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Parker steps down as head soccer coach at FHSU; takes position Saint Leo in Florida

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Courtesy FHSU Athletics / Allie Schweizer

HAYS, Kan. – Brett Parker, Head Coach of the Fort Hays State University Men’s Soccer program, announced on Thursday he is stepping down from his current position to take the head coaching position of the men’s soccer program at Saint Leo University in Saint Leo, Florida. Parker just completed his eighth season as head coach at Fort Hays State.

“Coach Parker did an outstanding job building our men’s soccer program from the very beginning of its existence,” FHSU Director of Athletics Curtis Hammeke said. “He provided excellent leadership for our student-athletes while competing at the conference, regional and national level. We wish him the very best in all his future endeavors.”

Parker put together an impressive 100-40-18 record in his eight years at Fort Hays State. He immediately made FHSU competitive in its inaugural 2011 season, guiding the team to a solid 11-5-2 record. After the inaugural season, the Tigers went on to make to seven consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances from 2012 to 2018, culminating in a national semifinal appearance this past season. The 2018 Tigers posted a 17-2-2 mark, the program’s best record under Parker. Fort Hays State claimed back-to-back MIAA Championships in 2017 and 2018, including the conference’s first-ever perfect mark in 2018 at 8-0. The program earned four NCAA Central Region titles on his watch in 2014, 2015, 2016, and 2018.

Fort Hays State won at least 11 games in every year of Parker’s tenure, averaging 12.5 per season. That is truly impressive considering the regular season schedule is 18 games each year. The Tigers have been a staple in the United Soccer Coaches Top 25 Poll on a yearly basis, with a No. 4 ranking being the highest ever in program history at the culmination of the 2018 season.

In Parker’s time guiding the Tigers, the program boasted 10 All-America selections, including the 2018 D2CCA National Player of the Year – Santiago Agudelo. He also coached 65 All-MIAA selections, 60 all-region selections, four MIAA Players of the Year, four MIAA Freshmen of the Year, and three D2CCA Central Region Players of the Year. Parker earned MIAA Coach of the Year in both the 2017 and 2018 seasons, while he and his staff earned United Soccer Coaches Regional Staff of the Year honors in 2018.

“First of all, I would like to thank Curtis Hammeke and former FHSU President Dr. Edward Hammond for giving me the opportunity to start the program here from scratch eight years ago,” said Parker. “So many players, coaches, administrators, and support staff have been instrumental in the immediate and continued success of the program. Fort Hays State is a truly special place and I will be forever grateful for having been a part of such an amazing place. I am excited to see the program continue to thrive from afar!”

Parker completed his 11th season overall as a head men’s soccer coach at the collegiate level in 2018. He coached two years at Lyon College (2009-2010) in Arkansas and one year at College of Santa Fe (2008) in New Mexico before his eight years at FHSU. He carries an overall coaching record of 126-61-21 to Saint Leo University.

A national search for a new head coach of the Fort Hays State Men’s Soccer program begins immediately.

K-State uses big second-half run to beat Southern Miss

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MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) – Kamau Stokes scored 18 points, all but two of them in the second half, and Kansas State used a big run out of the locker room to edge Southern Miss 55-51 on Wednesday night.

Barry Brown added 15 points for the Wildcats (8-2), who trailed 31-19 at the break before their 20-2 charge midway through the second half allowed them to seize control.

Southern Miss (7-4) closed within 53-51 when Dominic Magee grabbed an offensive rebound, got fouled and made both foul shots with 10.4 seconds to go. The Golden Eagles quickly fouled Brown, and calmly knocked down two more free throws to restore the Wildcats’ four-point cushion.

Tyree Griffin’s off-balance 3 missed badly and time ran out on Southern Miss.

Cortez Griffin finished with 18 points to lead the Golden Eagles, who had not played a Big 12 foe since losing to Kansas State in the 2012 NCAA Tournament. Griffin added 11 points on 5-of-19 shooting.

The Wildcats narrowly avoided losing their first game without Dean Wade, their preseason Big 12 player of the year. The rangy forward is expected to miss up to eight weeks after hurting a tendon in his right foot in last Saturday’s win over Georgia State.

For a while it was as if Wade’s absence galvanized the Wildcats the same way it did during last year’s NCAA Tournament when a different foot injury sidelined him for their Elite Eight run.

Then came the next 15 minutes of the half.

After scoring the game’s first seven points, the Wildcats missed nine straight 3s and were 8 of 26 from the field. They had just as many turnovers as made field goals, created only six turnovers and were pounded on the glass despite having a rare size advantage across the board.

Their 19 first-half points were the fewest they’d scored in a half this season.

Kansas State fared no better out of the locker room, coming up empty six straight possessions with four turnovers, before Stokes finally jumpstarted its big rally.

The senior guard scored 10 straight points, including two 3s that snapped an 0-for-11 start for the team, and the rest of the Wildcats eventually got into the act. By the time Brown’s bucket closed a 24-2 run that covered nearly six minutes, the Wildcats had assumed a 43-37 advantage.

Stokes added another 3-pointer a few minutes later, extending the Wildcats’ lead to 49-44, and Xavier Sneed and Cartier Diarra eventually put the game away from the foul line.

BIG PICTURE

Southern Miss showed for a long stretch that it can hang with a Big 12 foe, dominating Kansas State on both ends of the court. But coach Doc Sadler couldn’t stop the Wildcats’ momentum even with his timeouts, and the Golden Eagles allowed the game to get away.

Kansas State survived another sluggish performance, just as they did against Georgia State last weekend. But the Wildcats will need to play more than 15 good minutes to beat Vanderbilt on Saturday night at the Sprint Center.

UP NEXT

Southern Miss continues a six-game trip Friday night at South Dakota.

Kansas State plays Vanderbilt on Saturday night in Kansas City, Missouri.

Chargers lead Pro Bowl selections with 7 players

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NEW YORK (AP) — The Los Angeles Chargers placed seven players in the Pro Bowl, including safety Derwin James, one of six rookies across the league to make the game.

James, a first-round draft choice, will be joined on the AFC squad by veteran quarterback Philip Rivers, wide receiver Keenan Allen, running back Melvin Gordon, defensive end Melvin Ingram, center Mike Pouncey and special-teamer Adrian Phillips for the game, which will be played Jan. 27 in Orlando. James and Phillips are the only starters, though.

Rivers is a backup to Kansas City’s Patrick Mahomes, one of 29 first-time Pro Bowlers. That, of course, includes all the rookies: James, Giants running back Saquon Barkley, Seahawks punter Michael Dickson, Broncos running back Phillip Lindsay, Indianapolis guard Quenton Nelson and Cleveland cornerback Denzel Wads. Lindsay is an undrafted player.

New England’s Tom Brady is the other AFC quarterback, making it for the 14th time. Noticeably missing is the Colts’ Andrew Luck.

New Orleans, led by quarterback Drew Brees, Dallas and Chicago paced the NFC with five players each. Brees is the starter, backed up by Green Bay’s Aaron Rodgers and the Rams’ Jared Goff.

Buffalo, Oakland and Tampa Bay had no Pro Bowl selections.

Pittsburgh and Kansas City each had six players chosen, including such first-timers as Steelers running back James Conner and Mahomes, both having breakthrough years.

Cleveland has a first overall draft choice in the game — not Baker Mayfield, but 2017 top pick Myles Garrett at defensive end.

“Football is a team game and you can’t do it on your own,” said Garrett, who leads the Browns with 12½ sacks. “I’m happy to be able to share this experience with Denzel because this honor is really a testament to our entire defense.”

Among the perennial AFC choices returning to the game are Houston DE J.J. Watt, Pittsburgh WR Antonio Brown, Baltimore guard Marshal Yanda and safety Eric Weddle, Cincinnati DT Geno Atkins and Denver LB Von Miller.

“To get recognized by your peers, the coaches and the fans, it means a lot,” Weddle said. “It’s always special to put in the hard work and to try your best and then get recognized. The Pro Bowl is something I never take for granted, and I’m pretty stoked about it. Each year you just work hard and try to play your very best. To receive recognition for what you do on the field, even if it may not show up in other areas, is awesome.”

For the NFC, frequent repeaters include Atlanta WR Julio Jones and C Alex Mack, Dallas tackle Tyron Smith, inside LBs Luke Kuechly of Carolina and Bobby Wagner of Seattle, Arizona CB Patrick Peterson, Rams DT Aaron Donald and Bears LB Khalil Mack.

One of the newcomers, Chicago DT Akiem Hicks, sounded overwhelmed by the honor.

“I have played the game of football my entire life and this is the greatest accolade I’ve ever achieved,” he said.

There will be a brother combination at center for the AFC as Maurkice Pouncey of Pittsburgh is the starter ahead of Mike Pouncey.

The Jets, despite a 4-10 record, have three Pro Bowlers in safety Jamal Adams, kicker Jason Myers and return specialist Andre Roberts — all first-timers.

Pro Bowl coaching staffs will be from the losing teams in the AFC and NFC divisional playoffs with the best regular-season records. Each player on the winning Pro Bowl team receives $67,000, while each player on the losing squad earns $34,000.

Lawson, Moore carry KU to 89-53 rout of South Dakota

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LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) – Dedric Lawson had 16 points and 14 rebounds, Charlie Moore made six 3-pointers en route to 18 points, and top-ranked Kansas pulled away in the second half for an 89-53 victory over plucky but overmatched South Dakota on Tuesday night.

Freshman forward David McCormack added a career-best 12 points off the bench for the Jayhawks (10-0), helping to soak up minutes while Udoka Azubuike is sidelined with a sprained ankle.

Kansas has won 40 consecutive games in Allen Fieldhouse as the nation’s No. 1 team.

Stanley Umude scored a game-high 28 points to lead the Coyotes (6-6), who have never defeated a ranked team in seven tries. Tyler Peterson added 15 points, and leading scorer Trey Burch-Manning was held to two points on 1-for-5 shooting before fouling out.

Neither team was particularly good in the first half.

The Jayhawks struggled to stop South Dakota’s relentless backdoor cuts, and eventually Kansas coach Bill Self was so fed up with their defensive execution he started to burn timeouts.

Not that the Coyotes did much with all those easy looks. They committed 12 first-half turnovers, allowing the Jayhawks to slowly pull out to a 37-27 advantage at the break.

Most of the work was done without Lawson, who was forced to the bench with two fouls.

The Jayhawks’ dominant point forward joined Moore in helping the Jayhawks pull away in the second half. Lawson scored in the paint, Moore hit a 3-pointer and Lawson added a pair of foul shots to turn a 49-40 lead into a 56-40 lead with about 12 minutes to go.

The undersized Coyotes answered with a run of their own, but Moore and Lawson provided one more answer. Moore curled in his fifth 3-pointer, this time from the wing, and then took a run-out to the rim before dropping a pass to Lawson for an easy layup and a 66-47 lead.

The advantage only grew from there as Moore, a transfer from California who once scored 38 in a game as a freshman, and the massive McCormack continued to put together breakout games.

Kansas visits No. 18 Arizona State on Saturday night.

K-State forward Wade could miss 8 weeks

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MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) – Kansas State forward Dean Wade has a partial tear of a tendon in his right foot and could miss up to eight weeks, putting his availability for the rest of the season in question.

Wade hurt the foot in last Saturday’s win over Georgia State.

The preseason Big 12 player of the year fractured his left foot in March, sidelining him for the Wildcats’ run to the Elite Eight, though coach Bruce Weber said Tuesday the injuries are unrelated.

Wade was averaging 13.6 points and 7.8 rebounds this season.

Weber also said guard Kamau Stokes missed practice Monday after hurting his own foot Saturday night, but the coach is hopeful he’ll play Wednesday night against Southern Miss.

Kansas State (7-2) also plays Vanderbilt and George Mason before beginning Big 12 play.

Hays sweeps Pratt in final games before break

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Hays High hosted the Pratt Greenbacks in their final action of 2018 on Tuesday night with both the Indian squads looking to move above the .500 mark.

Girls

Hays 49 – Pratt 40

Hays sprinted out of the gates with nine straight points in less than three minutes for a 9-0 lead.  Pratt didn’t score for the first 5:40 when they banked in a three pointer for a 9-3 score.  Savannah Schneider answered moments later with her own three pointer, but that would be the only points Hays scored over the final 5:10 of the first quarter.  The Greenbacks rallied off six straight to end the quarter and the first two points of the second to pull within one at 12-11.

A 7-0 spurt by Hays gave the Indians their first of three eight point leads in the second quarter.  Each time Pratt was able to answer the bell and get within five by halftime at 24-19.

Highlights

Hays pushed their advantage up to 11 late in the third quarter and 12 early in the four before going on a scoreless drought.  The Indians would not score over the next 3:30.  Pratt though missed ten shots before making four free throws and a single two point shot to get within six at 42-36.  Jaycee Dale put back a miss and Mattie Hutchison buried a right corner three to put the Indians back up by eleven and finish with a 49-40 victory.  Hays shot a season high in field goal and three point percentage in the victory.

Coach Alex Hutchins

 

Savannah Schneider scored 13 and Jaycee Dale added 10 as the Indians move to 3-2 on the year.  Pratt falls to 4-3.

Boys

Hays 67 – Pratt 41

Neither Hays or Pratt brought their best offensive game to the gym in the first half of Tuesday’s game.  The two combined for just 15 points over the first 9:30 of the game leading to a 9-6 lead for Pratt early in the second quarter.  Then both teams scored on three straight possessions leaving before Pratt went on a 6-2 spurt for a 21-16 lead with 2:10 left before halftime.  Hays scored twice in the final 45 seconds of the half on baskets from Tradgon McCrae and Cade Swayne to tie the game at 24-24 heading into the locker rooms.

Highlights

The second half looked to be more of the same.  The two teams swapped the lead three different times through the first 3:45 of the half leaving Pratt with a 28-27 lead.  From that point the game belonged to Hays.  The Indians missed their first 21 three point attempts before Jason Krannawitter sank a left sideline shot for a 34-28 lead.  Hays did not miss a three pointer for the rest of the game.  Over the final 12:15 Hays went on a 40-13 run to pull away on a 67-41 victory.

Coach Rick Keltner

 

The Indians scored 24 fourth quarter points matching their first half total.  Tradgon McCrae scored 17 points.  Nobody else finished with double figures but six more players scored between five and nine points.  The Indians improve to 3-2 on the year following a 73% shooting second half.  After missing their first 21 three pointers, Hays made each of their final five attempts.  Pratt falls to 2-5 on the season.

FHSU women’s basketball holds steady in national polls

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After climbing in the polls each week this season, the Fort Hays State women’s basketball team is listed in the same spot in both national rankings as it was last week. The Tigers are listed sixth in the WBCA Division II Coaches Poll while sitting in fourth in the D2SIDA Media Poll. It’s the first time the Tigers are in the same spot in back-to-back weeks in the coaches standings since they were seventh in consecutive weeks in January and February of 2016.

While their ranking stayed the same, the Tigers picked up a few extra points in the coaches poll to close the gap on fifth place. Fort Hays State was once again listed atop one ballot, earning 476 points in the voting process. After sitting 15 points back of fifth-place Bentley last week, the Tigers are just five points behind the Falcons this week.

The Tigers remain the top of four MIAA programs listed in the coaches poll, with No. 15 Central Missouri also holding steady while No. 22 Central Oklahoma and No. 23 Emporia State both slid up one spot. The Jennies are the lone conference rival ranked in the media rankings, listed 22nd.

Fort Hays State will play all three ranked league opponents over a two-week span early in January, with two of the contests coming on the road. After ringing in the new year against defending champion Central Missouri on January 3 in Warrensburg, Mo., the Tigers will host the Bronchos of Central Oklahoma on January 12. FHSU will wrap up the tough stretch with a road game against the Lady Hornets on January 17.

The Tigers are now 61-22 all-time while ranked, including a 57-21 mark under head coach Tony Hobson. Fort Hays State is now 6-1 all-time as the No. 6-ranked team in the WBCA Coaches Poll, just two wins shy of its most wins at any spot (No. 10, 8-2).

Below are the complete national polls for December 18, 2018.

WBCA Coaches Poll – Week 5 D2SIDA Media Poll – Week 5
Rk Team (1st) Rcd. Pts. Prev. Rk Team (1st) Rcd. Pts. Prev.
1 Union (Tenn.) (20) 11-0 595 1 1 Union (13) 10-0 372 1
2 Indiana (Pa.) (3) 8-0 568 2 2 Bentley (1) 12-0 356 2
3 West Texas A&M 9-0 541 3 3 West Texas A&M 8-0 346 3
4 Drury 11-0 523 4 4 Fort Hays State 9-0 326 4
5 Bentley 12-0 481 5 5 Northwest Nazarene (1) 9-0 320 5
6 Fort Hays State (1) 10-0 476 6 6 Lewis 7-1 294 6
7 Northwest Nazarene 9-0 456 7 7 IUP 8-0 292 7
8 Ashland 9-1 410 8 8 Drury 10-0 258 10
9 University of the Sciences 8-0 402 9 9 UC San Diego 8-0 254 9
10 UC San Diego 8-0 347 10 10 North Georgia 6-1 232 11
11 Grand Valley State 9-1 345 11 11 California 8-0 206 12
12 Virginia Union 9-1 315 12 12 Augustana 12-1 194 14
13 California (Pa.) 8-0 304 14 13 Jefferson 10-0 193 17
14 Alaska Anchorage 7-1 271 13 14 Grand Valley 8-1 174 T15
15 Central Missouri 7-2 235 15 15 Florida Southern 7-1 164 13
16 North Georgia 7-1 232 16 16 USciences 8-0 162 8
17 Florida Southern 8-1 209 17 17 Alaska Anchorage 7-1 142 T15
18 Black Hills State 8-1 175 18 18 Virginia Union 9-1 116 19
19 Thomas Jefferson Univ. 10-0 169 19 19 Ashland 8-1 105 21
20 Lewis 8-1 153 20 20 Southwestern Okla. 9-1 90 22
21 Angelo State 6-1 121 22 21 Angelo State 6-1 88 23
22 Central Oklahoma 9-1 118 23 22 Central Missouri 7-2 47 24
T23 Augustana (S.D.) 11-1 65 NR 23 Anderson (S.C.) 8-2 43 NR
T23 Emporia State 8-2 65 24 T24 Glenville State 9-1 23 RV
25 Stonehill 9-2 52 25 T24 St. Mary’s (Texas) 8-2 23 18

Tigers need two overtimes to get past Bethel College

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Courtesy FHSU Athletics / Allie Schweizer

HAYS, Kan. – Brady Werth scored 23 points and hit four 3-pointers all in the closing seconds of regulation and in overtime to lead Fort Hays State to a 101-96 double-overtime victory over Bethel College Monday at Gross Coliseum.

Werth’s fourth three of the game came with 3:13 to play in the second overtime and tied the game 91-91. Kyler Kinnamon then drove in for a layup following a Freddy Bitondo blocked shot to give the Tigers) the lead for good at 93-91. Kinnamon then hit four free throws in the final 50 seconds to seal the win.

Mark Johnson Postgame Interview

Aaron Nicholson Postgame Interview

Game Highlights

The Tigers (7-3) trailed by four with 22 seconds to play in regulation but Werth hit a three with 16 seconds left closed the gap to one. After the Threshers hit one of two free throws, Marcus Cooper scored on a layup to tie the game 70-70 with six seconds left.

Bethel’s Danen Kistner missed a three at the horn to send the game to overtime.

The Threshers (7-6) led by five on three different occasions in the first overtime but threes from Werth and Trey O’Neil pulled the Tigers within two. Werth’s second three of the extra period with 40 seconds left gave FHSU an 86-84 lead.

Jaylon Scott, who scored 28 points and pulled down 15 rebounds for Bethel, hit a jumper with 16 seconds left. Kyler Kinnamon missed a contested layup then Scott missed a mid-court shot to send the game to a second overtime.

The Tigers struggled from the free throw line, missing their first eight and 11 of their first 13 attempts midway through the second half. They hit 17 of their next 21 including 11-of-14 in the overtime periods.

Werth also had a team best 7 rebounds before fouling out in the second overtime. Aaron Nicholson also hit four 3-pointers and added 19 points despite going 1-for-8 from the free throw line.

Kyler Kinnamon scored 16 and dished out nine assists with only one turnover. Marcus Cooper added 14 points and Trey O’Neil 13.

The Tigers are off until December 30th when they host McPherson College in their final non-conference game.

— Edited to correct final score

No. 6 Tiger women match best start in program history with big win over Rockhurst

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Courtesy FHSU Athletics / Nicole Heitmann

HAYS, Kan. – Lanie Page scored a career-high 23 points and the 6th-ranked Fort Hays State women used a 17-2 first quarter run to build an early double-figure lead and rolled past Rockhurst 89-55 to move to 10-0. It matches the best start in program history previously accomplished in 2015-16 and in 2012-13.

Tony Hobson Postgame Interview

Game Highlights

Madison Mittie hit a deep three at the end of the first quarter to give the Tigers a 14-point lead. They increased that lead to 18 at halftime then outscored the Hawks 27-13 in the third to blow the game open.

Page finished 7-for-8 from the floor including 3-for-3 from beyond the arc and hit all six of her free throws.

Belle Barbiere scored 11 and pulled down a game-high seven rebounds. Whitney Randall added 10 points off the bench.

The Tigers are now off until December 30th when they host Tabor College for their final non-conference game.

Tigers finish at No. 22 in AFCA Division II Poll

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Ryan Prickett / FHSU Sports Information

FHSU Athletics

WACO, Texas – With the NCAA Division II Football season now in the books, the AFCA released its final Top 25 Poll for 2018 on Monday (Dec. 17). Fort Hays State finished at No. 22 in the poll with its 9-3 overall record, while making a second-straight NCAA Playoff appearance.

Fort Hays State held a Top 25 ranking in nine of the 13 polls released by the AFCA this season. The Tigers ranked as high as No. 5 in the nation, holding that post in the preseason and first regular season release of the poll. The Tigers were in the Top 25 for the first five regular season polls before dropping to the receiving votes for four consecutive weeks. The Tigers jumped back into the Top 25 following the 10th week of play with their win at Northwest Missouri State and remained there for the final regular season release and postseason release.

Fort Hays State fell in the opening round of the NCAA Playoffs to then No. 12 ranked University of Indianapolis by a score of 38-27. Indianapolis moved up to No. 11 in the final release of the poll.

Fort Hays State earned its second-straight MIAA Championship in 2018, going 9-2 in the regular season. The Tigers were a perfect 11-0 in MIAA play in 2017.

Valdosta State (Ga.) finishes the year at No. 1 after entering the playoffs at No. 3 in the nation. The Blazers defeated Ferris State (Mich.) in a thrilling NCAA Championship game by a score of 49-47. Ferris State went into the playoffs ranked No. 2 and remained there in the final poll.

Below is the final AFCA Division II Top 25 Poll for 2018.

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