MANHATTAN, Kan.&nbsp;–<a></a>&nbsp;Kansas State freshman&nbsp;Joshua Youngblood&nbsp;was rewarded on a national scale for his performance in 2019 as the Tampa, Florida, product was named to a pair of All-America teams this week.

Youngblood earned Second Team All-America honors as a kick returner from CBS Sports, while he was named a First Team Freshman All-American as an all-purpose player from&nbsp;The Athletic. Youngblood’s designation by CBS Sports marked the first time a Wildcat true freshman was named to a First or Second Team All-America team since&nbsp;Tyler Lockett&nbsp;in 2011.

The 2019 Big 12 Special Teams Player of the Year and First Team All-Big 12 kick returner, Youngblood ranks first in the nation with three kickoff return touchdowns, going 98 yards for a score at Texas, 100 yards at Texas Tech and 93 yards on the opening kickoff against Iowa State. His three kickoff-return touchdowns rank third in school history for a season – and are tops among freshmen – while he ranks fourth in K-State history for a career. Youngblood also ranks third in Big 12 history and tops among freshmen for single-season kickoff-return touchdowns, while he is tied for seventh in league history for a career.

Youngblood holds a Big 12-leading 38.1-yard kickoff-return average, which would rank first in the nation if he had two more attempts to meet the NCAA required minimum.

Kansas State takes part in the 61st&nbsp;Annual AutoZone Liberty Bowl on Tuesday, December 31, when the Wildcats face Navy inside Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium in Memphis, Tennessee. The game is slated for a 2:45 p.m. (CT) kick and will be shown nationally on ESPN.

MANHATTAN, Kan.&nbsp;–<a></a>&nbsp;Kansas State freshman&nbsp;Joshua Youngblood&nbsp;was rewarded on a national scale for his performance in 2019 as the Tampa, Florida, product was named to a pair of All-America teams this week.Youngblood earned Second Team All-America honors as a kick returner from CBS Sports, while he was named a First Team Freshman All-American as an all-purpose player from&nbsp;The Athletic. Youngblood’s designation by CBS Sports marked the first time a Wildcat true freshman was named to a First or Second Team All-America team since&nbsp;Tyler Lockett&nbsp;in 2011.The 2019 Big 12 Special Teams Player of the Year and First Team All-Big 12 kick returner, Youngblood ranks first in the nation with three kickoff return touchdowns, going 98 yards for a score at Texas, 100 yards at Texas Tech and 93 yards on the opening kickoff against Iowa State. His three kickoff-return touchdowns rank third in school history for a season – and are tops among freshmen – while he ranks fourth in K-State history for a career. Youngblood also ranks third in Big 12 history and tops among freshmen for single-season kickoff-return touchdowns, while he is tied for seventh in league history for a career.Youngblood holds a Big 12-leading 38.1-yard kickoff-return average, which would rank first in the nation if he had two more attempts to meet the NCAA required minimum.Kansas State takes part in the 61st&nbsp;Annual AutoZone Liberty Bowl on Tuesday, December 31, when the Wildcats face Navy inside Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium in Memphis, Tennessee. The game is slated for a 2:45 p.m. (CT) kick and will be shown nationally on ESPN.--- K-State Athletics ---

Kansas State's Youngblood earns two All-America honors

BOYSRock Port 64St. Joseph Christian 58 (4-2) DESOTO TOURNAMENT - SEMIFINALLafayette 53 (2-1)Mill Valley 29 LIBERTY NORTH INVITATIONAL - CONSOLATIONKearney 54Central 33 (1-3) GIRLSLee's Summit West 61Benton 38 (1-6) Rock Port 41St. Joseph Christian 25 (2-4)

City High School Basketball Scores - Thursday, December 12

KANSAS CITY, Mo.&nbsp;–&nbsp;The Kansas City Chiefs announced Thursday that P Dustin Colquitt was named the team’s nominee for the prestigious Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award presented by Nationwide.&nbsp;Long considered one of the league’s most prestigious honors, it recognizes an NFL player for outstanding community service activities off the field, as well as excellence on the field. He is joined by candidates from each NFL team who were also announced today. This is the third time Colquitt has been nominated for the honor (2013, 2018, 2019).&nbsp;“For 15 years, Dustin Colquitt has been a pillar of the Chiefs organization and the Kansas City community, and we are thrilled that he will once again represent the Chiefs as our nominee for the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award,” Chiefs Chairman and CEO Clark Hunt said. “Over the course of his career, Dustin has developed into one of the top punters in NFL history, and his character and humility have made him one of the leaders in our locker room for many years.&nbsp;But Dustin’s commitment to the Kansas City community is what truly sets him apart. Through his leadership at TeamSmile and his involvement with Fuel Up to Play 60, Athletes in Action and the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Dustin has shown tremendous dedication to improving the lives of youth in Kansas City, and he is once again a deserving candidate for one of the most prestigious honors in sports.”&nbsp;“The Kansas City Chiefs Community Outreach team is proactive in finding individuals and worthy organizations to support within our community. Over the past 15 seasons with the club, I have learned the fastest way to make our NFL communities a better place to live, work and play is to spend time with the people who make this a special place, uplift those with the greatest need, and be generous with things we have been gifted with,” Colquitt said. “After spending time around the Payton family last year, I realized they graced us with the blueprint on how to make the communities we love a better place.”&nbsp;For the second year in a row, all 32 team winners will be highlighted as finalists and recognized for their important work during the weekend leading up to Super Bowl LIV. The 2019 Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year will be announced during NFL Honors, a two-hour primetime awards special to air nationally on Feb. 1, the eve of Super Bowl LIV, on FOX. NFL Honors will be held at the Adrienne Arsht Center in downtown Miami.&nbsp;All 32 nominees will receive a donation of up to $50,000 in their name to their charity of choice. The winner of the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award will receive a $250,000 donation to the charity of his choice. All donations are courtesy of the NFL Foundation and Nationwide. Along with the other 31 nominees, Colquitt will wear a Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year helmet decal through the end of the season in recognition of his accomplishments.&nbsp;Over his 15-year career, Colquitt has committed himself to the people of Kansas City and causes that are important to him. For 13 years, Colquitt has partnered with TeamSmile and currently sits on its Board of Directors. His efforts have resulted in nearly 50,000 underserved children receiving more than $21 million in complimentary dental and preventative care services as well as education across the country. He is actively involved in recruiting his NFL peers to join the movement and establish TeamSmile events in their clubs’ markets, with more than a dozen other NFL teams hosting events in 2019.&nbsp;His “Punting for Smiles” campaign also delivers $500 to TeamSmile for every punt inside the 20-yard line. For every $50 raised, a child receives an average of $450 worth of dental services. Personally, Colquitt has donated $20,000 out of pocket each year to TeamSmile. For his nomination as the Chiefs Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award in 2018, Colquitt earmarked his $50,000 donation for TeamSmile, allowing the charity to upgrade their equipment to maximize efficiency in providing dental services to youth.&nbsp;In addition to his work with TeamSmile, Dustin has joined with his family to impact education. Along with his father, former Steelers and Colts P Craig Colquitt, and his brother, Vikings P Britton Colquitt, Dustin has endowed the “First Family of Fourth Down Scholarship Fund” at the University of Tennessee. As a high schooler, Colquitt and his family made visits to youth at a local penitentiary, which instilled a sense of character and giving back from a young age.&nbsp;Colquitt also dedicates countless hours to mentoring initiatives through his church, Athletes in Action and the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. He also served multiple years as a Fuel Up to Play 60 Ambassador (2013-18) and regularly visited schools to share the benefits of eating healthy and staying active. Colquitt has also been the Chiefs recipient of the Ed Block Courage Award (2010, a finalist for the Byron “Whizzer” White Award (2015) and a nominee for the Bart Starr Award (2018 and 2019).&nbsp;This season, Colquitt has appeared in all 13 games, punting 42 times for 1,851 yards, good for a 44.1-yard average. He has landed 18 of his punts inside the 20-yard line, with a season-long punt of 68 yards, all while allowing just two touchbacks.&nbsp;For his career, Colquitt has appeared in a franchise-record 235 games, 11 more than the next closest player. He has 1,118 punts for 50,118 yards, good for a 44.8 gross average with a 39.8 net average. In last week’s victory at New England, Colquitt became the ninth player in NFL history to record more than 50,000 gross punting yards (50,118) and needs just 219 punting yards to move into eighth place on the NFL’s all-time gross punting chart. He has landed 459 career punts inside the 20, the third-most in NFL history, needing just 11 more punts inside the 20 to move into second place in NFL history.&nbsp;--- Chiefs Media Relations ---

Punter Dustin Colquitt named Chiefs' nominee for Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -&nbsp;The MIAA released both the 2020 Men's and Women's Indoor Track and Field Coaches Poll on Thursday. The Griffon women were picked to finish ninth, while the men were selected to finish 10th. Pittsburg State claimed first place for the women, while Central Missouri was selected to finish first on the men's side. 2019 MIAA Women's Indoor Track and Field Preseason Coaches Poll1. Pittsburg State (7) - 115 points2. Lincoln (3) - 110 points3. Missouri Southern (1) - 104 points4. Central Missouri (1) - 92 points5. Northwest Missouri - 80 points6. Nebraska Kearney - 66 points7. Fort Hays State - 58 points8. Washburn - 51 points9. Missouri Western - 43 points10. Emporia State - 37 points11. Central Oklahoma - 23 points12. Rogers State - 13 points 2019 MIAA Men's Indoor Track and Field Preseason Coaches Poll1. Central Missouri (9) - 99 points2. Pittsburg State (1) - 82 points3. Northwest Missouri (1) - 81 points4. Lincoln - 75 points5. Missouri Southern - 73 points6. Fort Hays State - 50 points7. Nebraska Kearney - 45 points8. Washburn - 38 points9. Emporia State - 33 points10. Missouri Western - 18 points11. Rogers State - 11 points --- MWSU Athletics ---

MIAA releases Indoor Track & Field preseason polls

ESPN has released its list of the 150 greatest coaches in the
150 years of college football.

Ranked number 86 is Northwest Missouri State University
legendary coach Mel Tjeerdsma, who was in New York City when the news broke.

“And I got a text from somebody, a friend of mine, and said
something about being number 86 and something and I didn’t know what the text
was all about,” Tjeerdsma tells St. Joseph Post.

Tjeerdsma says he didn’t know until a former player sent him a
text with the <a href="https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/page/CFB150coaches/the-150-greatest-coaches-college-football-150-year-history">ESPN article</a> attached.

“It’s pretty humbling when you look at it and, for me, it’s
almost unbelievable when you see names like Bear Bryant and Tom Osborne, and
some of the all-time great coaches,” Tjeerdsma says. “Even to be mentioned in
the same article as them is pretty neat.”

Number one on the list is Bear Byrant with his overall record of
323-85-and-17; 232-46-9 during his time at Alabama from 1958 to 1982. Alabama’s
Nick Saban is second, followed by Knute Rockne of Notre Dame, Tom Osborne of
Nebraska, and Eddie Robinson of Grambling.

Tjeerdsma had an overall record of 242-82-and-4 at Austin and
Northwest. With the Bearcats, Tjeerdsma was 183-43, winning the NCAA Division
II national championship in 1998, 1999, and 2009. He became Athletic Director at
Northwest in 2013 before retiring.

Tjeerdsma says he was surprised to be ranked 86th
on the list, but was pleased to see other small college coaches recognized.

“They included all levels,” Tjeerdsma points out. “There were
some NAIA coaches, a couple of NAIA coaches, on there. Frosty Westering made
his mark really in NAIA before Pac Lutheran became Division III. I feel like, I
guess I’m trying to justify it now, but I feel like they were pretty inclusive
and did some thorough work.”

Westering, who ranked 39th, coached at Pacific Lutheran,
a school of 3,100 students in Tacoma, Washington, winning three NAIA Division
II national titles and one NCAA Division III national championship.

While Tjeerdsma is proud of his success on the field at
Northwest, he is most proud of what his players have done after they graduated.

“There’s so many of those guys that just makes you so proud of
what they’ve gone on to do once football has been over,” Tjeerdsma says. “I
feel like our staff and how we influenced that in their lives, maybe we had at
least a little bit of an impact on them.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/12/1576166672074.jpeg" alt="NWMSU Coach Mel Tjeerdsma with one of his 3 championship trophies/NWMSU photo" />
 <figcaption>NWMSU Coach Mel Tjeerdsma with one of his 3 championship trophies/NWMSU photo</figcaption>
 </figure>By BRENT MARTINSt. Joseph PostESPN has released its list of the 150 greatest coaches in the
150 years of college football.Ranked number 86 is Northwest Missouri State University
legendary coach Mel Tjeerdsma, who was in New York City when the news broke.“And I got a text from somebody, a friend of mine, and said
something about being number 86 and something and I didn’t know what the text
was all about,” Tjeerdsma tells St. Joseph Post.Tjeerdsma says he didn’t know until a former player sent him a
text with the <a href="https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/page/CFB150coaches/the-150-greatest-coaches-college-football-150-year-history">ESPN article</a> attached.“It’s pretty humbling when you look at it and, for me, it’s
almost unbelievable when you see names like Bear Bryant and Tom Osborne, and
some of the all-time great coaches,” Tjeerdsma says. “Even to be mentioned in
the same article as them is pretty neat.”Number one on the list is Bear Byrant with his overall record of
323-85-and-17; 232-46-9 during his time at Alabama from 1958 to 1982. Alabama’s
Nick Saban is second, followed by Knute Rockne of Notre Dame, Tom Osborne of
Nebraska, and Eddie Robinson of Grambling.Tjeerdsma had an overall record of 242-82-and-4 at Austin and
Northwest. With the Bearcats, Tjeerdsma was 183-43, winning the NCAA Division
II national championship in 1998, 1999, and 2009. He became Athletic Director at
Northwest in 2013 before retiring.Tjeerdsma says he was surprised to be ranked 86th
on the list, but was pleased to see other small college coaches recognized.“They included all levels,” Tjeerdsma points out. “There were
some NAIA coaches, a couple of NAIA coaches, on there. Frosty Westering made
his mark really in NAIA before Pac Lutheran became Division III. I feel like, I
guess I’m trying to justify it now, but I feel like they were pretty inclusive
and did some thorough work.”Westering, who ranked 39th, coached at Pacific Lutheran,
a school of 3,100 students in Tacoma, Washington, winning three NAIA Division
II national titles and one NCAA Division III national championship.While Tjeerdsma is proud of his success on the field at
Northwest, he is most proud of what his players have done after they graduated.“There’s so many of those guys that just makes you so proud of
what they’ve gone on to do once football has been over,” Tjeerdsma says. “I
feel like our staff and how we influenced that in their lives, maybe we had at
least a little bit of an impact on them.”

Tjeerdsma makes ESPN list of all-time great college football coaches

MANHATTAN, Kan. -- Xavier Sneed scored 20 points, Antonio and Dajuan Gordon had 13 apiece and Cartier Diarra dished out a career-high 10 assists as Kansas State defeated Alabama State 86-41 on Wednesday night. It was the most assists in a game by a Wildcat since Marcus Foster in 2014. The Hornets were led in scoring by Tobi Ewuosho and Kevin Holston scored nine points each for Alabama State (1-8, which lost its seventh game by double figures this season. The Wildcats (6-3) had no trouble from opening tip and led 23-5 after just seven minutes. Sneed shot 80% from the field and scored 12 of his 16 points off four 3s early in the game as the Wildcats hit 10 3-pointers in the first half. The Wildcats shot 63% from the field, made 12 3s and had 29 assists. All nine players that stepped on the floor for Kansas State scored in the first half. Alabama State struggled throughout, shooting 28% and turning the ball over 16 times. The Wildcats used their size advantage to outscore the Hornets 42-14 in the paint and had 37-25 rebound advantage. BIG PICTURE Alabama State: The Hornets didn't give themselves any chance after such a miserable start. Kanas State: The Wildcats couldn't miss in the first half, which could provide for good momentum going into their next game and beyond. UP NEXT Alabama State travels to Boise State on Saturday. Kansas State takes on Mississippi State in New Jersey on Saturday. --- Associated Press ---

Hot-shooting Kansas State cruises past Alabama State 86-41

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- Keandre Cook had 17 points as Missouri State romped past Arkansas State 75-53 on Wednesday night. Lamont West had 13 points for Missouri State (6-5, which earned its fifth straight home victory. Tyrik Dixon added 12 points. Gaige Prim had 11 points for the home team. Arkansas State totaled 16 first-half points, a season low for the team. Canberk Kus had 16 points for the Red Wolves (7-3). J.J. Matthews added 15 points. Jerry Johnson Jr. had 13 points. Missouri State faces VCU on the road on Sunday. Arkansas State matches up against Louisiana-Lafayette at home next Wednesday. --- Associated Press ---

Missouri State rolls past Arkansas State 75-53

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP) — Drew Lock admired the way teammate Kareem Jackson handled his homecoming in Houston. The veteran defensive back kept his cool all week and channeled his energy into a big game on Sunday. Denver's rookie quarterback aims to emulate Jackson and become the team's next homecoming king when the Broncos (5-8) visit the Kansas City Chiefs (9-4) this weekend. "I'm going to do the same thing that Kareem did," Lock said Wednesday. "I'm going to keep it very simple, very 'not about me,' very that 'it's just another game' we've got to go play and we've got to go win, and if it does happen that we win, I think the guys will celebrate me like they did Kareem." Jackson, who spent his first nine seasons in Houston, set the tone for Denver's 38-24 stunner with a jarring hit on DeAndre Hopkins. He also broke up three passes and joined Fred Weary and Brian Urlacher as the only players in NFL history with at least 10 tackles, an interception and a fumble return for a touchdown in a single game. That earned him his first AFC Defensive Player of the Week honor. "During the week, it was never spoken of like, 'Hey, we're going down to beat the Texans for K-Jack,'" tight end Noah Fant said. "It was, 'We're going down to beat the Texans for this Broncos team.' So, hopefully we prepare very well this week, I'm sure we will, and we can go down and put up a good game against the Chiefs and hopefully come out with a win for Drew." Lock starred in football and basketball at Lee's Summit High School about 15 miles from Arrowhead Stadium, then turned down several college basketball scholarships to play football at the University of Missouri, where he posted the second-highest passing (12,193 yards) and third-most TDs (99) totals in SEC history. A second-round draft pick this spring, Lock spent three months on IR with a sprained right thumb before becoming the seventh starting quarterback in Denver since Peyton Manning's retirement. He's the first Broncos rookie quarterback to win his first two starts since his boss, John Elway, did it in 1983, and last week he became the only rookie QB ever to throw for 300 yards and three touchdowns in his first road start. Now comes the hard part. The Broncos have lost eight straight to Kansas City, and their previous win at Arrowhead came on Sept. 17, 2015, when Denver scored two touchdowns in the final 36 seconds to stun the Chiefs 31-24. Out of 17 chances, Elway (1994, Kyle Orton (2009) and Manning (2013) are the only Broncos quarterbacks to win at Arrowhead in December since the stadium opened in 1972. Lock said he's been to Arrowhead too many times to count, and always in red and yellow save for his freshman year at Mizzou when the Tigers faced BYU at the notoriously loud stadium. Lock has injected some enthusiasm in Denver by throwing five touchdown passes with two interceptions in his two starts, and the Broncos have scored at least 23 points in consecutive games for the first time since October 2018. Lock said he won't let anything distract him this week, noting his mother is handling ticket requests "so I can kind of avoid that whole hassle." "I mean, yeah, you can turn the phone off," Lock said, "but the people that know you, that you trust, your family, your close friends, they know not to blow you up about coming home, ask you for tickets, as you for this, ask you for that. They know you've got something going on, that you've got a game to play and you've got to stay focused for that." Lock grew up a big Chiefs fan but knew watching Patrick Mahomes' stellar season last year that Andy Reid wasn't going to be calling his phone on draft night. "It's probably going to be hard for me to change their minds when you have an MVP quarterback on the team, unless one day that ends up happening with me," Lock said. "But no, Patrick is their guy and you know I'm just here to prove myself to these guys in this locker room and keep proving it to everyone around here that I should be the guy for this job." Lock even has a connection to Reid, who followed Bob Stull to Columbia in 1989 to be his offensive line coach. Andy Lock, Drew's father, was a senior offensive tackle that year. After Lock won his first start against the Chargers two weeks ago, his teammates razzed the rookie, nicknaming him " Buzz Lightyear " because the large white wristband he wore to help him remember the play calls resembled the Disney icon's forearm laser beam. So, Lock replaced his "secure the bag" touchdown celebration from college with an impersonation of Buzz Lightyear firing his laser beam. On Monday, coach Vic Fangio said he didn't understand the buzz over Buzz because he had never seen any of the four “Toy Story” movies and didn't know Buzz Lightyear from Buzz Aldrin. Asked if that surprised him, Lock's eyebrows hopped high. "I actually didn't know that he didn't know," Lock said, laughing. "Yeah, I'm going to have to have a talk with him." --- Associated Press ---

Kansas City native Drew Lock getting set for homecoming against Chiefs

BOYSBishop LeBlond 66 (3-2)St. Joseph Christian 46 (4-1) LIBERTY NORTH INVITATIONAL - 1ST ROUNDPark Hill 67Central 59 (1-2) DESOTO TOURNAMENT - 1ST ROUNDLafayette 64 (1-1)Gardner-Edgerton 49 GIRLSBishop LeBlond 52 (4-1)St. Joseph Christian 30 (2-3) Notre Dame de Sion 47Benton 32 (1-5) Center 52Lafayette 45 (0-3)

City High School Basketball Scores - Tuesday, December 10

LAWRENCE, Kan. -- It wasn't the 3-pointers that Ochai Agbaji poured in for Kansas, nor the smooth jumpers and easy layups that Devon Dotson put away, that left the pair with toothy grins after a rout of Wisconsin-Milwaukee on Tuesday night. It was the alley-oop Dotson threw and Agbaji turned into a reverse jam. "I just wanted to put some style on it," Agbaji said, when asked whether the 180-degree turn was necessary because of the pass. "I just jumped and I was like, 'Man, might as well." Indeed, it was all about style most of the night for second-ranked Kansas, which roared to a big early lead before coasting to a 95-68 victory. Dotson had 22 points and nine assists, Agbaji also had 22 points, and Udoka Azuibuke thundered his way through the lane to 15 points and 17 rebounds as the Jayhawks (8-1) cruised to their 26th consecutive home win and their 300th for the decade -- Gonzaga with 304 is the only other Division I program to have reached that milestone. "Three hundred wins in a decade means you're averaging 30," Jayhawks coach Bill Self said, "and we still have a chance to add to it a little bit. ... I think that speaks volumes of the types of players you've had in the program, and hopefully the next decade will be just as productive beginning in January." Darius Roy had 25 points to lead the Panthers (5-5, who actually outscored the Jayhawks most of the second half. Leading scorer Te'Jon Lucas was held to 11 points on 1-of-6 shooting from beyond the arc. "You prepare for it all you want. You can draw up schemes," Lucas said, "but when you get out there you have to execute. And for the first 10 or 15 minutes of the game, we didn't execute anything. Thats what led us to being down so much." Kansas basically put the game away with a faultless first 12 minutes. Agbaji, who went for 20 points and 12 boards against Colorado over the weekend, continued his torrid pace by knocking down three 3-pointers in the first three minutes. David McCormack and Azubuike got into the act down low, using their massive bulk against the smaller Panthers. And then Dotson went on a scoring binge, using cat-quick penetration to get into the lane and knocking down a series of 3s when Milwaukee began to collapse on the paint. The result was a 17-1 run to start the game, a 23-4 advantage by the 14-minute mark, and a 40-12 lead -- and a whole bunch of used timeouts by Milwaukee coach Pat Baldwin -- by the time the buzzer sounded on the under-8 media timeout. Just how efficient was Kansas by that point? Try a 19-3 rebounding advantage, an 8-of-13 mark from the 3-point line, and 11 assists on the Jayhawks' first 15 made field goals. Oh, and they had just three turnovers. The crisp passing and utter selflessness was on display during one fast-break opportunity, when Dotson curled a bounce pass around a defender to Agbaji, who passed up his own look to dump the ball to Tristan Enaruna for a layup. Milwaukee finally had a stretch of success late in the first half, but the Jayhawks still cruised into the locker room with a 52-27 lead. The second half was mostly academic, punctuated by a few big highlights -- like the alley-oop pass from Dotson that Agbaji threw down with a rim-rattling reverse dunk with about 12 minutes to go. "I liked the lob. I liked it a lot," Dotson said. "I saw it on the Jumbotron." It was a nice way to kick off a festive victory party down the stretch. "They were very special tonight," said Baldwin, who grew up in nearby Leavenworth, Kansas. "It was great coming back home and I wish we had a better performance to show for it." BIG PICTURE Milwaukee never gave itself a chance by spotting Kansas a big lead on the road, but it also never gave up. The Panthers scored seven of the first eight points to start the second half and stood toe-to-toe with the Jayhawks the rest of the way. Kansas is poised to move to No. 1 next week after top-ranked Louisville lost to Big 12 rival Texas Tech at the Jimmy V Classic in New York. The result was shown on the video boards in Allen Fieldhouse and elicited a big roar. UP NEXT Milwaukee plays its lone home game in December against Eastern Illinois on Saturday night. Kansas plays Kansas City on Saturday night at Sprint Center in Kansas City, Missouri. --- Associated Press ---

No. 2 Kansas rides hot start to 95-68 win over Milwaukee

COLUMBIA, Mo.&nbsp;– Mizzou Women’s Basketball freshman guard&nbsp;Aijha Blackwell&nbsp;(Berkeley, Mo.) was named the Southeastern Conference Freshman of the Week, as announced by the league office on Tuesday. Blackwell was instrumental in leading the Mizzou offense over the past week, as she averaged 14.0 points, 6.5 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game in contests against Saint Louis (Dec. 5) and Kansas City (Dec. 8).&nbsp;The weekly conference honor is the first of Blackwell’s career, and the first of the year for Mizzou.&nbsp;Blackwell paced the Tigers with 17 points in a 83-58 win over Saint Louis on Thursday. The Tiger freshman helped lead the charge of a strong shooting performance from Mizzou, as she shot 50.0 percent from the field (6-of-12) and from three (1-of-2, while recording a perfect 4-of-4 night from the free throw line. Blackwell stuffed the stat line against the Billikens, as she matched a career-high with six rebounds, and set career-highs in blocks (two) and steals (two).&nbsp;With 11 points against Kansas City, Blackwell scored in double figures for the third consecutive game and the fourth time in her career. Blackwell also recorded career-highs in rebounds (seven) and assists (six, and matched her career high in blocks (two).&nbsp;After being held to just one point in her season debut, Blackwell has scored eight or more points in every game since (nine-game stretch). Blackwell ranks second on the team in assists (2.3 apg, and ranks third on the team in scoring (10.7 ppg, rebounding (4.8 rpg). --- Mizzou Athletics ---

Mizzou's Blackwell named SEC Women's Basketball Freshman of the Week

AUSTIN, Texas -&nbsp;Missouri Western football's&nbsp;Shawn Rouse&nbsp;was named first team Academic All-America® by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA). Rouse became the 17th&nbsp;Griffon to ever receive the distinction and the second this calendar year. It was the fourth consecutive academic year, Missouri Western had a student-athlete named Academic All-America®. Rouse started 45-straight games at left tackle for the Griffons and was twice named Google Cloud Academic All-District®. The senior from Omaha, Nebraska was a three-time All-MIAA selection, earning third team honors in 2019. A construction engineering major, Rouse was named to the MIAA Academic Honor Roll five times and received three MIAA Scholar-Athlete awards. The 25 CoSIDA Academic All-America® Division II football first team members held a composite 3.85 GPA. Eight first team honorees held a 3.95 or better cumulative GPA. Thirteen Academic All-America® Division II football selections were repeat picks with seven of the veterans making the 2019 first team. The Division II Academic All-America® program is being financially supported by the NCAA Division II national governance structure to assist CoSIDA with handling the awards fulfillment aspects for the 2019-20 Division II Academic All-America® teams program. CoSIDA began the distinguished Academic All-America® program in 1952, and since then, has honored thousands of deserving student-athletes from numerous sports across all divisions with these elite Academic All-America® scholar-athlete honors. Currently, CoSIDA sponsors Academic All-America® programs for men's soccer, women's soccer, football, volleyball, men's basketball, women's basketball, baseball, softball and men's and women's track and field/cross country. Many other sports are eligible through the At-Large program. To be nominated, a student-athlete must be a starter or important reserve with at least a 3.30 cumulative grade point average (on a 4.0 scale) at his/her current institution. No student-athlete is eligible until he/she has completed one full calendar year at his/her current institution and has reached sophomore athletic eligibility. --- MWSU Athletics ---

MWSU's Shawn Rouse named 1st Team Academic All-American

Northwest Missouri State University junior outside hitter Hallie Sidney earned honorable mention American Volleyball Coaches Association All-America honors. Sidney becomes only the second Bearcat to be named an AVCA All-American (Maddy Bruder, 2018). Sidney (Chesterfield, Missouri) led the MIAA in kills (443) and kills per set (4.03). Sidney ranked No. 2 in the nation in attacks per set (13.02). Sidney was a five-time MIAA hitter of the week selection in 2019. Sidney recorded 22 kills and a career-high 23 digs in a five-set win at Missouri Western (Oct. 22).&nbsp;Sidney reached double-figure kill totals in 26 of her 29 matches. Sidney generated six 20-plus kill matches in 2019. Sidney tallied a team-best 18 double-doubles. Sidney earned first-team all-MIAA&nbsp;and honorable mention AVCA all-region honors in 2019. --- Northwest Athletics ---

Northwest's Sidney named honorable mention AVCA All-American

COLUMBIA, Mo. –&nbsp;A winner at every stage of his coaching career, Eliah Drinkwitz – considered one of college football’s top offensive minds – has agreed to become the 33rd&nbsp;head football coach at the University of Missouri.&nbsp;Drinkwitz takes over at Mizzou following an impressive 2019 season at Appalachian State, where he led the 20th-ranked Mountaineers to a 12-1 record and a Sun Belt Conference Championship.&nbsp;Full financial details of Drinkwitz’ contract will be released pending completion of the human resources process.&nbsp;Drinkwitz’s offensive acumen has been a key element in his teams winning five conference championships while compiling a perfect 8-0 bowl game record in 10 seasons at the FBS level.&nbsp;The combined record of his teams from 2010-19 is 98-34 overall (74.2%, including a 57-22 conference mark (72.2%).&nbsp;The 2019 season saw Drinkwitz turn in one of the most impressive FBS head coaching debut seasons ever.&nbsp;His Mountaineers set a Sun Belt record with their 12 wins, and also set the mark for the best regular season in conference history (11-1).&nbsp;They claimed the Sun Belt championship with a 45-38 win against Louisiana on Dec. 7.&nbsp;This season saw App State become the first-ever Sun Belt program to earn a Top 20 ranking in the Associated Press poll, while also becoming the first team in league history to receive an in-season ranking in the College Football Playoff poll.&nbsp;Drinkwitz’s team also made history in 2019 with a pair of Power 5 road wins (at bowl-eligible North Carolina, and later at South Carolina) – making them the first-ever Sun Belt team to register two Power 5 wins in a season.&nbsp;In all, the Mountaineers claimed an FBS-best six road wins this season en route to becoming the first-ever 12-win team among North Carolina’s FBS members.&nbsp;App State proved to be one of the nation’s most balanced teams in 2019, thanks in large part to an efficient offense that ranked ninth nationally in scoring (39.4 points per game, coupled with a stingy defense that ranked 22nd&nbsp;nationally in points allowed (20.2 ppg).&nbsp;The Mountaineers also excelled in the critical turnover category, ranking eighth nationally in 2019 with a plus-12 turnover margin.&nbsp;App State junior RB Darrynton Evans was named the Sun Belt Offensive Player of the Year, after rushing for 1,323 yards and 17 touchdowns.&nbsp;Prior to App State, Drinkwitz spent three years as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach for record-setting North Carolina State teams (2016-18, after excelling in a similar role at Boise State for two years (2014-15, where the Broncos won the Mountain West title in 2014 and finished 12-2 and ranked 16th&nbsp;nationally. In 2015, Drinkwitz was promoted to offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach, and he helped the Bronco offense rank in the top 15 nationally in points (39.1) and yards (501.3) per game.&nbsp;In his five seasons as an offensive coordinator, Drinkwitz has produced five 1,000-yard rushers, four 3,000-yard passers and four 1,000-yard receivers. Three of those years (2015, 2017, 2018) his offenses produced at least one in each category.&nbsp;Before Boise, Drinkwitz was a key figure in back-to-back Sun Belt championships in 2012-13 as running backs coach and co-offensive coordinator at Arkansas State.&nbsp;He got his first taste at the FBS level in the Southeastern Conference, as he served as a quality control assistant at Auburn for the 2010-11 seasons.&nbsp;The Tigers won the SEC in 2010, and went on to the BCS Championship that season with a perfect 14-0 record.&nbsp;Following a 7-6 debut season in 2016 at N.C. State, Drinkwitz helped the Wolfpack to consecutive nine-win seasons (2017-18) for the first time since 1991-92.&nbsp;With an average of 35.6 points per game under his direction in 2018, N.C. State had a 1,000-yard rusher for the third-straight year, two 1,000-yard receivers and a quarterback with nearly 4,000 passing yards.&nbsp;The Wolfpack made a steady rise from 63rd&nbsp;nationally in total offense in his first season in 2016 to 25th&nbsp;in 2017 and 16th&nbsp;in 2018.&nbsp;The Wolfpack offense had six players selected in the 2018 and 2019 NFL Drafts combined, including record-setting QB Ryan Finley, who was a fourth round selection in 2019 by the Cincinnati Bengals.&nbsp;Drinkwitz, 36, graduated magna cum laude and was the student body president at Arkansas Tech before beginning his coaching career at the prep level in his hometown of Alma, Ark., in 2005.&nbsp;He and his wife, Lindsey, have four daughters: Addison, Emerson, Ella and Parker Lynn.&nbsp;QUOTE SHEET&nbsp;UM Board of Curators (Chair) Jon Sundvold“This is a coach that brings a good combination of creativity and excitement to our football program.&nbsp;I’m excited about the future for our student-athletes in the football program.&nbsp;Jim and his staff made a great choice.”&nbsp;UM System President Mun Choi“We invest in excellence.&nbsp;This is not just about investing in athletics excellence, this is about investing in excellence for this university and the entire state. I’m also very appreciative of Jim Sterk’s leadership throughout this process.&nbsp;He has our full support as we are very excited about the future of the MU athletic program.”&nbsp;MU Chancellor Alexander N. Cartwright“I am thrilled to welcome our new coach to Missouri’s flagship university.&nbsp;It has been such a pleasure to get to know Coach Drinkwitz and his family, and I look forward to seeing the passion, integrity and enthusiasm he will bring to our football program.&nbsp;Thank you and congratulations to Jim Sterk and his team for their work throughout this process.&nbsp;I am truly looking forward to the future of Mizzou football, as should all Missourians.”&nbsp;Mizzou Director of Athletics Jim Sterk“I can’t wait for every Tiger to meet Eli, he’s a special guy who has a magnetic personality that people will appreciate and enjoy.&nbsp;I’m thrilled to have him here at Mizzou leading our program, he’s got passion, a plan and a vision that will take this program to great heights.&nbsp;We went on a search looking for the right coach at a crucial time, and we found him.&nbsp;On behalf of everyone at Mizzou, I’d like to welcome Coach Drinkwitz, his wife Lindsey and their daughters Addison, Emerson, Ella and Parker Lynn to our family!”&nbsp;Mizzou Head Football Coach Eliah Drinkwitz“I’m excited for the opportunity of a lifetime to be the head football coach at Missouri.&nbsp;This is a special place with special people.&nbsp;I know this is the Show-Me State, and I’m fired up to show this state what our football program is going to be all about.&nbsp;My wife, Lindsey, and our four girls are excited to join the Columbia community and be a part of Mizzou.” --- Mizzou Athletics ---

Missouri officially names Drinkwitz head football coach

GIRLSBenton 32 (1-4)Savannah 22 LIBERTY NORTH TOURNAMENT - 1ST ROUNDCentral 49 (2-1)Raytown 27

City High School Basketball Scores - Monday, December 9

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Missouri reached an agreement Sunday with Eliah Drinkwitz to take over the Tigers’ once-proud football program, a person with knowledge of the hiring told The Associated Press, making Appalachian State’s successful coach the second-youngest in a Power Five conference. The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the contract was still being drawn up and the school had not made an announcement. Drinkwitz was also being pursued by SEC rival Arkansas for its head-coaching vacancy. Tigers athletic director Jim Sterk said he wanted to move swiftly in hiring a replacement for Barry Odom, the former player and assistant coach who went 25-25 in four seasons leading the program. Odom was fired after the Tigers finished an underwhelming 6-6, which would have been good enough for a bowl berth had the school not been slapped with a postseason ban by the NCAA following an incident involving a rogue tutor. Drinkwitz will inherit a program that also must deal with scholarship and recruiting restrictions as part of the fallout. When asked what he was searching for in the next coach, Sterk replied: “I think someone that brings a lot of energy and experience to the program, a leader, quality individual that has had success in leading a program or as a coordinator at a high level. Those are some of the some of the qualities.” The 36-year-old coach is a considerable gamble for Missouri because of his scant head-coaching experience. Drinkwitz worked under Gene Chizik and Gus Malzahn at Auburn, Bryan Harsin at Arkansas State and Dave Doeren at North Carolina State, giving him plenty of experience from some of the best in the business. But his lone year in charge of a program — at any level, including high school — was this past season with the Mountaineers. Still, the season was a spectacular success. Appalachian State (12-1) rolled through its first seven games, beating North Carolina on the road, before stumbling against Georgia Southern. That wound up being the Mountaineers’ lone loss after they ripped off five straight wins, including one at South Carolina, and capped the run with a victory over Louisiana in the Sun Belt championship game. It’s unclear whether Drinkwitz will coach the Mountaineers against UAB in the New Orleans Bowl on Dec. 21. He had signed a five-year deal with Appalachian State that paid him $750,000 this past season plus considerable performance incentives. The contract states that he will owe $425,000 for each year remaining if he leaves for another job, meaning a buyout of $1.7 million will be due to Appalachian State. Odom signed an extension through 2024 last December that increased his base salary this past season to $3.05 million. “We’re very excited about what we’re doing at App State,” Drinkwitz said after the Sun Belt title game, “but at the same time every opportunity, you know, I owe it to the family — my family — for my family to see what’s something that we’re interested in. But I’m not in any hurry to leave. I feel strongly that we’re building something special here.” Most of the questions Drinkwitz fielded Saturday had to do with Arkansas, and for good reason: He went to Arkansas Tech, started his coaching career at a pair of Arkansas high schools, and later coached two seasons at Arkansas State. “I don’t have a lot of answers for you right now,” he said. “I’m trying to process winning the first conference championship of my career, processing doing something that’s never been done before, and I understand that you all got jobs to do, and it’s going to be a crazy time, but the most important thing for me is just to enjoy the moment right now, and then we’ll figure it all out.” Earlier Sunday, the Razorbacks hired Georgia assistant Sam Pittman to be its head coach. Drinkwitz, widely considered a creative offensive mind, should stoke some passion from a Missouri fanbase that has grown tired of mediocrity to the point that attendance started to plummet this past season. And his hiring comes after reports that Sterk was interested in a series of candidates that included Army’s Jeff Monken, Louisiana Tech’s Skip Holtz and Arkansas State’s Blake Andreson — all with head coaching experience but none with what could be considered a high profile. Odom was hired four seasons ago to replace beloved coach Gary Pinkel, who had not only built Missouri into a consistent winner but helped carry that success into the SEC. He appeared to be on the right track, too, taking the Tigers to a couple of bowl games. But things began to fall apart with a season-opening loss to Wyoming, and Sterk said upon Odom’s firing that the program had lost the “momentum” that had been built with a recent stadium renovation project. Now, the Tigers are led by the second-youngest Power Five coach behind only Oklahoma’s Lincoln Riley, and can turn their attention to rebuilding a program and fan base that has grown weary of scratching just to make bowl games. --- Associated Press ---

AP Source: Missouri hiring Appalachian State's Eli Drinkwitz

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- Patrick Mahomes got some help from the Chiefs defense to hold off the New England Patriots and wrap up the division title. Kansas City clinched the AFC West when Bashaud Breeland knocked away Tom Brady's fourth-down pass attempt to Julian Edelman in the end zone and the Chiefs beat New England 23-16 win on Sunday. After building a 20-7 lead, the Chiefs survived a series of mistakes and questionable officiating to hold off a late rally by the defending Super Bowl champions. Combined with Oakland's loss to Tennessee, the Chiefs (9-4) clinched the AFC West. The loss ended the Patriots' 21-game home win streak in the regular season and playoffs, which was tied for the longest in team history. It also was the third-longest string in NFL history. Mahomes was 26 of 40 for 283 yards, a touchdown and interception, playing through a hand injury he suffered during Kansas City's second offensive series. Tight end Travis Kelce added a 4-yard TD run. Mahomes now is the third quarterback this season to earn his first win against the Patriots, joining Baltimore's Lamar Jackson and Houston's Deshaun Watson. All three were previously 0-2. "You want to beat the best. You want to go out and play against the best and give your best effort, "Mahomes said. "It wasn't pretty the whole time. It was just a tough, hard-fought win. He said he got creative after his injury. "I let the trainers look at it. They gave me to good to go," Mahomes said. "I went out there, battled and figured out ways to throw the ball across the middle. Maybe not shoot those long shots I usually throw. But enough to get them back and still score touchdowns." New England (10-3) has lost two in a row. Tom Brady was under pressure all game and finished 19 of 36 for 169 yards, a touchdown and interception. the 169 yards are his second-fewest passing yards this season. He spoke after the game with his right elbow heavily wrapped. "They threw a lot of different defenses at us," Brady said. "Some we handled well and some we didn't." Trailing 23-16, New England got the ball back on its 32 with 5:04 to play. The Patriots immediately gained 35 yards on a pass from halfback James White to Jakobi Meyers to get into Kansas City territory. Officials appeared to miss a pass interference call on a deep pass to Phillip Dorsett and the Chiefs forced a fourth-and-6 at the 29. But the 42-year-old Brady got free and scrambled 17 yards for a first down. The Patriots couldn't get into the end zone, however, losing the rematch of January's AFC title game in Kansas City. The Chiefs led 23-7 in the third quarter before they committed multiple miscues that helped the Patriots close the gap. First, Patriots special teamer Nate Ebner blocked Dustin Colquitt's punt, which rolled out of bounds at the Chiefs 19. It set up a 10-yard run by Brandon Bolden that made it 23-13, but James White was stopped short on his 2-point conversion run attempt. The Chiefs gave the Patriots another opportunity late in the third quarter. Kelce caught a pass and was hit by Devin McCourty, forcing a fumble and recovery by Stephon Gilmore, who had a clear path the the end zone. The play was blown dead, though, with Kelce ruled down by contact. It prompted an immediate challenge by Patriots coach Bill Belichick, which resulted in the call being overturned and the ball awarded to New England. The Patriots quickly drove to the Kansas City 15 and Brady found N'Keal Harry with a short pass. Harry weaved through multiple defenders and appeared to stretch the ball over the pylon. Yet he was ruled to have stepped out of bounds at the 3. "Yeah, I mean, it's -- yeah. Doesn't happen very often.," Brady said of the ruling. "So, it happened. We still had a chance and wish we could have scored there at the end." Brady was sacked three plays later and the Patriots kicked a field goal to close within 23-16. Referee Jerome Boger told a pool reporter after the game that the covering official on the Harry play was blocked out by defenders. "The downfield official who was on the goal line and looking back toward the field of play had that he stepped out at the 3-yard line," Boger said. "So, they got together and conferred on that. The final ruling was that he was out of bounds at the 3-yard line." The Chiefs were without two of their leading rushers, Damien Williams (rib injury) and Darrel Williams (placed on injured reserve Thursday with a hamstring injury). It left the rushing duties primarily in the hands of LeSean McCoy, with support from Darwin Thompson and Spencer Ware. They didn't get much traction in the run game other than from McCoy, who finished with 11 rushes for 39 yards. But after a slow start, Kansas City's receivers were able to find space and passing lanes for Mahomes. One notable example came early in the second quarter. Mecole Hardman got behind Patriots cornerback Jonathan Jones and Mahomes withstood pressure to deliver a deep pass off his back foot for a 48-yard touchdown to put the Chiefs in front 10-7. Brady was intercepted by Breeland on the first play of the Patriots' ensuing drive and Kansas City went right back to work. Taking over on the New England 39, Mahomes found Kelce in the middle of the field for a 20-yard gain to get the Chiefs inside the 5. Two plays later Kelce took a direct snap and ran it in for a 4-yard TD. INJURIES Chiefs: LG Andrew Wiley left in the second quarter with a shoulder injury. Patriots: Harry left in the fourth quarter with a hip injury. TRICKERY The Patriots received the game's opening kickoff and needed just five plays to drive 83 yards and take 7-0 lead on a 37-yard flea-flicker from Brady to Edelman. The series was aided by a pair of third-down pass interference penalties called on Chiefs cornerbacks Charvarius Ward and Breeland. BLOCKED Ebner's punt block in the third quarter was the Patriots fourth of 2019, setting a franchise record for a season. With one more they will tie the 1990 Chiefs for the most blocked punts in a season in NFL history MISSING EQUIPMENT The Kansas City Chiefs needed a police escort to get their equipment to Foxborough, Massachusetts, in time for kickoff. Chiefs spokesman Ted Crews confirmed that some of the gear was sent to the wrong place and had to be rushed to the stadium. It arrived about two hours before kickoff. The Massachusetts State Police tweeted that they helped the equipment get to the stadium from Logan Airport. UP NEXT Chiefs: host Broncos next Sunday. Patriots: visit Bengals next Sunday. --- Associated Press ---

Chiefs hold off Patriots rally for 23-16 win

MANHATTAN, Kan. – Coming off an 8-4 regular season under first-year head coach Chris Klieman, K-State Nation is heading to Memphis as Kansas State officials announced Sunday that the Wildcats have accepted an invitation to play Navy in the 61st Annual AutoZone Liberty Bowl on Tuesday, December 31.&nbsp;It will be Kansas State's second appearance in the Liberty Bowl, the first being after the 2015 season. K-State and Navy will square off for the first time in school history inside Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium with kickoff slated for 2:45 p.m., shown to a nationwide television audience on ESPN.&nbsp;"We are excited to accept an invitation to play in the Liberty Bowl," said Klieman. "I am really proud of our team, especially our seniors, and our staff for continuing to work hard day after day and collectively getting better throughout the season. The story of the 2019 Wildcats still has one game left, and we look forward to spending the holidays in Memphis and preparing for a great Navy team in what will be an exciting Liberty Bowl."&nbsp;The Wildcats (8-4) will be playing in their 22nd bowl game in school history and are back in postseason play after a one-year hiatus. The Wildcats have won two-straight bowls and three of their last five. They will be in search of winning three-straight bowl games for the first time in school history.&nbsp;"I want to congratulate Coach Klieman and our football team and staff on a great regular season and getting our program back to a bowl game," said Athletics Director Gene Taylor. "We look forward to showcasing our football program and Kansas State University in the Liberty Bowl, and I know our fans are excited to show their outstanding support in Memphis while our football student-athletes, coaches and staff are provided a great experience."&nbsp;K-State, which was predicted to finish ninth in the Big 12, ended the year in a tie for third place in the league standings, the biggest jump from a preseason poll since 2014 (TCU). The Wildcats also claimed the only victory among the four College Football Playoff teams this year when they upended No. 4 Oklahoma.&nbsp;Kansas State raced out to a 3-0 start, highlighted by a 31-24 victory at Mississippi State, the Wildcats' first win inside an SEC venue in 12 tries. Following a pair of losses to open up Big 12 play, K-State came back with three more wins – a 24-17 triumph over TCU, a 48-41 upset of then-No. 5 and now College Football Playoff participant Oklahoma, and a convincing 38-10 win at Kansas.&nbsp;The victory over the Sooners was the Wildcats' first over a top-five team in 13 seasons and the first over OU in Manhattan since 1996. K-State's win in Lawrence was its 11th-straight Sunflower Showdown victory to tie the Wildcats' own record for the longest winning streak in by either team in the series.&nbsp;A pair of losses to Texas and West Virginia by a combined seven points – including one on a field goal on the final play of the game in Austin – preceded a pair of wins to close out the regular season as K-State won at Texas Tech, 30-27, before a 27-17 triumph over Iowa State on Senior Night, the Wildcats' seventh-straight home win over the Cyclones.&nbsp;Navy, K-State's Liberty Bowl opponent, holds a 9-2 record prior to the annual Army-Navy Game this Saturday in Philadelphia. The Midshipmen, who were ranked No. 24 in the final College Football Playoff Top 25, finished with a 7-1 mark in the American Athletic Conference to tie for first in the West Division. It will be the first meeting between K-State and Navy, the sixth for the Wildcats against a service academy and the first since hosting Army in 1987. Kansas State is 3-2 all-time against service academies, going 3-0 against Air Force and 0-2 against Army.&nbsp;--- K-State Sports ---

K-State to play Navy in Auto Zone Liberty Bowl

KANSAS CITY, Mo.&nbsp;– Mizzou Women’s Basketball (3-7, 0-0 SEC) dropped a close road contest to Kansas City, 59-56, on Sunday afternoon at the Swinney Recreation Center. Mizzou grew a 10-point lead in the game’s opening quarter, but was outscored by eight in the second half to drop its seventh game of the season.&nbsp;Mizzou had three players score in double figures, led by senior guard&nbsp;Amber Smith&nbsp;(Shreveport, La.) and freshman forward&nbsp;Hayley Frank&nbsp;(Strafford, Mo., who each had 12 points to pace the Tigers. Freshman guard&nbsp;Aijha Blackwell&nbsp;(Berkeley, Mo.) joined the duo in double figures with 11 points, her third consecutive game in double figures.&nbsp;TURNING POINT&nbsp;In the fourth quarter, Mizzou held a 6-point advantage at 51-46 with 4:56 remaining the game, but the Roos were able to close the game on a 13-5 run to complete the comeback victory. Kansas City hit two timely three-pointers during the run, and Mizzou was unable to regain the lead after the second triple gave the Roos a 55-53 lead with 1:43 left in the game.&nbsp;TOP TIGERS·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Blackwell stuffed the stat sheet once again for the Tigers, as she scored 11 points and set new career highs in rebounds (seven) and assists (six).·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Smith led Mizzou in scoring with 12 points while also recording four rebounds, two assists and two steals.·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Frank also chipped in 12 points for the Tigers, marking her eighth consecutive game in double figures.NOTES·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;With the loss, Mizzou falls to 13-2 all-time against Kansas City. It is the first time Kansas City has defeated Mizzou in Kansas City.·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;With 11 points, Blackwell scored in double figures for the third consecutive game and the fourth time in her career.·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Blackwell also recorded career highs in rebounds with seven and assists with six, and matched her career high in blocks with two.·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Frank scored in double figures for the eighth consecutive game with 12 points. Over her eight game stretch, Frank is averaging 15.8 points per game.·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The Tiger freshman drained one shot from beyond the arc in the game, continuing her streak of making at least one three-pointer in every game this season. Frank is the first freshman in program history to mark 1+ three-pointer in her first 10 games, passing Kassie Drew, who made one three-pointer in her first nine games in 2004-05.·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Senior guard&nbsp;Jordan Chavis&nbsp;(Lexington, N.C.) set a career high in steals with five, and matched a career high in rebounds with six.·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Redshirt senior forward&nbsp;Hannah Schuchts&nbsp;(Tallahassee, Fla.) recorded three blocks in the game, marking the third time this season and the 13th&nbsp;time in her career she has recorded at least three blocks.UP NEXT&nbsp;Next, Mizzou will head to Springfield to face Missouri State on Sunday, Dec. 15. Tipoff from Springfield is slated for 3:00 p.m. --- Mizzou Athletics ---

Mizzou women lose at Kansas City 59-56

TEXARKANA, Ark. –&nbsp;The 300th&nbsp;all-time win for Missouri Western football came in the final game of its 50th&nbsp;season. The Griffons (9-3) trounced Henderson State (9-3) in the Agent Barry Live United Bowl to reach nine wins for the first time since 2012 and break a program record with its 11th&nbsp;straight win away from St. Joseph.&nbsp;Missouri Western controlled the line of scrimmage throughout and turned in one of its best defensive performances of the season.&nbsp;Anthony Williams&nbsp;intercepted the Reddies' second play from scrimmage, setting the tone for the Griffon defense early.&nbsp;Markel Smith&nbsp;gave MWSU a 7-0 lead with 2:38 left in the first quarter after both teams showed some rust early in the game. Missouri Western elected to twice go for it on fourth down inside the Henderson State red zone and failed to convert either time, allowing Henderson State to tie the game with 5:04 left in the first half.&nbsp;Blake Burau&nbsp;capped an 11-play, 68-yard drive that took 4:23 off the clock with a four-yard touchdown catch from&nbsp;Wyatt Steigerwald. Burau's TD put MWSU up 14-7 with 34 seconds left in the half. MWSU scored on its first four possessions of the second half. The final touchdown was a 16-yard pass to&nbsp;Luke Vang. The Griffons originally lined up to kick a field goal on 4th&nbsp;and two from the Henderson State 16, but kicker&nbsp;Sam Aviles&nbsp;motioned out as a receiver and Steigerwald to his quarterback position before hitting a wide open Vang to put MWSU up 35-14.&nbsp;NOTABLES<ul><li>Missouri Western became the first team to ever win the Live United Bowl twice.</li><li>Trey Vaval&nbsp;was named MVP after breaking the Live United Bowl record with 225 return yards. The freshman returned four punts for 143 yards and three kicks for 82. He actually broke the record in the first half and became the second Griffon specialist to win MVP of the game in as many years.&nbsp;Tyler Basch&nbsp;was named MVP as the team's kicker in 2018.</li><li>The Griffons out-gained Henderson State 463-263 even with Vaval's returns often setting the Griffs up with great field position.</li><li>Missouri Western had the ball for more than 39 minutes.</li><li>Henderson State was held to just 73 rushing yards on 24 carries.</li><li>Two Reddie quarterbacks were limited to 10 completions on 37 attempts for 290 yards. The Griffon defense also had three sacks.</li><li>MWSU rushed for 287 yards with&nbsp;Markel Smith&nbsp;(136) and&nbsp;Shamar Griffith&nbsp;(110) both going over 100.</li><li>The Griffons were 11 for 18 on third down.</li><li>Steigerwald threw two touchdown passes in a game for the 10th&nbsp;time in 2019.</li><li>Both touchdown passes were to tight ends, giving the position group 15 on the season.</li></ul> --- MWSU Athletics ---

Griffons roll past Henderson State 35-14 to win Live United Bowl

BIG RAPIDS, Michigan – The Northwest Missouri State Bearcat football team saw its 2019 season come to an end as the No. 2-ranked Ferris State Bulldogs posted a 25-3 victory in the quarterfinals of the 2019 NCAA Division II playoffs. The first half featured two turnovers from both squads and the only scoring play was a 35-yard field goal from Ferris State's Jackson Dieterle with 9:02 left in the second quarter. In addition to the pair of turnovers forced, the Bearcat defense came up with a pair of fourth-down stops in Ferris State's red zone. The last stop came at the one-yard line with :19 left in the opening half when Sam Roberts stuffed FSU's Marvin Campbell on a 4th-and-goal from the two. The Bulldogs were held to 1-of-9 on third-down conversions in the first half. Ferris State took the second-half kickoff and marched 76 yards on eight plays that was capped by a Travis Russell three-yard touchdown run. The Bulldog score gave the home squad a 10-0 lead with 11:44 left in the third quarter. Northwest inserted backup quarterback Jadyn Kowalski and he led the first Bearcat scoring drive of the game. Kowalski guided the offense on an eight-play, 57-yard drive that culminated in a 27-yard field goal by Parker Sampson. The key play on the drive was a 19-yard pass play from Kowalski to Alec Tatum on a 3rd-and-4 that put the ball at the FSU 18-yard line. For Sampson it was his 10th straight make of a field goal attempt from less than 50 yards this season. Ferris State hit the biggest play of the game on a 3rd-and-15 from its own 24 yard line. FSU quarterback Travis Russell hit Jevon Shaw on a wide receiver screen for a 69-yard gain to the Northwest 7-yard line. The Bearcat defense stiffened and held the Bulldogs to a 20-yard field goal by Dieterle after the long pass play. The field goal gave Ferris State a 13-3 lead with 10:34 to play in the game. The Bulldogs extended the lead to 16-3 on a 31-yard field goal by Dieterle. The Bulldogs took over at the Bearcat 15-yard line following a failed fake punt attempt by Mike Hohensee. Dieterle's third field goal of the game came with 6:28 left in the fourth quarter. Ferris State added a safety when Austin Edwards sacked Kowalski in the end zone with 3:03 left in the fourth quarter. The Bulldogs would ultimately add another score with 1:26 to play on a 32-yard touchdown run by Campbell. The run capped Campbell's game where he rushed 27 times for 149 yards. Northwest finishes the 2019 season with a mark of 12-2 overall. Ferris State improves to 12-0 overall. NOTES: Senior safety Jacob Gassman recorded his third interception of the season and fourth of his quarter in the second quarter … Northwest has intercepted 24 passes this season … four different Bearcats threw passes in the game (Braden Wright, Jadyn Kowalski, Mike Hohensee and LaTroy Harper) … Hohensee tied a Northwest single-game record with 10 punts (Jeff LeBlanc vs. Nebraska-Omaha, Sept. 4, 1999; Matt Thorman vs. Central Missouri, Sept. 30, 2017; Matt Thorman vs. Fort Hays State, Nov. 4, 2017) … Justin Rankin led Northwest with 47 yards on the ground … Alec Tatum had a team-high five receptions for 55 yards … Braden Wright passed 6-of-16 for 54 yards … Jadyn Kowalski passed 5-of-11 for 44 yards … Blake Bayer tallied a game-high 16 tackles … Jackson Barnes notched 15 tackles. --- Northwest Athletics ---

Bearcats' season ends at Ferris State in the NCAA Quarterfinals 25-3

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. –&nbsp;Missouri Western Men's Basketball fell to 4-6 on the season in Jefferson City on Saturday, as the Griffons (4-6, 1-1 MIAA) lost to Lincoln (3-5, 1-1 MIAA) 89-66.&nbsp;The Griffons shot 54% from the field in the first half and kept it close through one period, but the Blue Tigers roared back in the second as they shot 62% from the field and 50% from three.&nbsp;NOTABLES:<ul><li>Tyus Millhollin&nbsp;led the way offensively scoring 19 points for the Griffons.</li><li>Beau Baker&nbsp;also chimed in for the Griffons scoring 11 points and added 9 rebounds.</li><li>The Griffons outscored the Blue Tigers 40-28 in the paint throughout the contest.</li><li>Missouri Western also out-rebounded Lincoln 34-33, including 10 from the offensive glass.</li><li>MWSU played without&nbsp;Tyrell Carroll&nbsp;and&nbsp;Reese Glover&nbsp;due to illness and injury,&nbsp;Will Eames&nbsp;left the game after 28 minutes with eight points, eight rebounds and a team-high five assists.&nbsp;</li></ul>&nbsp;UP NEXT:<ul><li>The Griffons will take a week and a half off before they travel to Springfield, Illinois to take on University of Illinois-Springfield.</li><li>The Prairie Stars are coming off a win over Oakland City University on Saturday, in which UIS topped OCU 108-71.</li></ul> --- MWSU Athletics ---

Shorthanded Missouri Western men come up short at Lincoln

WARRENSBURG, Mo. - The No.1 ranked Northwest Missouri State Bearcat men's basketball team lost its first game of the season as they fell at Central Missouri 72-60 in their second MIAA game. The loss drops the team to 8-1 on the year (1-1 MIAA) and ends a 46-game winning streak for Northwest.&nbsp;&nbsp; Poor shooting plagued the Bearcats in this game, going only 19-of-52 from the field, and 7-for-29 from behind the three-point line. Trevor Hudgins scored 24 points to lead all scorers. The only other Bearcat in double figures was Diego Bernard with 14. Ryan Hawkins pulled down 11 boards in the game to lead all players.&nbsp; Central Missouri was led in scoring by Kendale Hampton with 20. He was followed by Gaven Pinkley with 16, and Matt Wilkinson and Garret Luinstra with 11 each.&nbsp;&nbsp; The Bearcats will be back in action December 16, in Bearcat Arena, against Central Methodist.&nbsp; --- Northwest Athletics ---

No. 1 Northwest gets upset at Central Missouri 72-60

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. –&nbsp;Missouri Western bounced back in Jefferson City, Saturday, as Griffon Women's Basketball (6-2, 1-1 MIAA) got a 66-47 win over Lincoln (1-8, 0-2 MIAA). Saturday's victory gave head coach&nbsp;Candi Whitaker&nbsp;her first MIAA victory at the helm as well as the first conference victory for the season.&nbsp;The Griffons shot 50% from the field and 33% from three-point range in the fourth quarter to seal it against the Blue Tigers. Missouri Western also contained Lincoln offensively as they only shot 31% from the field.&nbsp;NOTABLES:<ul><li>&nbsp;The Griffons began the game with a great start offensively, outscoring the Blue Tigers 19-9.</li><li>Corbyn Cunningham&nbsp;and&nbsp;Chris Wilson&nbsp;led the way in scoring for the Griffons, as Cunningham had 17 and Wilson added 16.</li><li>Wilson also led the team with 12 rebounds for her fourth double-double of the season.&nbsp;</li><li>Katrina Roenfeldt&nbsp;turned in her first double-double of the year with 12 points and 10 rebounds.&nbsp;</li><li>The Blue Tigers turned the ball over 18 times and the Griffons took advantage of those mistakes, tallying 11 points off the turnovers</li><li>The Griffons tallied 20 of their 66 points in the fourth quarter alone.</li><li>Lincoln went 0 for 14 from behind the arc.&nbsp;&nbsp;</li></ul>UP NEXT:&nbsp;<ul><li>The Griffons will take a week and a half off before they host Peru State on Monday, Dec. 16 at 11:30 a.m. in the MWSU Fieldhouse.</li><li>The Bobcats are coming off a 77-55 home loss to Clarke on Saturday.</li></ul> --- MWSU Athletics ---

Missouri Western women win at Lincoln Saturday 66-47

WARRENSBURG, Mo. - The Northwest Missouri Bearcats fall to 5-4 (1-1 MIAA) after losing to the Central Missouri Jennies 70-50. After getting off to a fast start which gave them a 37-36 lead at the half, the Bearcats struggled to find the basket in the second half, shooting only 3-28 in the second half.&nbsp; Kendey Eaton scored 16 points and was the only Bearcat to score in double figures. Jayna Green led the team with 6 rebounds. Paityn Rau had two blocks in the game, which led all players.&nbsp; Morgan Fleming led the Jennies with 26 points. Nija Collier had a double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds. Morgan VanHyfte also had double digit rebounds with 11.&nbsp; Northwest will be back in action next at the Malika Sports Christmas Classic, in Honolulu, Hawaii on December 19 against Alaska Anchorage.&nbsp; --- Northwest Athletics ---