MANHATTAN, Kan.&nbsp;–&nbsp;Coming off a performance that saw him register 176 total yards and two touchdowns in the Wildcats’ 48-0 win over No. 9 Oklahoma State, Kansas State running back&nbsp;Deuce Vaughn&nbsp;was named the Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award Player of the Week on Tuesday.

Vaughn finished the game with 158 rushing yards – which included a 62-yard touchdown – while he hauled in four passes for 18 yards, including a one-yard touchdown catch with seven seconds left before halftime.

It was Vaughn’s fifth 100-yard rushing game this season to tie for ninth in school history, while it was the 17th&nbsp;in his 31-game career. During the contest against the Cowboys, Vaughn moved into third place in school history in career rushing yards (2,948) and career all-purpose yards (4,125), into a tie for fifth place in career rushing touchdowns (30), from outside the top-10 to sixth place in career rushing attempts (512) and into 10th&nbsp;place in career points scored (222).

Vaughn, who is the fourth fastest player nationally since 1996 with 2,500 rushing yards and 1,000 receiving yards in a career, is just 52 rushing yards away from hitting the 3,000-yard rushing mark. If he were to accomplish it this week against Texas – his 32nd-career game – he would tie Saquan Barkley (Penn State) and Jeremy McNichols (Boise State) for the fastest since 1996 to hit 3,000 yards on the ground and 1,000 yards through the air.

Additionally, Vaughn sits at 902 rushing yards this year as he looks to become just the third player in school history with multiple 1,000-yard rushing seasons. He would join Darren Sproles (2002, 2003, 2004) and Daniel Thomas (2009, 2010) on that list.

Kansas State, ranked No. 13 in this week’s Associated Press Top-25, hosts Texas this Saturday in a battle of two of the top teams in the Big 12. The game kicks off at 6 p.m., and will be shown on FS1. Standing-room only tickets remain for the game against the Longhorns and the Dillions Sunflower Showdown against Kansas on November 26.&nbsp;

MANHATTAN, Kan.&nbsp;–&nbsp;Coming off a performance that saw him register 176 total yards and two touchdowns in the Wildcats’ 48-0 win over No. 9 Oklahoma State, Kansas State running back&nbsp;Deuce Vaughn&nbsp;was named the Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award Player of the Week on Tuesday.Vaughn finished the game with 158 rushing yards – which included a 62-yard touchdown – while he hauled in four passes for 18 yards, including a one-yard touchdown catch with seven seconds left before halftime.It was Vaughn’s fifth 100-yard rushing game this season to tie for ninth in school history, while it was the 17th&nbsp;in his 31-game career. During the contest against the Cowboys, Vaughn moved into third place in school history in career rushing yards (2,948) and career all-purpose yards (4,125), into a tie for fifth place in career rushing touchdowns (30), from outside the top-10 to sixth place in career rushing attempts (512) and into 10th&nbsp;place in career points scored (222).Vaughn, who is the fourth fastest player nationally since 1996 with 2,500 rushing yards and 1,000 receiving yards in a career, is just 52 rushing yards away from hitting the 3,000-yard rushing mark. If he were to accomplish it this week against Texas – his 32nd-career game – he would tie Saquan Barkley (Penn State) and Jeremy McNichols (Boise State) for the fastest since 1996 to hit 3,000 yards on the ground and 1,000 yards through the air.Additionally, Vaughn sits at 902 rushing yards this year as he looks to become just the third player in school history with multiple 1,000-yard rushing seasons. He would join Darren Sproles (2002, 2003, 2004) and Daniel Thomas (2009, 2010) on that list.Kansas State, ranked No. 13 in this week’s Associated Press Top-25, hosts Texas this Saturday in a battle of two of the top teams in the Big 12. The game kicks off at 6 p.m., and will be shown on FS1. Standing-room only tickets remain for the game against the Longhorns and the Dillions Sunflower Showdown against Kansas on November 26.&nbsp;

K-State’s Vaughn Garners Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Player of the Week Honors

by BECKY GOFF Little Apple Post

The Green Bay Packers have announced Jordy Nelson as a 2023 inductee into the Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame.

Nelson is ranked number 4 in team history for reception, with 550 catches; ranked 6th for receiving yards with 7,848 yards. He's ranked third in touchdown receptions with 69 and is fourth in games receiving 100 yards or more with 25 ames.

Nelson is the only player in the team's historical records to record three season with 13 or more Touchdown receptions in 2011, 2014, and 2016.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/11/1667320497738.jpeg" alt="Green Bay Packers wide receiver Jordy Nelson celebrates touchdown against Pittsburgh Steelers in Super Bowl XLV win, Dallas Cowboys Stadium, Arlington, Texas, in 2011. Associated Press photo illustration" />
 <figcaption>Green Bay Packers wide receiver Jordy Nelson celebrates touchdown against Pittsburgh Steelers in Super Bowl XLV win, Dallas Cowboys Stadium, Arlington, Texas, in 2011. Associated Press photo illustration</figcaption>
 </figure>by BECKY GOFF Little Apple PostThe Green Bay Packers have announced Jordy Nelson as a 2023 inductee into the Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame.Nelson is ranked number 4 in team history for reception, with 550 catches; ranked 6th for receiving yards with 7,848 yards. He's ranked third in touchdown receptions with 69 and is fourth in games receiving 100 yards or more with 25 ames.Nelson is the only player in the team's historical records to record three season with 13 or more Touchdown receptions in 2011, 2014, and 2016.&nbsp;<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FPackers%2Fposts%2Fpfbid0ye5i61rBxtAjq27oCDvNpzrqxky5mtia9eGcAdv8ifvq3pgs32tBDawnGmJtUfhjl&show_text=true&width=500" width="500" height="699" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share"></iframe></div>

🏈 Former K-Stater Jordy Nelson inducted to the Green Bay Packer Hall of Fame

Congratulations to Eric Carlson of Salina, the Week 8 winner in Salina Pain Clinic's Gridiron Glory contest!

Eric, who scored 13 of 15 points, wins two tickets and a parking pass to the Kansas City Chiefs' home game against the Tennessee Titans Sunday.

Although the season has begun, you still have time to win!

<a href="https://salinapost.com/posts/6457a6fe-ce1b-48df-a651-5d8582b478f7?contestid=3#registration/login">Sign up today</a>&nbsp;to make your picks for a chance to win great weekly prizes, including cash,&nbsp;gift cards, concert tickets, and Chiefs tickets.&nbsp;If you pick well, you'll also be in the running for the local season prize of $1,000 and a national season prize of a trip to Hawaii!

Don't miss out on the state's best pro football pick'em contest!&nbsp;

<a href="https://salinapost.com/posts/6457a6fe-ce1b-48df-a651-5d8582b478f7?contestid=3#registration/login">Click here to register for Gridiron Glory</a>

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/9/1662062091203.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Congratulations to Eric Carlson of Salina, the Week 8 winner in Salina Pain Clinic's Gridiron Glory contest!Eric, who scored 13 of 15 points, wins two tickets and a parking pass to the Kansas City Chiefs' home game against the Tennessee Titans Sunday.Although the season has begun, you still have time to win!<a href="https://salinapost.com/posts/6457a6fe-ce1b-48df-a651-5d8582b478f7?contestid=3#registration/login">Sign up today</a>&nbsp;to make your picks for a chance to win great weekly prizes, including cash,&nbsp;gift cards, concert tickets, and Chiefs tickets.&nbsp;If you pick well, you'll also be in the running for the local season prize of $1,000 and a national season prize of a trip to Hawaii!Don't miss out on the state's best pro football pick'em contest!&nbsp;<a href="https://salinapost.com/posts/6457a6fe-ce1b-48df-a651-5d8582b478f7?contestid=3#registration/login">Click here to register for Gridiron Glory</a>

Gridiron Glory: Congratulations Eric Carlson!

MANHATTAN, Kan.&nbsp;–&nbsp;For a third time this season Kansas State had a pair of players earn weekly honors from the conference, as junior quarterback&nbsp;Will Howard&nbsp;was named the Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week and senior punter/kicker&nbsp;Ty Zentner&nbsp;earned Big 12 Special Teams Player of the Week accolades, the conference office announced Monday.

It is the first honor for each player and gives K-State eight Big 12 weekly honors this season, the second most in the conference (Oklahoma State – 9) and its most since the Wildcats had nine in 2012.

In addition to his weekly conference honor, Howard was also named a Manning Award Star of the Week and is in the running for Manning Award Quarterback of the Week via a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?vanity=allstatesugarbowl&amp;set=a.10166602353855459" target="_blank">vote on Facebook</a>.

Howard tied the school record with four touchdown passes in K-State’s 48-0 win over No. 9 Oklahoma State. The junior was 21-of-37 for 296 passing yards with no interceptions as he set a new career high in yards and tied his career high in completions. Each of Howard’s touchdown passes came in the first half as he became just the third quarterback in school history to throw four touchdown passes in a half, the other two being Michael Bishop (1997 vs. Northern Illinois) and Paul Watson (1988 vs. Louisiana Tech).

Zentner handled all three kicking duties for K-State for the first time this season. Two of his four punts were downed inside the 20-yard line in addition to hitting a 51-yarder, while five of his nine kickoffs were touchbacks. The senior also connected on both of his field goal attempts and all six extra point attempts.

Ranked 13th&nbsp;in this week’s Associated Press Top 25, Kansas State hosts Texas on Saturday inside Bill Snyder Family Stadium. The game, which serves as Harley Day and kicks off at 6 p.m., will be televised by FS1.

MANHATTAN, Kan.&nbsp;–&nbsp;For a third time this season Kansas State had a pair of players earn weekly honors from the conference, as junior quarterback&nbsp;Will Howard&nbsp;was named the Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week and senior punter/kicker&nbsp;Ty Zentner&nbsp;earned Big 12 Special Teams Player of the Week accolades, the conference office announced Monday.It is the first honor for each player and gives K-State eight Big 12 weekly honors this season, the second most in the conference (Oklahoma State – 9) and its most since the Wildcats had nine in 2012.In addition to his weekly conference honor, Howard was also named a Manning Award Star of the Week and is in the running for Manning Award Quarterback of the Week via a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?vanity=allstatesugarbowl&amp;set=a.10166602353855459" target="_blank">vote on Facebook</a>.Howard tied the school record with four touchdown passes in K-State’s 48-0 win over No. 9 Oklahoma State. The junior was 21-of-37 for 296 passing yards with no interceptions as he set a new career high in yards and tied his career high in completions. Each of Howard’s touchdown passes came in the first half as he became just the third quarterback in school history to throw four touchdown passes in a half, the other two being Michael Bishop (1997 vs. Northern Illinois) and Paul Watson (1988 vs. Louisiana Tech).Zentner handled all three kicking duties for K-State for the first time this season. Two of his four punts were downed inside the 20-yard line in addition to hitting a 51-yarder, while five of his nine kickoffs were touchbacks. The senior also connected on both of his field goal attempts and all six extra point attempts.Ranked 13th&nbsp;in this week’s Associated Press Top 25, Kansas State hosts Texas on Saturday inside Bill Snyder Family Stadium. The game, which serves as Harley Day and kicks off at 6 p.m., will be televised by FS1.– k-statesports.com –

K-State’s Howard, Zentner Named Big 12 Players of the Week

MANHATTAN, Kan.&nbsp;–&nbsp;The Big 12 Conference and FOX announced Monday that Kansas State’s Nov. 12 contest at Baylor will kick at 6 p.m. and will air on either FOX or FS1. The network designation will be determined after games this weekend.

The Wildcats are seeking to break a four-game losing skid to the Bears as their last victory was a 33-20 triumph at home in 2017. The year prior, K-State won in Waco, 42-21.

<a>Ranked 13th&nbsp;in this week’s Associated Press Top 25, Kansas State hosts Texas on Saturday inside Bill Snyder Family Stadium. The Harley Day game, which is slated for a 6 p.m. kick, will air on FS1</a>

MANHATTAN, Kan.&nbsp;–&nbsp;The Big 12 Conference and FOX announced Monday that Kansas State’s Nov. 12 contest at Baylor will kick at 6 p.m. and will air on either FOX or FS1. The network designation will be determined after games this weekend.The Wildcats are seeking to break a four-game losing skid to the Bears as their last victory was a 33-20 triumph at home in 2017. The year prior, K-State won in Waco, 42-21.<a>Ranked 13th&nbsp;in this week’s Associated Press Top 25, Kansas State hosts Texas on Saturday inside Bill Snyder Family Stadium. The Harley Day game, which is slated for a 6 p.m. kick, will air on FS1</a>

K-State at Baylor set for night kickoff

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Royals hired Tampa Bay Rays bench coach Matt Quatraro as manager Sunday night, turning over the young core of a rebuilding franchise to a forward-thinking manager with experience winning in a small market. Quatraro replaces Mike Matheny, who was fired as part of a wide-spread shakeup within the Royals after a 65-97 finish for their sixth straight losing season. Quatraro was chosen by Royals general manager J.J. Picollo, who took over as head of the club’s baseball operations after the firing of longtime front-office executive Dayton Moore.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Royals hired Tampa Bay Rays bench coach Matt Quatraro as manager Sunday night, turning over the young core of a rebuilding franchise to a forward-thinking manager with experience winning in a small market. Quatraro replaces Mike Matheny, who was fired as part of a wide-spread shakeup within the Royals after a 65-97 finish for their sixth straight losing season. Quatraro was chosen by Royals general manager J.J. Picollo, who took over as head of the club’s baseball operations after the firing of longtime front-office executive Dayton Moore.

Royals hire a new manager

By RALPH D. RUSSO AP College Football Writer

The Big 12 has reached an agreement on a six-year contract extension with ESPN and Fox worth more than $2 billion that will keep the conference's media rights with those networks through the 2030-31 college sports seasons, according to people familiar with the deal.

Two people confirmed details of the new media rights deal to The Associated Press on Sunday, speaking on condition of anonymity because contracts have yet to be finalized and no official announcement was expected soon.

Sports Business Journal was the first to report the deal would be worth $380 million annually. The Big 12 still has two years left on its current deals with Fox and ESPN.

New Big 12 Commissioner Brett Yormark announced in August he was engaging the networks in discussions about an extension and just a few weeks ago said a new deal could be done soon.

The television deal provides stability to a league that a little more than a year ago seemed to be in danger of falling apart. Oklahoma and Texas announced in the summer of 2021 that they intended to leave the Big 12 for the Southeastern Conference at the end of the current TV deal, which expires in 2025.

Former Big 12 Commissioner Bob Bowlsby and the conference moved quickly to add Houston, Cincinnati, Central Florida and BYU. Those four will join next year, giving the Big 12 14 teams for at least one season.

It would cost tens of millions of dollars for Texas and Oklahoma to break current contracts leave the conference early.

Without the Longhorns and Sooners, there were concerns about how much networks would value the the Big 12. The final two years of the current deal pays $220 million annually.

By RALPH D. RUSSO AP College Football WriterThe Big 12 has reached an agreement on a six-year contract extension with ESPN and Fox worth more than $2 billion that will keep the conference's media rights with those networks through the 2030-31 college sports seasons, according to people familiar with the deal.Two people confirmed details of the new media rights deal to The Associated Press on Sunday, speaking on condition of anonymity because contracts have yet to be finalized and no official announcement was expected soon.Sports Business Journal was the first to report the deal would be worth $380 million annually. The Big 12 still has two years left on its current deals with Fox and ESPN.New Big 12 Commissioner Brett Yormark announced in August he was engaging the networks in discussions about an extension and just a few weeks ago said a new deal could be done soon.The television deal provides stability to a league that a little more than a year ago seemed to be in danger of falling apart. Oklahoma and Texas announced in the summer of 2021 that they intended to leave the Big 12 for the Southeastern Conference at the end of the current TV deal, which expires in 2025.Former Big 12 Commissioner Bob Bowlsby and the conference moved quickly to add Houston, Cincinnati, Central Florida and BYU. Those four will join next year, giving the Big 12 14 teams for at least one season.It would cost tens of millions of dollars for Texas and Oklahoma to break current contracts leave the conference early.Without the Longhorns and Sooners, there were concerns about how much networks would value the the Big 12. The final two years of the current deal pays $220 million annually.

AP sources: Big 12 agrees to 6-year extension with ESPN, Fox

MANHATTAN, Kan.&nbsp;–&nbsp;The theme for Kansas State Homecoming week was “Wildcat Dreams.” K-State in dream-like fashion issued a statement across the college football world with one of the most lopsided victories in top-10 history.

Will Howard threw for 296 yards and four touchdowns, and the defense enjoyed its most dominant effort against a Big 12 Conference opponent this season, as No. 22 K-State throttled No. 9 Oklahoma State, 48-0, in a historic display that ended with students flooding the field and carrying the hero quarterback off on their shoulders at Bill Snyder Family Stadium.

“I’ll cherish that for the rest of my life,” Howard said. “That was a pretty cool moment. I’m a humble guy and don’t like to have the spotlight on me or anything, but I didn’t really have a choice in that situation.

And one week after K-State suffered a 38-28 loss at No. 8 TCU, Howard picked up the Wildcats during his first start of the season in place of injured senior Adrian Martinez. K-State claimed sole possession of second place in the Big 12 while posing the largest ever shutout victory by a lower-ranked team against an AP top-1o opponent.

“This is as good a win collectively as I’ve been a part of,” said Chris Klieman, who became the first K-State head coach to beat two top-10 opponents in a single season.

K-State, 6-2 overall and 4-1 in the Big 12, captured bowl eligibility for a second straight season and for the third time in four years, hobbling the Cowboys, 6-2 and 3-2, in bareknuckle fashion and shutting out Oklahoma State for the first time since a 10-0 win in 1992.

The Wildcats recorded the biggest shutout win ever of an AP Top-10 team by a lower-ranked team. It also marked Oklahoma State’s first shutout loss against a Big 12 opponent since a 27-0 defeat at Oklahoma on November 28, 2009.

“This was a lot of fun,” said K-State linebacker Nick Allen, who had a team-high eight tackles. “It was very dominant. We got through the third quarter and were like, ‘We’ve got to keep the zero on the board.’ We accomplished that goal.”

Oklahoma State averaged 45.7 points and 466.9 total yards, and they left with no points and 217 total yards to the delight of 51,133 that also saw Howard and his wide receivers make a statement as Deuce Vaughn raced up the all-time rushing charts.

Vaughn rushed 22 times for 158 yards and one touchdown and added four catches for 18 yards and a 1-yard touchdown reception with 7 seconds left in the second quarter to lift K-State to a 35-0 halftime lead.

In the process, Vaughn passed Ell Roberson at No. 4 and Daniel Thomas at No. 3 in all-time in rushing at K-State. Vaughn has 2,948 yards. He needs 46 more to pass John Hubert for No. 2 on the all-time rushing list.

Associate Athletics Director for Communications

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/10/1667098421701.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>MANHATTAN, Kan.&nbsp;–&nbsp;The theme for Kansas State Homecoming week was “Wildcat Dreams.” K-State in dream-like fashion issued a statement across the college football world with one of the most lopsided victories in top-10 history.Will Howard threw for 296 yards and four touchdowns, and the defense enjoyed its most dominant effort against a Big 12 Conference opponent this season, as No. 22 K-State throttled No. 9 Oklahoma State, 48-0, in a historic display that ended with students flooding the field and carrying the hero quarterback off on their shoulders at Bill Snyder Family Stadium.“I’ll cherish that for the rest of my life,” Howard said. “That was a pretty cool moment. I’m a humble guy and don’t like to have the spotlight on me or anything, but I didn’t really have a choice in that situation.“They picked me up.”And one week after K-State suffered a 38-28 loss at No. 8 TCU, Howard picked up the Wildcats during his first start of the season in place of injured senior Adrian Martinez. K-State claimed sole possession of second place in the Big 12 while posing the largest ever shutout victory by a lower-ranked team against an AP top-1o opponent.“This is as good a win collectively as I’ve been a part of,” said Chris Klieman, who became the first K-State head coach to beat two top-10 opponents in a single season.K-State, 6-2 overall and 4-1 in the Big 12, captured bowl eligibility for a second straight season and for the third time in four years, hobbling the Cowboys, 6-2 and 3-2, in bareknuckle fashion and shutting out Oklahoma State for the first time since a 10-0 win in 1992.The Wildcats recorded the biggest shutout win ever of an AP Top-10 team by a lower-ranked team. It also marked Oklahoma State’s first shutout loss against a Big 12 opponent since a 27-0 defeat at Oklahoma on November 28, 2009.“This was a lot of fun,” said K-State linebacker Nick Allen, who had a team-high eight tackles. “It was very dominant. We got through the third quarter and were like, ‘We’ve got to keep the zero on the board.’ We accomplished that goal.”Oklahoma State averaged 45.7 points and 466.9 total yards, and they left with no points and 217 total yards to the delight of 51,133 that also saw Howard and his wide receivers make a statement as Deuce Vaughn raced up the all-time rushing charts.Vaughn rushed 22 times for 158 yards and one touchdown and added four catches for 18 yards and a 1-yard touchdown reception with 7 seconds left in the second quarter to lift K-State to a 35-0 halftime lead.In the process, Vaughn passed Ell Roberson at No. 4 and Daniel Thomas at No. 3 in all-time in rushing at K-State. Vaughn has 2,948 yards. He needs 46 more to pass John Hubert for No. 2 on the all-time rushing list.RYAN LACKEYAssociate Athletics Director for Communications

Wildcats shut out Oklahoma State

By JAMES WALKER <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-first-televised-world-series-spurred-americas-television-boom-75-years-ago-193006">The Conversation</a>

Boston Red Sox catcher Carlton Fisk <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2WRi6iZAl-I">desperately waving at his home run to stay in play</a>. Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Kirk Gibson <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AZzGkoXlaTM">pumping his arms</a>
 as he hobbles around second base after muscling a home run off Dennis 
Eckersley, the Oakland A’s dominant closer. The ground ball hit by New 
York Mets outfielder Mookie Wilson <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rpyJjecJnuI">skipping through the legs</a> of Red Sox first baseman Bill Buckner.

Some of the most dramatic images in World Series history are 
ingrained in the minds of baseball fans thanks to television coverage. 
This year’s World Series between the Philadelphia Phillies and Houston 
Astros will surely bring another timeless highlight to the <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2021/11/03/2021-world-series-ratings-braves-astros-game-6-draws-14point3-million.html">12 million or so viewers</a> expected to watch.

Yet the first 43 World Series weren’t televised at all. It wasn’t 
until the 1947 series between the New York Yankees and Brooklyn Dodgers –
 75 years ago – that fans could watch their favorite players duke it out
 on screen. 

As I detail in my book “<a href="https://www.nebraskapress.unl.edu/bison-original/9780803248250/">Center Field Shot: A History of Baseball on Television</a>,”
 which I co-authored with Robert Bellamy, the telecasts became a 
sensation. They drew millions of Americans to a new medium at a time 
when there were no national networks, only a handful of stations and 
somewhere between 50,000 and 60,000 TVs in the entire country.

In August 1947, the television industry anticipated a possible 
all-New York World Series: The Yankees had a huge lead in the American 
League, while the Dodgers also held a substantial one in the National 
League.  

If the two teams met in October, New York’s three television stations – run by NBC ABC, and the now-extinct <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/DuMont-Television-Network">DuMont</a> – decided they wanted to cover the games.

But the rights to televise the games were held by the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Mutual-Broadcasting-System">Mutual Broadcasting System</a>,
 a radio network that had no television division. Thus, Mutual would 
need to farm out the coverage to one or more New York stations.

Although no national television network existed at the time, NBC, 
DuMont and CBS did have the means to link stations on the Eastern 
Seaboard through a combination of coaxial cable, microwave and 
over-the-air broadcast transmissions, expanding the potential audience 
for the World Series. The Series would air on eight stations in four 
markets: New York City, Philadelphia, Washington and Schenectady, New 
York.

While the Yankees-Dodgers series materialized, the televising of the Series almost didn’t. 

The predictable stumbling block was money. Baseball commissioner <a href="https://baseballhall.org/hall-of-famers/chandler-happy">Albert B. “Happy” Chandler</a>
 wanted $100,000 for the television rights to the Series. Gillette, the 
sponsor of the radio coverage on the Mutual Broadcasting System, balked 
at the steep price given television’s limited penetration – only 50,000 
to 60,000 U.S. households owned TVs at the time. The radio rights to 
reach the nation’s 29 million homes with radios had cost Mutual only 
$175,000.

Initial negotiations produced an offer of $60,000 from two sponsors: Gillette and the Ford Motor Company. New York’s <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_Liebmann">Liebmann Breweries</a>
 offered to meet Chandler’s $100,000 demand, but the commissioner 
refused because he did not want beer ads when youngsters would be 
prominent members of the audience.

Even before a coverage deal had been finalized, bars, restaurants, 
television dealers, department stores, automobile dealerships and movie 
theaters started advertising the event, urging customers to come by to 
watch the World Series on television. And in the days and weeks leading 
up to the Fall Classic, the demand for television sets spiked. 

The excitement pressured Chandler and the sponsors to reach a compromise.   

Finally, on Sept. 26, just four days before Game 1 at Yankee Stadium, Chandler, Gillette and Ford <a href="https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-BC/BC-1947/1947-10-06-BC.pdf">agreed to $65,000 for the rights to televise the World Series</a>.
 Production costs added another $35,000 to the sponsors’ bill. Mutual, 
Gillette and Ford also agreed to allow all three New York TV stations 
and those connected to them to broadcast the game, providing the widest 
possible exposure.

Initial industry estimates had the Series reaching between 600,000 
and 700,000 viewers, many of them located in the bars and restaurants 
where a substantial number of the nation’s first television receivers 
were located.  

But that forecast ended up being conservative. Although home viewing for the seven games was substantial – 450,000 in a <a href="https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Billboard/40s/1947/BB-1947-10-18.pdf">Hooper rating survey commissioned by Billboard</a>
 – the out-of-home viewing numbers were extraordinary: Another 3.5 
million were estimated to have viewed the World Series in public 
locales.

Hooper’s survey found that an average of 82 customers showed up at 
each of these public locations to watch at least some of the World 
Series. Variety reported that bar owners saw a 500% increase in patrons 
during the Series, with some offering reservations to their regulars for
 a choice location near the TV set.

What viewers from those choice seats saw was primitive by today’s 
standards. The screen was usually small – 12 diagonal inches or less. 
The low-definition images were black and white and came from just a few 
cameras. No extreme close-ups were possible. There was no instant 
replay, so fans had to pay attention or the moment was lost. 

But for the first time, they were seeing the World Series live, and for free.

The audience liked what they saw. <a href="https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Billboard/40s/1947/BB-1947-10-11.pdf">Billboard</a>,
 quoting The Newark Evening News, reported that TV “audiences hung on 
every turn of the video cameras and the ‘oohs and aahs’ at a slide or 
strikeout were something radio broadcasters would give their eye teeth 
to hear.”

It didn’t hurt that <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/postseason/1947_WS.shtml">the 1947 World Series</a> ended up being so dramatic. The Yankees prevailed in seven games, but Brooklyn owned the two greatest moments.

In the bottom of the ninth inning of Game 4, Dodgers pitch hitter <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oWjpOAy5zCM">Cookie Lavagetto ended Yankee starter Bill Biven’s no-hit bid</a> with a two-out hit, driving in two runs and sending the Dodgers to a 3-2 win. Then, in Game 6, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4SrtxVs8uMI">Al Gionfriddo’s stunning catch of Joe DiMaggio’s deep drive to left field</a> helped preserve an 8-6 Dodgers victory, leading legendary Dodgers broadcaster <a href="https://books.google.com/books/about/Red_Barber.html?id=lWhgEAAAQBAJ">Red Barber</a> to exclaim, “Oh, Doctor!”

The Washington broadcasts even reached the White House, where 
President Harry S. Truman, his staff and the D.C. press corps watched 
some of the contests. The <a href="https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-Televiser/Televiser-1947-09-10.pdf">industry magazine Televiser</a>
 reported an enthusiastic response from the White House viewers: “If TV 
can do as good a job as that on perhaps the most difficult of all 
subjects to televise, then it really has arrived.”

The public’s embrace of the World Series on television, along with 
the generous coverage of the telecasts by the press, provided an 
important boost to the nascent television industry. The Sporting News 
reported that the first televised World Series increased sales for new 
receivers in New York to levels not seen since the early days of radio. 
Similar reports came from dealers in Washington and Philadelphia.

<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Sarnoff">David Sarnoff</a>,
 chairman of RCA – which owed NBC and was a leading manufacturer of 
receivers – regarded television’s coverage of baseball and its crowning 
event, the World Series, as one of the most important factors in 
triggering the growth of the new medium.

Television makers, <a href="https://books.google.com/books/about/Center_Field_Shot.html?id=6kPQhpS-X8YC">he concluded</a>,
 “had to have baseball games and if [baseball owners] had demanded 
millions for the rights, we would have had to give it to them.”

The television industry eventually did pay millions and then billions for those rights. <a href="https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Daily/Issues/2018/11/15/Media/MLB-Fox.aspx">Fox’s latest seven-year contract</a>, including rights to the World Series, pays Major League Baseball $5.1 billion.

Happy Chandler’s 1947 demand for a $100,000 seems like quite a bargain today.

James Walker is
 Emeritus Professor of Communication at Saint Xavier University.

<figure>
 <iframe width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/oWjpOAy5zCM"></iframe>
 <figcaption>An estimated 3.5 million Americans viewed the first televised World Series at bars, restaurants and storefronts.</figcaption>
 </figure>By JAMES WALKER <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-first-televised-world-series-spurred-americas-television-boom-75-years-ago-193006">The Conversation</a>Boston Red Sox catcher Carlton Fisk <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2WRi6iZAl-I">desperately waving at his home run to stay in play</a>. Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Kirk Gibson <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AZzGkoXlaTM">pumping his arms</a>
 as he hobbles around second base after muscling a home run off Dennis 
Eckersley, the Oakland A’s dominant closer. The ground ball hit by New 
York Mets outfielder Mookie Wilson <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rpyJjecJnuI">skipping through the legs</a> of Red Sox first baseman Bill Buckner. Some of the most dramatic images in World Series history are 
ingrained in the minds of baseball fans thanks to television coverage. 
This year’s World Series between the Philadelphia Phillies and Houston 
Astros will surely bring another timeless highlight to the <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2021/11/03/2021-world-series-ratings-braves-astros-game-6-draws-14point3-million.html">12 million or so viewers</a> expected to watch. Yet the first 43 World Series weren’t televised at all. It wasn’t 
until the 1947 series between the New York Yankees and Brooklyn Dodgers –
 75 years ago – that fans could watch their favorite players duke it out
 on screen. As I detail in my book “<a href="https://www.nebraskapress.unl.edu/bison-original/9780803248250/">Center Field Shot: A History of Baseball on Television</a>,”
 which I co-authored with Robert Bellamy, the telecasts became a 
sensation. They drew millions of Americans to a new medium at a time 
when there were no national networks, only a handful of stations and 
somewhere between 50,000 and 60,000 TVs in the entire country.<h2>Negotiations go down to the wire</h2>In August 1947, the television industry anticipated a possible 
all-New York World Series: The Yankees had a huge lead in the American 
League, while the Dodgers also held a substantial one in the National 
League. If the two teams met in October, New York’s three television stations – run by NBC ABC, and the now-extinct <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/DuMont-Television-Network">DuMont</a> – decided they wanted to cover the games.But the rights to televise the games were held by the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Mutual-Broadcasting-System">Mutual Broadcasting System</a>,
 a radio network that had no television division. Thus, Mutual would 
need to farm out the coverage to one or more New York stations. Although no national television network existed at the time, NBC, 
DuMont and CBS did have the means to link stations on the Eastern 
Seaboard through a combination of coaxial cable, microwave and 
over-the-air broadcast transmissions, expanding the potential audience 
for the World Series. The Series would air on eight stations in four 
markets: New York City, Philadelphia, Washington and Schenectady, New 
York.While the Yankees-Dodgers series materialized, the televising of the Series almost didn’t. The predictable stumbling block was money. Baseball commissioner <a href="https://baseballhall.org/hall-of-famers/chandler-happy">Albert B. “Happy” Chandler</a>
 wanted $100,000 for the television rights to the Series. Gillette, the 
sponsor of the radio coverage on the Mutual Broadcasting System, balked 
at the steep price given television’s limited penetration – only 50,000 
to 60,000 U.S. households owned TVs at the time. The radio rights to 
reach the nation’s 29 million homes with radios had cost Mutual only 
$175,000. Initial negotiations produced an offer of $60,000 from two sponsors: Gillette and the Ford Motor Company. New York’s <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_Liebmann">Liebmann Breweries</a>
 offered to meet Chandler’s $100,000 demand, but the commissioner 
refused because he did not want beer ads when youngsters would be 
prominent members of the audience.Even before a coverage deal had been finalized, bars, restaurants, 
television dealers, department stores, automobile dealerships and movie 
theaters started advertising the event, urging customers to come by to 
watch the World Series on television. And in the days and weeks leading 
up to the Fall Classic, the demand for television sets spiked. The excitement pressured Chandler and the sponsors to reach a compromise. Finally, on Sept. 26, just four days before Game 1 at Yankee Stadium, Chandler, Gillette and Ford <a href="https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-BC/BC-1947/1947-10-06-BC.pdf">agreed to $65,000 for the rights to televise the World Series</a>.
 Production costs added another $35,000 to the sponsors’ bill. Mutual, 
Gillette and Ford also agreed to allow all three New York TV stations 
and those connected to them to broadcast the game, providing the widest 
possible exposure.<h2>An unexpectedly strong response</h2>Initial industry estimates had the Series reaching between 600,000 
and 700,000 viewers, many of them located in the bars and restaurants 
where a substantial number of the nation’s first television receivers 
were located. But that forecast ended up being conservative. Although home viewing for the seven games was substantial – 450,000 in a <a href="https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Billboard/40s/1947/BB-1947-10-18.pdf">Hooper rating survey commissioned by Billboard</a>
 – the out-of-home viewing numbers were extraordinary: Another 3.5 
million were estimated to have viewed the World Series in public 
locales. Hooper’s survey found that an average of 82 customers showed up at 
each of these public locations to watch at least some of the World 
Series. Variety reported that bar owners saw a 500% increase in patrons 
during the Series, with some offering reservations to their regulars for
 a choice location near the TV set.What viewers from those choice seats saw was primitive by today’s 
standards. The screen was usually small – 12 diagonal inches or less. 
The low-definition images were black and white and came from just a few 
cameras. No extreme close-ups were possible. There was no instant 
replay, so fans had to pay attention or the moment was lost. But for the first time, they were seeing the World Series live, and for free.<h2>The TV industry’s World Series bump</h2>The audience liked what they saw. <a href="https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Billboard/40s/1947/BB-1947-10-11.pdf">Billboard</a>,
 quoting The Newark Evening News, reported that TV “audiences hung on 
every turn of the video cameras and the ‘oohs and aahs’ at a slide or 
strikeout were something radio broadcasters would give their eye teeth 
to hear.” It didn’t hurt that <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/postseason/1947_WS.shtml">the 1947 World Series</a> ended up being so dramatic. The Yankees prevailed in seven games, but Brooklyn owned the two greatest moments.In the bottom of the ninth inning of Game 4, Dodgers pitch hitter <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oWjpOAy5zCM">Cookie Lavagetto ended Yankee starter Bill Biven’s no-hit bid</a> with a two-out hit, driving in two runs and sending the Dodgers to a 3-2 win. Then, in Game 6, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4SrtxVs8uMI">Al Gionfriddo’s stunning catch of Joe DiMaggio’s deep drive to left field</a> helped preserve an 8-6 Dodgers victory, leading legendary Dodgers broadcaster <a href="https://books.google.com/books/about/Red_Barber.html?id=lWhgEAAAQBAJ">Red Barber</a> to exclaim, “Oh, Doctor!”<figure>
 <iframe width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/oWjpOAy5zCM"></iframe>
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>The Washington broadcasts even reached the White House, where 
President Harry S. Truman, his staff and the D.C. press corps watched 
some of the contests. The <a href="https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-Televiser/Televiser-1947-09-10.pdf">industry magazine Televiser</a>
 reported an enthusiastic response from the White House viewers: “If TV 
can do as good a job as that on perhaps the most difficult of all 
subjects to televise, then it really has arrived.” The public’s embrace of the World Series on television, along with 
the generous coverage of the telecasts by the press, provided an 
important boost to the nascent television industry. The Sporting News 
reported that the first televised World Series increased sales for new 
receivers in New York to levels not seen since the early days of radio. 
Similar reports came from dealers in Washington and Philadelphia.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Sarnoff">David Sarnoff</a>,
 chairman of RCA – which owed NBC and was a leading manufacturer of 
receivers – regarded television’s coverage of baseball and its crowning 
event, the World Series, as one of the most important factors in 
triggering the growth of the new medium. Television makers, <a href="https://books.google.com/books/about/Center_Field_Shot.html?id=6kPQhpS-X8YC">he concluded</a>,
 “had to have baseball games and if [baseball owners] had demanded 
millions for the rights, we would have had to give it to them.” The television industry eventually did pay millions and then billions for those rights. <a href="https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Daily/Issues/2018/11/15/Media/MLB-Fox.aspx">Fox’s latest seven-year contract</a>, including rights to the World Series, pays Major League Baseball $5.1 billion. Happy Chandler’s 1947 demand for a $100,000 seems like quite a bargain today.James Walker is
 Emeritus Professor of Communication at Saint Xavier University.<div><iframe src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/193006/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-advanced" width="1" height="1" style="border: none !important" referrerpolicy="no-referrer-when-downgrade"></iframe></div>

🎥 First televised World Series game sparked America's TV boom

Doniphan West 70, Marais des Cygnes Valley 32

Wichita Northwest 62, Wichita Southeast 0

PREP FOOTBALL=Colby 40, Nickerson 22Doniphan West 70, Marais des Cygnes Valley 32Douglass 55, Lyons 0Ellinwood 49, Valley Falls 0Eudora 54, Labette County 22Hartford 64, Fairfield 14Hays-TMP-Marian 55, Southwestern Hts. 6Jefferson West 35, Osawatomie 20Louisburg 48, Bonner Springs 0Maranatha Academy 66, Yates Center 60Oberlin-Decatur 48, Rock Hills 28Onaga 25, Oskaloosa 13Otis-Bison 52, Logan/Palco 6Oxford 43, Solomon 14Pretty Prairie 52, Udall 20Republic County 40, Bluestem 0Satanta 72, St. John 25Southeast 20, Northern Heights 6Spearville 56, Pratt Skyline 6Sterling 58, Syracuse 8Wakefield 42, BV Randolph 28West Franklin 34, Neodesha 22Wichita Independent 56, Goessel 36KSHSAA Football Championship=Class 6A=Week 9=BV West 52, SM Northwest 28Blue Valley 35, SM North 14Derby 69, Topeka 12Garden City 35, Wichita Campus 14Gardner-Edgerton 42, SM East 21Junction City 34, Wichita South 18Lawrence 48, Wichita Heights 13Manhattan 71, Wichita North 7Olathe Northwest 56, KC Wyandotte 6Olathe South 26, BV North 23Washburn Rural 36, Dodge City 0Wichita East 34, Lawrence Free State 0Wichita Northwest 62, Wichita Southeast 0Class 5A=Week 9=BV Southwest 42, Topeka Seaman 14DeSoto 49, KC Turner 0Emporia 83, Highland Park 64Great Bend 31, Goddard-Eisenhower 27Hays 44, Wichita West 20Hutchinson 35, Liberal 7KC Sumner 47, Topeka West 42Kapaun Mount Carmel 31, Goddard 17Maize 63, Salina South 0Mill Valley 69, KC Harmon 0Pittsburg 42, KC Washington 8Salina Central 21, Andover 15Shawnee Heights 28, Lansing 21Spring Hill 26, Leavenworth 21Valley Center 34, Maize South 27Wichita Bishop Carroll 38, Newton 17Class 4A=Week 9=Andover Central 42, Augusta 17Arkansas City 32, Buhler 13Atchison 48, Fort Scott 12Bishop Miege 63, Ottawa 14Chanute 49, KC Schlagle 6Circle 60, Independence 20Coffeyville 40, El Dorado 30KC Piper 35, Tonganoxie 14McPherson 34, Mulvane 13Rose Hill 23, Abilene 6St. James Academy 35, Basehor-Linwood 6St. Thomas Aquinas 42, Paola 7Wamego 56, Ulysses 8Winfield 31, Wellington 28Class 3A=Week 9=Wellsville 41, Royal Valley 8Andale 63, Goodland 0Cheney 28, Hugoton 7Clay Center 55, Chapman 28Columbus 46, Burlington 8Concordia 55, Wichita Collegiate 28Frontenac 35, Iola 15Galena 38, Anderson County 13Girard 35, Parsons 0Hesston 34, Marysville 14Holton 49, Santa Fe Trail 16KC Bishop Ward 32, Perry-Lecompton 6Pratt 47, Holcomb 34Rock Creek 78, Clearwater 34Scott City 41, Smoky Valley 6Topeka Hayden 63, Baldwin 8Class 2A=Week 9=Beloit 52, Larned 6Caney Valley 44, Eureka 16Chaparral 35, Halstead 14Council Grove 48, Fredonia 8Ellsworth 21, Garden Plain 7Hoisington 42, Phillipsburg 18Kingman 49, Hillsboro 7Norton 28, Lakin 14Riley County 23, Silver Lake 21Rossville 57, Minneapolis 6Russell 58, Cimarron 7Sabetha 35, Atchison County 6Southeast Saline 53, Haven 12Class 1A=Week 9=Centralia 48, McLouth 0Jefferson North 64, Riverside 22Marion 38, Salina Sacred Heart 14Oakley 34, Medicine Lodge 8Plainville 23, Hutchinson Trinity 17Pleasanton 40, Erie 12Smith Center 64, Remington 12St. Mary’s 46, Jackson Heights 14Troy 59, Mission Valley 14Class 8-Man DI=Week 9=Hoxie 44, Ell-Saline 12Class 8-Man DII=Week 9=Canton-Galva 60, St. Paul 0Class 6-Man=Week 9=Burrton 73, Southern Coffey 24Deerfield 52, Western Plains-Healy 7Golden Plains 59, Rolla 14Moscow 53, Triplains-Brewster 6Natoma 44, Centre 19Pawnee Heights 49, Altoona-Midway 46Peabody-Burns 66, Chase 21

Friday night football results

By TYLER HENRY Little Apple Post contributor

After toiling through a 2-6 regular season the Riley County Falcons will line up for an interesting week nine matchup in an elimination game against the #5 team in Class 2A.

On paper, Silver Lake holds every advantage, entering this game at 6-2 with losses only at the hands of ranked 4A and 3A opponents.

The Eagles hold the #2 passing offense in Class 2A (235 yds/g), as well as the #3 total offense (407 yds/g), and have imposed their will on opposing secondaries for the better part of eight weeks.

With all that said, there is one set of numbers that may very well tell a larger story between these two; a 28-21 win for Silver Lake over Riley County in week one.

For four quarters, the Falcons battled and in the end, managed to keep a contest with a top-ten team in 2A to just one score.

Now, in a do-or-die week nine matchup, Riley County will look to finish the job, after playing what they believe to be their best football down the home stretch of the regular season.

“I believe we’ve been playing our best football here as of late,” Falcons head coach Erik Willimon said. “We are asking a lot of guys to play different positions defensively and offensively down the stretch that they did not play at the first of the year.”

While many across the state of Kansas have counted Riley County out of this matchup, confidence remains rightfully high in the Falcon’s locker room as the team gears up for this rematch.

“Our guys are excited to go out and compete every week,” Willimon said. “This team has stayed together through the thick and the thin week in and week out. We are always excited to play for the opportunity to move on.”

The biggest saving grace for Riley County could very well be in a Silver Lake defense that has left much to be desired in 2022.&nbsp;

The Eagles concede more passing yards per game (171) than any other team in the state and rely on winning shootouts, allowing over 24 points per game.

That disparity could be just what Riley County needs to turn the tide and do the unthinkable, as the Falcons rank eighth in Class 2A in passing offense.

Despite all of that, the Falcons know that their opponent has grown just as they have throughout the course of the season, and will expect a dogfight come Friday night.

“Coach Pegram has his guys in the right spots to be successful,” Willimon said. “They are more dynamic in their passing game than what we saw in week one. We need to stay healthy, execute and eliminate penalties.”

Kickoff between the Falcons and Eagles is set for 7 pm with the winner advancing to take on 6-2 Sabetha or 6-2 Atchison County in the round of 16 next week.

By TYLER HENRY Little Apple Post contributorAfter toiling through a 2-6 regular season the Riley County Falcons will line up for an interesting week nine matchup in an elimination game against the #5 team in Class 2A.On paper, Silver Lake holds every advantage, entering this game at 6-2 with losses only at the hands of ranked 4A and 3A opponents.The Eagles hold the #2 passing offense in Class 2A (235 yds/g), as well as the #3 total offense (407 yds/g), and have imposed their will on opposing secondaries for the better part of eight weeks.With all that said, there is one set of numbers that may very well tell a larger story between these two; a 28-21 win for Silver Lake over Riley County in week one.For four quarters, the Falcons battled and in the end, managed to keep a contest with a top-ten team in 2A to just one score.Now, in a do-or-die week nine matchup, Riley County will look to finish the job, after playing what they believe to be their best football down the home stretch of the regular season.“I believe we’ve been playing our best football here as of late,” Falcons head coach Erik Willimon said. “We are asking a lot of guys to play different positions defensively and offensively down the stretch that they did not play at the first of the year.”While many across the state of Kansas have counted Riley County out of this matchup, confidence remains rightfully high in the Falcon’s locker room as the team gears up for this rematch.“Our guys are excited to go out and compete every week,” Willimon said. “This team has stayed together through the thick and the thin week in and week out. We are always excited to play for the opportunity to move on.”The biggest saving grace for Riley County could very well be in a Silver Lake defense that has left much to be desired in 2022.&nbsp;The Eagles concede more passing yards per game (171) than any other team in the state and rely on winning shootouts, allowing over 24 points per game.That disparity could be just what Riley County needs to turn the tide and do the unthinkable, as the Falcons rank eighth in Class 2A in passing offense.Despite all of that, the Falcons know that their opponent has grown just as they have throughout the course of the season, and will expect a dogfight come Friday night.“Coach Pegram has his guys in the right spots to be successful,” Willimon said. “They are more dynamic in their passing game than what we saw in week one. We need to stay healthy, execute and eliminate penalties.”Kickoff between the Falcons and Eagles is set for 7 pm with the winner advancing to take on 6-2 Sabetha or 6-2 Atchison County in the round of 16 next week.

Falcons travel to Silver Lake for rematch of week one shootout

Any signs of vulnerability feel like little more than a distant memory for the Rock Creek Mustangs, who ripped off seven straight wins after a week-one stumble and enter this year’s playoffs ranked as the #3 team in Class 3A.

The Mustang's quest for postseason glory will begin at home this week as Rock Creek prepares to host the 3-5 Clearwater Fighting Indians for a ticket to the round of 16.

“We definitely feel like the real work begins now,” RC head coach Shane Sieben said. “Every week of the regular season is to prepare you for this moment and now you can throw all the records out the window. We did a great job of taking care of business for the last seven weeks to earn the opportunity to host a really good Clearwater team.”

While Coach Sieben remains humble in the press, his Mustangs have posted some unreal numbers this season, with the top-ranked passing (314 yds/g) and total (484 yds/g) offenses in Class 4A and the second-best scoring offense (46.3 ppg) through seven weeks.

Senior signal caller Dalton Whitworth has torched opposing secondaries in 2022, completing 68% of his passes for 2,510 yards and 30 touchdowns while surrendering just a pair of picks.

Whitworth’s favorite target has once again been fellow senior Ethan Burgess, who posted his second-straight 1,000-yard season, breaking Rock Creek records with 78 catches for 1,261 yards and 18 touchdowns in just eight weeks.

“Offensively we just have to continue to execute at a high level,” Sieben said. “We have to keep taking what defenses give us and continue to make good throws while our line gets us creases to make things happen in the run game.”

Throughout the season Rock Creek has relied upon and succeeded in winning shootouts, with a middle-of-the-road scoring defense bending but not breaking in crucial moments.

If the Mustangs can shore things up on that end, the sky is the limit for a Rock Creek team with high aspirations and a laser-focused week-by-week approach.

“We’re not where we want to be yet at all and we have to do a better job of tackling on defense,” he said. “We felt like we were in a position to make a lot of plays on Friday and just didn’t execute so we have to get better there.”

Adding intrigue to this matchup are the comparisons that have been drawn between this year’s Fighting Indian team and last year’s Mustangs.

“Clearwater really reminds me a lot of ourselves last year,” Sieben said. “They have some good skill kids and a quarterback who’s very capable and can spread it out but they’re about 50/50 run pass. They have some good schemes and they’re really well coached.”

Clearwater quarterback Tyler Fugarino has been a prototypical gunslinger this season, posting 1,000+ yards and 9 touchdowns but surrendering 12 picks in the process.

While many teams in Rock Creek’s position would be eyeing a potential round of 16 opponent already, the Mustangs understand the importance of focus in a survive and advance format, and will give the Fighting Indians their best shot on Friday.

“Right now our whole focus is on Clearwater and on finding a way to go 1-0 this week,” Sieben said. It’s win or go home and these guys don’t have any desire to go home. They’re excited to make another run and focused on finding a way to beat Clearwater.”

Kickoff between the Mustangs and Fighting Indians is set for 7 pm at Rock Creek High School with the winner advancing to take on 5-3 Hesston or 3-5 Marysville next week.

For continuing coverage of the Mustang’s playoff run stay tuned to the Salina Post.

By TYLER HENRY Little Apple Post contributorAny signs of vulnerability feel like little more than a distant memory for the Rock Creek Mustangs, who ripped off seven straight wins after a week-one stumble and enter this year’s playoffs ranked as the #3 team in Class 3A.The Mustang's quest for postseason glory will begin at home this week as Rock Creek prepares to host the 3-5 Clearwater Fighting Indians for a ticket to the round of 16.“We definitely feel like the real work begins now,” RC head coach Shane Sieben said. “Every week of the regular season is to prepare you for this moment and now you can throw all the records out the window. We did a great job of taking care of business for the last seven weeks to earn the opportunity to host a really good Clearwater team.”While Coach Sieben remains humble in the press, his Mustangs have posted some unreal numbers this season, with the top-ranked passing (314 yds/g) and total (484 yds/g) offenses in Class 4A and the second-best scoring offense (46.3 ppg) through seven weeks.Senior signal caller Dalton Whitworth has torched opposing secondaries in 2022, completing 68% of his passes for 2,510 yards and 30 touchdowns while surrendering just a pair of picks.Whitworth’s favorite target has once again been fellow senior Ethan Burgess, who posted his second-straight 1,000-yard season, breaking Rock Creek records with 78 catches for 1,261 yards and 18 touchdowns in just eight weeks.“Offensively we just have to continue to execute at a high level,” Sieben said. “We have to keep taking what defenses give us and continue to make good throws while our line gets us creases to make things happen in the run game.”Throughout the season Rock Creek has relied upon and succeeded in winning shootouts, with a middle-of-the-road scoring defense bending but not breaking in crucial moments.If the Mustangs can shore things up on that end, the sky is the limit for a Rock Creek team with high aspirations and a laser-focused week-by-week approach.“We’re not where we want to be yet at all and we have to do a better job of tackling on defense,” he said. “We felt like we were in a position to make a lot of plays on Friday and just didn’t execute so we have to get better there.”Adding intrigue to this matchup are the comparisons that have been drawn between this year’s Fighting Indian team and last year’s Mustangs.“Clearwater really reminds me a lot of ourselves last year,” Sieben said. “They have some good skill kids and a quarterback who’s very capable and can spread it out but they’re about 50/50 run pass. They have some good schemes and they’re really well coached.”Clearwater quarterback Tyler Fugarino has been a prototypical gunslinger this season, posting 1,000+ yards and 9 touchdowns but surrendering 12 picks in the process.While many teams in Rock Creek’s position would be eyeing a potential round of 16 opponent already, the Mustangs understand the importance of focus in a survive and advance format, and will give the Fighting Indians their best shot on Friday.“Right now our whole focus is on Clearwater and on finding a way to go 1-0 this week,” Sieben said. It’s win or go home and these guys don’t have any desire to go home. They’re excited to make another run and focused on finding a way to beat Clearwater.”Kickoff between the Mustangs and Fighting Indians is set for 7 pm at Rock Creek High School with the winner advancing to take on 5-3 Hesston or 3-5 Marysville next week.For continuing coverage of the Mustang’s playoff run stay tuned to the Salina Post.

Rock Creek looks to continue seven-win stampede against Clearwater

Many across the state of Kansas have made claims that Boomtown is back in Class 4A, but those people clearly haven’t been paying close enough attention.

After a deep playoff run that took them all the way to the 4A state quarterfinals, Wamego brought back an arsenal of talent on both sides of the ball and returned to the field in 2022 with the intention of finishing the job.

In response to losing Army commit and star quarterback Hayden Oviatt to a broken foot in preseason, the Red Raiders handed the keys to Colin Donahue, who proceeded to throw for over 1,600 yards and 22 touchdowns, without surrendering a single interception.

Wamego will enter the postseason with Class 4A’s third-best scoring offense (42.8 ppg), third-best passing offense (233.9 yds/g), and fourth-best total offense (404.9 yds/g), wreaking havoc on opposing defenses week in and week out.

All of this is to say nothing of the best defense in Class 4A by all metrics, which holds opponents to under 6 points and just 103 yards per game, in stat lines that look like they were posted by a vengeful older brother in a game of Madden.

Despite all of this success, an undefeated record, and the #4 rank in Class 4A, the Raiders understand that the real work begins now, and are keeping their eyes fixed on the prize.

“Our guys understand that everybody is 0-0 right now and it’s win or go home,” Wamego head coach Weston Moody said. “It doesn’t matter if you’re undefeated or winless and everybody is going in with that mentality.”

First up on the Red Raider’s unfinished business tour is a Ulysses team that gritted through a brutal schedule, finishing with a deceptively poor 1-7 record despite boasting some real talent.

“Ulysses is very big up front and they’ll try to ground and pound to eat up the clock on you,” Moody said, “Defensively they want to load the box and play man-to-man coverage and all of those things present problems but it’s nothing new to our guys.”

Defensively Wamego has faced almost every trick in the book as team after team has tried to crack the code of their unit, and will be on their toes again this Friday against the Tigers.

“Everybody is going to throw curveballs at us and we have to be ready for everything,” he said. “We have to be really good on special teams and really good on situational defense. Right now it’s about getting healthy and formulating gameplans to put us in a position to win.”

On the flip side of that Wamego coin, the Raiders are still working to re-insert Hayden Oviatt into their offense after the senior worked tirelessly to get back on the field after rehabbing his broken foot.

“Incorporating Hayden back in the offense has been interesting,” he said. “We want to find ways to get him the football moving forward and it’s nice to have someone as versatile as him back in our offense.”

Wamego knows that they’ll be getting everyone’s best shot moving forward, but the residents of Boomtown have no intention of going quietly into the night, and the confidence and veteran leadership in the Raider locker room is matched by few across the state.

“We’ve taken a look around our bracket and these guys believe that they’re the best team in the state in 4A,” Moody said. “They feel like they’re the best team on the field every time we step out there and that’s going to be no different this week, next week, or any week after that. I have no doubt that our guys are going to leave it all out on the field whether we make it to the final or not.”

Kickoff between the Red Raiders and Tigers is set for 7 pm at Wamego High School with the winner advancing to the round of 16 to face either 4-4 Abilene or 3-5 Rose Hill.

For continuing coverage of the Raider’s playoff run stay tuned to the Little Apple Post.

By TYLER HENRY Little Apple Post contributorMany across the state of Kansas have made claims that Boomtown is back in Class 4A, but those people clearly haven’t been paying close enough attention.Boomtown never left.After a deep playoff run that took them all the way to the 4A state quarterfinals, Wamego brought back an arsenal of talent on both sides of the ball and returned to the field in 2022 with the intention of finishing the job.In response to losing Army commit and star quarterback Hayden Oviatt to a broken foot in preseason, the Red Raiders handed the keys to Colin Donahue, who proceeded to throw for over 1,600 yards and 22 touchdowns, without surrendering a single interception.Wamego will enter the postseason with Class 4A’s third-best scoring offense (42.8 ppg), third-best passing offense (233.9 yds/g), and fourth-best total offense (404.9 yds/g), wreaking havoc on opposing defenses week in and week out.All of this is to say nothing of the best defense in Class 4A by all metrics, which holds opponents to under 6 points and just 103 yards per game, in stat lines that look like they were posted by a vengeful older brother in a game of Madden.Despite all of this success, an undefeated record, and the #4 rank in Class 4A, the Raiders understand that the real work begins now, and are keeping their eyes fixed on the prize.“Our guys understand that everybody is 0-0 right now and it’s win or go home,” Wamego head coach Weston Moody said. “It doesn’t matter if you’re undefeated or winless and everybody is going in with that mentality.”First up on the Red Raider’s unfinished business tour is a Ulysses team that gritted through a brutal schedule, finishing with a deceptively poor 1-7 record despite boasting some real talent.“Ulysses is very big up front and they’ll try to ground and pound to eat up the clock on you,” Moody said, “Defensively they want to load the box and play man-to-man coverage and all of those things present problems but it’s nothing new to our guys.”Defensively Wamego has faced almost every trick in the book as team after team has tried to crack the code of their unit, and will be on their toes again this Friday against the Tigers.“Everybody is going to throw curveballs at us and we have to be ready for everything,” he said. “We have to be really good on special teams and really good on situational defense. Right now it’s about getting healthy and formulating gameplans to put us in a position to win.”On the flip side of that Wamego coin, the Raiders are still working to re-insert Hayden Oviatt into their offense after the senior worked tirelessly to get back on the field after rehabbing his broken foot.“Incorporating Hayden back in the offense has been interesting,” he said. “We want to find ways to get him the football moving forward and it’s nice to have someone as versatile as him back in our offense.”Wamego knows that they’ll be getting everyone’s best shot moving forward, but the residents of Boomtown have no intention of going quietly into the night, and the confidence and veteran leadership in the Raider locker room is matched by few across the state.“We’ve taken a look around our bracket and these guys believe that they’re the best team in the state in 4A,” Moody said. “They feel like they’re the best team on the field every time we step out there and that’s going to be no different this week, next week, or any week after that. I have no doubt that our guys are going to leave it all out on the field whether we make it to the final or not.”Kickoff between the Red Raiders and Tigers is set for 7 pm at Wamego High School with the winner advancing to the round of 16 to face either 4-4 Abilene or 3-5 Rose Hill.For continuing coverage of the Raider’s playoff run stay tuned to the Little Apple Post.

Booomtown Raiders host Ulysses in search of explosive postseason start

Ever since a brief stumble in week one at the hands of #5 Troy, the Wabaunsee Chargers have been on a stampede, winning seven straight to close out the year with a +233 point differential in the process.

From the start of the season Wabaunsee had their eyes fixed on the ultimate prize, and with a week nine matchup against Belle Plaine this Thursday, the real work can finally begin.

“They’re very excited and we’re happy with how we ended the regular season,” Chargers head coach Jess Rutledge said. “We’re focused on the task at hand and not to say that the regular season doesn’t matter but this is what we’ve been working for.”

Wabaunsee’s first opponent will be one that mirrors themselves in many ways, with a pass-happy Belle Plaine offense looking to air it out on Thursday night.

“Their passing game looks strong,” Rutledge said. “We pride ourselves on being a spread offense but we didn’t see many of those teams in the regular season outside of Troy. They have a quarterback that can scramble and make plays and his placement on the football is outstanding.”

At around 120 yards gained through the air per contest, the Belle Plaine passing game is the only area that sees the Dragons ranked in the top 15 in Class 1A.

On the flip side of that coin, the Charger's offense ranks third in scoring offense (42 ppg), and ninth in total offense (320 yds/g), and should have the edge against a lackluster Dragon defense.

While Belle Plaine has struggled to keep their opponents off the board in 2022 surrendering nearly 40 points per matchup, the Dragons do have some talented playmakers capable of keeping Wabaunsee on their toes this week.

“Defensively they have a lot of speed and they really fly around and close in on the ball quickly,” Rutledge said. “They’re good at limiting pass-heavy offenses because like us they see that in practice every day.”

With rain in Thursday’s forecast, both teams could be forced to lean on the running game, opening up dual-threat quarterback Wyatt Wurtz to continue his impressive campaign on the ground.

For a second consecutive season, playoff football comes to Alma as the Chargers' 7-1 record earns them home-field advantage for the first two rounds.

“Having this game at home is huge,” he said. “I don’t know how many home games we’ve hosted but the kids are excited and there’s a lot of excitement in the community for this.”

While the Chargers remain hopeful that this game will be the first in a long line of postseason battles, Wabaunsee remains laser-focused on Belle Plaine this week, and the Dragons are sure to have their hands full in Alma on Thursday.

“We’ve talked about this since our first meeting last spring, I don’t believe there’s a ceiling on this team,” Rutledge said. “We’ve talked about maintaining consistency and work ethic throughout the season because we believe we can be in Hays on Thanksgiving weekend. Ultimately that’s our goal and that’s what we’re working towards, now we just have to take it one game at a time.”

Kickoff between the Chargers and Dragons is set for 7 pm at Wabaunsee High School with the winner advancing to take on either 5-2 Marion or 4-4 Sacred Heart in the round of 16.

For continuing coverage of the Charger’s playoff run stay tuned to the Little Apple Post.

By TYLER HENRY Little Apple Post contributorEver since a brief stumble in week one at the hands of #5 Troy, the Wabaunsee Chargers have been on a stampede, winning seven straight to close out the year with a +233 point differential in the process.From the start of the season Wabaunsee had their eyes fixed on the ultimate prize, and with a week nine matchup against Belle Plaine this Thursday, the real work can finally begin.“They’re very excited and we’re happy with how we ended the regular season,” Chargers head coach Jess Rutledge said. “We’re focused on the task at hand and not to say that the regular season doesn’t matter but this is what we’ve been working for.”Wabaunsee’s first opponent will be one that mirrors themselves in many ways, with a pass-happy Belle Plaine offense looking to air it out on Thursday night.“Their passing game looks strong,” Rutledge said. “We pride ourselves on being a spread offense but we didn’t see many of those teams in the regular season outside of Troy. They have a quarterback that can scramble and make plays and his placement on the football is outstanding.”At around 120 yards gained through the air per contest, the Belle Plaine passing game is the only area that sees the Dragons ranked in the top 15 in Class 1A.On the flip side of that coin, the Charger's offense ranks third in scoring offense (42 ppg), and ninth in total offense (320 yds/g), and should have the edge against a lackluster Dragon defense.While Belle Plaine has struggled to keep their opponents off the board in 2022 surrendering nearly 40 points per matchup, the Dragons do have some talented playmakers capable of keeping Wabaunsee on their toes this week.“Defensively they have a lot of speed and they really fly around and close in on the ball quickly,” Rutledge said. “They’re good at limiting pass-heavy offenses because like us they see that in practice every day.”With rain in Thursday’s forecast, both teams could be forced to lean on the running game, opening up dual-threat quarterback Wyatt Wurtz to continue his impressive campaign on the ground.For a second consecutive season, playoff football comes to Alma as the Chargers' 7-1 record earns them home-field advantage for the first two rounds.“Having this game at home is huge,” he said. “I don’t know how many home games we’ve hosted but the kids are excited and there’s a lot of excitement in the community for this.”While the Chargers remain hopeful that this game will be the first in a long line of postseason battles, Wabaunsee remains laser-focused on Belle Plaine this week, and the Dragons are sure to have their hands full in Alma on Thursday.“We’ve talked about this since our first meeting last spring, I don’t believe there’s a ceiling on this team,” Rutledge said. “We’ve talked about maintaining consistency and work ethic throughout the season because we believe we can be in Hays on Thanksgiving weekend. Ultimately that’s our goal and that’s what we’re working towards, now we just have to take it one game at a time.”Kickoff between the Chargers and Dragons is set for 7 pm at Wabaunsee High School with the winner advancing to take on either 5-2 Marion or 4-4 Sacred Heart in the round of 16.For continuing coverage of the Charger’s playoff run stay tuned to the Little Apple Post.

"This is what we've been working for," Chargers open playoff run with Belle Plaine

MANHATTAN, Kan.&nbsp;–&nbsp;Kansas State senior quarterback&nbsp;Adrian Martinez&nbsp;picked up one of the most prestigious honors in major college football on Wednesday as he was selected as a member of the 2022 National Football Foundation (NFF) National Scholar-Athlete Class and is a finalist for the William V. Campbell Trophy.

Martinez is one of 15 finalists – including one of seven FBS players and the lone Big 12 representative – that were trimmed from a list of 156 semifinalists. The 15 finalists are now in contention for the 2022 William V. Campbell Trophy, college football’s premier scholar-athlete award that annually recognizes an individual as the absolute best in the nation for his combined academic success, football performance and exemplary leadership.

Martinez, a product of Fresno, California, is the eighth Wildcat all-time to be named an NFF National Scholar-Athlete and finalist for the Campbell Trophy, including the fifth in the last 12 years. Previously honored during the 12-year stretch are Tysyn Hartman (2011), Tyler Lockett (2014), Dalton Risner (2018) and Adam Holtorf (2019).

With the inclusion by Martinez, K-State has the most NFF National Scholar-Athletes in the country since 2011, topping Duke and Stanford with four apiece.

By being named an NFF Scholar-Athlete, Martinez will receive an $18,000 postgraduate scholarship and will travel to Bellagio Resort &amp; Casino in Las Vegas for the 64th&nbsp;NFF Annual Awards Dinner on December 6, where their accomplishments will be highlighted in front of one of the most powerful audiences in all of sports.

“We are extremely proud to announce the finalists for this year’s Campbell Trophy,” said NFF Chairman Archie Manning, whose sons Peyton (Campbell Trophy recipient) and Eli were NFF National Scholar-Athletes in 1997 and 2003, respectively. “These young men have an unrelenting commitment to excellence in all aspects of their lives, and they represent all that is right in college football. As strong leaders in the vein of the trophy’s namesake Bill Campbell, they all serve as living examples that the Future For Football is bright. We are excited to honor their hard work and outstanding leadership with postgraduate scholarships.”

Martinez earned his undergraduate degree in management with a minor in economics in May 2021 from the University of Nebraska. He carried a 3.549 GPA during his time as an undergraduate, and he is currently working on his MBA at K-State. He was a three-time Academic All-Big Ten performer and a First Team CoSIDA Academic All-District recipient in 2020. Additionally, Martinez was a finalist for the 2021 Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholar of the Year award in 2021.

Through seven games this season, Martinez ranks first nationally among quarterbacks with nine rushing touchdowns, while he is second in the nation among quarterbacks in scoring (7.7 points per game) and rushing yards (80.7 yards per game), and third among signal callers in rushing yards per carry (6.14).

He was named the Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week after accumulating 148 rushing yards and four touchdowns during K-State’s 41-34 victory at then-No. 6 Oklahoma, and he backed that up with a career-high 171 rushing yards and three touchdowns against Texas Tech to earn Big 12 Newcomer of the Week honors. He became the third Power 5 quarterback in the last 15 years to accumulate 300 rushing yards and seven touchdowns in a two-game stretch, joining Louisville’s Lamar Jackson (2016) and Auburn’s Cam Newton (2010).

Martinez came to K-State after rewriting the Nebraska record books, owning a combined 17 career, season and single-game records.

K-State returns to Bill Snyder Family Stadium for the first time in nearly a month as the 22nd-ranked Wildcats host No. 9 Oklahoma State on Saturday in a 2:30 p.m. contest that will be televised by FOX. Kansas State then hosts Texas on November 5, and, following two road games, concludes the regular season at home on November 26 against Kansas.

MANHATTAN, Kan.&nbsp;–&nbsp;Kansas State senior quarterback&nbsp;Adrian Martinez&nbsp;picked up one of the most prestigious honors in major college football on Wednesday as he was selected as a member of the 2022 National Football Foundation (NFF) National Scholar-Athlete Class and is a finalist for the William V. Campbell Trophy.Martinez is one of 15 finalists – including one of seven FBS players and the lone Big 12 representative – that were trimmed from a list of 156 semifinalists. The 15 finalists are now in contention for the 2022 William V. Campbell Trophy, college football’s premier scholar-athlete award that annually recognizes an individual as the absolute best in the nation for his combined academic success, football performance and exemplary leadership.Martinez, a product of Fresno, California, is the eighth Wildcat all-time to be named an NFF National Scholar-Athlete and finalist for the Campbell Trophy, including the fifth in the last 12 years. Previously honored during the 12-year stretch are Tysyn Hartman (2011), Tyler Lockett (2014), Dalton Risner (2018) and Adam Holtorf (2019).With the inclusion by Martinez, K-State has the most NFF National Scholar-Athletes in the country since 2011, topping Duke and Stanford with four apiece.By being named an NFF Scholar-Athlete, Martinez will receive an $18,000 postgraduate scholarship and will travel to Bellagio Resort &amp; Casino in Las Vegas for the 64th&nbsp;NFF Annual Awards Dinner on December 6, where their accomplishments will be highlighted in front of one of the most powerful audiences in all of sports.“We are extremely proud to announce the finalists for this year’s Campbell Trophy,” said NFF Chairman Archie Manning, whose sons Peyton (Campbell Trophy recipient) and Eli were NFF National Scholar-Athletes in 1997 and 2003, respectively. “These young men have an unrelenting commitment to excellence in all aspects of their lives, and they represent all that is right in college football. As strong leaders in the vein of the trophy’s namesake Bill Campbell, they all serve as living examples that the Future For Football is bright. We are excited to honor their hard work and outstanding leadership with postgraduate scholarships.”Martinez earned his undergraduate degree in management with a minor in economics in May 2021 from the University of Nebraska. He carried a 3.549 GPA during his time as an undergraduate, and he is currently working on his MBA at K-State. He was a three-time Academic All-Big Ten performer and a First Team CoSIDA Academic All-District recipient in 2020. Additionally, Martinez was a finalist for the 2021 Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholar of the Year award in 2021.Through seven games this season, Martinez ranks first nationally among quarterbacks with nine rushing touchdowns, while he is second in the nation among quarterbacks in scoring (7.7 points per game) and rushing yards (80.7 yards per game), and third among signal callers in rushing yards per carry (6.14).He was named the Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week after accumulating 148 rushing yards and four touchdowns during K-State’s 41-34 victory at then-No. 6 Oklahoma, and he backed that up with a career-high 171 rushing yards and three touchdowns against Texas Tech to earn Big 12 Newcomer of the Week honors. He became the third Power 5 quarterback in the last 15 years to accumulate 300 rushing yards and seven touchdowns in a two-game stretch, joining Louisville’s Lamar Jackson (2016) and Auburn’s Cam Newton (2010).Martinez came to K-State after rewriting the Nebraska record books, owning a combined 17 career, season and single-game records.K-State returns to Bill Snyder Family Stadium for the first time in nearly a month as the 22nd-ranked Wildcats host No. 9 Oklahoma State on Saturday in a 2:30 p.m. contest that will be televised by FOX. Kansas State then hosts Texas on November 5, and, following two road games, concludes the regular season at home on November 26 against Kansas.

K-State’s Martinez Named Finalist for Prestigious Campbell Trophy

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Kansas City Chiefs defensive end Frank Clark was suspended two games by the NFL on Tuesday after pleading no contest last month to two counts of misdemeanor possession of an assault weapon in Los Angeles.

The league announced the suspension as the Chiefs (5-2) head into their bye week. He will miss games against the Titans and Jaguars and will be allowed back with the team on Nov. 14 in time for that week's game against the Chargers.

The three-time Pro Bowl pass rusher was sentenced to one year of probation and 40 hours of community service after he was arrested in March 2021, when he was pulled over while riding with another man in a vehicle that did not have a license plate. An officer noticed a weapon in the car and recovered two loaded firearms.

Three months later, Clark was pulled over for a code violation and officers discovered another gun in his vehicle.

The 29-year-old Clark has struggled with illnesses throughout the fall, and that's limited him to just 15 tackles and three sacks. That comes after a disappointing season in which Clark had 4 1/2 sacks, his lowest total since his rookie season.

The Chiefs, desperate to improve their pass rush after ranking among the league's worst last season, managed to rework Clark's massive contract in the offseason to keep him in Kansas City. He got a signing bonus of $4,550,000, a base salary of $3,725,000 this season and a roster bonus of $900,000, along with $75,000 for each game he is active.

Without Clark, the Chiefs will have to lean on first-round draft pick George Karlaftis and veteran Carlos Dunlap along with Mike Danna, who has struggled for several weeks with a calf injury but should be healthy after the bye. They also will need to get continued production from defensive tackle Chris Jones, who leads the team with five sacks.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/6/1624317438496.png" alt="--Image LA County Sheriff's Department" />
 <figcaption>--Image LA County Sheriff's Department</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Kansas City Chiefs defensive end Frank Clark was suspended two games by the NFL on Tuesday after pleading no contest last month to two counts of misdemeanor possession of an assault weapon in Los Angeles.The league announced the suspension as the Chiefs (5-2) head into their bye week. He will miss games against the Titans and Jaguars and will be allowed back with the team on Nov. 14 in time for that week's game against the Chargers.The three-time Pro Bowl pass rusher was sentenced to one year of probation and 40 hours of community service after he was arrested in March 2021, when he was pulled over while riding with another man in a vehicle that did not have a license plate. An officer noticed a weapon in the car and recovered two loaded firearms.Three months later, Clark was pulled over for a code violation and officers discovered another gun in his vehicle.The 29-year-old Clark has struggled with illnesses throughout the fall, and that's limited him to just 15 tackles and three sacks. That comes after a disappointing season in which Clark had 4 1/2 sacks, his lowest total since his rookie season.The Chiefs, desperate to improve their pass rush after ranking among the league's worst last season, managed to rework Clark's massive contract in the offseason to keep him in Kansas City. He got a signing bonus of $4,550,000, a base salary of $3,725,000 this season and a roster bonus of $900,000, along with $75,000 for each game he is active.Without Clark, the Chiefs will have to lean on first-round draft pick George Karlaftis and veteran Carlos Dunlap along with Mike Danna, who has struggled for several weeks with a calf injury but should be healthy after the bye. They also will need to get continued production from defensive tackle Chris Jones, who leads the team with five sacks.

Chiefs' Clark suspended 2 games for 2021 weapons arrests

<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/watch/?Archive=20896&amp;type=Archive" target="_blank"> Watch Coach Klieman’s Press Conference</a>&nbsp; |&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/podcasts/chris-klieman-press-conference-october-25-2022/4764" target="_blank">Listen to Coach Klieman’s Press Conference</a>&nbsp; |&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/podcasts/player-media-availability-october-26-2022/4765" target="_blank">Listen to Player Breakout Interviews</a> MANHATTAN, Kan.&nbsp;– Kansas State head coach&nbsp;Chris Klieman&nbsp;and select players met with members of the media on Tuesday inside the Vanier Family Football Complex as the 22nd-ranked Wildcats prepare to face No. 9 Oklahoma State on Saturday inside Bill Snyder Family Stadium. Links to video and audio of Klieman’s press conference – which was streamed live on Big 12 Now on ESPN+ – are above in addition to an audio link of player breakout interviews. A transcript of Klieman’s opening statement is below.

“Well good afternoon, everyone. Obviously disappointed in the loss on Saturday. I thought we had ample opportunities. We had a really good start in the second quarter that kind of got us through the first half. I thought some guys really stepped up and played when we had some guys injured. I thought Will Howard was extremely good, extremely confident and poised when he came in, ripped some balls and ran the ball well. He led the offense and did some really good things. Another guy that jumps out at me is Nick Allen. Daniel Green went out and Nick came in, and I thought played a terrific game. All that being said, in the second half, we didn't capitalize on opportunities. We made some mistakes on defense with some alignments, missed some tackles. Gave up along third down with a screen pass that we can't have happen, but it did and they capitalize on that and got a touchdown. We gave up an explosive play on the one that Julius (Brents) got hurt on. So that was another seven points there. We moved the ball some in the second half, although we didn't have it very much because we didn't get enough stops on defense at all. We’d get into scoring range and didn't capitalize. We missed one field goal. Will went down on that play, and I thought about going for it on fourth down because I didn't want to put Rubes (Jake Rubley) in that spot when Will went down. Probably wish I would have at that time now, but I didn’t. Then Will just misfires on a ball to Kade (Warner) or it's 38-35 and maybe we have a chance after that, but we didn't make that play and then missed that kick. Then it was a 10-point game with not much time was left. So, proud as heck of the guys’ effort and resolve. They know that they missed opportunities and had an opportunity to win that game over a really good TCU team. I think they're a complete team on all three phases. All that being said, I still thought we had an opportunity. We just didn't close it out, so we got to go back to work this week. We’ve got a lot of guys beat up that I don't probably have a lot of information for you just after a Monday practice, but we'll see who's available. In retrospect, we've got to move forward with the guys that we know are going to practice and those guys have to be ready to play.

<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/watch/?Archive=20896&amp;type=Archive" target="_blank"> Watch Coach Klieman’s Press Conference</a>&nbsp; |&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/podcasts/chris-klieman-press-conference-october-25-2022/4764" target="_blank">Listen to Coach Klieman’s Press Conference</a>&nbsp; |&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/podcasts/player-media-availability-october-26-2022/4765" target="_blank">Listen to Player Breakout Interviews</a> MANHATTAN, Kan.&nbsp;– Kansas State head coach&nbsp;Chris Klieman&nbsp;and select players met with members of the media on Tuesday inside the Vanier Family Football Complex as the 22nd-ranked Wildcats prepare to face No. 9 Oklahoma State on Saturday inside Bill Snyder Family Stadium. Links to video and audio of Klieman’s press conference – which was streamed live on Big 12 Now on ESPN+ – are above in addition to an audio link of player breakout interviews. A transcript of Klieman’s opening statement is below.CHRIS KLIEMAN, HEAD COACHOpening Statement…“Well good afternoon, everyone. Obviously disappointed in the loss on Saturday. I thought we had ample opportunities. We had a really good start in the second quarter that kind of got us through the first half. I thought some guys really stepped up and played when we had some guys injured. I thought Will Howard was extremely good, extremely confident and poised when he came in, ripped some balls and ran the ball well. He led the offense and did some really good things. Another guy that jumps out at me is Nick Allen. Daniel Green went out and Nick came in, and I thought played a terrific game. All that being said, in the second half, we didn't capitalize on opportunities. We made some mistakes on defense with some alignments, missed some tackles. Gave up along third down with a screen pass that we can't have happen, but it did and they capitalize on that and got a touchdown. We gave up an explosive play on the one that Julius (Brents) got hurt on. So that was another seven points there. We moved the ball some in the second half, although we didn't have it very much because we didn't get enough stops on defense at all. We’d get into scoring range and didn't capitalize. We missed one field goal. Will went down on that play, and I thought about going for it on fourth down because I didn't want to put Rubes (Jake Rubley) in that spot when Will went down. Probably wish I would have at that time now, but I didn’t. Then Will just misfires on a ball to Kade (Warner) or it's 38-35 and maybe we have a chance after that, but we didn't make that play and then missed that kick. Then it was a 10-point game with not much time was left. So, proud as heck of the guys’ effort and resolve. They know that they missed opportunities and had an opportunity to win that game over a really good TCU team. I think they're a complete team on all three phases. All that being said, I still thought we had an opportunity. We just didn't close it out, so we got to go back to work this week. We’ve got a lot of guys beat up that I don't probably have a lot of information for you just after a Monday practice, but we'll see who's available. In retrospect, we've got to move forward with the guys that we know are going to practice and those guys have to be ready to play.

K-State Previews Oklahoma State Game at Weekly Press Conference   

Congratulations to Dan Helm of Salina, the Week 7 winner in Salina Pain Clinic's Gridiron Glory contest!

Dan, who scored 11 of 14 points, wins a family four-pack to Zombie Expedition at Elite Sports Paintball.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/9/1662062091203.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Congratulations to Dan Helm of Salina, the Week 7 winner in Salina Pain Clinic's Gridiron Glory contest!Dan, who scored 11 of 14 points, wins a family four-pack to Zombie Expedition at Elite Sports Paintball.Although the season has begun, you still have time to win!<a href="https://salinapost.com/posts/6457a6fe-ce1b-48df-a651-5d8582b478f7?contestid=3#registration/login">Sign up today</a>&nbsp;to make your picks for a chance to win great weekly prizes, including cash,&nbsp;gift cards, concert tickets, and Chiefs tickets.&nbsp;If you pick well, you'll also be in the running for the local season prize of $1,000 and a national season prize of a trip to Hawaii!Don't miss out on the state's best pro football pick'em contest!&nbsp;<a href="https://salinapost.com/posts/6457a6fe-ce1b-48df-a651-5d8582b478f7?contestid=3#registration/login">Click here to register for Gridiron Glory</a>