Dave Axon, Belleview, Nebraska. and Mike Dias, Lafayette, Colorado, won joint PBA50 Southwest / Midwest Regional titles in a doubleheader weekend of one-day tournaments at Junction City Bowl.
On Saturday, Axon defeated Joel Carlson of Omaha 245-204, to win his fourth PBA50 title and a check for $1,200. Axon qualified fourth, receiving byes to the best two-out-of-three game semifinal round where he defeated defending champion Ricky Schissler, 2-1.
On Sunday, Dias, a former Junction City champion, won five of his first seven matches in the eight-game round robin match play finals to overtake Schissler for the lead by 14 pins heading into the final position round match. Dias held a nine-pin lead in the seventh frame and an open frame by Schissler in the ninth allowed Dias to claim his fourth Junction City title and the $1,200 victor’s check.
Junction City and Hays battled through two overtimes in boys soccer Tuesday evening in Hays. The end result was a 0-0 tie, according to Blue Jay Athletics Twitter.
K-STATE BEGINS THREE-GAME HOMESTAND WITH BAYLOR Kansas State will look to regroup from its first loss the season, a 26-13 setback at Oklahoma State, as the Wildcats open their Big 12 home schedule and first of three-straight home games on Saturday against Baylor inside Bill Snyder Family Stadium. The game will kick at 2:30 p.m., and be televised nationally by ESPN2 with Beth Mowins (play-by-play), Anthony Becht (booth analyst) and Rocky Boiman (field analyst) on the call. The game can be heard across the 39-station K-State Sports Network with Wyatt Thompson (play-by-play), former K-State quarterback Stan Weber (analyst) and Matt Walters (sidelines) calling the action. The game can also be heard on SiriusXM (S: 111; XM: 200; Internet: 954) in addition to the TuneIn app.
A LOOK AT K-STATE
K-State opened the Chris Klieman era with three impressive victories as the Wildcats defeated Nicholls and Bowling Green by a combined score of 101-14, and it followed that up with a win at No. 23 Mississippi State.
The victory at MSU marked the first time in program history that K-State won a road game against an SEC team that was in the league at the time of the game. K-State had previously been 0-11 in such games.
The Wildcats went from being not ranked to then as high No. 22 in the Amway Coaches Poll last week before the tough 26-13 loss at Oklahoma State last week.
K-State’s offense has been propelled by a rushing attack that has averaged 241.5 yards per game to rank 17th in the nation. The Wildcats also have 13 rushing touchdowns after tallying only 20 rushing scores a year ago.
The rushing attack has been anchored by a pair of graduate transfers in seniors James Gilbert (321 yards) and Jordon Brown (166 yards), in addition to junior Harry Trotter (122 yards). K-State backs have accounted for 11 rushing touchdowns after the group only had 13 a year ago.
The backs have an experienced offensive line in front of them as there are five senior starters, led by 42-game starter Scott Frantz (left tackle), 34-game starter Tyler Mitchell (right guard) and 29-game starter Adam Holtorf (center).
Skylar Thompson has thrown for 604 yards and four touchdowns. Both he and Baylor quarterback Charlie Brewer are among the top 15 QBs nationally in terms of consecutive pass attempts without throwing an interception.
The K-State defense has been one of the nation’s best through five weeks as the Wildcats rank second in passing defense (127.3 yds/gm) third in third down defense (20.5%), seventh in pass efficiency defense (92.93) and 17th in scoring defense (16.0 points/gm).
Linebacker Da’Quan Patton (21 tackles) and safety Denzel Goolsby (20 tackles), the latter who earned Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week honors following the MSU game, lead the team in tackles.
Cornerback AJ Parker has a team-high two interceptions, while Wyatt Hubert has a team-best 2.0 sacks, both coming last week at Oklahoma State.
A LOOK AT BAYLOR
The Bears head into the weekend with a 4-0 record after holding on for a 23-21 victory over Iowa State in their Big 12 opener.
The offense is dynamic with quarterback Charlie Brewer throwing for 972 yards and 10 touchdowns with no interceptions, while three receivers have over 150 yards this year, led by Denzel Mims’ 355 yards and five touchdowns.
On the ground, John Lovett leads the Bears with 238 yards and has averaged 7.0 yards per carry.
Baylor is averaging 216.0 yards per game on the ground and 259.5 through the air. The Bears rank fourth in the league in scoring offensive by averaging 40.8 points per game.
On defense, Baylor ranks second in the Big 12 by allowing 16.2 points per game, just 0.2 points per game behind conference-leader K-State.
Linebacker Clay Johnston leads the way with 37 tackles – 17 more than the next closest teammate – while he has 5.5 tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks.
Johnston is a half sack behind team leader James Lynch, while two Bears – Jordan Williams and Blake Lynch – each have an interception.
The Junction City Lady Jay volleyball team finished fourth out of ten teams in a tournament at Tonganoxie on Saturday.
Junction City went 3-1 in pool play, defeating Kansas City Piper, Tonganoxie and Kansas City Schlagle. they lost to Great Bend.
In bracket play the Lady Jays lost to Shawnee Mission Northwest 25-3, 25-17 and then lost to Eudora in the third place game 25-15, 25-17. Junction City has a record of 10-9 on the season.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Royals put a memorable finish on a forgettable 2019 season.
Jorge Soler locked up the AL home run crown with his 48th, Brett Phillips drove a game-ending sacrifice fly in the ninth inning and Kansas City beat the Minnesota Twins 5-4 in manager Ned Yost’s final game.
“I’m sure everyone in the field in the top of the ninth was like, ‘Give me that at-bat.’ I know that’s what was going through my head,” Phillips said.
Soler connected in the first inning, becoming the first Royal to lead the AL in home runs and surpassing Rafael Palmeiro for the most long balls by a Cuban-born player. The 27-year-old’s previous career high was 12.
But the Royals also lost 100-plus games for the second straight season, finishing only two games better than last year at 59-103. Yost said he won’t miss much about the game.
“There’s not one part of me that wants to continue doing this,” he said. “I’ve done my part. I want to go spend time with my family, especially my wife. We’ve been apart for six or seven months a year, for the most part. We’re both healthy and we want to go do some things together.
“I’m very confident in my part in helping this team get back into fait condition. I’m walking out the door feeling good with no regrets.”
The Royals drew 17,875 in their final game. They finished with an average of 18,267 fans, 2,290 fewer than 2018. Whit Merrifield became the second right-handed hitter to lead the majors in hits in back-to-back years (Kirby Puckett, 1988-89).
DETROIT (AP) — Patrick Mahomes made more plays than usual with his legs because the Detroit Lions set up their defense to limit what the superstar quarterback could do with his arm.
Mahomes converted a fourth down with a run to extend a game-winning drive that ended with Darrel Williams’ 1-yard touchdown run with 23 seconds left for his second score in the fourth quarter, lifting the Kansas City Chiefs to a 34-30 win over the Detroit Lions on Sunday.
“With what they were doing, there were lanes to run,” Mahomes said. “I saw a lane and I took it.”
The reigning MVP had thrown at least two touchdown passes in 14 straight games, one short of the NFL record set by Peyton Manning. And, he was the first player in league history to have at least 350 yards passing and three touchdowns without an interception in three straight games before getting slowed down in Detroit.
“They found a way to take away some of the stuff that we like to do,” said Mahomes, who was 24 of 42 for 315 yards. “They hadn’t lost a game for a reason.”
BY THE NUMBERS
Chiefs: McCoy had a 39-yard run and finished with 56 yards rushing and a TD that pulled Kansas City into a 10-all tie in the second quarter. Kelce had seven receptions for a season-low 85 yards. Watkins had a season-low three receptions for 54 yards.
Lions: Johnson had 26 carries for 125 yards, 1 yard short of his total through three games. Golladay caught five passes for 67 yards and matched a career high with two touchdowns.
INJURIES
Chiefs: DE Alex Okafor (hip) and LB Damien Wilson (concussion) left in the fourth quarter.
Lions: Hockenson (concussion) was carted off the field in the third quarter and S Quandre Diggs (hamstring) left in the first quarter. CB Darius Slay (hamstring) and WR Danny Amendola (chest) were inactive after both were listed as questionable to play.
UP NEXT
Chiefs: Host the Indianapolis Colts.
Lions: Bye week.
STILLWATER, Okla. (AP) — Chuba Hubbard ran for 296 yards and a touchdown on just 25 carries, and Oklahoma State shut down No. 24 Kansas State’s own vaunted rushing attack in a weather-delayed 26-13 victory Saturday night.
Hubbard hardly carried at all in the first quarter for the Cowboys (4-1, 1-1 Big 12), who built a 13-0 lead when the game was halted more than an hour in the second quarter due to lightning. But the breakout star finished with runs of 53, 84 and 44 yards in his dominant performance. Spencer Sanders added 153 yards passing and a touchdown for Oklahoma State. Most of that went to Tylan Wallace, who hauled in eight passes for 145 yards.
Skylar Thompson was 11 of 23 for 118 yards for the Wildcats (3-1, 0-1), who were coming off a bye following their big win at Mississippi State. But any momentum they gained from their foray into SEC country was wiped out by their return to the Big 12.
By the time lightning hit and the officials ordered everyone off the field, the Cowboys had a 208-32 edge in offensive yardage. And when the game resumed, Kansas State kicked a field goal only for Oklahoma State to answer with a touchdown drive to take a 16-3 lead into halftime.
Hubbard added his 84-yard touchdown run in the third quarter before the Wildcats tacked on a field goal by Blake Lynch and a short touchdown run by James Gilbert to make it a game. Oklahoma State added a field goal in the closing seconds when the outcome was already decided.
TAKEAWAY
Kansas State entered the game 10th in the nation in rushing, averaging 280 yards, but struggled for most of this one. Through the first half, new coach Chris Klieman’s team gained just 18 yards on 13 carries, and had just 68 heading into the final couple minutes of the third quarter. In the end, the Wildcats wound up with 126 yards on 32 carries.
Oklahoma State had issues capitalizing in the red zone in its previous game, a 36-30 loss at No. 11 Texas. And once again, the Cowboys could not punch the ball in from inside the 20. It was a pair of turnovers and a turnover-on-downs against the Longhorns, while it was three field goals against Kansas State. The only difference Saturday night was the outcome.
Kansas State returns home to take on Baylor next Saturday. Oklahoma State heads to Lubbock next Saturday to face Texas Tech.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — It was a tough moment for rookie third baseman Luis Arraez.
It could have been a lot worse.
Arraez sprained his right ankle during the seventh inning of Minnesota’s 4-3 victory over the Kansas City Royals on Saturday, leaving his status for the Twins’ AL Division Series against the New York Yankees in question.
Kansas City slugger Jorge Soler went deep twice to move into the AL lead with 47 homers. Soler snapped a tie with the Angels’ Mike Trout, who is out with an injury.
Soler is looking to become the Royals’ first league home-run champion. With his father, Jorge Sr., and other family members in the stands, Soler matched Rafael Palmeiro for the most homers in a season by a Cuban-born player. “It means a lot, there’s a lot of pride tying him at 47 — for the organization, for my family, for the people of Cuba,” Soler said.
Whit Merrifield had three hits in Ned Yost’s penultimate game with Kansas City. The 65-year-old Yost is retiring after Sunday’s finale to his 10th season as Royals manager.
GLASS FAMILY SALUTED
Video highlights of the Glass family’s 20-year ownership of the Royals were shown on the scoreboard prior to the game, which was fan appreciation day at Kauffman Stadium.
Chairman David Glass, who plans to sell the franchise to John Sherman pending approval from other major league owners, waved and applauded his appreciation to the fans from his suite.
“It meant a lot,” Yost said. “I got emotional for that too. We’ve gone through a lot of good times together. It was good to see him.”
UP NEXT
Kansas City starts right-hander Jorge López (4-9, 6.35 ERA) on Sunday against Twins left-hander Martín Pérez (10-7, 5.13 ERA).
Runners from Junction City High School were entered in the junior varsity races at the Rimrock Invitational near Lawrence on Saturday.
In the girls competition Mariah Parrott with the Lady Jays turned in a 33rd place finish in 23:56.0 Cassidy Eschliman 47th in 24:21.0, Malia Silva 62nd in 25:05.9 and Mia Perusich 92nd in 26:36.9.
In the boys JV race for Junction City, Tate Miller was 75th in 20:00.7, Kenlin Ortiz 96th in 20:26.4 and Hayden Perusich 176th in 22:08.9.
