The Kansas City Royals avoided a sweep against a division foe, beating the Minnesota Twins 4-1 on Wednesday afternoon at Target Field in Minnesota.&nbsp;

Royals center fielder Kyle Isbel opened the scoring in the second inning on a groundout back to the pitcher, scoring third baseman Paul DeJong.&nbsp; Bobby Witt Jr would extend the lead in the third, blasting his 24th home run of the season to left center field.&nbsp;

Former Royal and Twins first baseman Carlos Santana would narrow the lead to one run hitting a home run of his own to left field for the lone run of the game for Minnesota.&nbsp;

DeJong had his best game since being traded to the Royals, going 3 for 3 at the plate, and pushing the lead back to two runs in the sixth inning with a home run of his own to left center field.&nbsp; A double from Vinnie Pasquantino would bring the final run across as Maikel Garcia scored in the seventh inning.&nbsp;

After struggles from Royals starting pitchers through the first two games of the series, Cole Ragans pitched a gem for Kansas City.&nbsp; Ragans struck out eight over seven innings, giving up just the one run on five hits.&nbsp; Sam Long and Lucas Erceg would pitch two scoreless innings out of the bullpen, Erceg earning his fifth save of the season and first as a Royal.

Kansas City is off on Thursday as they travel to Cincinnati to begin a series with the Reds on Friday.&nbsp; Michael Lorenzen is scheduled to start the series, against the team that drafted him in 2013, for the Royals while Nick Martinez will start for the Reds.&nbsp; First pitch is at 5:40pm with pregame at 5 on KFEQ.

By MATT PIKESt. Joseph PostThe Kansas City Royals avoided a sweep against a division foe, beating the Minnesota Twins 4-1 on Wednesday afternoon at Target Field in Minnesota.&nbsp;Royals center fielder Kyle Isbel opened the scoring in the second inning on a groundout back to the pitcher, scoring third baseman Paul DeJong.&nbsp; Bobby Witt Jr would extend the lead in the third, blasting his 24th home run of the season to left center field.&nbsp;Former Royal and Twins first baseman Carlos Santana would narrow the lead to one run hitting a home run of his own to left field for the lone run of the game for Minnesota.&nbsp;DeJong had his best game since being traded to the Royals, going 3 for 3 at the plate, and pushing the lead back to two runs in the sixth inning with a home run of his own to left center field.&nbsp; A double from Vinnie Pasquantino would bring the final run across as Maikel Garcia scored in the seventh inning.&nbsp;After struggles from Royals starting pitchers through the first two games of the series, Cole Ragans pitched a gem for Kansas City.&nbsp; Ragans struck out eight over seven innings, giving up just the one run on five hits.&nbsp; Sam Long and Lucas Erceg would pitch two scoreless innings out of the bullpen, Erceg earning his fifth save of the season and first as a Royal.Kansas City is off on Thursday as they travel to Cincinnati to begin a series with the Reds on Friday.&nbsp; Michael Lorenzen is scheduled to start the series, against the team that drafted him in 2013, for the Royals while Nick Martinez will start for the Reds.&nbsp; First pitch is at 5:40pm with pregame at 5 on KFEQ.

Royals avoid sweep with 4-1 win over Twins

The first Chiefs Training Camp in St. Joseph for several Chiefs rookies is coming to an end.  

Many of the young players have impressed during camp as they try to survive the roster cut to 53 players coming up on August 29th.  

Assistant General Manager Mike Borgonzi says he's been impressed with the rookies that have been thrown right into the mix, like left tackle Kingsley Suamataia. 

"Playing left tackle as a rookie in the NFL is not an easy job and he's going to go through his ups and downs, but he's coachable, the consistency with him, all the rookies really," Borgonzi tells reporters following practice. 

Borgonzi says he was also impressed with safety Jaden Hicks during Saturday's preseason game against the Jaguars.

It was a bit of a disappointing season last year for Chiefs first round pick Felix Anudike-Uzomah, though some of his biggest plays came in the Super Bowl.  

But during this year's camp Anudike-Uzomah has shown he could be an impact player along the defensive line.  

Defensive Line Coach Joe Cullen says Anudike-Uzomah has entered this year's camp in better physical shape, and is more in tune with the defense 

"Just mentally, I mean he knows the playbook, he's playing faster, I was really pleased he did some really good things in the game against two of their better tackles in his pass rush and he's continuing to develop and get better," Cullen says. 

Anudike-Uzomah also worked out this offseason with former Chiefs defensive end Tamba Hali, something that was a tremendous help to George Karlaftis following his rookie year

Saturday's preseason game against the Jaguars gave the Chiefs special teams unit their first look at the new kickoff rule in game action.  

While Special Teams coordinator Dave Toub has his guys working every day during training camp in St. Joseph at learning the details of the new rule, Toub says there was really nothing from the game to learn that hadn't been done in practice.  

"Just the game speed and the guy's barrel assing down at you to tackle you makes a difference, and then you've got to make smart decisions out there," Toub explains. "It was a great learning experience for everybody, and I think we made a great training tape for the whole league really to be honest with you." 

The Chiefs did have one miscue on the new kickoff when Mecole Hardman took the ball back into the endzone, resulting in a safety, which Toub says has been addressed 

The Chiefs will wrap up their time in St. Joseph tomorrow with practice at 8:15 at Missouri Western.  It's Military Appreciation Day 

You can follow Matt on X @KfeqMatt and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1723663248924.jpeg" alt="Chiefs logo painted on hill at Missouri Western/ Photo by Alexis Starks" />
 <figcaption>Chiefs logo painted on hill at Missouri Western/ Photo by Alexis Starks</figcaption>
 </figure>=By MATT PIKE St. Joseph Post The first Chiefs Training Camp in St. Joseph for several Chiefs rookies is coming to an end. Many of the young players have impressed during camp as they try to survive the roster cut to 53 players coming up on August 29th. Assistant General Manager Mike Borgonzi says he's been impressed with the rookies that have been thrown right into the mix, like left tackle Kingsley Suamataia. "Playing left tackle as a rookie in the NFL is not an easy job and he's going to go through his ups and downs, but he's coachable, the consistency with him, all the rookies really," Borgonzi tells reporters following practice. Borgonzi says he was also impressed with safety Jaden Hicks during Saturday's preseason game against the Jaguars.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1722969461905.jpeg" alt="Chiefs rookie safety Jaden Hicks makes a play on Travis Kelce/ Photo by Alexis Starks" />
 <figcaption>Chiefs rookie safety Jaden Hicks makes a play on Travis Kelce/ Photo by Alexis Starks</figcaption>
 </figure>It was a bit of a disappointing season last year for Chiefs first round pick Felix Anudike-Uzomah, though some of his biggest plays came in the Super Bowl. But during this year's camp Anudike-Uzomah has shown he could be an impact player along the defensive line. Defensive Line Coach Joe Cullen says Anudike-Uzomah has entered this year's camp in better physical shape, and is more in tune with the defense "Just mentally, I mean he knows the playbook, he's playing faster, I was really pleased he did some really good things in the game against two of their better tackles in his pass rush and he's continuing to develop and get better," Cullen says. Anudike-Uzomah also worked out this offseason with former Chiefs defensive end Tamba Hali, something that was a tremendous help to George Karlaftis following his rookie year<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1721674165746.jpeg" alt="The Chiefs defense huddles up during the first training camp practice at Missouri Western State University/ Photo by Alexis Starks" />
 <figcaption>The Chiefs defense huddles up during the first training camp practice at Missouri Western State University/ Photo by Alexis Starks</figcaption>
 </figure>Saturday's preseason game against the Jaguars gave the Chiefs special teams unit their first look at the new kickoff rule in game action. While Special Teams coordinator Dave Toub has his guys working every day during training camp in St. Joseph at learning the details of the new rule, Toub says there was really nothing from the game to learn that hadn't been done in practice. "Just the game speed and the guy's barrel assing down at you to tackle you makes a difference, and then you've got to make smart decisions out there," Toub explains. "It was a great learning experience for everybody, and I think we made a great training tape for the whole league really to be honest with you." The Chiefs did have one miscue on the new kickoff when Mecole Hardman took the ball back into the endzone, resulting in a safety, which Toub says has been addressed The Chiefs will wrap up their time in St. Joseph tomorrow with practice at 8:15 at Missouri Western. It's Military Appreciation Day You can follow Matt on X @KfeqMatt and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.

Chiefs coaches, front office impressed by rookies as Training Camp nears end

After spending most of Training Camp in St. Joseph recovering from offseason shoulder surgery, Chiefs cornerback Jaylen Watson returned to practice last week.  

Watson played through most of last season with a shoulder injury, choosing not to sit out.  

Since returning from the physically unable to perform list near the end of camp, his first practice coming at the start of last week, Watson says it's been a challenge 

"You know the coach is pushing me to get my conditioning back, get my legs back, so it's been going good as of late," Watson tells reporters following practice. 

Watson is competing with players like Joshua Williams and Nazeeh Johnson to earn the number two cornerback spot behind Trent McDuffie.

Watson says the competition has been fun, but it's nothing new.  

"We've been doing this for three years, it's always been healthy competition, we always root for each other's success, and whoever is going to take the spot is going to be willing of it," Watson says. 

On top of a battle for the second cornerback spot, another battle has caught the eyes of fans during Chiefs Training Camp in St. Joseph.  

The battle for the starting left tackle between second year pro Wanya Morris and rookie Kingsley Suamataia has been one of the biggest camp battles.  

Suamataia got his first bit of game action on Saturday against the Jaguars and says he feels good about his performance 

"I went against one of the pass rushers in the league Josh Allen, he's a dog I've watched him since I was in college and high school, so it was a great experience," Suamataia says. "It's funny, I went against this guy, and I was like 'Ok I belong here, I can play with these guys', but I just can't wait for Detroit now." 

With Morris currently injured, Suamataia has been getting most of the reps with the first team offense and does look poised to earn the starting job.  

The Chiefs were on the practice fields for just over two hours today.  They practice again tomorrow at 9:15.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1723574554305.jpeg" alt="Chiefs fans have been treated to several players competing to win a spot at their position during Chiefs Training Camp/ Photo by Alexis Starks" />
 <figcaption>Chiefs fans have been treated to several players competing to win a spot at their position during Chiefs Training Camp/ Photo by Alexis Starks</figcaption>
 </figure>By MATT PIKE St. Joseph Post After spending most of Training Camp in St. Joseph recovering from offseason shoulder surgery, Chiefs cornerback Jaylen Watson returned to practice last week. Watson played through most of last season with a shoulder injury, choosing not to sit out. Since returning from the physically unable to perform list near the end of camp, his first practice coming at the start of last week, Watson says it's been a challenge "You know the coach is pushing me to get my conditioning back, get my legs back, so it's been going good as of late," Watson tells reporters following practice. Watson is competing with players like Joshua Williams and Nazeeh Johnson to earn the number two cornerback spot behind Trent McDuffie.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1723574620919.jpeg" alt="Joshua Wiliams, one player competing for the second cornerback spot, walks down the hill to practice/ Photo by Alexis Starks" />
 <figcaption>Joshua Wiliams, one player competing for the second cornerback spot, walks down the hill to practice/ Photo by Alexis Starks</figcaption>
 </figure>Watson says the competition has been fun, but it's nothing new. "We've been doing this for three years, it's always been healthy competition, we always root for each other's success, and whoever is going to take the spot is going to be willing of it," Watson says. On top of a battle for the second cornerback spot, another battle has caught the eyes of fans during Chiefs Training Camp in St. Joseph. The battle for the starting left tackle between second year pro Wanya Morris and rookie Kingsley Suamataia has been one of the biggest camp battles. Suamataia got his first bit of game action on Saturday against the Jaguars and says he feels good about his performance "I went against one of the pass rushers in the league Josh Allen, he's a dog I've watched him since I was in college and high school, so it was a great experience," Suamataia says. "It's funny, I went against this guy, and I was like 'Ok I belong here, I can play with these guys', but I just can't wait for Detroit now." With Morris currently injured, Suamataia has been getting most of the reps with the first team offense and does look poised to earn the starting job. The Chiefs were on the practice fields for just over two hours today. They practice again tomorrow at 9:15.You can follow Matt on X @KfeqMatt and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1721759260951.jpeg" alt="Kingsley Suamataia signs autographs for fans/ Photo by Alexis Starks" />
 <figcaption>Kingsley Suamataia signs autographs for fans/ Photo by Alexis Starks</figcaption>
 </figure>

Chiefs fans see position battles play out during Training Camp in St. Joseph

Saturday's preseason game gave Chiefs rookies their first taste of game action after several weeks of training camp in St. Joseph.  

One rookie that stood out among the rest was undrafted running back Carson Steele, who has been a hidden gem of sorts through camp.  

Steele has run this camp as both a running back and a fullback, and says his goal coming into camp was to be a Swiss army knife 

"Try to do it all type of deal and wherever they need to put me in is where I can get in," Steele tells reporters following practice.  "So, like implementing the fullback in there as well, being able to block, especially being able to catch out of the backfield too, not only run." 

Steele scored the lone Chiefs touchdown in the game against Jacksonville, rushing four times for 29 yards.  

Steele has been that do it all back and has the potential to give the Chiefs an actual fullback, their first fullback since the retirement of Anthony Sherman.

Head Coach Andy Reid says Steele has been working out at the fullback position as needed. 

"We used Noah (Gray) there last year who can still do that, but he's (Steele) got to be a good special teams player, if he's going to make the team, he's got to be a good special teams player, he's to to be able to carry the football and stay aggressive like he's doing right now," Reid explains. "But he had a productive day." 

Chiefs first round pick Xavier Worthy also got his first bit of actual game action in Saturday's preseason loss to the Jaguars.  

And after an early injury to receiver Hollywood Brown, Worthy's role in the offense could expand even more, at least for the first few weeks.  

Worthy though says even with the injury to Brown, his mindset does not change, and his mindset is to just be the best 

"Hollywood's definitely one of the leaders, he shows me a lot, teaches me a lot, but I feel like him just being there regardless is going to help me a lot," Worthy says. "But my mindset is to just be the best regardless." 

Worthy was held without a catch or a target in the first preseason game but could be used more this Saturday against Detroit.  

It was a lighter 10-10-10 practice today for the Chiefs.  They practice again tomorrow at 9:15 in St. Joseph.

A handful of injured Chiefs returned to practice on Monday, but there was also a handful that sat out with injuries. 

Absent from practice today were Hollywood Brown (shoulder), Bryan Cook (personal), Clyde Edwards-Helaire (sickness), McKade Mettauer, BJ Thompson.  Also sitting out practice, but still at the fields were Jaaron Hayek, Chris Jones (shoulder), Wanya Morris (knee), Charles Omenihu (PUP list) 

A positive sign for Chiefs fans was the return of safety Justin Reid from the non-injured list, Reid spent most of training camp just out at the fields in a jersey and shorts.  Nick Bolton also returned, though he wore the yellow non-contact jersey and also had his left elbow heavily taped. Kadarius Toney was also back at practice on Monday.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1723347239799.jpeg" alt="Running back Carson Steele, who scored a touchdown in the Chiefs first preseason game, catches a pass during Training Camp in St. Joseph/ Photo by Alexis Starks" />
 <figcaption>Running back Carson Steele, who scored a touchdown in the Chiefs first preseason game, catches a pass during Training Camp in St. Joseph/ Photo by Alexis Starks</figcaption>
 </figure>By MATT PIKE St. Joseph Post Saturday's preseason game gave Chiefs rookies their first taste of game action after several weeks of training camp in St. Joseph. One rookie that stood out among the rest was undrafted running back Carson Steele, who has been a hidden gem of sorts through camp. Steele has run this camp as both a running back and a fullback, and says his goal coming into camp was to be a Swiss army knife "Try to do it all type of deal and wherever they need to put me in is where I can get in," Steele tells reporters following practice. "So, like implementing the fullback in there as well, being able to block, especially being able to catch out of the backfield too, not only run." Steele scored the lone Chiefs touchdown in the game against Jacksonville, rushing four times for 29 yards. Steele has been that do it all back and has the potential to give the Chiefs an actual fullback, their first fullback since the retirement of Anthony Sherman.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1723488521662.jpeg" alt="Carson Steele/ Photo by Alexis Starks" />
 <figcaption>Carson Steele/ Photo by Alexis Starks</figcaption>
 </figure>Head Coach Andy Reid says Steele has been working out at the fullback position as needed. "We used Noah (Gray) there last year who can still do that, but he's (Steele) got to be a good special teams player, if he's going to make the team, he's got to be a good special teams player, he's to to be able to carry the football and stay aggressive like he's doing right now," Reid explains. "But he had a productive day." Chiefs first round pick Xavier Worthy also got his first bit of actual game action in Saturday's preseason loss to the Jaguars. And after an early injury to receiver Hollywood Brown, Worthy's role in the offense could expand even more, at least for the first few weeks. Worthy though says even with the injury to Brown, his mindset does not change, and his mindset is to just be the best "Hollywood's definitely one of the leaders, he shows me a lot, teaches me a lot, but I feel like him just being there regardless is going to help me a lot," Worthy says. "But my mindset is to just be the best regardless." Worthy was held without a catch or a target in the first preseason game but could be used more this Saturday against Detroit. It was a lighter 10-10-10 practice today for the Chiefs. They practice again tomorrow at 9:15 in St. Joseph.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1723488441351.jpeg" alt="Chiefs receiver Xavier Worthy makes a catch against rookie cornerback Miles Battle/ Photo by Alexis Starks" />
 <figcaption>Chiefs receiver Xavier Worthy makes a catch against rookie cornerback Miles Battle/ Photo by Alexis Starks</figcaption>
 </figure>Injury Report A handful of injured Chiefs returned to practice on Monday, but there was also a handful that sat out with injuries. Absent from practice today were Hollywood Brown (shoulder), Bryan Cook (personal), Clyde Edwards-Helaire (sickness), McKade Mettauer, BJ Thompson. Also sitting out practice, but still at the fields were Jaaron Hayek, Chris Jones (shoulder), Wanya Morris (knee), Charles Omenihu (PUP list) A positive sign for Chiefs fans was the return of safety Justin Reid from the non-injured list, Reid spent most of training camp just out at the fields in a jersey and shorts. Nick Bolton also returned, though he wore the yellow non-contact jersey and also had his left elbow heavily taped. Kadarius Toney was also back at practice on Monday.You can follow Matt on X @KfeqMatt and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.

Hidden gem: Undrafted rookie making name known during Chiefs Training Camp

The Kansas City Chiefs opened up the NFL preseason on the losing end, falling to the Jacksonville Jaguars in Jacksonville, Florida 26-13 on Saturday.&nbsp;

A 45 yard field goal from Harrison Butker opened the scoring from the Chiefs, but the Jaguars would take the lead on a touchdown pass from Trevor Lawrence to running back Travis Etienne Jr.&nbsp;

Most of the Chiefs starting group played just the first drive of the game, leading to that field goal from Butker.&nbsp;&nbsp;

After a field goal from Jacksonville to open up the second quarter, the Chiefs would tie the game up on a one yard rushing touchdown from rookie running back Carson Steele.&nbsp; Steele has been impressive during Training Camp in St. Joseph and seems like a favorite to make the 53 man roster, due to his ability to also play the fullback position.

Jacksonville would take the lead back on a 35 yard touchdown pass from Jaguars backup quarterback CJ Beathard to receiver Devin Duvernay.&nbsp; Jacksonville would go for a two point conversion and make it on a run from D'Ernest Johnson.&nbsp;

The final points of the second quarter came on some confusion with the NFLs new kickoff rule.&nbsp; The kickoff from Jaguars kicker Cam Little would land in the endzone, and as Mecole Hardman went to pick it up the refs blew the whistle and ruled it a safety.

The Jaguars would get just a field goal from Little in the third quarter.&nbsp; Both Butker and Little would also convert field goals in the fourth quarter on way to the final score.&nbsp;

One of the biggest losses for the Chiefs in the game was receiver Hollywood Brown exiting the game in the first quarter, on the first offensive play, with a shoulder injury.&nbsp;

Head coach Andy Reid reports that Brown was in the hospital being looked at, but it appears he suffered a similar&nbsp; type of sternoclavicular injury as Tyreek Hill did in 2019.

If the recovery timeline is also similar to Hill's, there could be some doubt that Brown will be ready for Week 1 of the season.&nbsp; The normal recovery range on this injury is 4-6 weeks, Hill missed just four games while recovering.

Offensive lineman McCade Mettauer left the game with a left knee injury. He will undergo further examination when the team returns to Kansas City. Offensive tackle Wanya Morris was held out of the game for precautionary reasons after injuring his knee during practice this week.

The Chiefs next preseason game is next Saturday, August 17th, at home against the Detroit Lions.&nbsp; Kansas City will return to St. Joseph on Monday for the first of the final four training camp practices, taking the practice fields at 9:15am.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1723347239799.jpeg" alt="Running back Carson Steele, who scored a touchdown in the Chiefs first preseason game, catches a pass during Training Camp in St. Joseph/ Photo by Alexis Starks" />
 <figcaption>Running back Carson Steele, who scored a touchdown in the Chiefs first preseason game, catches a pass during Training Camp in St. Joseph/ Photo by Alexis Starks</figcaption>
 </figure>By MATT PIKESt. Joseph PostThe Kansas City Chiefs opened up the NFL preseason on the losing end, falling to the Jacksonville Jaguars in Jacksonville, Florida 26-13 on Saturday.&nbsp;A 45 yard field goal from Harrison Butker opened the scoring from the Chiefs, but the Jaguars would take the lead on a touchdown pass from Trevor Lawrence to running back Travis Etienne Jr.&nbsp;Most of the Chiefs starting group played just the first drive of the game, leading to that field goal from Butker.&nbsp;&nbsp;After a field goal from Jacksonville to open up the second quarter, the Chiefs would tie the game up on a one yard rushing touchdown from rookie running back Carson Steele.&nbsp; Steele has been impressive during Training Camp in St. Joseph and seems like a favorite to make the 53 man roster, due to his ability to also play the fullback position.Jacksonville would take the lead back on a 35 yard touchdown pass from Jaguars backup quarterback CJ Beathard to receiver Devin Duvernay.&nbsp; Jacksonville would go for a two point conversion and make it on a run from D'Ernest Johnson.&nbsp;The final points of the second quarter came on some confusion with the NFLs new kickoff rule.&nbsp; The kickoff from Jaguars kicker Cam Little would land in the endzone, and as Mecole Hardman went to pick it up the refs blew the whistle and ruled it a safety.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">The new kickoff rule doesn&#39;t specify what happens when a ball lands in the end zone and then bounces out of the end zone. Therefore how the officials ruled it is correct, it&#39;s a safety. Is that the intention? I&#39;m not certain about that. Maybe this needs a tweak?&mdash; Matt Derrick (@mattderrick) <a href="https://twitter.com/mattderrick/status/1822432407942815920?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 11, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The Jaguars would get just a field goal from Little in the third quarter.&nbsp; Both Butker and Little would also convert field goals in the fourth quarter on way to the final score.&nbsp;One of the biggest losses for the Chiefs in the game was receiver Hollywood Brown exiting the game in the first quarter, on the first offensive play, with a shoulder injury.&nbsp;Head coach Andy Reid reports that Brown was in the hospital being looked at, but it appears he suffered a similar&nbsp; type of sternoclavicular injury as Tyreek Hill did in 2019.If the recovery timeline is also similar to Hill's, there could be some doubt that Brown will be ready for Week 1 of the season.&nbsp; The normal recovery range on this injury is 4-6 weeks, Hill missed just four games while recovering.Offensive lineman McCade Mettauer left the game with a left knee injury. He will undergo further examination when the team returns to Kansas City. Offensive tackle Wanya Morris was held out of the game for precautionary reasons after injuring his knee during practice this week.The Chiefs next preseason game is next Saturday, August 17th, at home against the Detroit Lions.&nbsp; Kansas City will return to St. Joseph on Monday for the first of the final four training camp practices, taking the practice fields at 9:15am.

Chiefs fall to Jaguars 26-13 to open up NFL preseason

The Royals offense exploded for seven runs over the final three innings on way to an 8-3 win over the St. Louis Cardinals, winning the I-70 series three games to one.

The Cardinals took the first lead of the game in the second inning on a two run home run from first baseman Paul Goldschmidt.&nbsp; The Royals would draw within one run in the bottom of the third, a groundout from Bobby Witt Jr scoring Kyle Isbel, and would tie the game up in the sixth thanks to a Freddy Fermin single driving in Paul DeJong.&nbsp;

The seventh was the biggest inning for the Royals offense as they scored four runs to pull ahead for good.&nbsp; Maikel Garcia would single to score Isbel, before Garcia would be brought home on Witt Jr's 11th triple of the season.&nbsp; Salvador Perez would blast a two run home run to right center to cap the scoring in the inning.&nbsp;

The Cardinals would add one run in the top of the eighth inning, a single from catcher Willson Contreras scoring Brendan Donovan, but in the bottom half of the inning Isbel would hit his second triple in as many days, his seventh of the season, to bring in Dairon Blanco.&nbsp; Witt Jr would score Isbel for the final run of the game.

Michael Wacha earned the win against his former club, pitching seven innings and striking out six, giving up two runs on five hits.&nbsp; Witt Jr led all hitters going 2 for 4 with three RBI's.&nbsp;

The win improves the Royals record on the season to 65-53 and they now sit just 3.5 games back of the Cleveland Guardians for the top spot in the AL Central.&nbsp; Currently the Royals hold the last AL Wildcard spot and are 2.5 games ahead of the Boston Red Sox.

The Royals are off on Sunday.&nbsp; They open up a crucial three game series against an AL Central foe in the Minnesota Twins on Monday.&nbsp; Brady Singer is set to open the series, the Twins have not announced a starter.&nbsp; First pitch is at 6:40pm with pregame at 6pm on KFEQ.

Prior to Saturday's game the Royals placed right handed relief pitcher Hunter Harvey on the 15 day IL, retroactive to August 7th, and recalled right hander Carlos Hernandez

The Royals also scratched second baseman Michael Massey from the lineup on Saturday with back tightness.&nbsp;

Harvey has been battling some mid back tightness and has not pitched since last Sunday against the Detroit Tigers.&nbsp; Harvey had been making small progress over the last few days, but it wasn't enough to make him available to pitch. 

And after the bullpen was tasked with 4 2/3 innings on Friday, with Harvey unavailable during the bullpen's collapse, the Royals had to make a move to freshen up their 'pen. This is Hernández's third stint with the Royals this year; the 27-year-old has 6.17 ERA in Omaha this year.

"We kept hoping it was going to resolve itself, and it just hasn’t," manager Matt Quatraro said. "So we need to have a full ‘pen to be able to go after [the Cardinals]. ... He was making small progress, but with as hard as he throws and the violence in his delivery and everything, he wasn’t getting better as quickly as we would have liked.”

As for Massey the Royals are hopeful that Saturday's scratch is just a precaution and he will be ready to go after Sunday's off day.&nbsp; The unpredictability of Massey's back injuries causes some concern.

“He just came in today and didn’t feel well," Quatraro said. "It's not totally debilitating. It’s just that we know we have to manage this. It’s day to day with him. He left feeling good yesterday, came in not feeling as well today. He’s getting a bunch of treatment, and we’ll see how quickly we can get it to resolve.”

By MATT PIKESt. Joseph PostThe Royals offense exploded for seven runs over the final three innings on way to an 8-3 win over the St. Louis Cardinals, winning the I-70 series three games to one.The Cardinals took the first lead of the game in the second inning on a two run home run from first baseman Paul Goldschmidt.&nbsp; The Royals would draw within one run in the bottom of the third, a groundout from Bobby Witt Jr scoring Kyle Isbel, and would tie the game up in the sixth thanks to a Freddy Fermin single driving in Paul DeJong.&nbsp;The seventh was the biggest inning for the Royals offense as they scored four runs to pull ahead for good.&nbsp; Maikel Garcia would single to score Isbel, before Garcia would be brought home on Witt Jr's 11th triple of the season.&nbsp; Salvador Perez would blast a two run home run to right center to cap the scoring in the inning.&nbsp;The Cardinals would add one run in the top of the eighth inning, a single from catcher Willson Contreras scoring Brendan Donovan, but in the bottom half of the inning Isbel would hit his second triple in as many days, his seventh of the season, to bring in Dairon Blanco.&nbsp; Witt Jr would score Isbel for the final run of the game.Michael Wacha earned the win against his former club, pitching seven innings and striking out six, giving up two runs on five hits.&nbsp; Witt Jr led all hitters going 2 for 4 with three RBI's.&nbsp;The win improves the Royals record on the season to 65-53 and they now sit just 3.5 games back of the Cleveland Guardians for the top spot in the AL Central.&nbsp; Currently the Royals hold the last AL Wildcard spot and are 2.5 games ahead of the Boston Red Sox.The Royals are off on Sunday.&nbsp; They open up a crucial three game series against an AL Central foe in the Minnesota Twins on Monday.&nbsp; Brady Singer is set to open the series, the Twins have not announced a starter.&nbsp; First pitch is at 6:40pm with pregame at 6pm on KFEQ.Injury NewsPrior to Saturday's game the Royals placed right handed relief pitcher Hunter Harvey on the 15 day IL, retroactive to August 7th, and recalled right hander Carlos HernandezThe Royals also scratched second baseman Michael Massey from the lineup on Saturday with back tightness.&nbsp;Harvey has been battling some mid back tightness and has not pitched since last Sunday against the Detroit Tigers.&nbsp; Harvey had been making small progress over the last few days, but it wasn't enough to make him available to pitch. And after the bullpen was tasked with 4 2/3 innings on Friday, with Harvey unavailable during the bullpen's collapse, the Royals had to make a move to freshen up their 'pen. This is Hernández's third stint with the Royals this year; the 27-year-old has 6.17 ERA in Omaha this year."We kept hoping it was going to resolve itself, and it just hasn’t," manager Matt Quatraro said. "So we need to have a full ‘pen to be able to go after [the Cardinals]. ... He was making small progress, but with as hard as he throws and the violence in his delivery and everything, he wasn’t getting better as quickly as we would have liked.”As for Massey the Royals are hopeful that Saturday's scratch is just a precaution and he will be ready to go after Sunday's off day.&nbsp; The unpredictability of Massey's back injuries causes some concern.“He just came in today and didn’t feel well," Quatraro said. "It's not totally debilitating. It’s just that we know we have to manage this. It’s day to day with him. He left feeling good yesterday, came in not feeling as well today. He’s getting a bunch of treatment, and we’ll see how quickly we can get it to resolve.”

Royals offense explodes late in 8-3 win over Cardinals

Two home runs from Bobby Witt Jr and a five run fourth inning helped fuel the Royals to an 8-4 win over the Boston Red Sox on Wednesday night.&nbsp;

The win helped Kansas City avoid a series sweep by the Red Sox and snapped a two game losing streak.&nbsp;

Witt Jr opened the scoring in the bottom of the first with his first home run of the night.&nbsp; A single from Michael Massey in the second inning pushed in MJ Melendez to extend the lead to 2-0.&nbsp;

The Red Sox took the lead in the top of the third inning on a three run home run from second baseman Romy Gonzalez.&nbsp; Catcher Danny Jansen would extend the lead in the fourth inning with a home run of his own.&nbsp;

Trailing 4-2 entering the bottom of the fourth inning, the Royals offense would explode for five runs. The scoring would start on a wild pitch from Red Sox starter Kutter Crawford, bringing in Melendez from third base. Kansas City would take the lead back on a two RBI double from Witt Jr, scoring Maikel Garcia and Massey.&nbsp;

Reliever Brennan Bernadino would come on for Crawford to face Vinnie Pasquantino, who would welcome the bullpen arm with a home run to right field to cap the scoring in the inning.&nbsp;

The final run of the game came in the sixth inning on Witt Jr's second home run of the game.&nbsp; Witt Jr was 3 for 4 in the game and drove in four runs.

Cole Ragans improved to 9-7 on the season, pitching 6.1 innings and striking out seven, giving up all four runs, though just one was earned, on six hits. Lucas Erceg and Will Smith combined for 2.2 scoreless, hitless innings.&nbsp; Erceg struck out two batters.

The Royals are off on Thursday.&nbsp; The second half of the I-70 series will begin on Friday when the St. Louis Cardinals come to Kansas City.&nbsp; Michael Lorenzen will make his second start for the Royals since being traded by the Texas Rangers, taking on Miles Mikolas.&nbsp; First pitch is at 7:10pm

Kansas City swept the Cardinals in the first half of the I-70 series during a doubleheader on July 10th, winning 6-4 in the first game and 8-5 in game two.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1723087800821.jpeg" alt="Bobby Witt Jr rounds the bases after hitting one of his two home runs in an 8-4 win over the Boston Red Sox/ Photo courtesy of the Royals on X" />
 <figcaption>Bobby Witt Jr rounds the bases after hitting one of his two home runs in an 8-4 win over the Boston Red Sox/ Photo courtesy of the Royals on X</figcaption>
 </figure>By MATT PIKESt. Joseph PostTwo home runs from Bobby Witt Jr and a five run fourth inning helped fuel the Royals to an 8-4 win over the Boston Red Sox on Wednesday night.&nbsp;The win helped Kansas City avoid a series sweep by the Red Sox and snapped a two game losing streak.&nbsp;Witt Jr opened the scoring in the bottom of the first with his first home run of the night.&nbsp; A single from Michael Massey in the second inning pushed in MJ Melendez to extend the lead to 2-0.&nbsp;The Red Sox took the lead in the top of the third inning on a three run home run from second baseman Romy Gonzalez.&nbsp; Catcher Danny Jansen would extend the lead in the fourth inning with a home run of his own.&nbsp;Trailing 4-2 entering the bottom of the fourth inning, the Royals offense would explode for five runs. The scoring would start on a wild pitch from Red Sox starter Kutter Crawford, bringing in Melendez from third base. Kansas City would take the lead back on a two RBI double from Witt Jr, scoring Maikel Garcia and Massey.&nbsp;Reliever Brennan Bernadino would come on for Crawford to face Vinnie Pasquantino, who would welcome the bullpen arm with a home run to right field to cap the scoring in the inning.&nbsp;<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Red Sox brought in their only lefty reliever to face Vinnie Pasquantino and he mashed this sinker for a two-run homer. His 17th of the year. Hit streak up to 11 games for Pasquantino, matching a career high. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Royals?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Royals</a> have a 7-4 lead. <a href="https://t.co/eABD9JDwjH">pic.twitter.com/eABD9JDwjH</a>&mdash; Anne Rogers (@anne__rogers) <a href="https://twitter.com/anne__rogers/status/1821359444678086810?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 8, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The final run of the game came in the sixth inning on Witt Jr's second home run of the game.&nbsp; Witt Jr was 3 for 4 in the game and drove in four runs.Cole Ragans improved to 9-7 on the season, pitching 6.1 innings and striking out seven, giving up all four runs, though just one was earned, on six hits. Lucas Erceg and Will Smith combined for 2.2 scoreless, hitless innings.&nbsp; Erceg struck out two batters.The Royals are off on Thursday.&nbsp; The second half of the I-70 series will begin on Friday when the St. Louis Cardinals come to Kansas City.&nbsp; Michael Lorenzen will make his second start for the Royals since being traded by the Texas Rangers, taking on Miles Mikolas.&nbsp; First pitch is at 7:10pmKansas City swept the Cardinals in the first half of the I-70 series during a doubleheader on July 10th, winning 6-4 in the first game and 8-5 in game two.

Five run fourth helps Royals avoid series sweep with 8-4 win over Red Sox

As Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker worked on the field during Chiefs Training Camp in St. Joseph, behind the scenes he was busy negotiating a new deal.  

That culminated today as the Chiefs announced Butker had signed a four-year extension with the team. The deal makes Butker the highest paid kicker in the league.  

Butker says he's glad that he can help move the kicker market forward 

"I think offense is definitely the strength of the NFL right now, there's a lot of points being scored and kickers are part of that, games are closer than ever," Butker tells reporters after practice. "(Justin) Tucker signed his contract two years ago and then Jake Elliot just signed and tied his, so I'm grateful to be able to move it up a little bit." 

Butker's new deal will net him $6.4 million annually, while Justin Tucker and Jake Elliot are making just $6 million.  

Most notably, Butker negotiated the new deal himself.  Butker says it was a lot of fun.  

"My personality I'm an introvert, I don't really like the attention, so even being an NFL kicker is kind of an odd thing for me, I don't like the loud noises, the attention that comes my way," Butker explains. "But when I'm in the moment and I'm executing the kick, I'm so grateful for that opportunity and I kind of negotiated this contract the same way."  

"It would have been easy for me to have an agent handle the contract, but I kind of attacked this fear and I wanted to go out and have faith in myself to represent myself, and do something that not a lot of players do and it wasn't to difficult."  

Butker says he actually used his background as an industrial engineer at Georgia Tech during the negotiations.  

"I can handle the spreadsheets and making sure I'm doing the right job with the counter offers and such and getting to a good deal," Butker says. "But, it was a challenge that I took on and I felt like going on year eight I kind of understand the NFL well enough, I understand contracts well enough from being involved with the NFLPA, and obviously I have a great relationship with the front office here."  

"And so, I was able to negotiate my own contract over 8 to 10 weeks and I'm really excited about it and I think it's empowering for players to know that no one's going to represent you better than you." 

Chiefs prepared to show off new dynamic receivers in preseason game

The Chiefs wrapped up their final practice of the week in St. Joseph today and now turn their attention to the first preseason game on Saturday in Jacksonville.&nbsp;

One of the more exciting aspects of the first preseason game is seeing all the Chiefs new offensive weapons, like Hollywood Brown and Xavier Worthy, in action&nbsp;

Quarterback Patrick Mahomes says he's extremely excited to see these new weapons in game action.&nbsp;

"Obviously for me to go out there and play these guys and showcase what we have the ability to do, but to learn from our mistakes too," Mahomes tells reporters from the podium post-practice. "You're going to go out there and play for real and play against someone else, I'm tired of going against Spags (Defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo) and every defense known to man, and so I think just going out there, letting the guys play, make decisions under fire, and have them make those right decisions and learn from mistakes after."&nbsp;

Mahomes says with his new speedy receivers they'll obviously be able to hit guys over the top.&nbsp;

"But I think the biggest thing is you want to be able to do both, I think that's something we've worked on all camp is you're going to be able to hit the guys over the top and then when the defense plays deep you have to be able to hit the medium type things, and we have to be able to run the football," Mahomes explains. &nbsp;

"And that's what makes great offenses great, is having the ability to do all of that, and so as much as I want to throw it deep every single play, I think just being able to do everything is going to be the biggest part of our offense."&nbsp;

Head Coach Andy Reid says that during Saturday's game the ones will play the 1st quarter, two's the second and so on.&nbsp;

Kickoff from Jacksonville is at 6pm, the game can be heard on Q Country 92.7 with pregame at 5pm&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1722105936347.jpeg" alt="Kicker Harrison Butker (7) attempts a kick as new punter Matt Araiza (49) holds/ Photo by Alexis Starks" />
 <figcaption>Kicker Harrison Butker (7) attempts a kick as new punter Matt Araiza (49) holds/ Photo by Alexis Starks</figcaption>
 </figure>By MATT PIKE St. Joseph Post As Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker worked on the field during Chiefs Training Camp in St. Joseph, behind the scenes he was busy negotiating a new deal. That culminated today as the Chiefs announced Butker had signed a four-year extension with the team. The deal makes Butker the highest paid kicker in the league. Butker says he's glad that he can help move the kicker market forward "I think offense is definitely the strength of the NFL right now, there's a lot of points being scored and kickers are part of that, games are closer than ever," Butker tells reporters after practice. "(Justin) Tucker signed his contract two years ago and then Jake Elliot just signed and tied his, so I'm grateful to be able to move it up a little bit." Butker's new deal will net him $6.4 million annually, while Justin Tucker and Jake Elliot are making just $6 million. Most notably, Butker negotiated the new deal himself. Butker says it was a lot of fun. "My personality I'm an introvert, I don't really like the attention, so even being an NFL kicker is kind of an odd thing for me, I don't like the loud noises, the attention that comes my way," Butker explains. "But when I'm in the moment and I'm executing the kick, I'm so grateful for that opportunity and I kind of negotiated this contract the same way." "It would have been easy for me to have an agent handle the contract, but I kind of attacked this fear and I wanted to go out and have faith in myself to represent myself, and do something that not a lot of players do and it wasn't to difficult." Butker says he actually used his background as an industrial engineer at Georgia Tech during the negotiations. "I can handle the spreadsheets and making sure I'm doing the right job with the counter offers and such and getting to a good deal," Butker says. "But, it was a challenge that I took on and I felt like going on year eight I kind of understand the NFL well enough, I understand contracts well enough from being involved with the NFLPA, and obviously I have a great relationship with the front office here." "And so, I was able to negotiate my own contract over 8 to 10 weeks and I'm really excited about it and I think it's empowering for players to know that no one's going to represent you better than you." <figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1723056872013.png" alt="Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker waves to fans as he comes down the field to practice/ Photo by Alexis Starks" />
 <figcaption>Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker waves to fans as he comes down the field to practice/ Photo by Alexis Starks</figcaption>
 </figure>Chiefs prepared to show off new dynamic receivers in preseason game<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1723056916638.jpeg" alt="Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes throws a pass during Chiefs practice/ Photo by Alexis Starks" />
 <figcaption>Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes throws a pass during Chiefs practice/ Photo by Alexis Starks</figcaption>
 </figure>The Chiefs wrapped up their final practice of the week in St. Joseph today and now turn their attention to the first preseason game on Saturday in Jacksonville.&nbsp;One of the more exciting aspects of the first preseason game is seeing all the Chiefs new offensive weapons, like Hollywood Brown and Xavier Worthy, in action&nbsp;Quarterback Patrick Mahomes says he's extremely excited to see these new weapons in game action.&nbsp;"Obviously for me to go out there and play these guys and showcase what we have the ability to do, but to learn from our mistakes too," Mahomes tells reporters from the podium post-practice. "You're going to go out there and play for real and play against someone else, I'm tired of going against Spags (Defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo) and every defense known to man, and so I think just going out there, letting the guys play, make decisions under fire, and have them make those right decisions and learn from mistakes after."&nbsp;Mahomes says with his new speedy receivers they'll obviously be able to hit guys over the top.&nbsp;"But I think the biggest thing is you want to be able to do both, I think that's something we've worked on all camp is you're going to be able to hit the guys over the top and then when the defense plays deep you have to be able to hit the medium type things, and we have to be able to run the football," Mahomes explains. &nbsp;"And that's what makes great offenses great, is having the ability to do all of that, and so as much as I want to throw it deep every single play, I think just being able to do everything is going to be the biggest part of our offense."&nbsp;Head Coach Andy Reid says that during Saturday's game the ones will play the 1st quarter, two's the second and so on.&nbsp;Kickoff from Jacksonville is at 6pm, the game can be heard on Q Country 92.7 with pregame at 5pm&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1723057106176.jpeg" alt="Patrick Mahomes (15) points out things to receivers Mecole Hardman (17) and Skyy More (24)/ Photo by Alexis Starks" />
 <figcaption>Patrick Mahomes (15) points out things to receivers Mecole Hardman (17) and Skyy More (24)/ Photo by Alexis Starks</figcaption>
 </figure>

With contract negotiations through, Butker ready to focus on first preseason game

 After some offseason troubles there was question among Chiefs fans of if receiver Rashee Rice would be with the team at the start of training camp in St. Joseph 

Rice says with the threat of suspension, being at camp is very important to be able to focus on football 

"Just because I get to be out here and still be a part of my team and we get to dominate and focus on our goal this year," Rice tells reporters.  

Rice's potential suspension by the NFL is a dark cloud looming over Chiefs camp, but Rice would not comment on that 

"It's a legal process and my team is handling it off the field for me," Rice says.

Rice knows through it all though he has one man in his corner, his quarterback Patrick Mahomes 

"He's been very important, he's there for me whenever I need him, on or off the field, he's only a call away and he's always going to pick up my call, so I got him," Rice says

The Chiefs have been spending this week of training camp beginning to fully gear up for their first preseason game this weekend.  

Kansas City still has a few players injured, that may not play Saturday, and a slew of young guys working to prove they deserve to be on the 53-man roster.  

Defensive Coordinator Steve Spagnuolo says he's excited to see the chemistry between some of those young players in the first preseason game 

"Who will communicate in the heat of battle, you know sometimes it's controlled here but kind of getting into a real game atmosphere," Spagnuolo tells reporters following practice. "Biggest thing is I want to see guys that are unknown to me from their toughness and tackling, those are gonna be the two biggest things."

Several young players in the Chiefs secondary have been working hard during training camp at Missouri Western, hoping to make an impact on the team. 

Spagnuolo is ready to see some of those young players step up in the first preseason game on Saturday.  

"Jaden (Hicks), all of them, Kamal (Hadden), even guys, Ekow (Boye-Doe) didn't play a lot back there last year right, guys that haven't had a lot of time back there, I'd like to see those guys," Spagnuolo says. 

Spagnulo says he's ready to see some of the toughness from players in an actual game, as he determines whose "tough tough" and whose "fake tough"  

The Chiefs have one more practice at Missouri Western before they depart for Jacksonville.  They take the practice fields tomorrow at 9:15 

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1722969378400.jpeg" alt="Rashee Rice catches a pass during Chiefs Training Camp in St. Joseph/ Photo by Alexis Starks" />
 <figcaption>Rashee Rice catches a pass during Chiefs Training Camp in St. Joseph/ Photo by Alexis Starks</figcaption>
 </figure>By MATT PIKE St. Joseph Post After some offseason troubles there was question among Chiefs fans of if receiver Rashee Rice would be with the team at the start of training camp in St. Joseph Rice says with the threat of suspension, being at camp is very important to be able to focus on football "Just because I get to be out here and still be a part of my team and we get to dominate and focus on our goal this year," Rice tells reporters. Rice's potential suspension by the NFL is a dark cloud looming over Chiefs camp, but Rice would not comment on that "It's a legal process and my team is handling it off the field for me," Rice says.Rice knows through it all though he has one man in his corner, his quarterback Patrick Mahomes "He's been very important, he's there for me whenever I need him, on or off the field, he's only a call away and he's always going to pick up my call, so I got him," Rice says<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1722969423609.jpeg" alt="Rashee Rice/ Photo by Alexis Starks" />
 <figcaption>Rashee Rice/ Photo by Alexis Starks</figcaption>
 </figure>The Chiefs have been spending this week of training camp beginning to fully gear up for their first preseason game this weekend. Kansas City still has a few players injured, that may not play Saturday, and a slew of young guys working to prove they deserve to be on the 53-man roster. Defensive Coordinator Steve Spagnuolo says he's excited to see the chemistry between some of those young players in the first preseason game "Who will communicate in the heat of battle, you know sometimes it's controlled here but kind of getting into a real game atmosphere," Spagnuolo tells reporters following practice. "Biggest thing is I want to see guys that are unknown to me from their toughness and tackling, those are gonna be the two biggest things."<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1722969461905.jpeg" alt="Chiefs rookie safety Jaden Hicks makes a play on Travis Kelce/ Photo by Alexis Starks" />
 <figcaption>Chiefs rookie safety Jaden Hicks makes a play on Travis Kelce/ Photo by Alexis Starks</figcaption>
 </figure>Several young players in the Chiefs secondary have been working hard during training camp at Missouri Western, hoping to make an impact on the team. Spagnuolo is ready to see some of those young players step up in the first preseason game on Saturday. "Jaden (Hicks), all of them, Kamal (Hadden), even guys, Ekow (Boye-Doe) didn't play a lot back there last year right, guys that haven't had a lot of time back there, I'd like to see those guys," Spagnuolo says. Spagnulo says he's ready to see some of the toughness from players in an actual game, as he determines whose "tough tough" and whose "fake tough" The Chiefs have one more practice at Missouri Western before they depart for Jacksonville. They take the practice fields tomorrow at 9:15 You can follow Matt on X @KfeqMatt and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1722969603874.jpeg" alt="Rookie cornerback Kamal Hadden (17) covers receiver Montrell Washington (80) who goes for the one handed catch during Chiefs Training Camp/ Photo by Alexis Starks" />
 <figcaption>Rookie cornerback Kamal Hadden (17) covers receiver Montrell Washington (80) who goes for the one handed catch during Chiefs Training Camp/ Photo by Alexis Starks</figcaption>
 </figure>

Rashee Rice focuses on football with potential suspension looming

St. Joseph Christian has announced that two new coaches have been hired in girls athletics.&nbsp;

Caitlin Thompson has been hired to coach volleyball at St. Joseph Christian for the upcoming year.&nbsp; Thompson has coached volleyball for 12 years across northwest Missouri, most recently at Union Star High School.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Also announced is the hiring of Kerstyn Banks as the head coach for girls basketball.&nbsp; Banks served as a volunteer and assistant at Benton from 2015 to 2017, before becoming the head coach from 2018 to 2020 before moving to the middle school level and serving as the boys head coach at Spring Garden Middle School and then as the girls head coach at Savannah Middle School most recently&nbsp;

By MATT PIKESt. Joseph PostSt. Joseph Christian has announced that two new coaches have been hired in girls athletics.&nbsp;Caitlin Thompson has been hired to coach volleyball at St. Joseph Christian for the upcoming year.&nbsp; Thompson has coached volleyball for 12 years across northwest Missouri, most recently at Union Star High School.&nbsp;&nbsp;Also announced is the hiring of Kerstyn Banks as the head coach for girls basketball.&nbsp; Banks served as a volunteer and assistant at Benton from 2015 to 2017, before becoming the head coach from 2018 to 2020 before moving to the middle school level and serving as the boys head coach at Spring Garden Middle School and then as the girls head coach at Savannah Middle School most recently&nbsp;

St. Joseph Christian hires Caitlin Thompson as volleyball coach, Kerystn Banks for girls basketball

After a controversial start to his NFL career, new Chiefs punter Matt Araiza is getting a fresh start in Kansas City during Training Camp in St. Joseph.

Araiza was drafted by the Buffalo Bills in 2022, but they cut him after sexual assualt allegations. 

Araiza says he wasn't sure if he would ever get a shot in the league again.

"There were times that I didn't, and there were times that I did, it honestly kept going back and forth in my mind," Araiza tells reporters after practice.  "But yeah there was a lot of moments where I thought it was over, so I'm incredibly grateful to be here."

The lawsuit against Araiza was dropped in December.  Kansas City signed the punter in February.

Araiza has a unique trait that not many NFL punters have. He punts with his left foot. 

Special Teams Coordinator Dave Toub has said that's what made signing Araiza appealing, because the ball just comes differently off the left foot. 

Araiza also says he feels like that gives him an advantage. 

"I've punted with a lot of guys in the NFL, a lot of guys come to San Diego during the offseason and train, and the one thing I have over everyone is how much my punts move," Araiza says. "I've caused a ton of drops here, and I'm looking to see that on Sundays I think that will be great, someone muffs a punt that is a huge game changing play."

One fan of Araiza is his head coach Andy Reid

"I like him, just keep working, consistency always as you go, but you can see it I mean he's booming the thing," Reid says. "Be curious to see it in games, let's see how he does there."

Araiza, who has been coined with the nickname 'Punt God', says it will be pretty surreal to step on the field on Sundays after believing his career might have been over.

The Chiefs practiced for just over two hours today.  The only new injury reported from Reid was Chris Jones who took what he called a "stinger" to the shoulder. 

The Chiefs practice again tomorrow on the Missouri Western campus in St. Joseph at 9:15.  It is the last public practice this week before Saturday's preseason game.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1722883273489.jpeg" alt="Chiefs fans take in Training Camp on the Missouri Western campus/ Photo by Alexis Starks" />
 <figcaption>Chiefs fans take in Training Camp on the Missouri Western campus/ Photo by Alexis Starks</figcaption>
 </figure>By MATT PIKESt. Joseph PostAfter a controversial start to his NFL career, new Chiefs punter Matt Araiza is getting a fresh start in Kansas City during Training Camp in St. Joseph.Araiza was drafted by the Buffalo Bills in 2022, but they cut him after sexual assualt allegations. Araiza says he wasn't sure if he would ever get a shot in the league again."There were times that I didn't, and there were times that I did, it honestly kept going back and forth in my mind," Araiza tells reporters after practice. "But yeah there was a lot of moments where I thought it was over, so I'm incredibly grateful to be here."The lawsuit against Araiza was dropped in December. Kansas City signed the punter in February.Araiza has a unique trait that not many NFL punters have. He punts with his left foot. Special Teams Coordinator Dave Toub has said that's what made signing Araiza appealing, because the ball just comes differently off the left foot. Araiza also says he feels like that gives him an advantage. "I've punted with a lot of guys in the NFL, a lot of guys come to San Diego during the offseason and train, and the one thing I have over everyone is how much my punts move," Araiza says. "I've caused a ton of drops here, and I'm looking to see that on Sundays I think that will be great, someone muffs a punt that is a huge game changing play."<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">🚨INSANE🚨<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CHIEFS?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#CHIEFS</a> PUNTER MATT ARAIZA JUST PUNTED THE BALL 75 YARDS IN THE AIR 🤯🤯🤯 KC has a weapon that can completely flip the field… DAMN! (🎥<a href="https://twitter.com/KCSportsNetwork?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@KCSportsNetwork</a>) <a href="https://t.co/LETjkeRS1H">pic.twitter.com/LETjkeRS1H</a>&mdash; MLFootball (@_MLFootball) <a href="https://twitter.com/_MLFootball/status/1820497715236937918?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 5, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>One fan of Araiza is his head coach Andy Reid"I like him, just keep working, consistency always as you go, but you can see it I mean he's booming the thing," Reid says. "Be curious to see it in games, let's see how he does there."Araiza, who has been coined with the nickname 'Punt God', says it will be pretty surreal to step on the field on Sundays after believing his career might have been over.The Chiefs practiced for just over two hours today. The only new injury reported from Reid was Chris Jones who took what he called a "stinger" to the shoulder. The Chiefs practice again tomorrow on the Missouri Western campus in St. Joseph at 9:15. It is the last public practice this week before Saturday's preseason game.

Punter Araiza sees Chiefs Training Camp as a fresh start

Trailing entering the ninth inning, the Kansas City Royals got some late game heroics from outfielder MJ Melendez in a 3-2 win over the Tigers on Sunday.&nbsp;

Detroit took the lead off of starting pitcher Michael Wacha in the second inning on an RBI single from third baseman Gio Urshela scored left fielder Zach McKinstry.&nbsp; The lead would be extended in the fifth, a sacrifice fly from Matt Vierling scoring Javier Baez.&nbsp;

With the Royals trailing 2-0 entering the ninth inning, the Tigers brought on closer Shelby Miller.&nbsp; After Hunter Renfroe led the inning off with a single, Michael Massey who pinch hit for Paul DeJong would pop out to third base, but then Freddy Fermin would single.&nbsp;

With two runners on and two outs, after Adam Frazier pinch hitting for Garrett Hampson lined out to center field, the Royals would call on MJ Melendez to pinch hit for Dairon Blanco, and Melendez would answer blasting a three run home run to right field, giving the Royals the 3-2 lead.

Hunter Harvey, who blew a save situation on Saturday, would be brought in again by manager Matt Quatraro for the save, and would give up just one hit on way to his first save of the season.&nbsp;

Wacha pitched six innings and gave up two runs on seven hits, walking four batters and striking out two.&nbsp; Chris Stratton would earn the win in relief after pitching a scoreless eighth inning.

The Royals will now welcome the Boston Red Sox to Kansas City for a three game series starting on Monday.&nbsp; Brady Singer will start for the Royals, looking to follow up a July where he was 4-2 with a 2.27 ERA, while James Paxton will pitch for Boston.&nbsp;

First pitch on Monday is set for 7:10pm with a 6:30 pregame on KFEQ.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/4/1712374551428.jpeg" alt="File photo" />
 <figcaption>File photo</figcaption>
 </figure>By MATT PIKESt. Joseph PostTrailing entering the ninth inning, the Kansas City Royals got some late game heroics from outfielder MJ Melendez in a 3-2 win over the Tigers on Sunday.&nbsp;Detroit took the lead off of starting pitcher Michael Wacha in the second inning on an RBI single from third baseman Gio Urshela scored left fielder Zach McKinstry.&nbsp; The lead would be extended in the fifth, a sacrifice fly from Matt Vierling scoring Javier Baez.&nbsp;With the Royals trailing 2-0 entering the ninth inning, the Tigers brought on closer Shelby Miller.&nbsp; After Hunter Renfroe led the inning off with a single, Michael Massey who pinch hit for Paul DeJong would pop out to third base, but then Freddy Fermin would single.&nbsp;With two runners on and two outs, after Adam Frazier pinch hitting for Garrett Hampson lined out to center field, the Royals would call on MJ Melendez to pinch hit for Dairon Blanco, and Melendez would answer blasting a three run home run to right field, giving the Royals the 3-2 lead.Hunter Harvey, who blew a save situation on Saturday, would be brought in again by manager Matt Quatraro for the save, and would give up just one hit on way to his first save of the season.&nbsp;Wacha pitched six innings and gave up two runs on seven hits, walking four batters and striking out two.&nbsp; Chris Stratton would earn the win in relief after pitching a scoreless eighth inning.The Royals will now welcome the Boston Red Sox to Kansas City for a three game series starting on Monday.&nbsp; Brady Singer will start for the Royals, looking to follow up a July where he was 4-2 with a 2.27 ERA, while James Paxton will pitch for Boston.&nbsp;First pitch on Monday is set for 7:10pm with a 6:30 pregame on KFEQ.

Late game heroics from MJ Melendez gives Royals 3-2 win over Tigers

An adjustment this NFL season for fans, players and coaches alike will be to a new kickoff rule.  

People got their first look at the rule during Thursday's Hall of Fame game between the Chicago Bears and Houston Texans.  

Chiefs Special Teams Coordinator Dave Toub says he was excited to see it in action in an actual game 

"Couldn't wait to see it, I was like everybody else was I was the same way," Toub tells reporters after practice. "I thought there might've been a couple bigger returns, but they kept it kind of vanilla especially in this first game, but you've got a lot more games coming up here Thursday and Friday I guess."

Preseason will be the big evaluation period for how to play into the new kickoff rules.  

Toub says kicker Harrison Butker has spent a lot of time preparing for the new kickoff 

"In the afternoon we're inside, we're kicking off in there, we're working kickoffs inside," Toub says. "So, he wants to kick off all the time, so we've done a lot experimenting with that, and he's got a variety of kicks." 

As the Chiefs special teams unit adjusts to a new kickoff rule, they also continue to search for who could be back returning kicks and punts.  

One option is third year receiver Skyy Moore who has had his struggles producing for the Chiefs since being drafted two years ago.  

Moore says that he sees more opportunities to make an impact in the return game with the new kickoff rules 

"I see the benefit in putting that rule in, it's definitely going to make the game more exciting, more kickoff return opportunities, so I'm excited for that for sure," Moore says. 

It was a lighter practice today for the Chiefs as they held a "10-10-10 practice. 10 offensive plays, 10 defensive plays, 10 minutes of special teams cycling, practicing for just under two hours. 

The Chiefs return to the practice fields tomorrow at 9:15 for the first of three more practices this week ahead of Saturday's preseason game.

During a lighter practice on Sunday for the Chiefs there were no new additions to the injury report, but there were a handful of players that returned to practice. 

Cornerback Jaylen Watson, who returned to practice on Friday in a yellow non-contact jersey, was back in his normal jersey as he hit the practice field.  Also returning to practice was safety Deon Bush and receiver Justin Watson. Both had missed part of training camp with ankle injuries. 

After leaving practice on Friday with a slight shoulder injury, offensive tackle Wanya Morris was also back at practice on Sunday.&nbsp; Cornerback Nahzee Johnson was also back at practice today.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1722794628807.jpeg" alt="Chiefs head coach Andy Reid and Special Teams Coordinator Dave Toub during the first official practice in St. Joseph/ Photo by Alexis Starks" />
 <figcaption>Chiefs head coach Andy Reid and Special Teams Coordinator Dave Toub during the first official practice in St. Joseph/ Photo by Alexis Starks</figcaption>
 </figure>By MATT PIKE St. Joseph Post An adjustment this NFL season for fans, players and coaches alike will be to a new kickoff rule. People got their first look at the rule during Thursday's Hall of Fame game between the Chicago Bears and Houston Texans. Chiefs Special Teams Coordinator Dave Toub says he was excited to see it in action in an actual game "Couldn't wait to see it, I was like everybody else was I was the same way," Toub tells reporters after practice. "I thought there might've been a couple bigger returns, but they kept it kind of vanilla especially in this first game, but you've got a lot more games coming up here Thursday and Friday I guess."<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">For the first time... the Dynamic Kickoff 🙌 📺: <a href="https://twitter.com/ProFootballHOF?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ProFootballHOF</a> Game on ESPN/ABC 📱: Stream on <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NFLPlus?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NFLPlus</a> <a href="https://t.co/wga0LmuvtH">pic.twitter.com/wga0LmuvtH</a>&mdash; NFL (@NFL) <a href="https://twitter.com/NFL/status/1819164454736519409?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 2, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Preseason will be the big evaluation period for how to play into the new kickoff rules. Toub says kicker Harrison Butker has spent a lot of time preparing for the new kickoff "In the afternoon we're inside, we're kicking off in there, we're working kickoffs inside," Toub says. "So, he wants to kick off all the time, so we've done a lot experimenting with that, and he's got a variety of kicks." As the Chiefs special teams unit adjusts to a new kickoff rule, they also continue to search for who could be back returning kicks and punts. One option is third year receiver Skyy Moore who has had his struggles producing for the Chiefs since being drafted two years ago. Moore says that he sees more opportunities to make an impact in the return game with the new kickoff rules "I see the benefit in putting that rule in, it's definitely going to make the game more exciting, more kickoff return opportunities, so I'm excited for that for sure," Moore says. It was a lighter practice today for the Chiefs as they held a "10-10-10 practice. 10 offensive plays, 10 defensive plays, 10 minutes of special teams cycling, practicing for just under two hours. The Chiefs return to the practice fields tomorrow at 9:15 for the first of three more practices this week ahead of Saturday's preseason game.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1722794736503.png" alt="Chiefs receiver Skyy Moore acknowledges fans as he heads to practice/ Photo by Alexis Starks" />
 <figcaption>Chiefs receiver Skyy Moore acknowledges fans as he heads to practice/ Photo by Alexis Starks</figcaption>
 </figure>Injury Report During a lighter practice on Sunday for the Chiefs there were no new additions to the injury report, but there were a handful of players that returned to practice. Cornerback Jaylen Watson, who returned to practice on Friday in a yellow non-contact jersey, was back in his normal jersey as he hit the practice field. Also returning to practice was safety Deon Bush and receiver Justin Watson. Both had missed part of training camp with ankle injuries. After leaving practice on Friday with a slight shoulder injury, offensive tackle Wanya Morris was also back at practice on Sunday.&nbsp; Cornerback Nahzee Johnson was also back at practice today.You can follow Matt on X @KfeqMatt and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.

Chiefs Training Camp gives special teams unit chance to adapt to new kickoff rules

The Kansas City Royals led most of the game against the Detroit Tigers on Saturday, but slipped late as the bullpen collapsed in an 11 inning 6-5 loss.

Vinnie Pasquantino opened the scoring for the Royals in the sixth inning on his 15th home run of the season.&nbsp; But the Tigers would tie the game up in the bottom half third baseman Andy Ibanez singling to score first baseman Bligh Madris.&nbsp;

Kansas City took the lead back in the seventh thanks to a recently acquired player as third baseman Paul DeJong blasted his 19th home run, and his first as a Royal, to left field and scoring Michael Massey for a 3-1 lead.&nbsp;

Starting pitcher Michael Lorenzen was solid in his debut for the Royals giving up just one run over 5.2 innings and striking out five batters.&nbsp; Relievers Sam Long and Lucas Erceg pitched 2.1 hitless innings, striking out one batter each.&nbsp;

Kansas City would call on Hunter Harvey to get the save, but the Tigers hit the reliever hard, Madris hitting his first home run of the season to get within one run, before a double from shortstop Javier Baez scored third baseman Zack McKinstry to tie the game.&nbsp; It was Harvey's third blown save.&nbsp;

The Royals did take the lead back in the top of the tenth inning, a Bobby Witt Jr sacrifice fly scoring Kyle Isbel.&nbsp; But the Tigers would again tie the game in the bottom half on a double from designated hitter Justyn-Henry Malloy to score right fielder Wenceel Pérez.

After Kansas City scored another run in the 11th inning, Hunter Renfroe singling to bring in Dairon Blanco, the Royals called on James McArthur to close the door, but Detroit would again score on some clutch hits.&nbsp;

After Tigers center fielder Parker Meadows to lead off the frame, scoring outfielder&nbsp;Ryan Vilade, McArthur would intentionally walk Baez to put runners on the corners.&nbsp; But after catcher Jake Rogers grounded into a double play,&nbsp;Perez would single and score Meadows for the walkoff win.&nbsp;

It was the sixth blown save of the season for McArthur and his fifth loss as his ERA ballooned up to 5.32.

By MATT PIKESt. Joseph PostThe Kansas City Royals led most of the game against the Detroit Tigers on Saturday, but slipped late as the bullpen collapsed in an 11 inning 6-5 loss.Vinnie Pasquantino opened the scoring for the Royals in the sixth inning on his 15th home run of the season.&nbsp; But the Tigers would tie the game up in the bottom half third baseman Andy Ibanez singling to score first baseman Bligh Madris.&nbsp;Kansas City took the lead back in the seventh thanks to a recently acquired player as third baseman Paul DeJong blasted his 19th home run, and his first as a Royal, to left field and scoring Michael Massey for a 3-1 lead.&nbsp;Starting pitcher Michael Lorenzen was solid in his debut for the Royals giving up just one run over 5.2 innings and striking out five batters.&nbsp; Relievers Sam Long and Lucas Erceg pitched 2.1 hitless innings, striking out one batter each.&nbsp;Kansas City would call on Hunter Harvey to get the save, but the Tigers hit the reliever hard, Madris hitting his first home run of the season to get within one run, before a double from shortstop Javier Baez scored third baseman Zack McKinstry to tie the game.&nbsp; It was Harvey's third blown save.&nbsp;The Royals did take the lead back in the top of the tenth inning, a Bobby Witt Jr sacrifice fly scoring Kyle Isbel.&nbsp; But the Tigers would again tie the game in the bottom half on a double from designated hitter Justyn-Henry Malloy to score right fielder Wenceel Pérez.After Kansas City scored another run in the 11th inning, Hunter Renfroe singling to bring in Dairon Blanco, the Royals called on James McArthur to close the door, but Detroit would again score on some clutch hits.&nbsp;After Tigers center fielder Parker Meadows to lead off the frame, scoring outfielder&nbsp;Ryan Vilade, McArthur would intentionally walk Baez to put runners on the corners.&nbsp; But after catcher Jake Rogers grounded into a double play,&nbsp;Perez would single and score Meadows for the walkoff win.&nbsp;It was the sixth blown save of the season for McArthur and his fifth loss as his ERA ballooned up to 5.32.The Royals will now look to secure a series win over the Tigers on Sunday.&nbsp; Michael Wacha is set to start the finale against a starter to be determined by Detroit. First pitch is at 12:40 with pregame at noon on KFEQ.&nbsp;