Kansas.com: Sports

Kansas State looks sharp in exhibition against Pittsburg State

Kellis Robinett — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 07:29 CST

MANHATTAN — The final score of 89-53 didn't mean all that much to Kansas State men's basketball coach Frank Martin.

The Wildcats easily won their exhibition opener on Sunday, which was nice, and none of his players got hurt in the process, which was better. But more than anything all he wanted to see from his team the first time out was growth.

As long as K-State's five freshmen and newcomer Curtis Kelly could blend in well with their veteran teammates it would be a good day in his eyes.

High-scoring WSU women roll past Newman

TAYLOR ELDRIDGE — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 07:06 CST

Being only Chynna Turner's second minute on the floor, of course the Wichita State freshman expected to make the play.

Few in the 1,411 in attendance at Koch Arena on Sunday afternoon could have thought the same as Turner, charging down the court in transition, tried to corrall the lead pass from Dannah Kemp.

And while the pass was a bit long, Turner showed off a soft pair of hands and some athleticism to finish the play, part of her impressive 17-point, 10-rebound performance in the Shockers' 97-46 exhibition win over Newman.

Chiefs lose to Jacksonville

KENT BABB — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 07:02 CST

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. —The Chiefs spent two weeks working on tweaking the offense, working on fine-tuning, working on improvement. The play calls and approach looked different. The result did not.

Kansas City lost again, and it did it the same old way: poor pass protection, questionable play calls, and the appearance of a disorganized unit that couldn't adjust quickly enough. Coach Todd Haley took a magnifying glass and scalpel to his offense for two weeks. Time was supposed to help the Chiefs swerve back onto the road toward progress. But this didn't look much like progress: a 24-21 loss to Jacksonville, a team with problems and a fan base that seems leery that improvement is taking place.

Sound familiar?

Freeman leads Bucs to first win

FRED GOODALL — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 00:07 CST

TAMPA, Fla. —Wearing one of those ghastly creamsicle jerseys that are an ugly reminder of Tampa Bay's past, rookie Josh Freeman gave the struggling Buccaneers plenty of reasons to be optimistic about the future.

The third quarterback selected in this year's NFL draft — after playing three seasons at Kansas State — led the previously winless Bucs to a 38-28 victory over the Green Bay Packers in his first start Sunday, ending the league's longest losing streak at 11 games.

Playing with poise that belied his inexperience, Freeman passed for 205 yards and three touchdowns, including a 7-yard throw to Sammie Stroughter on fourth-and-4 for the go-ahead TD with under 5 minutes to play.

Late scores lift Butler into Region VI finals

BROOKS SEELEY — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 00:07 CST

EL DORADO — The Butler Grizzlies made the big plays when it mattered most in another classic game with Coffeyville, winning 21-14 to advance to the Region VI championship game next Sunday at No. 2 Fort Scott.

It's the 18th consecutive victory against Coffeyville for No. 8 Butler, and also gives the Grizzlies a chance to end Fort Scott's national title hopes, something the Greyhounds did when they beat Butler on Oct. 31.

"Just like always, when it's Butler and Coffeyville you gotta put your seatbelt on and be ready for a wild and crazy ride and this one was another great example of that," Butler coach Troy Morrell said. "I'm just proud of our guys for making plays when the game was on the line."

Johnson's lead fading away

STEPHEN HAWKINS — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 00:07 CST

FORT WORTH, Texas — Jimmie Johnson's drive to history took a hard hit against a wall and Kyle Busch ran out of gas trying to complete an unprecedented NASCAR trifecta.

Kurt Busch drove to Victory Lane at Texas after his younger brother ran out of fuel with 2 1/2 laps left Sunday, finishing 129 laps ahead of the rebuilt car driven by Johnson, who saw his points lead slashed from 184 to 73 over Hendrick teammate Mark Martin with two races left.

"It was definitely not the day we wanted," Johnson said. "It's not as bad as it could have been. At one point I was told to hop out of car and I was done.... It's still a big ouch."

TCU makes historic leap to No. 4 in BCS standings

RALPH D. RUSSO — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 00:07 CST

NEW YORK — All those blowouts have carried TCU to unprecedented heights in the BCS standings, giving the Horned Frogs hope — however slim — of becoming the first BCS buster to break into the national championship game.

TCU took over fourth place in the Bowl Championship Series standings Sunday behind Florida, Alabama and Texas. It's the highest BCS ranking ever for a team from a conference without an automatic bid to the big-money bowl games. No potential BCS buster had ever done better than sixth in the BCS standings.

Florida is first for the fourth straight week, and Alabama and Texas switched spots for the second week in a row.

VOLLEYBALL

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 00:07 CST

Kansas State won its second straight Big 12 match, 25-17, 25-17, 18-25, 25-13 over Texas Tech on Sunday in Manhattan. Middle blocker led the Wildcats with 13 kills.

BOWLING

The Wichita State men's and women's teams swept the SI-Elite Collegiate Tournament at Fairview Heights, Ill., with the WSU-D team winning the men's title and the WSU-C team winning the women's title.

Sunflower Showdown goes to Kansas State

KELLIS ROBINETT — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 02:24 CST

MANHATTAN — It wasn't that long ago that the Governor's Cup lived in a Kansas State trophy case on a year-round basis.

Bill Snyder was the Kansas State football coach back then, and he recalls winning the hardware so many times that the award presentations following all those victories against cross-state rival Kansas became "matter of fact" for his players.

They listened to the governor talk, posed for pictures with the trophy and moved on. There wasn't much to the celebration.

Short-handed Shockers trip Jets

PAUL SUELLENTROP — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 02:52 CST

Wichita State senior guard Clevin Hannah sat on the bench in uniform and watched auditions for his backup on Saturday.

Everyone at WSU hopes the Shockers need a backup, and not a replacement for any significant length of the basketball season. The Shockers missed Hannah’s leadership and shooting during their 81-69 win over NCAA Division II Newman in an exhibition at Koch Arena.

“We survived,” WSU coach Gregg Marshall said. “I certainly would have rather had the little fellow out there. The goal is to have him back as soon as possible. I think we’re on the way to doing that.”

Reesing falls flat, again

BLAIR KERKHOFF — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 00:08 CST

MANHATTAN —Sadly for Kansas, the Jayhawks don't have Ron Prince to kick around anymore.

The old Kansas State coach shaped a first-round draft pick in quarterback Josh Freeman and was perfect in two games against mighty Texas. But the sin that got Prince canned was losing in all three seasons to Kansas.

That streak ended Saturday with Kansas State's 17-10 triumph while another continued for the Jayhawks. They've now lost four straight and a piece of team expectation falls away with each defeat.

Chiefs players learn perils of modern age

KENT BABB — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 00:07 CST

The most tempting new trap in the NFL is free, attractive and alarmingly simple. Futures are promised and careers are threatened, all in 140 characters or less.

As the league, its teams and hundreds of players adjust to the newest trend in technology and fan connection, they're all learning at the same time that Twitter and other social networking sites are the league's newest Venus fly trap: come on in and get comfortable — but know that there are consequences.

Bobby Wade is a Chiefs wide receiver. His marketing man advised him last month to start a Twitter account. Said it'd be good for his future. Wade is 28, and he knows an NFL player's career can end any time. He heard that social networking might offer him exposure. He might want to do radio of television someday. It's nice to have options.

Sutton keeps his game in range

KELLIS ROBINETT — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 00:07 CST

MANHATTAN — As long as Dominique Sutton is a member of the Kansas State basketball team, coach Frank Martin expects to be asked the same prevailing question about his game.

When is he going to become a better shooter?

In his two seasons, the 6-foot-5 junior guard has made 6 of 28 three-point attempts. Martin, though, says Sutton is improving by the day.

Loya lifts Lenexa St. James to state title

JONATHAN LONG — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 03:17 CST

TOWANDA — Right when the Berean Academy Warriors thought the game was theirs, Steve Loya of Lenexa St. James proved otherwise.

Loya, a junior, scored the game-winning goal with 3:42 remaining to give St. James a 3-2 victory and the Class 4-1A soccer state championship Saturday afternoon at the Circle Athletic Complex.

Loya, who also scored the winning goal on a penalty kick in the semifinals Friday night against Rose Hill, took a pass from Alec Bartlett and hammered a shot high past the outstretched arms of Berean keeper Karlin Wiebe.

Friends sets up title shot

Eagle staff — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 00:08 CST

Two big plays in the second half broke open the game as No. 14 Friends secured a shot at a fourth straight KCAC title by beating Kansas Wesleyan 22-10 at Salina.

Trailing 3-0 at halftime, Friends took the lead back on a Tim Rozzell 9-yard touchdown run in the third quarter then followed that with a 45-yard interception return for a touchdown by Quinn Cunningham and an 81-yard touchdown run by Frank Miles.

Miles finished with a season-high 126 yards rushing.

Adams waiting for women to stabilize

TAYLOR ELDRIDGE — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 00:08 CST

Wichita State women's basketball coach Jody Adams is looking for someone she can count on.

In her second season, Adams' cleansing of the program has left three returning players to blend with eight new faces, all ready to make their preseason debut this afternoon in an exhibition game against Newman at Koch Arena.

Working with one of the more inexperienced teams in the nation, Adams will be searching for answers in the tune-up for the season-opening road trip to Colorado State next Sunday.

Emelianenko wins bloody MMA battle

Associated Press — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 00:08 CST

HOFFMAN ESTATES, Ill. —Fedor Emelianenko stopped Brett Rogers in the second round in a Strikeforce M-1 Global heavyweight bout Saturday night.

Emelianenko (31-1) landed a right hook that sent Rogers (10-1) down to the mat and Emelianenko followed with exchange of punches to the face of Rogers. Referee John McCarthy ended the fight at 1:48 in the second round.

The win didn't come easy for Emelianenko. He landed a left hook that knocked Rogers off balance in the first round, but Rogers landed a combination of punches that left blood smeared across Emelianenko's face.

Record day for Texas' Shipley

JIM VERTUNO — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 02:28 CST

AUSTIN, Texas — At the end of his big day, a group of Texas fans were chanting Jordan Shipley's name when he was pushed out of a group of Longhorns players, flashed a quick "Hook'em Horns" salute and jumped back into the pack.

For a guy who seldom likes to talk about himself, even he had to acknowledge the best day ever by a Longhorns receiver.

"That was fun," Shipley said. "I was trying to hide in the back but those linemen grabbed me and tossed me out in front of everyone."

Painting the town purple

Sun, 08 Nov 2009 00:08 CST

MANHATTAN — Bill Snyder tossed his baseball cap high into the air and broke into a raspy, yet inspired rendition of "Wabash Cannonball."

Kansas State beat Kansas, 17-10 on Saturday to tighten the Wildcats' grip on the Big 12 North and continue an improbable, crazy season.

Only one of the above sentences is factual. But neither would have been considered feasible before the 2009 season. In fact, you'd have been crazy to suggest either.

Arum's empire keeps growing

DAVE SKRETTA — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 00:08 CST

NEW YORK — The most powerful man in boxing is a Harvard-educated tax lawyer and a street-savvy businessman, a Talmudic scholar with a penchant for four-letter expletives.

He's been called generous and charming, ruthless and conniving, yet he's universally respected for spending the better part of five decades atop a pitiless sport.

"Bob Arum is one of the 10 smartest people I've ever met, not one of the 10 smartest boxing people I've met," says longtime HBO executive Seth Abraham, who has known Arum as both a businessman and friend. "He combines, which is extra formidable, traditional book smarts with street smarts, common sense and experience.