The Junction City Blue Jay boys cross country team turned in a strong performance at their own JCHS Invitational at Milford State Park Saturday.

Junction City finished second out of 12 teams in the varsity race. The Blue Jay score of 97 points, trailed only the 40 point total turned in by first place Manhattan.

Michael Melgares of Manhattan captured the individual meet title with a time of 16:00.18. His teammate Jackson Schroeder was second in 16:01.32.

Leading the way for Junction City was Stephen Deveau, who finished ninth in 7:10.11, and Anthony Deltufo, who finished 15th 17:20.98. Both runners medaled.

In the varsity girls competition the Lady Jays did not enter a full team, but two runners from Junction City medaled. Myrissa Humphreys finished 11th in 16:11.91, and Brianna Pace was 13th in 16:13.77.

Maize won the team title with the low score of 45 points. Deidra Walker of Maize finished first in 14:41.40, and Kate Utech of Maize second in 14:45.71.

AP-FBH–Kansas Prep Scores

By The Associated Press
PREP FOOTBALL
Abilene 40, Chapman 7
Andale 63, Wellington 21
Anthony-Harper-Chaparral 16, Garden Plain 6
Ashland 48, Bucklin 0
Atchison 23, KC Schlagle 12
Atchison County 40, West Franklin 0
Attica/Argonia 60, Caldwell 38
Augusta 31, Galena 20
Axtell 62, Frankfort 28
Baldwin 20, Louisburg 19
Basehor-Linwood 9, Eudora 7
Beloit 44, Southeast Saline 7
Bishop Miege 35, BV West 7
Bluestem 46, Medicine Lodge 6
Bonner Springs 31, KC Piper 24, OT
Buhler 48, Rose Hill 3
Burlingame 58, Lebo 8
Burlington 23, Fredonia 6
Caney Valley 40, Erie 2
Cedar Vale/Dexter 28, Oxford 24
Central Plains 62, Canton-Galva 12
Centralia 32, Washington County 0
Chanute 50, Independence 26
Chase 56, Wilson 6
Cherryvale 20, Neodesha 14
Chetopa 72, Altoona-Midway 0
Cimarron 46, Hays-TMP-Marian 0
Coffeyville 24, Labette County 22
Columbus 33, Riverton 14
Concordia 47, Marysville 6
Conway Springs 53, Wichita Independent 21
Council Grove 22, Osage City 16
Crest 60, Elk Valley 8
Deerfield 52, Rolla 14
Derby 45, Newton 14
Dodge City 28, Great Bend 21
Doniphan West 26, Maranatha Academy 6
Douglass 51, Belle Plaine 12
Elkhart 37, Sublette 7
Emporia 9, Shawnee Heights 7
Fort Scott 42, Prairie View 8
Frontenac 14, Pittsburg Colgan 7
Garden City 52, Liberal 6
Goddard 10, Valley Center 7
Goddard-Eisenhower 38, Andover Central 35, 2OT
Halstead 63, Sterling 12
Hays 57, Wichita South 8
Hesston 56, Haven 21
Hill City 50, Clifton-Clyde 6
Hoisington 21, Kingman 7
Holcomb 27, Colby 0
Holton 28, Nemaha Central 6
Horton 28, Pleasant Ridge 6
Humboldt 26, Eureka 18
Hutchinson 40, Maize 37
Hutchinson Trinity 34, Ell-Saline 8
Ingalls 48, Moscow 0
Iola 34, Central Heights 0
Jefferson West 49, Hiawatha 6
Junction City 20, Washburn Rural 13
Kapaun Mount Carmel 31, Wichita Southeast 0
KC Washington 52, KC Harmon 0
KC Wyandotte 47, KC Sumner 30
LaCrosse 42, Ellis 22
Lakin 64, Johnson-Stanton County 0
Lansing 20, KC Turner 13
Larned 33, Lyons 7
Little River 54, Goessel 8
Lyndon 41, Oswego 0
Madison 58, Rural Vista 12
Maize South 27, Arkansas City 7
Manhattan 42, Topeka West 7
Marais des Cygnes Valley 55, Marmaton Valley 6
Marion 50, Chase County 12
McPherson 46, El Dorado 7
Meade 59, Syracuse 16
Minneapolis 16, Ellsworth 7
Minneola 72, Fairfield 26
Mission Valley 54, Herington 21
Moundridge 12, Inman 6
Mulvane 48, Circle 6
Northeast-Arma 36, Jayhawk Linn 18
Northern Heights 34, Yates Center 8
Norton 48, Plainville 0
Oakley 76, Wichita County 6
Oberlin-Decatur 56, Logan 6
Olathe North 38, Leavenworth 22
Olathe South 31, SM West 21
Olpe 41, Remington 22
Osawatomie 48, Anderson County 0
Osborne 50, Lakeside 0
Oskaloosa 28, McLouth 18
Paola 20, Ottawa 14
Peabody-Burns 52, Flinthills 6
Phillipsburg 36, Bennington 6
Pike Valley 58, BV Randolph 20
Pittsburg 56, Parsons 0
Pratt 32, Nickerson 0
Pratt Skyline 52, Macksville 0
Quapaw, Okla. 26, Baxter Springs 12
Quinter 60, Stockton 14
Rawlins County 44, St. Francis 8
Riley County 34, Rock Creek 13
Riverside 37, Royal Valley 6
Rossville 56, St. Mary’s 12
Russell 42, Southwestern Hts. 14
Sabetha 41, Perry-Lecompton 37
Salina Central 49, Wichita Campus 0
Salina South 42, Andover 10
Satanta 54, Fowler 8
Scott City 42, Hugoton 0
Silver Lake 56, Winfield 0
SM East 42, Lawrence Free State 14
SM Northwest 27, Olathe East 7
Smith Center 24, Republic County 6
Smoky Valley 21, Hillsboro 20
Solomon 54, Ellinwood 28
South Barber 56, South Haven 8
South Central 56, Kiowa County 8
Southeast 20, Girard 14
Southern Coffey 28, Hartford 22
Spearville 50, Ness City 38
Spring Hill 37, DeSoto 36
St. John’s Beloit-Tipton 50, Natoma 0
St. Thomas Aquinas 34, Gardner-Edgerton 21
Stafford 58, Cunningham 6
Staley, Mo. 35, Mill Valley 0
Sylvan-Lucas 36, Tescott 8
Thunder Ridge 60, Otis-Bison 8
Tonganoxie 19, KC Bishop Ward 18
Topeka 49, Topeka Seaman 14
Topeka Hayden 55, Highland Park 6
Trego 52, South Gray 6
Troy 64, Jefferson North 0
Udall 68, Central Burden 20
Ulysses 73, Goodland 33
Uniontown 52, St. Paul 6
Valley Heights 33, Valley Falls 28
Victoria 48, Northern Valley 0
Wakefield 48, Lincoln 0
Wallace County 50, Triplains-Brewster 16
Wamego 14, Clay Center 6
Waverly 62, Pleasanton 12
Wellsville 12, Santa Fe Trail 6
West Elk 50, Sedan 46
Wichita Collegiate 26, Clearwater 7
Wichita Heights 23, Wichita East 13
Wichita Northwest 38, Wichita West 0
Wichita Trinity 38, Cheney 7
POSTPONEMENTS AND CANCELLATIONS
Jackson Heights vs. Immaculata, ccd.

 

Downey Wood scored on a nine yard touchdown run with 5:01 remaining to help complete a

Blue Jay rally from a seven point halftime deficit against Washburn Rural. The score by Wood and the ensuing extra point put the Blue Jays up on the Junior Blues by seven on homecoming night at Al Simpler Stadium 20-13.

That score held up as Junction City ran out the clock in the closing seconds to maintain the seven point margin, and get the 20-13 victory.

The touchdown by Wood followed an earlier score by Junction City on the opening play of the fourth quarter. Tanner Lueker hit Xavier DeGuzman on a 17-yard touchdown pass play for the Blue Jays.

Blue Jay coach Randall Zimmerman credited the Junior Blues for being a good football team. “And they played lights out tonight . Coach ( Steve ) Buhler did just an outstanding job of having them ready to go. Made it really really tough on us the whole ballgame. I’m really proud of our kids, the way they came back and battled in that second half, and made some plays. Our defense pitched a shutout in the second half, and that’s tough to do against a team that’s as good as that team is.”

Washburn Rural scored on a 41-yard touchdown pass  from Blake Peterson to Jake Michalski on their opening possession of the ballgame. The Blue Jays countered with a drive on their opening possession that ended with Jovan Baldwin catching a pass from Tanner Lueker and scoring from five yards out. The Blue Jays extra point try for two was unsuccessful, leaving Junction City behind 7-6.

The Junior Blues got two second quarter field goals from Perry Schmiedler to lead by seven at halftime 13-6. But then the Blue Jay defense did not allow any scoring by Washburn Rural in the second half.

Junction City improved to 4-1 with the win, while Washburn Rural fell to 1-4.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) – Chiefs wide receiver Donnie Avery had surgery Friday for a sports hernia and has been ruled out for Sunday’s game at San Francisco, though he is expected back later this season.

The Chiefs have their bye week after playing the 49ers.

Pro Bowl safety Eric Berry also will miss his third straight game with a high ankle sprain, though wide receiver De’Anthony Thomas is expected to make his NFL debut after dealing with a hamstring injury that has kept him out since training camp.

The Chiefs also get right tackle Donald Stephenson back from a four-game suspension for violating the NFL’s performance-enhancing drug policy. Stephenson is expected to serve as the backup to Ryan Harris, who has started in his absence.

The Junction City Blue Jays and Washburn Rural Junior Blues will both be seekingtheir second consecutive football victory when they meet Friday night at the Al Simpler Stadium in Junction City.

Washburn Rural defeated Topeka West one week ago 51-7, while the Blue Jays defeated Topeka Seaman 56-7.

Kickoff is set for 7 p.m.

It is the annual homecoming game at JCHS.  You can hear the contest on The Talk of JC, KJCK Am, with the pregame broadcast beginning at 6:40 p.m.

MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) – Marcus Foster thinks Kansas State can compete for the Big 12 title. So the dynamic sophomore guard isn’t paying much attention to any of his October accolades.

Foster has been voted to the preseason All-Big 12 team, but he knows it won’t matter once the season starts. And that’s rapidly approaching. The Wildcats held their first practice on Friday, and their first exhibition game is Nov. 9 against Washburn.

Foster averaged 15.5 points last season, and the Wildcats also have an influx of transfers and freshman talent ready to make an impact this year.

 

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (AP) – When he was a graduate assistant at Kansas, Clint Bowen had already spelled out his goal in life: He wanted to be the Jayhawks’ head football coach.

Nearly two decades later, he earned the interim tag after Charlie Weis was fired Sunday. Bowen will lead the Jayhawks (2-2, 0-1 Big 12) for the first time on Saturday when they play at West Virginia (2-2, 0-1).

Bowen grew up in Lawrence, Kansas, played defensive back for the Jayhawks and has spent 16 years on the coaching staff, some of it as defensive coordinator.

His defensive knowledge will be put to the test against West Virginia, whose offense has produced a pair of 600-yard games.

The Jayhawks have lost 25 straight road games. They beat the Mountaineers at home a year ago.

 

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) – Mike Moustakas homered leading off the 11th inning, and the Kansas City Royals kept rolling in their first postseason in 29 years with a 3-2 victory over the Los Angeles Angels in the AL Division Series opener Thursday night.

Moustakas hit the first extra-inning homer in postseason history for the Royals, a high shot off Fernando Salas that barely reached the elevated right-field stands at Angel Stadium.

Alcides Escobar had an early RBI double for the Royals, and their bullpen repeatedly escaped trouble in Kansas City’s first game since that spectacular, 12-inning comeback victory over Oakland in the wild-card playoff Tuesday night at Kauffman Stadium.

Game 2 in the best-of-five series is Friday night at the Big A, with Angels 16-game winner Matt Shoemaker taking on fellow rookie Yordano Ventura.

The Kansas State Men’s Basketball team is coming off of two 20 plus win seasons and back to back NCAA Tournament appearances under third year head coach Bruce Weber as they open practice Friday.

The Wildcats open practice Friday under a rule established prior to last season that allows Division I schools to start team practice six weeks from it’s opening game instead of the usual Oct. 15 date in previous years.

“We have 30 days of practice now starting tomorrow (Friday), until we can play a game. People always talk about habits are created in a month, we’ll have a month of practice habits before we play that first game, and hopefully we make some progress,” says Weber.

Kansas State turned some heads last season and are going into this season with some high expectations. Senior forward Thomas Gipson explained that the Wildcats are a marked team this year.

“We’re a marked team but we’re still under the radar. Since I’ve been here we don’t get the respect that we deserve and we’ve got to play with that chip on our shoulders, just like the other three years that I’ve been here,” explained Gipson.

One player in particular will have other teams trying to find a way to contain him, sophomore guard Marcus Foster.

“I felt it a little half way through the Big 12 last season, people were keying on me more. I have to stick through the same thing half way through the season, just relax and play, don’t try to force it, just play my game. The whole time through the Big 12 I was just playing my game and just relax and not think about, okay they’re keying on me I’ve got to make plays, just play my game,” said Foster.

Foster has been named to the Preseason All-Big 12 team released by the conference office Thursday morning.

“It’s something that I want to achieve but I’m more worried about getting a Big 12 championship more than anything. It’s a good honor to have in the preseason, but most people tell me that the people that are on that list at the beginning of the season aren’t usually on there in the end. So I guess the motivation for me is to make sure I stay on that list when the Big 12 is over.”

Kansas State will play their lone exhibition game on November 9th against Washburn University before officially tipping off the season against Southern Utah at Bramlage Coliseum on November 14th.

K-State men’s basketball practice opens Friday ( Oct. 3 ). Head Coach Bruce Weber and players met with the media on  Thursday.

 

Head Coach Bruce Weber

On excitement for starting practice…
“For a coaching staff, it is a fun time of the year. You are trying to figure things out in your system, hopefully, it is a fun time for the players, too. It is hard. We always tell them, going through all of the conditioning that is hard, when you get to practice you think you are in shape and you are not. Practice shape is totally different. When you get to a game and you are still huffing and puffing, because the game shape is different. It is all a build up one day at a time. We have 30 days of practice now starting tomorrow until we can play a game. People always talk about habits are taught in a month. We will have a month of practice habits before we play that first game and hopefully we make some progress.”

On the plan for preseason practice…
“I think there is a fine line and we have to be smart. I think for the players instead of doing conditioning for another two weeks (with the old system) they would rather be here, but at the same time practice is harder. As coaches, we have to be smart because we cannot kill them (in practice). I have to have some common sense and build them up over time. We will go two hours tomorrow. We are just going to slowly build them up and you hope you are creating some mental toughness. That physicality and getting into shape, and at the same time they are learning the system and having to compete.”

On team injuries…
“Well, Thomas (Gipson) is back. He could not have any live practice until we started school (in August). I think he is back and going. Not quite in the shape he was a year ago, but I think he is putting himself in a place where he is getting close to that. Nino (Williams) had his surgery and he has been fine since the summer, we just have to keep him healthy and he has to keep rehabbing and pushing himself to stay in shape. D.J. (Johnson) still has a boot on and right know we are not really that optimistic, but we are going to go back to the doctor in a couple weeks and see where he is. Jack (Karapetyan) is finally out of the boot, and now it is the task to getting him into shape. He has not really done any basketball since way back last summer. After that Evan (Beucler), our new walk-on, had shoulder surgery and he will redshirt this season. We hope we can keep the other guys heathy.”

 

On non-conference schedule…
“I am not sure if all of my coaches will agree with me, but we definitely picked up the schedule. I think it was an obvious that we did not have a true road game last year. Thank, goodness we did not have one because when we got back from Puerto Rico we needed confidence, we needed some home games, and we needed to feel good about ourselves. Then we go on a 10-game winning streak. This year it is a little tougher, we have a true road game at Long Beach State just four games into the schedule. It will not be easy to go in to their place and be ready to go. We are going to Tennessee, it is not going to be easy playing an early game like that. I have challenged them and talked to them about if we are going to be special, we have to win road games.”

 

Senior Thomas Gipson

On being a more marked team unlike previous years…
“We’re a marked team, but were still under-the-radar. Ever since I’ve been here, we haven’t gotten the respect we deserve and that’s why we play with a chip on our shoulder. With this being my last year here at K-State, I really want to lead this team and go out with a bang.”

On how he feels after having a couple medical procedures done over the summer…
“I feel great; I really don’t have any problems now with my shoulder or my wrist. It feels good to be back out and active again, I was kind of down this summer since I couldn’t be with my teammates working out and getting better. Since I’ve been back, I’ve tried to be more engaged in everything and it really just feels great being back with my teammates.”

On the potential of this year’s team with added depth…
“The sky is the limit for this team and we have great depth this year. I don’t know who the starting five are going to be yet, but I know the guys that are coming off the bench will bring a lot to the table when it’s game time. Everyone is going to compete in practice and push each other. As long as we stick together as a team and everyone knows their roles this could be a high achieving team.”

 

On having more competition within the team this year…
“Last year if somebody wasn’t playing and performing at a high level we really didn’t have anyone else to fill those positions, and this year we do. Anyone can lose their starting position and anyone can come off the bench this season depending on how were practicing and competing. We’re all sharks and we all want to start and go onto the next level after this and we all know we have to work and play hard for it.”

 

Sophomore Marcus Foster

On how his summer went with various camps like the LeBron James Skills Academy…

“My summer went pretty well, I learned a lot at the LeBron James Camp and I think it really helped improve my game. I took a lot of stuff that I learned from that camp and brought it back here to help my team; not just scoring, but defending and passing at a higher level.”

 

On getting Preseason All-Big 12 honors…

“It’s something I wanted to achieve but I am more concerned with winning a Big 12 title. It’s a great honor to have during the preseason, but most people have told me that a lot of guys that are on that list in the preseason aren’t on there a lot of times at the end of the season. It just motivates me to work hard and make sure I’m on that list at the end of the season.”

On coming in under-the-radar last season, and now being a guy teams will key on…

“Things will be a little more difficult; I started feeling it last year about midway through the Big 12 season that teams started keying on me more. I will just relax and play my game and not force things. Last year when teams did start keying on me I just tried to stay relaxed and play my game.”

 

On one thing that can make this team a great team…

“Were a tough team, if we can find that trait we had last year when we found our groove on defense and were swarming everywhere, I feel like that could take this team to a whole new level. We have Big 12 championship talent; we just have to bring it on the defensive end because we already have the offense to score on opposing teams.”

 

Junior Justin Edwards
On the addition of him to the team…

“I think I bring more depth. Scoring also, sometimes we struggled to score last year and I think I can come in and help with that. Also, rebounding from a guard position I crash the boards well and just bring energy to the floor.”
On summer playing experience with AIA internationally…

“It was a good experience. We played a couple good games out there. I think I did well, trying to do everything to improve my scoring and rebounding skills. It really helped me playing in games because I had not played in over a year and getting used to the pace.”

 

Sophomore Wesley Iwundu

On the potential of this year’s team…
“We have a lot more height than last year, so the potential is high and people expect big things out of us, so we need to go out there and meet those expectations by having a good year.”

 

On being a second-year player and having some idea of expectations…

“I have watched a lot film (from last season) to see how our team and especially how I can improve. This year I feel like I have a better view and the game should come easier for me. I put a lot work in the weight room and on my jump shot to help improve my game personally.”

 

–www.kstatesports.com–