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Category: Sports
High School Football Scores
AP-FBH–Kansas Prep Scores, 3rd Ld-Writethru,0246
Friday’s Scores
By The Associated Press
PREP FOOTBALL
Class 6A State Tournament
Sectionals
Blue Valley 35, BV North 14
Derby 40, Hutchinson 7
Lawrence Free State 17, Washburn Rural 14
SM East 41, SM North 25
Class 5A State Tournament
Sectionals
Goddard 28, Wichita Heights 14
Great Bend 28, Valley Center 24
Mill Valley 28, St. James Academy 14
St. Thomas Aquinas 57, Topeka Seaman 21
Class 4A Div-I State Tournament
Sectionals
Basehor-Linwood 48, Ottawa 14
Bishop Miege 49, Louisburg 6
Buhler 24, Mulvane 14
Maize South 35, McPherson 27
Class 4A Div-II State Tournament
Sectionals
Holcomb 44, Wichita Collegiate 29
Holton 32, Frontenac 28
Pratt 38, Smoky Valley 6
Topeka Hayden 40, Girard 12
Class 3A State Tournament
Sectionals
Hesston 38, Phillipsburg 26
Hoisington 49, Garden Plain 8
Nemaha Central 42, Wellsville 14
Rossville 67, Caney Valley 31
Class 2-1A State Tournament
Sectionals
Pittsburg Colgan 29, Washington County 20
Plainville 49, Republic County 0
Smith Center 42, LaCrosse 20
Troy 46, Lyndon 19
8-Man, Division I State Tournament
Sub-state
Osborne 62, Burlingame 16
St. Francis 36, Spearville 30
8-Man, Division II State Tournament
Sub-state
Dighton 40, Wallace County 32
Hanover 42, Pike Valley 0
Brown, Iwundu lead Kansas State past Western Illinois
MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) – Barry Brown had 11 of his 18 points in the first half, and Kansas State opened the season with an 82-55 win over Western Illinois on Friday night.
After a slow start by both teams, Brown’s offense got the Wildcats going first and they relinquished the lead only once in the first half. At one point in the first half, Brown had as many points as Western Illinois with at 11 apiece.
Xavier Sneed and Wesley Iwundu added 17 points each for Kansas State while Garret Covington was the high man for Western Illinois with 17 points as well.
Despite struggling from the field for a majority of the contest, the Wildcats led by no less than eight in the second half. Kamau Stokes chipped in 11.
Western Illinois struggled to be consistent from the field shooting 36.5 percent for the ballgame.
Tiger volleyball blocks its way to sweep of MSSU
JOPLIN, Mo. – The Fort Hays State volleyball team used a .326 attack percentage to cruise past Missouri Southern Friday evening in straight sets. The Tigers tallied 12 total blocks in the match, adding four service aces while committing just 11 attack errors. Fort Hays State moves to 24-8 on the year and 10-7 in MIAA play, while the Lions fall to 6-24 on the year and 3-24 in conference.
With the win, the Tigers remain in the hunt to host a match in the first round of the MIAA Tournament next Tuesday, with the final standings being decided on Saturday.
Callie Christensen was a force at the net, recording a school-record 11 blocks in the three-set match (rally scoring era). The junior’s total is one off the match record since the scoring changed in 2001 (Jenna Ulrich, 12, five sets). Rebekah Spainhour led the team with 12 kills on just 18 swings without recording an error, adding two blocks for good measure. Crystal Whitten tallied 11 kills and seven digs, sharing the team-high with Chandler Hillman and Ari Jacobsen. Hannah Wagy tossed up 37 of the team’s 39 assists, chipping in six digs and one block. Megan Anderson added seven blocks and eight kills.
The Lions hung around early in the match, trading points with the Tigers to keep the margin within four. After an MSSU kill made the score 11-9, the Tigers went on a 14-2 run to put the set on ice. FHSU scored the final six points of the set, capped off by a service ace from Azlyn Cassaday.
Multiple kills from Spainhour and Whitten helped the Tigers open a 10-6 lead in the second set, which is when things took off. The Tigers scored the next 11 points with Wagy serving, extending the lead to 21-6. The Lions clawed back with five-straight points, but three blocks from the Tigers over the last four points handed FHSU a 2-0 lead before the break.
The Lions took their first lead in the match to start the first set, but the Black and Gold made sure it wouldn’t last long. Trailing 5-4, a kill from Sydney Dixon sparked a 3-0 run for the Tigers, who took the lead for good. Anderson and Christensen combined for three-straight blocks midway through the set to stretch the lead to 17-9. It was only fitting that the match ended on a would-be Lion attack being blocked by the Fort Hays State front line. Wagy and Keely Ruby combined for the honors on the final point of the match, securing the sweep.
The Tigers will wrap up their regular season schedule Saturday afternoon when they travel to Bolivar, Mo. for a date with Southwest Baptist. First serve is scheduled for 11 a.m.
FHSU Sports Information
Wichita State handles South Carolina State in season opener
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) – Rauno Nurger scored 14 points to lead a 54-point bench performance, and Wichita State easily handled South Carolina State 85-39 in a season-opening win on Friday night.
None of Wichita State’s starting five scored in double figures. Instead, Nurger’s 14 points led the Shockers in 16 minutes played. Markis McDuffie added 11 points and seven rebounds. Rashard Kelly, a starter, had nine points and nine rebounds.
Greg Mortimer led the Bulldogs with 14 points, and Eric Eaves added 10. South Carolina State made just 14 of 52 from the field (27 percent) and 3 of 16 from beyond the arc (18.8 percent).
Wichita State outrebounded South Carolina State 49-28 and won points in the paint 44-14. The Shockers have won 21 straight home openers and improved to 55-1 in home non-conference regular season games since November 2008.
FHSU women’s soccer wins NCAA tournament opener
MANKATO, Minn. – Fort Hays State outshot Harding 17-9 as they earned a 3-1 win in the opening round of the NCAA Division II Women’s Soccer Central Regional Friday afternoon in Mankato, Minn.
The Tigers (15-4-2) struck first in the 40th minute on a header from Hannah Smith on an assist from Darby Hirsch to lead 1-0. Thayla Dwyer buried a goal in the back off the net off a pass from Dani Harris and Regan Lawler in the 55th minute to push the lead to 2-0.
Harding would chip into the lead in the 75th minute as McKenna Smith scored off a pass from Averie Albright.
FHSU would then make it a two goal lead again as Dwyer scored her second of the game this time off a pass from Kelsey Steffens.
In goal Abbie Flax earned her first win of the tournament with four saves facing nine total shots in the game.
The Tigers, who won their school record 15th game of the season, will now face second-seeded Minnesota State on Sunday at 1 p.m. in Mankato.
Fort Hays State women’s basketball wins season opener over Upper Iowa
By DUSTIN ARMBRUSTER
Hays Post
Fort Hays State opened up their season Friday afternoon taking on Upper Iowa University in the opening game of the Drury Inn Tip-Off Classic in St. Joseph, Missouri. Just like the season opener between the two one year ago, Fort Hays used a strong second half to pull away for an 82-56 victory.
Fort Hays jumped out to an early 7-3 lead on Upper Iowa, only to have the Peacocks rattle off seven straight points to take a 10-7 lead mid way through the first quarter. The Tigers outscored Upper Iowa 6-3 over the final minute of the first quarter capped off by a stick back basket by Kacey Kennett at the buzzer to tie the game at 15-15.
The Tigers opened the second quarter on a 10-2 run including five from Carly Heim to take their biggest lead of the first half at 25-17. Upper Iowa went on a 8-2 run of their own to get back with in two points at 27-25. Fort Hays got three pointers from Taylor Chandler and Sarah Pimentel to push their lead up to 34-29 at halftime.
Game Highlights
Upper Iowa kept the game close through first four minutes of the third quarter, trailing 40-36. Fort Hays would close the third quarter on a 14-4 run to start pulling away. The Tigers full court pressure eventually wore down Upper Iowa as Fort Hays used a 24-4 run in the fourth quarter on their way to the victory.
Taylor Chandler Postgame Interview
Taylor Chandler led three in double figures with 12. Taylor Rohlfs and Tatyana Legette each added ten. Legette added a career high 14 rebounds to lead both teams. Fort Hays out-rebounded Upper Iowa 47-25 and used 19 offensive rebounds to score 22 second chance points.
Tony Hobson Postgame Interview
The Tigers move to 1-0 on the season and play Southwest Minnesota State on Saturday in St. Joseph. Upper Iowa drops to 0-1 and will play Missouri Western to close the Drury Inn Tip-Off Classic.
Hays High’s Nunnery named to All-WAC volleyball team
Hays High had one player named the All-Western Athletic Conference volleyball team. Freshman Tasiah Nunnery was named to the first team and is one of two freshman named to the first team.
First Team:
Kyra Bellows, GC senior OH
Jada Mickens, Liberal senior MB
Baylee Beck, GB junior Libero
Tasiah Nunnery, Hays Fr. S/OH
Jenna Mauler, GB Fr. S/OH
Honorable Mention:
Camryn Dunekack, GB
Lexi Hogan, GC
Reagan Karlin, GC
Taylor Savolt, GC
Jade Garcia, GC
Whitney Hay, Liberal
Goal-oriented FHSU women’s soccer team continues record-breaking season
By DIANE GASPER-O’BRIEN
FHSU University Relations and Marketing
One had visited Hays and been hearing stories about Fort Hays State University her entire life, despite living four hours away. The other had never heard of FHSU until pulling off Interstate 70 for a bite to eat in the winter of 2015.
Now, Abbie Flax from Overland Park and CheyAnn Queener from Colorado Springs, Colo., are part of a stingy defense that has helped lead the Tiger women’s soccer team into the NCAA Division II playoffs for the second time in program history.
FHSU, the No. 3 seed in the Central Regional with its 14-4-2 record, will take on Harding (Ark.) University in first-round action at 1 p.m. Friday in Mankato, Minn.
That Flax and Queener would meet — much less be leaders on the same college team — didn’t even seem a remote possibility back in the fall of 2014.
Flax was in the midst of the first semester of her freshman year at FHSU, where she redshirted her first season with the Tigers. Queener had just finished her sophomore season at Laramie County (Wyo.) Community College, where she helped her team to a third-place finish in the NJCAA National Tournament her freshman year.
Queener and her mom were on their way to southeast Kansas one winter February day to check out the Emporia State University soccer team when they stopped in Hays for dinner.
“There were a lot of people in the restaurant who were talking about Fort Hays State basketball; I think there had just been a game that night,” she said.
That enthusiasm about their university piqued Queener’s interest, and she emailed FHSU Coach Craig Shaw right then and there.
“He answered back right away and asked me to come visit,” Queener said.
Following their return trip from Emporia, Queener stopped in Hays again, this time with a goal in mind. She met with Shaw and visited the FHSU campus.
“I loved it right away,” Queener said. “The facilities here are incredible. It was very affordable, closer to home. I love everything about it.”
Queener also learned that FHSU featured one of the state’s top programs in her field of study — elementary education.
“This is all so exciting now, especially with me being a senior,” she said.
It’s equally exciting for Flax, also an elementary education major who has known most of her life that she would be attending Fort Hays State.
After helping lead the Lenexa-St. James Academy soccer team to two top-three finishes at state during her high school career, Flax promptly signed with FHSU.
That seemed a given, considering her dad, Greg — the oldest of 10 siblings — played football for the Tigers. Both of Flax’s parents are FHSU graduates, and her grandmother and several aunts, uncles and cousins live in and around the Hays area.
“I have so much family here in Hays, and the facilities are fantastic,” Flax said.
All but one of Flax’s 12 victories this season have been shutouts, and she owns a 0.53 goals-per-game average.
However, Flax gives a lot of the credit for that impressive statistic to her teammates.
“My players in front of me are so good that sometimes I can get bored back there, but that’s a good thing for the team,” she said. “This is the best defense I’ve ever played on my entire life, but we are just as good offensively, too.”
A Tiger victory Friday would set a new school record for most victories in a single season. Their current victory total of 14 ties the single-season mark set in 2012. Beating Harding also would give FHSU women’s soccer its first ever NCAA tournament victory and keep the Tigers’ season alive, advancing to Sunday’s regional semifinals.
Those are just two of many goals for the team this season, Queener said.
Following a disappointing overtime loss to a nationally ranked team in the semifinals of the MIAA Tournament last fall, Queener said the Tiger squad got together and decided to put in extra time in the spring.
“Our back line worked together all spring long,” Queener said. “That helped to work out the smaller details and how we work together. Plus, we have great team chemistry on and off the field.”
Shaw, head coach since the start of the program at FHSU in 2011, agreed.
“They were really well prepared coming into this season, really fit,” Shaw said. “It’s the first time that every single person passed the fitness test the first day.”
The Tigers went on to earn their first national ranking in program history and finished as regular-season co-champions of the MIAA.
Shaw points to a couple of other areas that have been key to the Tigers’ success this fall as well.
“This is the best group of seniors we’ve had here,” Shaw said, “really good leaders.”
Joining Queener on that list of seniors is her defensive mate at center back, Regan Lawler from Kansas City, Mo.; midfielders Hannah Smith from Garland, Texas, and Hannah Jurgens, Lincoln Neb.; and forward Dani Harris from Centennial, Colo., who has knocked in three game-winning goals this season.
“And,” Shaw added, “this is really a solid crew overall this year, strong at every position.”
“Yes, I think our all-around talent is great,” said forward Kelsey Steffens, a junior from Greeley, Colo., whose 49 career points to date is a school record. “The girls who come off the bench are really talented, too. We have a lot of depth.”
For more information on the Tiger women’s soccer program, visit www.fhsuathletics.com.
HHS boys soccer has three named to the All-WAC team
Hays High had three players named to the Western Athletic Conference all-conference team. Juniors Ethan Nunnery and Zachary Wagner made the first team. Nunnery broke the school scoring record with 20 goals and was second on the team in assists with seven. Wagner broke the school record for assists with 17 and was second on the team in goals with 13. Senior Conner Staab made Honorable Mention all-conference. Staab kept four clean sheets and averaged just over eight saves per game.
Former Hays High soccer coach Saul Hernandez was named Coach of the Year. Dodge City junior Joshua Don Juan was named conference player of the year.
First Team:
Erick Martinez, Great Bend, 12
Dani Franco, Great Bend, 10
Jose Herrera, Garden City, 12
Josh Martinez, Liberal, 12
Brian Alvarez, Liberal, 12
**Joshua Don Juan, Dodge City, 11
Miguel Baca, Dodge City, 11
Francisco Cayetano, Dodge City, 11
Mario Martinez, Dodge City, 11
Ethan Nunnery, Hays, 11
Zachary Wagner, Hays, 11
Honorable Mention:
Brian Galindo, Great Bend, 11
Israel Franco, Great Bend, 9
Salvador Bustos, Garden City, 10
Jesus Macias, Garden City, 11
Kender Acevedo, Garden City, 12
Elmer Rivera, Liberal, 11
Pablo Marquez, Liberal, 11
Edgar Moreno, Liberal, 12
Eddie Del Toro, Dodge City, 11
Cesar Alvarez, Dodge City, 11
Conner Staab, Hays, 12
** Player of the Year
Perez wins Silver Slugger Award
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Louisville Slugger ® and MLB Network announced this evening that Salvador Perez has received the American League’s 2016 Silver Slugger Award for the catching position. Perez becomes the first Royals backstop to win a Silver Slugger Award and the ninth KC player (12th occurrence) overall.
Perez, 26, just completed his sixth big league season, batting .247 with a career-high 22 home runs and 64 RBI, while he also matched career bests in runs scored (57), doubles (28) and walks (22). He led American League receivers in hits (127) for the fourth-straight season and also led the league’s catchers in doubles, homers, extra-base hits and slugging percentage (.438). Salvy started the season batting .305 (67-for-220) with 14 doubles, two triples, 12 homers and 35 RBI over his first 60 games. He established a career-high with five RBI in the April 19 game vs. Detroit and he set a career-high with five hits at Minnesota on May 23, becoming the second Royals catcher to collect five hits in a game, joining Darrell Porter in 1978.
The Louisville Slugger Silver Slugger Award winners are decided by a vote of Major League Baseball managers and coaches who select the players they determine to be the best offensive producers at each position in the American and National Leagues. Selections are based on a combination of offensive statistics, including batting average, on-base percentage and slugging percentage, as well as the managers’ and coaches’ general impressions of a player’s overall offensive value. Managers and coaches are not allowed to vote for players on their own teams. Tabulation of the balloting is verified by the accounting firm of Mountjoy Chilton Medley LLP.
Below is a list of the nine Royals to win a Louisville Silver Slugger Award (instituted in 1980):
George Brett – 1980, 1985 and 1988 (1980 and 1985 at third base; 1988 at first base)
Willie Wilson – 1980 and 1982 (outfield)
Hal McRae – 1982 (designated hitter)
Frank White – 1986 (second base)
Gary Gaetti – 1995 (third base)
Dean Palmer – 1998 (third base)
Billy Butler – 2012 (designated hitter)
Kendrys Morales – 2015 (designated hitter)
Salvador Perez – 2016 (catcher)
Kansas City Royals Release
Chiefs’ Houston hopes to play Sunday at Carolina
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) – Chiefs linebacker Justin Houston says he hopes to make his season debut Sunday at Carolina, though the decision to put the four-time Pro Bowl pass rusher on the field ultimately rests with coach Andy Reid.
Houston was hobbled by his knee the second half of last season, and tweaked it in a playoff win over the Texans. He barely played in a playoff loss to the Patriots and had surgery in February.
The Chiefs have been hoping all along to have him for the stretch run.
He began practicing a few weeks ago, and was removed from the physically unable to perform list on Wednesday. And in his first comments since surgery, Houston said Thursday that he’s ready to “dominate.”
TMP has six named to the MCL volleyball team
The TMP-Marian Monarchs had six named to the All Mid-Continent League volleyball team this week.
Senior Madyson Koerner and Junior Kayla Vitztum are joined on the first-team by Tatum Bartels of Phillipsburg, Norton’s Caitlyn Cox Haven Hamilton from Stockton and Gracen Hutchinson from Smith Center.
TMP Senior Kendra Werth was a second team selection with Willow Hunt of Plainville, Baylee Miller from Norton, Hill City’s Carrie Kenney, Trego’s Taylor Sells and Cecelia Beck of Stockton.
Ashley Ostrander, Bailey Lacy and Savannah Yost of TMP were honorable mention selection.
The Monarchs clinched their third straight MCL tournament title and qualified for state for the second straight season finished 1-2 in pool play.
All MCL Volleyball Team
First Team
Name School Grade
Tatum Bartels Phillipsburg 12
Caitlyn Cox Norton 12
Haven Hamilton Stockton 11
Kayla Vitztum TMP 11
Madyson Koerner TMP 12
Gracen Hutchinson Smith Center 10
2nd Team
Baylee Miller Norton 12
Willow Hunt Plainville 11
Carrie Kennedy Hill City 11
Kendra Werth TMP 12
Cecelia Beck Stockton 12
Taylor Sells Trego 11
Honorable Mention
Ahley Ostrander TMP
Bailey Lacy TMP
Conner Keith Hill City
Nicole Scheetz Oakley
Kayla Garvert Painville
Sannah Yost TMP