Evangel (26). Friends moved up to seventh and Southwestern is 17th.</li><li><a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/c8d52c6d-7971-4f53-b4b5-9f85bb995c0e?elinkdata=29617">Luke Armstrong</a> rushed for 187 yards and two touchdowns, Zerek Fewell had 78 yards rushing and a score and <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/c24a3bdf-10ba-4acb-b1c2-3b417005c01d?elinkdata=29617">Richard Lara</a> threw a touchdown pass to <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/a47bb2e4-3c91-4e43-a4d6-415b211489a1?elinkdata=29617">Artaveon Shavers</a> in last year's game. KWU led 13-7 at halftime and 21-7 after three quarters. Tabor averaged 1.4 yards rushing per carry - 37 yards on 26 attempts.</li>
 </ul>TABOR AT A GLANCE<ul>
 <li>The Bluejays have lost three in a row to Gene Bissell Division powers Southwestern (28-21), McPherson (49-7) and Friends (59-15) last Saturday in Wichita. They opened the season with a victory at Sterling (34-9).</li><li>Friends raced to a 52-0 halftime lead and held Tabor to 87 yards total on 48 plays (1.8 per play) for the game. The Bluejays average 19.3 points and 213 total yards, just 56 rushing. They led Southwestern 14-7 at halftime and gave up the game-winning touchdown with 1:11 left.</li><li>Junior Amad Bailey and freshmen Jerome Stewart and Tarent Moniz-Babb are the quarterbacks. Bailey didn't play against Friends and has 371 yards passing, five touchdowns and four interceptions while Stewart has 200 yards, three TDs and one interception. Cameron Collier has a team-best 95 yards rushing and Devin Jones 88. AJ Kings is the top receiver with 20 catches for 242 yards and five touchdowns.</li><li>Willie Green threw for 215 yards and two touchdowns but was sacked four times last season against KWU. Tabor revamped its roster during the offseason and has upgraded the talent level.</li><li>Mike Gardner is in his 16th season as head coach. He led Tabor during the 2004-05 seasons, spent the next six seasons as head coach at Malone (Ohio) and returned to Hillsboro in 2012. He's fifth among active NAIA coaches with 123 victories.</li>
 </ul>HEAD COACH MATT MIDDLETON"I thought (Lomax-Spivey) played with really strong hands which is a cliche with receivers. There are body catchers and there are hand catchers and I just think he's really strong with his hands and thought he had a big night. (Domena) finally has done what we've asked him to do, and that's be a downhill runner. Not look to bounce and cut everything and get after it. He has emerged but make no mistake about it they're all going to do it the right way, or it'll be by committee."I think I'm playing the Green Bay Packers every week. ... I know anytime you're dealing with kids anything can happen. (Gardner) is a good football coach, there's no doubt about it. They flipped their roster. If you go look at a year ago versus now on film and paper they went and got some guys. I think they play hard. I have enough sense to know that the last three games they have gone through the gauntlet so it's hard to really know (how good they are) but I do believe we're going to get their best shot."We've got to be extremely smart with our eyes and our rules. They're what I call rulebreakers, especially up front defensively. They try to do things that are going to cause you to break your rules, make you misfire on somebody or bust an assignment. They're very unorthodox. We have to play within our scheme, within our system."I think (defensive coordinator <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/2976c46f-94f9-4a75-8cc0-1ed801defa84?elinkdata=29617">David Leonard</a>) has done a great job along with the staff. There is no ego with him. We play really, really hard. We don't do a ton of things and it's because we want our kids to be able to play fast with their hair on fire, not overthink and play. Make no mistake about it, our front four are really good. We get pressure on the quarterback without blitzing a lot. We're solid."WIDE RECEIVER WILL WILCOX"My freshman and sophomore year (of high school) I was not very good. I was a backup quarterback, backup halfback wherever to get on the field. But then my junior year that's when I moved full time to receiver. I went to a lot of camps, and I played a lot of seven-on-seven and then I hit the weight room pretty good. I think that just all around helped me."Coach Middleton was very thorough and made sure we knew the plays, and we were all on the same page and we've just been clicking. O-line has been doing a great job and really just everybody, the quarterbacks, running backs ... we wouldn't be able to throw it without all of them. (Austad) is a guy that doesn't mind throwing it up for a little 50-50 ball and I like that. He's just very smart and he can make the reads."NEXT WEEK

🏈 Middleton with eye on solid Tabor squad as Coyotes host Bluejays on Saturday

Chiefs Head Coach Andy Reid Quotes

OPENING STATEMENT:&nbsp;“Alright, so everybody went today. (Ashton) Gillotte was sick so he wasn’t out there. He should be okay as we go forward. Look forward to playing – (the) opportunity of playing the Ravens. Good football team. We know that (Head Coach) John (Harbaugh) does a heck of a job with that group and has for a number of years. He has great assistant coaches and great players so it should be a heck of a game. I look forward to bringing them here at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Time’s yours.”

Q: How does a player protect themselves after an injury. What’s the advice and strategy there?

REID:&nbsp;“Yeah, listen you got to be healthy enough to go play. We aren’t going to put him (Xavier Worthy) out there if he’s not healthy enough to play, where he feels comfortable. So, he feels good and then the other team, they’re going to play hard no matter what, whether you have a shoulder (injury) or not. They’re going to try to knock you around a little bit. That’s why you want to make sure you’re in the right frame of mind to go do it and physically be okay.”

Q: Do you anticipate that Xavier Worthy will participate on Sunday?

REID:&nbsp;“Yeah, unless something went on today that I don’t know about. Should be.”

Q: Do you think Jalen Royals will get some snaps?

REID:&nbsp;“Yes, he’s (Jalen Royals) good to go too.”

Q: What have you seen from Xavier Worthy this week?

REID:&nbsp;“(He’s) fast. We didn’t have to worry about his legs - that was an upper body injury - so he’s been able to keep himself in good shape and ready to go. He looked good (with) what we ask him to do there.”

Q:&nbsp;Do you feel like you guys gained a little rhythm on the running game?

HUNT:&nbsp;“Yeah, most definitely. I just feel like we all just gotta do our job. (It) takes all of us to get the run game going and that’s what we gotta do.”

Q:&nbsp;On seeing the Lions run the ball well against the Ravens last week.

HUNT:&nbsp;“For sure, definitely I know they’re (Baltimore Ravens) probably emphasizing that all week and we just gotta always be prepared to run the ball no matter what the team did last week because it’s a different team.”

Q:&nbsp;What stood out to you about how the team handled the 0-2 start?

HUNT:&nbsp;“I think we came together. The second half (of the Giants game) we came out with a lot more energy and just had our normal mentality to go down there and put points on the board. It was good to be able to do that, hopefully we can continue doing that.”

Q:&nbsp;Ravens QB Lamar Jackson has not thrown an interception this season. What would it mean for the defense to get one?

WATSON:&nbsp;“That’s a big emphasis, trying to get Pat (Mahomes) the ball back so try any way we can to create turnovers. Whether that’s getting interceptions or getting fumbles, fumble recoveries (or) getting turnover on downs.”

Q:&nbsp;On his strong relationship with Defensive Backs Coach Dave Merritt.

WATSON:&nbsp;“We have a great relationship, since my rookie year. I actually didn’t know I dropped it till I seen a TV copy. I thought it skipped on the ground, but I guess my eyes were closed.”

Q:&nbsp;What has impressed you about Nohl Williams so far?

Chiefs Head Coach Andy Reid QuotesSeptember 26, 2025HEAD COACH ANDY REIDOPENING STATEMENT:&nbsp;“Alright, so everybody went today. (Ashton) Gillotte was sick so he wasn’t out there. He should be okay as we go forward. Look forward to playing – (the) opportunity of playing the Ravens. Good football team. We know that (Head Coach) John (Harbaugh) does a heck of a job with that group and has for a number of years. He has great assistant coaches and great players so it should be a heck of a game. I look forward to bringing them here at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Time’s yours.”Q: How does a player protect themselves after an injury. What’s the advice and strategy there?REID:&nbsp;“Yeah, listen you got to be healthy enough to go play. We aren’t going to put him (Xavier Worthy) out there if he’s not healthy enough to play, where he feels comfortable. So, he feels good and then the other team, they’re going to play hard no matter what, whether you have a shoulder (injury) or not. They’re going to try to knock you around a little bit. That’s why you want to make sure you’re in the right frame of mind to go do it and physically be okay.”Q: Do you anticipate that Xavier Worthy will participate on Sunday?REID:&nbsp;“Yeah, unless something went on today that I don’t know about. Should be.”Q: Do you think Jalen Royals will get some snaps?REID:&nbsp;“Yes, he’s (Jalen Royals) good to go too.”Q: What have you seen from Xavier Worthy this week?REID:&nbsp;“(He’s) fast. We didn’t have to worry about his legs - that was an upper body injury - so he’s been able to keep himself in good shape and ready to go. He looked good (with) what we ask him to do there.”Chiefs Player QuotesSeptember 26, 2025<a>RB KAREEM HUNT</a>Q:&nbsp;Do you feel like you guys gained a little rhythm on the running game?HUNT:&nbsp;“Yeah, most definitely. I just feel like we all just gotta do our job. (It) takes all of us to get the run game going and that’s what we gotta do.”Q:&nbsp;On seeing the Lions run the ball well against the Ravens last week.HUNT:&nbsp;“For sure, definitely I know they’re (Baltimore Ravens) probably emphasizing that all week and we just gotta always be prepared to run the ball no matter what the team did last week because it’s a different team.”Q:&nbsp;What stood out to you about how the team handled the 0-2 start?HUNT:&nbsp;“I think we came together. The second half (of the Giants game) we came out with a lot more energy and just had our normal mentality to go down there and put points on the board. It was good to be able to do that, hopefully we can continue doing that.”CB JAYLEN WATSONQ:&nbsp;Ravens QB Lamar Jackson has not thrown an interception this season. What would it mean for the defense to get one?WATSON:&nbsp;“That’s a big emphasis, trying to get Pat (Mahomes) the ball back so try any way we can to create turnovers. Whether that’s getting interceptions or getting fumbles, fumble recoveries (or) getting turnover on downs.”Q:&nbsp;On his strong relationship with Defensive Backs Coach Dave Merritt.WATSON:&nbsp;“We have a great relationship, since my rookie year. I actually didn’t know I dropped it till I seen a TV copy. I thought it skipped on the ground, but I guess my eyes were closed.”Q:&nbsp;What has impressed you about Nohl Williams so far?

Chiefs Quotes: 9-26-25

By TYLER HENRY Lead Sportswriter - Salina Post

Entering 2025, the expectation for Southeast of Saline was to mount a strong challenge to defend their 2A state title.

Somehow, the Trojans have exceeded even those lofty goals, powering through their first three opponents, including two fellow playoff teams, with ease.

After blowing out Minneapolis 60-21 in their opener and breezing by Clay Center 46-7 in week two, the SES geared up for the Trojan War with Beloit, and a rematch of 2024’s state semifinal.

The game was never close, as Southeast obliterated Beloit in a 50-0 shutout to roll to 3-0.

“Any time you can go up to Beloit and win, that’s a good win for your program,” SES head coach Mitch Gebhardt said. “Beloit is always good, but I was proud of our kids and the way we went up there and played really well on both sides of the ball.”

While the Trojan offense is averaging over 50 points per game through three weeks, what’s scarier is the defense, which has slowly tightened the screws over the course of the year.

“Our defense has gotten better each week, and that’s our goal,” Gebhardt said. “Many of those kids have a lot of experience, but it takes time to build leadership and understand schemes with a new season. We’re getting a lot of kids to the football and we’re understanding our roles better.”

Now, Southeast turns its attention to a perennial power in Kingman, but one that’s gotten off to a peculiar 0-3 start to the 2025 season.

The Eagles suffered blowout losses in weeks one and two, falling 23-7 to Chaparral and 38-0 to Cheney, respectively, before dropping a three-point contest to Wichita Trinity last week.

Despite those early struggles, this is a program and a coaching staff that SES holds a great deal of respect for, and one the Trojans expect a good shot from on Friday.

“Kingman’s coaching staff does a great job and they’re a scary team,” he said. “Any time you play them you have to be locked into what you’re doing and we need to continue to get better every week. Those kids play hard and we’ll have to bring our best this week.”

If the Eagles want a shot in this game, they will have to find an answer for Grady Gebhardt, who has more yards from scrimmage through three weeks than Kingman does as a team.

“Any time you can get Grady in space, good things can happen,” Gebhardt said. “The guys have been blocking well downfield; it goes beyond the line, without that, you don’t see those long touchdowns.”

Turnovers are likely to play a big role in this game as well, with Kingman having surrendered seven free possessions to opponents this season.

“We have to continue to take care of the football,” Gebhardt said. “We need to keep the ball moving and play as a team defensively. We need to get a lot of hats to the football and to tackle when we’re there.

Tonight’s game will be streamed live on Salina Post and can be heard on KINA (910 AM/107.5 FM).

You can tune in both live and on demand in the window below.

By TYLER HENRY Lead Sportswriter - Salina PostEntering 2025, the expectation for Southeast of Saline was to mount a strong challenge to defend their 2A state title.Somehow, the Trojans have exceeded even those lofty goals, powering through their first three opponents, including two fellow playoff teams, with ease.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1746812152965.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>After blowing out Minneapolis 60-21 in their opener and breezing by Clay Center 46-7 in week two, the SES geared up for the Trojan War with Beloit, and a rematch of 2024’s state semifinal.The game was never close, as Southeast obliterated Beloit in a 50-0 shutout to roll to 3-0.“Any time you can go up to Beloit and win, that’s a good win for your program,” SES head coach Mitch Gebhardt said. “Beloit is always good, but I was proud of our kids and the way we went up there and played really well on both sides of the ball.”While the Trojan offense is averaging over 50 points per game through three weeks, what’s scarier is the defense, which has slowly tightened the screws over the course of the year.“Our defense has gotten better each week, and that’s our goal,” Gebhardt said. “Many of those kids have a lot of experience, but it takes time to build leadership and understand schemes with a new season. We’re getting a lot of kids to the football and we’re understanding our roles better.”Now, Southeast turns its attention to a perennial power in Kingman, but one that’s gotten off to a peculiar 0-3 start to the 2025 season.The Eagles suffered blowout losses in weeks one and two, falling 23-7 to Chaparral and 38-0 to Cheney, respectively, before dropping a three-point contest to Wichita Trinity last week.Despite those early struggles, this is a program and a coaching staff that SES holds a great deal of respect for, and one the Trojans expect a good shot from on Friday.“Kingman’s coaching staff does a great job and they’re a scary team,” he said. “Any time you play them you have to be locked into what you’re doing and we need to continue to get better every week. Those kids play hard and we’ll have to bring our best this week.”If the Eagles want a shot in this game, they will have to find an answer for Grady Gebhardt, who has more yards from scrimmage through three weeks than Kingman does as a team.“Any time you can get Grady in space, good things can happen,” Gebhardt said. “The guys have been blocking well downfield; it goes beyond the line, without that, you don’t see those long touchdowns.”Turnovers are likely to play a big role in this game as well, with Kingman having surrendered seven free possessions to opponents this season.“We have to continue to take care of the football,” Gebhardt said. “We need to keep the ball moving and play as a team defensively. We need to get a lot of hats to the football and to tackle when we’re there.Tonight’s game will be streamed live on Salina Post and can be heard on KINA (910 AM/107.5 FM).You can tune in both live and on demand in the window below.<figure>
 <iframe width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/qeFNo8y4D-Q"></iframe>
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🏈 Trojans seek to maintain momentum against floundering Eagles

On the heels of their first win of the season, the Sacred Heart Knights will host their first true home game this evening against the reigning district champs in Valley Heights.

Sacred Heart bulldozed Pleasanton 29-7 on Saturday, aiding them in improving to 1-2 on the season.

Valley Heights stumbled at Centralia to open their season, but bounced back in strong fashion, defeating Onaga 28-8 in week two, and Doniphan West 33-14 in week three.

The Mustangs have relied on a run-heavy offense, with their lead back, Aiden Unruh, averaging over 12 yards per carry.

Sacred Heart received a huge boost last week with the return of Dom Matteucci to their backfield and secondary.

Matteucci toted the rock 15 times for 61 yards and a score on Saturday, perfectly complimenting Elias Gordon in the ground game.

Tonight’s game will be streamed on Salina Post courtesy of Salina Surgical Hospital.

You can watch the full broadcast of this game below. Pregame coverage will begin at 6:40 with kickoff from JRI Stadium at 7.

By TYLER HENRY Lead Sportswriter - Salina PostOn the heels of their first win of the season, the Sacred Heart Knights will host their first true home game this evening against the reigning district champs in Valley Heights.Sacred Heart bulldozed Pleasanton 29-7 on Saturday, aiding them in improving to 1-2 on the season.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1746812152965.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>Valley Heights stumbled at Centralia to open their season, but bounced back in strong fashion, defeating Onaga 28-8 in week two, and Doniphan West 33-14 in week three.The Mustangs have relied on a run-heavy offense, with their lead back, Aiden Unruh, averaging over 12 yards per carry.Sacred Heart received a huge boost last week with the return of Dom Matteucci to their backfield and secondary.Matteucci toted the rock 15 times for 61 yards and a score on Saturday, perfectly complimenting Elias Gordon in the ground game.Tonight’s game will be streamed on Salina Post courtesy of Salina Surgical Hospital.You can watch the full broadcast of this game below. Pregame coverage will begin at 6:40 with kickoff from JRI Stadium at 7.<figure>
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🏈 Sacred Heart hosts district champs to open home slate

The Abilene Cowboys will face the biggest test of their season to date on Friday night when they return home to host the fourth-ranked Rock Creek Mustangs.

Rock Creek has flown out of the gates to a 3-0 start, bookending an impressive 21-13 victory over 4A Wamego with 50+ point shutouts of Bishop Ward and Bonner Springs.

Abilene has developed a propensity for playing in close games, holding off Chapman 16-12 and coming back to defeat Concordia 27-23 en route to a 2-1 start.

The two sides have met just three times since the turn of the century, with the Mustangs leading the series 2-1 in that span, including a dominant 42-6 win in St. George last year.

For the Cowboys, having success tonight will hinge on two things: their ability to run the football and the quarterback play of dual-threat QB Taygen Funston.

Those feats will be easier said than done; the Mustang defense is allowing just three rushing yards a game through three weeks, and has allowed just one rushing touchdown in their last 11 regular-season games.

Rock Creek is led by a bruising rush attack of their own, with tailback Zion Bell averaging nearly seven yards per carry.

This game will be broadcast as part of our Salina Regional Orthopedic and Sports Medicine Game of the Week series and is presented by Abilene Termite and Pest Control.

You can watch the full broadcast of this game below, pregame coverage will begin at 6:40.

By TYLER HENRY Lead Sportswriter - Salina PostThe Abilene Cowboys will face the biggest test of their season to date on Friday night when they return home to host the fourth-ranked Rock Creek Mustangs.Rock Creek has flown out of the gates to a 3-0 start, bookending an impressive 21-13 victory over 4A Wamego with 50+ point shutouts of Bishop Ward and Bonner Springs.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1746812152965.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>Abilene has developed a propensity for playing in close games, holding off Chapman 16-12 and coming back to defeat Concordia 27-23 en route to a 2-1 start.The two sides have met just three times since the turn of the century, with the Mustangs leading the series 2-1 in that span, including a dominant 42-6 win in St. George last year.For the Cowboys, having success tonight will hinge on two things: their ability to run the football and the quarterback play of dual-threat QB Taygen Funston.Those feats will be easier said than done; the Mustang defense is allowing just three rushing yards a game through three weeks, and has allowed just one rushing touchdown in their last 11 regular-season games.Rock Creek is led by a bruising rush attack of their own, with tailback Zion Bell averaging nearly seven yards per carry.This game will be broadcast as part of our Salina Regional Orthopedic and Sports Medicine Game of the Week series and is presented by Abilene Termite and Pest Control.You can watch the full broadcast of this game below, pregame coverage will begin at 6:40.<figure>
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🏈 Cowboys face big home test in Rock Creek on Friday night

<a>MANHATTAN, Kan.</a>&nbsp;–&nbsp;Kansas State senior offensive lineman&nbsp;Sam Hecht&nbsp;has been named a semifinalist for one of the most prestigious honors in major college football, the William V. Campbell Trophy, the National Football Foundation (NFF) has announced.

Hecht is one of 178 semifinalists from all NCAA divisions and the NAIA for the award that recognizes an individual as the absolute best football scholar-athlete in the nation for his combined academic success, football performance and exemplary leadership.

A native of Shawnee, Kansas, Hecht is the 12th Wildcat semifinalist for the award in as many years, joining Tyler Lockett (2014), Stanton Weber (2015), Will Davis (2016), Trent Tanking (2017), Dalton Risner (2018), Adam Holtorf (2019), Tyler Burns (2020), Landry Weber (2021), Adrian Martinez (2022), Cooper Beebe (2023) and Austin Moore (2024). Lockett, Risner, Holtorf, Martinez and Beebe were all named finalists for the award.

“This year’s 178 semifinalists represent the very best of what it means to play college football,” said NFF Chairman Archie Manning, whose sons Peyton (Campbell Trophy winner) and Eli were named NFF National Scholar-Athletes in 1997 and 2003, respectively. “They have excelled in the classroom, distinguished themselves on the field, and proven to be leaders in their communities. The Campbell Trophy stands as a reminder that football develops complete individuals, and these young men embody that tradition at the highest level.”

Hecht has started each of the last 17 games at center dating back to the 2024 season opener. On the watch list for this year’s Outland Trophy and Rimington Trophy, Hecht led an offensive line unit that helped the 2024 Wildcats set school records in rushing yards per carry (6.08) and offensive yards per play (6.57) as they finished second and 13th nationally in those two categories, respectively. The K-State offensive line also surrendered only 13 sacks on the season, its fewest since 2000, while the Wildcats’ 1.00 sacks allowed per game ranked 10th nationally. Additionally, he was penalized just twice over his team-high 840 offensive snaps last season.

A three-time Academic All-Big 12 honoree, Hecht was also named to the Academic All-District Team by College Sports Communicators. Away from the field, he has been involved in numerous community-service projects.

<a>MANHATTAN, Kan.</a>&nbsp;–&nbsp;Kansas State senior offensive lineman&nbsp;Sam Hecht&nbsp;has been named a semifinalist for one of the most prestigious honors in major college football, the William V. Campbell Trophy, the National Football Foundation (NFF) has announced.Hecht is one of 178 semifinalists from all NCAA divisions and the NAIA for the award that recognizes an individual as the absolute best football scholar-athlete in the nation for his combined academic success, football performance and exemplary leadership.A native of Shawnee, Kansas, Hecht is the 12th Wildcat semifinalist for the award in as many years, joining Tyler Lockett (2014), Stanton Weber (2015), Will Davis (2016), Trent Tanking (2017), Dalton Risner (2018), Adam Holtorf (2019), Tyler Burns (2020), Landry Weber (2021), Adrian Martinez (2022), Cooper Beebe (2023) and Austin Moore (2024). Lockett, Risner, Holtorf, Martinez and Beebe were all named finalists for the award.“This year’s 178 semifinalists represent the very best of what it means to play college football,” said NFF Chairman Archie Manning, whose sons Peyton (Campbell Trophy winner) and Eli were named NFF National Scholar-Athletes in 1997 and 2003, respectively. “They have excelled in the classroom, distinguished themselves on the field, and proven to be leaders in their communities. The Campbell Trophy stands as a reminder that football develops complete individuals, and these young men embody that tradition at the highest level.”Hecht has started each of the last 17 games at center dating back to the 2024 season opener. On the watch list for this year’s Outland Trophy and Rimington Trophy, Hecht led an offensive line unit that helped the 2024 Wildcats set school records in rushing yards per carry (6.08) and offensive yards per play (6.57) as they finished second and 13th nationally in those two categories, respectively. The K-State offensive line also surrendered only 13 sacks on the season, its fewest since 2000, while the Wildcats’ 1.00 sacks allowed per game ranked 10th nationally. Additionally, he was penalized just twice over his team-high 840 offensive snaps last season.A three-time Academic All-Big 12 honoree, Hecht was also named to the Academic All-District Team by College Sports Communicators. Away from the field, he has been involved in numerous community-service projects.

K-State’s Hecht Named Semifinalist for Campbell Trophy

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Vinnie Pasquantino homered and drove in three runs, Bobby Witt Jr. had four hits and the Kansas City Royals beat the Los Angeles Angels 9-4 on Thursday night.

Michael Lorenzen (7-11) gave up two earned runs and five hits with a season-high nine strikeouts and no walks in 5 2/3 innings for the Royals.

Jo Adell, Nolan Schanuel and Mike Trout each homered for the Angels. Trout’s two-run shot — his 23rd of the season and 401st of his career — cut Kansas City's lead to 5-4 in eighth.

However, the Royals scored four in the top of the ninth, a rally highlighted by Salvador Perez’s two-out, three-run double off Angels reliever Sam Bachman, to pull away.

Mitch Farris (1-3) gave up four earned runs and five hits in five innings, striking out five and walking two, for the Angels, who have lost 11 of 13 games.

Pasquantino’s team-leading 32nd homer, a two-run shot to right field in the first, gave him a team-high 110 RBIs on the season. Adell pulled the Angels to 2-1 in the second with his team-high 37th homer.

Pasquantino had a run-scoring fielder’s choice in the third and Witt had an RBI double in the fifth to push the lead to 5-1.

Schanuel’s solo shot in the sixth brought the Angels back within two, but Adam Frazier’s pinch-hit RBI single in the eight made it 5-2.

Bachman was one strike away from escaping a bases-loaded jam in the ninth, but Perez hit a drive off the base of the center-field wall for his game-breaking hit.

The Angels struck out 13 times, bringing their major league-leading total to 1,603 — tied for fourth-most in major league history. With three games left, the Angels are 51 shy of Minnesota’s single-season record of 1,654 strikeouts, set in 2023.

Angels RHP Kyle Hendricks (8-10, 4.79 ERA) will start against Astros RHP Jason Alexander (4-2, 4.83 ERA) at home on Friday.

Royals LHP Noah Cameron (9-7, 2.90 ERA) will start against Athletics RHP Luis Morales (4-2, 3.07) on Friday.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1758868468549.jpeg" alt="Photo Kansas City Royals" />
 <figcaption>Photo Kansas City Royals</figcaption>
 </figure>ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Vinnie Pasquantino homered and drove in three runs, Bobby Witt Jr. had four hits and the Kansas City Royals beat the Los Angeles Angels 9-4 on Thursday night.Michael Lorenzen (7-11) gave up two earned runs and five hits with a season-high nine strikeouts and no walks in 5 2/3 innings for the Royals.Jo Adell, Nolan Schanuel and Mike Trout each homered for the Angels. Trout’s two-run shot — his 23rd of the season and 401st of his career — cut Kansas City's lead to 5-4 in eighth.However, the Royals scored four in the top of the ninth, a rally highlighted by Salvador Perez’s two-out, three-run double off Angels reliever Sam Bachman, to pull away.Mitch Farris (1-3) gave up four earned runs and five hits in five innings, striking out five and walking two, for the Angels, who have lost 11 of 13 games.Pasquantino’s team-leading 32nd homer, a two-run shot to right field in the first, gave him a team-high 110 RBIs on the season. Adell pulled the Angels to 2-1 in the second with his team-high 37th homer.Pasquantino had a run-scoring fielder’s choice in the third and Witt had an RBI double in the fifth to push the lead to 5-1.Schanuel’s solo shot in the sixth brought the Angels back within two, but Adam Frazier’s pinch-hit RBI single in the eight made it 5-2.<h2>Key moment</h2>Bachman was one strike away from escaping a bases-loaded jam in the ninth, but Perez hit a drive off the base of the center-field wall for his game-breaking hit.<h2>Key stat</h2>The Angels struck out 13 times, bringing their major league-leading total to 1,603 — tied for fourth-most in major league history. With three games left, the Angels are 51 shy of Minnesota’s single-season record of 1,654 strikeouts, set in 2023.<h2>Up next</h2>Angels RHP Kyle Hendricks (8-10, 4.79 ERA) will start against Astros RHP Jason Alexander (4-2, 4.83 ERA) at home on Friday.Royals LHP Noah Cameron (9-7, 2.90 ERA) will start against Athletics RHP Luis Morales (4-2, 3.07) on Friday.

⚾ Pasquantino homers, Witt gets 4 hits as Royals beat Angels

Kansas Wesleyan Men's Soccer played its first Kansas Conference home game of the 2025 season on Wednesday night against the York University Panthers. KWU got a goal in each half to come away with the 2-1 win at JRI Hospitality Stadium at the Graves Family Sports Complex.

Both teams entered the match undefeated in conference play as KWU was 1-0-1 and York was 1-0.

The first half was evenly played with both teams having ample chances.

The Coyotes would get on the board first in the 45th minute as <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/984eb7ed-4f22-437f-8711-133362d73820?elinkdata=29584">Brennen Lamont</a> sent a ball in from the right side to <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/0e124066-d940-4a0e-b0ab-18937553b00b?elinkdata=29584">Leonardo Palencia</a> at the far post who shot and scored.

In the 49th minute, the Coyotes extended the lead. After <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/53961ba6-6c8f-44fc-9a19-de7b42fda039?elinkdata=29584">Emilio Rodriguez's</a> shot was saved out of bounds, <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/2fb1da59-1d56-41ca-ac93-0a2d115e6edc?elinkdata=29584">Seth Flores</a> took the subsequent corner kick and found the head of <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/d1cf5a1a-aac0-4651-8c21-572742e32f86?elinkdata=29584">Skyler Denny</a> for the goal.

York got a goal in the 61st minute from Asaph Achero.

<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/8c129b0e-2a99-4185-a91e-b23e66358ad3?elinkdata=29584">Noel Zimbeva</a> had three shots for the Coyotes to help KWU to an 11-8 advantage on shots. <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/aebe8494-3b92-4836-ba38-d738de2c9a6d?elinkdata=29584">Shae Wirt</a> had four saves in goal.

Kansas Wesleyan Men's Soccer played its first Kansas Conference home game of the 2025 season on Wednesday night against the York University Panthers. KWU got a goal in each half to come away with the 2-1 win at JRI Hospitality Stadium at the Graves Family Sports Complex.Both teams entered the match undefeated in conference play as KWU was 1-0-1 and York was 1-0.The first half was evenly played with both teams having ample chances.The Coyotes would get on the board first in the 45th minute as <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/984eb7ed-4f22-437f-8711-133362d73820?elinkdata=29584">Brennen Lamont</a> sent a ball in from the right side to <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/0e124066-d940-4a0e-b0ab-18937553b00b?elinkdata=29584">Leonardo Palencia</a> at the far post who shot and scored.In the 49th minute, the Coyotes extended the lead. After <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/53961ba6-6c8f-44fc-9a19-de7b42fda039?elinkdata=29584">Emilio Rodriguez's</a> shot was saved out of bounds, <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/2fb1da59-1d56-41ca-ac93-0a2d115e6edc?elinkdata=29584">Seth Flores</a> took the subsequent corner kick and found the head of <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/d1cf5a1a-aac0-4651-8c21-572742e32f86?elinkdata=29584">Skyler Denny</a> for the goal.York got a goal in the 61st minute from Asaph Achero.<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/8c129b0e-2a99-4185-a91e-b23e66358ad3?elinkdata=29584">Noel Zimbeva</a> had three shots for the Coyotes to help KWU to an 11-8 advantage on shots. <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/aebe8494-3b92-4836-ba38-d738de2c9a6d?elinkdata=29584">Shae Wirt</a> had four saves in goal.

⚽️ KWU MSOC gets 2-1 win over York in home conference debut

Kansas Wesleyan Women's Soccer played its first KCAC home match of the 2025 season on Wednesday as the Coyotes came away with a 2-0 win over the York University Panthers at JRI Hospitality Stadium at the Graves Family Sports Complex.

The victory pushed KWU's record to 4-3-1 overall and 2-1 in the KCAC.

<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/c42ffe9b-9bd3-4a30-9833-fa7209862c13?elinkdata=29551">Brooklyn Velotta</a> got Wesleyan's first goal in the 20th minute. She was able to outbattle a defender for the ball after a pass was sent by <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/a83d0e9f-b3e6-4c19-8165-9aab83527c84?elinkdata=29551">Adriyanna Botello</a>. Velotta's nofty work would end positively as she went high over the keeper's head for the goal.

Freshman <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/8d7858df-a288-48db-9c33-b762a9a5244d?elinkdata=29551">Abby Perez</a> got her first varsity collegiate goal in the 78th minute to extend the Coyote lead. <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/6f356503-7cd1-410e-b6b4-6b97ecde8870?elinkdata=29551">Emma Bachman</a> sent a ball into the box on a shot that was initially saved, but the ball bounced right to Perez who sent it into the back of the net.

Velotta had four of KWU's 14 shots as the Coyotes held a 14-11 advantage in the category. <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/5003434f-83a8-4105-a921-e2e89a2e54ff?elinkdata=29551">Isabella Galvan</a> had four saves in goal while recording the clean sheet.

Kansas Wesleyan Women's Soccer played its first KCAC home match of the 2025 season on Wednesday as the Coyotes came away with a 2-0 win over the York University Panthers at JRI Hospitality Stadium at the Graves Family Sports Complex.The victory pushed KWU's record to 4-3-1 overall and 2-1 in the KCAC.<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/c42ffe9b-9bd3-4a30-9833-fa7209862c13?elinkdata=29551">Brooklyn Velotta</a> got Wesleyan's first goal in the 20th minute. She was able to outbattle a defender for the ball after a pass was sent by <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/a83d0e9f-b3e6-4c19-8165-9aab83527c84?elinkdata=29551">Adriyanna Botello</a>. Velotta's nofty work would end positively as she went high over the keeper's head for the goal.Freshman <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/8d7858df-a288-48db-9c33-b762a9a5244d?elinkdata=29551">Abby Perez</a> got her first varsity collegiate goal in the 78th minute to extend the Coyote lead. <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/6f356503-7cd1-410e-b6b4-6b97ecde8870?elinkdata=29551">Emma Bachman</a> sent a ball into the box on a shot that was initially saved, but the ball bounced right to Perez who sent it into the back of the net.Velotta had four of KWU's 14 shots as the Coyotes held a 14-11 advantage in the category. <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/5003434f-83a8-4105-a921-e2e89a2e54ff?elinkdata=29551">Isabella Galvan</a> had four saves in goal while recording the clean sheet.

⚽️ Coyote WSOC gets 2-0 win over York in KCAC home debut

YORK, Neb. - Kansas Wesleyan Women's Volleyball ended a three-game skid on Wednesday night as the Coyotes swept the York University Panthers 25-17, 25-17, 25-22 inside the Freeman Center.

The first set was close with the Coyotes leading 7-6 when a kill by <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/d52430b9-1422-4a72-ab09-df9f4d2e2c1a?elinkdata=29518">Madelyn Wolf</a> started a 4-0 run to push the lead out to 11-6. KWU led 17-12 when KWU scored four straight again to take a 21-12 lead. KWU had set point at 24-15 and had to hold off two challenges from the Panthers before <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/5c0d6503-72b5-4728-8a44-22be100a2b72?elinkdata=29518">Kate Bebout's</a> kill closed out the set.

York raced out to a 4-0 lead to start the second set but KWU got things going on a 6-0 run that turned a 5-2 deficit into an 8-5 lead. It was 15-13 when the Coyotes got two straight points and later used a 4-0 spurt to take a 22-15 lead in the set. York got two points before the Coyotes closed out the set with three straight.

KWU led 9-3 in the third set, but a 6-0 York run tied things up at 9. <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/45abaa75-b147-4156-9888-0e0a431f4b6b?elinkdata=29518">Kylee Harris</a> stopped the York run with a kill after a KWU timeout, but the Panthers would score two to take a 11-10 lead. The advantage went back and forth several times and the set was tied at 22 when the Coyotes turned to senior <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/dbcc7c84-973e-49dd-98a0-b64751a168b7?elinkdata=29518">Rylee Serpan</a> for three straight kills to end the match.

Serpan led Coyotes with 13 kills and hit .556 in the match. The Coyotes hit an impressive .411 as a team. Wolf had 10 kills and <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/d7ecf95e-e0da-4d66-b3fd-3df19c68ba77?elinkdata=29518">Joey Pennington</a> added 10 as well. <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/fe82583c-74dd-4d84-bb34-61515b0e813c?elinkdata=29518">Sara Bebout</a> had 27 assists and <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/23bf17a7-ce85-450a-95e1-15665a904526?elinkdata=29518">Blair Pennington</a> had 16. <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/1c10e18f-4ff9-4154-b08f-7983d50091f0?elinkdata=29518">Kori Arnold</a> had 16 digs and three service aces.

YORK, Neb. - Kansas Wesleyan Women's Volleyball ended a three-game skid on Wednesday night as the Coyotes swept the York University Panthers 25-17, 25-17, 25-22 inside the Freeman Center.The first set was close with the Coyotes leading 7-6 when a kill by <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/d52430b9-1422-4a72-ab09-df9f4d2e2c1a?elinkdata=29518">Madelyn Wolf</a> started a 4-0 run to push the lead out to 11-6. KWU led 17-12 when KWU scored four straight again to take a 21-12 lead. KWU had set point at 24-15 and had to hold off two challenges from the Panthers before <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/5c0d6503-72b5-4728-8a44-22be100a2b72?elinkdata=29518">Kate Bebout's</a> kill closed out the set.York raced out to a 4-0 lead to start the second set but KWU got things going on a 6-0 run that turned a 5-2 deficit into an 8-5 lead. It was 15-13 when the Coyotes got two straight points and later used a 4-0 spurt to take a 22-15 lead in the set. York got two points before the Coyotes closed out the set with three straight.KWU led 9-3 in the third set, but a 6-0 York run tied things up at 9. <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/45abaa75-b147-4156-9888-0e0a431f4b6b?elinkdata=29518">Kylee Harris</a> stopped the York run with a kill after a KWU timeout, but the Panthers would score two to take a 11-10 lead. The advantage went back and forth several times and the set was tied at 22 when the Coyotes turned to senior <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/dbcc7c84-973e-49dd-98a0-b64751a168b7?elinkdata=29518">Rylee Serpan</a> for three straight kills to end the match.Serpan led Coyotes with 13 kills and hit .556 in the match. The Coyotes hit an impressive .411 as a team. Wolf had 10 kills and <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/d7ecf95e-e0da-4d66-b3fd-3df19c68ba77?elinkdata=29518">Joey Pennington</a> added 10 as well. <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/fe82583c-74dd-4d84-bb34-61515b0e813c?elinkdata=29518">Sara Bebout</a> had 27 assists and <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/23bf17a7-ce85-450a-95e1-15665a904526?elinkdata=29518">Blair Pennington</a> had 16. <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/1c10e18f-4ff9-4154-b08f-7983d50091f0?elinkdata=29518">Kori Arnold</a> had 16 digs and three service aces.