The Junction City Blue Jays will host the Derby Panthers in the Sectionals ( second round ) of the Class 6A postseason football playoffs Friday night.

The game begins at 7 p.m. at the Al Simpler Stadium.

JCHS Athletic Director Matt Westerhaus said gates to the stadium will open at 5 p.m.  Admission prices are $6 for adults and $5 for students ( K-12 ).

Since this is a KSHSAA sponsored event, League Passes, USD 475 ID cards, golden age passes, student passes, etc. will not be honored by ticket takers and ticket sellers. A ticket must be purchased by all fans.

Head Coach Bill Snyder
On what separates the Texas Tech offense from other spread offenses…

“Nothing that comes to mind as you look at all the teams that you are talking about that spread it out the way that they do. For the most part, they are very similar type of offenses. Some of them more major in the run game than the pass game and vice versa. They pretty much run the same offense. It is more the matter of emphasis that create the biggest differences more than anything else.”

 

On concerns with big plays this season…

“Well, that has not changed. The response is identical. If we want to have success on that side of the ball, then, collectively, you have to dramatically reduce the substantial yardage plays that you give up. This is not the easiest team to do that against, but it has been done. West Virginia did a nice job against them in that respect, I thought.”

 

On reasons why the defensive backfield has yet to record an interception…

“Well, I think for the most part, they have not thrown it to us yet. That always creates a problem for you. You always drill diligently on guys being able – secondary players – being able to catch the ball because they do not have the same opportunities that the receivers do. It is not a matter of us dropping balls, it is just being in position to make those kind of plays. You have to credit the offense for the ability to get guys in open areas. The other part of it falls back on our shoulders to get our guys into positions where they have opportunities to compete for thrown balls. That is not just secondary players that is underneath players as well. Part of it probably stems from the concerns about giving up substantial yardage plays and not getting beat over the top, consequently, maybe end up being a little softer than you should.”

 

On being pleased with the team’s response to the past few games…

“Well, I am pleased with the direction that our players have chosen to go. They remain competitive. There is a determination about them that I have expressed in here before. I certainty see the disappointment and I understand that. All of us are disappointed, myself included. My feelings probably parallel theirs, I would think. They come back to the practice field and seem to be extremely committed to improving what we are doing, improving fundamentals, improving effort and improving all aspects of the game. I will not say that is unique in athletics, but sometimes, young people – old people as well – get beaten down a little bit. Yes, you want to win, and yes, you to succeed, but are you really willing to do all the things that it takes to give you a chance to do that? So, that puts a lot into a mode of just going through the movements throughout the course of the week and having that attitude on Saturday, that yes, I want to win, I want to compete and I want to play hard. But, you missed the development stage that we put you in to be in position to be successful on Saturday. I think our guys are not like that. I think they are meeting the challenge, so to speak. The effort is good and the spirit is good. There are certainly some things in regard to the execution and some ongoing issues that we are working diligently at. All I can ask is that there is effort and spirit behind it and that it is legitimate and that it is meaningful to them. I see that, for the most part.”

 

On if he misses winning games…

“Well, to me, it is not so much missing that, it is how much you despise the other side of it. You hear coaches all the time talk about having a victory and moving right on to the next one. You come in here and do a press conference, and then go upstairs and prepare for whoever the next opponent is. So, you know when those victories come, you do not always take the opportunity to enjoy the outcome and you move on. But, when you are not successful, then that pain really lingers on. It is something you have to really fight to overcome. Like I have said so many times, it can, it should, bring about emotions that are appropriate to move on and that determination and anger to improve yourself and become better. It is not a matter of enjoying them, but a matter of the other side of feelings when you are not successful. That is the most painful part.”

Junior Quarterback Joe Hubener

On if the running game used against Baylor is something to build on…

“Certainly, we had a lot of success in the running game last week and it is something we want to build upon and continue to utilize in the weeks to come.”

 

On using more quarterback sneaks in short-yardage situations…

“The quarterback sneak is always on the board when you are in short distance. It is always an option. We have had success with it, so we will see how it goes moving forward.”

 

On the main motivation for the team right now…

“Obviously we know what we have to do long term – we want to go to a bowl game. We do not want to be the team to end the bowl game streak. We know that we have four more opponents and we have to win at least three. We think we are certainly capable of winning all four, and that starts this week with Texas Tech. That is our focus right now – go down to Lubbock and finish this one right.”

 

Redshirt Freshman Center Dalton Risner

On getting the running game going…

“We did a good job establishing the run early (last week). We knew that was what we wanted to do, and what we wanted to get done verses a team like Baylor and put up points. It was fun. We could have done a better job and won the game, but it was fun as the offensive line against a really good Baylor defensive line and get the running game going.”

 

On the running game against Texas Tech…

“I do not want to treat this week any different than any other week. Every other week we have prepared hard for good defensive lines. We definitely have had our struggles, but we have run the ball pretty well this year. I want to try to treat it the same this week and make sure we do not treat them lightly. We have to go out there and be prepared, and I think we will get the job done.”

 

On going into Texas Tech and trying to get a win…

“They have won five games, and if they win this week, they are bowl eligible. These guys are fighting for their season, and they only have two games left in the last four weeks; they have to beat us or Texas. They are giving it their all at practice this week. It is not going to be one of those things that we show up on Saturdayand have to be ready to go. We are going to show up in two hours to practice. We had a great day of practice on Monday. Really, just get it done this week and go into Saturday ready to roll.”

 

Junior Linebacker Will Davis

On the mindset of the team…

“We know we are fighting for our lives. We know we are fighting to be bowl eligible and every game matters. We still feel we can go out there and beat anyone on any Saturday. We have not done that, but we feel we have the ability to go out there and win. It is just a matter of focusing on that and focusing on what needs to be corrected during practice.”

 

On facing Texas Tech…

“Any time you have a good record against an opponent, it helps your confidence going into the week. You have been able to see their offense and see their schemes that you have had success with in the past. It is good to be able to go back and look at the film from the past years and see what went right and what went wrong and build off of it in preparation for this year.”

 

On how badly the team wants a win…

“I cannot even describe how badly our whole team wants a win. We are hungry, and I say it every week, but every week we get hungrier and hungrier to get back into that win column. I cannot even describe how badly these guys want it. On a scale of 1-to-10, it is not just a 10, it is an 11.”

 

Sophomore Linebacker Elijah Lee

On playing a good offense in Texas Tech…

“I feel pretty good because, day in and day out in the Big 12, teams are going to rise up and pass the ball probably 50, 60 times. You know they are going to get good completions, but I feel like we are well prepared to this point. We play some of the top offenses, and we have held our ground verses some of them.”

 

On if he would have thought he would be leading the team in interceptions…

“I would have thought it was a joke. Dante (Barnett) is the one that gets all the interceptions. Defensive backs are usually the ones that get all the interceptions, but that is something that we work on every week.”

 

On getting more turnovers…

“I feel like this week is a great opportunity to get our turnover streak going. We had a couple early in the season. We need to be consistent with turnovers to help us win games.”

 

Sophomore Defensive Back Sean Newlan

On self-assessment of last week’s game…

“There is a lot that I still need to improve on and a lot that I need to learn, but I cannot complain because I am always happy to play.”

 

On Texas Tech’s offense…

“They give us a lot of new and interesting looks. It is crucial to be prepared and ready for those. They are not afraid to pass the ball, and they do it a lot. They give our secondary a good opportunity this weekend.”

 

On what needs to improve to limit big passing plays…

“Communication in our secondary. When you have youth out there, it can sometimes be pretty difficult to communicate and be exactly where you are supposed to be. There were some things that we were not prepared for that we should have been and could have prevented easily. We could have opened our mouths and said a few words here or there, but they (Baylor) are a big play team – they always have been – and we knew that going into the game. A few plays just got the better of us.”

————
RYAN LACKEY
Assistant Director | Athletics Communications

MANHATTAN, Kan. – K-State Athletics is asking fans to help stripe out Bramlage Coliseum for its men’s basketball game with Oklahoma State on Saturday, Jan. 23 to help benefit the American Cancer Society and Coaches vs. Cancer.

The athletic department will host the event in conjunction with the annual National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) Suits and Sneakers event, in which coaches and staff wear sneakers to call attention to the efforts of the American Cancer Society through its Coaches vs. Cancer program.

Fans are asked to wear either purple or white depending on their ticket location in Bramlage Coliseum. Fans in sections 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 13, 15, 17, 19, 21, 23, 25 and 26 are asked to wear purple, while those in sections 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 12, 14, 16, 18, 20, 22, 24, 27 are asked to wear white.

The official purple and white shirts for the event are only $15 with $5 from every shirt going to the American Cancer Society. These shirts are  now on sale online at kstatesuperstore.comand can also be purchased at the K-State Super Store locations on McCall Road (M-F 9a-8p, Sun 12-5p) in Manhattan and at Bill Snyder Family Stadium (M-F 12-4p and during home games) beginning Friday. They will also be available during games on the Bramlage Coliseum concourse beginning with the first regular season home game on Friday against Maryland-Eastern Shore.

“Cancer is something that has or will affect everyone,” said head coach Bruce Weber. “Please help us bring awareness to the fight against this terrible disease by helping support Coaches vs. Cancer and the American Cancer Society.”

The game will tip off at 5 p.m. and will air nationally on ESPNU.

Release from Kenny Lannou, Associate A.D. for Communications

MANHATTAN, Kan. – Kansas State’s long-standing partnership with Fort Riley has been recognized by the Football Writers Association of America as the Wildcat football team was named one of three finalists for the 2015 Armed Forces Merit Award, the association has announced.

Coordinated by the staff at the Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl, the Armed Forces Merit Award presented by the FWAA was created in June 2012 “to honor an individual and/or a group with a military background and/or involvement that has an impact within the realm of college football.”

The award’s selection committee is made up of five FWAA members and two representatives from the Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl.  The group reviewed 18 “candidates” for the 2015 honor. This year’s recipient will be announced at 11 a.m., Wednesday on Veteran’s Day by Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl Executive Director Brant Ringler and FWAA President Lee Barfknecht of the Omaha World-Herald.

The partnership started in 2006 when Lt. Col. Patrick Frank of the Black Lions approached the Wildcat football program, and the relationship has since blossomed. In fact, all Wildcat athletic teams have formed partnerships with units from Fort Riley.

That relationship has also permeated the K-State campus as, in 2010, Kansas State president Kirk Schulz and three faculty members visited troops in Iraq while living in troop housing for five days.

Proximity and a mutual respect formed this unique relationship, and Wildcat student-athletes and members of the K-State community and Fort Riley soldiers are able to experience life in each other’s shoes while forming lasting friendships.

Other finalists for the award are Steven Rhodes of Middle Tennessee State and Bret Robertson of Westminster College (Fulton, Mo.).

Seniors Kyle Wiltjer of Gonzaga, Georges Niang of Iowa State and Buddy Hield of Oklahoma have been selected to The Associated Press preseason All-American team.

Junior Kris Dunn of Providence and freshman Ben Simmons of LSU round out the team released Monday.

Wiltjer, who averaged 16.7 points and 6.0 rebounds last season, was the leading vote-getter, receiving 51 votes from the 65-member national media panel.

Niang averaged 15.3 points, 5.4 rebounds and 3.4 assists for the Cyclones last season. Dunn averaged 15.6 points, 5.5 rebounds, 7.5 assists and 2.7 steals while Hield averaged 17.5 points and 5.5 rebounds for the Sooners.

This is the third straight preseason All-America team to have a freshman on it. Simmons, a 6-foot-10 native of Australia, is considered by many the top recruit in the country. He had averages of 28.0 points, 11.9 rebounds and 4.0 assists as a high school senior in Florida.

Kansas State at Texas Tech

Date: Saturday, November 14, 2015

Kickoff: 2:30 p.m.

Location: Lubbock, Texas

Stadium: Jones AT&T Stadium (60,454)

Series: Texas Tech leads, 8-7

TV: FS1

 

Radio: K-State Sports Network; k-statesports.com

SIRIUS Satellite Radio Ch. 118, XM Satellite Radio Ch. 202

Wyatt Thompson (Play-by-Play)

Stan Weber (Analyst)

Matt Walters (Sidelines)

Twitter Updates: @kstatesports and @kstate_gameday

 

CATS HEAD TO LUBBOCK FOR BIG 12 TILT WITH RED RAIDERS
Following a tough 31-24 loss to No. 2 Baylor last Thursday, K-State will look to snap its current five-game skid as it travels to Lubbock, Texas, to face the Texas Tech Red Raiders at Jones AT&T Stadium. The game will kick at 2:30 p.m., and be broadcast nationally on FS1 with Tim Brando (play-by-play) and Spencer Tillman (analyst) on the call. The contest can also be heard across the K-State Sports Network with Wyatt Thompson (play-by-play), Stan Weber (analyst) and Matt Walters (sideline) calling the action.
A LOOK AT K-STATE

• Kansas State heads back out on the road after facing its fourth ranked opponent in five weeks last Thursday.
• The Cats, guided by 2015 College Football Hall of Fame inductee Bill Snyder, are 3-5 this year, which includes close losses to No. 19 OSU, No. 2 TCU and No. 2 Baylor.
• K-State took the Horned Frogs down to the wire behind four rushing touchdowns by Joe Hubener and two more from running back Charles Jones. The Cats tied the game at 45 with 1:47 left, but TCU scored a late TD for the win.
• That came a week after K-State took a 34-33 lead over OSU in Stillwater with 3:01 left, but the Cowboys kicked a field goal with less than a minute left for a two-point win.
• Hubener then ran for a career-best 153 yards against the second-ranked Bears as the Cats had the ball with less than a minute to play in the game with a chance to tie the game.
• Jones has been fantastic of late, rushing for 291 yards in the last four games. The junior had a career-best 122-yard effort at Texas, the most by a K-State running back since the final regular-season game of 2013.
• Defensively, the Cats are paced by linebackers Elijah Lee and Will Davis with 47 and 43 tackles, respectively. The two have also combined for all three Wildcat interceptions this year, including two by Lee against TCU.
• Defensive tackles Travis Britz and Will Geary have also been a force, combining for 60 tackles (7.5 per game), 14.5 tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks.

A LOOK AT TEXAS TECH

• Texas Tech enters Saturday’s game at 5-5 and 2-5 in the Big 12 after a 31-26 loss at West Virginia.
• The Red Raiders rank in the top-five nationally in several offensive statistical categories, including passing offense (4th), scoring offense (5th) and total offense (4th).
• Quarterback Patrick Mahomes has thrown for 3,527 yards and 28 touchdowns this season, while DeAndre Washington averages 103.4 rushing yards per game.
• Jakeem Grant is one of the top all-purpose players in the nation, averaging 184.5 yards per game. He is the team’s leading receiver with 74 catches and nine total touchdowns.

A LOOK AT THE SERIES

• Texas Tech leads the all-time series, 8-7, and is 6-3 all-time in games played in Lubbock.
• Kansas State has won four straight in the series, including the last two meetings in Lubbock.
• The series has been one of runs as Tech opened with three straight wins before the Cats answered with three in a row. Following five straight Tech wins from 2001-2009, K-State has won the past four from 2011-2014.

 MANHATTAN, Kan. – Game times for Kansas State’s two remaining home games were announced on Monday morning by the Big 12 Conference and FOX Sports as the November 21 game against Iowa State will kick off at 11 a.m., while the regular-season finale on December 5 against West Virginia will be played at 3:30 p.m. Both games will be televised nationally by FS1.

 

K-State will be in search of its eighth-straight win over the Cyclones and its fifth straight at home. K-State holds a four-game winning streak over West Virginia and won its first-ever home game against the Mountaineers in 2013, which started a stretch of six wins over the Wildcats’ final seven games that season.

 

Scattered single seats and standing-room only tickets are available for the Iowa State game, while visitor returns are available for the West Virginia contest. Fans wishing to purchase tickets can do so through the K-State Athletics Ticket Office online at www.k-statesports.com/tickets, by phone at 1-800-221-CATS or at the main ticket office inside Bramlage Coliseum. For other reserved seating options, fans are encouraged to visit Vivid Seats, the official ticket reseller of K-State Athletics.  Fans can contact Vivid Seats at www.vividseats.com/k-state or by calling 1-866-848-8499.

 

The Wildcats travel to Lubbock, Texas, this Saturday to take on Texas Tech. The game will kick off at 2:30 p.m., and is televised nationally on FS1.

 

 

Big 12 TV Selections for Saturday, December 5

Texas at Baylor                       ABC or ESPN                      11 a.m.

West Virginia at K-State         FS1                                     3:30 p.m.

 

 

– k-statesports.com –

 

 

————
RYAN LACKEY
Assistant Director | Athletics Communications

Thursday, November 5^th, Junction City Middle School wrestled Abilene Middle School.  JCMS won the dual 58 to 44.  Winning wrestlers were Alex DeGuzman, Jalen Gill, Nate Green, James Hancock, Nate Harge, Anson Jacobsen, Steven Sicard, Taylor Sisson, Dain, Yale.  We looked very strong for our first outing, but need to work on being better conditioned.  The next tournament for JCMS is the Little Apple Grapple in Manhattan on Saturday, November 7^th.

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) – Jerrod Heard threw an 84-yard touchdown pass to John Burt on Texas’ first offensive play and D’Onta Foreman ran 93-yards for a third quarter score as Texas routed winless Kansas 59-20 Saturday night.

Tyrone Swoopes ran for four touchdowns for Texas, two in the fourth quarter. He also threw a 40-yard touchdown in mop-up duty in the Longhorns’ highest-scoring game in two seasons, a week after being shut out by Iowa State.

Foreman’s run was the third-longest touchdown run in Texas (4-5, 3-3 Big 12) history.

Kansas (0-9, 0-6) has lost 37 in a row away from home. The Jayhawks have given up at least 58 points in three straight games

Kansas was within 24-14 late in the first half but had a drive end at the Texas 1 and the Jayhawks missed a short field goal on the final play.

Kansas State Postgame Qoutes – Head Coach Bruce Weber

Opening statement…
“We did some good things, but we have a lot to learn. For our young guys it is a learning process and I am not making excuses, but it is always tough the second exhibition game. Last week we came in and had a little bit of nerves, ready to play and prove something. This week, probably not quite there and then maybe the worst thing happened was jumping out on them like that. Now you go four-for-four from three, well, we were five-for-seven to start, get up 17- to-four and then we lost a little bit of that edge. We fell in love with the three a little bit. We had some sticky fingers and did not move the basketball. To their credit, they just competed. They were a well-coached team and we knew that. Their coach does a great job and the kids know how to play. We just had too much physical size for them. So it was a good learning opportunity for our younger guys. Again, our older guys carried us. Wes [Iwundu] has almost the same line as last time. Free throws you wish would have been a little better and he could have had maybe 20 points, but he did not have the assists. Last time he had six assists, and that is what I was talking about with the sticky fingers. Not just him, but a lot of guys. Justin [Edwards] had some real good moments. He has got to be able to do it continuously. He went hard for like two minutes and I do not want to take him out, but I have to he is going to be relaxed. I could just see it in his body language. He had 14 points and five rebounds and then Stephen Hurt finally had some inside things. We got to get some layups. Same thing with Dean [Wade]. I think Dean has got to get some layups. We got to get some layups from some guards even. We feel in love with that three ball, but we held a team to 34-percent shooting and 52 points. They did not have a double-digit scorer again for two weeks in a row. So we did some good things, but obviously we have to get better.”
On sparks off of the bench…
“That second half I did not think that first group came out and competed. They took it to us. Last week we took it to them the first five minutes of the second half. Barry [Brown] hit the big three’s, but he cannot go three-for-eleven. It is great he made a couple, but you do not shoot yourself out of slumps. You work to get better shots and go three-for-three, go get layups and all that stuff. And they are still rushing. Just be solid, basic, jump stop, lay it in, get fouled, shoot free throws. Austin [Budke] has got to learn  what he can do and what he cannot. He has been great for us. He had nine points, five rebounds and plays his butt off. Barry is going to be good. He missed four days and he just kind of lost his mojo a little bit and we just got to get it back.”

On preparing for next week’s game…
“We got to get better offensively. I think last week was a little deceptive for our guys. We get 80-some and we were getting them off of one play, one action, one pass plays. We were getting layups or easy shots and today they played much better defense. They were physical, they scissored things and crossed things out. Once we were not open, we just froze. The first action did not work, well what do we do now? That is where we need to get better, I think. Not only next week, but to continually beat teams as we get better and better competition.”

 

Junior Forward Stephen Hurt
On the game being a chance for growth…
“Yes, it was definitely a game for us to work on things. Being able to click more offensively and working on defensive schemes – we did a lot of good things tonight. We obviously came out with a victory, which is the ultimate goal, but I definitely feel that we got better tonight.”

 

On differences between game one and game two…
“I would say that the first game was the first college game for a lot of our guys and the first game period for us so I feel like we were a lot more hyped up. This game, we came out pretty hype and I feel like we maybe got a little casual and comfortable and that was the main component for our struggles.”

 

On Austin Budke’s role in his post position…
“He plays a lot stronger than his size. He is athletic and he can get up. I feel like his strength and athleticism help him hold his own down low. He is a good player. He can play down low or you will see him step out and shoot. He has a good all-around game and he can do whatever we need him to.”

 

Junior Forward Wesley Iwundu
On if the team is ready for regular season…
“Yes, we did get a little bit of a test today, but it is always good to see where some guys are at in crunch time. I think we will be ready with some more practice.”

 

On some game two struggles…
“We got off to a hot start, but as the game went on I think some guys got settled. We became okay with how things were running and I think it caught up to us. It just showed what could happen if we do that and the other team is playing hard and starts competing with us. I think it shocked us a little bit as a team. It is always good to get those out of the way to see where we are at in crunch time. It was a good test for us.”

 

Fort Hays State Postgame Quotes

 

Head coach Mark Johnson

On how his team played today…
“I thought we competed hard. We played hard. We had a three minute stretch in the second half from the 10 minute mark to the seven minute where their size difference really wore us down. Overall I thought we tried to do what we wanted to do, which was not letting them get to the basket. Not giving them layups making them shoot perimeter shots.”

 

On what the team can take away from this game…
“When we come here it is about getting the experience with playing at this level of compotation. Our guys have to learn to execute a little better. K-State had a lot to do with our turn overs. We were doing a poor job executing our offence. Little things like that will make the difference.”

 

On the high point of the game…
“What we usually do well is shoot the ball well, but we shot it terrible. Our overall defense of trying to keep them from the basket was the thing that we did the best, but now we need to be able to execute on the offense end.”

————
TOM GILBERT
Associate Director for Athletics Communications | K-State Athletics