PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Rory McIlroy is the PGA Tour player of the year, and even he was a little surprised.

In a vote of the players, who presumably gave as much weight to the whole season as the four biggest weeks, McIlroy won the Jack Nicklaus Award over Brooks Koepka. It was the third time McIlroy won the award, and the first time without having won a major.

“I’m at a loss for words,” McIlroy said Wednesday.

Moments earlier, McIlroy was sitting down with Nicklaus at The Bear’s Club in South Florida to receive the Byron Nelson Trophy for having the lowest adjusted scoring average when a bronze of the Nicklaus Award was placed on the table. McIlroy looked at it and said, “I’ve already got two of those,” he said.

“Well, you’ve got three now,” Nicklaus told him.

McIlroy won three times, including The Players Championship and the Tour Championship to capture the FedEx Cup and its $15 million prize. He also had a tour-best 14 top 10s and finished out of the top 20 only four times in the 19 tournaments he played.

“I couldn’t be more proud to win this award for the third time,” McIlroy said. “Yeah, very … somewhat surprised, but honored that my fellow players thought enough of my year to award me this honor again.”

Koepka, who won the PGA of America’s player of the year based on points, was seen as the favorite for the tour’s award.

He won three times, same as McIlroy, led the FedEx Cup in the regular season and won the money title by nearly $2 million over McIlroy. What stood out the most in Koepka’s season, however, were the majors. He won the PGA Championship, joining Tiger Woods as the only back-to-back winners since the PGA switched to stroke play in 1958. Koepka was runner-up at the Masters and the U.S. Open, and he tied for fourth in the British Open, nine shots behind.

Nicklaus (1973), Woods (2005) and Jordan Spieth (2015) are the only other players to have finished in the top four in every major for the year.

“Brooks had an incredible year — an incredible two, three years, whatever it is,” McIlroy said. “He’s the No. 1 player in the world golf ranking. … I think this speaks volumes of what PGA Tour players feel is important. I think players don’t just feel that four weeks a year is important. It’s more than that. We play a lot more. Why do we play 25 times a year if only four weeks are important?

“I think that’s a huge vote of confidence from the players that we play for more than maybe what the narrative suggests.”

Koepka, who beat McIlroy in the final group for a World Golf Championship among his three titles, was thought to be a shoo-in for his second straight Jack Nicklaus Award until the Tour Championship. McIlroy thought he would still have a chance if won the FedEx Cup, and then he posted four rounds in the 60s to win, beating Koepka in the final group at East Lake. McIlroy joined Woods as the only players to win the FedEx Cup twice since it began in 2007.

“I know it’s going to sting because he most likely will win player of the year,” McIlroy said.

The sting turned into surprise.

Majors have become the strongest gauge in golf, mostly because of the 18 won by Nicklaus that set the standard of greatness in the sport. This is the 10th time — and first since Woods in 2013 — that the Nicklaus Award went to a player who did not win a major. The award began in 1990.

McIlroy said the award validated his decision to focus strictly on the PGA Tour. He said at the start of the year at Kapalua, which he had not previously played, that his emphasis would be in America. He did not play in Europe until July.

The one disappointment was his performance in the majors. He didn’t seriously contend in any of them and missed the cut at Royal Portrush in the first time in 68 years the British Open was held in his native Northern Ireland.

The rest of the year made up for it. Was it his best year? McIlroy won two majors in 2014, finished among the top 10 in 16 of the 24 events he played worldwide and ended the year with a big lead at No. 1 in the world.

“Look, every year’s different. I’ve already had a year like 2014. I might have a year like that again,” McIlroy said. “I’m happier with where my game is now. I feel like I’m a better play now than I was in 2014, and that gives me a lot going forward.”

The PGA Tour does not release the vote totals, so there is only an assumption it was close. There hasn’t been this much debate about the award since 2003, when Woods won over Vijay Singh.

McIlroy also was curious about his margin of victory.

“I inquired, and they are keeping tight-lipped on that,” McIlroy said.

Sungjae Im of South Korea was voted PGA Tour rookie of the year. He was the only rookie to reach the Tour Championship, and while he didn’t win, he began the PGA Tour’s postseason at No. 23 in the FedEx Cup. Im is the first player to win the rookie award without winning a tournament since Rickie Fowler in 2010.

(BY STEVE CARPENTER)
(HUTCHINSON CC SPORTS INFORMATION)
GARDEN CITY – The Hutchinson Community College women’s soccer team posted its fourth shutout of the season and held an opponent without a shot for the second time in 2019 on Wednesday.

The Blue Dragons defeated Garden City 2-0 at Broncbuster Stadium to improve to 4-1 over and 2-0 in the Jayhawk West. Garden City falls to 0-6 and 0-3.

The Blue Dragon offense struggled for most of the contest with a strong wind blowing at better than 25 mph and the Broncbusters playing almost everybody behind the ball to clog up passing channels. Hutch still out-shot Garden City 19-0, but only had seven shots on goal.

Esther Karhayu finally broke the deadlock late in the first half. She settled down a Marah Franke corner kick and finally beat the Garden City goalkeeper to her left for a 1-0 lead with 7:15 remaining in the first half. It was her fourth goal of the season.

The Blue Dragons battled for their second goal on another set piece. On the fifth header after Franke’s corner kick, sophomore Macy Smith headed in her fourth goal of the season to give Hutch a 2-0 lead with 2:39 remaining in the first half. Dianne Rubio was credited with the assist.

Hutch missed on two other strong scoring chances in the first half and three more chances in the second half. Blue Dragon freshman goalkeeper Chiara Soergel (4-1) picked up her fourth shutout.

Defensively, the Blue Dragons held an opponent without a shot on goal for the 25th in program history and held an opponent without a shot for the 42nd time.

Hutchinson is now 24-0 all-time against Garden City. The Dragons posted their 17th all-time shutout against Garden City. The last seven games against the Busters have all been shutouts.

The Blue Dragons return home on Saturday to take on the Hesston College Larks at 6 p.m. Hutch will finally get to play at the Salthawk Sports Complex after playing their first three home games at Don Michael Field.

MANHATTAN, Kan. – Kansas State men’s basketball coach Bruce Weber has been selected to receive the 2019 Lifetime Achievement Award from the Milwaukee Public Schools Foundation at their annual alumni awards dinner, which is set for Oct. 2 at Discovery World in Milwaukee.

The cocktail and appetizer hour starts at 5 p.m., CT with dinner and the program starting at 6 p.m., and 6:30 p.m., respectively at Discovery World at 500 North Harbor Drive. Tickets start at $125 and can be purchased at the MPS Foundation website at https://e.givesmart.com/events/e8C/. Those interested in attending the dinner should R.S.V.P. by Sept. 18.

Weber is a 1974 graduate of John Marshall High School in Milwaukee as well as a 1978 graduate of the University of Wisconsin in Milwaukee. He is the fourth recipient of the MPS Lifetime Achievement Award, following former Major League Baseball Commissioner Allan “Bud” Selig (2017), Grammy Award winner Al Jarreau (2018) and Civil Rights activist and former Wisconsin Secretary of State Vel Phillips (2018).

One of the winningest active Division I coaches with over 450 career wins and 13 NCAA Tournament appearances to his credit, Weber is set to begin his eighth season at K-State after being named the school’s 24th head men’s basketball coach on March 31, 2012. He had guided the Wildcats to 20-win seasons and NCAA Tournament appearances five times during his seven-year tenure, including consecutive 25-win campaigns the past two seasons for the first time in school history. He has also helped steer the program to a pair of Big 12 regular-season titles (2012-13, 2018-19) during his tenure, including the school’s first in 36 seasons in 2012-13.

Weber’s 150 wins are the third-most by a head coach in school history and the most since Jack Hartman retired as the school’s winningest coach with 295 victories in 1986. He is the fourth coach (Hartman, Tex Winter and Frank Martin) to take the school to at least five NCAA Tournaments in a tenure, while only Hartman (with seven) with more 20-win seasons.

Weber, 62, has a compiled a 463-244 (.655) record in his 21 seasons as a head coach, which includes stints at Southern Illinois (1998-2003) and Illinois (2003-11). His .655 winning percentage ranks 28^th among active Division I head coaches, while he is one of just 21 active coaches to take three different schools to the NCAA Tournament.

Weber has won numerous Coach of the Year accolades in his career, including consensus National Coach of the Year honors in 2005. He has also been named conference Coach of the Year three times.

This past summer, Weber received the honor of serving as head coach for Team USA at the 2019 U19 World Cup in Heraklion, Greece, where he guided the Americans to their seventh gold medal, including the first since 2015.

This is the third time Weber has been honored for his philanthropic endeavors after earning the 2007 Champions Award from Coaches vs. Cancer and the 2016 Graven Award from Wartburg College in Waverly, Iowa.

—kstatesports.com—

CHICAGO , Ill (AP) — Jorge Soler hit a pair of two-run homers among his career high-matching four hits, leading the Kansas City Royals to an 8-6 victory over the Chicago White Sox on Wednesday night.

Soler has 43 homers this season, two behind American League leader Mike Trout of the Los Angeles Angels.

It was the fifth multi-homer game of Soler’s career and third this season. He also has five more homers than the Royals’ previous team record of 38, by Mike Moustakas in 2017.

Adalberto Mondesi homered and had three hits, and Bubba Starling and Ryan O’Hearn also connected as the Royals beat Chicago for the fifth time in six games.

Rookie Eloy Jimenez homered, his 26th, and drove in four runs, and Jose Abreu added a two-run shot for the White Sox.

Abreu has 32 homers and 114 RBI, which is three off the major-league lead at the start of Wednesday.

The teams combined for seven homers and have hit a total of 13 in the first two games of the series.

Glenn Sparkman (4-11) allowed three runs on four hits and snapped a nine-start winless streak. He had last won on July 16, against the White Sox at Kansas City.

Scott Barlow worked two scoreless innings and Ian Kennedy pitched the ninth for his 28th save.

Chicago starter Reynaldo Lopez (9-13) was coming off a complete-game one-hitter, but was roughed up for six runs on nine hits in 4 2/3 innings. He allowed four homers and has given up 31 in 166 2/3 innings this season.

The 25-year-old right-hander has struggled with consistency from start to start. Before the one-hitter at Cleveland on Sept. 5, he gave up six runs and got only two outs at Atlanta on Aug. 31.

Soler’s two-run shot in the first gave Kansas City an early lead. Jimenez answered with a three-run shot in the bottom of the inning, giving Chicago a 3-2 edge.

Lopez, though, couldn’t keep the ball in the park. Mondesi hit a two-blast in the third to put the Royals back on top. Bubba Starling and Ryan O’Hearn then added solo shots in the fourth and fifth innings to make it 6-3.

The White Sox cut the deficit to two in the sixth on a Jimenez RBI groundout.

Soler’s second two-run homer — off reliever Michael Fulmer in the eighth — made it 8-4. Abreu then hit a two-run shot off reliever Jesse Hahn in the bottom of the inning to cut the lead to two runs again.

TRAINER’S ROOM

White Sox: Manager Rick Renteria, who had shoulder surgery on Friday, is with the team and handled the pregame media session. He wasn’t visible in the Chicago dugout for much of the game, but came out to argue in the ninth after James McCann was ejected. Bench coach Joe McEwing handled the pitching changes.

UP NEXT

Chicago RHP Lucas Giolito (14-8, 3.27 ERA) faces Royals RHP Jorge Lopez (3-7, 6.23) Thursday afternoon in the finale of the three-game series. Giolito is 3-1 with a 2.32 ERA against K.C. this season. Lopez had his longest career outing last Friday at Miami with six scoreless innings.

TOPEKA, Kan. — The Kansas Volleyball Association has announced the 2019 Week 1 volleyball rankings.

Records listed reflect information that was submitted by Monday. Current classifications for the rankings are based on enrollments from 2018-19 and the rankings will be adjusted when the updated classifications are released at the end of September.

Area Teams were ranked with Andale in 4A being ranked No. 1, with Nickerson No. 4 followed by Buhler No 7.  Buhler was unranked last week.

Hesston in 3A is ranked No. 4 again.

Rank – School – Record – Pre-Season Ranking

Class 6A

1. Blue Valley North 8-0 (7)
2. Washburn Rural 4-0 (10)
3. Blue Valley West 3-0 (5)
4. Blue Valley 2-1 (1)
5. Gardner-Edgerton 1-2 (3)
6. Garden City 4-0 (9)
7. Blue Valley Northwest 7-1 (NR)
8. Derby 6-2 (NR)
9. Mill Valley 2-2 (6)
10. Wichita East 7-1 (NR)

Class 5A

1. St. James Academy 2-0 (3)
2. St. Thomas Aquinas 1-1 (1)
3. Lansing 2-1 (2)
4. Bishop Carroll 2-0 (5)
5. Bonner Springs 3-0 (6)
6. Spring Hill 4-0 (8)
7. Maize South 8-0 (NR)
8. Topeka-Seaman 2-2 (4)
9. Andover 7-1 (7)
10. Goddard 6-2 (9)

Class 4A
1. Andale 7-0 (2)
2. Topeka-Hayden 5-0 (3)
3. Bishop Miege 0-2 (1)
4. Louisburg 2-1 (4)
5. Nickerson 7-1 (7)
6. Wichita-Trinity Academy 4-1 (5)
7. Buhler 7-1 (NR)
8. Independence 2-1 (6)
9. Circle 1-1 (10)
10. El Dorado 5-2 (NR)

Class 3A
1. Royal Valley 13-0 (2)
2. Silver Lake 4-1 (1)
3. Beloit 2-0 (3)
4. Hesston 8-2 (4)
5. Belle Plaine 3-0 (5)
6. Frontenac 2-0 (6)
7. Sabetha 6-2 (NR)
8. West Franklin 2-0 (8)
9. Wellsville 5-0 (NR)
10. Phillipsburg 4-0 (NR)

Class 2A
1. Wabaunsee 6-1 (1)
2. Smith Center 3-0 (2)
3. Garden Plain 2-0 (4)
4. Sedgwick 6-1 (3)
5. St. Mary’s-Colgan 2-1 (5)
6. Valley Heights 6-2 (6)
7. Ellinwood 4-0 (8)
8. Maranatha Christian 5-1 (9)
9. Trego Community 3-1 (10)
10. Oskaloosa 8-4 (NR)

Class 1A
1. Spearville 2-0 (2)
2. Centralia 5-2 (1)
3. Little River 3-0 (4)
4. Moundridge 4-3 (3)
5. Chetopa 8-1 (5)
6. Rural Vista 2-0 (7)
7. Thunder Ridge 6-0 (8)
8. Beloit-St. John’s/Tipton 3-0 (10)
9. Golden Plains 8-0 (NR)
10. Attica 6-0 (NR)

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Kansas City Chiefs provided updates on Tyreek Hill and Patrick Mahomes and discussed the upcoming game with the Raiders.

VICE PRESIDENT OF SPORTS MEDICINE AND PERFORMANCE RICK BURKHOLDER “The last time I met with you guys I had told you that we would give you an update on Tyreek Hill. At that time, he was in the Baptist Medical Center (Jacksonville) under Dr. (Brett) Frykberg’s care. Before we left Jacksonville, he had the dislocated sternoclavicular joint reduced. He had that reduced without surgery and had it reduced under anesthesia. All went well there. There is no damage to any of his vital organs or his vessels. He spent the night in Jacksonville at the hospital. My assistant, David Glover, was with him. They flew back here Monday. He started the rehab process on Monday night and is going through that now. He’ll be monitored throughout this period where he goes through the phases of rehab, like other injuries. We’ll do some testing with him to make sure that joint stays in the proper anatomical position. I know there is speculation out there about how long, but he has a week-to-week injury. He will be listed as ‘out’ this week. Thank you.”

CHIEFS HEAD COACH ANDY REID

OPENING STATEMENT: “The other injuries; Patrick (Mahomes), he is going to practice today, so there’s nothing there. Just a quick word. It’s September 11th. I think we all realize that, but again, our hearts go out to the responders and the victims’ families of the September 11th incidents that took place. We always keep that close to our hearts and close to our hearts at this time. We look forward to the challenge of playing the Raiders. We know they are a good football team, we saw that Monday night. We have to go through the process of getting ourselves ready to play them. Again, we look forward to that challenge. With that, time’s yours.”

Q: Does the Raiders rivalry mean as much today as it did in the past, or is it the divisional rivalry that is more important?

REID: “I think when you step into that stadium, when you’re out there you understand the rivalry. The guys that have been here, they get it. It has been a long-standing rivalry, probably as close are you’re going to have to a college atmosphere that way, as far as rivalries go. Likewise, when the Raiders come here, I think they realize that. I think it’s a neat thing. Our fans feel it and their fans feel it and the players feel it.”

Q: How long did it take you to really understand the Raider rivalry?

REID: “If you look at the history of the NFL, you realize it. I realized it when I came here. I mean, I knew about it. If you’ve been around the NFL or studied it at all, you kind of realize how important that is.”

Q: What is the best and worst part of playing a game at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum?

REID: “Well the bathrooms flooded last year, so I won’t miss that (laughter). It’s a unique stadium. It has a little nostalgia to it. It’s still baseball season, we’ll be playing on the dirt, which doesn’t happen in this league anymore. That part will be kind of neat. Since I’ve been here, and over time, I know it’s that way – but since I’ve been here, we’ve had some great battles out there. I wouldn’t expect anything different this time.”

Q: What went into the decision to keep just four wide receivers on the active roster, at least for now?

REID: “We get DAT (De’Anthony Thomas) off of suspension. We should be OK there. We had worked (Tremon) Smith in there during camp, so he can also do some things for us there. I think we felt like we would be OK at that spot. However, we loved (Byron) Pringle. With that whole thing, it wasn’t anything on his performance for that.”

Q: Will you prepare the team any different this week in anticipation for playing on the dirt infield?

REID: “There is a low water table there, anyways. I think we know that, too. So, the turf is a bit slippery, even when you’re on the grass part. You’re aware of that. The guys that haven’t played on the dirt, they’ll get out there in pregame and have a chance to work with that.”

Q: Would your play-calling change in a certain situation because you are in the dirt?

REID: “We just call the dirty plays when we’re in the dirt (laughter). But no, we’re OK.”

Q: How much do you still have to monitor Mahomes with his ankle injury?

REID: “Our medical staff, Rick (Burkholder) and the doctors, they’re the ones really monitoring it. I haven’t had a chance to watch him practice and see if he can move around and play. Right now, he’s feeling pretty good, so he’ll practice.”

Q: How realistic are you that LeSean McCoy’s workload could reasonably increase this week?

REID: “I think we have a good blend there. I can’t tell you one way or the other, but I would tell you that we’re comfortable with both guys. And (Darwin) Thompson, same thing. He can get in there and do his thing, too. We’re good with all three of those guys.”

Q: Why was the offense more effective with McCoy running the ball than with (Damien) Williams last week? Was the blocking just better when McCoy was in?

REID: “It could be that. It could be the coverages and the fronts that were presented. A lot of things go into that.”

Q: What do you need to see out of Mecole Hardman to help fill the void of Tyreek Hill’s absence?

REID: “We’ve rotated him in. He’s played. He got to play during the OTAs. He got christened during that time. We feel comfortable that he can step in and play. I’m not going to sit here and compare him to Tyreek or anything. We just go in and we play. That’s what he’ll do. We feel comfortable that we can do the stuff we do. We don’t have to change what we do.”

Q: Has there been any thought toward putting McCoy and Williams on the field at the same time?

REID: “I hadn’t thought about that. You could. That’s a viable thought, for sure.”

Q: Does there need to be a little more emphasis up front put on keeping Mahomes a little cleaner?

REID: “You don’t want him to get hit at all. That’s the objective. In some cases, we have to just do better. I have to do a better job putting the guys in the right position. When there, they have to make sure that they pick them up. That’s how it goes. We try to keep him clean the whole game.”

Q: Sammy Watkins noted that he is more comfortable with the offense now in his second year here. With your experience, how long does it normally take a player to fully understand your offensive scheme? 

REID: “He probably said it the best this year. Your second year, you’re familiar with everything, from the practices to the installs to whatever amount of plays you are putting into actually knowing the play. A lot of it comes off of knowing what the guy next to you is going to do; not just knowing your assignment, but knowing the guy next to you, what his assignment is so that you can play off of him. It takes a little bit of time to do that, but he is a smart kid and he works extremely hard. We probably didn’t cut him any breaks because we had him playing all three positions. That’s another load on there. But he works extremely hard and he learned everything. You saw him improve as the season went on, too.”

Q: Will there be a challenge in trying to contain Derek Carr, following his performance last Monday night?

REID: “Phenomenal game. I had him in the Pro Bowl before, so I got to know him as a kid. Smart guy with a lot of talent. He’s one heck of a player and we’re aware of that. It’s a great challenge for us when we play them.”

Q: When you look back at the play where Hill got hurt, was that a clean football play?

REID: “The stuff after I would probably question, but what happened initially was a good tackle.”

Q: Due to his experience with the team, is De’Anthony Thomas the best option to mimic or mirror the role that Hill plays?

REID: “He has done it before. Mecole has been kind of in that position. However, we feel good working both of them. We’re OK with that. They’ll all play. They are all going to play.”

Q: Would you say that filling the role that Hill had played will primarily fall on Hardman and Thomas?

REID: “Yeah, and D-Rob (Demarcus Robinson). D-Rob knows everything. He’s got the whole thing down, too. We’re not tied down into one thing or one person, really.”

Q: With the relationship that you have, how do you manage wanting Jon Gruden to have success, but at the same time, you’re up against each other?

REID: “Absolutely, I want him to have success. I love the competition. That’s why we’re in this. I know that team is going to be well-coached, I mean really well-coached. I love that. I think our coaches love that challenge because he has good coaches. They went through and re-tooled that team this offseason and they have good players. You love that part. That’s why you spend all of these hours doing what you do. You want all of their guys to be healthy. That’s how you want it. Then, you go play. That’s the great part about this thing.”

Q: What were your main takeaways from what you saw in the Raiders defense against Denver, considering that they’ve added new pieces such as Vontaze Burfict?

REID: “I think most of all, he (Vontaze Burfict) knows that defense inside and out. You give him different looks, he can be the adjuster on that and get guys lined up. From a coaching standpoint, he helps out in that way. He is like a coach on the field that way.”

Q: Do you prefer to let rookies gradually feel out the growing process, as opposed to throwing them in right away?

REID: “I’m OK if they play. You don’t have them very long in this day and age with free agency and all of that. If they can play, you exploit their talents, man. Get them in, cut them loose and let them go.”

Q: What do you remember feeling on 9/11?

REID: “I was right there. I was on the Eastern Seaboard there in Philadelphia. I remember it very well. I remember calling Mike Sherman, who was in Green Bay – or actually, he called me – and wanted to talk football while everything was going on. He wasn’t even aware that it was going on. I think everybody on the Eastern Seaboard was pretty locked in on where things were happening and how they were happening. Afterwards, I thought the country did a great job of rallying – I thought it was phenomenal.”

Q: Did you think that sports mattered during that time to help bond the country together?

REID: “Absolutely. Big part of it. Big part of getting everybody back. Something to jump in on and unite. I thought it was very important. In a very negative situation, that was a real positive, I thought.”

Q: What does the Raider rivalry mean to you?

MAHOMES: “You definitely know the history of the Raider rivalry and you know they’re going to give their best effort and we’re going to give our best effort to win that game. It kind of just means more. You can feel it around the community and the facility. We’re excited to be able to go there and play in Oakland and get to have a great opportunity against a great team.”

Q: How is your ankle after being able to rest it?

MAHOMES: “It’s feeling better every single day. The biggest thing was the first day after it was a little sore but since then the swelling has gone down and I’m able to move a little bit better. I’m excited about getting on the practice field and go out there and still get all the reps I would usually get.”

Q: Is it any different feeling than a common ankle injury?

MAHOMES: “No. If you’ve played sports you’ve had ankle injuries before and right when it happened, I knew what it was, but I was glad I was able to get back out there and finish the game. I’m excited about the progress I’ve made so far.”

Q: You took a couple hits last weekend; do you feel like you could’ve avoided those if you had been more mobile?

MAHOMES: “Maybe at the end. That’s a good D-line, regardless. They were moving around and flying around. They have guys that can go at every single position on that D-line and they rotate well. I thought the O-line did a good job with the heat and everything they had and what they were bringing. That was a good D-line and I was excited we still had that success as an offense.”

Q: Why were you all more effective in the running game when LeSean McCoy was in compared to the other guys?

MAHOMES: “I didn’t really notice that. I think he hit it whenever he was in there. I think Damien did a good job as well catching the ball in the back field and running the ball. That’s how we have it as an offense, whoever gets an opportunity, they’re going to make the plays no matter who is in there.”

Q: What gives you the confidence in Sammy Watkins when you don’t have Tyreek Hill out there too?

MAHOMES: “I think Sammy (Watkins) is going to do his job regardless of if Tyreek (Hill) is there or not. He’s going to go out there and play hard. He’s going to go out there and execute whatever Coach Reid asks him to do. I think having Mecole (Hardman) and D-Rob (Demarcus Robinson) and these guys who have worked hard all training camp being able to do stuff as well will help out the whole team. That’s how we’ve always been, when you get your opportunity, you go out there and make plays.”

Q: Is there any comfort in the fact you guys have done practices and OTAs where Tyreek wasn’t present?

MAHOMES: “I think the training camp, OTAs and stuff that we had in general, Coach Reid rotates those guys. G-Lew (wide receivers coach Greg Lewis) does a good job rotating those guys. We run a lot of reps at practice, so guys are getting reps no matter who is there. Even last week with the heat and everything we had we made sure to rotate guys and give them reps and that’s why when Tyreek left the game, they were able to transition easy and we could still utilize the game plan and we didn’t have to worry about what we could and couldn’t use.”

Q: Did you watch the Raiders game Monday night or what have you seen from their defense?

MAHOMES: “I got through the first half on Monday night, but I fell asleep at halftime. I did watch the film and I mean those guys are playing with a ton of energy. Those young guys they had last year have elevated their game and the guys they brought in are playing with a ton of confidence. It’ll be a great test for us. They have a lot of different coverages and different blitzes, so for us it’s going to be an early test that we’re going to have to go out there and have a good game plan for.”

Q: After the injury did you feel like there was anything you couldn’t do that you normally could?

MAHOMES: “I feel like I could still throw the ball well. The only thing that was different was some of the scrambles you’re more accustomed to seeing me do, I was more in the pocket. During the whole game I was like that anyways so there might have been a time or two where I might have scrambled out instead of getting tackled or dumping it to the flat, but I felt pretty good with where I was at.”

Q: You know how crazy the fans can be in Oakland, what are some good things you remember about going there as an opponent?

MAHOMES: “I mean it’s going to be an awesome atmosphere, you know that, especially with the rivalry and the history the Chiefs and Raiders have. It’s going to be cool to go out and play on the exact field my dad played on at one point. It will be cool to have that experience and hopefully come out with a win.”

Q: It will look like a baseball field too…

MAHOMES: “Yeah, I’ll have the dirt and everything. I’ve played short(stop) sometimes, so hopefully I’ll be able to keep my feet there.”

Q: Do you have any memories with the fans on what they have said or done as you are on the bus ride in?

MAHOMES: “They’re definitely proud of where they’re from and who they’re representing. It’s always good when you have those games and you go in there and know it’s kind of us against the world type of mentality whenever you’re on that field and in that stadium but I’m sure we’ll have a few Chiefs fans there as well.”

Q: What have the conversations been like with your dad now that you get to play on the same exact field as him?

MAHOMES: “It’s really cool when you think about it and when we talk about it. It’s still just playing the sports that we love, and it’s just worked out to play on the same exact field.”

Q: How hard is it to play on a dirt infield?

MAHOMES: “I haven’t gotten to actually do it yet, but I’ve seen how other teams have attacked it but until you actually get out there, we will just go with the flow until then.”

Q: And it’s the last one you’ll ever see…

MAHOMES: “I think it’s the last one they have, and this is supposed to be the last one this year (Oakland home game with dirt infield). It could be the last time to play on something like that, but it will be a great experience to have.”

Q: Sammy (Watkins) said that he was excited Jalen Ramsey rotated over to guard him, how did you gauge where you were at with the Jaguars defense?

MAHOMES: “I just try to make progress every week. I think that’s the biggest thing with me is to keep getting better. There’s still so much for me to learn. I want to make sure I can dissect defenses before the snap and during the snap and get us into the best play possible. Last week I feel like I did a good job getting the ball out of my hands and just letting the guys make plays and not trying to force anything when it’s not there. I’m going to try to keep getting better at that and keep trying to attack downfield as well.”

Q: Did you feel good with your protection last week, it seemed like you were getting hit a lot?

MAHOMES: “I was sitting in there and making throws. When you’re playing you’re going to get hit. My job is to stand in there and make throws into those windows and so for me I’m going to trust the O-line that they are going to protect me and make those throws when I’m in there.”

Q: The no-look play to Kelce, did you miss it or was it a decision to do a no look pass that wasn’t necessary?

MAHOMES: “I thought I did a good job moving the flat defender. I don’t think I necessarily needed to go full no-look, I could’ve looked after. I got him inside and he was trying to get to the place I wanted to throw the ball, it’s just right before I threw the ball I could’ve given a glance to get him get out of his route.”

Q: What do you do when you watch football and a commercial comes on and it’s you?

MAHOMES: “It’s still surreal. It’s still weird whenever I’m just talking to my girlfriend and I hear my voice in the background. It’s a cool deal and it seems like all those commercials came out at the same time, but it’s cool to see yourself in that place on TV.”

Q: Any new ones coming soon?

MAHOMES: “I don’t think so. Not for a while at least. Hopefully we can keep it where it’s at for a while and maybe some will come out a little later.”

Q: You had the 1st and goal after Anthony Sherman caught that pass down by the goal line and you tried that flip pass to Damien Williams. Do you feel the Jaguars were a little bit more ready for that stuff whereas it took the league a little while to catch up to that last year?

MAHOMES: “I think they did a good job of stretching that play out and making a good play on it. Obviously, we were trying to execute better when we do stuff like that. The good thing when you do a play like that, we come back later and run the ball down the middle and we get in there. You have to be able to do both. You have to run the ball up the middle when you need to and be able to stretch out wide. The fact they have to prepare for both of those will help either one of them out.”

Q: You seem more comfortable in those commercials now, is it the experience you’ve gotten?

MAHOMES: “I didn’t take any lessons, just the more experience and as you get to doing something you understand how to go about your business.”

LB ANTHONY HITCHENS

Q: What do you think about the Raiders rivalry with the Chiefs?

HITCHENS: “It’s blatantly clear they don’t like each other. It’s awesome to be a part of it. I’ve seen some videos of it in the past. We actually watched an old video today that Coach Spags (Spagnuolo) showed. It’s a great rivalry. They don’t like us and we don’t like them. At the end of the day, we’re out here trying to win a football game – by any means – we’re trying to win a football game.”

Q: Should more people be talking about Oakland TE Darren Waller?

HITCHENS: “Yeah, we have in our room. I’m not sure who else has been talking about him, but we have. He’s a good player. He can be out as a receiver, as a tight end. He’s a long lanky guy so we have some things for him, and it should be interesting. Just like every week, he’s a good football player and we have some stuff for him.”

Q: Now that it’s live, how comfortable were you with the communication and the game plan with getting everyone lined up in this new system?

HITCHENS: “I want to say there was 58 snaps, we got everyone lined up on every one. There was one where they blew up the formation and went empty and we had a massive check and didn’t get to it but other than that everyone was on the same page for the most part for the whole game. My coach didn’t come to me and say I closed this front wrong or anything like that. I think we’re all getting it and I’m sure every week we’re going to add more to our plate and it’s my job to get everybody lined up.”

Q: With Coach Spagnuolo showing you old film, what’s the underlying message of that?

HITCHENS: “It’s about being physical. The most physical team wins. And you can see guys talking smack on the field and off the field. Just being ready, keep your head on and just play ball. It’s going to be a physical match, going to be some bumps and bruises. I’m looking forward to it.”

—CHIEFS—

LAWRENCE, Kan. – Kansas volleyball and the athletic department unveiled the new Horejsi Family Volleyball Arena Tuesday to donors, staff, and others in attendance.

“It was really exciting to see the look on people’s faces as they walked into this beautiful new arena,” said head coach Ray Bechard. “Many people had wide-eye looks and big smiles when they walked into the new arena for the first time.”

The arena provides the Jayhawks with a state-of-the-art facility that was made possible by the facilities namesake, Stew Horejsi.

Horejsi was the original benefactor of the Horejsi Family Athletics Center (HFCA) and further demonstrated his love and passion for Kansas volleyball and athletics with another donation that helped ensure that the Jayhawks had one of the best facilities in the country.

The new arena, which was built in eight months, replaced the HFAC, which was the 20-year home of Kansas volleyball.

In the six-year stretch from 2012-17 in the Horejsi Family Athletics Center, an unprecedented run of success that resulted in regular sellouts at the 1,300-seat HFAC.

During that span the Jayhawks earned six-straight NCAA Tournament bids, reached the NCAA Final Four (2015), the NCAA Sweet 16 (2013), won the program’s first Big 12 Championship (2016) and won 85 percent of their matches in the HFAC (77-14).

The new home of Kansas Volleyball features 30,000-square feet of space that both improve the player and fan experience. In addition, the facility seats 2,265 fans, contains a start-of-the-art Taraflex court, a 324-square foot (12′ 9.8″ by 25′ 3.5″) video board and 2,500-square foot mezzanine.

“I am beyond excited and happy to see volleyball valued in this community, athletic department and in this campus,” Bechard said. “Thanks to Jeff Long, Mallory Gilliand, our administration and everyone involved that made this possible. The attendance tonight was outstanding.”

Other additions to the facility include custom lockers, expanded showers, a team lounge that includes a film-viewing area with tiered seating, integrated audio-visual, a kitchenette and team storage space.

“Now we have to get a training schedule established because we have been traveling and competing on the road,” said Bechard. “We play Morehead State on Thursday and it is coming up really quick. They have had a high level of success to start the year and have a long volleyball tradition too.”

Kansas is scheduled to play its first match in the new arena against Morehead State Sept. 12 at 7 p.m., and host the Kansas Invitational Sept. 12-15.

“We will be excited but need to treat it as what it is and take care of the little things,” stated Bechard. “There will be a lot of sensory overload with the video board, additional fans and other distractions that come from a new arena. I think our team will settle in and enjoy the experience of making this place feel like home.”

Fans that are unable to attend the opening match are encouraged to watch via ESPN+/Big 12 Now and follow the Jayhawks on social media for updates, highlights, and behind-the-scenes content.

Scores from Hutch High Athletic competition this week
Freshman Football
Hutchinson 16
Wichita West 6

JV Football
Wichita West 34
Hutchinson 0

Soccer
Hutchinson 2
Rose Hill 1

Varsity Volleyball
Hutchinson 25-25
Campus 10-10

Hutchinson 23-25-25
Maize 25-23-12

JV Volleyball
Hutchinson 25-26
Maize 14-24

Maize 25-26
Hutchinson 13-24

DENVER (AP) — Nolan Arenado hit a 482-foot two-run homer that bounced out of Coors Field in the first inning, Chi Chi González got his first big league win in four years and the Colorado Rockies slowed the St. Louis Cardinals’ playoff push with a 2-1 victory. St. Louis had won 23 of 30 coming in to open a four-game lead in the NL Central over the second-place Chicago Cubs.

CHICAGO (AP) — Rookie Eloy Jiménez hit his first career grand slam, Yoán Moncada launched a monster two-run homer and the Chicago White Sox beat the Kansas City Royals 7-3. Adam Engel added a solo shot for as the White Sox won their second straight, but just their fourth in 14 games. Adalberto Mondesi, Alex Gordon and Ryan O’Hearn went deep for the Royals on a warm night where the ball carried well and every run was scored on a homer.

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Jordan Morris scored his first international goal in more than two years in the 79th minute, giving the United States a 1-1 tie against Uruguay in an exhibition game. Brian Rodriguez, a 19-year-old Los Angeles FC forward who made his international debut last week, put fifth-ranked Uruguay ahead off a counterattack in the 50th minute. Morris scored after José Giménez’s attempted clearance near the end line bounced of American defender Nick Lima and bounded in front of the open goal.

MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) — Kansas State is riding a wave of momentum, beginning with its hot start under new football coach Chris Klieman. The school also announced more than $100 million in facility upgrades that include a new volleyball arena, indoor football facility and Olympic training center.

AMES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa State entered this season with more hype than ever before and then almost lost to Northern Iowa in the opener. The Cyclones know they will need to be much better to knock off No. 19 Iowa on Saturday. Hamstrung by a lack of explosive plays, bad penalties and somewhat inconsistent line play, Iowa State only scored 13 regulation points against Northern Iowa. Coach Matt Campbell says his team needs to force the flow of the game.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Chiefs have returned De’Anthony Thomas to the active roster and waived fellow wide receiver Byron Pringle with the hope that they can sign him to the practice squad should he clear waivers.

National Headlines

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) _ The Minnesota Twins have placed center fielder Byron Buxton and his ailing left shoulder on the 60-day injured list, ending his season. The injury leaves the American League Central leaders without their best defensive player for the rest of the pennant race and beyond. He batted .262 with 30 doubles, four triples, 10 homers, 46 RBIs and 48 runs in only 271 at-bats.

HOUSTON (AP) _ Houston Texans center Nick Martin has signed a three-year, $33 million contract extension that runs through the 2022 season. Martin has appeared in 31 games for the Texans since being selected in the second round of the 2016 draft. He is set to make just more than $1.1 million this season while playing alongside new left tackle Laremy Tunsil, who was acquired from Miami on Aug. 31.

RENTON, Wash. (AP) _ The Seattle Seahawks have re-signed veteran cornerback Jamar Taylor, who was one of the team’s final cuts at the end of training camp after signing a contract in May. Taylor is likely being brought in as backfield insurance following the shoulder injury suffered by rookie Ugo Amadi in the season opener. Seattle released cornerback Parry Nickerson to clear a roster spot for Taylor.

NEW YORK (AP) _ Sam Ficken is the fourth kicker to be signed by the New York Jets since July. Ficken was with Green Bay during training camp before he was waived among the Packers’ final cuts. The Jets waived Kaare Vedvik (KAH’-ree VEHD’-vihk) after he missed an extra point and a 45-yard field-goal attempt in the Jets’ 17-16 season-opening loss to the Buffalo Bills on Sunday.

NEW YORK (AP) _ Jets defensive lineman Nathan Shepherd has received a six-game suspension from the NFL for violating the league’s policy on performance-enhancers. Shepherd told NFL.com he failed two tests this summer while recovering from shoulder and groin injuries. He will be eligible to return to the Jets’ active roster on Oct. 28.

Tuesday Scores

INTERLEAGUE
Final L-A Dodgers 7 Baltimore 3
Final Minnesota 5 Washington 0
Final Seattle 4 Cincinnati 3

AMERICAN LEAGUE
Final Detroit 12 N-Y Yankees 11
Final Toronto 4 Boston 3
Final Chi White Sox 7 Kansas City 3
Final Oakland 21 Houston 7
Final Tampa Bay 5 Texas 3 (11 Innings)
Final Cleveland 8 L-A Angels 0

NATIONAL LEAGUE
Final Philadelphia 6 Atlanta 5
Final N-Y Mets 3 Arizona 2
Final Milwaukee 4 Miami 3
Final Colorado 2 St. Louis 1
Final San Francisco 5 Pittsburgh 4
Final San Diego 9 Chi Cubs 8 (10 Innings)