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Category: Sports

Hays native part of miracle run at The Basketball Tournament

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By C.D. DESALVO
Hays Post

The game clock turned off with 3:58 left in the fourth and final quarter of the championship game of The Basketball Tournament in Baltimore to instigate the Elam Ending. No. 1 seed and three-time consecutive champion Overseas Elite led the tournament’s underdog surprise team, Eberlein Drive, 63-54. The first team to 70 would win and take home $2,000,000. Eberlein Drive fought hard but the Overseas Elite dynasty could not be overcome, and Eberlein Drive’s Cinderella run ended with a 70-58 loss.

Eberlein Drive (Hopp in grey shirt)

Zachary Hopp was disappointed at missing out on a share of the $2 million, but the experience and journey he was a part of for Eberlein Drive was priceless. A Hays native and 2017 Hays High graduate, Hopp found a passion in video editing in 2016 while watching “The Basketball Tournament” on TV. Former Kansas Jayhawk Tyshawn Taylor, playing for Team FOE (run by former Jayhawks Marcus and Markieff Morris) made an amazing play and Zachary rewinded the feat and filmed it on his phone and sent it to Taylor on social media. Taylor posted it and the post took off.

“Ever since then I was like, I could do something like this for a living,” Hopp said. “I learned everything on my own including how to use Premiere Pro to make videos.”

Hopp started running social media for Team FOE and his video work caught the attention of Eberlein Drive’s general manager Matt Mitchell.

“(Mitchell) asked me if I would like to make some videos for them, so I made their hype video and highlight videos last year and I got involved,” Hopp said.

TBT makes a tradition out of teams advancing their name on the bracket

In the summer of 2018, Team FOE did not continue with the tournament with Marcus Morris reaching the Eastern Conference Finals in the NBA so Mitchell invited Hopp on to travel with Eberlein Drive and make videos during their tournament run. Hopp joined the team in Atlanta for the Super 16.

Hopp would make video breakdowns of opposing teams and create paper scouts for individual players that were up to five pages long, sometimes staying up late into the early mornings. Hopp watched so much video of opposing teams that he could recognize team and player tendencies in-game and be able to let Eberlein Drive players know on the court.

Eberlein Drive’s roster consists of a few former NBA players including Lou Amundson (10-year NBA Vet), Donald Sloan (played for Brooklyn Nets and Indiana Pacers), James Michael McAdoo (2-time NBA champion with Golden State Warriors), Jeremy Evans (2012 NBA Slam Dunk Contest Champion), Willie Reed (played for LA Clippers last season in NBA) and Jerome Randle (All-Tournament Team TBT). They are coached by David Nurse, an NBA shooting coach who has trained over 100 NBA players and previously worked on the Brooklyn Nets coaching staff.

Hopp pictured far right

“It was such a blessing when I joined up with the team in Atlanta. They’re just extremely high-character guys that put the team ahead of themselves and there weren’t any egos,” Hopp said. “I’ve never been around a better group of men like that.”

Although the miraculous run ended in the championship game for Hopp and Eberlein Drive, Hopp spends his free time making videos for various athletes on social media attending colleges across the country with his very own video company called Illuminating Athletes Media.

“I just do it on the side for fun. I like being behind the scenes and letting the athletes get the shine because they’re the ones that put in all the work,” Hopp said.

Hopp, now a sophomore at Kansas University, is working on a sports management major and business minor. He is also a women’s basketball manager for Kansas. Hopp wants to continue his video work and turn it into a job one day.

“I want to start out as a video coordinator on an NBA or Division 1 college basketball staff and then just work my way up. The scouting work I did for Eberlein Drive I really enjoyed and I just want to work my way up that ladder and see what happens..maybe even end up in a front office some day,” Hopp said.

Since Eberlein Drive won their region, they get an automatic bid into The Basketball Tournament for next summer. Hopp says he will return with the team.

Here’s some of Hopp’s work:

Hopp also made a video for Kansas State safety Kendall Adams and Hays native/Kansas State quarterback Alex Delton:

https://twitter.com/adelton005/status/951973219975692291

https://twitter.com/kenadams_21/status/967112439379656706

Visit the Illuminating Athlete’s Twitter for more videos.

Kansas State scores 2 late TDs, edges South Dakota

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MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) — Isaiah Zuber ran for two fourth-quarter touchdowns to help Kansas State beat South Dakota 27-24 on Saturday night in the season opener for both teams.

After struggling to gain any footing for a majority of the game, the Kansas State offense seemed to have hit rock bottom as South Dakota punted the ball away early in the fourth quarter to Zuber, who returned it 85 yards for a touchdown to pull the Wildcats to 24-19. The score woke up a sleepy and agitated Bill Snyder Family Stadium, which saw fans head toward the exits just minutes before Zuber’s punt return.

However, Zuber was not done making plays.

After Kansas State forced the Coyotes to another punt, Skylar Thompson connected with Zuber for a 10-yard touchdown pass and the game-winning score with 7:21 remaining.

Zuber led the Wildcats in receiving with five catches for 68 yards and one touchdown.

Although the Wildcats picked up their first victory of the season, Kansas State coach Bill Snyder was not happy afterward describing his emotions.

“Well I am, you know all of them,” Snyder said. Angered, disappointed, etc. But it goes back again, well, we can say all we want about anything but I just don’t have them prepared to play. If they were ready to play the way we wanted them to, which is my responsibility, we would have probably fared a little bit better than what we did.”

South Dakota, which had led for a majority of the game, was given new life with just 50 seconds left after forcing an Alex Barnes’ fumble deep in Coyote territory.

The Coyotes drove down the field and set up for what would have been a game-tying field goal, but Mason Lorber missed a 51-yard attempt as time expired.

“Unfortunately, we had the ball and with a little bit of a breeze we wanted to get it down around the 25-yard line and try to get a field goal attempts in the low forties,” Coyotes coach Bob Nielson said.

“We had a play call to run one of those hitch routes and take a timeout. Then we had the false start penalty and we were really on the far outside of the goal. He (Mason) has made them in practice, he obviously did not hit that one very good.”

South Dakota’s Austin Simmons was 24-of-56 passing for 257 yards and a touchdown.

UP NEXT

Kansas State hosts Mississippi State on Saturday.

South Dakota hosts Northern Colorado on Saturday.

THE TAKEAWAY

Kansas State: With new coordinators on both sides of the ball, it would be expected the Wildcats would have some struggles, but the only positives on the night were out of kicker Blake Lynch and Zuber. Both Thompson and Alex Delton had ample opportunities to make their claim for the starting quarterback job, but neither could gain any ground by the end of the game.

South Dakota: The Coyotes were not able to come up with a win over an FBS opponent for the second straight season, but one solid takeaway is how well the Coyotes were in control for much of the game. They did a great job limiting the Kansas State offense for three quarters and had many Kansas State fans, players and coaches frustrated throughout the night.

STAT OF THE NIGHT:

In his first career start, Kansas State kicker Blake Lynch netted four field goals from 22, 24, 38 and 44 yards as well as an extra point.

Fourcade leads Nicholls to overtime win over Kansas

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LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — When Nicholls’ Damion Jeanpiere’s muffed punt attempt led to Kansas taking the lead late in the fourth quarter Saturday night, it seemed as though the Colonels’ resilient upset attempt could go to waste.

But then, using just nine plays, they marched down the field and forced overtime with a game-tying 43-yard field goal. In overtime, Chase Fourcade ran in a 4-yard touchdown, and the Colonels prevailed over the Jayhawks, 26-23, in both teams’ season opener.

“Big win for the football program, for the school, for the whole community,” Nicholls coach Tim Rebowe said. “I told the guys, I’m always proud of them, but I’ve never been more proud of them than tonight, how they came in and fought. It’s a group of guys who believe.”

Viewed as Kansas’ easiest opponent of the season, Nicholls came into an optimism-filled David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium and spoiled the Jayhawks’ home opener in a game few expected them to win.

The Colonels, of course, belong to that few.

“None of our players thought, ‘Well, since we’re playing an FBS team, we don’t have a chance to win,'” Fourcade said. “I feel like everybody on this team, we’ve always got that confidence and that mentality that we can win every game.”

After the Nicholls defense held Kansas to just a field goal on the first possession, Fourcade capitalized, leading a five-play touchdown drive aided by a pass interference call. He finished with just 142 yards passing and no scores in the air, but rushed for 51 yards and the late touchdown.

“I’m just really happy for this school, this team,” Fourcade said. “We’ve been through a lot . it’s been a real big turnaround for this program. We’re just really excited about our first win.”

Texas A&M transfer Kendall Bussey added 123 yards rushing and a score out of the backfield, and Dontrel Taylor punched in a touchdown as well.

The Colonels got the ball rolling early, marching down the field for an impressive nine-play, 78-yard touchdown drive on their first possession. It wasn’t anything unheard of, but to come out of the gates with a commanding scoring drive certainly set the tone for the rest of the game that Nicholls was here to play.

Kansas’ offense had some success early as Peyton Bender found Steven Sims for a touchdown on the second drive to cap an efficient effort that included two nice runs for first downs. But then Sims dropped an easy score in the end zone next time out, and Kansas had to settle for a field goal.

Bender finished 19-of-35 passing for 187 yards and two touchdowns. Kerr Johnson, Jr. led the Jayhawks in receiving, hauling in three catches for 54 yards and the go-ahead score late off the arm of Bender.

“At times I thought he did really, really well,” Kansas coach David Beaty said of his quarterback. “There were some times tonight where I think he kind of got locked on a little bit and he held the ball a little bit longer . but he showed some flashes tonight.”

BUSSEY’S BURST

It was a struggle for Nicholls to string together much early in the second half, stalling on their first two drives. They finally broke through, though, when Bussey blew through the line to find nothing but green in front of him en route to a 40-yard touchdown run.

“Nobody was there, so that’s what I saw,” Bussey said. “I saw daylight, I saw the end zone, and I’m thinking just get to the end zone as fast as I can.”

DUAL QUARTERBACK DEBUT

Bender played almost every snap, but as Beaty announced earlier in the week, Miles Kendrick also saw some time under center. He led one series that resulted in a punt early in the second quarter, and had one rushing attempt in overtime for negative yards.

“We’re certainly going to continue to use Miles,” Beaty said. “Certainly going to continue to use him, find more ways to get him in the game.”

QUOTE OF THE NIGHT

When Bussey was asked what the trip back down to Louisiana was going to be like, the three Colonels present at the press conference all burst into excited laughter.

“A lot of noise,” Bussey grinned. “A lot of noise. I’m tired, so I hope they calm down because I’m gonna want to go to sleep.”

THE TAKEAWAY

Kansas falls to an FCS school in what was expected to be its least-challenging game of the season – not a good start to a make-or-break season for coach David Beaty.

“I’ll tell you this: The sun is going to come up tomorrow, and this team is going to continue to work toward the goals that they have set,” Beaty said, when asked to evaluate where the program stands big picture-wise.

Nicholls grabs a statement victory over the Big 12-trained Kansas, a promising sign for what looks to be a promising season.

UP NEXT

Kansas travels to Central Michigan on Saturday for its only non-conference road game. The Jayhawks haven’t won a game on the road since Sept. 9, 2009.

Nicholls heads to nearby Tulane for another road test on Saturday.

Merrifield’s 2-run shot gives Royals win over O’s

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KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Whit Merrifield had never hit a game-ending home run — not in middle school, high school, college or as a pro — so he tried to admire his shot into the seats Saturday night.

The only problem? First base coach Mitch Maier wasn’t sure it was gone.

“I heard him yell, ‘Run! Run! Run!” Merrifield said, so he took off running.

His two-run shot with one out in the ninth inning was plenty deep, though, landing in the outfield seats and giving the Kansas City Royals a back-and-forth 5-4 victory over the Baltimore Orioles.

“I’m going to have to get Mitch back for that,” Merrifield said with a smile.

The Orioles took the lead in the top of the ninth, when Trey Mancini homered to lead off and Tim Beckham added a two-run double for his fourth hit of the night. But when Mychael Givens (0-7) came on to close things out, he promptly walked Brett Phillips on four pitches to start the inning.

Cam Gallagher sacrificed Phillips to second, and Merrifield cracked a 0-2 pitch an estimated 415 feet to left field, giving the young Royals their sixth win in seven games this homestand.

It’s their best seven-game stretch since July 2017, and includes the first two games in this three-game series between the worst two teams in the major leagues.

“I think it gives us confidence,” Royals manager Ned Yost said. “When your players have confidence, it gives us confidence too. You can see it in their faces that they continue to gain confidence.”

The Royals’ Jason Hammel squandered another solid start by Heath Fillmyer, though that’s hardly new. The 24-year-old Fillmyer allowed two runs on nine hits and a walk over seven innings, striking out six, yet was stuck with his sixth no-decision in his last eight starts.

Jake Newberry (1-0) wound up earning his first big league win in relief.

“Pretty cool,” he said, “to get it on a walk-off homer.”

The Orioles took an early lead on John Andreoli’s sacrifice fly and Beckham’s homer on a 3-1 pitch from Fillmyer. But the Royals answered in the bottom of the fourth when Phillips hit his second homer of the season — the 35th allowed by Dylan Bundy, tying an Orioles single-season record.

Kansas City pulled even in the sixth on Brian Goodwin’s base hit, then took the lead when Rosell Herrera shrugged off a 3-for-31 slump with an RBI single.

The game went back-and-forth one more time after that.

“It’s just closing. There’s pressure in different situations. There’s finality in that inning,” Orioles manager Buck Showalter said of their fateful ninth. “It’s a great job if you’re good at it.”

BUNDY IS BETTER

Bundy wound up allowing three runs on eight hits and a walk in 5 1/3 innings. He also struck out eight in his best performance in about three weeks. “Yeah, I thought so too,” he said. “Still got room to improve, obviously, but the breaking pitches were a little bit sharper.”

MINOR LEAGUE DEAL

The Royals announced a two-year extension with Idaho Falls to remain their rookie-level farm club in the Pioneer League. Eleven current members of the big league club played for the Chukars.

ROYALS MOVES

The Royals, who traded C Drew Butera to Colorado on Friday, recalled C Meibrys Viloria from Class-A Wilmington. C Salvador Perez has been dealing with a sprained thumb, and Cam Gallagher is the only other catcher on the 40-man roster. Viloria was hitting .260 with six homers at Wilmington.

ORIOLES MOVES

Baltimore recalled INF Breyvic Valera from Triple-A Norfolk, and he’ll join the club in time for Sunday’s game. Valera appeared in one game with the Orioles last month, going 1 for 4, after arriving as part of the July 18 trade of Manny Machado to the Dodgers.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Orioles: OF/DH Mark Trumbo (right knee inflammation) will have arthroscopic surgery in Baltimore, manager Buck Showalter said. It is expected to take place Thursday or Friday.

Royals: LHP Eric Skoglund (sprained UCL) was due to make a rehab start with Triple-A Omaha on Saturday night. Skoglund (1-5, 6.70 ERA) has been out since late May.

UP NEXT

RHP Jorge Lopez (0-3, 7.90 ERA), part of a late-July trade with Milwaukee, tries again for his first win for the Royals when he faces Orioles RHP David Hess (3-8, 5.08) in the series finale Sunday.

Montano’s hat-trick gives FHSU women’s soccer win over Mustangs

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FAYETTE, Iowa – After getting the 2018 season off to a rocky start, the Fort Hays State women’s soccer team regained their momentum after a dominating 4-1 win over Southwest Minnesota State on Saturday. The Tigers, who suffered a loss in their first contest of the season, bounced back to end the weekend at 1-1. With loss dropped the Mustangs to 0-2 on the year, with both losses coming to MIAA programs.

Both the Tigers and Mustangs were near even in the first half with shot attempts, with Fort Hays State recording six compared to five from Southwest Minnesota State. It wasn’t until the 25th minute of the first half when junior transfer Chloe Montano found the back of the net right over the head of Mustang keeper Jessica Craigmile from 30 feet out. The goal gave the Tigers the 1-0 lead and would be the only score made in the first 45 minutes of play.

After the intermission, the play heated up on the field for the Tigers as they connected for three more goals. Freshman Cailey Perkins capitalized on an assist from Shayla Podlena deflected off the Mustang goalkeeper to put the Tigers up 2-0 at the 59th minute. However, just two minutes later Southwest Minnesota State highlighted on their own attempt as Morgan Darner headed an assist from Kelli Wentz past Fort Hays State goalkeeper Megan Kneefel to close in on the Tiger advantage.

With the match close at 2-1 with still plenty of time left for the Mustangs to come back, Montano picked up the pace to ensure a Tiger win. At the 72nd minute mark, Montano completed yet another 30 -yard strike from the right side to add to the Fort Hays State lead at 3-1. She wasn’t done there, though, as Montano again with just under 30 seconds remaining in regulation decided to capture another goal for the Tigers near the far post. Alongside Montano’s first hat-trick in a Tiger uniform, Fort Hays State was able to earn its first win of the season at 4-1 over Southwest Minnesota State.

Ultimately, the Tigers out-shot the Mustangs 13-8 with eight FHSU attempts on goal. Both goalies in the match each earned an even four saves as Kneefel picks up the win in her second game in goal while Craigmile suffers the loss.

The Tigers will once again hit the road in the early season, this time traveling to Colorado for two matches. First on Friday (Sept. 7), FHSU meets up with No. 3 UC-Colorado Springs for a late-night contest slated for 8 p.m. On Sunday, the Tigers prepare for a 12 p.m. meeting as they face CSU-Pueblo.

Tiger volleyball wraps up Augustana Invitational with split

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SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – The Fort Hays State volleyball team earned a split on the second day of the Augustana Invitational. FHSU defeated the University of Mary in four sets before falling to No. 22 Augustana in straight sets. FHSU is now 5-3 overall on the season.

Fort Hays State 3, Mary 1 (16-25, 25-22, 25-12, 25-20)

Fort Hays State fell behind Mary early after a sluggish start to the match before closing out with three-straight set victories to begin day two of the Augustana Invitational with a bounce-back win. The Tigers came out soaring in the second set and never looked back, holding the Marauders to a .049 swing percentage after the opening set. After struggling with a .125 hitting percentage in the first set, the Tigers swung at a .268 hitting percentage the rest of the way.

Freshman Isabelle Reynolds led the way for the Tigers as she recorded a personal-best 14 kills and nine blocks. Reynolds hit .314 on 35 swings. Azlyn Cassaday and Tatum Bartels chipped in 10 kills each, with Bartels leading the Tigers after swinging at a .450 rate. Christianna Herron stepped up to the challenge and finished with nine blocks. Bre Becker completed the match by recording a double-double as the setter with 29 assists and 11 digs.

Mary controlled almost the entirety of the first set, aside from a 2-1 Tiger lead in the early going. The Tigers could not get anything more than three points in a row the rest of the set when Reynolds and Cassaday (twice) struck three-consecutive kills getting the Tigers within four, 15-11, halfway through the set. The Marauders held off another three-point spurt from the Tigers before putting FHSU away in the opening set, 25-16.

FHSU began the second set on a strong note with a quick 6-2 lead thanks to a couple kills from Herron and Kayla Vitztum. Mary made things interesting by collecting 15 of the next 20 points, taking a 17-11 lead over FHSU, forcing the Tigers to burn their second timeout of the set. After receiving words of wisdom from head coach Jessica Wood-Atkins, the Tigers finished out the set with a 14-5 run of their own. The late Tiger charge was led by Reynolds as she picked up three more kills to take the set 25-22.

The Tigers started out with an early 3-0 lead in the third frame before Mary drew the next three points, tying the set 3 all. Since that moment, FHSU took command of the set with a quick 5-0 burst from Reynolds (two kills) and three attack errors on Mary, forcing the Marauders to use a timeout. From then, the Tigers never let the Marauders within four by using a 7-0 run highlighted by four kills from four different Tigers. FHSU put away Mary in the end, 25-12.

In the fourth set, the Tigers held control with a 16-8 lead before the Marauders used a timeout. This break for Mary paid off with a 10-2 run, tying things at 18 each. Vitztum picked up three of her nine total kills in the final seven Tiger points to finish off the Marauders for good, 25-20.

Julianna Hughes led the Marauders with 12 kills, followed by Morgan Schnabel with nine. Sydney Murphy produced a match-high 36 assists for Mary and Breanna Donarski had 15 digs.

No. 22 Augustana 3, Fort Hays State 0 (25-21, 26-24, 25-16)

22nd-ranked Augustana was too much for the Tigers in the afternoon match, holding off FHSU for a three-set sweep. The Vikings hit .250 as a team with eight team blocks, while the Tigers hit just .135 with two team blocks.

Kayla Vitztum led the way for FHSU with nine kills, followed by Isabelle Reynolds and Tatum Bartels with eight kills each. Amirah Bentley finished with 12 assists, while Abbie Hayes had 16 digs.

Courtney Place averaged more than five kills per set, finishing with 17 to lead AU. Grace Haberland added nine kills. Setter Avery Thorson distributed 32 assists and Kaylea Ahrens led the Vikings in digs with 13.

The Tigers return to action on Friday (Sept. 7) when they compete in the GAC/MIAA Crossover hosted by Oklahoma Baptist University in Shawnee, Okla. FHSU faces Southeastern Oklahoma State at 10 a.m. before facing East Central University in the evening at 6 p.m.

High school football week 1 scoreboard

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11-Man
Centennial League
Hays 31 Junction City 56

Western Athletic Conference
Haysville Campus 47 Dodge City 10
Liberal 41 Guymon Ok. 0

Ark Valley Chisholm Trail I
Garden City 6 Derby 49

Ark Valley Chisholm Trail II
Great Bend 35 Andover 12

Mid-Continent League (11-Man)
Smith Center 45 TMP 0
Norton 14 Plainville 31

Central Prairie League (11-man)
LaCrosse 42 Ellinwood 0

Central Kansas League
Pratt 34 Hoisington 0
Larned 7 Smokey Valley 46
Haven 28 Lyons 0

North Central Activities Association
Ellsworth 13 Russell 24

Great West Activities Conference
Ulysses 20 Colby 43
Scott 35 Hugoton 0
Holcomb 34 Goodland 12

8-Man
Central Prairie League
Otis-Bison 14 Victoria 28
Central Plains 30 Ness City 14
Macksville 74 Kinsley 14
Medicine Lodge 60 St. John 14

Mid-Continent League
Stockton 24 Trego Community 52

Northern Plains League
Thunder Ridge 68 Lakeside-Downs 0
Southern Cloud 0 Wilson 42

Northwest Kansas League
Decatur Co. 46 Quinter 0
Hoxie 44 Greeley Co. 18

Western Kansas Liberty League
Fairfield 0 Wheatland-Grinnell 46

6-Man
North Division
Fowler 26 Cheylin 54
Deerfield 0 Golden Plains 48
Ashland 52 Natoma 0
Western Plains 0 Pawnee Heights 49

Other games of note
Blue Valley 26 St. Thomas Aquinas 54
Wichita Northwest 23 Bishop Carroll 22
Labette County 8 Pittsburg 43
Nemaha Central 7 Sabetha 33

Abilene 30, Clay Center 6

Andale 42, Mulvane 14

Andover Central 13, Augusta 3

Anthony-Harper-Chaparral 49, Kingman 23

Arkansas City 7, Winfield 3

Ashland 52, Natoma 0

Atchison 26, KC Washington 7

Atchison County 46, Oskaloosa 0

Attica/Argonia 44, Hutchinson Central Christian 16

Axtell 58, St. John’s Beloit-Tipton 12

BV Southwest 37, Lansing 14

Baldwin 35, Ottawa 7

Basehor-Linwood 42, Tonganoxie 6

Beloit 47, Fairbury, Neb. 12

Bennington 50, Wakefield 0

Burden Central 52, Oxford 6

Burleson, Texas 52, KC Schlagle 0

Burlington 42, Council Grove 8

Caldwell 56, South Haven 8

Caney Valley 43, Cherryvale 6

Central Plains 30, Ness City 14

Centre 50, Peabody-Burns 14

Chanute 31, Circle 8

Chapman 34, Marysville 18

Cheylin 54, Fowler 26

Christ Preparatory Academy 41, Wabaunsee 0

Clearwater 22, Rose Hill 18

Clifton-Clyde 48, Wetmore 0

Colby 43, Ulysses 20

Conway Springs 48, Wichita Trinity 7

DeSoto 42, Leavenworth 7

Derby 49, Garden City 6

Douglass 36, Wichita Independent 14

Ell-Saline 48, Sterling 7

Fort Scott 23, Coffeyville 14

Frankfort 62, Linn 12

Fredonia 29, Erie 0

Frontenac 19, Richmond, Mo. 8

Galena 52, Riverton 6

Garden Plain 15, Cheney 12

Gardner-Edgerton 28, SM East 23

Girard 26, Baxter Springs 0

Goddard 32, Wichita East 8

Great Bend 35, Andover 12

Halstead 22, Nickerson 7

Hanover 46, Pike Valley 0

Hartford 50, Crest 12

Herington 36, Chase County 34

Hesston 42, Hillsboro 36

Holcomb 34, Goodland 12

Hoxie 44, Greeley County 18

Humboldt 48, Neodesha 6

Hutchinson Trinity 26, Marion 0

Jayhawk Linn 44, Yates Center 0

Jefferson West 14, Holton 12

Junction City 56, Hays 31

KC Piper 28, Eudora 7

KC Turner 28, KC Harmon 20

Kiowa County 52, Minneola 6

La Crosse 48, Ellinwood 0

Lakin 20, Meade 19

Lawrence Free State 41, Olathe West 0

Liberal 41, Guymon, Okla. 0

Lincoln 72, Tescott 6

Little River 52, Canton-Galva 20

Louisburg 21, Spring Hill 17

Lyndon 26, Central Heights 0

Macksville 74, Kinsley 26

Madison/Hamilton 50, Marais des Cygnes Valley 0

Maize 49, Valley Center 0

Manhattan 42, Olathe Northwest 7

Maur Hill – Mount Academy 48, McLouth 24

McPherson 21, Salina South 0

Medicine Lodge 60, St John 14

Mill Valley 35, BV West 24

Minneapolis 46, Republic County 8

Mission Valley 38, West Franklin 23

Moundridge 42, Goessel 6

Newton 34, Buhler 26

Oberlin-Decatur 46, Quinter 0

Olathe North 49, Olathe East 20

Olpe 40, Osawatomie 0

Osage City 28, Northern Heights 0

Oswego 54, Chetopa 14

Paola 41, Bonner Springs 0

Parsons 49, Iola 14

Pawnee Heights 49, Western Plains-Healy 0

Perry-Lecompton 68, Royal Valley 0

Pittsburg 43, Labette County 8

Pittsburg Colgan 40, Columbus 6

Plainville 31, Norton 14

Plattsburg, Mo 44, KC Sumner 18

Pleasant Ridge 30, Jefferson North 12

Pleasanton 42, Northeast-Arma 14

Prairie View 20, Santa Fe Trail 19

Pratt 34, Hoisington 0

Pratt Skyline 54, Burrton 6

Rock Hills def. BV Randolph, forfeit

Russell 24, Ellsworth 13

SM South 23, SM North 0

Sabetha 33, Nemaha Central 7

Salina Central 44, Goddard-Eisenhower 7

Scott City 35, Hugoton 0

Sedan 44, St. Paul 36

Sedgwick 46, Remington 6

Silver Lake 46, St. Mary’s 7

Smith Center 45, Hays-TMP-Marian 0

Smoky Valley 46, Larned 7

Solomon 46, Rural Vista 0

South Barber 46, Cherokee, Okla. 26

South Central 51, Bucklin 6

Southeast 20, Uniontown 6

Southeast Saline 39, Salina Sacred Heart 0

Spearville 52, Satanta 6

St. James Academy 41, BV Northwest 20

St. Thomas Aquinas 30, Blue Valley 14

Stafford 46, Norwich 0

Stanton County 41, Beaver, Okla. 0

Thunder Ridge 68, Lakeside 0

Topeka Hayden 55, Topeka West 3

Topeka Seaman 56, Highland Park 8

Trego 52, Stockton 24

Troy 27, Valley Heights 12

Udall 50, Flinthills 0

Victoria 28, Otis-Bison 14

Wamego 21, Concordia 6

Washburn Rural 28, Emporia 24

Washington County 38, Doniphan West 12

Wellington 32, Wichita Collegiate 0

West Elk 50, Marmaton Valley 14

Wheatland-Grinnell 46, Fairfield-Cunningham 0

Wichita Campus 47, Dodge City 9

Wichita Heights 35, Maize South 21

Wichita Home School 49, Veritas Christian 0

Wichita Northwest 23, Wichita Bishop Carroll 22

Wichita West 55, Hutchinson 14

Wilson 42, Glasco/Miltonvale-Southern Cloud 0

Hays opens the season with a loss at Junction City

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Hays High scored on their first drive of the season to take a 7-0 lead in Junction City on Friday night.  A back and forth half ensued with Blue Jays tying the game on their first drive of the season then taking the lead with thirty-eight seconds left in the first quarter 14-17.

Hays answered back with a 36 yard field goal from Cole Schroeder to close the gap down to 14-10.  The Indians then forced a punt and drove down to the Junction City three yard line.  A fumble was called late on the third down play at the goal line that gave the Blue Jays the ball back at the 20.  It took only five plays for the lead to swell to 21-10 following a Junction City touchdown with 3:38 left in the half.

Hays took over at their own 43, converted twice on fourth downs, the second resulted in a twenty yard scoring play by Palmer Hutchison.  The Schroeder extra point cut the deficit down to 21-17 at half time with Junction City still in the lead.

Highlights

Hays was out gained 303 to 122 in the second half and outscored 35 to 14, falling 56-31 to Junction City.  The Blue Jays scored on their opening possession of the second half then scored a little more than two minutes later after the Indians muffed the ensuing kickoff.

Hayden Brown sparked the Indians with a 75 yard kick off return for a touchdown to cut the score down to 35-24 with 8:26 left in the third quarter.  The Junction City offense was too much though as they outscore Hays 21-7 rest of the way.

Palmer Hutchison threw for 200 yards and ran for another 105 yards.  Hutchison scored twice on the ground and completed a touchdown pass to Willie Sennet.

Sophomore Russell Wilkey was as good as advertised for Junction City, running for 216 yards on 21 carries and scored two times.

Hays starts the season at 0-1 while Junction City moves to 1-0.  Hays will be on the road in Great Bend in week two.

Smith Center blanks TMP 45-0 to open the football season

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HAYS – The Smith Center Redmen used a stifling defense and their signature rushing attack to defeat the TMP-Marian Monarchs 45-0 Friday at Lewis Field in Hays.

The top ranked Redmen opened the game with a seven play, 63 yard drive that was capped off by a 25 yard Ethan Peterson touchdown. Peterson finished with 106 yards on 12 carries and two touchdowns.

TMP’s first offense possession failed to get going inside their own 20 and a miss handled snap on a punt led to a Smith Center safety giving the Redmen a 9-0 lead.

Smith Center built a 30-0 halftime lead and added two third quarter touchdowns to take a 45-0 lead. With the running clock the Redmen went on to win by that score.

Peterson and Colby Benoit finished with two rushing touchdowns each for Smith Center.

David Bowen postgame interview

The Redmen outgained the Monarchs 306 to 12 total yards of offense.

Smith Center improved to 1-0 on the season and will travel to Norton next Friday night.

The TMP Monarchs are 0-1 and will host Ellis next week.

Royals trade Butera to Rockies for minor-league lefty

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Drew Butera scores in a Royals home game against Washington in 2016. (Courtesy Kansas City Royals/Chris Vleisides)

Royals.com

The Kansas City Royals announced Friday they have traded catcher Drew Butera to the Colorado Rockies for minor league left-handed pitcher Jerry Vasto. Vasto has been subsequently optioned to Omaha (AAA). The Royals have also recalled catcher Cam Gallagher from Omaha and reinstated outfielder Brian Goodwin from the disabled list.

Vasto, 26, pitched the majority of the year with Colorado’s Triple-A affiliate, Albuquerque, going 2-1 with a 3.16 ERA (13 ER in 37.0 IP) in 37 relief appearances. He held the opposition to a .232 average (32-for-138), which included holding righties to a .209 average (18-for-86). The lefty posted a 1.52 ERA (4 ER in 23.2 IP) through his first 23 appearances of the season. He made his big league debut on June 10, pitching 2/3 inning vs. Arizona. He has been named a minor league All-Star twice (2015, 2016) and was originally selected by the Rockies in the 24th round of the 2014 First-Year Player Draft.

Butera joined the Royals in 2016 and is a career .201 hitter during his nine years in the big leagues.

Tigers rally in final five minutes to beat Mules

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No. 5 Fort Hays State scored 14 points in the final 4:46 to rally for an improbable 20-16 win over 18th-ranked Central Missouri in the season opener for both Thursday night at Lewis Field. The win was the 50th for head coach Chris Brown, moving him within five of Bob Cortese for the most in FHSU history.

Down 16-6, Jacob Mezera engineered a six-play, 70-yard drive capped by a 37-yard touchdown pass to Jmari Davis with 4:46 to play to close the gap to 16-13.

Chris Brown Postgame Press Conference

Layne Bieberle Postgame Interview

Tanner Hoekman Postgame Interview

Game Highlights

Sheldon Schmidt recovered a fumble from UCM backup quarterback Kyle Bradley at the Mules four yard line on the next possession. Mezera then found Layne Bieberle on a five-yard strike on third down to give the Tigers their first lead with 3:05 to play.

The Mules drove to the FHSU 46 before Tanner Hoekman intercepted Bradley at the 25 yard line to seal the victory.

The Mules gained 508 yards in the game but fumbled at the Tigers six yard line on their first possession, had a field goal blocked and missed an extra point.

Jacob Mezera completed 19 of 40 passes for 226 yards and two touchdowns. Layne Bieberle tied his career high with eight receptions for 112 yards and Charles Tigner rushed for 80 yards on 11 carries.

Doyin Jibowu had 12 tackles including the Tigers only sack. Jose Delgado, Aquil Knowles and Hoekman all had 10 tackles.

FHSU women’s soccer drops season opener

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FAYETTE, Iowa – Yet another season began with the Fort Hays State women’s soccer team traveling to Fayette, Iowa for their first road trip of the season. This time, the Tigers met up with host Upper Iowa for their first regular-season matchup, ultimately falling 1-0 to the Peacocks. FHSU starts the early season at 0-1 overall, while the Peacocks take a 1-0 to start the year.

In a game which saw the Tigers out-shoot the Peacocks 14-8 while also earning the advantage in shots on goal at 6-4, Fort Hays State could not find the back of the net before Upper Iowa. The match remained even until just about mid-way through the first half when the Peacocks took the edge after a corner kick led to a finish in the box by junior Hannah Dotter. This would be the lone goal for either team of the contest.

The Tigers were unable to pick a part the Peacock defense to gain an advantage in the second half. While neither team was able to score in the last 45 minutes, Upper Iowa maintained their lead to take the 1-0 win to start their season, dropping the Tigers in the opener.

Megan Kneefel takes the loss for the Tigers after recording three saves, but giving up the winning goal. Natalie Rudrud earns the victory for Upper Iowa, catching six saves in the match without giving up a goal. In the foul category, the Peacocks suffered six compared to just four for the Tigers.

The Peacocks now even up the all-time series against the Tigers at 2-2. This loss ends a Fort Hays State streak of four-straight opening-season wins. The last time the Tigers lost their first games of a new season was in a 1-0 loss to Southwest Minnesota State in 2013.

Next up for the Tigers is a mid-day Saturday tilt in Fayette against that same Southwest Minnesota State. Last season, Fort Hays State opened up the year in a 6-0 win over the Mustangs. The matchup this weekend is set for 12 p.m.

Indian cross country runners finish fourth in Great Bend

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GREAT BEND, Kan. – Both the Hays High boys and girls cross country teams finished fourth at the Great Bend Invitational. Freshman Landry Dotts led the girls with a fourth-place finish and Yesenia Maldonado was 12th. Johnny Fuller finished 16th missing a medal by one place for the guys.

Girls Team Results
1. Great Bend 47
2. Salina South 55
3. Garden City 65
4. Hays 81
5. McPherson 86

HHS Girls Results
Landri Dotts V 18:01:00 4th
Yesenia Maldonado V 18:40:00 12th
Claire Shippy V 19:13:00 18th
Cristina Leos V 19:32:00 24th
Allison Shubert JV 20:00:00 2nd
Maddie Lohmeyer V 20:36:00 34th
Ady Albers JV 21:38:00 12th
Kambri Bogart JV 21:55:00 15th
Lainey Hardman JV 22:05:00 17th
Mallory Henderson JV 24:00:00 28th
Elizabeth Dickman JV 24:02:00 29th
Rachel Windholz JV 24:13:00 31st

Boys Team Results
1. Great Bend 23
2. Garden City 46
3. Salina South 112
4. Hays 117
5. Wic hita SE 120
6. McPherson 122

HHS Boys Results
Johnny Fuller V 15:18:00 16th
Brayden Hines JV 16:17:00 3rd
Grant Brungardt V 16:35:00 26th
Conner Cunningham V 16:46:00 28th
Nathan Erbert V 17:10:00 32nd
Fernando Zarate V 17:14:00 33rd
Landon Viegra V 17:17:00 34th
Chris Isbell JV 17:35:00 13th
Corey Hale V 17:39:00 39th
Colton Vajnar JV 18:41:00 26th
Zachary Chance JV 19:06:00 28th
Ethan Voss JV 20:53:00 46th
Ryan Schuckman JV 21:23:00 48th
Mathew Dempsey JV 22:22:00 49th
Ethan Klausmeyer JV 22:35:00 50th

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