The Missouri Western soccer team won its fourth straight game as they defeated Washburn, 3-1, at Yager Stadium Saturday. The Griffons are now 4-1-1 and 1-0 in MIAA Northwest division games.

The Griffons outshot the Ichabods 16-8 and had six corner kicks. Missouri Western is back in action on Friday as they travel to Maryville to play Northwest Missouri State at 3:00 p.m. from Bearcat Pitch.

The 18th-ranked Northwest Missouri State volleyball team performed a 3-0 sweep over Missouri Western on Saturday at the Fieldhouse. Northwest, who’s now 10-2 overall and 4-2 in the MIAA North, won by set scores of 25-12, 25-21 and 25-20.

The Bearcats will wrap up the spring regular season this weekend with a pair of home matches. Northwest will take on Fort Hays State Friday at 6 p.m. and then Nebraska-Kearney on Saturday at 3 p.m.

Missouri Western hosts Nebraska-Kearney on Friday night at 6 and Fort Hays State on Saturday at 3.

Northwest Missouri State baseball took two out of three games against Missouri Western. The Griffons won the series finale 9-1 Saturday, while the Bearcats swept a Friday doubleheader, 6-4 and 8-4.

Missouri Western hosts Fort Hays State for a three-game series this weekend. The first game on Friday starts at 5 p.m. The Bearcats play at Ottawa (KS) on Wednesday at 2 p.m.

 Missouri Western softball split a doubleheader with Emporia State Saturday, losing the first game 4-3 in eight innings, but winning the second one 9-3. The Griffons (17-7) play a doubleheader at McKendree (IL) on Tuesday starting at noon.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/4/1617622162810.jpeg" alt="Taylor Schwartzkopf. Photo via GoGriffons.com." />
 <figcaption>Taylor Schwartzkopf. Photo via GoGriffons.com.</figcaption>
 </figure>By TOMMY REZACSt. Joseph PostThe Missouri Western soccer team won its fourth straight game as they defeated Washburn, 3-1, at Yager Stadium Saturday. The Griffons are now 4-1-1 and 1-0 in MIAA Northwest division games.The Griffons outshot the Ichabods 16-8 and had six corner kicks. Missouri Western is back in action on Friday as they travel to Maryville to play Northwest Missouri State at 3:00 p.m. from Bearcat Pitch.VolleyballThe 18th-ranked Northwest Missouri State volleyball team performed a 3-0 sweep over Missouri Western on Saturday at the Fieldhouse. Northwest, who’s now 10-2 overall and 4-2 in the MIAA North, won by set scores of 25-12, 25-21 and 25-20.The Bearcats will wrap up the spring regular season this weekend with a pair of home matches. Northwest will take on Fort Hays State Friday at 6 p.m. and then Nebraska-Kearney on Saturday at 3 p.m.Missouri Western hosts Nebraska-Kearney on Friday night at 6 and Fort Hays State on Saturday at 3.BaseballNorthwest Missouri State baseball took two out of three games against Missouri Western. The Griffons won the series finale 9-1 Saturday, while the Bearcats swept a Friday doubleheader, 6-4 and 8-4.Missouri Western hosts Fort Hays State for a three-game series this weekend. The first game on Friday starts at 5 p.m. The Bearcats play at Ottawa (KS) on Wednesday at 2 p.m.Softball Missouri Western softball split a doubleheader with Emporia State Saturday, losing the first game 4-3 in eight innings, but winning the second one 9-3. The Griffons (17-7) play a doubleheader at McKendree (IL) on Tuesday starting at noon.

MIAA roundup - Griffon soccer wins fourth straight, Bearcat volleyball sweeps Griffons

NEW YORK —Commissioner of Baseball Robert D. Manfred, Jr. issued the following statement Friday regarding the 2021 All-Star Game:

"Over the last week, we have engaged in thoughtful conversations with Clubs, former and current players, the Players Association, and The Players Alliance, among others, to listen to their views. I have decided that the best way to demonstrate our values as a sport is by relocating this year’s All-Star Game and MLB Draft.

"Major League Baseball fundamentally supports voting rights for all Americans and opposes restrictions to the ballot box. In 2020, MLB became the first professional sports league to join the non-partisan Civic Alliance to help build a future in which everyone participates in shaping the United States. We proudly used our platform to encourage baseball fans and communities throughout our country to perform their civic duty and actively participate in the voting process. Fair access to voting continues to have our game’s unwavering support.

"We will continue with our plans to celebrate the memory of Hank Aaron during this season’s All-Star festivities. In addition, MLB’s planned investments to support local communities in Atlanta as part of our All-Star Legacy Projects will move forward. We are finalizing a new host city and details about these events will be announced shortly.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/8/1566305859676.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>NEW YORK —Commissioner of Baseball Robert D. Manfred, Jr. issued the following statement Friday regarding the 2021 All-Star Game:"Over the last week, we have engaged in thoughtful conversations with Clubs, former and current players, the Players Association, and The Players Alliance, among others, to listen to their views. I have decided that the best way to demonstrate our values as a sport is by relocating this year’s All-Star Game and MLB Draft."Major League Baseball fundamentally supports voting rights for all Americans and opposes restrictions to the ballot box. In 2020, MLB became the first professional sports league to join the non-partisan Civic Alliance to help build a future in which everyone participates in shaping the United States. We proudly used our platform to encourage baseball fans and communities throughout our country to perform their civic duty and actively participate in the voting process. Fair access to voting continues to have our game’s unwavering support."We will continue with our plans to celebrate the memory of Hank Aaron during this season’s All-Star festivities. In addition, MLB’s planned investments to support local communities in Atlanta as part of our All-Star Legacy Projects will move forward. We are finalizing a new host city and details about these events will be announced shortly.”

'21 All-Star Game moved from Atlanta due to new election law

Let's see - Opening Day. Baseball. Royals. Track. Soccer. Fans. It feels like April again!

High school baseball Thursday Lafayette 10 Maryville 4 Park Hill 15 St. Joseph Central 6. <a href="https://stjosephpost.com/posts/b4299634-fe3e-4960-aada-bcb7e734448a">Coverage of both games here</a>. East Buchanan 6 Plattsburg 2 Chillicothe 8 Bishop LeBlond 4 Mid-Buchanan 7 Platte Valley 4. The Dragons are 4-0 heading into spring break.

St. Joseph Christian 12 King City 9 Pattonsburg 9 North Andrew 0 Lawson 2 Lathrop 1 Maysville 15 Milan 1 Northeast Nodaway 6 East Atchison 2

Girls' soccer St. Pius X 12 Benton 1 Maryville 3 Lincoln College Prep 0

Track and field notes The West Platte boys and girls’ track teams both placed second in the Smithville Invitational, while the Worth County boys edged Stanberry 136-130 to win the WildKat Relays at King City. It was the first ever varsity track meet hosted by King City High School.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/4/1617363637668.jpeg" alt="St. Joseph Central's Connor Bell pitches in relief during Thursday's game against Park Hill./ Photo by Tommy Rezac." />
 <figcaption>St. Joseph Central's Connor Bell pitches in relief during Thursday's game against Park Hill./ Photo by Tommy Rezac.</figcaption>
 </figure>By TOMMY REZACSt. Joseph PostLet's see - Opening Day. Baseball. Royals. Track. Soccer. Fans. It feels like April again!High school baseball Thursday Lafayette 10 Maryville 4 Park Hill 15 St. Joseph Central 6. <a href="https://stjosephpost.com/posts/b4299634-fe3e-4960-aada-bcb7e734448a">Coverage of both games here</a>. East Buchanan 6 Plattsburg 2 Chillicothe 8 Bishop LeBlond 4 Mid-Buchanan 7 Platte Valley 4. The Dragons are 4-0 heading into spring break.St. Joseph Christian 12 King City 9 Pattonsburg 9 North Andrew 0 Lawson 2 Lathrop 1 Maysville 15 Milan 1 Northeast Nodaway 6 East Atchison 2Girls' soccer St. Pius X 12 Benton 1 Maryville 3 Lincoln College Prep 0Track and field notes The West Platte boys and girls’ track teams both placed second in the Smithville Invitational, while the Worth County boys edged Stanberry 136-130 to win the WildKat Relays at King City. It was the first ever varsity track meet hosted by King City High School.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-partner="tweetdeck">After many years of planning, moving dirt, and building, King City will host a varsity track meet. Too many people to thank without leaving someone off the list. Temperatures will be a little cool, but the sun is shining. Events begin at 4:00. <a href="https://twitter.com/chrisRroush?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@chrisRroush</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/TommyKFEQ?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TommyKFEQ</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/KAANRadio?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@KAANRadio</a> <a href="https://t.co/dd6IwIQuTx">pic.twitter.com/dd6IwIQuTx</a>&mdash; Danny Johnson (@WildKatNation1) <a href="https://twitter.com/WildKatNation1/status/1377641873221767170?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 1, 2021</a></blockquote>
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KFEQ/St. Joseph Post area high school scoreboard - April 1, 2021

The Lafayette baseball team's early-season momentum continues. The Irish (6-1) won their fourth straight game Thursday, topping Maryville 10-4 at Phil Welch Stadium.

It was Senior Night for Lafayette, and they were led in victory by senior pitcher Jayden Little, who had a terrific six innings of work on the mound. The Highland Community College commit struck out seven, walked only one and only allowed one hit.

"In high school, you need to work ahead," Little said. "You work deep into games. I just tried to work ahead (in the count) and pound the zone. I know my defense has got me, so it just worked out like that."

After a scoreless first inning, Maryville (2-1) struck first in the top of the first inning. Dylan White led off the frame with a single, and was brought home with an RBI groundout by Connor Drake.

The Irish struck back with three runs in the bottom of the second to take a 3-1 lead, and they never looked back. Lafayette did the most damage in the fourth, scoring five runs on four hits, including a triple from senior catcher Chance Herie, who went 2-of-3 at the plate with a double, two runs scored and a walk as well.

"I'm just super proud of this team for this win," Lafayette coach Matt Jansen said. "For them to see some adversity early and fight through it and work as a team to get a win."

Leading 10-1 entering the seventh, Jansen and pitching coach Bill McClain made the decision to take Little out of the game and let some of the younger pitchers close out the game.

The Spoofhounds got three runs back in the seventh, thanks in part to a fielding error and three straight walks. After throwing 16 pitches, Davin Guess was replaced on the mound by fellow junior Cade King, who forced a pair of flyouts and a strikeout to win the game.

Jansen said Little wanted to stay in and throw the complete game, but he understood the decision to make a change and save some energy for games next week.

"We had to do what's best for the team moving into next week, and Jayden understood that," Jansen said. "He's a total team guy and he rolled with it. We were just fortunate to be in that position, because if the game is close, it makes those decisions a little tougher."

Lafayette continues its busy week with a doubleheader at Pleasant Hill Friday. The Irish face Pleasant Hill (7-0) and Fort Osage (0-5) at 10 a.m. and then 12:30 p.m. respectively. That'll conclude a stretch of six games in six days.

It's been busy, but Lafayette is excited about the momentum that they have, and are also looking toward three conference tilts against Cameron, Chillicothe and LeBlond next week.

"We're going to flat out compete," Jansen said. "After Friday, we get a couple of days off, and then we're right back at it. So, (Friday) is going to be a kitchen sink type of day. Brayden Luikart is gone and Jayden is gone, but we still have some really good arms left to throw."

St. Joseph Central gets nine hits, struggles defensively against Park Hill

The St. Joseph Central baseball team (3-2) got off to a 3-1 start, but gave up seven runs in the third inning and five more in the fifth, as Park Hill buried the Indians in a 15-6 win on Thursday afternoon.

Junior Logan Miller got the start on the mound for Central and took the loss in 2.2 innings. Miller struck out four, but walked five batters and surrendered eight runs (seven earned). In all, Park Hill (5-2) had 15 hits and also benefited from seven walks, three errors and two hit batters.

"We have to continue to throw more strikes," Central head coach Brent Seifert said. "We can't give them a bunch of walks, or they make you pay for it. I thought our offense was decent all game long. We continued to fight, and that's what I wanted to see."

Central ended up with nine hits themselves, scoring three runs in the second inning and three more in the fifth. Senior Josh Eivens led the way at the plate, going 2-of-3 with a double, an RBI, two runs scored and a walk.

The Indians saw a three-game winning streak snapped, and they'll look to bounce back against Savannah (4-1) on Monday at 4 p.m.

"I like the way our kids battled all game," Seifert said of his team's effort. "They continue to battle. Park Hill is a good team, and they swung it well. That one inning, obviously a lot of damage was done."

You can follow Tommy on Twitter @TommyKFEQ and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/4/1617354427663.jpeg" alt="Lafayette senior Jayden Little on the mound for the Irish in Lafayette's 10-4 win over Maryville Thursday. Little struck out seven, walked only one and surrendered only one hit in six innings of work./ Photo by Tommy Rezac." />
 <figcaption>Lafayette senior Jayden Little on the mound for the Irish in Lafayette's 10-4 win over Maryville Thursday. Little struck out seven, walked only one and surrendered only one hit in six innings of work./ Photo by Tommy Rezac.</figcaption>
 </figure>By TOMMY REZACSt. Joseph PostThe Lafayette baseball team's early-season momentum continues. The Irish (6-1) won their fourth straight game Thursday, topping Maryville 10-4 at Phil Welch Stadium.It was Senior Night for Lafayette, and they were led in victory by senior pitcher Jayden Little, who had a terrific six innings of work on the mound. The Highland Community College commit struck out seven, walked only one and only allowed one hit."In high school, you need to work ahead," Little said. "You work deep into games. I just tried to work ahead (in the count) and pound the zone. I know my defense has got me, so it just worked out like that."After a scoreless first inning, Maryville (2-1) struck first in the top of the first inning. Dylan White led off the frame with a single, and was brought home with an RBI groundout by Connor Drake.The Irish struck back with three runs in the bottom of the second to take a 3-1 lead, and they never looked back. Lafayette did the most damage in the fourth, scoring five runs on four hits, including a triple from senior catcher Chance Herie, who went 2-of-3 at the plate with a double, two runs scored and a walk as well."I'm just super proud of this team for this win," Lafayette coach Matt Jansen said. "For them to see some adversity early and fight through it and work as a team to get a win."Leading 10-1 entering the seventh, Jansen and pitching coach Bill McClain made the decision to take Little out of the game and let some of the younger pitchers close out the game.The Spoofhounds got three runs back in the seventh, thanks in part to a fielding error and three straight walks. After throwing 16 pitches, Davin Guess was replaced on the mound by fellow junior Cade King, who forced a pair of flyouts and a strikeout to win the game.Jansen said Little wanted to stay in and throw the complete game, but he understood the decision to make a change and save some energy for games next week."We had to do what's best for the team moving into next week, and Jayden understood that," Jansen said. "He's a total team guy and he rolled with it. We were just fortunate to be in that position, because if the game is close, it makes those decisions a little tougher."Lafayette continues its busy week with a doubleheader at Pleasant Hill Friday. The Irish face Pleasant Hill (7-0) and Fort Osage (0-5) at 10 a.m. and then 12:30 p.m. respectively. That'll conclude a stretch of six games in six days.It's been busy, but Lafayette is excited about the momentum that they have, and are also looking toward three conference tilts against Cameron, Chillicothe and LeBlond next week."We're going to flat out compete," Jansen said. "After Friday, we get a couple of days off, and then we're right back at it. So, (Friday) is going to be a kitchen sink type of day. Brayden Luikart is gone and Jayden is gone, but we still have some really good arms left to throw."<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/4/1617356273167.jpeg" alt="Lafayette's Brayden Luikart (24) at the plate during the Irish's 10-4 win over Maryville. The Oklahoma baseball commit went one of 1-of-3 at the plate, reached and scored on an error in the sixth, and scored two total runs and also drove in two more Thursday./ Photo by Tommy Rezac." />
 <figcaption>Lafayette's Brayden Luikart (24) at the plate during the Irish's 10-4 win over Maryville. The Oklahoma baseball commit went one of 1-of-3 at the plate, reached and scored on an error in the sixth, and scored two total runs and also drove in two more Thursday./ Photo by Tommy Rezac.</figcaption>
 </figure>St. Joseph Central gets nine hits, struggles defensively against Park HillThe St. Joseph Central baseball team (3-2) got off to a 3-1 start, but gave up seven runs in the third inning and five more in the fifth, as Park Hill buried the Indians in a 15-6 win on Thursday afternoon.Junior Logan Miller got the start on the mound for Central and took the loss in 2.2 innings. Miller struck out four, but walked five batters and surrendered eight runs (seven earned). In all, Park Hill (5-2) had 15 hits and also benefited from seven walks, three errors and two hit batters."We have to continue to throw more strikes," Central head coach Brent Seifert said. "We can't give them a bunch of walks, or they make you pay for it. I thought our offense was decent all game long. We continued to fight, and that's what I wanted to see."Central ended up with nine hits themselves, scoring three runs in the second inning and three more in the fifth. Senior Josh Eivens led the way at the plate, going 2-of-3 with a double, an RBI, two runs scored and a walk.The Indians saw a three-game winning streak snapped, and they'll look to bounce back against Savannah (4-1) on Monday at 4 p.m."I like the way our kids battled all game," Seifert said of his team's effort. "They continue to battle. Park Hill is a good team, and they swung it well. That one inning, obviously a lot of damage was done."<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/4/1617356353008.jpeg" alt="St. Joseph Central's Logan Miller on the mound./ Photo by Tommy Rezac." />
 <figcaption>St. Joseph Central's Logan Miller on the mound./ Photo by Tommy Rezac.</figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/4/1617356468649.jpeg" alt="St. Joseph Central's Brayden Piatt at the plate Thursday. Piatt went 1-of-3 with two RBIs./ Photo by Tommy Rezac." />
 <figcaption>St. Joseph Central's Brayden Piatt at the plate Thursday. Piatt went 1-of-3 with two RBIs./ Photo by Tommy Rezac.</figcaption>
 </figure>You can follow Tommy on Twitter @TommyKFEQ and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.

Lafayette beats Maryville, St. Joseph Central falls to Park Hill at Phil Welch Stadium Thursday

KANSAS CITY (AP) - Michael A. Taylor homered, drove in three runs and threw out two players at the plate from center field, leading the Kansas City Royals past the Texas Rangers 14-10 in a wild season opener on Thursday afternoon at Kaufmann Stadium.

The 14 runs scored on opening day are a new club record for Kansas City.

Each team scored five times in the first inning of a game that took 4 hours and 26 minutes - the longest nine inning game in Royals history.

 The first seven Rangers batters reached safely on six hits and a walk, but Kansas City roared back with the help of home runs by Jorge Soler and Whit Merrifield.

Taylor, who spent his first seven seasons with Washington, had three hits and three RBIs in a do-it-all debut for the Royals.

Kyle Isbel had three hits and two RBIs in his first major league game.

The Royals have Friday off before resuming their three-game series against Texas on Saturday. First pitch is scheduled for 1:10 p.m. The game will be carried live on KFEQ - 680 AM and 95.3 FM in St. Joseph.

St. Joseph PostKANSAS CITY (AP) - Michael A. Taylor homered, drove in three runs and threw out two players at the plate from center field, leading the Kansas City Royals past the Texas Rangers 14-10 in a wild season opener on Thursday afternoon at Kaufmann Stadium.The 14 runs scored on opening day are a new club record for Kansas City.Each team scored five times in the first inning of a game that took 4 hours and 26 minutes - the longest nine inning game in Royals history. The first seven Rangers batters reached safely on six hits and a walk, but Kansas City roared back with the help of home runs by Jorge Soler and Whit Merrifield.Taylor, who spent his first seven seasons with Washington, had three hits and three RBIs in a do-it-all debut for the Royals.Kyle Isbel had three hits and two RBIs in his first major league game.The Royals have Friday off before resuming their three-game series against Texas on Saturday. First pitch is scheduled for 1:10 p.m. The game will be carried live on KFEQ - 680 AM and 95.3 FM in St. Joseph.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-partner="tweetdeck">FINAL: <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Royals?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Royals</a> 14, Rangers 10<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/HEYHEYHEYHEY?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#HEYHEYHEYHEY</a><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/OpeningDay?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#OpeningDay</a> // <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TogetherRoyal?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TogetherRoyal</a> <a href="https://t.co/c3m63zInEq">pic.twitter.com/c3m63zInEq</a>&mdash; Kansas City Royals (@Royals) <a href="https://twitter.com/Royals/status/1377782098468147206?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 2, 2021</a></blockquote>
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Royals outhit the Rangers, take the win in eventful season opener

CHAPEL HILL—<a href="https://goheels.com/coaches.aspx?rc=3643">Roy Williams</a>, who led the University of North Carolina to three NCAA championships, is retiring after 33 seasons and 903 wins as a college basketball head coach, according to a media release from the school. The 2007 Naismith Hall of Fame inductee will address the media at a press conference on&nbsp;<a href="https://goheels.com/coaches.aspx?rc=3643">Roy Williams</a>&nbsp;Court at the Dean E. Smith Center today (Thursday, April 1) at 4 p.m. The press conference is closed to the public. Fans may watch at&nbsp;<a href="http://goheels.com/">GoHeels.com</a>. Williams, a 1972 UNC graduate, just concluded his 18th&nbsp;season as the head coach at his alma mater. In addition to NCAA titles in 2005, 2009 and 2017, he led the Tar Heels to a 485-163 record, two other Final Fours, nine ACC regular-season championships and three ACC Tournament crowns. ROY WILLIAMS' CAREER HIGHLIGHTS • 48 seasons as a basketball coach, including 33 seasons as a college head coach (18 at UNC, 15 at Kansas), 10 as assistant coach at UNC and five as head coach at Owen High School in Black Mountain, N.C. • 2007 inductee to the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame • Third all-time in wins by a Division I head coach with 903 • Reached 900 wins in fewer games (1,161) and seasons (33) than any coach in NCAA history • 903 wins in 33 seasons is 100 more than any other coach in NCAA history (803 by Mike Krzyzewski, 802 by Dean Smith) • Second-winningest coach in UNC history and third in Kansas history • Only coach in history with 400 wins at two schools • Sixth-highest winning percentage (.774) in NCAA history • Led UNC to three NCAA championships (2005, 2009, 2017) • Third to take teams to the NCAA Tournament at least 30 times • Consensus National Coach of the Decade (2000-09) • Led UNC and Kansas to nine Final Fours, fourth most all-time • Second in NCAA Tournament wins (79), second in No. 1 seeds (13), second in games (105),&nbsp;third in NCAA Tournament winning percentage (.745)&nbsp;and tied for fourth in NCAA championships • NCAA-record eight wins over Associated Press No. 1-ranked teams • Second in NCAA history in 30-win seasons (12) and tied for fourth in 20-win seasons (29) • Tied for fifth all-time with 18 regular-season conference championships • Third all-time in ACC regular-season wins (212) • Third-most ACC road wins (93) and fourth-highest ACC road winning percentage all-time (.604) • Second-most wins (208) in first 300 ACC regular-season games • 32 NBA first-round draft picks (22 at UNC, 10 at Kansas) • 52 former players in the NBA • Four National Players of the Year, six ACC Scholar-Athletes of the Year, 10 consensus first-team All-Americas, 17 first-team All-Americas and three Bob Cousy Award winners • Only coach to coach two Academic All-Americas of the Year (Jacque Vaughn at Kansas, Tyler Zeller at UNC) THE WILLIAMS RECORD Overall:&nbsp;903-264, 33 seasons (.774) Record at UNC:&nbsp;485-163, 18 seasons (.748) NCAA Championships (3):&nbsp;2005, 2009, 2017 at UNC Final Fours (9):&nbsp;1991, 1993, 2002, 2003 at Kansas; 2005, 2008, 2009, 2016, 2017 at UNC NCAA Tournament:&nbsp;79-27 (.745) NCAA Tournament at UNC:&nbsp;45-13 (.776) NCAA Finals:&nbsp;3-3 NCAA Finals at UNC:&nbsp;3-1 National Championship Games (6):&nbsp;1991, 2003 at Kansas; 2005, 2009, 2016, 2017 at UNC National Semifinals:&nbsp;6-3 National Semifinals at UNC:&nbsp;4-1 NCAA Elite 8s (13):&nbsp;1991, 1993, 1996, 2002, 2003 at Kansas; 2005, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2016, 2017 at UNC NCAA Elite 8:&nbsp;9-4 (5-3 at UNC) NCAA Sweet 16s (19):&nbsp;1991, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 2001, 2002 and 2003 at Kansas; 2005, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2019 at UNC NCAA Sweet 16:&nbsp;13-6 (8-2 at UNC) NCAA 2nd Round:&nbsp;19-10 (10-5 at UNC) NCAA 1st Round:&nbsp;29-1 (15-1 at UNC) Conference Regular-Season Titles (18):&nbsp;1991, 1992, 1993, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2002, 2003 at Kansas; 2005, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2016, 2017, 2019 at UNC ACC Regular-Season:&nbsp;212-94 (.693) ACC Home:&nbsp;119-33 (.783) ACC Road:&nbsp;93-61 (.604) ACC Tournament:&nbsp;29-15 (.659) ACC Tournament Titles (3):&nbsp;2007, 2008, 2016 Conference Tournaments Titles (7):&nbsp;1992, 1997, 1998, 1999 at Kansas; 2007, 2008, 2016 at UNC Conference Tournaments (ACC and Big 8/12):&nbsp;52-25 Home:&nbsp;444-57 (.886) Home UNC Record:&nbsp;243-41 (.856) Smith Center UNC Record:&nbsp;241-40 (.858) Away UNC Record:&nbsp;123-77 (.615) Against Ranked Teams (AP poll):&nbsp;164-134 (most recent vs. Florida State, 3/12/21) Against No. 1-Ranked Teams:&nbsp;8-8

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 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/4/1617287188189.png" alt="Coach Roy Williams courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>Coach Roy Williams courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>CHAPEL HILL—<a href="https://goheels.com/coaches.aspx?rc=3643">Roy Williams</a>, who led the University of North Carolina to three NCAA championships, is retiring after 33 seasons and 903 wins as a college basketball head coach, according to a media release from the school. The 2007 Naismith Hall of Fame inductee will address the media at a press conference on&nbsp;<a href="https://goheels.com/coaches.aspx?rc=3643">Roy Williams</a>&nbsp;Court at the Dean E. Smith Center today (Thursday, April 1) at 4 p.m. The press conference is closed to the public. Fans may watch at&nbsp;<a href="http://goheels.com/">GoHeels.com</a>. Williams, a 1972 UNC graduate, just concluded his 18th&nbsp;season as the head coach at his alma mater. In addition to NCAA titles in 2005, 2009 and 2017, he led the Tar Heels to a 485-163 record, two other Final Fours, nine ACC regular-season championships and three ACC Tournament crowns. ROY WILLIAMS' CAREER HIGHLIGHTS • 48 seasons as a basketball coach, including 33 seasons as a college head coach (18 at UNC, 15 at Kansas), 10 as assistant coach at UNC and five as head coach at Owen High School in Black Mountain, N.C. • 2007 inductee to the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame • Third all-time in wins by a Division I head coach with 903 • Reached 900 wins in fewer games (1,161) and seasons (33) than any coach in NCAA history • 903 wins in 33 seasons is 100 more than any other coach in NCAA history (803 by Mike Krzyzewski, 802 by Dean Smith) • Second-winningest coach in UNC history and third in Kansas history • Only coach in history with 400 wins at two schools • Sixth-highest winning percentage (.774) in NCAA history • Led UNC to three NCAA championships (2005, 2009, 2017) • Third to take teams to the NCAA Tournament at least 30 times • Consensus National Coach of the Decade (2000-09) • Led UNC and Kansas to nine Final Fours, fourth most all-time • Second in NCAA Tournament wins (79), second in No. 1 seeds (13), second in games (105),&nbsp;third in NCAA Tournament winning percentage (.745)&nbsp;and tied for fourth in NCAA championships • NCAA-record eight wins over Associated Press No. 1-ranked teams • Second in NCAA history in 30-win seasons (12) and tied for fourth in 20-win seasons (29) • Tied for fifth all-time with 18 regular-season conference championships • Third all-time in ACC regular-season wins (212) • Third-most ACC road wins (93) and fourth-highest ACC road winning percentage all-time (.604) • Second-most wins (208) in first 300 ACC regular-season games • 32 NBA first-round draft picks (22 at UNC, 10 at Kansas) • 52 former players in the NBA • Four National Players of the Year, six ACC Scholar-Athletes of the Year, 10 consensus first-team All-Americas, 17 first-team All-Americas and three Bob Cousy Award winners • Only coach to coach two Academic All-Americas of the Year (Jacque Vaughn at Kansas, Tyler Zeller at UNC) THE WILLIAMS RECORD Overall:&nbsp;903-264, 33 seasons (.774) Record at UNC:&nbsp;485-163, 18 seasons (.748) NCAA Championships (3):&nbsp;2005, 2009, 2017 at UNC Final Fours (9):&nbsp;1991, 1993, 2002, 2003 at Kansas; 2005, 2008, 2009, 2016, 2017 at UNC NCAA Tournament:&nbsp;79-27 (.745) NCAA Tournament at UNC:&nbsp;45-13 (.776) NCAA Finals:&nbsp;3-3 NCAA Finals at UNC:&nbsp;3-1 National Championship Games (6):&nbsp;1991, 2003 at Kansas; 2005, 2009, 2016, 2017 at UNC National Semifinals:&nbsp;6-3 National Semifinals at UNC:&nbsp;4-1 NCAA Elite 8s (13):&nbsp;1991, 1993, 1996, 2002, 2003 at Kansas; 2005, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2016, 2017 at UNC NCAA Elite 8:&nbsp;9-4 (5-3 at UNC) NCAA Sweet 16s (19):&nbsp;1991, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 2001, 2002 and 2003 at Kansas; 2005, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2019 at UNC NCAA Sweet 16:&nbsp;13-6 (8-2 at UNC) NCAA 2nd Round:&nbsp;19-10 (10-5 at UNC) NCAA 1st Round:&nbsp;29-1 (15-1 at UNC) Conference Regular-Season Titles (18):&nbsp;1991, 1992, 1993, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2002, 2003 at Kansas; 2005, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2016, 2017, 2019 at UNC ACC Regular-Season:&nbsp;212-94 (.693) ACC Home:&nbsp;119-33 (.783) ACC Road:&nbsp;93-61 (.604) ACC Tournament:&nbsp;29-15 (.659) ACC Tournament Titles (3):&nbsp;2007, 2008, 2016 Conference Tournaments Titles (7):&nbsp;1992, 1997, 1998, 1999 at Kansas; 2007, 2008, 2016 at UNC Conference Tournaments (ACC and Big 8/12):&nbsp;52-25 Home:&nbsp;444-57 (.886) Home UNC Record:&nbsp;243-41 (.856) Smith Center UNC Record:&nbsp;241-40 (.858) Away UNC Record:&nbsp;123-77 (.615) Against Ranked Teams (AP poll):&nbsp;164-134 (most recent vs. Florida State, 3/12/21) Against No. 1-Ranked Teams:&nbsp;8-8

🏀 Former KU coach Roy Williams announces retirement

Mother Nature has been a lot more cooperative this week (other than the wind), which has allowed for spring high school sports to go on fully, and Tuesday was certainly a busy day for our area high schools.

Baseball scores Lafayette 4 Savannah 0. The Irish are now 5-1. Brayden Luikart struck out 17.

Bishop LeBlond 6 West Platte 4. It’s the Eagles’ first win this year.

Mid-Buchanan 10 East Buchanan 7. The Dragons overcame a 5-0 deficit to win their home opener.

Northeast Nodaway 21 DeKalb 2 Maryville 20 West Harrison 3 Lawson 12 North Platte 2 Stewartsville-Osborn 13 North Nodaway 9. It was the first ever baseball game for the Stewartsville-Osborn program.

Platte Valley 7 East Atchison 1 South Holt 21 West Nodaway 0

Girls’ soccer Maryville 6 Lafayette 0 Pembroke Hill 5 Bishop LeBlond 1 Mid-Buchanan 9 East Kansas City 1. The Dragons are now 2-1 overall and 2-0 on their home field.

Also in girls’ soccer news, St. Joseph Central senior Greycie Bardo signed her national letter of intent to play soccer at Truman State, joining her sister Ashlynn on the team.

Tennis Savannah swept LeBlond in a dual, 9-0. Savannah competes in a tournament at Cameron on Wednesday.

Track results/notes The Bishop LeBlond boys and girls each took 2nd in the Cyclone relays.

The Stewartsville-Osborn girls placed 1st in the Riverside Relays.

The West Platte boys finished 1st in their first meet of the season.

The North Platte girls took 1st in their home track meet amongst 18 schools.

The Maryville boys took first at the Lathrop invitational. At that meet, West Nodaway’s Tyler Blay became the new school record holder in the 1600 meter race with a time of 4:40.

By TOMMY REZACSt. Joseph PostMother Nature has been a lot more cooperative this week (other than the wind), which has allowed for spring high school sports to go on fully, and Tuesday was certainly a busy day for our area high schools.Baseball scores Lafayette 4 Savannah 0. The Irish are now 5-1. Brayden Luikart struck out 17.Bishop LeBlond 6 West Platte 4. It’s the Eagles’ first win this year.Mid-Buchanan 10 East Buchanan 7. The Dragons overcame a 5-0 deficit to win their home opener.Northeast Nodaway 21 DeKalb 2 Maryville 20 West Harrison 3 Lawson 12 North Platte 2 Stewartsville-Osborn 13 North Nodaway 9. It was the first ever baseball game for the Stewartsville-Osborn program. Platte Valley 7 East Atchison 1 South Holt 21 West Nodaway 0Girls’ soccer Maryville 6 Lafayette 0 Pembroke Hill 5 Bishop LeBlond 1 Mid-Buchanan 9 East Kansas City 1. The Dragons are now 2-1 overall and 2-0 on their home field.Also in girls’ soccer news, St. Joseph Central senior Greycie Bardo signed her national letter of intent to play soccer at Truman State, joining her sister Ashlynn on the team.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-partner="tweetdeck">CSi Alert: Congratulations to Central soccer star Greycie Bardo on signing her NLI to Truman! <a href="https://twitter.com/CHS_Indians?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CHS_Indians</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/IndiansChs?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@IndiansChs</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/KQ2SPORTS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@KQ2SPORTS</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/SJNPSports?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SJNPSports</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/TommyKFEQ?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TommyKFEQ</a> <a href="https://t.co/31dzUnSABU">pic.twitter.com/31dzUnSABU</a>&mdash; David Lau (@DCLau5) <a href="https://twitter.com/DCLau5/status/1376992201792745475?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 30, 2021</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
</div>Tennis Savannah swept LeBlond in a dual, 9-0. Savannah competes in a tournament at Cameron on Wednesday.Track results/notes The Bishop LeBlond boys and girls each took 2nd in the Cyclone relays.The Stewartsville-Osborn girls placed 1st in the Riverside Relays.The West Platte boys finished 1st in their first meet of the season. The North Platte girls took 1st in their home track meet amongst 18 schools.The Maryville boys took first at the Lathrop invitational. At that meet, West Nodaway’s Tyler Blay became the new school record holder in the 1600 meter race with a time of 4:40.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-partner="tweetdeck">Congrats to Tyler Blay on becoming the new school recorder holder in the 1600! Time of 4:40!&mdash; West Nodaway Schools (@WNRockets) <a href="https://twitter.com/WNRockets/status/1377086356757872640?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 31, 2021</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>You can follow Tommy on Twitter @TommyKFEQ and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.

KFEQ/St. Joseph Post area high school scoreboard - March 30, 2021

The NFL announced on Tuesday the expansion to a 17-game regular season schedule, beginning with the 2021 season.

The league determined that the additional home game would rotate between AFC and NFC teams on an annual basis, beginning with the AFC in 2021.

The Kansas City Chiefs will host nine regular season games and one preseason game at Arrowhead Stadium this year. The 17th&nbsp;game will always feature an interconference matchup, based on the prior year’s standings.

This year, the NFC North champion Green Bay Packers are scheduled to visit the Chiefs.

Dates and times for the full regular season schedule, as well as the three-game preseason schedule, will be released at a later date.

Kansas City’s 2021 opponents are now scheduled to be:

By TOMMY REZACSt. Joseph PostThe NFL announced on Tuesday the expansion to a 17-game regular season schedule, beginning with the 2021 season.The league determined that the additional home game would rotate between AFC and NFC teams on an annual basis, beginning with the AFC in 2021.The Kansas City Chiefs will host nine regular season games and one preseason game at Arrowhead Stadium this year. The 17th&nbsp;game will always feature an interconference matchup, based on the prior year’s standings.This year, the NFC North champion Green Bay Packers are scheduled to visit the Chiefs.Dates and times for the full regular season schedule, as well as the three-game preseason schedule, will be released at a later date.Kansas City’s 2021 opponents are now scheduled to be:Home<ul>
 <li>Denver Broncos</li><li>Las Vegas Raiders</li><li>Los Angeles Chargers</li><li>Buffalo Bills</li><li>Cleveland Browns</li><li>Dallas Cowboys</li><li>Green Bay Packers</li><li>New York Giants</li><li>Pittsburgh Steelers</li>
 </ul>Away<ul>
 <li>Denver Broncos</li><li>Las Vegas Raiders</li><li>Los Angeles Chargers</li><li>Baltimore Ravens</li><li>Cincinnati Bengals</li><li>Philadelphia Eagles</li><li>Tennessee Titans</li><li>Washington Football Team</li>
 </ul><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-partner="tweetdeck">We&#39;ll host the Green Bay Packers at <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GEHAFieldAtArrowhead?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#GEHAFieldAtArrowhead</a> next season, replacing a preseason game with a ninth regular season home game.&mdash; Kansas City Chiefs (@Chiefs) <a href="https://twitter.com/Chiefs/status/1376968690567155715?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 30, 2021</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
</div>

Chiefs to host ninth regular-season game against the Packers, NFL expands to 17-game schedule

FAUCETT - Like several days already this spring, March 23 was soaked with rain.

Persistent showers early in the day prompted many area high schools to postpone or cancel baseball and girls' soccer games.

Yet, nothing was going to spoil opening day for Mid-Buchanan girls' soccer.

"We love the rain," head coach Danielle Beers said. "We'll play in the rain any day. It's just been very, very windy lately."

The rain did stop last Tuesday, but the Dragons cruised to an 8-0 victory at home over Ewing Marion Kauffman with University Academy Charter. Not bad for the first ever soccer game, boys or girls, to be played in Mid-Buchanan school history.

Freshman center/midfielder Liv Moeckli led her team with four goals in the victory.

"It was a good confidence booster," she said. "It definitely gave us the mentality of 'we can do it' rather than just going through the games. Winning that first game brought us a good mentality."

Moeckli has played competitive soccer to some degree since she was a second grader.

Not many of her teammates have that advantage. Sophomore goalie Mallie Lieffring had never played the sport until this spring.

"I wasn't actually going to play until Ms. Beers had said, 'We need a goalie!'" Lieffring said. "So I was like, I have nothing else to do, so I might as well go out and try it."

Lieffring and 24 other athletes at Mid-Buchanan are giving girls' soccer a shot this spring.

"It's really amazing to finally have a school team to play for," Moeckli said. "It's so great to have so many people to come out that you wouldn't expect. It's a great feeling to finally have that."

The Dragons' 8-0 win was followed the next day by a 5-0 loss at Chillicothe - a team who had won a district title in 2019.

"Every time we get out on the field, we're going to get better," Beers said. "We're going to learn and we're going to grow. That Chillicothe game shows that there are so many positives there. It's just going be a question of, what can we do to build off of that and see where we end the season."

With 11 matches left and the Moberly Invitational Tournament on the schedule as well, there's plenty of room for growth and development. But right now, the Dragons are just having fun.

"I feel like every day I'm telling (athletic director) Chris Kendrick, 'I'm having so much fun,'" Beers said, "and the girls are having just as much fun. So, going into that first game, they had worked so hard for the past three weeks. It's been back to the basics, because three-fourths of these girls have never played (soccer) before. Or, haven't played since they were really little."

Beers, a 2013 Bishop LeBlond graduate, has lived and breathed soccer. She was a four-year starter for the Eagles, scoring 29 goals and adding 34 assists while garnering All-City, All-Conference, All-District and All-Region honors in her varsity career.

She went onto play collegiately for Truman State before coming back to coach soccer at LeBlond as an assistant in 2018. She was named the Eagles' head coach in 2019, and guided the team to a 6-9 record and a runner-up finish in the Class 1 District 8 title game.

Beers was also teaching at Mid-Buchanan Elementary during that time, and had heard off-and-on discussions about the Dragons starting their own program.

"I said, 'You know what? If you do it, if you get it going, I'll come do it," Beers said. "It just so happened that everything randomly fell into place and we were able to make that happen."

Nobody was exactly sure what to expect when the season began, but the energy and enthusiasm remains high.

"It's a great bonding experience to be able to go out with these girls," Lieffring said, "and have another sport that we're able to go out and play together and just learn something new."

They've played two games already, but that 'newness' excitement still lingers. Girls are learning more about the game, and likely, about each other. 

Beers is watching gleefully, hoping that her players learn to love soccer just as much as she did during her playing days in St. Joseph and in Kirksville.

"I'm just excited to see where this program goes," Beers said. "Even in our first year. Being able to build and knowing there's some real possibilities with some upcoming classes, I'm just excited to see these girls fall in love with a sport I've always loved. It's been an honor and a privilege to do that here at Mid-Buchanan."

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/3/1617068487991.jpeg" alt="Members of the Mid-Buchanan girls' soccer team go through drills at Monday's practice. The Dragons face East Kansas City at home on Tuesday at 5 pm./ Photo by Tommy Rezac." />
 <figcaption>Members of the Mid-Buchanan girls' soccer team go through drills at Monday's practice. The Dragons face East Kansas City at home on Tuesday at 5 pm./ Photo by Tommy Rezac.</figcaption>
 </figure>By TOMMY REZACSt. Joseph PostFAUCETT - Like several days already this spring, March 23 was soaked with rain.Persistent showers early in the day prompted many area high schools to postpone or cancel baseball and girls' soccer games.Yet, nothing was going to spoil opening day for Mid-Buchanan girls' soccer."We love the rain," head coach Danielle Beers said. "We'll play in the rain any day. It's just been very, very windy lately."The rain did stop last Tuesday, but the Dragons cruised to an 8-0 victory at home over Ewing Marion Kauffman with University Academy Charter. Not bad for the first ever soccer game, boys or girls, to be played in Mid-Buchanan school history.Freshman center/midfielder Liv Moeckli led her team with four goals in the victory."It was a good confidence booster," she said. "It definitely gave us the mentality of 'we can do it' rather than just going through the games. Winning that first game brought us a good mentality."Moeckli has played competitive soccer to some degree since she was a second grader.Not many of her teammates have that advantage. Sophomore goalie Mallie Lieffring had never played the sport until this spring."I wasn't actually going to play until Ms. Beers had said, 'We need a goalie!'" Lieffring said. "So I was like, I have nothing else to do, so I might as well go out and try it."Lieffring and 24 other athletes at Mid-Buchanan are giving girls' soccer a shot this spring."It's really amazing to finally have a school team to play for," Moeckli said. "It's so great to have so many people to come out that you wouldn't expect. It's a great feeling to finally have that."The Dragons' 8-0 win was followed the next day by a 5-0 loss at Chillicothe - a team who had won a district title in 2019."Every time we get out on the field, we're going to get better," Beers said. "We're going to learn and we're going to grow. That Chillicothe game shows that there are so many positives there. It's just going be a question of, what can we do to build off of that and see where we end the season."With 11 matches left and the Moberly Invitational Tournament on the schedule as well, there's plenty of room for growth and development. But right now, the Dragons are just having fun."I feel like every day I'm telling (athletic director) Chris Kendrick, 'I'm having so much fun,'" Beers said, "and the girls are having just as much fun. So, going into that first game, they had worked so hard for the past three weeks. It's been back to the basics, because three-fourths of these girls have never played (soccer) before. Or, haven't played since they were really little."Beers, a 2013 Bishop LeBlond graduate, has lived and breathed soccer. She was a four-year starter for the Eagles, scoring 29 goals and adding 34 assists while garnering All-City, All-Conference, All-District and All-Region honors in her varsity career.She went onto play collegiately for Truman State before coming back to coach soccer at LeBlond as an assistant in 2018. She was named the Eagles' head coach in 2019, and guided the team to a 6-9 record and a runner-up finish in the Class 1 District 8 title game.Beers was also teaching at Mid-Buchanan Elementary during that time, and had heard off-and-on discussions about the Dragons starting their own program."I said, 'You know what? If you do it, if you get it going, I'll come do it," Beers said. "It just so happened that everything randomly fell into place and we were able to make that happen."Nobody was exactly sure what to expect when the season began, but the energy and enthusiasm remains high."It's a great bonding experience to be able to go out with these girls," Lieffring said, "and have another sport that we're able to go out and play together and just learn something new."They've played two games already, but that 'newness' excitement still lingers. Girls are learning more about the game, and likely, about each other. Beers is watching gleefully, hoping that her players learn to love soccer just as much as she did during her playing days in St. Joseph and in Kirksville."I'm just excited to see where this program goes," Beers said. "Even in our first year. Being able to build and knowing there's some real possibilities with some upcoming classes, I'm just excited to see these girls fall in love with a sport I've always loved. It's been an honor and a privilege to do that here at Mid-Buchanan."<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/3/1617068552894.jpeg" alt="Photo by Tommy Rezac." />
 <figcaption>Photo by Tommy Rezac.</figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/3/1617068584598.jpeg" alt="Photo by Tommy Rezac." />
 <figcaption>Photo by Tommy Rezac.</figcaption>
 </figure>You can follow Tommy on Twitter @TommyKFEQ and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.

Mid-Buchanan off and running in inaugural season of girls' soccer

The National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) announced Monday that Northwest Missouri State's&nbsp;Ben McCollum has been selected as the 2021 NABC Division II Coach of the Year. This is the fourth time in the last five years that McCollum has earned this award with three NCAA Division II championships during that period. The Bearcats <a href="https://stjosephpost.com/posts/593b4329-7476-4d30-a910-4f7a115bde8d">topped West Texas A&amp;M 80-54</a> in the NCAA Division II national championship game on Saturday in Evansville, Indiana, finishing the season with a 28-2 record.

Over the last three seasons, McCollum's teams have a combined 97-3 record and a 159-8 mark over the last five seasons. McCollum will receive this year's award on Friday, April 2, during the virtual AT&amp;T NABC Guardians of the Game Awards Show, which begins at 5:30 p.m. central.

McCollum has been the NABC Coach of the Year in 2017, 2019,&nbsp; 2020 and 2021.&nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/3/1614799290012.jpeg" alt="Northwest Missouri State men's basketball coach Ben McCollum has been named NABC Coach of the Year a record four times." />
 <figcaption>Northwest Missouri State men's basketball coach Ben McCollum has been named NABC Coach of the Year a record four times.</figcaption>
 </figure>St. Joseph PostThe National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) announced Monday that Northwest Missouri State's&nbsp;Ben McCollum has been selected as the 2021 NABC Division II Coach of the Year. This is the fourth time in the last five years that McCollum has earned this award with three NCAA Division II championships during that period. The Bearcats <a href="https://stjosephpost.com/posts/593b4329-7476-4d30-a910-4f7a115bde8d">topped West Texas A&amp;M 80-54</a> in the NCAA Division II national championship game on Saturday in Evansville, Indiana, finishing the season with a 28-2 record.Over the last three seasons, McCollum's teams have a combined 97-3 record and a 159-8 mark over the last five seasons. McCollum will receive this year's award on Friday, April 2, during the virtual AT&amp;T NABC Guardians of the Game Awards Show, which begins at 5:30 p.m. central. McCollum has been the NABC Coach of the Year in 2017, 2019,&nbsp; 2020 and 2021.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Northwest Missouri State's Ben McCollum named NABC Coach of the Year

Once again, Northwest Missouri State just made it look easy this week.

The Bearcats (28-2) breezed their way through the Elite Eight and dominated West Texas A&amp;M, 80-54, in the Division II national championship game at the Ford Center in Evansville, Indiana Saturday.

A dominant week indeed, as Northwest won its Elite Eight, Final Four and national title game by an NCAA-record 78 points combined.

This win marks the third national championship in Northwest program history - all of which have come since 2017.

It's also the 300th career victory for 12th-year head coach and future hall-of-famer Ben McCollum, who's now guided Northwest to a 97-3 record over their last 100 games, including 43 straight wins on neutral courts.

It was this season, McCollum says, that was the toughest one to get through mentally.

"It's really neat to be able to win this for your kids," McCollum said. "They put in so much effort, especially this season with the COVID piece added to it. It's a grind. It's a mental grind. I said at the beginning of the year that the team that's going to win this is going to be the toughest mentally.

"This was probably the most difficult (championship run). Just in regards to handling success, the emotions of COVID and the emotions of last year. All of those things made it really difficult."

Senior Ryan Hawkins, who was named the tournament's most valuable player after a dominant 31-point, 18-rebound performance Saturday, said this run felt extra special simply because of all of the obstacles that were in place right from the beginning.

"This one was a lot more player-led," he said after dropping his 30th career double-double. "Just because of COVID and the restrictions that we had. We had a quarantine period there right before Christmas break, where we had 23 days without basketball and we had to find a way to stay in shape."

West Texas A&amp;M kept it within single digits for most of the first half Saturday, but the Bearcats went on a 14-4 run in the final 3:59 before halftime to go up 48-29 at the break.

Even before that, the Bearcats had strong confidence right out of the gate that they could put the Buffaloes away.

"Through the first possession, we knew we were going to be able to control the game and take what we wanted on offense," Hawkins said, "and frustrate them on defense and make sure we weren't going to let them get into a rhythm."

Just like in Thursday's Final Four game, the second half belonged to Northwest. The Bearcats never led by any less than 18 points in the final 20 minutes, as they outscored the Buffaloes 26-10 in the first 12 minutes of the second half alone.

Northwest held the Buffaloes (19-3) to just 31.3 percent shooting from the field, including just 5-of-24 (21 percent) from three-point range.

"It's a great day to be a Bearcat," said Hawkins. "The feeling never gets old. I feel like we played a pretty good game. Overall, just a really good feeling right now. I feel like everyone had a great game offensively. We took what the defense was giving us. We knew we had a little bit of a size mismatch at three positions, and we kind of exposed that."

Sophomore Wes Dreamer tallied his fourth career double-double with 19 points and 11 rebounds on a 3-of-5 effort from beyond the arc. Junior and player of the year Trevor Hudgins scored 15, while sophomore Luke Waters piled on 13.

The Bearcats shot 27-of-54 from the field Saturday, including an impressive 7-of-15 clip from deep.

Northwest also made 19-of-24 shots from the free throw line, while West A&amp;M was just 9-of-11 from the same range.

After another historic, dominant run this season, one can't help but wonder if another run like this is coming next season, as Northwest returns its entire starting lineup for 2021-22.

"For these kids to perform like that," McCollum said, "I mean, they've lost three games (in the last two seasons). Two to the same team (Washburn). It's just...it's unbelievable. Unprecedented, really."

So unbelievable, that West Texas A&amp;M head coach Tom Brown said afterward that Northwest could "probably beat half of the teams in D1. They're probably in the wrong tournament. They should be in the Division I NCAA tournament."

McCollum isn't one to read into things like that very much. But, it was still nice to hear.

"I don't get overly concerned with that," McCollum said, "but, I certainly am humbled by it."

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/3/1616868486824.jpeg" alt="Photo by Doug Schmitz." />
 <figcaption>Photo by Doug Schmitz.</figcaption>
 </figure>By TOMMY REZACSt. Joseph PostOnce again, Northwest Missouri State just made it look easy this week.The Bearcats (28-2) breezed their way through the Elite Eight and dominated West Texas A&amp;M, 80-54, in the Division II national championship game at the Ford Center in Evansville, Indiana Saturday.A dominant week indeed, as Northwest won its Elite Eight, Final Four and national title game by an NCAA-record 78 points combined.This win marks the third national championship in Northwest program history - all of which have come since 2017.It's also the 300th career victory for 12th-year head coach and future hall-of-famer Ben McCollum, who's now guided Northwest to a 97-3 record over their last 100 games, including 43 straight wins on neutral courts.It was this season, McCollum says, that was the toughest one to get through mentally."It's really neat to be able to win this for your kids," McCollum said. "They put in so much effort, especially this season with the COVID piece added to it. It's a grind. It's a mental grind. I said at the beginning of the year that the team that's going to win this is going to be the toughest mentally."This was probably the most difficult (championship run). Just in regards to handling success, the emotions of COVID and the emotions of last year. All of those things made it really difficult."Senior Ryan Hawkins, who was named the tournament's most valuable player after a dominant 31-point, 18-rebound performance Saturday, said this run felt extra special simply because of all of the obstacles that were in place right from the beginning."This one was a lot more player-led," he said after dropping his 30th career double-double. "Just because of COVID and the restrictions that we had. We had a quarantine period there right before Christmas break, where we had 23 days without basketball and we had to find a way to stay in shape."West Texas A&amp;M kept it within single digits for most of the first half Saturday, but the Bearcats went on a 14-4 run in the final 3:59 before halftime to go up 48-29 at the break.Even before that, the Bearcats had strong confidence right out of the gate that they could put the Buffaloes away."Through the first possession, we knew we were going to be able to control the game and take what we wanted on offense," Hawkins said, "and frustrate them on defense and make sure we weren't going to let them get into a rhythm."Just like in Thursday's Final Four game, the second half belonged to Northwest. The Bearcats never led by any less than 18 points in the final 20 minutes, as they outscored the Buffaloes 26-10 in the first 12 minutes of the second half alone.Northwest held the Buffaloes (19-3) to just 31.3 percent shooting from the field, including just 5-of-24 (21 percent) from three-point range."It's a great day to be a Bearcat," said Hawkins. "The feeling never gets old. I feel like we played a pretty good game. Overall, just a really good feeling right now. I feel like everyone had a great game offensively. We took what the defense was giving us. We knew we had a little bit of a size mismatch at three positions, and we kind of exposed that."Sophomore Wes Dreamer tallied his fourth career double-double with 19 points and 11 rebounds on a 3-of-5 effort from beyond the arc. Junior and player of the year Trevor Hudgins scored 15, while sophomore Luke Waters piled on 13.The Bearcats shot 27-of-54 from the field Saturday, including an impressive 7-of-15 clip from deep.Northwest also made 19-of-24 shots from the free throw line, while West A&amp;M was just 9-of-11 from the same range.After another historic, dominant run this season, one can't help but wonder if another run like this is coming next season, as Northwest returns its entire starting lineup for 2021-22."For these kids to perform like that," McCollum said, "I mean, they've lost three games (in the last two seasons). Two to the same team (Washburn). It's just...it's unbelievable. Unprecedented, really."So unbelievable, that West Texas A&amp;M head coach Tom Brown said afterward that Northwest could "probably beat half of the teams in D1. They're probably in the wrong tournament. They should be in the Division I NCAA tournament."McCollum isn't one to read into things like that very much. But, it was still nice to hear."I don't get overly concerned with that," McCollum said, "but, I certainly am humbled by it."<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/3/1616869136293.jpeg" alt="Photo by Doug Schmitz." />
 <figcaption>Photo by Doug Schmitz.</figcaption>
 </figure><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-partner="tweetdeck">CHAMPIONS AGAIN. <a href="https://twitter.com/NWBearcatMBB?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NWBearcatMBB</a> captures the <a href="https://twitter.com/NCAADII?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NCAADII</a> Men&#39;s Basketball National Championship. <a href="https://t.co/TuClZ1MT34">pic.twitter.com/TuClZ1MT34</a>&mdash; CBS Sports CBB (@CBSSportsCBB) <a href="https://twitter.com/CBSSportsCBB/status/1375869719446745097?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 27, 2021</a></blockquote>
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</div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-partner="tweetdeck">BACK-TO-BACK NATIONAL CHAMPS! Northwest rolls past West Texas A&amp;M 80-54 to win their 3rd national championship in the last 5 years! <a href="https://t.co/rnCtOMCIpf">pic.twitter.com/rnCtOMCIpf</a>&mdash; Bearcat Basketball (@NWBearcatMBB) <a href="https://twitter.com/NWBearcatMBB/status/1375869674957778950?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 27, 2021</a></blockquote>
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</div>You can follow Tommy on Twitter @TommyKFEQ and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.

Northwest Missouri State dominates West Texas A&M, wins third national title

It was made official at a board meeting this week that Benton head boys' basketball and girls' golf coach Gary Belcher has been hired to lead Lawson in a similar fashion this upcoming school year.

 Belcher was named the head boys' basketball coach, girls' and boys' golf coach and Math Instructor at Lawson High School.

A St. Joseph native and 1982 Central alum, Belcher has been a boys' basketball coach in northwest Missouri for 22 years and has guided Lathrop (1998-2001), Warrensburg (2001-2004), Kearney (2005-2014) and Benton all to winning records.

Belcher finished his tenure at Benton with a 101-80 record. He first informed his players and the administration of his decision last Thursday.

Belcher mentioned that the uncertainty surrounding the upcoming <a href="https://stjosephpost.com/posts/f9528775-1917-4031-a70b-53a98649f034">$107 million bond issue</a> on the April 6 ballot was part of the reason why he applied to Lawson.

The proposed bond, if passed, would convert both Benton and Lafayette into middle schools and bring the addition of a new high school at the American Family Insurance regional headquarters building. That new high school would operate alongside St. Joseph Central.

"I grew up in St. Joe and I love St. Joe," Belcher said. "My parents still live there. But, kind of the uncertainty of what lies ahead makes you pause and think for a little bit. When these two opportunities are kind of out there, this one (at Lawson) kind of matches the one I have at Benton.

"All the talk is that within 1-2 years, regardless of whether the bond issue passes or not, they're looking to repurpose Benton into a middle school. You have to stop and think, 'You know, what does that mean for me, you know?'"

Belcher will take over for Brad Smith, who's retiring as the Lawson boys' basketball and boys' and girls' golf coach after 30 years.

Once Smith officially decided to step away this past November, he gave Belcher, an old coaching buddy, a call.

Belcher and Smith used to coach against each other during Belcher's days at Lathrop in the late 90s and early 2000s. Through offseason tournaments and the like, the two have kept in touch ever since.

"I wished him well," Belcher said of Smith's retirement. "I didn't really give it a whole lot of thought at first, but then I got to thinking, 'Well, you know what? He's a math teacher. He's a boys' basketball and coaches golf, too.' I know he's had a great program and a great run. Obviously, I have some big shoes to fill."

Belcher has compiled an overall coaching record of 353-237, including a Class 4 State Championship with Kearney in 2010, seven district Championships and a pair of conference titles.

 This past year, Belcher guided his girls' golf team to their first Conference Championship in school history and sent two golfers to the Class 2 State Tournament.

Belcher also serves as the Vice President of the Missouri Basketball Coaches Association and is a Past President of the Greater Kansas City Basketball Coaches Association.

Belcher's wife, Debbie, is a Special Education teacher at South Valley Middle School in Liberty and also a real estate agent for Reece Nichols Real Estate in Kansas City.

For Belcher, whose family has lived in the north Kansas City area the last 15 years, the daily commute does become significantly shorter.

"I still live in the Kansas City area, so the drive is 25 minutes shorter for basically the same financial package," Belcher pointed out. "It was just too hard of a thing to pass up."

The decision to leave a job in his hometown was a difficult one, and Belcher isn't the only one who has uncertain feelings about the current bond issue.

But all of that aside, Belcher remains grateful for the time he had in the South Side, and looks forward to what lies ahead.

"All things considered, I feel very blessed and fortunate to get this opportunity," he said. "It was just too hard to say no to. I look back at the relationships I've built with the players and the parents and the community and the staff members, I'll take those with me the rest of the way. Those types of things, in my opinion, are more important than wins and losses, because those span a lifetime...St. Joe will always have a special place in my heart."

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/3/1616794880359.jpeg" alt="Gary Belcher will be headed to Lawson next year to take over as their boys' basketball and girls' and boys' golf coach after spending seven years in a similar role at Benton. Courtesy photo." />
 <figcaption>Gary Belcher will be headed to Lawson next year to take over as their boys' basketball and girls' and boys' golf coach after spending seven years in a similar role at Benton. Courtesy photo.</figcaption>
 </figure>By TOMMY REZACSt. Joseph PostIt was made official at a board meeting this week that Benton head boys' basketball and girls' golf coach Gary Belcher has been hired to lead Lawson in a similar fashion this upcoming school year. Belcher was named the head boys' basketball coach, girls' and boys' golf coach and Math Instructor at Lawson High School.A St. Joseph native and 1982 Central alum, Belcher has been a boys' basketball coach in northwest Missouri for 22 years and has guided Lathrop (1998-2001), Warrensburg (2001-2004), Kearney (2005-2014) and Benton all to winning records.Belcher finished his tenure at Benton with a 101-80 record. He first informed his players and the administration of his decision last Thursday.Belcher mentioned that the uncertainty surrounding the upcoming <a href="https://stjosephpost.com/posts/f9528775-1917-4031-a70b-53a98649f034">$107 million bond issue</a> on the April 6 ballot was part of the reason why he applied to Lawson.The proposed bond, if passed, would convert both Benton and Lafayette into middle schools and bring the addition of a new high school at the American Family Insurance regional headquarters building. That new high school would operate alongside St. Joseph Central."I grew up in St. Joe and I love St. Joe," Belcher said. "My parents still live there. But, kind of the uncertainty of what lies ahead makes you pause and think for a little bit. When these two opportunities are kind of out there, this one (at Lawson) kind of matches the one I have at Benton."All the talk is that within 1-2 years, regardless of whether the bond issue passes or not, they're looking to repurpose Benton into a middle school. You have to stop and think, 'You know, what does that mean for me, you know?'"Belcher will take over for Brad Smith, who's retiring as the Lawson boys' basketball and boys' and girls' golf coach after 30 years.Once Smith officially decided to step away this past November, he gave Belcher, an old coaching buddy, a call.Belcher and Smith used to coach against each other during Belcher's days at Lathrop in the late 90s and early 2000s. Through offseason tournaments and the like, the two have kept in touch ever since."I wished him well," Belcher said of Smith's retirement. "I didn't really give it a whole lot of thought at first, but then I got to thinking, 'Well, you know what? He's a math teacher. He's a boys' basketball and coaches golf, too.' I know he's had a great program and a great run. Obviously, I have some big shoes to fill."Belcher has compiled an overall coaching record of 353-237, including a Class 4 State Championship with Kearney in 2010, seven district Championships and a pair of conference titles. This past year, Belcher guided his girls' golf team to their first Conference Championship in school history and sent two golfers to the Class 2 State Tournament.Belcher also serves as the Vice President of the Missouri Basketball Coaches Association and is a Past President of the Greater Kansas City Basketball Coaches Association.Belcher's wife, Debbie, is a Special Education teacher at South Valley Middle School in Liberty and also a real estate agent for Reece Nichols Real Estate in Kansas City.For Belcher, whose family has lived in the north Kansas City area the last 15 years, the daily commute does become significantly shorter."I still live in the Kansas City area, so the drive is 25 minutes shorter for basically the same financial package," Belcher pointed out. "It was just too hard of a thing to pass up."The decision to leave a job in his hometown was a difficult one, and Belcher isn't the only one who has uncertain feelings about the current bond issue.But all of that aside, Belcher remains grateful for the time he had in the South Side, and looks forward to what lies ahead."All things considered, I feel very blessed and fortunate to get this opportunity," he said. "It was just too hard to say no to. I look back at the relationships I've built with the players and the parents and the community and the staff members, I'll take those with me the rest of the way. Those types of things, in my opinion, are more important than wins and losses, because those span a lifetime...St. Joe will always have a special place in my heart."<div><iframe width="100%" height="300" scrolling="no" frameborder="no" allow="autoplay" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/1017019972&color=%23ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&show_teaser=true&visual=true"></iframe><div style="font-size: 10px; color: #cccccc;line-break: anywhere;word-break: normal;overflow: hidden;white-space: nowrap;text-overflow: ellipsis; font-family: Interstate,Lucida Grande,Lucida Sans Unicode,Lucida Sans,Garuda,Verdana,Tahoma,sans-serif;font-weight: 100;"><a href="https://soundcloud.com/tommy-rezac" title="KFEQ Radio, St. Joseph Post" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">KFEQ Radio, St. Joseph Post</a> · <a href="https://soundcloud.com/tommy-rezac/benton-basketball-and-golf-coach-gary-belcher-reflects-on-his-tenure-with-the-cardinals" title="Benton basketball and golf coach Gary Belcher reflects on his tenure with the Cardinals" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Benton basketball and golf coach Gary Belcher reflects on his tenure with the Cardinals</a></div></div>You can follow Tommy on Twitter @TommyKFEQ and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.

Benton's Gary Belcher grateful for coaching career in his hometown as he heads to Lawson

Northwest Missouri State (27-2) has steamrolled its way through the Elite Eight and has now reached the national championship game for the third time since 2017.

The Bearcats dominated Flagler in a 77-46 beatdown at the Ford Center in Evansville, Indiana on Thursday night.

The 31-point victory by Northwest is the largest ever for any team in a national semifinal. It comes just one day after the Bearcats dismantled West Liberty in the Elite Eight round, 98-77.

"I thought they were both good games," Northwest head coach Ben McCollum said. "It'll probably be another good game in the championship I hope."

Ryan Hawkins, despite picking up two fouls in the first three minutes, led his team in scoring once again with 20 points. He also had 11 rebounds for his eighth double-double this season and 29th of his career. Sophomore Luke Waters scored 15, junior Trevor Hudgins had 13 and junior Diego Bernard had 10.

Bernard, a Lafayette St. Joseph alum, was just shy of a double-double with nine rebounds and not far off from a triple-double with seven assists.

"Man, I was just trying to get the win," he chuckled. "I don't even know my stat line. It don't matter, as long as we got the win and are playing on Saturday."

Northwest was hot right out of the chute Thursday, going on a 7-0 run to start. Flagler kept up for a bit, trailing only 17-14 with about 10 minutes to go until halftime, but the Bearcats then pulled away with a 21-2 run, leading 38-16 with 3:43 left in the first half.

Leading 40-24 at the break, Northwest continued its crusade, and never came close to letting Flagler back in it. The Bearcats opened the second half on a 7-0 run and outscored the Saints 37-22 in the final 20 minutes, never leading by any less than 18 points during that time.

Northwest shot 12-of-31 from deep, while Flagler was just 5-of-22.

It is mind boggling when you take a step back and look at the numbers. McCollum is now 16-1 in his last 17 NCAA tournament games and 22-5 in tournament games overall with a chance to win a third national championship. The Bearcats have won 42 straight games on neutral floors. They've won 96 of their last 99 overall.

After going 31-1 last season, only to have the NCAA tournament wiped out by the pandemic, Bernard is excited to see what his team can do, now that they've reached the biggest stage once more.

"We felt like we should have been here last year if we had the chance," he said. "We're just trying to win one more game. It just feels good to be back."

It's all very remarkable - what Northwest has done. Not just in the last several years, but just in the last two days. They've outscored two Elite Eight teams by a combined score of 175-123.

Part of what's made Northwest so great in this stretch is their laser focus. Not on what they've done or on any stat, but rather on what lies in front of them.

"There's no style points," McCollum said on his team's performance in recent days. "It's just one of those things. We probably just had good matchups or what not. We played well, and they didn't play very well. There's nothing more to read into it in regards to whether we dominated or not. A win's a win, and you need to try and win the next game."

Northwest will face West Texas A&amp;M for the Division II national title on Saturday at 11 a.m. The game will be televised nationally on CBS.

The Buffaloes (19-2) beat Lincoln Memorial in dramatic fashion, 87-86, after Zach Toussaint hit a game-winning 3-pointer at the buzzer to put his team in the championship.

It was quite something. You should watch it.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/3/1616732725458.jpeg" alt="Northwest junior and Lafayette St. Joseph alum Diego Bernard flirted with a triple-double Thursday, settling for 10 points, nine rebounds and seven assists in the Bearcats' 77-46 drubbing of Flagler in the Final Four on Thursday night./ Stock photo by Tommy Rezac." />
 <figcaption>Northwest junior and Lafayette St. Joseph alum Diego Bernard flirted with a triple-double Thursday, settling for 10 points, nine rebounds and seven assists in the Bearcats' 77-46 drubbing of Flagler in the Final Four on Thursday night./ Stock photo by Tommy Rezac.</figcaption>
 </figure>By TOMMY REZACSt. Joseph PostNorthwest Missouri State (27-2) has steamrolled its way through the Elite Eight and has now reached the national championship game for the third time since 2017.The Bearcats dominated Flagler in a 77-46 beatdown at the Ford Center in Evansville, Indiana on Thursday night.The 31-point victory by Northwest is the largest ever for any team in a national semifinal. It comes just one day after the Bearcats dismantled West Liberty in the Elite Eight round, 98-77."I thought they were both good games," Northwest head coach Ben McCollum said. "It'll probably be another good game in the championship I hope."Ryan Hawkins, despite picking up two fouls in the first three minutes, led his team in scoring once again with 20 points. He also had 11 rebounds for his eighth double-double this season and 29th of his career. Sophomore Luke Waters scored 15, junior Trevor Hudgins had 13 and junior Diego Bernard had 10.Bernard, a Lafayette St. Joseph alum, was just shy of a double-double with nine rebounds and not far off from a triple-double with seven assists."Man, I was just trying to get the win," he chuckled. "I don't even know my stat line. It don't matter, as long as we got the win and are playing on Saturday."Northwest was hot right out of the chute Thursday, going on a 7-0 run to start. Flagler kept up for a bit, trailing only 17-14 with about 10 minutes to go until halftime, but the Bearcats then pulled away with a 21-2 run, leading 38-16 with 3:43 left in the first half.Leading 40-24 at the break, Northwest continued its crusade, and never came close to letting Flagler back in it. The Bearcats opened the second half on a 7-0 run and outscored the Saints 37-22 in the final 20 minutes, never leading by any less than 18 points during that time.Northwest shot 12-of-31 from deep, while Flagler was just 5-of-22.It is mind boggling when you take a step back and look at the numbers. McCollum is now 16-1 in his last 17 NCAA tournament games and 22-5 in tournament games overall with a chance to win a third national championship. The Bearcats have won 42 straight games on neutral floors. They've won 96 of their last 99 overall.After going 31-1 last season, only to have the NCAA tournament wiped out by the pandemic, Bernard is excited to see what his team can do, now that they've reached the biggest stage once more."We felt like we should have been here last year if we had the chance," he said. "We're just trying to win one more game. It just feels good to be back."It's all very remarkable - what Northwest has done. Not just in the last several years, but just in the last two days. They've outscored two Elite Eight teams by a combined score of 175-123.Part of what's made Northwest so great in this stretch is their laser focus. Not on what they've done or on any stat, but rather on what lies in front of them."There's no style points," McCollum said on his team's performance in recent days. "It's just one of those things. We probably just had good matchups or what not. We played well, and they didn't play very well. There's nothing more to read into it in regards to whether we dominated or not. A win's a win, and you need to try and win the next game."Northwest will face West Texas A&amp;M for the Division II national title on Saturday at 11 a.m. The game will be televised nationally on CBS.The Buffaloes (19-2) beat Lincoln Memorial in dramatic fashion, 87-86, after Zach Toussaint hit a game-winning 3-pointer at the buzzer to put his team in the championship.It was quite something. You should watch it.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-partner="tweetdeck">WHAT. JUST. HAPPENED.<a href="https://twitter.com/WestTXD2Hoops?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@WestTXD2Hoops</a> NAILS the three as time expired and they are moving on to the <a href="https://twitter.com/NCAADII?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NCAADII</a> National Championship. <a href="https://t.co/3QSASXRSPT">pic.twitter.com/3QSASXRSPT</a>&mdash; CBS Sports Network (@CBSSportsNet) <a href="https://twitter.com/CBSSportsNet/status/1375253683437514754?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 26, 2021</a></blockquote>
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</div>You can follow Tommy on Twitter @TommyKFEQ and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.

Northwest Missouri State dominates again Thursday, reaches national title game

&nbsp;The Kansas City Chiefs have resigned receiver DeMarcus Robinson for a one year deal, as first reported by ESPN’s Adam Schefter on Thursday. 

The deal is worth just over $1.1 million. Robinson returns to a wide receiver core that includes Tyreek Hill, Mecole Hardman and Byron Pringle.

The Chiefs will likely be without free-agent Sammy Watkins, who’s been visiting other AFC teams this week.

Over his five-year career with the Chiefs, Robinson has 120 catches for 1,415 yards and 11 touchdowns.

By TOMMY REZACSt. Joseph Post&nbsp;The Kansas City Chiefs have resigned receiver DeMarcus Robinson for a one year deal, as first reported by ESPN’s Adam Schefter on Thursday. The deal is worth just over $1.1 million. Robinson returns to a wide receiver core that includes Tyreek Hill, Mecole Hardman and Byron Pringle.The Chiefs will likely be without free-agent Sammy Watkins, who’s been visiting other AFC teams this week.Over his five-year career with the Chiefs, Robinson has 120 catches for 1,415 yards and 11 touchdowns.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/3/1616704320205.png" alt="DeMarcus Robinson." />
 <figcaption>DeMarcus Robinson.</figcaption>
 </figure>

Kansas City Chiefs resign DeMarcus Robinson to one-year deal, per ESPN

The Northwest Missouri State men's basketball team quickly overcame a slow start and dominated down the stretch in a 98-77 win over West Liberty in an Elite Eight contest at the Ford Center in Evansville, Indiana Wednesday.

The 98 points are the most Northwest has ever scored in an Elite Eight game.

Senior Ryan Hawkins was dominant with 32 points - a new career postseason high.

"Transition kick-out threes is the best shot in basketball there is," said Hawkins, who was an outstanding 11-of-14 from the field, including 6-of-8 from three. "I felt like our offense got a lot of those shots tonight for everybody."

Hawkins led five Bearcats (26-2) in double figures. Junior Trevor Hudgins turned in 23 points, while junior Diego Bernard scored 14 after getting two fouls in the first three minutes.

Sophomore Luke Waters scored 13 points, while freshman Byron Alexander tallied 11 points and 10 rebounds for his first career double-double.

Alexander went down late in the game with an ankle injury, and had to be helped off the floor. His exact status wasn't known as of late Wednesday.

Northwest was 9-of-20 from beyond the arc as a team and shot an impressive 61.8 percent from the field. At one point, the Bearcats were shooting better than 70 percent from the field in the second half.

Northwest also dominated on the boards, 40-22.

For Hawkins and his teammates, they treated it like business as usual.

"It felt like just another game," Hawkins said. "It's win or go home at this point, so you have to bring your best. We weren't at our best to start, but we got it corrected and went on a little run there in the first half."

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/3/1615093222426.jpeg" alt="Northwest's Ryan Hawkins (33) led his team to an Elite Eight victory with 32 points on Wednesday against West Liberty in Evansville, Indiana./ Stock photo by Tommy Rezac." />
 <figcaption>Northwest's Ryan Hawkins (33) led his team to an Elite Eight victory with 32 points on Wednesday against West Liberty in Evansville, Indiana./ Stock photo by Tommy Rezac.</figcaption>
 </figure>By TOMMY REZACSt. Joseph PostThe Northwest Missouri State men's basketball team quickly overcame a slow start and dominated down the stretch in a 98-77 win over West Liberty in an Elite Eight contest at the Ford Center in Evansville, Indiana Wednesday.The 98 points are the most Northwest has ever scored in an Elite Eight game.Senior Ryan Hawkins was dominant with 32 points - a new career postseason high."Transition kick-out threes is the best shot in basketball there is," said Hawkins, who was an outstanding 11-of-14 from the field, including 6-of-8 from three. "I felt like our offense got a lot of those shots tonight for everybody."Hawkins led five Bearcats (26-2) in double figures. Junior Trevor Hudgins turned in 23 points, while junior Diego Bernard scored 14 after getting two fouls in the first three minutes.Sophomore Luke Waters scored 13 points, while freshman Byron Alexander tallied 11 points and 10 rebounds for his first career double-double.Alexander went down late in the game with an ankle injury, and had to be helped off the floor. His exact status wasn't known as of late Wednesday.Northwest was 9-of-20 from beyond the arc as a team and shot an impressive 61.8 percent from the field. At one point, the Bearcats were shooting better than 70 percent from the field in the second half.Northwest also dominated on the boards, 40-22.For Hawkins and his teammates, they treated it like business as usual."It felt like just another game," Hawkins said. "It's win or go home at this point, so you have to bring your best. We weren't at our best to start, but we got it corrected and went on a little run there in the first half."After falling behind 8-4 in the first five minutes, Northwest responded with a 13-3 run and took a 21-15 lead with 8:45 left in the first half. Pretty soon, the lead ballooned and Northwest led 51-32 at the break."We just played our defense," said Hawkins. "We had a week to prepare for it. We just stuck to who we were and what we do defensively, and we slowed them down quite a bit."It was the lowest scoring first half of the season for West Liberty, who entered the game with a nation-leading 102 points per contest."Once we calmed down, we were able to get (West Liberty) in rotation and were able to get kick-out threes and open layups and were able to finish them in transition," Northwest head coach Ben McCollum said, as he's now 15-1 in his last 16 NCAA tournament games."I was proud of our kids' effort and was proud of the week of practice we had going into it. Now, it's onto the next."Northwest is back at it in the Final Four on Thursday night at 8:45 p.m., as they'll take on Flagler College. The Lions (18-2) beat Truman State late Wednesday night, 70-69.A quick turnaround. But for a Northwest team that's playing in its third Final Four in four years, it's business as usual."We'll find a way," McCollum said. "It's a quick turnaround and a quick scout. Everyone is tired this time of year. You just survive and advance."You can follow Tommy on Twitter @TommyKFEQ and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.