Girls' basketball East Buchanan 54 Mid-Buchanan 33 Pattonsburg 69 Worth County 46 Albany 39 St. Joseph Christian 15 Stanberry 37 King City 21 Stewartsville-Osborn 59 West Nodaway 12 Putnam County 57 Maysville 39 Nodaway-Holt 46 Rock Port 33 Platte Valley 61 East Atchison 36 Plattsburg 44 Hamilton 37 DeKalb @ Union Star - postponed North Platte @ Lawson - postponed

Boys' basketball Mid-Buchanan 55 East Buchanan 40. <a href="https://stjosephpost.com/posts/9274fe2d-bea6-45b6-96c0-ebde1d24e9e1">Full coverage here</a>. St. Joseph Central 42 Washburn Rural 39 St. Joseph Christian 51 Albany 39 Lafayette 70 Hogan Prep 45 Bishop LeBlond 66 Cameron 56 Savannah 51 Maryville 33 - Quay Jeter leads the Savages with 18 pts.

Gallatin 70 South Harrison 62 Putnam County 72 Maysville 49 Rock Port 51 Nodaway-Holt 48 Stanberry 66 King City 42 Plattsburg 58 Penney 40 West Platte vs. Lathrop - postponed Platte Valley vs. East Atchison - postponed

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

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/1/1611377621799.jpeg" alt="Joe Clark in Friday night's East Buchanan @ Mid-Buchanan game. Photo by Whitnee Ice." />
 <figcaption>Joe Clark in Friday night's East Buchanan @ Mid-Buchanan game. Photo by Whitnee Ice.</figcaption>
 </figure>By TOMMY REZACSt. Joseph PostGirls' basketball East Buchanan 54 Mid-Buchanan 33 Pattonsburg 69 Worth County 46 Albany 39 St. Joseph Christian 15 Stanberry 37 King City 21 Stewartsville-Osborn 59 West Nodaway 12 Putnam County 57 Maysville 39 Nodaway-Holt 46 Rock Port 33 Platte Valley 61 East Atchison 36 Plattsburg 44 Hamilton 37 DeKalb @ Union Star - postponed North Platte @ Lawson - postponed Boys' basketball Mid-Buchanan 55 East Buchanan 40. <a href="https://stjosephpost.com/posts/9274fe2d-bea6-45b6-96c0-ebde1d24e9e1">Full coverage here</a>. St. Joseph Central 42 Washburn Rural 39 St. Joseph Christian 51 Albany 39 Lafayette 70 Hogan Prep 45 Bishop LeBlond 66 Cameron 56 Savannah 51 Maryville 33 - Quay Jeter leads the Savages with 18 pts.Gallatin 70 South Harrison 62 Putnam County 72 Maysville 49 Rock Port 51 Nodaway-Holt 48 Stanberry 66 King City 42 Plattsburg 58 Penney 40 West Platte vs. Lathrop - postponed Platte Valley vs. East Atchison - postponedFollow Tommy on Twitter @TommyKFEQ and follow St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.

KFEQ/St. Joseph Post area high school scoreboard - January 22, 2021

FAUCETT - Things have gone decently well for Mid-Buchanan boys' basketball this season.

Despite fighting through some injuries, the No. 3 Dragons (11-4) had won five of their last seven games coming into Friday, head coach Bryce Kemper recently eclipsed 400 career wins and their average margin of victory this season has exceeded 16 points.

After a set back against Van Horn in the Bill Burns Classic last weekend, and a loss to a terrific Class 2 Richmond group on Monday, Mid-Buchanan has gotten some confidence back.

After a 30-point win against Platte Valley Tuesday, the Dragons stayed hot with a 55-40 win over East Buchanan (7-6) on Friday night in Faucett.

After a first quarter that featured four lead changes and three ties, and a nine-point scoring effort by the Dragons in the second, Mid-Buchanan pulled away with four, third quarter three-pointers and three more in the final period.

"As the game went on, our defense was able to get us going and then we started to hit some shouts from the outside," Coach Kemper said. "That helped a lot, too."

Mid-Buchanan stayed aggressive on defense throughout, forcing 15 turnovers and limiting the Bulldogs to just four made threes. Compare that to the 12 Mid-Buchanan made.

The Dragons also got the home crowd going with the highlight reel dunk from sophomore Joe Clark, as seen above.

"Joe Clark is gonna do some pretty good stuff here at Mid-Buch," Kemper chuckled. "We hadn't run that play for a couple of years. I wasn't sure they'd even remember it, but then they kind of figured it out after awhile and we were able to get the dunk down. It was nice. I thought that kind of kicked us up a little bit and got us a little run there before the end of the half."

The Dragons ended the first half on a 6-0 run and led 40-31 entering the fourth. A couple of threes by Blake Hunter and another by fellow junior Caiden Bailey helped the Dragons jump out to a 51-33 lead with a little over five minutes left.

"(East Buchanan) was packing it in pretty tough," Kemper said. "They were making it hard to get it inside. At halftime, we put in a little different offense just to try and get a little inside-out action. We were able to do that. We got some better looks at the basket than we did in the first half and that got us going there."

Up next for Mid-Buchanan, after a bout with Class 3 No. 2 Greenwood Saturday, is the North Platte tournament, featuring North Andrew, Mound City, Plattsburg, Platte Valley, Polo and, well, North Platte.

The Dragons hope to get healthier between now and then. Junior starter Stetson Lieffering has come back as he battles through a torn ACL. Kemper is also hopeful that senior starter Drew Russell can return by next week as well.

"It's a loaded tournament," Kemper said. "All of those teams will look like nothing compared to what we see (Saturday). We're going to go down (to Springfield) and play Greenwood. I know they've got a D-1 kid (Aminu Mohammed) going to Georgetown. It's going to be fun. When we first took the game we were completely healthy. But, we're going to roll down there and see what happens."

Mid-Buchanan 55 - 16, 9, 15, 15 East Buchanan 40 - 12, 6, 13, 9

Mid-Buchanan scorers - Caiden Bailey 13, Tyler Brown - 11, Joe Clark - 10, Blake Hunter - 8, Javan Noyes - 6, Stetson Lieffring - 3, Reese McClurg - 2, Lane Ellison - 2

East Buchanan scorers - Cru Conaway - 7, Jack Archdekin - 6, Connor Musser - 5, Kaden Woodside - 5, Drew Thompson - 5, Carson White - 4, Luke Webb - 4, Adam Engnes - 3, Blake Antle - 1

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

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/1/1611374978620.jpeg" alt="Sophomore Joe Clark brought the house down with an alley-oop dunk late in the first half in Mid-Buchanan's 55-40 win over East Buchanan Friday night. Photo by Whitnee Ice." />
 <figcaption>Sophomore Joe Clark brought the house down with an alley-oop dunk late in the first half in Mid-Buchanan's 55-40 win over East Buchanan Friday night. Photo by Whitnee Ice.</figcaption>
 </figure>By TOMMY REZACSt. Joseph PostFAUCETT - Things have gone decently well for Mid-Buchanan boys' basketball this season.Despite fighting through some injuries, the No. 3 Dragons (11-4) had won five of their last seven games coming into Friday, head coach Bryce Kemper recently eclipsed 400 career wins and their average margin of victory this season has exceeded 16 points.After a set back against Van Horn in the Bill Burns Classic last weekend, and a loss to a terrific Class 2 Richmond group on Monday, Mid-Buchanan has gotten some confidence back.After a 30-point win against Platte Valley Tuesday, the Dragons stayed hot with a 55-40 win over East Buchanan (7-6) on Friday night in Faucett.After a first quarter that featured four lead changes and three ties, and a nine-point scoring effort by the Dragons in the second, Mid-Buchanan pulled away with four, third quarter three-pointers and three more in the final period."As the game went on, our defense was able to get us going and then we started to hit some shouts from the outside," Coach Kemper said. "That helped a lot, too."Mid-Buchanan stayed aggressive on defense throughout, forcing 15 turnovers and limiting the Bulldogs to just four made threes. Compare that to the 12 Mid-Buchanan made.The Dragons also got the home crowd going with the highlight reel dunk from sophomore Joe Clark, as seen above."Joe Clark is gonna do some pretty good stuff here at Mid-Buch," Kemper chuckled. "We hadn't run that play for a couple of years. I wasn't sure they'd even remember it, but then they kind of figured it out after awhile and we were able to get the dunk down. It was nice. I thought that kind of kicked us up a little bit and got us a little run there before the end of the half."The Dragons ended the first half on a 6-0 run and led 40-31 entering the fourth. A couple of threes by Blake Hunter and another by fellow junior Caiden Bailey helped the Dragons jump out to a 51-33 lead with a little over five minutes left."(East Buchanan) was packing it in pretty tough," Kemper said. "They were making it hard to get it inside. At halftime, we put in a little different offense just to try and get a little inside-out action. We were able to do that. We got some better looks at the basket than we did in the first half and that got us going there."Up next for Mid-Buchanan, after a bout with Class 3 No. 2 Greenwood Saturday, is the North Platte tournament, featuring North Andrew, Mound City, Plattsburg, Platte Valley, Polo and, well, North Platte.The Dragons hope to get healthier between now and then. Junior starter Stetson Lieffering has come back as he battles through a torn ACL. Kemper is also hopeful that senior starter Drew Russell can return by next week as well."It's a loaded tournament," Kemper said. "All of those teams will look like nothing compared to what we see (Saturday). We're going to go down (to Springfield) and play Greenwood. I know they've got a D-1 kid (Aminu Mohammed) going to Georgetown. It's going to be fun. When we first took the game we were completely healthy. But, we're going to roll down there and see what happens."Mid-Buchanan 55 - 16, 9, 15, 15 East Buchanan 40 - 12, 6, 13, 9Mid-Buchanan scorers - Caiden Bailey 13, Tyler Brown - 11, Joe Clark - 10, Blake Hunter - 8, Javan Noyes - 6, Stetson Lieffring - 3, Reese McClurg - 2, Lane Ellison - 2East Buchanan scorers - Cru Conaway - 7, Jack Archdekin - 6, Connor Musser - 5, Kaden Woodside - 5, Drew Thompson - 5, Carson White - 4, Luke Webb - 4, Adam Engnes - 3, Blake Antle - 1<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/1/1611375549676.jpeg" alt="Caiden Bailey puts up a shot in the second half of Mid-Buchanan's 55-40 win over East Buchanan Friday. Photo by Whitnee Ice." />
 <figcaption>Caiden Bailey puts up a shot in the second half of Mid-Buchanan's 55-40 win over East Buchanan Friday. Photo by Whitnee Ice.</figcaption>
 </figure><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/970992694&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/1-22-21-bryce-kemper-mid-buchanan-boys-basketball" title="1-22-21 Bryce Kemper - Mid-Buchanan boys&#x27; basketball" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">1-22-21 Bryce Kemper - Mid-Buchanan boys&#x27; basketball</a></div></div>You can follow Tommy on Twitter @TommyKFEQ and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.

Mid-Buchanan drains threes throughout in victory over East Buchanan Friday

The Kansas City Royals announced their Major League coaching staff for the 2021 campaign Friday.

Changes to second-year manager&nbsp;Mike Matheny’s&nbsp;staff include the addition of&nbsp;Tony Peña, Jr., as a coach and the return of&nbsp;Rusty Kuntz&nbsp;as the club’s first base coach.

Terry Bradshaw&nbsp;(hitting),&nbsp;Larry Carter&nbsp;(bullpen),&nbsp;Cal Eldred&nbsp;(pitching),&nbsp;Pedro Grifol&nbsp;(bench),&nbsp;John Mabry&nbsp;(Major League coach) and&nbsp;Vance Wilson&nbsp;(third base) will all remain in their roles from last season.

Rafael Belliard, who served as an infield coach last year, will return to his previous role as a Special Assistant to the General Manager, and&nbsp;Damon Hollins, who filled in for Kuntz as first base coach last year, will also return to his position as a minor league instructor.&nbsp;

Peña Jr. was slated to be the Omaha Stormchasers (AAA) bench coach and serve as the manager at Burlington (Rookie) in 2020 before the minor league season was cancelled. 

This will be Peña Jr.'s first year on the Major League staff. His father,&nbsp;Tony Peña, Sr., managed the Royals from 2002-05.

Peña Jr., managed Surprise (Rookie) from 2018-19, following an 18-year playing career that included four seasons in the Majors with Atlanta (2006) and Kansas City (2007-09).

Kuntz returns to a familiar role, beginning his third stint as the first base coach in 2021. He was slated to return to the Major League coaching staff last year, but opted out due to the pandemic.

He previously held the title from 2012-17 and 2008-10, while he served the organization as a Special Assistant to the General Manager/Quality Control the past three seasons and as the minor league outfield/baserunning coordinator from 2010-12.

Prior to his time in Kansas City, Kuntz held various coaching positions with Houston (1987-88), Seattle (1989-92), Florida (1993-2001), Atlanta (2002) and Pittsburgh (2003-07).

St. Joseph PostThe Kansas City Royals announced their Major League coaching staff for the 2021 campaign Friday.Changes to second-year manager&nbsp;Mike Matheny’s&nbsp;staff include the addition of&nbsp;Tony Peña, Jr., as a coach and the return of&nbsp;Rusty Kuntz&nbsp;as the club’s first base coach.Terry Bradshaw&nbsp;(hitting),&nbsp;Larry Carter&nbsp;(bullpen),&nbsp;Cal Eldred&nbsp;(pitching),&nbsp;Pedro Grifol&nbsp;(bench),&nbsp;John Mabry&nbsp;(Major League coach) and&nbsp;Vance Wilson&nbsp;(third base) will all remain in their roles from last season.Rafael Belliard, who served as an infield coach last year, will return to his previous role as a Special Assistant to the General Manager, and&nbsp;Damon Hollins, who filled in for Kuntz as first base coach last year, will also return to his position as a minor league instructor.&nbsp;Peña Jr. was slated to be the Omaha Stormchasers (AAA) bench coach and serve as the manager at Burlington (Rookie) in 2020 before the minor league season was cancelled. This will be Peña Jr.'s first year on the Major League staff. His father,&nbsp;Tony Peña, Sr., managed the Royals from 2002-05.Peña Jr., managed Surprise (Rookie) from 2018-19, following an 18-year playing career that included four seasons in the Majors with Atlanta (2006) and Kansas City (2007-09).Kuntz returns to a familiar role, beginning his third stint as the first base coach in 2021. He was slated to return to the Major League coaching staff last year, but opted out due to the pandemic.He previously held the title from 2012-17 and 2008-10, while he served the organization as a Special Assistant to the General Manager/Quality Control the past three seasons and as the minor league outfield/baserunning coordinator from 2010-12.Prior to his time in Kansas City, Kuntz held various coaching positions with Houston (1987-88), Seattle (1989-92), Florida (1993-2001), Atlanta (2002) and Pittsburgh (2003-07).

Royals announce 2021 coaching staff, Rusty Kuntz returns, Tony Peña Jr. comes on board

The MIAA Conference formally announced its volleyball schedule for the 2021 spring season Friday. Member schools were provided with flexibility in setting schedules that best fit their needs.

The conference's 11 teams will play an eight-match schedule versus teams within their own division. The North Division consists of Fort Hays State, Missouri Western, Nebraska Kearney, Northwest Missouri and Washburn.

Central Missouri, Central Oklahoma, Emporia State, Missouri Southern, Newman and Pittsburg State make up the South Division. Teams also have the opportunity to schedule additional matches for this spring season. The MIAA will also conduct a postseason tournament April 16-17 at a campus site to be determined.

All institutions will be invited to participate, with the full format announced at a later date.&nbsp;&nbsp;

St. Joseph PostThe MIAA Conference formally announced its volleyball schedule for the 2021 spring season Friday. Member schools were provided with flexibility in setting schedules that best fit their needs.The conference's 11 teams will play an eight-match schedule versus teams within their own division. The North Division consists of Fort Hays State, Missouri Western, Nebraska Kearney, Northwest Missouri and Washburn.Central Missouri, Central Oklahoma, Emporia State, Missouri Southern, Newman and Pittsburg State make up the South Division. Teams also have the opportunity to schedule additional matches for this spring season. The MIAA will also conduct a postseason tournament April 16-17 at a campus site to be determined.All institutions will be invited to participate, with the full format announced at a later date.&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/10/1601638396240.jpeg" alt="" />
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 </figure>

MIAA announces volleyball schedule guidelines Friday

Patrick Mahomes is out of concussion protocol, clearing the way for him to start in this Sunday’s AFC Championship against the Buffalo Bills.

Mahomes said Friday that he’s felt fine as he’s gone through a week of testing and evaluation.

"I had a bunch of testing and a bunch of different things just to make I'm good to go and to make sure there's no lingering effects or anything like that," Mahomes said. "Everything has been good. I've gone through what the 3-4 different doctors have said. Everything looks good, and I'm out of it now."

Mahomes’ toe had also been bothering during last Sunday’s game, but he says that’s gotten a lot better as well.

"It was a little sore right after the game," Mahomes said, "but it's gotten a lot better every day since."

Running back Le’Veon Bell (knee) and linebacker Willie Gay (ankle) did not practice Friday. Gay has been ruled out for Sunday's game, while Bell is questionable.

Receiver Sammy Watkins (questionable) and running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire (questionable) practiced and had a decent day, according to coach Andy Reid.

"The injured guys have all looked good," Reid said. "They've moved around. With Clyde, he's done a nice job. He's been running around and doing a good job."

The Chiefs and Bills kick off this Sunday in the AFC Championship game at 5:40 central with coverage starting at 4 on KFEQ (680 AM, 95.3 FM).

 The Bills are seeking their first ever Super Bowl win and their first Super Bowl appearance since 1994.

The Chiefs look to get into back-to-back Super Bowls for the first time in franchise history.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/1/1611005133178.jpeg" alt="Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes announced Friday that he's out of concussion protocol and has been cleared to play Sunday." />
 <figcaption>Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes announced Friday that he's out of concussion protocol and has been cleared to play Sunday.</figcaption>
 </figure>By TOMMY REZACSt. Joseph PostPatrick Mahomes is out of concussion protocol, clearing the way for him to start in this Sunday’s AFC Championship against the Buffalo Bills.Mahomes said Friday that he’s felt fine as he’s gone through a week of testing and evaluation."I had a bunch of testing and a bunch of different things just to make I'm good to go and to make sure there's no lingering effects or anything like that," Mahomes said. "Everything has been good. I've gone through what the 3-4 different doctors have said. Everything looks good, and I'm out of it now."Mahomes’ toe had also been bothering during last Sunday’s game, but he says that’s gotten a lot better as well."It was a little sore right after the game," Mahomes said, "but it's gotten a lot better every day since."Running back Le’Veon Bell (knee) and linebacker Willie Gay (ankle) did not practice Friday. Gay has been ruled out for Sunday's game, while Bell is questionable.Receiver Sammy Watkins (questionable) and running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire (questionable) practiced and had a decent day, according to coach Andy Reid."The injured guys have all looked good," Reid said. "They've moved around. With Clyde, he's done a nice job. He's been running around and doing a good job."The Chiefs and Bills kick off this Sunday in the AFC Championship game at 5:40 central with coverage starting at 4 on KFEQ (680 AM, 95.3 FM). The Bills are seeking their first ever Super Bowl win and their first Super Bowl appearance since 1994.The Chiefs look to get into back-to-back Super Bowls for the first time in franchise history.

Patrick Mahomes out of concussion protocol, clearing the way for start against Bills

The status of Patrick Mahomes has been at the forefront of every Chiefs' fan's mind this past week.

<a href="https://stjosephpost.com/posts/436d0197-4b14-41a5-b496-1406d0f8ef65">Mahomes confirmed Friday</a> that's he's out of protocol, clearing the way for him to safely return.

While many fans have thought about Mahomes, the Chiefs themselves primarily thought about the Bills. And for good reason.

Buffalo (15-3), playing in their first AFC Championship since 1994, is perhaps the hottest team in the NFL, winners of eight straight games and 11 of their last 12.

The Chiefs won at Buffalo in Week 6, 26-17, but the Bills have since gotten healthier and more lethal on offense.

Buffalo averaged more than 34 points per contest over the final 10 weeks of the regular season compared to 26 through the first six games. Plus, quarterback Josh Allen has passed for 530 yards (3 TD - 0 INT) this postseason, trailing only Tom Brady's 580.

"Their quarterback is playing outstanding," defensive tackle Chris Jones said. "He's playing at an MVP-caliber level. They're steamrolling right now, man. They're firing on all cylinders."

Allen finished the regular season with 4,544 passing yards (5th in NFL), 37 touchdowns (5th) and 10 interceptions. It also helps that Allen has one of the best targets in the league to throw to.

Stefon Diggs led the NFL with 1,535 receiving yards in the regular season and is the leader in the clubhouse with 234 receiving yards in the postseason.

"He's probably the most targeted receiver in the NFL," safety Tyrann Mathieu said. "So, whoever is in front of (Diggs) has tough duty."

The Bills’ two top receivers, Diggs and Cole Beasley, were both full participants in Friday’s practice after being limited earlier in the week.

Defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo called this Bills matchup 'the most difficult task of the season.'

"We certainly expect the level of their play to certainly go way up," Spagnuolo said. "Big quarterback, wideouts all over the place and an offensive line that's functioning well together."

On defense, Buffalo has steadily improved. They ranked in the middle of the pack in the regular season and have given up 400 yards per game in the postseason.

Yet, they rank No. 1 this postseason with 13.5 points per game allowed. The 17-3 win over the Ravens in the divisional round skews that number, but their linebacking core has gotten healthier with the return of Matt Milano, who was out with injury against the Chiefs in Week 6.

Cornerback Tre'Davious White and linebacker Tremaine Edmunds are also Pro Bowl selections.

"They're very aggressive," Chad Henne said of the Bills defense. "I mean, they have a veteran group in the secondary. Linebackers are very, very mobile and can run around and the defensive line is active. I think they're flying around, and obviously with this being the AFC Championship, the ante just goes up. So, we anticipate their best shot."

The Chiefs and Bills kick off on Sunday at Arrowhead Stadium at 5:40 p.m. The game will be carried on KFEQ (680 AM, 95.3 FM) and Q Country 92.7 FM in St. Joseph.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/1/1611288099880.jpeg" alt="Josh Allen passed for over 4,500 yards in the regular season, throwing 37 touchdowns and just 10 interceptions." />
 <figcaption>Josh Allen passed for over 4,500 yards in the regular season, throwing 37 touchdowns and just 10 interceptions.</figcaption>
 </figure>By TOMMY REZACSt. Joseph PostThe status of Patrick Mahomes has been at the forefront of every Chiefs' fan's mind this past week.<a href="https://stjosephpost.com/posts/436d0197-4b14-41a5-b496-1406d0f8ef65">Mahomes confirmed Friday</a> that's he's out of protocol, clearing the way for him to safely return.While many fans have thought about Mahomes, the Chiefs themselves primarily thought about the Bills. And for good reason.Buffalo (15-3), playing in their first AFC Championship since 1994, is perhaps the hottest team in the NFL, winners of eight straight games and 11 of their last 12.The Chiefs won at Buffalo in Week 6, 26-17, but the Bills have since gotten healthier and more lethal on offense.Buffalo averaged more than 34 points per contest over the final 10 weeks of the regular season compared to 26 through the first six games. Plus, quarterback Josh Allen has passed for 530 yards (3 TD - 0 INT) this postseason, trailing only Tom Brady's 580."Their quarterback is playing outstanding," defensive tackle Chris Jones said. "He's playing at an MVP-caliber level. They're steamrolling right now, man. They're firing on all cylinders."Allen finished the regular season with 4,544 passing yards (5th in NFL), 37 touchdowns (5th) and 10 interceptions. It also helps that Allen has one of the best targets in the league to throw to.Stefon Diggs led the NFL with 1,535 receiving yards in the regular season and is the leader in the clubhouse with 234 receiving yards in the postseason."He's probably the most targeted receiver in the NFL," safety Tyrann Mathieu said. "So, whoever is in front of (Diggs) has tough duty."The Bills’ two top receivers, Diggs and Cole Beasley, were both full participants in Friday’s practice after being limited earlier in the week.Defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo called this Bills matchup 'the most difficult task of the season.'"We certainly expect the level of their play to certainly go way up," Spagnuolo said. "Big quarterback, wideouts all over the place and an offensive line that's functioning well together."On defense, Buffalo has steadily improved. They ranked in the middle of the pack in the regular season and have given up 400 yards per game in the postseason.Yet, they rank No. 1 this postseason with 13.5 points per game allowed. The 17-3 win over the Ravens in the divisional round skews that number, but their linebacking core has gotten healthier with the return of Matt Milano, who was out with injury against the Chiefs in Week 6.Cornerback Tre'Davious White and linebacker Tremaine Edmunds are also Pro Bowl selections."They're very aggressive," Chad Henne said of the Bills defense. "I mean, they have a veteran group in the secondary. Linebackers are very, very mobile and can run around and the defensive line is active. I think they're flying around, and obviously with this being the AFC Championship, the ante just goes up. So, we anticipate their best shot."***The Chiefs and Bills kick off on Sunday at Arrowhead Stadium at 5:40 p.m. The game will be carried on KFEQ (680 AM, 95.3 FM) and Q Country 92.7 FM in St. Joseph.

'Greatest challenge of the season' awaits the Chiefs on Sunday in AFC Championship

ATLANTA (AP) — Hank Aaron, who endured racist threats with stoic dignity during his pursuit of Babe Ruth but went on to break the career home run record in the pre-steroids era, died early Friday. He was 86

The Atlanta Braves said Aaron died peacefully in his sleep. No cause of death was given.

Aaron made his last public appearance less than two weeks ago when he received the COVID-19 vaccine.

“Hammerin’ Hank” set a wide array of career hitting records during a 23-year career spent mostly with the Milwaukee and Atlanta Braves, including RBIs, extra-base hits and total bases.

But the Hall of Famer will be remembered for one swing above all others, the one that made him baseball’s home-run king.

It was a title he would hold for more than 33 years, a period in which the Hammer slowly but surely claimed his rightful place as one of America’s most iconic sporting figures, a true national treasure worthy of mention in the same breath with Ruth or Ali or Jordan.

ATLANTA (AP) — Hank Aaron, who endured racist threats with stoic dignity during his pursuit of Babe Ruth but went on to break the career home run record in the pre-steroids era, died early Friday. He was 86The Atlanta Braves said Aaron died peacefully in his sleep. No cause of death was given.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><a href="https://t.co/4hOMsSGnRi">pic.twitter.com/4hOMsSGnRi</a>&mdash; Atlanta Braves (@Braves) <a href="https://twitter.com/Braves/status/1352650753920430083?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 22, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Aaron made his last public appearance less than two weeks ago when he received the COVID-19 vaccine.“Hammerin’ Hank” set a wide array of career hitting records during a 23-year career spent mostly with the Milwaukee and Atlanta Braves, including RBIs, extra-base hits and total bases.But the Hall of Famer will be remembered for one swing above all others, the one that made him baseball’s home-run king.It was a title he would hold for more than 33 years, a period in which the Hammer slowly but surely claimed his rightful place as one of America’s most iconic sporting figures, a true national treasure worthy of mention in the same breath with Ruth or Ali or Jordan.

Baseball legend Hank Aaron has died 

Girls' basketball Chillicothe 61 East Buchanan 42 Lawson 45 Lafayette St. Joseph 28 - The Cardinals improve to 11-4. St. Joseph Central 54 Basehor-Linwood 40 Savannah vs. Fort Osage - missing Polo 52 Braymer 40 Pattonsburg 69 Worth County 46

Boys' basketball Polo 53 Braymer 19 Winston 67 Gilman City/North Daviess 12 - The Redbirds are now 15-0 on the season. Pattonsburg 74 Worth County 56

Wrestling results Maysville 42 Lawson 34 Maysville 35 Trenton 30 Maysville 60 Maryille 12 - The Wolverines earn a sweep in the quad at Maryville's Hound Pound. Mid-Buchanan 49 Oak Grove 21

By TOMMY REZACGirls' basketball Chillicothe 61 East Buchanan 42 Lawson 45 Lafayette St. Joseph 28 - The Cardinals improve to 11-4. St. Joseph Central 54 Basehor-Linwood 40 Savannah vs. Fort Osage - missing Polo 52 Braymer 40 Pattonsburg 69 Worth County 46Boys' basketball Polo 53 Braymer 19 Winston 67 Gilman City/North Daviess 12 - The Redbirds are now 15-0 on the season. Pattonsburg 74 Worth County 56Wrestling results Maysville 42 Lawson 34 Maysville 35 Trenton 30 Maysville 60 Maryille 12 - The Wolverines earn a sweep in the quad at Maryville's Hound Pound. Mid-Buchanan 49 Oak Grove 21

KFEQ/St. Joseph Post area high school scoreboard - January 21, 2021

The No. 3-ranked Northwest Missouri State men's basketball team withstood a hot shooting night from the Newman Jets and improved to 9-1 on the season with an 81-70 triumph at Bearcat Arena Thursday night. Senior&nbsp;Ryan Hawkins&nbsp;registered his eighth, career 30-point scoring game, leading all scorers with 30 points.

Junior&nbsp;Diego Bernard&nbsp;posted 18 points and came up two points shy of joining Northwest's 1,000 point club. Bernard has recorded 998 points in his Bearcat career.

Northwest had four scorers in double figures as Trevor&nbsp;Hudgins&nbsp;tallied 11 and Luke Waters notched 10. Newman shot an impressive 56.1 percent from the floor and drained 7-of-13 three-point shots. The Jets drained seven of their first 10 three-pointers in the contest and held a 50-45 lead early in the second half.

Northwest used a 12-3 spurt to take a 71-62 lead with 3:17 to go.

Northwest will be back in action at home Saturday against Central Oklahoma. Tip is set for 3:30 p.m., following the women's contest.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/1/1611290224667.jpeg" alt="Ryan Hawkins puts up a shot in Thursday's game. Courtesy BearcatSports.com" />
 <figcaption>Ryan Hawkins puts up a shot in Thursday's game. Courtesy BearcatSports.com</figcaption>
 </figure>St. Joseph Post&nbsp;The No. 3-ranked Northwest Missouri State men's basketball team withstood a hot shooting night from the Newman Jets and improved to 9-1 on the season with an 81-70 triumph at Bearcat Arena Thursday night. Senior&nbsp;Ryan Hawkins&nbsp;registered his eighth, career 30-point scoring game, leading all scorers with 30 points.Junior&nbsp;Diego Bernard&nbsp;posted 18 points and came up two points shy of joining Northwest's 1,000 point club. Bernard has recorded 998 points in his Bearcat career.Northwest had four scorers in double figures as Trevor&nbsp;Hudgins&nbsp;tallied 11 and Luke Waters notched 10. Newman shot an impressive 56.1 percent from the floor and drained 7-of-13 three-point shots. The Jets drained seven of their first 10 three-pointers in the contest and held a 50-45 lead early in the second half.Northwest used a 12-3 spurt to take a 71-62 lead with 3:17 to go.Northwest will be back in action at home Saturday against Central Oklahoma. Tip is set for 3:30 p.m., following the women's contest.

Northwest Missouri State men's basketball holds off Newman Thursday

The Northwest Missouri State women's basketball team (4-6) picked up its first win of 2021 with a 57-47 victory over Newman at Bearcat Arena Thursday.

The Bearcats were without Kylie Coleman, who was injured in <a href="https://stjosephpost.com/posts/51c9c189-d0a9-43f9-8583-144bbdf6b016">Tuesday's game against Emporia State</a>. Jaelyn Haggard&nbsp;led the Bearcats with 20 points on 6-of-11 shooting from 3-point land. Jillian Fleming&nbsp;had a career-high 12 points and was 5-for-5 from the free throw line. The Bearcats stay home to take on Central Oklahoma on Saturday at 1:30 p.m.

St. Joseph PostThe Northwest Missouri State women's basketball team (4-6) picked up its first win of 2021 with a 57-47 victory over Newman at Bearcat Arena Thursday.The Bearcats were without Kylie Coleman, who was injured in <a href="https://stjosephpost.com/posts/51c9c189-d0a9-43f9-8583-144bbdf6b016">Tuesday's game against Emporia State</a>. Jaelyn Haggard&nbsp;led the Bearcats with 20 points on 6-of-11 shooting from 3-point land. Jillian Fleming&nbsp;had a career-high 12 points and was 5-for-5 from the free throw line. The Bearcats stay home to take on Central Oklahoma on Saturday at 1:30 p.m. <div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-partner="tweetdeck">The Northwest Missouri State women’s basketball team picked up its first win of 2021 with a 57-47 victory over Newman <a href="https://t.co/wvtAdMezqX">https://t.co/wvtAdMezqX</a>&mdash; Northwest Athletics (@bearcatsports) <a href="https://twitter.com/bearcatsports/status/1352431992084828166?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 22, 2021</a></blockquote>
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Northwest Missouri State women's basketball snap losing skid, defeat Newman Thursday

The Mizzou football program has hired former Arizona Cardinals head coach Steve Wilks as the Tigers next defensive coordinator.

The university made it official with a press release Thursday afternoon.

Wilks last served as defensive coordinator with the Cleveland Browns during the 2019 season. He served one season as Arizona’s head coach in 2018 when the team went 3–13. Wilks did not coach in 2020.

Wilks was also a defensive assistant with the Carolina Panthers, San Diego Chargers and Chicago Bears, giving him 14 total years of coaching experience at the NFL level. His last college job was with Washington back in 2005.

Former defensive coordinator Ryan Walters left the program to serve as Bret Bielema’s first defensive coordinator at Illinois.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/1/1611269102842.jpeg" alt="Steve Wilks. Photo via Mutigers.com." />
 <figcaption>Steve Wilks. Photo via Mutigers.com.</figcaption>
 </figure>St. Joseph PostThe Mizzou football program has hired former Arizona Cardinals head coach Steve Wilks as the Tigers next defensive coordinator.The university made it official with a press release Thursday afternoon.Wilks last served as defensive coordinator with the Cleveland Browns during the 2019 season. He served one season as Arizona’s head coach in 2018 when the team went 3–13. Wilks did not coach in 2020.Wilks was also a defensive assistant with the Carolina Panthers, San Diego Chargers and Chicago Bears, giving him 14 total years of coaching experience at the NFL level. His last college job was with Washington back in 2005.Former defensive coordinator Ryan Walters left the program to serve as Bret Bielema’s first defensive coordinator at Illinois.

Steve Wilks officially named defensive coordinator at Missouri

The Missouri Western men's basketball home game against Central Oklahoma has been rescheduled for Sunday, February 7 at the MWSU Fieldhouse. The game will tip at 2:30 p.m. and will air on KFEQ (680 AM and 95.3 FM). The Griffons and Bronchos were originally scheduled to meet in St. Joseph this Saturday as part of a men's and women's doubleheader, but the games were postponed due to COVID-19 protocols.

The two schools are still working on rescheduling the women's game. Fans with tickets for the January 23rd game can use those same tickets for the rescheduled game on Feb. 7. No. 23 Missouri Western is 8-2 this season. The Griffons will be back on the court Thursday, Jan. 28 when they play at Central Missouri.

The women's game will get things started that night at 5:30 p.m. inside the Multipurpose Building in Warrensburg.&nbsp;

The Griffon men have been idle since last Thursday to due positive COVID-19 tests within the program. The Griffon men and women both had their game at Fort Hays State postponed last Saturday due to COVID protocol.

The Fort Hays State doubleheader will now be split up as the Western women travel to Hays, Kansas to play the Tigers on Monday, Feb. 8 at 5:30 p.m. The Griffon men will play at Fort Hays State on Tuesday, Feb. 23rd at 5:30 p.m. Missouri Western also had to postpone its home doubleheader scheduled for this Thursday against Newman. That doubleheader will now be played on Monday, Feb. 15 with the women tipping off at 5:30 p.m. and the men to follow. Missouri Western is still working on rescheduling its home men's game against Northwest Missouri State.

St. Joseph PostThe Missouri Western men's basketball home game against Central Oklahoma has been rescheduled for Sunday, February 7 at the MWSU Fieldhouse. The game will tip at 2:30 p.m. and will air on KFEQ (680 AM and 95.3 FM). The Griffons and Bronchos were originally scheduled to meet in St. Joseph this Saturday as part of a men's and women's doubleheader, but the games were postponed due to COVID-19 protocols.The two schools are still working on rescheduling the women's game. Fans with tickets for the January 23rd game can use those same tickets for the rescheduled game on Feb. 7. No. 23 Missouri Western is 8-2 this season. The Griffons will be back on the court Thursday, Jan. 28 when they play at Central Missouri.The women's game will get things started that night at 5:30 p.m. inside the Multipurpose Building in Warrensburg.&nbsp;The Griffon men have been idle since last Thursday to due positive COVID-19 tests within the program. The Griffon men and women both had their game at Fort Hays State postponed last Saturday due to COVID protocol.The Fort Hays State doubleheader will now be split up as the Western women travel to Hays, Kansas to play the Tigers on Monday, Feb. 8 at 5:30 p.m. The Griffon men will play at Fort Hays State on Tuesday, Feb. 23rd at 5:30 p.m. Missouri Western also had to postpone its home doubleheader scheduled for this Thursday against Newman. That doubleheader will now be played on Monday, Feb. 15 with the women tipping off at 5:30 p.m. and the men to follow. Missouri Western is still working on rescheduling its home men's game against Northwest Missouri State.

Missouri Western men's basketball reschedules home game vs. Central Oklahoma

Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes took the majority of the snaps in Thursday’s practice as he continues to go through concussion protocol. 

Coach Andy Reid says Mahomes was limited, but is feeling well.

"Pat looked good out there," Reid said. "He did a nice job when he was doing it. It's just important that we follow the (concussion) protocol, and that's what we're doing."

 Linebacker Willie Gay (ankle) and running back Le’Veon Bell did not practice Thursday. Reid says Bell’s knee was swelling up Wednesday.

Elsewhere, receiver Sammy Watkins and running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire were able to practice. Cornerback Bashaud Breeland is also in concussion protocol, but was able to practice in limited capacity Thursday.

If Le’Veon Bell can’t go Sunday, and Edwards-Helaire is limited, chances are Darrel Williams could see more snaps at running back.

The third-year pro has rushed for 169 yards and a touchdown this year, averaging over four yards per carry.

Williams had a career-best 78 yards on 13 carries against the Browns last week. Williams says his preparation for this game won't be different than any other. He says the key to another strong performance is just doing what he normally does.

"When my number is called, it comes down to me going out there and executing," Williams said. "The players trust me and the coaches trust me. Just me being able to go out there and do everything to my full potential."

 The Chiefs and Bills kick off this Sunday in the AFC Championship at 5:40 central. Coverage starts at 4 on KFEQ (680 AM, 95.3 FM) and Q Country 92.7 FM in St Joseph.

By TOMMY REZACSt. Joseph PostChiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes took the majority of the snaps in Thursday’s practice as he continues to go through concussion protocol. Coach Andy Reid says Mahomes was limited, but is feeling well."Pat looked good out there," Reid said. "He did a nice job when he was doing it. It's just important that we follow the (concussion) protocol, and that's what we're doing." Linebacker Willie Gay (ankle) and running back Le’Veon Bell did not practice Thursday. Reid says Bell’s knee was swelling up Wednesday.Elsewhere, receiver Sammy Watkins and running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire were able to practice. Cornerback Bashaud Breeland is also in concussion protocol, but was able to practice in limited capacity Thursday.If Le’Veon Bell can’t go Sunday, and Edwards-Helaire is limited, chances are Darrel Williams could see more snaps at running back.The third-year pro has rushed for 169 yards and a touchdown this year, averaging over four yards per carry.Williams had a career-best 78 yards on 13 carries against the Browns last week. Williams says his preparation for this game won't be different than any other. He says the key to another strong performance is just doing what he normally does."When my number is called, it comes down to me going out there and executing," Williams said. "The players trust me and the coaches trust me. Just me being able to go out there and do everything to my full potential." The Chiefs and Bills kick off this Sunday in the AFC Championship at 5:40 central. Coverage starts at 4 on KFEQ (680 AM, 95.3 FM) and Q Country 92.7 FM in St Joseph.You can follow Tommy on Twitter @TommyKFEQ and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.

Patrick Mahomes took 'most of the snaps' in Thursday's practice, Le'Veon Bell out with knee injury

The Kansas City Royals announced Thursday that they've agreed to terms on 2021 Major League contracts with 14 players.

They include pitchers&nbsp;Scott Barlow,&nbsp;Scott Blewett, Kris Bubic, Carlos Hernández,&nbsp;Jake Newberry,&nbsp;Angel Zerpa&nbsp;and&nbsp;Tyler Zuber.

Catcher&nbsp;Sebastian Rivero,&nbsp;infielders&nbsp;Kelvin Gutierrez, Nicky Lopez&nbsp;and&nbsp;Ryan O’Hearn&nbsp;and outfielders&nbsp;Nick Heath, Khalil Lee&nbsp;and&nbsp;Edward Olivares also agreed to terms.

Consistent with club policy, terms of the contracts were not disclosed.

Of the players signed today, 11 of them – Barlow, Blewett, Bubic, Gutierrez, Heath, Hernández, Lopez, Newberry, O’Hearn, Olivares and Zuber – have Major League service time.&nbsp;

The Royals have 10 players who remain unsigned for the 2021 season.

St. Joseph PostThe Kansas City Royals announced Thursday that they've agreed to terms on 2021 Major League contracts with 14 players.They include pitchers&nbsp;Scott Barlow,&nbsp;Scott Blewett, Kris Bubic, Carlos Hernández,&nbsp;Jake Newberry,&nbsp;Angel Zerpa&nbsp;and&nbsp;Tyler Zuber.Catcher&nbsp;Sebastian Rivero,&nbsp;infielders&nbsp;Kelvin Gutierrez, Nicky Lopez&nbsp;and&nbsp;Ryan O’Hearn&nbsp;and outfielders&nbsp;Nick Heath, Khalil Lee&nbsp;and&nbsp;Edward Olivares also agreed to terms.Consistent with club policy, terms of the contracts were not disclosed.Of the players signed today, 11 of them – Barlow, Blewett, Bubic, Gutierrez, Heath, Hernández, Lopez, Newberry, O’Hearn, Olivares and Zuber – have Major League service time.&nbsp;The Royals have 10 players who remain unsigned for the 2021 season.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-partner="tweetdeck">We have agreed to terms with 14 players on contracts for 2021. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Royals?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Royals</a> <a href="https://t.co/6sw6GX5pYW">pic.twitter.com/6sw6GX5pYW</a>&mdash; Kansas City Royals (@Royals) <a href="https://twitter.com/Royals/status/1352322726632050688?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 21, 2021</a></blockquote>
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Royals agree to terms on 2021 contracts with 14 players

The Division II Student-Athlete Advisory Committee elected new leadership during its virtual NCAA Convention meeting last week.

Missouri Western soccer player Mackenzie O’Neill was elected as chair for a one-year term. 

O’Neill has served as the MIAA Conference representative on Division II Student-Athlete Advisory Committee since 2019, and will end her three-year term at the end of the 2022 NCAA Convention.

In 2020, O’Neill served as vice chair and a member of the Division II Legislation Committee that, among other work, developed the division’s proposal on name, image and likeness changes.

O’Neill will be joined on the Division II SAAC Executive Board by three others. John Michael Etheridge, a baseball player at Kentucky State, was elected vice chair. Southern New Hampshire’s Kate Pigsley (field hockey) was reelected as the committee’s internal operations coordinator and Purdue Northwest’s Ismael Contreras (men’s soccer) will serve as the external communications coordinator.

“I am extremely grateful for the opportunity to serve in this leadership role for such a distinguished group of student-athletes across Division II,” O’Neill said in a release. “I have full faith in this newly elected DII SAAC Executive Board and am excited for the work ahead of us this year as national SAAC.”

St. Joseph PostNCAA.orgThe Division II Student-Athlete Advisory Committee elected new leadership during its virtual NCAA Convention meeting last week.Missouri Western soccer player Mackenzie O’Neill was elected as chair for a one-year term. O’Neill has served as the MIAA Conference representative on Division II Student-Athlete Advisory Committee since 2019, and will end her three-year term at the end of the 2022 NCAA Convention.In 2020, O’Neill served as vice chair and a member of the Division II Legislation Committee that, among other work, developed the division’s proposal on name, image and likeness changes.O’Neill will be joined on the Division II SAAC Executive Board by three others. John Michael Etheridge, a baseball player at Kentucky State, was elected vice chair. Southern New Hampshire’s Kate Pigsley (field hockey) was reelected as the committee’s internal operations coordinator and Purdue Northwest’s Ismael Contreras (men’s soccer) will serve as the external communications coordinator.“I am extremely grateful for the opportunity to serve in this leadership role for such a distinguished group of student-athletes across Division II,” O’Neill said in a release. “I have full faith in this newly elected DII SAAC Executive Board and am excited for the work ahead of us this year as national SAAC.”<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-partner="tweetdeck">Missouri Western’s O’Neill elected DII SAAC chair, Kentucky State’s Etheridge new vice chair as part of the committee&#39;s 2021 Executive Board: <a href="https://t.co/00b1VsXYIT">https://t.co/00b1VsXYIT</a>&mdash; NCAA Division II (@NCAADII) <a href="https://twitter.com/NCAADII/status/1352315023570341888?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 21, 2021</a></blockquote>
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Missouri Western's Mackenzie O'Neill elected chair of Division II Student-Athlete Advisory Committee

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City T-Bones of the independent American Association are being renamed the Kansas City Monarchs after the team that played in the Negro Leagues.

The original Monarchs were founded in 1924 and won the first Negro League World Series in 1920. The team played in the Negro National League and Negro American League and later as an independent.

A museum exhibit will travel with the team, which is expected to help inject some revenue into the cash strapped museum.

The Monarchs also plan to establish a youth academy for baseball and softball.

The Monarchs were the longest running franchise in America’s Negro Leagues. Legends such as Satchel Paige, Jackie Robinson and Buck O’Neil played for the Monarchs.

St. Joseph PostKANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City T-Bones of the independent American Association are being renamed the Kansas City Monarchs after the team that played in the Negro Leagues.The original Monarchs were founded in 1924 and won the first Negro League World Series in 1920. The team played in the Negro National League and Negro American League and later as an independent.A museum exhibit will travel with the team, which is expected to help inject some revenue into the cash strapped museum.The Monarchs also plan to establish a youth academy for baseball and softball.The Monarchs were the longest running franchise in America’s Negro Leagues. Legends such as Satchel Paige, Jackie Robinson and Buck O’Neil played for the Monarchs.

Kansas City T-Bones renamed to Kansas City Monarchs, honoring KC's former Negro Leagues franchise

The MIAA Conference announced changes to the 2020-21 Men's &amp; Women's basketball championships Thursday.

Due to restrictions related to indoor events in Kansas City because of CoVID-19, the conference is moving all three rounds of the men's and women's tournaments to campus sites. The top eight men's and women's teams will advance to the postseason tournaments. The adjusted format and schedule will be announced at a later date. "While we are disappointed that we had to make this decision, we do look forward to returning to Kansas City for the 2022 Championships at Municipal Auditorium," said MIAA Commissioner Mike Racy in a release. Brackets and matchups will be released on the MIAA site on Saturday, Feb. 27, using an MIAA weighted formula to determine standings and seeds for the tournaments.

MIAA Weighted Basketball Standings Scheduling index points are based on an 80/20 weighted formula&nbsp; (Winning Percentage x .8) + (Games Played Divided By 22 x .2) = Scheduling Index Pts.&nbsp;

St. Joseph PostThe MIAA Conference announced changes to the 2020-21 Men's &amp; Women's basketball championships Thursday.Due to restrictions related to indoor events in Kansas City because of CoVID-19, the conference is moving all three rounds of the men's and women's tournaments to campus sites. The top eight men's and women's teams will advance to the postseason tournaments. The adjusted format and schedule will be announced at a later date. "While we are disappointed that we had to make this decision, we do look forward to returning to Kansas City for the 2022 Championships at Municipal Auditorium," said MIAA Commissioner Mike Racy in a release. Brackets and matchups will be released on the MIAA site on Saturday, Feb. 27, using an MIAA weighted formula to determine standings and seeds for the tournaments.MIAA Weighted Basketball Standings Scheduling index points are based on an 80/20 weighted formula&nbsp; (Winning Percentage x .8) + (Games Played Divided By 22 x .2) = Scheduling Index Pts.&nbsp;

MIAA moves men's, women's basketball tournaments from Kansas City to campus sites

A pair of St. Joseph girls' high school basketball teams are quarantined due to COVID-19, resulting in a handful of area games being postponed.

The Bishop LeBlond Lady Eagles' (12-4) Thursday night matchup at Maryville (12-1) has been postponed, per LeBlond athletic director Michael Evans on Twitter.

Evans says the makeup date for the game against the Spoofhounds is Feb. 3 with the JV game starting things off at 5:30 p.m.

LeBlond was most recently in action this past Tuesday, winning 41-39 at Falls City, NE.

On Thursday morning, Benton High School activities director Brett Goodwin announced on Twitter that the Cardinals' girls' basketball team is quarantined for 10 days, and will not partake in the rest of the Basehor-Linwood tournament this week, or any of the Cameron tournament next week.&nbsp;

Benton (6-5) last played Olathe West Tuesday, losing 58-52. The Cardinals' next scheduled game will be against No. 10 Cameron (13-2) on Monday, Feb. 1.

Follow St. Joseph Post on Twitter @StJosephPost.

By TOMMY REZACSt. Joseph PostA pair of St. Joseph girls' high school basketball teams are quarantined due to COVID-19, resulting in a handful of area games being postponed.The Bishop LeBlond Lady Eagles' (12-4) Thursday night matchup at Maryville (12-1) has been postponed, per LeBlond athletic director Michael Evans on Twitter.Evans says the makeup date for the game against the Spoofhounds is Feb. 3 with the JV game starting things off at 5:30 p.m.LeBlond was most recently in action this past Tuesday, winning 41-39 at Falls City, NE.On Thursday morning, Benton High School activities director Brett Goodwin announced on Twitter that the Cardinals' girls' basketball team is quarantined for 10 days, and will not partake in the rest of the Basehor-Linwood tournament this week, or any of the Cameron tournament next week.&nbsp;Benton (6-5) last played Olathe West Tuesday, losing 58-52. The Cardinals' next scheduled game will be against No. 10 Cameron (13-2) on Monday, Feb. 1.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-partner="tweetdeck"><a href="https://twitter.com/BENTONLADYCARDS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@BENTONLADYCARDS</a> will be in quarantine the next 10 days. Will not participate in remainder of Basehor Tourney as well as Cameron Tourney next week. <a href="https://twitter.com/BHSSportsMarke3?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@BHSSportsMarke3</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/TommyKFEQ?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TommyKFEQ</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/bentoncardinals?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@bentoncardinals</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>&mdash; Brett Goodwin (@BrettGoodwin20) <a href="https://twitter.com/BrettGoodwin20/status/1352296535749521410?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 21, 2021</a></blockquote>
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</div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-partner="tweetdeck">Due to the LeBlond Lady Eagles basketball team being quarantined, tonight’s game @ Maryville is postponed. A make up date is TBD. <a href="https://twitter.com/chrisRroush?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@chrisRroush</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://twitter.com/KQ2SPORTS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@KQ2SPORTS</a>&mdash; Michael Evans (@MEvans1982) <a href="https://twitter.com/MEvans1982/status/1352237239284224003?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 21, 2021</a></blockquote>
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</div>Follow St. Joseph Post on Twitter @StJosephPost.

Benton, Bishop LeBlond girls' basketball teams in quarantine, games postponed

A much lighter fare on a Wednesday, but still a few games and events in the area.

Lafayette 46 Excelsior Springs 27. <a href="https://stjosephpost.com/posts/2f52722a-00f7-4811-bdc7-e3e7eef788bc">Full coverage here.</a> Milan 65 Hamilton/Penney 47

Boys' basketball St. Joseph Central 45 Raytown South 35 - Basehor-Linwood tournament. The Indians improve to 11-4.

Hamilton/Penney 57 Milan 48 Cameron 83 Excelsior Springs 60

Polo placers Cierra Stigger 1st place Vada Burton 3rd Mesa Welch 3rd Valorie Gabrielli 5th

Mid-Buchanan placers Ariana Hartigan 3rd @ 112 Haley Sampson 1st @ 117 Kalli Schuster 3rd @ 127 Layson Hafley 2nd @ 143

By TOMMY REZACSt. Joseph PostA much lighter fare on a Wednesday, but still a few games and events in the area.Girls' basketballLafayette 46 Excelsior Springs 27. <a href="https://stjosephpost.com/posts/2f52722a-00f7-4811-bdc7-e3e7eef788bc">Full coverage here.</a> Milan 65 Hamilton/Penney 47Boys' basketball St. Joseph Central 45 Raytown South 35 - Basehor-Linwood tournament. The Indians improve to 11-4.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-partner="tweetdeck">.<a href="https://twitter.com/Basketball_CHS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Basketball_CHS</a> defeats Raytown South in the Basehor-Linwood Tournament game 45-35 🏀👍👏<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://t.co/A7b9SLUW8V">pic.twitter.com/A7b9SLUW8V</a>&mdash; St. Joe Central HS (@CHS_Indians) <a href="https://twitter.com/CHS_Indians/status/1352039371554385923?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 20, 2021</a></blockquote>
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</div>Hamilton/Penney 57 Milan 48 Cameron 83 Excelsior Springs 60Lathrop girls' wrestling scramblePolo placers Cierra Stigger 1st place Vada Burton 3rd Mesa Welch 3rd Valorie Gabrielli 5thMid-Buchanan placers Ariana Hartigan 3rd @ 112 Haley Sampson 1st @ 117 Kalli Schuster 3rd @ 127 Layson Hafley 2nd @ 143You can follow Tommy on Twitter @TommyKFEQ and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.

KFEQ/St. Joseph Post area high school scoreboard - January 20, 2021

Lafayette sophomore Jazlyn King was feeling confident early in Wednesday's game against Excelsior Springs.

She scored eight points in the first quarter and played tight on-ball defense from the first whistle.

But King's tenacity got her three personal fouls by the early second quarter.

"Jaz is a gamer," Lafayette girls' coach Brad Spinner said. "She's gonna give it her all, and sometimes, that gets her in (foul) trouble. And it did get her into foul trouble in the first half. She got over-aggressive with her boxout.

"I told her to stay away from the fourth (foul), and you're going to be in there for a long time."

King didn't commit a single foul in the second half and scored a team-high 12 points as Lafayette (6-5) took down Excelsior Springs, 46-27, on Wednesday night at Lafayette High School.

After 21 first-quarter points, Lafayette mustered only four with King on the bench.

"(Jazlyn) is kind of a floor general," Spinner said. "We need her. She kind of gets us set up. When she goes out, we get a little hectic. The speed of the game gets a little hectic. She does a great job of being kind of a calming influence. She was able to stay away from a fourth foul, and that was huge for us to extend that lead going into the fourth."

King says she was cognizant of getting fouled again, but she didn't want to let off the gas all that much.

"You have to play a little scared (in foul trouble)," she said, "but much. I mean, you can't give up, because if you do, they're going to come back and roll. It was hard, but I've been in that situation before and it helped me understand what I need to do to calm down and control myself."

The Irish certainly controlled themselves on defense, forcing 14 turnovers and four charge calls. They also limited the Tigers (6-7) to just 12 second-half points and just 16 points over the final three quarters combined.

That, and Excelsior Spring's free throw struggles (10-of-27) helped Lafayette maintain a lead throughout.

Defense, Spinner says, has been the key in Lafayette's three-game winning streak, as the Irish came off of wins over Raytown South and Southeast KC last week at the Kearney Invitational.

"We're buying into the defensive side a little more," Spinner pointed out. "These last three games, we've done a great job of buying into the defensive game plan and executing it pretty well.

"For example, Katie Koelzer. We ask her to stay and help on drives and wall up. She got into foul trouble in the first half, but was able to turn around and do a fantastic job in the second half of staying straight up, affecting shots, getting rebounds and blocks."

Offensively in the second half, freshman Talicia Byrd had some strong baseline drives and scored four of her 10 points in the final quarter to help the Irish put on the finishing touches.&nbsp;

"One thing I don't have to teach Talicia is scoring," Spinner said. "She knows how to score the basketball. Taking the ball to the basket and pulling up and shooting those little floaters in the middle of the lane, she's a natural scorer."

Lafayette now has perhaps its toughest test of the season thus far with a Thursday night trip to Lawson (10-4).&nbsp;

"They have size and they're a winning program," Spinner said. "(Coach Lisa Glenn) does a great job with that group of girls. That program has a history of winning. It's always going to be a difficult task. But, if we can stay within ourselves and not get rushed and not get sped up, I think we have a chance and maybe coming out on the winning side."

Lafayette 46 - 21, 4, 10, 11 Excelsior Springs 27 - 11, 4, 7, 5

Lafayette scorers - Jazlyn King - 12, Talicia Byrd - 10, Ellie Wattenbarger - 8, Harlea Tarr - 5, Katie Koezler - 4, Darcy Bowlin - 2, Kendyal Bennett - 2.

Excelsior Springs scorers - Mallory Millsap - 12, Rylie Stottlemyre - 6, Lillian Mawby - 3, Mayce Barber - 3, Kyli Crowley - 2, Baylee O'Dell - 1

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/1/1611199451388.jpeg" alt="Jazlyn King goes up for a layup in the first half of Wednesday's 46-27 win over Excelsior Springs at Lafayette High School. Photo by Tommy Rezac." />
 <figcaption>Jazlyn King goes up for a layup in the first half of Wednesday's 46-27 win over Excelsior Springs at Lafayette High School. Photo by Tommy Rezac.</figcaption>
 </figure>By TOMMY REZACSt. Joseph PostLafayette sophomore Jazlyn King was feeling confident early in Wednesday's game against Excelsior Springs.She scored eight points in the first quarter and played tight on-ball defense from the first whistle.But King's tenacity got her three personal fouls by the early second quarter."Jaz is a gamer," Lafayette girls' coach Brad Spinner said. "She's gonna give it her all, and sometimes, that gets her in (foul) trouble. And it did get her into foul trouble in the first half. She got over-aggressive with her boxout."I told her to stay away from the fourth (foul), and you're going to be in there for a long time."Coach Spinner was right.King didn't commit a single foul in the second half and scored a team-high 12 points as Lafayette (6-5) took down Excelsior Springs, 46-27, on Wednesday night at Lafayette High School.After 21 first-quarter points, Lafayette mustered only four with King on the bench."(Jazlyn) is kind of a floor general," Spinner said. "We need her. She kind of gets us set up. When she goes out, we get a little hectic. The speed of the game gets a little hectic. She does a great job of being kind of a calming influence. She was able to stay away from a fourth foul, and that was huge for us to extend that lead going into the fourth."King says she was cognizant of getting fouled again, but she didn't want to let off the gas all that much."You have to play a little scared (in foul trouble)," she said, "but much. I mean, you can't give up, because if you do, they're going to come back and roll. It was hard, but I've been in that situation before and it helped me understand what I need to do to calm down and control myself."The Irish certainly controlled themselves on defense, forcing 14 turnovers and four charge calls. They also limited the Tigers (6-7) to just 12 second-half points and just 16 points over the final three quarters combined.That, and Excelsior Spring's free throw struggles (10-of-27) helped Lafayette maintain a lead throughout.Defense, Spinner says, has been the key in Lafayette's three-game winning streak, as the Irish came off of wins over Raytown South and Southeast KC last week at the Kearney Invitational."We're buying into the defensive side a little more," Spinner pointed out. "These last three games, we've done a great job of buying into the defensive game plan and executing it pretty well."For example, Katie Koelzer. We ask her to stay and help on drives and wall up. She got into foul trouble in the first half, but was able to turn around and do a fantastic job in the second half of staying straight up, affecting shots, getting rebounds and blocks."Offensively in the second half, freshman Talicia Byrd had some strong baseline drives and scored four of her 10 points in the final quarter to help the Irish put on the finishing touches.&nbsp;"One thing I don't have to teach Talicia is scoring," Spinner said. "She knows how to score the basketball. Taking the ball to the basket and pulling up and shooting those little floaters in the middle of the lane, she's a natural scorer."Lafayette now has perhaps its toughest test of the season thus far with a Thursday night trip to Lawson (10-4).&nbsp;"They have size and they're a winning program," Spinner said. "(Coach Lisa Glenn) does a great job with that group of girls. That program has a history of winning. It's always going to be a difficult task. But, if we can stay within ourselves and not get rushed and not get sped up, I think we have a chance and maybe coming out on the winning side."Lafayette 46 - 21, 4, 10, 11 Excelsior Springs 27 - 11, 4, 7, 5Lafayette scorers - Jazlyn King - 12, Talicia Byrd - 10, Ellie Wattenbarger - 8, Harlea Tarr - 5, Katie Koezler - 4, Darcy Bowlin - 2, Kendyal Bennett - 2.Excelsior Springs scorers - Mallory Millsap - 12, Rylie Stottlemyre - 6, Lillian Mawby - 3, Mayce Barber - 3, Kyli Crowley - 2, Baylee O'Dell - 1<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/969666118&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/brad-spinner-lafayette-girls-basketball-1-20-21" title="Brad Spinner - Lafayette Girls&#x27; Basketball 1-20-21" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Brad Spinner - Lafayette Girls&#x27; Basketball 1-20-21</a></div></div><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/969665740&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/jazlyn-king-lafayette-girls-basketball-1-20-21" title="Jazlyn King - Lafayette Girls&#x27; Basketball 1-20-21" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Jazlyn King - Lafayette Girls&#x27; Basketball 1-20-21</a></div></div><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/1/1611199490910.jpeg" alt="Harlea Tarr looks for an open teammate in Lafayette's 46-27 win over Excelsior Springs on Wednesday night. Photo by Tommy Rezac." />
 <figcaption>Harlea Tarr looks for an open teammate in Lafayette's 46-27 win over Excelsior Springs on Wednesday night. Photo by Tommy Rezac.</figcaption>
 </figure>You can follow Tommy on Twitter @TommyKFEQ and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.

Lafayette girls overcome foul trouble, use defense to beat Excelsior Springs Wednesday

Kansas high school athletic officials decided Wednesday to increase the limited number of guests at sporting events during the winter season.

Representatives from several Kansas school districts decided to increase the limit from two spectators to four per-athlete at events, as long as the venue can meet social distancing requirements.

Forty-six representatives voted in favor of the increase, and 27 opposed it.

The new rule takes effect Jan. 29. Local school districts can still make their own stricter limits on fans, based on their area’s health department guidelines, but they cannot make less limited restrictions than the KSHSAA.

The decision comes as winter sports like basketball and wrestling are halfway through their seasons.

By TOMMY REZACSt. Joseph PostKansas high school athletic officials decided Wednesday to increase the limited number of guests at sporting events during the winter season.Representatives from several Kansas school districts decided to increase the limit from two spectators to four per-athlete at events, as long as the venue can meet social distancing requirements.Forty-six representatives voted in favor of the increase, and 27 opposed it.The new rule takes effect Jan. 29. Local school districts can still make their own stricter limits on fans, based on their area’s health department guidelines, but they cannot make less limited restrictions than the KSHSAA.The decision comes as winter sports like basketball and wrestling are halfway through their seasons.KSHSAA also decided that postseason events, like playoffs and championships, can only allow the increase to four spectators per athlete as long as the venue’s occupancy limit is filled to a maximum of 50%.<figure>
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