TOPEKA, Kan. – The Kansas High School Activities Association has unveiled the KSHSAA Gallery of Champions.

The online feature, which can be found HERE, showcases “every state championship team, ever!” KSHSAA tweeted Monday.

The page includes a search function, which allows searches by name, school, activity or year. The database includes season results, championship histories, rosters and more.

UNDATED (AP) — TCU is taking its freshman quarterback to his home state to take on Iowa State in the Big 12’s first weekend with a full slate of conference games. The Cyclones are trying to avoid an 0-2 start in league play after being a trendy preseason pick to make the Big 12 championship game. Horned Frogs true freshman quarterback Max Duggan was the top high school quarterback in Iowa last year.

ATLANTA (AP) — Freddie Freeman and Ronald Acuña Jr., two keys to Atlanta’s lineup, say they are healthy for the Braves’ NL Division Series against the St. Louis Cardinals. Acuña’s status for Thursday’s Game 1 was the bigger concern. The 21-year-old outfielder has not played since Sept. 24 due to tightness in his left hip. The injury ended his chase for a rare 40-40 season. He finished with 41 homers and 37 steals. Freeman has struggled with bone spurs in his right elbow.

WACO, Texas (AP) — Baylor athletic director Mack Rhoades has a new 10-year contract, a move that comes only days after an extension for football coach Matt Rhule. University President Linda Livingstone announced the new contract for Rhoades through July 2029. It replaces the original six-year deal he got when he became the AD in August 2016.

National Headlines

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) _ Yandy Diaz hit a pair of solo homers and the Tampa Bay Rays advanced to the American League Division Series against Houston by downing the Oakland Athletics, 5-1 in the AL wild-card game. Diaz homered in his first two at-bats to sandwich a two-run blast by Avisail Garcia. Charlie Morton allowed an unearned run and five hits over five innings to help the Rays reach the division series for the first time since 2013.

HOUSTON (AP) _ Houston Astros manager A.J. Hinch expects shortstop Carlos Correa to play on Friday _ the AL Division Series opener. Correa missed the last week of the regular season because of a sore back. Hinch says Justin Verlander will start Game 1 on Friday against Oakland or Tampa Bay, followed by Gerrit Cole and Zack Greinke.

CLEVELAND (AP) _ The Cleveland Indians are exercising ace Corey Kluber’s (KLOO’-burz) $17.5 million option for next season. The right-hander was limited to just seven starts after breaking his right arm on May 1, when he was hit by a line drive during a start in Miami. The team is declining options on second baseman Jason Kipnis and reliever Dan Otero.

TEMPE, Ariz. (AP) — Arizona Cardinals owner William V. Bidwill has died at the age of 88. Bidwill’s teams didn’t have much success over the decades before a stunning run to the Super Bowl after the 2008 season but he is remembered for his contributions to the league and his forward-thinking ways. The bowtie-wearing Bidwill had long been the head of a family operation that dated to 1932, when his father purchased the Chicago Cardinals.

ROSEMONT, Ill. (AP) — The amateur model of college athletics could be shaken once California’s Fair Pay to Play Act takes effect in a few years. It will allow athletes to profit from their names, images and likenesses through things such as endorsement deals or autograph signings. All are against current NCAA rules. The issue was front and center at the Big Ten’s annual basketball media day. Players seem to be all for it.

UNDATED (AP) — The Southeastern Conference seems to be in good playoff position with five teams ranked in the top 10. The downside: they have to play each other, giving this group arguably the hardest roads to the playoffs of any contenders outside the league. No. 7 Auburn, for instance, still has four opponents ranked in the op 10.

Wednesday Scores

AMERICAN LEAGUE PLAYOFFS
Final Tampa Bay 5 Oakland 1

TODAY’S SPORTS SCHEDULE

NATIONAL LEAGUE PLAYOFFS
St. Louis at Atlanta 5:02 p.m.
Washington at L-A Dodgers 8:37 p.m.

NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE
L.A. Rams at Seattle 8:20 p.m.

TOPEKA, Kan. — The Kansas Volleyball Association is pleased to announce the 2019 Week 4 Volleyball Rankings. Information is based on records that were submitted by Monday, September 30. This week’s rankings reflect the new classifications for 2019-20.

Rank – School – Record – Last Week’s Rank

Class 6A
1. Blue Valley 14-4 (3)
2. Washburn Rural 16-2 (2)
3. Blue Valley North 14-3 (1)
4. Garden City 12-0 (5)
5. Blue Valley Northwest 13-4 (7)
6. Mill Valley 11-3 (6)
7. Gardner-Edgerton 16-7 (4)
8. Olathe West 15-6 (9)
9. Derby 14-5 (NR)
10. Wichita East 17-2 (10)

Class 5A
1. St. James Academy 16-0 (1)
2. Spring Hill 17-0 (2)
3. St. Thomas Aquinas 14-3 (4)
4. Lansing 16-4 (5)
5. Maize South 21-0 (6)
6. Shawnee Heights 11-2 (NR)
7. Goddard 18-2 (7)
8. Topeka-Seaman 16-7 (9)
9. Bishop Carroll 14-4 (3)
10. Basehor-Linwood 18-4 (8)

Class 4A
1. Andale 23-1 (1)
2. Topeka-Hayden 15-8 (2)
3. Nickerson 19-6 (3)
4. Bishop Miege 3-9 (5)
5. Louisburg 12-8 (6)
6. Independence 17-2 (7)
7. Circle 14-5 (9)
8. Chapman 11-6 (8)
9. Buhler 10-8 (10)
10. Atchison 15-7 (NR)

Class 3A
1. Royal Valley 19-0 (1)
2. Beloit 18-1 (2)
3. Wichita-Trinity Academy 13-1 (4 in 4A)
4. Hesston 12-3 (3)
5. Sabetha 17-3 (4)
6. Frontenac 15-3 (6)
7. Silver Lake 13-10 (7)
8. Riverton 19-1 (8)
9. Thomas More Prep 24-5 (9)
10. Lyons 18-4 (NR)

Class 2A
1. Wabaunsee 20-1 (1)
2. St. Mary’s-Colgan 26-2 (4)
3. Garden Plain 16-1 (3)
4. Sedgwick 24-1 (5)
5. Valley Heights 22-4 (6)
6. Smith Center 16-3 (2)
7. Belle Plaine 18-3 (5 in 3A)
8. Ellinwood 20-4 (7)
9. Spearville 14-2 (1 in 1A)
10. Oskaloosa 13-5 (NR)

Class 1A
1. Rural Vista 23-3 (2)
2. Centralia 13-5 (3)
3. Thunder Ridge 15-1 (5)
4. Flinthills 23-2 (4)
5. Attica 18-2 (6)
6. Golden Plains 20-1 (7)
7. Beloit-St. John’s/Tipton 15-3 (9)
8. Chetopa 24-4 (8)
9. Little River 15-5 (NR)
10. Lebo 14-4 (NR)

HUTCHINSON, Kan. – The Hutchinson Community College women’s soccer team picked up a key three points in the Jayhawk West and earned a season sweep of the Barton Cougars on Wednesday at Don Michael Field.

Knowing they have to win out to have a shot at a share of the Jayhawk West title, the Blue Dragons scored two first-half goals and made it stand up for a 2-0 league win over Barton.

The game was moved to the turf of Don Michael Field after rain made the new natural grass surface of the Salthawk Sports Complex not ready to use on Wednesday.

 

Wednesday night’s game was very similar to the first matchup on Sept. 7 at Great Bend. Then, Hutch scored two first-half goals and then played very tight defense in the second half to earn the win.

 

Hutch scored two first-half goals within 3 minutes of each other on Wednesday. Then similar to four weeks ago, the Blue Dragons played staunch defense in the second half to record their eighth shutout of the season.

The Blue Dragons took a 1-0 lead in the 30th minute when Esther Karhayu slammed a low shot past Barton keeper Itzel Diaz. Karhayu scored her ninth goal of the season with an assist from Samantha Vaughn.

Three minutes later, the Blue Dragons scored one of their best goals of the season.

Hutchinson goalkeeper Chiara Soergel smashed a long punt that sophomore Macy Smith got under. She flicked a perfect header to Chavelle Henry in fill stride at top speed. The made a run with two Barton defenders at her side and beat Diaz to make to 2-0 Blue Dragons with 12:25 to play in the first half.

Smith had the primary assist, but Soergel had the secondary assist, making her the first Blue Dragon goalkeeper to register an assist since Bailey Shupe on September 13, 2013 against Neosho County.

The second half was played tight defensively. The back line of Jenna Boese, Bailey Flowers, Cheyenne Busker, Syeria Matthias and Angela Rader never let the Cougars get any quality scoring chances throughout the game.

Barton out-shot Hutch 13-12 overall and 8-1 in the second half.

Soergel finished with eight saves for the Blue Dragons to improve to 8-2. Diaz took the loss for the Cougars. She had seven saves.

The Blue Dragons will play host to Garden City at 6 p.m. on Saturday at the Salthawk Sports Complex.

(BY STEVE CARPENTER)
(HUTCHINSON CC SPORTS INFORMATION)

Hutchinson Community College sophomore quarterback Mark Wright has made quite an impression on the Blue Dragon football program in his five games as a starter.

The sophomore signal-caller from Douglassville, Georgia, also left a positive impression on the country as he led the Blue Dragons past Butler 35-27 in a No. 1 vs. No. 2 battle on Saturday at Gowans Stadium.

Wright was named the NJCAA National Offensive Player of the Week on Wednesday. He is the second Blue Dragon player to receive national honors, joining Tiyon Evans, who was national Special Teams Player of the Week after the Iowa Western Game.

Against Butler on Saturday, Wright, accounted for 316 total yards and four touchdowns against the Grizzlies.

Wright guided the Blue Dragons to three-straight scoring drives on the first three possessions of the game en route to a 21-0 lead. Wright threw for touchdowns of 69, 29 and 46 yards.

His 46-yard strike to Mitchell Tinsley early in the fourth quarter gave the Blue Dragons a needed two touchdown cushion. He also ran for a 1-yard TD that was set up by his own season-long 66-yard run.

Wright is the first Blue Dragon to earn national Offensive Player of the Week honors since October 14, 2015 when center Tanner Stallings earned the honor. The last skilled position player to earn national offensive honors was Alvin Kamara in 2014.

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Tonight’s scheduled soccer matchup of Hutch versus Barton will be played at 7 p.m. at Don Michael Field off Severance and 17th Ave. Originally, the contest was set for 6 p.m. at the Salthawk Soccer Complex, but overnight rain and the potential for more rain this afternoon prompted the change of location.

 

Wednesday Morning Sports with KWBW’s Rob Dreher.

HUTCHINSON, Kan. – The Hutchinson High School Boys Varsity Soccer team hosted Newton and came away with a hard fought victory on Tuesday 3-1.

AMES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa State began the season with five running backs and coach Matt Campbell hoping that one would step forward and prove he could be the No. 1 guy. After four games, that hasn’t happened. Iowa State is ninth in the Big 12 in rushing yardage and last in rushing attempts. The Cyclones host TCU this weekend.

ATLANTA (AP) — Left-hander Dallas Keuchel has been named the Atlanta Braves’ starting pitcher against the St. Louis Cardinals in Game 1 of the NL Division Series. The Cardinals have named right-hander Miles Mikolas as their Game 1 starter. Mikolas will be making his first postseason start.

AMES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa State began the season with five running backs and coach Matt Campbell hoping that one would step forward and prove he could be the No. 1 guy. After four games, that hasn’t happened. Iowa State is ninth in the Big 12 in rushing yardage and last in rushing attempts. The Cyclones host TCU this weekend.

GRINNELL, Iowa (AP) — Division III school Grinnell College has canceled the remainder of its football season because of injuries that whittled its roster to just 28 players. The school says it will forfeit its final seven games, starting with Saturday’s contest against St. Norbert College. Grinnell says it has lost 11 of its 39 players for some if not all of the season. Grinnell lost its first three games by a combined score of 114-3.

National Headlines

WASHINGTON (AP) _ Washington’s Juan Soto delivered a bases-loaded single that scored three runs with two outs in the bottom of the eighth inning off Milwaukee closer Josh Hader to give the Nationals a 4-3 comeback victory over the Brewers in the NL wild-card game. After Hader loaded the bases by hitting one batter, walking another and allowing a bloop single, Soto took a 96 mph fastball to right, and the ball skipped under outfielder Trent Grisham’s glove.

OAKLAND (AP) _ Sean Manaea will start Wednesday’s AL wild-card game for the Oakland Athletics against the Tampa Bay Rays just more than a year removed from shoulder surgery. Manaea returned from injury later than he had hoped but immediately found a groove. He went 4-0 with 1.21 ERA in five September starts following the operation last September. Rays right-hander Charlie Morton is set to start for Tampa Bay,

NEW YORK (AP) _ Mets slugger Pete Alonso visited the National September 11 Memorial & Museum to donate the custom first-responder cleats and baseball bat he used in a game on the 18th anniversary of the terrorist attacks. Alonso coordinated the production of customized spikes for each of his teammates, doing so without telling Major League Baseball after the league rejected his proposal to wear first-responder hats.

Tuesday Scores

NATIONAL LEAGUE PLAYOFFS
Final Washington 4 Milwaukee 3

WOMEN’S NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION PLAYOFFS
Final Connecticut 99 Washington 87