WARRENSBURG, MO - The Missouri Western football team battled all day and had a lead in the fourth quarter and the second overtime, but Central Missouri (4-6) scored the walk-off touchdown in the second OT to beat the Griffons 40-37 at Walton Stadium Saturday.

The Griffons (4-6), who have lost each of their last four games at Warrensburg, overcame a 17-7 deficit in the second quarter and led 21-20 at halftime, and 24-20 going into the fourth.

A career-long 46-yard field goal by Missouri Western's Cody Watson tied the game at 27 with 32 seconds left in regulation.

Missouri Western won the coin toss to begin overtime and elected to go on defense. On the Mules' third play on offense, quarterback Cedric Case found tight end Bo Reeves open for a 24-yard touchdown, putting the Mules up 34-27.

The Griffons had a 4th-and-4 on their first drive of the first overtime, and at the 11th hour, Western quarterback Reagan Jones found receiver Cooper Burton over the middle for a 19-yard touchdown, tying the game at 34 and sending it to a second overtime.

The Griffons started the second OT on offense and got a first-and-goal at the four yard line, but a pair of run plays for no gain and an incomplete pass left Missouri Western with fourth-and-goal at the four.

Needing points, Watson connected on a 21-yard field goal, putting the Griffons up 37-34.

Just two plays later, Case went to his tight end Reeves again. Reeves was left open in the slot on the left side, and he caught the walk-off touchdown from 20 yards away to give the Mules a win on their senior day.

"Central Missouri just out executed us discipline wise," Missouri Western coach Matt Williamson said. "Quite a bit there in the second half and again on a couple of plays in overtime, too. Our details, our execution, we're just not getting it done and not making plays when we need to."

Case completed 22-of-32 passes for 254 yards and three touchdowns. He also had a rushing score for 12 yards in the first half.

Jones threw a pick-six early in the second quarter to put the Griffons in an early hole, but he bounced back nicely, completing 18-of-31 passes for 209 yards and a touchdown.

Running back Jared Scott led Missouri Western on the ground with a career-high 131 yards rushing on 23 carries. Jonas Bennett, Titus McCoy and Cam Grandy each had rushing touchdowns in the first half.

Cooper Burton caught six passes for 57 yards and a score to lead Missouri Western on the receiving end. Traveon James had five catches for 80 yards.

Missouri Western outrushed UCM 266-144 and outgained the Mules in total yards 475-398. Isaac Wallace led the Griffons with 12 tackles and a fumble recovery.

Missouri Western will end the 2022 season at home Saturday when they host Lincoln (0-10). The Blue Tigers put up a fight, but lost at home to Emporia State this past Saturday 35-24.

Kickoff Saturday is set for 1 p.m. with pregame at noon on KFEQ Radio (680, 95.3). It'll be Senior Day for 11 seniors on the Griffon roster.

"The kids love to play," Williamson said, when talking about the message heading into the final game. "Our kids love to play, they love competing. So, we'll be ready to rock and roll when we get back."

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

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/11/1667748616708.jpeg" alt="Stock photo." />
 <figcaption>Stock photo.</figcaption>
 </figure>By TOMMY REZACSt. Joseph PostWARRENSBURG, MO - The Missouri Western football team battled all day and had a lead in the fourth quarter and the second overtime, but Central Missouri (4-6) scored the walk-off touchdown in the second OT to beat the Griffons 40-37 at Walton Stadium Saturday.The Griffons (4-6), who have lost each of their last four games at Warrensburg, overcame a 17-7 deficit in the second quarter and led 21-20 at halftime, and 24-20 going into the fourth.A career-long 46-yard field goal by Missouri Western's Cody Watson tied the game at 27 with 32 seconds left in regulation.Missouri Western won the coin toss to begin overtime and elected to go on defense. On the Mules' third play on offense, quarterback Cedric Case found tight end Bo Reeves open for a 24-yard touchdown, putting the Mules up 34-27.The Griffons had a 4th-and-4 on their first drive of the first overtime, and at the 11th hour, Western quarterback Reagan Jones found receiver Cooper Burton over the middle for a 19-yard touchdown, tying the game at 34 and sending it to a second overtime.The Griffons started the second OT on offense and got a first-and-goal at the four yard line, but a pair of run plays for no gain and an incomplete pass left Missouri Western with fourth-and-goal at the four.Needing points, Watson connected on a 21-yard field goal, putting the Griffons up 37-34.Just two plays later, Case went to his tight end Reeves again. Reeves was left open in the slot on the left side, and he caught the walk-off touchdown from 20 yards away to give the Mules a win on their senior day."Central Missouri just out executed us discipline wise," Missouri Western coach Matt Williamson said. "Quite a bit there in the second half and again on a couple of plays in overtime, too. Our details, our execution, we're just not getting it done and not making plays when we need to."Case completed 22-of-32 passes for 254 yards and three touchdowns. He also had a rushing score for 12 yards in the first half.Jones threw a pick-six early in the second quarter to put the Griffons in an early hole, but he bounced back nicely, completing 18-of-31 passes for 209 yards and a touchdown.Running back Jared Scott led Missouri Western on the ground with a career-high 131 yards rushing on 23 carries. Jonas Bennett, Titus McCoy and Cam Grandy each had rushing touchdowns in the first half.Cooper Burton caught six passes for 57 yards and a score to lead Missouri Western on the receiving end. Traveon James had five catches for 80 yards.Missouri Western outrushed UCM 266-144 and outgained the Mules in total yards 475-398. Isaac Wallace led the Griffons with 12 tackles and a fumble recovery.Missouri Western will end the 2022 season at home Saturday when they host Lincoln (0-10). The Blue Tigers put up a fight, but lost at home to Emporia State this past Saturday 35-24.Kickoff Saturday is set for 1 p.m. with pregame at noon on KFEQ Radio (680, 95.3). It'll be Senior Day for 11 seniors on the Griffon roster."The kids love to play," Williamson said, when talking about the message heading into the final game. "Our kids love to play, they love competing. So, we'll be ready to rock and roll when we get back."<div><iframe src="https://anchor.fm/tommy-rezac/embed/episodes/MWSU-football-coach-Matt-Williamson---UCM-postgame-e1qav0q" height="102px" width="400px" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe></div>You can follow Tommy on Twitter @TommyKFEQ and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.

Missouri Western falls in double overtime at Central Missouri Saturday

CAPE GIRARDEAU, MO - A magical season came to an end Saturday for the East Buchanan Bulldogs volleyball team at the Show Me Center in Cape Girardeau in the Class 2 third place match.

It was not the ideal finish for the Bulldogs, as they fell to the Strafford Indians in three sets, losing 25-15, 25-19, 26-24.&nbsp; It was a hard fought battle for East Buchanan who finished fourth in the state - a feat still to be celebrated as a cap to the season the Bulldogs had.&nbsp;

We'll have a full recap of the match, reaction from coach Ryan Horn and Libero Kinzie Woodside, and stats later today.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/11/1667712278297.jpeg" alt="East Buchanan's season ended Saturday with a fourth place finish, falling to Strafford in three sets/ Photo courtesy of the East Buchanan Elementary Facebook page" />
 <figcaption>East Buchanan's season ended Saturday with a fourth place finish, falling to Strafford in three sets/ Photo courtesy of the East Buchanan Elementary Facebook page</figcaption>
 </figure>By MATT PIKESt. Joseph PostCAPE GIRARDEAU, MO - A magical season came to an end Saturday for the East Buchanan Bulldogs volleyball team at the Show Me Center in Cape Girardeau in the Class 2 third place match.It was not the ideal finish for the Bulldogs, as they fell to the Strafford Indians in three sets, losing 25-15, 25-19, 26-24.&nbsp; It was a hard fought battle for East Buchanan who finished fourth in the state - a feat still to be celebrated as a cap to the season the Bulldogs had.&nbsp;We'll have a full recap of the match, reaction from coach Ryan Horn and Libero Kinzie Woodside, and stats later today.

East Buchanan's magical season ends with fourth place finish

It's the second week of postseason play in both Kansas and Missouri, and much of the area dealt with cold, windy and rainy conditions Friday.

Missouri 8-man District 3 quarterfinals Bishop LeBlond 40 (7-3)&nbsp;St. Joseph Christian 0 (1-9) - FINAL

Stewartsville-Osborn 48 (6-4) Braymer 34 (6-4)&nbsp; - FINAL - most wins for the Wildcards since 2016.

Orrick 48 (10-0)&nbsp;DeKalb 12 (2-9) - FINAL - Orrick will host Stewartsville-Osborn next week.

King City 58 (7-3)&nbsp;Pattonsburg 0 (3-7) - FINAL - King City will be at LeBlond for district semis next week.

Missouri 8-man District 4 quarterfinals North Andrew 60 (10-0)&nbsp;Stanberry 22 (4-5) - FINAL

East Atchison 28 (9-1) Albany 20 (8-2) FINAL&nbsp; - East Atchison and North Andrew meet in semifinals next week in Rosendale.

South Holt (6-4) @ Platte Valley (8-1) - Saturday at 2 p.m.

Worth County 52 (8-2)&nbsp;Rock Port 0 (6-4) - FINAL

Class 1 District 7 semifinals Gallatin 42 (10-0) Brookfield 6 (5-6) - FINAL - It was Gallatin's first game in three weeks. The Bulldogs will face Putnam County for the district title at home next week.

Class 1 District 8 semifinals East Buchanan 40 (10-1)&nbsp;Hamilton&nbsp; 0 (4-7) - FINAL

Mid-Buchanan 41 (10-1)&nbsp;North Platte 6 (6-5) - FINAL - The Dragons, who have now had 10 or more wins in each of the last four seasons, get a rematch with East Buchanan in Gower for the district title next week.

Class 3 District 8 semifinals Maryville 38 (7-3) St. Pius X 21 (7-4) - FINAL

Savannah 42 (10-1) Chillicothe 7 (6-5) - FINAL. <a href="https://stjosephpost.com/posts/97e7b010-46f8-459c-a502-5f6e84f8fc49">Full coverage here</a>. - Savannah is at Maryville for the title next week.

Kansas Class 4A regional Lenexa-St. James Academy 42 (6-4)&nbsp;Atchison 17 (9-1) - FINAL Thursday

Kansas Class 1A regional St. Mary's 26 (8-2) Troy 0 (8-2) - FINAL

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/10/1667017949735.jpeg" alt="Photo by Harry Loomis." />
 <figcaption>Photo by Harry Loomis.</figcaption>
 </figure>By TOMMY REZACSt. Joseph PostIt's the second week of postseason play in both Kansas and Missouri, and much of the area dealt with cold, windy and rainy conditions Friday.Missouri 8-man District 3 quarterfinals Bishop LeBlond 40 (7-3)&nbsp;St. Joseph Christian 0 (1-9) - FINALStewartsville-Osborn 48 (6-4) Braymer 34 (6-4)&nbsp; - FINAL - most wins for the Wildcards since 2016.Orrick 48 (10-0)&nbsp;DeKalb 12 (2-9) - FINAL - Orrick will host Stewartsville-Osborn next week.King City 58 (7-3)&nbsp;Pattonsburg 0 (3-7) - FINAL - King City will be at LeBlond for district semis next week.Missouri 8-man District 4 quarterfinals North Andrew 60 (10-0)&nbsp;Stanberry 22 (4-5) - FINALEast Atchison 28 (9-1) Albany 20 (8-2) FINAL&nbsp; - East Atchison and North Andrew meet in semifinals next week in Rosendale.South Holt (6-4) @ Platte Valley (8-1) - Saturday at 2 p.m.Worth County 52 (8-2)&nbsp;Rock Port 0 (6-4) - FINALClass 1 District 7 semifinals Gallatin 42 (10-0) Brookfield 6 (5-6) - FINAL - It was Gallatin's first game in three weeks. The Bulldogs will face Putnam County for the district title at home next week.Class 1 District 8 semifinals East Buchanan 40 (10-1)&nbsp;Hamilton&nbsp; 0 (4-7) - FINALMid-Buchanan 41 (10-1)&nbsp;North Platte 6 (6-5) - FINAL - The Dragons, who have now had 10 or more wins in each of the last four seasons, get a rematch with East Buchanan in Gower for the district title next week.Class 3 District 8 semifinals Maryville 38 (7-3) St. Pius X 21 (7-4) - FINAL Savannah 42 (10-1) Chillicothe 7 (6-5) - FINAL. <a href="https://stjosephpost.com/posts/97e7b010-46f8-459c-a502-5f6e84f8fc49">Full coverage here</a>. - Savannah is at Maryville for the title next week.Kansas Class 4A regional Lenexa-St. James Academy 42 (6-4)&nbsp;Atchison 17 (9-1) - FINAL ThursdayKansas Class 1A regional St. Mary's 26 (8-2) Troy 0 (8-2) - FINAL

KFEQ/St. Joseph Post area high school football scores - November 4, 2022

SAVANNAH - Savannah scored 28 second quarter points, including 21 unanswered in the final six minutes of the first half, to hand Chillicothe a 42-7 loss in a cold, windy and rainy Class 3 District 8 semifinal at Savannah High School Friday.

Savannah (10-1) grabbed a lead in the first 16 seconds of the game and never lost it. On the first play from scrimmage, junior running back Cade Chappell took off up the middle, nearly untouched, for a 56-yard touchdown run, putting the Savages up 7-0 with 11:44 left in the first quarter.

Chillicothe (6-5), who shut out Savannah 42-0 in last year's district semifinal round, came up empty on each of their first two drives on offense. The Hornets lost a fumble on their opening series in the first quarter, but it did not lead to Savannah points.

Savannah's points came a bit later, though. On the second play of the second quarter, senior Alex Hopper found the end zone on a four-yard run, putting the Savages up 14-0 with 11:15 left in the second.

Chillicothe answered on their ensuing possession, driving 63 yards on six plays. Senior quarterback Griff Bonderer took off on a 37-yard touchdown run, and he made the ensuing point-after to make the score 14-7 with 7:36 left in the second.

That's as close as the Hornets would get all night. Savannah proceeded to score touchdowns on each of their next three possessions on offense. The Savages were also aided by a fumbled kickoff return by Chillicothe midway through the second, which eventually led to points.

After two more Chappell touchdown runs, and a 19-yard touchdown pass from Ethan Dudeck to Hopper just before the half, Savannah led 35-7 at intermission, scoring 21 points in just over 7.5 minutes of game time.

Chillicothe got the ball to start the second half, but went three-and-out on that drive. The Hornets also had a pair of second half interceptions - one went to Hopper and the other to Truman Bodenhausen.

Chappell led Savannah in the ground game with 23 carries for 252 yards and four touchdowns. His fourth and final blow was the biggest - a 73-yard run to the house with 5:17 left in the third.

Hopper had 65 yards rushing and a touchdown on 11 carries. His lone catch of the night was for 19 yards and a score.

Chillicothe was unofficially held to just 129 yards of total offense and the Hornets wound up with four total turnovers.

Savannah now heads back to Maryville next Friday to face the No. 1 seed in the district. The Spoofhounds (7-3) defeated No. 4 seed St. Pius X in the other semifinal Friday 38-21.

Kickoff on Friday is set for 7 p.m. Savannah's lone loss of the season came at home to Maryville on Oct. 14, as the Spoofhounds won the Highway 71 rivalry for an 11th straight year by the score of 39-28.

A win Friday would give Savannah its first district title since 2019 and its most wins in a single season since 2011.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/9/1663996694133.jpeg" alt="Cade Chappell scored four touchdowns in Savannah's 42-7 win over Chillicothe in district semifinals Friday. Stock photo by Harry Loomis." />
 <figcaption>Cade Chappell scored four touchdowns in Savannah's 42-7 win over Chillicothe in district semifinals Friday. Stock photo by Harry Loomis.</figcaption>
 </figure>By TOMMY REZACSt. Joseph PostSAVANNAH - Savannah scored 28 second quarter points, including 21 unanswered in the final six minutes of the first half, to hand Chillicothe a 42-7 loss in a cold, windy and rainy Class 3 District 8 semifinal at Savannah High School Friday.Savannah (10-1) grabbed a lead in the first 16 seconds of the game and never lost it. On the first play from scrimmage, junior running back Cade Chappell took off up the middle, nearly untouched, for a 56-yard touchdown run, putting the Savages up 7-0 with 11:44 left in the first quarter.Chillicothe (6-5), who shut out Savannah 42-0 in last year's district semifinal round, came up empty on each of their first two drives on offense. The Hornets lost a fumble on their opening series in the first quarter, but it did not lead to Savannah points.Savannah's points came a bit later, though. On the second play of the second quarter, senior Alex Hopper found the end zone on a four-yard run, putting the Savages up 14-0 with 11:15 left in the second.Chillicothe answered on their ensuing possession, driving 63 yards on six plays. Senior quarterback Griff Bonderer took off on a 37-yard touchdown run, and he made the ensuing point-after to make the score 14-7 with 7:36 left in the second.That's as close as the Hornets would get all night. Savannah proceeded to score touchdowns on each of their next three possessions on offense. The Savages were also aided by a fumbled kickoff return by Chillicothe midway through the second, which eventually led to points.After two more Chappell touchdown runs, and a 19-yard touchdown pass from Ethan Dudeck to Hopper just before the half, Savannah led 35-7 at intermission, scoring 21 points in just over 7.5 minutes of game time.Chillicothe got the ball to start the second half, but went three-and-out on that drive. The Hornets also had a pair of second half interceptions - one went to Hopper and the other to Truman Bodenhausen.Chappell led Savannah in the ground game with 23 carries for 252 yards and four touchdowns. His fourth and final blow was the biggest - a 73-yard run to the house with 5:17 left in the third.Hopper had 65 yards rushing and a touchdown on 11 carries. His lone catch of the night was for 19 yards and a score.Chillicothe was unofficially held to just 129 yards of total offense and the Hornets wound up with four total turnovers.Savannah now heads back to Maryville next Friday to face the No. 1 seed in the district. The Spoofhounds (7-3) defeated No. 4 seed St. Pius X in the other semifinal Friday 38-21.Kickoff on Friday is set for 7 p.m. Savannah's lone loss of the season came at home to Maryville on Oct. 14, as the Spoofhounds won the Highway 71 rivalry for an 11th straight year by the score of 39-28.A win Friday would give Savannah its first district title since 2019 and its most wins in a single season since 2011.You can follow Tommy on Twitter @TommyKFEQ and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.

Savannah pulls away in second quarter, scores big win over Chillicothe in district semis

CAPE GIRARDEAU, MO - The East Buchanan Bulldogs girls' volleyball team fought hard, but ultimately fell in the semifinals of the MSHSAA Volleyball Championships on Friday evening at the Show Me Center.

East Buchanan marched into Cape Girardeau on Friday on a high like no other, coming in with a 31-win season and an incredible comeback against Lone Jack in the quarterfinals, but the Bulldogs met a tough Jefferson team, falling in the state semifinals 3-0 (25-12, 25-11, 25-12).&nbsp;

While Head Coach of the Bulldogs, Ryan Horn, wishes his team would have played better, he knows Jefferson was a good team.&nbsp;

"They got quite a few girls going to play, and one of them is committed to D1 ball, it's just a really good team," Horn told reporters following the match. "I wish for our girls that we would have come out a little bit differently, we seemed a little timid for the moment and I wish we wouldn't have because I think we have more to show."&nbsp;

"I'm not saying we're better than that team, I just think we have more to show, didn't quite do it."

The match started quickly in Jefferson's favor. After starting 2-2 in the first set of the match, the Blue Jays got off on a quick 6-1 run before Horn called a timeout.&nbsp; The Bulldogs scored two points quickly out of the break, but Jefferson would halt that to score four more, forcing Horn into another timeout with the first set score at 12-5.&nbsp;

The Bulldogs would scratch and claw in the first set, scoring seven more points, but Jefferson never let them get into any extended runs, claiming the first set 25-12. &nbsp;

It was much the same story in the second set, as Jefferson got off on a quick 6-1 run again before Horn called a timeout, and would then outscore East Buchanan on an 8-2 run before Horn called another timeout with the set score at 14-3. 

The biggest run the Bulldogs managed to get on in the second was a 4-0 run, but Jefferson would claim the second set, 25-11. &nbsp;

The Bulldogs came out with some fight though in the third set, taking an early lead, but Jefferson quickly fought back and took a 14-6 lead, forcing a Bulldogs timeout. The Bulldogs would never get back into it, falling 25-12 in the third.

East Buchanan was led in kills by seniors Maya Watkins and Brooklynn Adams with four each. Junior Kylie Clark led with 10 assists, while senior Libero Kinzie Woodside tallied seven digs. &nbsp;

The Bulldogs will now face Strafford in the third-place game Saturday at 2 p.m. Strafford fell to Hermann almost in similar fashion, falling in three sets (25-12, 25-12, 25-14).&nbsp;

Horn says to prepare his girls for such a quick turnaround, was reminding them that when you get to the Final Four, it's truly the only time you know it will be the last time you get to play.&nbsp;

"This is our last chance to play, and to sit around and sulk about what happened tonight, whether it be me or whether it be any of the girls, that's selfish we don't have time to do that," Horn says. "What we have time to do is go get a bite to eat and watch some more film on Strafford and try to get a win to end the career for the seniors."&nbsp;

"And get a win for the juniors, sophomores, and the freshman that are playing to come down here and have a chance to maybe prove that we belong here."&nbsp;

Regardless of the outcome Saturday though, Horn says he'll be no less proud of what his team accomplished this season.&nbsp;

"Yeah, I want to win games while we're down here and everything, but to accomplish the things they accomplished I'm proud of them regardless," Horn proudly says. "So, whatever we do here tomorrow I'm not going to be more or less proud of them, if we win tomorrow against Strafford, great, if we lose, ok, I'm still going to love them, I'm still going to care about them, and I'm still going to have all the memories of what we've been able to accomplish."&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/11/1667619909406.jpeg" alt="East Buchanan's Holly Caylor (11) goes up for a kill against Jefferson's Avery Richardson (16) in Friday's MSHSAA Class 2 Volleyball Semifinal/ Photo by Matt Pike" />
 <figcaption>East Buchanan's Holly Caylor (11) goes up for a kill against Jefferson's Avery Richardson (16) in Friday's MSHSAA Class 2 Volleyball Semifinal/ Photo by Matt Pike</figcaption>
 </figure>By MATT PIKESt. Joseph PostCAPE GIRARDEAU, MO - The East Buchanan Bulldogs girls' volleyball team fought hard, but ultimately fell in the semifinals of the MSHSAA Volleyball Championships on Friday evening at the Show Me Center.East Buchanan marched into Cape Girardeau on Friday on a high like no other, coming in with a 31-win season and an incredible comeback against Lone Jack in the quarterfinals, but the Bulldogs met a tough Jefferson team, falling in the state semifinals 3-0 (25-12, 25-11, 25-12).&nbsp;While Head Coach of the Bulldogs, Ryan Horn, wishes his team would have played better, he knows Jefferson was a good team.&nbsp;"They got quite a few girls going to play, and one of them is committed to D1 ball, it's just a really good team," Horn told reporters following the match. "I wish for our girls that we would have come out a little bit differently, we seemed a little timid for the moment and I wish we wouldn't have because I think we have more to show."&nbsp;"I'm not saying we're better than that team, I just think we have more to show, didn't quite do it."The match started quickly in Jefferson's favor. After starting 2-2 in the first set of the match, the Blue Jays got off on a quick 6-1 run before Horn called a timeout.&nbsp; The Bulldogs scored two points quickly out of the break, but Jefferson would halt that to score four more, forcing Horn into another timeout with the first set score at 12-5.&nbsp;The Bulldogs would scratch and claw in the first set, scoring seven more points, but Jefferson never let them get into any extended runs, claiming the first set 25-12. &nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/11/1667620079125.jpeg" alt="Kinzie Woodside." />
 <figcaption>Kinzie Woodside.</figcaption>
 </figure>It was much the same story in the second set, as Jefferson got off on a quick 6-1 run again before Horn called a timeout, and would then outscore East Buchanan on an 8-2 run before Horn called another timeout with the set score at 14-3. The biggest run the Bulldogs managed to get on in the second was a 4-0 run, but Jefferson would claim the second set, 25-11. &nbsp;The Bulldogs came out with some fight though in the third set, taking an early lead, but Jefferson quickly fought back and took a 14-6 lead, forcing a Bulldogs timeout. The Bulldogs would never get back into it, falling 25-12 in the third.East Buchanan was led in kills by seniors Maya Watkins and Brooklynn Adams with four each. Junior Kylie Clark led with 10 assists, while senior Libero Kinzie Woodside tallied seven digs. &nbsp;The Bulldogs will now face Strafford in the third-place game Saturday at 2 p.m. Strafford fell to Hermann almost in similar fashion, falling in three sets (25-12, 25-12, 25-14).&nbsp;Horn says to prepare his girls for such a quick turnaround, was reminding them that when you get to the Final Four, it's truly the only time you know it will be the last time you get to play.&nbsp;"This is our last chance to play, and to sit around and sulk about what happened tonight, whether it be me or whether it be any of the girls, that's selfish we don't have time to do that," Horn says. "What we have time to do is go get a bite to eat and watch some more film on Strafford and try to get a win to end the career for the seniors."&nbsp;"And get a win for the juniors, sophomores, and the freshman that are playing to come down here and have a chance to maybe prove that we belong here."&nbsp;Regardless of the outcome Saturday though, Horn says he'll be no less proud of what his team accomplished this season.&nbsp;"Yeah, I want to win games while we're down here and everything, but to accomplish the things they accomplished I'm proud of them regardless," Horn proudly says. "So, whatever we do here tomorrow I'm not going to be more or less proud of them, if we win tomorrow against Strafford, great, if we lose, ok, I'm still going to love them, I'm still going to care about them, and I'm still going to have all the memories of what we've been able to accomplish."&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/11/1667620197365.jpeg" alt="Gracie Kelsey (21) and Brooklynn Adams (8) go for a block against Jefferson's Ava Roth (11)" />
 <figcaption>Gracie Kelsey (21) and Brooklynn Adams (8) go for a block against Jefferson's Ava Roth (11)</figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/11/1667620148237.jpeg" alt="Zora Whitt." />
 <figcaption>Zora Whitt.</figcaption>
 </figure>

East Buchanan falls in semifinal Friday, will play for third place Saturday

GOWER - The East Buchanan volleyball team had a mantra they wanted to live up to in the 2022 season.

They even wanted the phrase on their team shirts. Head coach Ryan Horn was a bit apprehensive of that.

"That kind of scared me," Horn said. "If you go to places in the summer with that on the back of your shirt, you're a target."

Target or not, East Buchanan (31-5-1) has taken their theme to heart. Winning has become the attitude, if not the reality. The Bulldogs have won a record 31 matches in 2022, including wins in 15 of their last 17 outings.

Senior Brooklyn Adams explains this winning attitude.

"Whenever you get on the court, just have that mindset of 'We want to be here to win and we want to play,'" Adams said. "Just work together as a team and always have that in the back of your head. Play for each other and just want to be there to win."

The Bulldogs swept their way through the Class 2 District 16 bracket, winning their third district title in the last four years.

After a sweep at home against Lafayette County in state sectionals, East Buchanan went on the road to face Lone Jack, and found themselves down in the match 2-0.

After dropping set two 25-14, something changed.

"They just fixed it," Horn explained. "I told a few people, we didn't really change anything at that time. We changed some things later, but not at that moment. It was just more of like, 'Show who you are, prove who you are.' And, they did."

The Bulldogs won the next three sets and pulled off a thrilling 3-2, come-from-behind win, putting East Buchanan volleyball into the Final Four for the first time in program history.

"It's been the first East Buch volleyball team to make it this far," said senior Gracie Kelsey. "It's just a new adventure and something new for us that we have never been able to experience. The last team any girls' team went to state was our freshman year (girls' basketball in 2020). The younger kids don't know what it's like. So, to be able to let more people experience it is awesome."

It's been a historic season in more ways than one. The 31 wins are a school record. Coach Horn eclipsed 150 career wins with the victory over Lafayette County in sectionals.

Senior libero Kinzie Woodside is over 1,500 career digs, which currently ranks ninth all time in the state. That's not all.

Junior setter Kylie Clark has surpassed 1,000 career assists. Senior outside hitter and middle Maya Watkins is over 1,000 career kills. Junior Zora Whitt is over 100 career aces. The list goes on.

Horn says all of those milestones sound a little better when the wins come along with them.

"It makes it meaningful, fun, exciting, all of those things," he said. "It's a lot easier to celebrate those things with your team after a win. Since we've done a lot of winning this year, it's been fun."

East Buchanan is now in Cape Girardeau to face Jefferson Festus (30-5-1) in state semifinals on Friday night at 6 p.m. at the Show Me Center.&nbsp;

The Bulldogs will then either face Hermann (30-9-1) or Strafford (26-8-1) in the Class 2 championship on Saturday at 4 p.m. or in the third place match at 2 p.m.

Whatever happens, it's been a memorable journey for East Buchanan volleyball this season, especially for a group of four seniors, who were within a handful of points of reaching the Final Four as freshmen in 2019.

It's also a group of seniors who adopted and have lived out their 'winning is an attitude' motto.

They're hopeful this level of trust, talent and confidence can carry them through to more historic heights in 2022.

"This team is different," Woodside said. "There's something about the chemistry we have and how we work together. I think all around our volleyball play is there. I think if we show up and we're always ready to play, then it's going to be good."

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 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/11/1667530690105.jpeg" alt="East Buchanan coach Ryan Horn (center) gathers with his players during a practice Wednesday at East Buchanan High School. Photo by Tommy Rezac." />
 <figcaption>East Buchanan coach Ryan Horn (center) gathers with his players during a practice Wednesday at East Buchanan High School. Photo by Tommy Rezac.</figcaption>
 </figure>By TOMMY REZACSt. Joseph PostGOWER - The East Buchanan volleyball team had a mantra they wanted to live up to in the 2022 season.Winning is an attitude.They even wanted the phrase on their team shirts. Head coach Ryan Horn was a bit apprehensive of that."That kind of scared me," Horn said. "If you go to places in the summer with that on the back of your shirt, you're a target."Target or not, East Buchanan (31-5-1) has taken their theme to heart. Winning has become the attitude, if not the reality. The Bulldogs have won a record 31 matches in 2022, including wins in 15 of their last 17 outings.Senior Brooklyn Adams explains this winning attitude."Whenever you get on the court, just have that mindset of 'We want to be here to win and we want to play,'" Adams said. "Just work together as a team and always have that in the back of your head. Play for each other and just want to be there to win."The Bulldogs swept their way through the Class 2 District 16 bracket, winning their third district title in the last four years.After a sweep at home against Lafayette County in state sectionals, East Buchanan went on the road to face Lone Jack, and found themselves down in the match 2-0.After dropping set two 25-14, something changed."They just fixed it," Horn explained. "I told a few people, we didn't really change anything at that time. We changed some things later, but not at that moment. It was just more of like, 'Show who you are, prove who you are.' And, they did."The Bulldogs won the next three sets and pulled off a thrilling 3-2, come-from-behind win, putting East Buchanan volleyball into the Final Four for the first time in program history."It's been the first East Buch volleyball team to make it this far," said senior Gracie Kelsey. "It's just a new adventure and something new for us that we have never been able to experience. The last team any girls' team went to state was our freshman year (girls' basketball in 2020). The younger kids don't know what it's like. So, to be able to let more people experience it is awesome."It's been a historic season in more ways than one. The 31 wins are a school record. Coach Horn eclipsed 150 career wins with the victory over Lafayette County in sectionals.Senior libero Kinzie Woodside is over 1,500 career digs, which currently ranks ninth all time in the state. That's not all.Junior setter Kylie Clark has surpassed 1,000 career assists. Senior outside hitter and middle Maya Watkins is over 1,000 career kills. Junior Zora Whitt is over 100 career aces. The list goes on.Horn says all of those milestones sound a little better when the wins come along with them."It makes it meaningful, fun, exciting, all of those things," he said. "It's a lot easier to celebrate those things with your team after a win. Since we've done a lot of winning this year, it's been fun."East Buchanan is now in Cape Girardeau to face Jefferson Festus (30-5-1) in state semifinals on Friday night at 6 p.m. at the Show Me Center.&nbsp;The Bulldogs will then either face Hermann (30-9-1) or Strafford (26-8-1) in the Class 2 championship on Saturday at 4 p.m. or in the third place match at 2 p.m.Whatever happens, it's been a memorable journey for East Buchanan volleyball this season, especially for a group of four seniors, who were within a handful of points of reaching the Final Four as freshmen in 2019.It's also a group of seniors who adopted and have lived out their 'winning is an attitude' motto.They're hopeful this level of trust, talent and confidence can carry them through to more historic heights in 2022."This team is different," Woodside said. "There's something about the chemistry we have and how we work together. I think all around our volleyball play is there. I think if we show up and we're always ready to play, then it's going to be good."Audio story<div><iframe src="https://anchor.fm/tommy-rezac/embed/episodes/East-Buchanan-volleyballs-record-setting-year-ending-at-Final-Four-e1q8bfn" height="102px" width="400px" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe></div><figure>
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Winning has become an attitude, reality for East Buchanan volleyball

Friday 11/4 KFEQ (680, 95.3) - HSFB - Savannah vs. Chillicothe, Class 3 District 8 semifinal (6:30 p.m. pregame, 7:00 pm kickoff)

Saturday 11/5 KFEQ - MWSU FB vs. Central Missouri (Noon pregame, 1 p.m. kickoff) KFEQ - MWSU WBB vs. Minnesota Duluth (5 p.m. pregame, 5:30 p.m. tipoff)

Sunday 11/6 KFEQ - NO CHIEFS KFEQ - MWSU WBB vs. Lubbock Christian (5 p.m. pregame, 5:30 p.m. tipoff) Q Country 92.7 FM&nbsp; - Chiefs vs. Titans (6 p.m. pregame, 7:20 p.m. kickoff)

Monday 11/7 JoeTown 107.5 FM, 1550 AM - MWSU Luncheon @ Hi Ho Bar and Grill (Noon - 1 p.m.) KFEQ - Chiefs Kingdom Radio Show (6-7 p.m.)

By TOMMY REZACSt. Joseph PostFriday 11/4 KFEQ (680, 95.3) - HSFB - Savannah vs. Chillicothe, Class 3 District 8 semifinal (6:30 p.m. pregame, 7:00 pm kickoff)Saturday 11/5 KFEQ - MWSU FB vs. Central Missouri (Noon pregame, 1 p.m. kickoff) KFEQ - MWSU WBB vs. Minnesota Duluth (5 p.m. pregame, 5:30 p.m. tipoff)Sunday 11/6 KFEQ - NO CHIEFS KFEQ - MWSU WBB vs. Lubbock Christian (5 p.m. pregame, 5:30 p.m. tipoff) Q Country 92.7 FM&nbsp; - Chiefs vs. Titans (6 p.m. pregame, 7:20 p.m. kickoff)Monday 11/7 JoeTown 107.5 FM, 1550 AM - MWSU Luncheon @ Hi Ho Bar and Grill (Noon - 1 p.m.) KFEQ - Chiefs Kingdom Radio Show (6-7 p.m.)

Eagle Radio broadcast schedule - November 4 - November 7, 2022

The 10th-ranked Northwest Missouri State volleyball team claimed the program's first MIAA regular season championship with a 3-0 sweep of No. 21-ranked Central Oklahoma in Bearcat Arena Wednesday.

Northwest won by set scores of 25-22, 25-18 and 25-21 to produce their 10th straight win. The Northwest victory assures the Bearcats of at least a share of the regular season crown. The Bearcats are 16-3 in MIAA play with a final home match set for Friday at 6 p.m. against the Newman Jets.

 Another Northwest triumph would give the Bearcats the outright league title and the No. 1 seed in the MIAA Tournament.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/11/1667475002809.jpeg" alt="Photo courtesy of Northwest athletics." />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy of Northwest athletics.</figcaption>
 </figure>By TOMMY REZACSt. Joseph PostThe 10th-ranked Northwest Missouri State volleyball team claimed the program's first MIAA regular season championship with a 3-0 sweep of No. 21-ranked Central Oklahoma in Bearcat Arena Wednesday.Northwest won by set scores of 25-22, 25-18 and 25-21 to produce their 10th straight win. The Northwest victory assures the Bearcats of at least a share of the regular season crown. The Bearcats are 16-3 in MIAA play with a final home match set for Friday at 6 p.m. against the Newman Jets. Another Northwest triumph would give the Bearcats the outright league title and the No. 1 seed in the MIAA Tournament.

Northwest volleyball wins first ever MIAA regular season championship

LEXINGTON, KY - The Missouri Western men's basketball team defended Division I No. 4 Kentucky well throughout Sunday's exhibition at Rupp Arena, and kept it close for much of the time.

The Griffons trailed by only eight points at halftime and were only down nine with 9:18 left in the game.

Kentucky, however, made five second-half threes and held the Griffons' offense in check all night, as the Wildcats pulled out a 56-38 win on Sunday night in Lexington.

Still, Missouri Western battled for all 40 minutes, outrebounding Kentucky 36-35 and outscoring the Wildcats 24-14 in the paint. The Griffons held Kentucky to a 21-of-52 shooting night Sunday

"I'm so proud of the way our guys played defense tonight," Missouri Western coach Will Martin said. "I thought we were really bad in our first exhibition (against Benedictine) defensively. I probably hurt our guys a little bit the last week, because all we focused on was defense. I think people saw that, and they saw we're tough and gritty."

The Griffons got down 26-14 in the first half, as Kentucky at one point reeled off a 17-2 run, but Missouri Western held its own, ending the first half on a 4-0 run and holding Kentucky scoreless for the last 2:54 of the first half to make it a 26-18 game at the break.

A fast break dunk by Missouri Western sophomore Taye Fields made it a 42-33 game with 9:18 remaining, but that's as close as the Griffons got, as Kentucky outscored Missouri Western 14-5 the rest of the way.

The Wildcats, a preseason favorite to win the SEC, were without their reigning national and SEC Player of the Year Sunday in junior forward Oscar Tshiebwe, who had a minor knee procedure earlier this month.

Kentucky got a spark in the second half from redshirt senior guard C.J. Frederick, who scored a game-high 15 points on 4-of-6 shooting from beyond the arc. Senior Jacob Toppin added 12 for the Wildcats.

Kentucky blocked 11 shots Sunday. The Wildcats also turned Missouri Western over 16 times. The Griffons shot 16-of-52 from the field, including 2-of-15 from three.

Junior Will Eames led Missouri Western with 12 points and seven rebounds. Sophomore Taye Fields logged nine points and eight rebounds.

"I'm just really proud of our team, because we responded," Eames said on KFEQ Radio after. "Last week, our exhibition (against Benedictine) did not go the way we wanted it to. We did not bring the effort and failed to bring any energy. Tonight was a whole 180. We're just really proud of how we competed."

Sunday's game was a special homecoming for Coach Martin, who was a team manager for Kentucky coach John Calipari and the Wildcats from 2008-2012. Two of Martin's assistants, Jon Hood and Perry Stevenson, also played at Kentucky for Coach Cal.

Both coaches were quite complimentary of each other after the game.

"Everything I am as a man and a coach is because of Coach Cal," Martin said in an emotional opening statement at his postgame press conference. "I wiped up sweat here for four years, and I got an opportunity to coach here with two guys that I love in Perry Stevenson and Jon Hood who played here. That just shows Coach Cal's character."

"We all appreciated him," Calipari said of Martin, whose time as a team manager included the national title season for Kentucky in 2012. "What he's done here and the mark he's left. On top of that, he's a heck of a coach. Heck of a coach."

Missouri Western is next in action on Friday, November 11 at home against Minnesota-Crookston in the Hillyard Tipoff Classic. That'll be the first official game of the season after two exhibitions in October.

Tip-off from the MWSU Fieldhouse in that game is set for 7:30 p.m. Missouri Western will also face Northern State at home on Saturday, November 12 at 6 p.m.

"Exhibitions are done and every game from here on out counts," Eames said. "So, we really have to bring it this week in practice. No more excuses. We just have to show up on that Friday and come to work and I think our team will be ready for that."

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/10/1667188029128.jpeg" alt="Missouri Western's Will Eames (23) goes up for a shot in a 56-38 loss to Kentucky in Rupp Arena in Lexington in an exhibition Sunday. Photo by Arianne Boma." />
 <figcaption>Missouri Western's Will Eames (23) goes up for a shot in a 56-38 loss to Kentucky in Rupp Arena in Lexington in an exhibition Sunday. Photo by Arianne Boma.</figcaption>
 </figure>By TOMMY REZACSt. Joseph PostLEXINGTON, KY - The Missouri Western men's basketball team defended Division I No. 4 Kentucky well throughout Sunday's exhibition at Rupp Arena, and kept it close for much of the time.The Griffons trailed by only eight points at halftime and were only down nine with 9:18 left in the game.Kentucky, however, made five second-half threes and held the Griffons' offense in check all night, as the Wildcats pulled out a 56-38 win on Sunday night in Lexington.Still, Missouri Western battled for all 40 minutes, outrebounding Kentucky 36-35 and outscoring the Wildcats 24-14 in the paint. The Griffons held Kentucky to a 21-of-52 shooting night Sunday"I'm so proud of the way our guys played defense tonight," Missouri Western coach Will Martin said. "I thought we were really bad in our first exhibition (against Benedictine) defensively. I probably hurt our guys a little bit the last week, because all we focused on was defense. I think people saw that, and they saw we're tough and gritty."The Griffons got down 26-14 in the first half, as Kentucky at one point reeled off a 17-2 run, but Missouri Western held its own, ending the first half on a 4-0 run and holding Kentucky scoreless for the last 2:54 of the first half to make it a 26-18 game at the break.A fast break dunk by Missouri Western sophomore Taye Fields made it a 42-33 game with 9:18 remaining, but that's as close as the Griffons got, as Kentucky outscored Missouri Western 14-5 the rest of the way.The Wildcats, a preseason favorite to win the SEC, were without their reigning national and SEC Player of the Year Sunday in junior forward Oscar Tshiebwe, who had a minor knee procedure earlier this month.Kentucky got a spark in the second half from redshirt senior guard C.J. Frederick, who scored a game-high 15 points on 4-of-6 shooting from beyond the arc. Senior Jacob Toppin added 12 for the Wildcats.Kentucky blocked 11 shots Sunday. The Wildcats also turned Missouri Western over 16 times. The Griffons shot 16-of-52 from the field, including 2-of-15 from three.Junior Will Eames led Missouri Western with 12 points and seven rebounds. Sophomore Taye Fields logged nine points and eight rebounds."I'm just really proud of our team, because we responded," Eames said on KFEQ Radio after. "Last week, our exhibition (against Benedictine) did not go the way we wanted it to. We did not bring the effort and failed to bring any energy. Tonight was a whole 180. We're just really proud of how we competed."Sunday's game was a special homecoming for Coach Martin, who was a team manager for Kentucky coach John Calipari and the Wildcats from 2008-2012. Two of Martin's assistants, Jon Hood and Perry Stevenson, also played at Kentucky for Coach Cal.Both coaches were quite complimentary of each other after the game."Everything I am as a man and a coach is because of Coach Cal," Martin said in an emotional opening statement at his postgame press conference. "I wiped up sweat here for four years, and I got an opportunity to coach here with two guys that I love in Perry Stevenson and Jon Hood who played here. That just shows Coach Cal's character.""We all appreciated him," Calipari said of Martin, whose time as a team manager included the national title season for Kentucky in 2012. "What he's done here and the mark he's left. On top of that, he's a heck of a coach. Heck of a coach."Missouri Western is next in action on Friday, November 11 at home against Minnesota-Crookston in the Hillyard Tipoff Classic. That'll be the first official game of the season after two exhibitions in October.Tip-off from the MWSU Fieldhouse in that game is set for 7:30 p.m. Missouri Western will also face Northern State at home on Saturday, November 12 at 6 p.m."Exhibitions are done and every game from here on out counts," Eames said. "So, we really have to bring it this week in practice. No more excuses. We just have to show up on that Friday and come to work and I think our team will be ready for that."Will Eames interview<div><iframe src="https://anchor.fm/tommy-rezac/embed/episodes/Missouri-Westerns-Will-Eames---Kentucky-postgame-e1q0f0i" height="102px" width="400px" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe></div><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/10/1667190505169.jpeg" alt="Missouri Western coach Will Martin (left) and Kentucky coach John Calipari (right) share a moment before Sunday's game. Photo by Arianne Boma." />
 <figcaption>Missouri Western coach Will Martin (left) and Kentucky coach John Calipari (right) share a moment before Sunday's game. Photo by Arianne Boma.</figcaption>
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 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/10/1667190543048.jpeg" alt="Taye Fields had a pair of dunks in the second half at Kentucky. Photo by Arianne Boma." />
 <figcaption>Taye Fields had a pair of dunks in the second half at Kentucky. Photo by Arianne Boma.</figcaption>
 </figure>You can follow Tommy on Twitter @TommyKFEQ and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.

Missouri Western plays tough defensively, falls in competitve exhibition at Kentucky

After firing Mike Matheny at the end of the regular season, new Royals Executive Vice President of Baseball Operations and General Manager J.J Picollo began searching for the new manager of the club.&nbsp;

After just four weeks of interviews and searching for the right man for the job, Picollo has found the next manager of the Kansas City Royals.&nbsp; Rays bench coach Matt Quatraro has been hired as the 18th manager in the history of the franchise.

According to sources, while many candidates were interviewed for the job, Quatraro was always viewed as the favorite to take the job.&nbsp; Quatraro will be introduced to fans and media on Thursday during a press conference at Kauffman Stadium.&nbsp;

“We are extremely excited to have Matt leading our club and core of talent,” Royals executive vice president and general manager J.J. Picollo said in a news release announcing the hire. “Matt has great experiences throughout his career that have prepared him for this."

"He thoroughly impressed us all during our interview process and is clearly respected across the industry. We are looking forward to working alongside Matt to bring winning baseball to our great fans."

Quatraro, 48, spent the last five seasons on Kevin Cash’s staff in Tampa Bay, including one season as the third-base coach and four as the bench coach. The Rays reached the postseason in four of Quatraro's five years on their big league staff, including a World Series appearance in 2020.

Quatraro also served as Cleveland’s assistant hitting coach from 2014-17, overlapping with Royals owner John Sherman’s minority stake there. His experience and success in both helped his candidacy in Kansas City, as Sherman views both Tampa Bay and Cleveland as models for small-market success.

On top of all that, Quatraro has the respect and adoration of players, coaches and executives from around the industry. He has interviewed for several managerial openings, including with the Pirates and Giants after the 2019 season, the Tigers after ’20, the A’s and Mets after ’21 and the Marlins this offseason before they hired Skip Schumaker -- allowing the Royals to finalize their offer.

“I’m grateful to Mr. Sherman and the ownership group, J.J. and the front office and everyone else with the Royals for this opportunity,” Quatraro said through the Royals. “I already knew the talent on the roster and how great the fans in Kansas City are, and the interview process convinced me that the terrific things I’d heard about the organization’s culture are true. I can’t wait to get started, and for my family to get to Kansas City and be part of that community."

The Royals are looking for someone to shepherd their young core -- which includes Bobby Witt Jr., MJ Melendez, Vinnie Pasquantino and a slew of young pitchers -- to the next window of contention, and Quatraro receives high praise for his communication with players.

"J.J. and his staff designed and executed a rigorous process that revealed Matt to be the best leader for our club," Sherman said in the news release. "Matt is widely respected throughout baseball with a proven record and tangible contributions in two organizations that built winning cultures through creativity and innovation. We are thrilled to welcome Matt, his wife Chris and sons George and Leo to the Kansas City community."

Having hired their manager, the Royals and Quatraro will now turn to filling out the coaching staff, including a new pitching coach after Cal Eldred was let go on the final day of the season. Picollo has already announced that the hitting side will largely stay the same, with Alec Zumwalt as the hitting coach and Mike Tosar and Keoni DeRenne as assistant hitting coaches.

By MATT PIKESt. Joseph PostAfter firing Mike Matheny at the end of the regular season, new Royals Executive Vice President of Baseball Operations and General Manager J.J Picollo began searching for the new manager of the club.&nbsp;After just four weeks of interviews and searching for the right man for the job, Picollo has found the next manager of the Kansas City Royals.&nbsp; Rays bench coach Matt Quatraro has been hired as the 18th manager in the history of the franchise.According to sources, while many candidates were interviewed for the job, Quatraro was always viewed as the favorite to take the job.&nbsp; Quatraro will be introduced to fans and media on Thursday during a press conference at Kauffman Stadium.&nbsp;“We are extremely excited to have Matt leading our club and core of talent,” Royals executive vice president and general manager J.J. Picollo said in a news release announcing the hire. “Matt has great experiences throughout his career that have prepared him for this.""He thoroughly impressed us all during our interview process and is clearly respected across the industry. We are looking forward to working alongside Matt to bring winning baseball to our great fans."Quatraro, 48, spent the last five seasons on Kevin Cash’s staff in Tampa Bay, including one season as the third-base coach and four as the bench coach. The Rays reached the postseason in four of Quatraro's five years on their big league staff, including a World Series appearance in 2020.Quatraro also served as Cleveland’s assistant hitting coach from 2014-17, overlapping with Royals owner John Sherman’s minority stake there. His experience and success in both helped his candidacy in Kansas City, as Sherman views both Tampa Bay and Cleveland as models for small-market success.On top of all that, Quatraro has the respect and adoration of players, coaches and executives from around the industry. He has interviewed for several managerial openings, including with the Pirates and Giants after the 2019 season, the Tigers after ’20, the A’s and Mets after ’21 and the Marlins this offseason before they hired Skip Schumaker -- allowing the Royals to finalize their offer.“I’m grateful to Mr. Sherman and the ownership group, J.J. and the front office and everyone else with the Royals for this opportunity,” Quatraro said through the Royals. “I already knew the talent on the roster and how great the fans in Kansas City are, and the interview process convinced me that the terrific things I’d heard about the organization’s culture are true. I can’t wait to get started, and for my family to get to Kansas City and be part of that community."The Royals are looking for someone to shepherd their young core -- which includes Bobby Witt Jr., MJ Melendez, Vinnie Pasquantino and a slew of young pitchers -- to the next window of contention, and Quatraro receives high praise for his communication with players."J.J. and his staff designed and executed a rigorous process that revealed Matt to be the best leader for our club," Sherman said in the news release. "Matt is widely respected throughout baseball with a proven record and tangible contributions in two organizations that built winning cultures through creativity and innovation. We are thrilled to welcome Matt, his wife Chris and sons George and Leo to the Kansas City community."Having hired their manager, the Royals and Quatraro will now turn to filling out the coaching staff, including a new pitching coach after Cal Eldred was let go on the final day of the season. Picollo has already announced that the hitting side will largely stay the same, with Alec Zumwalt as the hitting coach and Mike Tosar and Keoni DeRenne as assistant hitting coaches.

Kansas City Royals tab Matt Quatraro as the man to replace Mike Matheny as manager

Bearcats keep playoff hopes alive with comeback win over Lopers

Northwest Missouri State overcame a 10 point fourth quarter deficit to keep their hopes for a playoff berth alive, scoring 14 points in the fourth quarter to defeat Nebraska Kearney 28-24 on Saturday in Kearney, Nebraska.

It's the 18th come from behind win for Bearcat head coach Rich Wright, and just the third time since 2017 that the Bearcats rallied from being behind double digits to earn a win.

Kearney would get the scoring started in the first quarter when last years MIAA Offensive Player of the Year quarterback TJ Davis would find wide receiver AJ McPhee from 13 yards out with 11:26 left in the quarter.&nbsp; The Bearcats would answer though just under five minutes later, when freshman running back Jay Harris would rush in from two yards out to cap a 12 play drive.&nbsp;

The first quarter would end knotted up at 7-7, but then after a 10 play drive with 13:17 in the second quarter, kicker Junior Gonzalez would put the Lopers up again with a 45 yard field goal.&nbsp;&nbsp;

It was back and forth for the next nine minutes of the quarter, before the Bearcats would take their first lead of the game with 4:04 left before half.&nbsp; Following a defensive play where Junior defensive lineman Walker Graves would sack Davis forcing a fumble that Sophomore defensive end Jake Fisher would return to the four yard line, Harris would need just one play to rush it in from four yards out.&nbsp;

Davis would atone for his mistake though, scoring the final touchdown of the half by capping a 7 play, 73 yard drive with a 12 yard rushing score, giving the Lopers a 17-14 lead at halftime.&nbsp;

Nebraska Kearney would come out of halftime and score the only touchdown of the third quarter, a 30 yard rushing score by Damien Cearns to give Kearney a 24-14 lead, before Northwest took over in the fourth quarter.&nbsp;

Northwest would go on to score 14 unanswered points in the fourth quarter, on a 32 yard rushing touchdown from Harris and a six yard score from Senior quarterback Braden Wright and would hold on for the 28-24 victory.&nbsp;

The passing game was hardly necessary for the Bearcats as they compiled 312 yards rushing on the day.&nbsp; Running back Jemar Moya lead the rushing attack with 120 yard on the ground while Harris ran for 72 yards to go with his three scores.&nbsp;

The Bearcats, now 7-2 on the season, will return to Maryville on Saturday for their final home regular season game and will host Missouri Southern.&nbsp; Kickoff is set for 1:30pm.

Griffon offense dominates in Hall of Fame Weekend victory

Missouri Western used over 500 yards of total offense to earn a victory over Missouri Southern during Hall of Fame Weekend.&nbsp; <a href="https://stjosephpost.com/posts/52caaab8-38ff-469a-9499-46b22c15ccd8">Read our full recap here</a>

#7 Ravens score late, defense stands up to hold onto win over Baker

The Benedictine defense stood strong over the last two minutes of the game to help the #7 Ravens come away with a 21-20 win over Baker on Saturday in Atchison for Homecoming.

It wasn't pretty for the Ravens though, who after taking a 14-0 lead in the first quarter, fell behind 20-14 before scoring the go ahead touchdown with 2:14 left in the ball game.&nbsp;

The scoring got started quick for the Ravens in the first.&nbsp; After taking the opening kick 64 yards, the Ravens needed just four plays and two minutes of game clock before Rayshon Mills would rush in from two yards out to make it 7-0.&nbsp;

Benedictine wouldn't score again however until late in the first quarter.&nbsp; Following a missed field goal by Baker kicker Seth Simpson, the Ravens got the ball at their own 20.&nbsp; After a 12 yard rush by Mills, quarterback Garrett Kettle would unload, finding wide receiver Jacob Gathright for a 68 yard touchdown, giving the Ravens the 14-0 lead.&nbsp;

Baker would score the only points of the second quarter as Simpson would knock one through from 27 yards out with 48 seconds left in the half.&nbsp; The Ravens would attempt to move the ball down the field, but would run out of time, taking a 14-3 lead into the locker room at halftime.

The second half&nbsp; was all Baker, until the Ravens score late in the fourth.&nbsp; With 4:43 left in the third quarter, Baker quarterback Sam Heggemann would find Will Roberts from 10 yards out, bringing Baker a little closer as after the extra point was made they trailed 14-10.&nbsp;

The fourth quarter was when Baker would take the lead, on back to back drives with scores, the first drive would take just five plays to give Baker a 17-14 lead as running back Andrew Colvert would rush in from four yards out for the score.&nbsp; 

Simpson would add to that on Bakers next drive, nailing a field goal from 25 yards out to make it 20-14, with 6:57 left of game time.&nbsp;

On the ensuing kickoff, the Ravens would take it back 58 yards, setting up at the Baker 31.&nbsp; From there it would be a game of chewing clock.&nbsp; Benedictine would eat up just under five minutes of clock over 10 plays, before Kettle would rush in from 12 yards out, knotting the game at 20-20, before the extra point would give Benedictine the 21-20 lead.&nbsp;

The Ravens defense would hold strong from there, a five play drive from Baker would result in a four and out after Heggemann was unable to complete a pass on 4th and 12. Giving the Ravens the ball back and allowing them to run the time out.&nbsp;

Mills on the day rushed 10 times for 75 yards and a score to be the leading rusher.&nbsp; Kettle also rushed 11 times for 58 yards and his rushing score, to go with 206 passing yards on the day.&nbsp;

The Ravens are now 8-1 on the season, 3-0 in Heart East play, and will stay home on Saturday, hosting Evangel for Senior Day in Atchison.&nbsp; Kickoff is slated for 1pm.

#22 Kansas State dominates #9 Oklahoma State in shutout

MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) — After the final seconds ticked away on No. 22 Kansas State's comprehensive 48-0 win over ninth-ranked Oklahoma State on Saturday, thousands of purple-clad fans didn't storm the field so much as they wandered onto it in celebration.

Which was altogether fitting, considering the way the Wildcats methodically trounced the Cowboys.

Backup quarterback Will Howard threw for 296 yards and four touchdowns, Deuce Vaughn ran for 158 yards and another score, and a late interception by the Wildcats sealed Oklahoma State's first shutout loss since 2009 while allowing Kansas State to remain a game behind TCU in the race for berths in the Big 12 championship game.

“This is as good a win as I've ever been a part of,” Kansas State coach Chris Klieman said. “Offense fed off defense. Defense fed off the offense. We need to play complementary football and we were really good in all three phases.”

Kansas State scored TDs on its first two possessions, had 495 yards of total offense and held Oklahoma State, which had been the nation’s No. 3 scoring offense at 44.7 points per game, to just 217 yards — less than half its season average.

Kade Warner caught five passes for 97 yards and two scores, and Malik Knowles had eight catches for 113 yards. The late interception gave the Wildcats (6-2, 4-1 Big 12) their first shutout of the Cowboys since a 10-0 win on Nov. 21, 1992.

“We’re confident," Howard said. "We feel good right now. And we just played a really good game against a really good team and beat them 48-0. And the nice thing is, we haven’t played our best game, and that's still in front of us.”

Spencer Sanders was just 13 of 26 for 147 yards with an interception for Oklahoma State (6-2, 3-2 Big 12) before landing hard on his shoulder midway through the fourth quarter. The star quarterback did not return to the game.

he biggest question surrounding Kansas State was the health of its own quarterback, Adrian Martinez, who played just four snaps in last week's loss to TCU because of a knee injury. And while he warmed up with the starters Saturday, it was the veteran backup Howard who headed out to the field on the opening possession of the game.

“Adrian didn't feel like he was 100 percent confident in what he was going to be able to do,” Klieman said, “and I appreciate that because he's a team player. We knew we would be good either way.”

New polls released today show Oklahoma State dropping nine spots from #9 down to #18, while the Wildcats are on the rise nine spots going from #22 to #13.

Next up Kansas State will stay home to welcome the Texas Longhorns into Bill Snyder Family Stadium.&nbsp; Kickoff is set for 6pm and will be aired on FS1.

Tigers win second straight game, Mayors Cup in win over #25 S. Carolina

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — Brady Cook didn't let Missouri's early struggles this season change his outlook on what the Tigers could accomplish. He made sure his teammates wouldn't let that happen, either.

Cook and the Tigers, who opened 0-3 in Southeastern Conference play, directed three long, first-half drives to built a 17-0 lead on the way to their 23-10 victory over No. 25 South Carolina on Saturday night.

“It was a tough three weeks,” Cook said of his team's SEC losses. But he made sure the Tigers knew how close they were to success.

“There's no reason to give up now,” Cook remembered.

That perseverance was evident for Missouri (4-4, 2-3 SEC) in its fourth straight win over South Carolina (5-3, 2-3 SEC).

“I showed and we showed what we can do,” Cook said.

It was a dominating performance over the Gamecocks, who came in with a four-game win streak and in the national rankings for the first time since early in the 2018 season.

Receiver Dominic Lovett had career highs with 10 catches for 148 yards while the Tigers' defense had 11 tackles behind the line of scrimmage and held the Gamecocks to 203 total yards.

Missouri beat a ranked opponent for the first time since its 45-41 win over No. 17 LSU on Oct. 10, 2020.

It was hard for even the most optimistic among Tigers fans to see this coming. Missouri coach Eli Drinkwitz told his seniors earlier this season that just because the results aren't there, “that doesn't mean you haven't created positive change in the program.”

Drinkwitz hopes the positivity continues the final month of the season. It could if Cook keeps leading like this.

He completed 17 of 26 passes for 224 yards without an interception. He added 53 yards and a touchdown on the ground. as Cook's steady hand kept driving Missouri forward.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/10/1667156721080.jpeg" alt="Freshman running back Jay Harris celebrates with Sophomore wide receiver Peyton Carder as the Bearcats came from behind to defeat Nebraska Kearney Saturday/ Photo by Avery Anderson, Northwest Athletics" />
 <figcaption>Freshman running back Jay Harris celebrates with Sophomore wide receiver Peyton Carder as the Bearcats came from behind to defeat Nebraska Kearney Saturday/ Photo by Avery Anderson, Northwest Athletics</figcaption>
 </figure>By MATT PIKESt. Joseph PostBearcats keep playoff hopes alive with comeback win over LopersNorthwest Missouri State overcame a 10 point fourth quarter deficit to keep their hopes for a playoff berth alive, scoring 14 points in the fourth quarter to defeat Nebraska Kearney 28-24 on Saturday in Kearney, Nebraska.It's the 18th come from behind win for Bearcat head coach Rich Wright, and just the third time since 2017 that the Bearcats rallied from being behind double digits to earn a win.Kearney would get the scoring started in the first quarter when last years MIAA Offensive Player of the Year quarterback TJ Davis would find wide receiver AJ McPhee from 13 yards out with 11:26 left in the quarter.&nbsp; The Bearcats would answer though just under five minutes later, when freshman running back Jay Harris would rush in from two yards out to cap a 12 play drive.&nbsp;The first quarter would end knotted up at 7-7, but then after a 10 play drive with 13:17 in the second quarter, kicker Junior Gonzalez would put the Lopers up again with a 45 yard field goal.&nbsp;&nbsp;It was back and forth for the next nine minutes of the quarter, before the Bearcats would take their first lead of the game with 4:04 left before half.&nbsp; Following a defensive play where Junior defensive lineman Walker Graves would sack Davis forcing a fumble that Sophomore defensive end Jake Fisher would return to the four yard line, Harris would need just one play to rush it in from four yards out.&nbsp;Davis would atone for his mistake though, scoring the final touchdown of the half by capping a 7 play, 73 yard drive with a 12 yard rushing score, giving the Lopers a 17-14 lead at halftime.&nbsp;Nebraska Kearney would come out of halftime and score the only touchdown of the third quarter, a 30 yard rushing score by Damien Cearns to give Kearney a 24-14 lead, before Northwest took over in the fourth quarter.&nbsp;Northwest would go on to score 14 unanswered points in the fourth quarter, on a 32 yard rushing touchdown from Harris and a six yard score from Senior quarterback Braden Wright and would hold on for the 28-24 victory.&nbsp;The passing game was hardly necessary for the Bearcats as they compiled 312 yards rushing on the day.&nbsp; Running back Jemar Moya lead the rushing attack with 120 yard on the ground while Harris ran for 72 yards to go with his three scores.&nbsp;The Bearcats, now 7-2 on the season, will return to Maryville on Saturday for their final home regular season game and will host Missouri Southern.&nbsp; Kickoff is set for 1:30pm.Griffon offense dominates in Hall of Fame Weekend victoryMissouri Western used over 500 yards of total offense to earn a victory over Missouri Southern during Hall of Fame Weekend.&nbsp; <a href="https://stjosephpost.com/posts/52caaab8-38ff-469a-9499-46b22c15ccd8">Read our full recap here</a>#7 Ravens score late, defense stands up to hold onto win over BakerThe Benedictine defense stood strong over the last two minutes of the game to help the #7 Ravens come away with a 21-20 win over Baker on Saturday in Atchison for Homecoming.It wasn't pretty for the Ravens though, who after taking a 14-0 lead in the first quarter, fell behind 20-14 before scoring the go ahead touchdown with 2:14 left in the ball game.&nbsp;The scoring got started quick for the Ravens in the first.&nbsp; After taking the opening kick 64 yards, the Ravens needed just four plays and two minutes of game clock before Rayshon Mills would rush in from two yards out to make it 7-0.&nbsp;Benedictine wouldn't score again however until late in the first quarter.&nbsp; Following a missed field goal by Baker kicker Seth Simpson, the Ravens got the ball at their own 20.&nbsp; After a 12 yard rush by Mills, quarterback Garrett Kettle would unload, finding wide receiver Jacob Gathright for a 68 yard touchdown, giving the Ravens the 14-0 lead.&nbsp;Baker would score the only points of the second quarter as Simpson would knock one through from 27 yards out with 48 seconds left in the half.&nbsp; The Ravens would attempt to move the ball down the field, but would run out of time, taking a 14-3 lead into the locker room at halftime.The second half&nbsp; was all Baker, until the Ravens score late in the fourth.&nbsp; With 4:43 left in the third quarter, Baker quarterback Sam Heggemann would find Will Roberts from 10 yards out, bringing Baker a little closer as after the extra point was made they trailed 14-10.&nbsp;The fourth quarter was when Baker would take the lead, on back to back drives with scores, the first drive would take just five plays to give Baker a 17-14 lead as running back Andrew Colvert would rush in from four yards out for the score.&nbsp; Simpson would add to that on Bakers next drive, nailing a field goal from 25 yards out to make it 20-14, with 6:57 left of game time.&nbsp;On the ensuing kickoff, the Ravens would take it back 58 yards, setting up at the Baker 31.&nbsp; From there it would be a game of chewing clock.&nbsp; Benedictine would eat up just under five minutes of clock over 10 plays, before Kettle would rush in from 12 yards out, knotting the game at 20-20, before the extra point would give Benedictine the 21-20 lead.&nbsp;The Ravens defense would hold strong from there, a five play drive from Baker would result in a four and out after Heggemann was unable to complete a pass on 4th and 12. Giving the Ravens the ball back and allowing them to run the time out.&nbsp;Mills on the day rushed 10 times for 75 yards and a score to be the leading rusher.&nbsp; Kettle also rushed 11 times for 58 yards and his rushing score, to go with 206 passing yards on the day.&nbsp;The Ravens are now 8-1 on the season, 3-0 in Heart East play, and will stay home on Saturday, hosting Evangel for Senior Day in Atchison.&nbsp; Kickoff is slated for 1pm.#22 Kansas State dominates #9 Oklahoma State in shutoutMANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) — After the final seconds ticked away on No. 22 Kansas State's comprehensive 48-0 win over ninth-ranked Oklahoma State on Saturday, thousands of purple-clad fans didn't storm the field so much as they wandered onto it in celebration.Which was altogether fitting, considering the way the Wildcats methodically trounced the Cowboys.Backup quarterback Will Howard threw for 296 yards and four touchdowns, Deuce Vaughn ran for 158 yards and another score, and a late interception by the Wildcats sealed Oklahoma State's first shutout loss since 2009 while allowing Kansas State to remain a game behind TCU in the race for berths in the Big 12 championship game.“This is as good a win as I've ever been a part of,” Kansas State coach Chris Klieman said. “Offense fed off defense. Defense fed off the offense. We need to play complementary football and we were really good in all three phases.”Kansas State scored TDs on its first two possessions, had 495 yards of total offense and held Oklahoma State, which had been the nation’s No. 3 scoring offense at 44.7 points per game, to just 217 yards — less than half its season average.Kade Warner caught five passes for 97 yards and two scores, and Malik Knowles had eight catches for 113 yards. The late interception gave the Wildcats (6-2, 4-1 Big 12) their first shutout of the Cowboys since a 10-0 win on Nov. 21, 1992.“We’re confident," Howard said. "We feel good right now. And we just played a really good game against a really good team and beat them 48-0. And the nice thing is, we haven’t played our best game, and that's still in front of us.”Spencer Sanders was just 13 of 26 for 147 yards with an interception for Oklahoma State (6-2, 3-2 Big 12) before landing hard on his shoulder midway through the fourth quarter. The star quarterback did not return to the game.he biggest question surrounding Kansas State was the health of its own quarterback, Adrian Martinez, who played just four snaps in last week's loss to TCU because of a knee injury. And while he warmed up with the starters Saturday, it was the veteran backup Howard who headed out to the field on the opening possession of the game.“Adrian didn't feel like he was 100 percent confident in what he was going to be able to do,” Klieman said, “and I appreciate that because he's a team player. We knew we would be good either way.”New polls released today show Oklahoma State dropping nine spots from #9 down to #18, while the Wildcats are on the rise nine spots going from #22 to #13.Next up Kansas State will stay home to welcome the Texas Longhorns into Bill Snyder Family Stadium.&nbsp; Kickoff is set for 6pm and will be aired on FS1.Tigers win second straight game, Mayors Cup in win over #25 S. CarolinaCOLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — Brady Cook didn't let Missouri's early struggles this season change his outlook on what the Tigers could accomplish. He made sure his teammates wouldn't let that happen, either.Cook and the Tigers, who opened 0-3 in Southeastern Conference play, directed three long, first-half drives to built a 17-0 lead on the way to their 23-10 victory over No. 25 South Carolina on Saturday night.“It was a tough three weeks,” Cook said of his team's SEC losses. But he made sure the Tigers knew how close they were to success.“There's no reason to give up now,” Cook remembered.That perseverance was evident for Missouri (4-4, 2-3 SEC) in its fourth straight win over South Carolina (5-3, 2-3 SEC).“I showed and we showed what we can do,” Cook said.It was a dominating performance over the Gamecocks, who came in with a four-game win streak and in the national rankings for the first time since early in the 2018 season.Receiver Dominic Lovett had career highs with 10 catches for 148 yards while the Tigers' defense had 11 tackles behind the line of scrimmage and held the Gamecocks to 203 total yards.Missouri beat a ranked opponent for the first time since its 45-41 win over No. 17 LSU on Oct. 10, 2020.It was hard for even the most optimistic among Tigers fans to see this coming. Missouri coach Eli Drinkwitz told his seniors earlier this season that just because the results aren't there, “that doesn't mean you haven't created positive change in the program.”Drinkwitz hopes the positivity continues the final month of the season. It could if Cook keeps leading like this.He completed 17 of 26 passes for 224 yards without an interception. He added 53 yards and a touchdown on the ground. as Cook's steady hand kept driving Missouri forward.Missouri won the Mayor's Cup that's contested between the two SEC East teams whose campuses are located in Columbia of their respective states. Missouri gets to keep the Cup for a fourth straight year. “It's a trophy game,” cornerback Ennis Rakestraw Jr. said. “We wanted to take something with us.”The Tigers will hope to extend their win streak to three games when they return home on Saturday to host the #19 Kentucky Wildcats.&nbsp; Kickoff is set for 11am and will be aired on SEC Network.#17 Illinois wins sixth straight game crushing HuskersLINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Illinois' breakout season keeps getting better.The Illini's 26-9 win over Nebraska on Saturday was nothing flashy, just workmanlike. Chase Brown and the top defense in the country did what they've been doing all year, and now No. 17 Illinois is on a six-game win streak for the first time since 2011.“Our guys are locked into the moment,” second-year coach Bret Bielema said. “When you get better and better, everyone wants to talk about where you’re going to end up. What we need to concentrate on is the journey, and to get to where we are today has been probably one of the most enjoyable journeys I’ve ever been on in my life.”Brown rushed for 149 yards and scored on consecutive series in the second quarter to help the Big Ten West-leading Illini (7-1, 4-1 Big Ten) beat the Cornhuskers for the third year in a row and secure their first winning regular-season record since 2007.“I tell these guys all the time that I’ve been around some championship teams, and this team is that same caliber if not better,” Bielema said. “We're an exceptional defense and we have playmakers on literally both sides of the ball and in the kicking game.”Nebraska (3-5, 2-3 Big Ten) committed four turnovers and dropped its 20th straight against a Top 25 opponent.The Huskers lost quarterback Casey Thompson to a right arm injury in the second quarter. Interim coach Mickey Joseph said Thompson's elbow got hit, causing finger numbness. Logan Smothers finished the second quarter, and Chubba Purdy played the entire second half.Illinois' Tommy DeVito was 20 of 22 for 179 yards and two touchdowns. His 91% completion rate was a Memorial Stadium record for visiting quarterbacks with at least 20 attempts.The Illini held Nebraska to 29 yards on 20 plays in the second half and 248 for the game, the fewest by the Huskers since they finished with the same number against Michigan State in 2018. Trey Palmer, coming off a school-record 237-yard receiving performance against Purdue, caught one pass for 1 yard.“We came out with a great game plan and didn’t execute,” Nebraska tight end Travis Vokolek said, “so I give all props to Illinois’ defense. Great team. Tough-nosed football team.”Nebraska will stay home on Saturday and will look to snap their small losing streak as they host Minnesota.&nbsp; Kickoff is at 11am and will be aired on ESPN 2.Bye week notesDuring their bye week a big focus for Kansas football head coach Lance Leipold was to get his team healthy."Obviously we've got to get healthier, it's been 12 plus weeks going straight for these guys," Leipold told reporters. "It's a full week of a lot of things. In our practice models of working with some of the younger players, some guys that have a high volume of game snaps probably won't take as many reps at least in the first couple days, kind of play it by ear. So it's a great time to get a lot done."Injuries have played a crucial part on Kansas' season, especially over just the last couple of weeks.&nbsp;KU lost crucial starting-quality players in running back Daniel Hishaw Jr., quarterback Jalon Daniels and cornerback Cobee Bryant in consecutive weeks.&nbsp;When asked if his injury list was longer than usual by reporters, Leipold wasn't afraid to admit that it was.&nbsp;"I'll say this, probably a little bit more on the higher side at the skill position area, guys that you like asking questions about,” Leipold said. “I’ve thought we've done a pretty good job in some of that but we'll see. The list got longer [against Baylor]. So we'll keep seeing where it goes. But Trent Carter our head athletic trainer and his staff, I probably should have said this long ago, but they're the best bet around. They do an excellent job."After starting the season 5-0, the Jayhawks have lost their last three games to fall to 5-3 on the season overall and 2-3 in Big 12 play.&nbsp; Kansas will look to right the ship in Lawrence Saturday against an Oklahoma State team coming off that big loss against Kansas State.&nbsp; Kickoff is set for 2:30pm on FS1.

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