The Junction City Blue Jay wrestling team defeated Chapman and Clay Center in season opening dual action Thursday evening in Clay Center.

The Blue Jays defeated Chapman 61-15, and Clay Center 43-28.

Going 2-0 for the Blue Jays in their weight classes were:

–Max Bazan, 106 pounds

–Jacob Lovell, 120 pounds

–Downey Wood, 138 pounds

–Xavier DeGuzman, 160 pounds

–Aryus Jones, 170 pounds

–Dequan Robinson, 182 pounds.

Junction City wrestles in a tournament at Gardner-Edgerton Saturday.

 

Junction City Blue Jay and Lady Jay basketball teams open their seasons Friday night at Salina Central.

Pat Battle, Blue Jay boys coach, plans to run an up-tempo style of play. He noted it’s been a few years since the Blue Jays have done that. “I’m looking forward to seeing how well this edition is able to play in transition, to play fast, and get out and press and run.

Junction City returns two-year starter Tanner Lueker at one of the guard spots from a 6-15 team one year ago.  Salina Central went 13-10 last season, and reached the first round of the Class 5A State Tournament.

The Mustangs’ 6’4 senior Jordan McNelly, averaged 15.7 ppg last sason.

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In the girls matchup Nate Park will lean heavily early in the season on returning starters Kealee Rains and A’kia Fain for scoring punch. The Lady Jays do not currently have a senior on the roster but both Fain and Rains have played extensively the past two years.

Junction City will be trying to improve on a 4-17 season in 2013-14, while Salina Central, will reorganize for another good season after a 23-2 campaign a year ago.

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Both games can be heard on the Talk of JC, KJCK AM, beginning at 6 p.m. Friday.

Many high school basketball teams open play Friday night. The boys and girls basketball schedule finds:

–Junction City at Salina Central

–Dodge City at Manhattan

–Emporia goes to Lawrence

–Abilene at Smoky Valley

–Clay Center hosts Rock Creek

–Concordia hosts Beloit

–Riley County hosts Valley Heights

–Osage City visits Council Grove

–Shawnee Heights goes to Kansas City Turner

–Topeka West hosts Kansas City Washington

–Washburn Rural is at Olathe Northwest

–And in girls basketball only Seaman hosts Olathe South and Topeka High is at Lawrence Free State.

AN All-Big 12 candidate at wide receiver and First Team Academic All-Big 12 performer, Kansas State senior Curry Sexton has been named to the Capital One Academic All-America Division I football team, the College Sports Information Directors of America announced Thursday.

One of 50 players nationally from the FBS and FCS levels, Sexton was named to the second team by earning a 3.45 GPA in marketing and management.

Sexton, who earned his first undergraduate degree from K-State in December 2013 and is currently working on a second degree, is a four-time First Team Academic All-Big 12 selection.

Kansas State Basketball hasn’t gotten out to the start that they were hoping for going just 4-3 to start the season.

That may be due to the schedule that they have had to play, only three of the seven games have been at home and their three losses have come on the road.

Normally a teams schedule early in the season revolves around a number of home games and just a couple of true road games, so far K-State has played just three home games out of their seven.

“I don’t know if this team needed all home games early to learn about themselves, or if we did that would we be failing later one. Now we’re failing a little bit, will it help us later?,” said Coach Bruce Weber.

Weber said that he hopes that the schedule will help them in the long run especially as the team prepares to go back on the road this weekend.

Kansas State will head to Knoxville, Tennessee, for the SEC-Big 12 Challenge match-up with Tennessee Saturday.

“We’re going to have to fight and grind and find a way to win, that’s what the guys have to realize. At home you can get in the free flowing rhythm, but on the road teams play at a different level, you have to find a way to fight it out.”

Saturday’s game is scheduled for a 2:10 p.m. tip-off. It will be nationally televised on ESPN2.

Single-game tickets for Kansas State’s nine-game Big 12 home schedule will go on sale to the public on Monday, Dec. 8.

The tickets can be purchased through the Athletics Ticket Office in a variety of ways, including toll free at ( 800 ) 221.CATS, online at www.kstatesports.com/tickets, and in-person at Bramlage Coliseum.

Tickets to league games with TCU ( Wednesday, Jan. 7 ) Texas Tech ( Wednesday, Jan. 14 ) and West Virginia ( Tuesday, Jan. 27 ) are priced at $30 for bench and general admission seating, and $45 for chairbacks. Fans can also purchase four general admission tickets to any of those contests for just $75, while groups of 12 or more can get general admission tickets for $15 each,

Tickets for Saturday games with Baylor ( Jan. 17 ) and Oklahoma State ( Jan. 24 ) start at $40 for bench and general admission seating and continue at $55 for chairbacks. Fans can purchase four general admission tickets to any of those contests for $125, while groups of 12 or more can get general admission tickets for $15 each.

Tickets for the remaining games with nationally-ranked Texas ( Feb. 7 ), Oklahoma State (Feb. 14, and Iowa State ( Feb. 28 ) — all played on a Saturday — are priced at $55 for bench seating and $65 for chairbacks.

Single-game tickets for the annual Sunflower Showdown with Kansas on Monday, Feb. 23 start at $125 for bench seating and continue at $150 for chairbacks.

A game has been added to the Kansas State women’s basketball schedule.

The Wildcats will host William Jewell at 7 p.m. Monday evening at Bramlage Coliseum.  The contest can be heard on the Talk of JC, KJCK AM, with the pregame broadcast beginning at 6 p.m.

The University of Nebraska has hired Mike Riley as its new Head Football Coach, Director of Athletics Shawn Eichorst announced Thursday.  Riley will be formally introduced at a news conference on Friday, December 5th at 9:00 a.m. in the West Memorial Stadium – 3rd Floor Club.

Riley comes to Nebraska after 14 seasons as the head coach at Oregon State University, spanning two different tenures in Corvallis.  Riley has led OSU to 93 wins and a 6-2 record in postseason bowl games.  In addition to his time at Oregon State, Riley has served as the head coach of the San Diego Chargers, the Winnipeg Blue Bombers of the Canadian Football League, with whom he won two Grey Cup Championships, and the San Antonio Riders in the World Football League.  He has served as an assistant coach at California, USC, Linfield College, Whitworth and Northern Colorado as well as with the New Orleans Saints and in the Canadian Football League.

Riley is a native of Idaho and a graduate of the University of Alabama, where he played for Paul “Bear” Bryant and won three SEC titles and one National Championship.

Mike and his wife, Dee, have two children, Matthew and Kate, and one grandchild, Eli.

Mike will assume his duties immediately but will not coach the Huskers in the upcoming bowl game as Interim Head Coach Barney Cotton will coach the team through the bowl.

Statement from Chancellor Harvey Perlman

“We have high expectations of the men and women who teach and coach our students and Mike Riley is an outstanding addition to our family.  I want to welcome Mike and his family to Nebraska and thank Shawn Eichorst for his great efforts in bringing Mike to Lincoln.”

Statement from Director of Athletics Shawn Eichorst:

“There was one coach who fit all the characteristics that I was seeking to lead our tradition rich football program.  Mike Riley has a proven record of success, a sound approach to football and teaching, an understanding of the educational mission of our university and the integrity and values that we cherish at Nebraska.  I have no doubt that Mike will assemble a tremendous staff and lead our student-athletes to win Big Ten titles and compete for national championships in the years ahead.”

Statement from Mike Riley:

“It is truly an honor to join the University of Nebraska family.  Though we love Corvallis and Oregon State, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to coach at one of the nation’s most storied football programs and I can’t wait to get started.  My sincere thanks to Chancellor Perlman and Shawn Eichorst for their confidence in me and I look forward to becoming a part of the Nebraska family and building upon the great history and tradition.”

-NU Sports Information-

K-State sophomore guard Marcus Foster has been named to the 50-player Watch List for the Naismith Trophy presented by AT&T, which annually recognizes the top men’s Player of the Year.

Foster is the third Wildcat in the last four seasons to receive mention for the Naismith Trophy, joining Jacob Pullen in 2010, and Rodney McGruder in 2012. Both made the organization’s Top 30 list.

Foster was a preseason All-Big 12 selection. He leads K-State in eight categories, including scoring at 14.9 ppg.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) – Right-hander Luke Hochevar and the Kansas City Royals have agreed to a $10 million, two-year deal, a person familiar with the negotiations tells The Associated Press.

Hochevar will make $4.5 million this season and $5.5 million for the 2016 season, the person said Wednesday, speaking on condition of anonymity because Hochevar must pass a physical to complete the agreement.

Hochevar missed last season after Tommy John surgery.

The former No. 1 overall draft pick struggled for years as a starting pitcher, going 11-11 with a 4.61 ERA in his best season. But when he was dynamic after shifting to the bullpen and went 5-2 with a 1.92 ERA in 2013.