MANHATTAN – Kansas State’s Peyton Williams and Rachel Ranke were recognized on Wednesday by the Big 12 Conference’s women’s basketball coaches, as Williams was named a 2019-20 Preseason All-Big 12 selection while Ranke was an honorable mention recipient.

Williams, a 2020 All-America candidate, will begin her senior season as the league’s fifth-highest returning scorer and the top returning rebounder from the 2018-19 season.

She enters her final season with the K-State women’s basketball program as the fourth player in program history with 1,000 or more career points, 600 or more career rebounds and 80 or more career blocks.

Williams completed her junior season in 2018-19 with a career-high 303 rebounds (9.5 rpg). Williams led all players in the Big 12 for rebound percentage at 26.6 percent and ranked second in rebound average for all games. Her rebounding total in the 2018-19 season ranked fourth in program history for a single season and were the most since Nicole Ohlde pulled in a junior season record 306 rebounds in the 2002-03 season.

Williams finished Big 12 play by averaging a double-double with 16.2 points and 10.0 rebounds. She is the first Wildcat to average a double-double in league play since Kendra Wecker in the 2004-05 season.

She carded a career-high and Big 12 best 14 double-doubles in the 2018-19 season. Her 14 double-doubles rank fourth in school history for double-doubles in a single season.

Williams, 2019 All-Big 12 First Team selection, increased her scoring average for the third straight season and led the Wildcats with 15.5 points per game (496 points) and free throw percentage (.833). She was the third player in program history to register 475 or more points and 300 or more rebounds in a single season.

Williams was the second player in program history to garner Big 12 All-Defensive Team honors, joining former teammate and three-time Big 12 All-Defensive Team selection Breanna Lewis. Williams recorded 37 blocks and a career-high 62 steals in the 2018-19 season. She ranked among the top-15 in the Big 12 in steals per game (fourth; 1.9) and blocks per game (11th; 1.2).

Joining Williams on the 2019-20 Preseason All-Big 12 Team were: Lauren Cox, Juicy Landrum and NaLyssa Smith of Baylor, Kristin Scott of Iowa State, Ana Llanusa of Oklahoma, Vivian Gray of Oklahoma State, Joyner Holmes and Sug Sutton of Texas, Brittany Brewer of Texas Tech and Tynice Martin of West Virginia.

Ranke begins her junior season as the league’s fourth-highest returning three-point shooter from the 2018-19 season.

Ranke, a guard from Burnsville, Minn., is on the verge of becoming the 43^rd player in program history with 1,000 or more career points. She ranks 10^th in program history for career 3-point field goals made with 160 career connections. She owns the program record for career 3-point field goals made by a player six feet or taller.

In the 2018-19 season, Ranke played in and started all 33 games. She averaged 10.0 points per game and led the team with 71 three-point field goals made. She also set career season-highs in assists (41), steals (38) and blocked shots (10).

Joining Ranke as an honorable mention selection were: Te’a Cooper and DiDi Richards of Baylor, Ashley Joens of Iowa State, Kianna Ray of TCU, Charli Collier and Lashann Higgs of Texas, Chrislyn Carr of Texas Tech and Kari NiBlack and Madisen Smith of West Virginia.

Kansas State will begin its 2019-20 season with an exhibition game on Oct. 29, against Washburn at 6:30 p.m. The Wildcats will begin their non-conference regular-season schedule on Nov. 8, against Omaha at 6:30 p.m.

To become a 2019-20 K-State women’s basketball season ticket holder, fans can purchase a women’s basketball Powercat Pass for just $20 for football and men’s basketball season ticket holders, $50 for the public, $40 for K-State faculty and staff, military, seniors and youth, or just $120 for a 4-Pack.

A 4-Pack of Powercat Passes (68 total vouchers) is available for just $120 – a savings of up to $20 per pass. At only $30 per pass, and less than $1.76 per game, the 4-Pack Powercat Pass is your best value.

Additional season ticket options include Cat Cushion tickets at $99 per seat, as well as Chairback seats for $132 each (plus a $50 donation per season ticket account to the Ahearn Fund). K-State faculty and staff can purchase discounted season tickets in the Chairback sections at $110 each and Cat Cushion sections at $79 per ticket.

To purchase 2019-20 K-State women’s basketball season tickets, contact the K-State Athletics Ticket Office at (800) 221-CATS or visit www.kstatesports.com/tickets.

– kstatesports.com –

October 9, 2019, Topeka, KS — The Kansas Volleyball Association is pleased to announce the 2019 Week 5 Volleyball Rankings. This week’s rankings reflect the new 2019-20 KSHSAA classifications, as well as information that was submitted by Monday, October 7.

Class 6A
1. Blue Valley 20-5 (1)
2. Mill Valley 19-5 (6)
3. Washburn Rural 17-3 (2)
4. Blue Valley North 18-4 (3)
5. Garden City 19-3 (4)
6. Blue Valley Northwest 17-8 (5)
7. Gardner-Edgerton 17-7 (7)
8. Derby 21-6 (9)
9. Shawnee Mission Northwest 22-9 (NR)
10. Lawrence-Free State 17-9 (NR)

Class 5A
1. St. James Academy 23-1 (1)
2. Spring Hill 25-1 (2)
3. St. Thomas Aquinas 18-6 (3)
4. Lansing 17-4 (4)
5. Maize South 26-0 (5)
6. Shawnee Heights 15-2 (6)
7. Goddard 21-3 (7)
8. Topeka-Seaman 17-8 (8)
9. Bishop Carroll 16-4 (9)
10. Basehor-Linwood 20-4 (10)

Class 4A
1. Andale 25-1 (1)
2. Topeka-Hayden 16-9 (2)
3. Bishop Miege 8-11 (4)
4. Nickerson 20-7 (3)
5. Louisburg 17-10 (5)
6. Independence 21-2 (6)
7. Circle 16-5 (7)
8. Chapman 16-8 (8)
9. Atchison 17-7 (10)
10. Holton 17-10 (NR)

Class 3A
1. Royal Valley 23-1 (1)
2. Beloit 27-2 (2)
3. Wichita-Trinity Academy 20-3 (3)
4. Silver Lake 20-11 (7)
5. Hesston 14-4 (4)
6. Frontenac 23-3 (6)
7. Sabetha 20-5 (5)
8. Riverton 21-1 (8)
9. Thomas More Prep 25-5 (9)
10. Lyons 22-4 (10)

Class 2A
1. Wabaunsee 25-3 (1)
2. St. Mary’s-Colgan 26-2 (2)
3. Sedgwick 26-1 (4)
4. Garden Plain 18-1 (3)
5. Valley Heights 24-4 (5)
6. Smith Center 25-3 (6)
7. Belle Plaine 24-4 (7)
8. Ellinwood 22-4 (8)
9. Spearville 21-2 (9)
10. Oskaloosa 18-7 (10)

Class 1A
1. Rural Vista 25-3 (1)
2. Centralia 21-5 (2)
3. Flinthills 25-2 (4)
4. Thunder Ridge 21-2 (3)
5. Golden Plains 21-1 (6)
6. Attica 21-6 (5)
7. Beloit-St. John’s/Tipton 22-5 (7)
8. Little River 20-6 (9)
9. Chetopa 27-5 (8)
10. Lebo 19-4 (10)

DERBY, Kan. – The Hutchinson Salthawk Soccer team gave it their all but they were defeated by Derby Thursday, 1-0.

 

Thursday Morning Sports with KWBW’s Rob Dreher.

(BY STEVE CARPENTER)
(HUTCHINSON CC SPORTS INFORMATION)

LIBERAL, Kan. – The good news on Wednesday night for the Hutchinson Community College volleyball team was that the Blue Dragons became the first Jayhawk West team to win a set against Seward County this season.

Unfortunately for the Blue Dragons, that was the only good news of the night.

The NJCAA No. 3-ranked Saints dominated the final three sets to defeat Hutchinson 23-25, 25-8, 25-14, 25-6 to remain perfect in league play and win their 50th consecutive league match.

The Blue Dragons fall to 10-12 overall and 6-5 in league play. Hutchinson will play Jefferson, Tyler, Indian Hills and Missouri State-West Plains in the Grizzly Invitational on Friday and Saturday in West Plains, Missouri. Seward County is now 17-2 and 11-0 in the Jayhawk West.

The Blue Dragons went toe-to-toe with Seward County in the first set. Hutchinson’s top two hitters – Katelyn Elstun and Camila Espejo – led the way in the stunning first-set victory, collecting six kills each.

Trailing 6-3, back-to-back Elstun kills sparked a 12-5 Hutchinson run. The Dragons led 15-11 after a four-point run with an Elstun kill, an Elstun/Jenna Thorne double block, an Alissa Bautista ace and a Saint attack error. Two more Elstun kills gave Hutch a 17-12 lead. Back came the Saints with a 7-2 run to knot the score at 19. Seward County faltered down the stretch with a service error and two attack errors. Elstun had two more kills, the second on set point to close out the set 25-23.

Seward County led the second set 5-4 and the match immediately turned in Seward County’s favor.

The Saints reeled off 17 unanswered points in the second set to build a 22-4 lead. Eboni Sapien‘s setter dump snapped the run. Hutch hit negative in the set with five kills and eight errors and the match was tied at 1-1.

Seward County pounded down 17 kills in the third set in building leads of 14-6, 17-8 and ultimately 25-14 to take the lead in the match. The Dragons were limited to a season-low three kills in a set in the fourth set. Seward had leads of 15-2 and 23-4.

The six points scored in the fourth set ties for the fewest points the Blue Dragons have ever scored in a set since the advent of Rally Scoring in 2000. Hutch last scored that few points in a set in 2010 against Iowa Western.

Seward County out-hit the Dragons 40-18 in the final three sets and had 56 kills to Hutch’s 30 overall. The Saints had a 11-3 advantage in total blocks.

Elstun had a team-high 11 kills, but hit a negative-.023 with 12 attack errors on 44 swings. Espejo had seven kills, while Hiebert had four kills.

Sapien finished with 16 assists. Lainey Robertson had 11 assists. Bautista had a team-high 16 digs.

MANHATTAN, Kan. – K-State outside hitter Anna Dixon produced a match-high 14 kills and setter Sarah Dixon turned in a double-double, but fourth-ranked Texas held off the Wildcats in three sets Wednesday night at Ahearn Field House, 32-30, 25-17, 25-18.

The Longhorns (10-2, 4-0 Big 12) used 10 total blocks to limit K-State (6-10, 1-3 Big 12) to a .096 hitting percentage. Texas had three players register multiple blocks in the match, led by Brionne Butler with six (one solo, five assists).

“Just from a pure competitive perspective, I thought our dig effort was pretty good,” head coach Suzie Fritz said after the match. “We were fighting off some gnarly stuff and I thought our dig effort was really good. I thought Loren Hinkle did a nice job there getting lots of touches on balls.

“I think we continue to struggle in terms of stabilizing our serve receive. We played out of system far too much against a big, physical block. We needed to be able to have more people involved. We needed our middles more involved, we needed Gloria (Mutiri) more involved. It kind of became an outside hitter game, really on both sides. That’s a tough challenge. An outside hitter battle with those guys is going to be hard to win.”

Hinkle led K-State with 16 digs, a career high, while Sarah Dixon added 13 to go with her 23 assists. The Cats had 55 as a team over the three sets.

Anna Dixon recorded her sixth consecutive match reaching double-digit kills. The freshman from Louisburg, who also had a pair of blocks, picked up five kills in the opening set and added six more in the final frame.

“She managed her swings pretty well,” Fritz said of Dixon. “We put her in a position where she had to go hit mostly out-of-system stuff against a big block, and I thought she took pretty well-managed swings and generated kill production when she could.”

Led by Dixon’s five kill and four from Mutiri, K-State dug itself out of an early four-point hole in the first set. The Cats fought to level the score at 18 after a 7-3 scoring run and later had six set-point opportunities before the Longhorns ran off four of the game’s final five points. Kills by Butler and Micaya White closed the set and handed UT the opening set 32-30.

“You have to do small-ball skills really well when you play (Texas), things like serve and pass,” added Fritz. “We had an opportunity at the end of Game 1 and missed a couple of key serves in crucial moments and those are ones we’ve got to have. We are trying to learn through those and be a little bit better under pressure.”

The Wildcats tallied four of their seven service aces in the first set while Texas got seven kills from Skylar Fields. K-State picked up three blocks to the Longhorns four, as the Cats hit .080 to Texas’ .250.

Despite just seven kills and a .026 hitting efficiency in Set 2, K-State cut a six-point deficit to just one point at 16-15 after an 8-3 burst. The scoring run was capped by an ace by senior Mckenzi Weber. The Longhorns responded by scoring nine of the game’s final 11 points to take a two-set advantage.

Anna Dixon produced three of the Wildcats’ seven kills without an error on 12 swings. K-State picked up three aces while Sarah Dixon and Weber each added six digs.

In the third set, K-State raced out to a 4-1 lead and later held a 9-6 edge. A 10-3 Texas run opened a four-point lead and the match was later sealed by an ace from Jhenna Gabriel. Peyton Williams collected four kills on six attacks in the set, as the redshirt junior ended the night with five kills.

The Longhorns hit .250 in the match and were led by Logan Eggleston’s 11 kills. Eggleston added 11 digs for her double-double and Fields added 10 kills and four blocks.

White turned in a match-best 18 digs, as four Longhorns reached double-figure digs. White had three of UT’s seven aces.

The Wildcats will host West Virginia (8-7, 0-3 Big 12) Saturday at 1 p.m. at Ahearn Field House. The match will stream live on Big 12 Now on ESPN+ and Rob Voelker will have the call on News Radio KMAN (93.3 FM, 1350 AM). Free, live audio is also available at K-StateSports.com/watch.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

K-State hit .096 as a team (33 kills, 19 errors, 125 attacks).
Texas turned in a .250 hitting percentage (43 kills, 13 errors, 120 swings).
K-State was held under a .100 hitting efficiency for the first time this season.
Sarah Dixon produced her team-leading eighth double-double of the season (23 assists, 13 digs).
Anna Dixon led the Wildcats with 14 kills, extending her season-long streak to six straight matches with 10 or more kills.
Hinkle set a career high with 16 digs.
The Cats matched a season high with seven service aces, as five different Wildcats ended the night with an ace.
Megan Vernon led K-State with three block assists.
Mutiri and Williams each had five kills.
Eggleston (11 kills, 11 digs) turned in a double-double for Texas.
The Longhorns picked up 10 total blocks, as three players had multiple blocks.
Butler led UT with six total blocks.
NOTESK-State trails the all-time series with Texas, 7-42.
The Longhorns have won the last 32 meetings with the Cats.
The Cats are 4-20 at home all-time vs. UT.
K-State’s three-match skid equals its longest of the season.
K-State dropped its second straight match to a top-five opponent.

HOUSTON (AP) — All those regular season wins for Gerrit Cole and the Houston Astros have manager AJ Hinch feeling just fine entering a winner-take-all game with the Tampa Bay Rays on Thursday night.

“They’ve got to come into our house and beat us again,” Hinch said. “With Cole on the mound, I don’t know who could be more confident than us.”

Cole will start for the Astros in the decisive Game 5 of their AL Division Series. The right-hander hasn’t lost since May 22, winning a franchise-record 17 straight decisions, capped by a 15-strikeout gem in the Astros’ Game 2 victory. He’ll try to punch Houston a ticket to its third straight AL Championship Series, and he’ll do it at home because the team won a franchise-record 107 games to earn home-field advantage throughout the postseason.

“I love that we’re here,” Hinch said. “The way we got here is nerve-wracking just because you don’t want to get to a Game 5 (but) we fought all year for have a better record and to win our division to get this particular game at home.”

The Astros got splendid pitching performances from Justin Verlander and Cole to take a 2-0 lead in the series. Then the Rays jumped on trade-deadline acquisition Zack Greinke for six runs in 3 2/3 innings of a 10-3 win in Game 3 before Verlander came back on short rest and took the loss in Tampa Bay’s 4-1 victory which evened the series. Thursday’s winner will face the AL East-champion New York Yankees.

Houston went 60-21 at Minute Maid Park in the regular season, but the upstart Rays have shown fearlessness in downing the Athletics in the wild-card game before fending off elimination with their last two wins. In the playoffs for the first time since 2013 and the underdogs in this series against the star-studded Astros, the Rays have played bigger than the names on the backs of their jerseys.

“I do think the mentality that these guys come to the ballpark (with is), they might not be superstars, but they certainly believe they are,” Rays manager Kevin Cash said.

They used a parade of relievers Tuesday night but will return to a traditional starter in Game 5 with Tyler Glasnow.

Glasnow sat out from May 11-Sept. 8 with a right forearm strain and threw 76 pitches in 4 1/3 innings in a Game 1 start. Cash said he expects Glasnow to be at full strength Thursday and hopes he’ll be able to throw around 90 pitches, but that could change.

“You go in with a game plan, a thought process, but you gauge off how the ball is coming out and how they’re feeling,” he said.

Cash added that all of his pitchers will be available for Game 5, including reigning AL Cy Young Award winner Blake Snell, who closed Game 4 in his first career relief appearance, and Charlie Morton, who started Monday.

Snell was irked at everyone who wrote off the Rays after they fell into the early hole in the series.

“I don’t know about everyone else, but I got annoyed of hearing about Houston this, Houston that,” Snell said. “I know how good they are. I know how talented that team is. But I felt like everything media driven was strictly about them, and they weren’t giving us any credit. They weren’t talking about us at all.”

Tampa Bay’s pitching has stifled Houston’s powerful lineup in this series, with the Astros averaging just 3.25 runs a game and batting a combined .241 after leading the majors with a .274 average in the regular season. George Springer, Michael Brantley and Carlos Correa have all struggled at the plate this postseason and are a combined 7 for 48 in the series.

“We’ve got really good pitching. That’s the biggest key,” Cash said. “I like the fact that for the most part we have attacked them in the strike zone. They’re an offense that if you … mess around and don’t establish strikes, they’re going to get you, and they’re going to find their way on base, and that’s when they really get the big hit.”

Despite the trouble at the plate, Hinch doesn’t plan to make any changes to the lineup in Game 5, aside from starting Martín Maldonado at catcher as he always does when Cole pitches.

“I don’t think now is the time to really turn your back on one of the best offenses in the big leagues just because the pitching staff has had a run of success for a couple of games,” Hinch said.

ATLANTA (AP) — The St. Louis Cardinals scored 10 runs for the biggest first inning in postseason history and dealt the Atlanta Braves another playoff heartbreak with a 13-1 rout in decisive Game 5 of the NL Division Series. Before many fans had settled into their seats, the Cardinals were already booking their plans for the NL Championship Series to face either the Los Angeles Dodgers or Washington Nationals. For the Braves, it might take a while to get over this debacle.

LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Kansas coach Bill Self bristled at the suggestion Wednesday that he was sending a message to the NCAA following its investigation into his basketball program with his actions in a recent promotional video. Self wore an Adidas jersey and a golden chain in the video. The Jayhawks are facing allegations of wrongdoing from the NCAA and have been tied to an FBI investigation into Adidas, the school’s longtime sponsor.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Chiefs could get star wide receiver Tyreek Hill back for Sunday’s game against Houston, though that may be just about the end of the positive news on the injury front. The Chiefs placed defensive tackle Xavier Williams on injured reserve after he sustained a high ankle sprain in last weekend’s 19-13 loss to the Colts. He was among a handful of crucial players that went down during the game, many of whom could still be out this week.

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Texas senior wide receiver Devin Duvernay is having his best year. A position change has made him quarterback Sam Ehlinger’s top target. Duvernay has 45 catches this season and his nine per game is best in the nation heading into Saturday matchup against No. 6 Oklahoma. Duvernay was a deep threat as an outside receiver. He’s moved into the slot his ability to find open spaces in the heart of the defense. And his ability to break tackles has been a revelation for the 11th-ranked Longhorns.

National Headlines

LOS ANGELES (AP) _ Former Dodger Howie Kendrick launched a grand slam off reliever Joe Kelly with nobody out in the 10th inning to send the Nats to a 7-3 triumph at Los Angeles. Kendrick’s blast knocks out the team that posted the National League’s best record during the regular season and puts the Nats in the NLCS for the first time.

DAVIE, Fla. (AP) _ Miami Dolphins head coach Brian Flores says Josh Rosen will be his starting quarterback the remainder of the season. Rosen supplanted veteran Ryan Fitzpatrick in Week 3 and will start for the third game in a row Sunday against the Washington Redskins. Flores says Rosen has improved on a week-to-week basis, adding that he thinks Rosen “needs to get in there and develop and get reps and just improve.”

UNDATED (AP) _ Vontaze Burfict’s appeal to overturn his suspension for a helmet-to-helmet hit has been denied, keeping the Oakland Raiders linebacker off the field the rest of the season. Appeals officer Derrick Brooks has ruled that he would not reduce the longest suspension ever handed down for an on-field infraction. Brooks is appointed jointly by the NFL and the NFLPA and heard Burfict’s appeal of the ban for the final 12 games of the regular season and the playoffs.

JACKSONVILLLE, Fla. (AP) _ Jacksonville Jaguars cornerback Jalen Ramsey practiced Wednesday for the first time in three weeks, two days after seeing a back specialist. Ramsey participated in a limited capacity, taking part in individual drills before spending the rest of the session working with team trainers on the side. It remains to be seen whether Ramsey plays Sunday against the 4-1 New Orleans Saints and the NFL’s leading receiver, Michael Thomas.

UNDATED (AP) _ NBA Commissioner Adam Silver has told the Brooklyn Nets and Los Angeles Lakers that the league is still expecting them to play in China as scheduled this week. Silver made the announcement while the rift between the league and Chinese officials continued in ways that clearly suggested the two planned games in Shanghai and Shenzhen were anything but guaranteed. NBA activity in the country is in jeopardy after Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey posted a since-deleted tweet last week that showed support for anti-government protesters in Hong Kong.

Wednesday Scores

NATIONAL LEAGUE PLAYOFFS
Final St. Louis 13 Atlanta 1
Final Washington 7 L-A Dodgers 3 (10 Innings)

TODAY’S SPORTS SCHEDULE

AMERICAN LEAGUE PLAYOFFS
Tampa Bay at Houston 7:07 p.m. (ET)

NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE
N-Y Giants at New England 8:20 p.m. (ET)

CLASS 6A

East: Kansas City-J.C. Harmon, Kansas City-Wyandotte, Olathe-East, Olathe-North, Olathe-Northwest, Olathe-South, Olathe-West, Overland Park-Blue Valley, Overland Park-Blue Valley North, Overland Park-Blue Valley Northwest, Overland Park-Blue Valley West, Shawnee Mission East, Shawnee Mission North, Shawnee Mission Northwest, Shawnee Mission South, Shawnee Mission West

West: Derby, Dodge City, Garden City, Gardner-Edgerton, Haysville-Campus, Junction City, Lawrence, Lawrence Free-State, Manhattan, Topeka, Topeka-Washburn Rural, Wichita-East, Wichita-North, Wichita-South, Wichita-Southeast, Wichita-West

CLASS 5A

East: De Soto, Emporia, Kansas City-F.L. Schlagle, Kansas City-Sumner Academy, Kansas City-Turner,
Kansas City-Washington, Leavenworth, Overland Park-Blue Valley Southwest, Overland Park-St. Thomas Aquinas, Pittsburg, Shawnee-Mill Valley, Spring Hill, Tecumseh-Shawnee Heights, Topeka-Highland Park, Topeka-Seaman, Topeka-West

West: Andover, Goddard, Goddard-Eisenhower, Hays, Hutchinson, Liberal, Maize, Maize-South, Newton, Salina-Central, Salina-South, Valley Center, Wichita-Bishop Carroll, Wichita-Heights, Wichita-Kapaun Mt. Carmel, Wichita-Northwest

CLASS 4A

East: Altamont-Labette County, Atchison, Basehor-Linwood, Bonner Springs, Chanute, Coffeyville-Field Kindley, Eudora, Fort Scott, Kansas City-Piper, Lansing, Lenexa-St. James Academy, Louisburg, Ottawa, Paola, Shawnee Mission-Bishop Miege, Tonganoxie

West: Abilene, Andover-Central, Arkansas City, Augusta, Buhler, El Dorado, Great Bend, Independence, McPherson, Mulvane, Rose Hill, Towanda-Circle, Ulysses, Wamego, Wellington, Winfield

CLASS 3A
District 1: Baxter Springs, Caney Valley, Cherryvale, Columbus, Galena, Parsons
District 2: Burlington, Frontenac, Garnett-Anderson County, Girard, Iola, LaCygne-Prairie View
District 3: Baldwin, Kansas City-Bishop Ward, Osawatomie, Perry-LeCompton, Santa-Fe Trail, Topeka-Hayden
District 4: Hiawatha, Holton, Hoyt-Royal Valley, Meriden-Jefferson West, Sabetha, St. George-Rock Creek
District 5: Chapman, Clay Center Community, Concordia, Council Grove, Marysville, Riley County
District 6: Colby, Goodland, Gypsum-SE of Saline, Lindsborg-Smoky Valley, Russell, Scott Community
District 7: Andale, Clearwater, Halstead, Hesston, Wichita-Collegiate, Wichita-Trinity Academy
District 8: Cheney, Holcomb, Hugoton, Larned, Nickerson, Pratt

CLASS 2A
District 1: Cherokee-Southeast, Erie, Fredonia, Neodesha, Pittsburg-St. Mary’s Colgan, Riverton
District 2: Eureka, Humboldt, Mound City-Jayhawk Linn, Osage City, Pomona-West Franklin, Wellsville
District 3: Eskridge-Mission Valley, Easton-Peasant Ridge, McLouth, Oskaloosa, Rossville, Silver Lake
District 4: Atchison-Maur Hill Mt. Academy, Belleville-Republic County, Effingham-Atchison County Community,
Seneca-Nemaha Central, St. Marys, Wathena-Riverside
District 5: Haven, Hillsboro, Hutchinson-Trinity Catholic, Lyons, Marion, Sterling
District 6: Belle Plaine, Anthony-Harper/Chaparral, Douglass, Garden Plain, Kingman, Leon-Bluestem
District 7: Cimarron, Ellis, Hays-Thomas More Prep-Marian, Kismet-Southwestern Heights, Lakin, Syracuse
District 8: Beloit, Ellsworth, Hoisington, Minneapolis, Norton Community, Phillipsburg

CLASS 1A
District 1: Allen-Northern Heights, Arma-Northeast, Lyndon, Olpe, Pleasanton, Richmond-Central Heights, Uniontown
District 2: Blue Rapids-Valley Heights, Centralia, Horton, Jackson Heights, Troy, Wabaunsee,
Winchester-Jefferson County North
District 3: Brookville-Ell Saline, Ellinwood, Inman, Oakley, Plainville, Salina-Sacred Heart, Smith Center
District 4: Conway Springs, Elkhart, Johnson-Stanton County, Sedgwick, Sublette, Whitewater-Remington,
Wichita-The Independent

CLASS 8M-I
District 1: Cedar Vale/Dexter, Howard-West Elk, Moran-Marmaton Valley, Oswego, Sedan, Yates Center
District 2: Burden-Central, Cottonwood Falls-Chase County, Madison/Hamilton, Oxford, Rosalia-Flint Hills, Udall
District 3: Burlingame, Clifton-Clyde, Highland-Doniphan West, Shawnee-Maranatha Christian Academy, Valley Falls,
Washington County
District 4: Bennington, Canton-Galva, Herington, Lincoln, Little River, Solomon
District 5: Attica/Argonia, Goessel, Langdon-Fairfield, Medicine Lodge, Moundridge, Pretty Prairie
District 6: Greensburg-Kiowa County, Kinsley, La Crosse, Macksville, Pratt-Skyline, St. John-Hudson
District 7: Jetmore-Hodgeman County, Leoti-Wichita County, Meade, Montezuma-South Gray, Ness City, Spearville
District 8: Atwood-Rawlins County, Hill City, Hoxie, Oberlin-Decatur Community, Stockton, WaKeeney-Trego Community

CLASS 8M-II
District 1: Buffalo-Altoona Midway, Chetopa, Colony-Crest, Leroy-Southern Coffey County, St. Paul, Waverly
District 2: Hartford, Lebo, Lost Springs-Centre, Melvern-Marais Des Cygnes Valley, Rural Vista, Wakefield
District 3: Axtell, Frankfort, Hanover, Linn, Onaga, Randolph-Blue Valley, Wetmore
District 4: Beloit-St. John’s/Tipton, Downs-Lakeside, Kensington-Thunder Ridge, Mankato-Rock Hills, Osborne,
Scandia-Pike Valley, Southern Cloud (Glasco/Miltonvale)
District 5: Chase, Claflin-Central Plains, Otis-Bison, Sylvan Grove, Tescott, Victoria, Wilson
District 6: Caldwell, Hutchinson-Central Christian, Kiowa-South Barber, Norwich, Peabody-Burns, South Haven, Stafford
District 7: Bucklin, Coldwater-South Central, Dighton, Ingalls, Minneola, Satanta
District 8: Grainfield/Wheatland-Grinnell, Logan/Palco, Quinter, Sharon Springs-Wallace County, St. Francis,
Winona-Triplains/Brewster

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Howie Kendrick and the Washington Nationals got down again but were never out — and they finally ended their streak of playoff series futility in grand fashion.

Kendrick hit a tiebreaking grand slam in the 10th inning and the Nationals, boosted by a lightning rally against Clayton Kershaw, beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 7-3 Wednesday night in Game 5. They advanced to the NL Championship Series starting Friday at St. Louis.

“I was hoping for any moment,” said Kendrick, a 36-year-old veteran who was hitless in his first four at-bats.

In their first season since star slugger Bryce Harper left as a free agent, the Nationals became the first team in major league history to rally from three or more runs down twice in elimination games during the same postseason.

“It’s not just one player, it’s a team,” left fielder Juan Soto said.

The wild-card Nationals won a playoff series for the first time since the team moved to Washington ahead of the 2005 season, and the franchise reached the NLCS for the second time in 51 seasons. The Nationals overcame a 19-31 start, finished 93-69 and then rallied from a 3-1, eighth-inning deficit to beat Milwaukee 4-3 in the NL wild-card game.

Then they bounced back from down 2-1 in the series against the Dodgers, who set a team record with 106 regular-season wins.

“Oh, man, keep fighting,” Anthony Rendon said. “I think that’s the story of maybe this organization.”

Rendon and Soto homered on consecutive pitches to overcome a 3-1 deficit in the eighth against Kershaw, a three-time Cy Young Award winner. Soto had started the comeback from a 3-0 hole with an RBI single in the sixth off starter Walker Buehler and then hit a 449-foot drive halfway up the right-field pavilion off Kershaw, the longest home run of the 20-year-old’s big league career.

Adam Eaton walked against Joe Kelly leading off the 10th, Rendon doubled on a drive that lodged in the left-field wall and Soto was intentionally walked.

Kendrick was 4 for 19 with one RBI in the series and had made a pair of errors at first base in the Game 1 loss. He fouled off a pitch and then hit a 97 mph fastball over the wall in dead center for his second career slam. The other was a game-ending, 11th-inning drive against San Francisco in August 2017. Cody Bellinger chased the ball all the way to the wall, putting his arms up against the fence as he ran out of room.

“It was electric. Probably the best moment of my career,” said Kendrick, a 14-year big league veteran who played for the Dodgers and Los Angeles Angels. “We never gave up. The city had faith in us. The fans had faith in us. We believed in ourselves, everybody came through for us.”

Dodgers fans started exiting as the bases emptied, realizing their team’s streak of NLCS appearances would not reach four.

“I’m looking in the crowd,” Rendon said. “I’m enjoying it.”

The seven-time defending NL West champion Dodgers remain without a World Series title since 1988.

“Disappointing is probably an understatement,” manager Dave Roberts said.

Daniel Hudson got the win, retiring Will Smith on a drive to the right field warning track with one on and one out in the ninth, then getting Chris Taylor on a liner to center.

Sean Doolittle pitched a perfect 10th for Washington, with center fielder Michael A. Taylor making a diving catch on Justin Turner for the final out.

The Nationals/Montreal Expos franchise won a postseason series for only the second time, the first since the Expos beat Philadelphia in a 1981 Division Series caused by the midseason players’ strike only to lose to the Dodgers in the NLCS.

“I’m really excited for the boys in that clubhouse that fought all year,” Nationals manager Dave Martinez said.

Kershaw sat on the bench after the home runs, looking forlorn, bowing his head and holding it in his hands. He has a 4.43 ERA in 32 postseason appearances, nearly double his superb 2.44 ERA over a dozen regular seasons.

“Everything people say is true right now about the postseason,” Kershaw said.

The left-hander had replaced Buehler with two on and two outs in the seventh, and struck out Eaton on three pitches. Roberts didn’t second-hesitate to stay with Kershaw in the eighth.

“He’s probably the best pitcher of our generation,” Roberts said. “It just didn’t work out. There’s always going to be second-guessing. I’ll take my chances any day on Clayton.”

Washington’s Stephen Strasburg fell behind 2-0 after eight pitches. Joc Pederson doubled on a drive that went through an opening in the left-field wall — the crowd saw it land in the seats and thought it was a home run — but he was awarded the double after a video review. Max Muncy, who had been 0 for 12 against Strasburg, drove a fastball over the center-field wall.

Kiké Hernández homered on Strasburg’s second pitch of the second inning, another fastball, for a 3-0 lead.

Strasburg gave up three runs and six hits in six innings, struck out seven and walked one.

Buehler allowed one run and four hits in 6 2/3 innings before Kershaw came in.

There was a scary moment when Buehler hit Kurt Suzuki on the left wrist and the ball shot up and knocked off his helmet as the ballpark went silent. Suzuki fell to the ground, grabbing his face. He walked off his under his own power and was replaced by Yan Gomes, who moved behind the plate in the bottom half.

WORLD SERIES

The Series will start in the American League ballpark because all the Astros (107), Yankees (103) and Rays (96) all finished with more wins than the Nationals or Cardinals (91).

SLAMMING

Nelson Cruz hit the only previous extra-inning postseason slam, for Texas against Detroit in Game 2 of the 2011 ALCS.

UP NEXT

RHP Aníbal Sánchez (11-8) is the most likely candidate to start the NLCS opener.