Bo Nix ran for a score before throwing a go-ahead touchdown pass to R.J. Harvey with 1:45 left in the game, and the Denver Broncos held on in the closing seconds for a 20-13 victory over the banged-up Kansas City Chiefs on Christmas in a Thursday Night Football matchup.

After giving up a grinding, 14-play drive that soaked up more than half the first quarter and ended with the Broncos Will Lutz knocking through a 27 yard field goal, Kansas City allowed little else through the first 30 minutes. Along the way, a defense put its top two cornerbacks on injured reserve this week managed to pick off Nix, Kristian Fulton tipping the ball to set up a Nick Bolton interception, which set up a short field for the Chiefs that Chris Oladokun converted into his first career touchdown throw.

It also happened to be Brashard Smith's first career touchdown catch.&nbsp; The Broncos tried to answer with another 8-plus minute drive late in the half, but Courtland Sutton dropped a would-be touchdown toss in the closing seconds, and Wil Lutz had to kick his second chip-shot field goal to make it 7-6 at the break.

Denver finally got one of its long, time-consuming drives into the end zone in the third quarter. The Chiefs had pushed the lead to 10-6 on a 53 yard field goal from Harrison Butker, when the Broncos churned through 72 yards in nearly 10 minutes, and Nix finished by scrambling nine yards for the score.&nbsp; Kansas City tied the game in the fourth quarter on another field goal from Butker, from 47 yards out.

The Chiefs managed just 16 yards on their first three possessions of the second half and that gave the Broncos a chance. They drove 65 yards late in the fourth quarter, twice converting on third down and then getting a fourth-down gift when Chris Jones went early inside the 10-yard line, allowing Nix to find Harvey in the back of the end zone on third-and-goal for the eventual winning score.

&nbsp;Oladokun and tight end Travis Kelce gave Kansas City a chance, driving quickly down field after the Broncos had taken the lead. But a third-down pass at the Denver 26 was just out of Kelce's reach, and Oladokun overthrew Marquise Brown in the end zone on fourth down in the final seconds.

Oladokun wound up with 66 yards passing. Kelce had five catches for 36 of those yards in what might have been the last game played by the Pro Bowl tight end at Arrowhead Stadium.&nbsp; He plans to announce soon after the season whether he is retiring.&nbsp; Kareem Hunt rushed seven times for 38 yards, while Isiah Pacheco rushed nine times for 32 yards.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Up next, Kansas City (6-10) finishes its season in Las Vegas.&nbsp; Kickoff time is to be determined, the game will air on KFEQ (680AM/95.3FM) and Q Country (92.7 FM).

You can follow Matt on X @KfeqMatt.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/12/1766716319725.png" alt="Kristian Fulton tips a pass that would be intercepted by linebacker Nick Bolton in the Chiefs 20-13 loss to the Denver Broncos/ File photo" />
 <figcaption>Kristian Fulton tips a pass that would be intercepted by linebacker Nick Bolton in the Chiefs 20-13 loss to the Denver Broncos/ File photo</figcaption>
 </figure>By MATT PIKEBo Nix ran for a score before throwing a go-ahead touchdown pass to R.J. Harvey with 1:45 left in the game, and the Denver Broncos held on in the closing seconds for a 20-13 victory over the banged-up Kansas City Chiefs on Christmas in a Thursday Night Football matchup.After giving up a grinding, 14-play drive that soaked up more than half the first quarter and ended with the Broncos Will Lutz knocking through a 27 yard field goal, Kansas City allowed little else through the first 30 minutes. Along the way, a defense put its top two cornerbacks on injured reserve this week managed to pick off Nix, Kristian Fulton tipping the ball to set up a Nick Bolton interception, which set up a short field for the Chiefs that Chris Oladokun converted into his first career touchdown throw.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Fulton with the tip, Bolton with the pick 😤 <a href="https://t.co/8l07Ziuess">pic.twitter.com/8l07Ziuess</a>&mdash; Kansas City Chiefs (@Chiefs) <a href="https://twitter.com/Chiefs/status/2004366718282387563?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 26, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>It also happened to be Brashard Smith's first career touchdown catch.&nbsp; The Broncos tried to answer with another 8-plus minute drive late in the half, but Courtland Sutton dropped a would-be touchdown toss in the closing seconds, and Wil Lutz had to kick his second chip-shot field goal to make it 7-6 at the break.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">First NFL passing TD 🤝 first NFL receiving TD<a href="https://twitter.com/1Chrisoladokun0?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@1Chrisoladokun0</a> x <a href="https://twitter.com/BrashardS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@BrashardS</a> <a href="https://t.co/K9RLxhh4vZ">pic.twitter.com/K9RLxhh4vZ</a>&mdash; Kansas City Chiefs (@Chiefs) <a href="https://twitter.com/Chiefs/status/2004369275285364879?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 26, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Denver finally got one of its long, time-consuming drives into the end zone in the third quarter. The Chiefs had pushed the lead to 10-6 on a 53 yard field goal from Harrison Butker, when the Broncos churned through 72 yards in nearly 10 minutes, and Nix finished by scrambling nine yards for the score.&nbsp; Kansas City tied the game in the fourth quarter on another field goal from Butker, from 47 yards out.The Chiefs managed just 16 yards on their first three possessions of the second half and that gave the Broncos a chance. They drove 65 yards late in the fourth quarter, twice converting on third down and then getting a fourth-down gift when Chris Jones went early inside the 10-yard line, allowing Nix to find Harvey in the back of the end zone on third-and-goal for the eventual winning score.&nbsp;Oladokun and tight end Travis Kelce gave Kansas City a chance, driving quickly down field after the Broncos had taken the lead. But a third-down pass at the Denver 26 was just out of Kelce's reach, and Oladokun overthrew Marquise Brown in the end zone on fourth down in the final seconds.Oladokun wound up with 66 yards passing. Kelce had five catches for 36 of those yards in what might have been the last game played by the Pro Bowl tight end at Arrowhead Stadium.&nbsp; He plans to announce soon after the season whether he is retiring.&nbsp; Kareem Hunt rushed seven times for 38 yards, while Isiah Pacheco rushed nine times for 32 yards.&nbsp;&nbsp;Up next, Kansas City (6-10) finishes its season in Las Vegas.&nbsp; Kickoff time is to be determined, the game will air on KFEQ (680AM/95.3FM) and Q Country (92.7 FM).You can follow Matt on X @KfeqMatt.

Oladokun, Smith score first NFL touchdowns as Chiefs fall 20-13

 Kansas lawmakers approved a proposal today to help pay for a new stadium for the Kansas City Chiefs, which is expected to lure the team across the state line from Missouri and replace the popular but aging Arrowhead Stadium.

The Legislative Coordinating Council, which includes the state's top lawmakers, voted unanimously at the state capitol in Topeka to allow for STAR bonds to be issued to cover up to 70% of the cost of a stadium and accompanying district. The bonds would be paid off with state sales and liquor tax revenues generated in a defined area around it.

The council meeting was attended by Chiefs owner Clark Hunt and team president Mark Donovan, along with other officials. They are expected to announce their intention to move later Monday from their longtime home in Kansas City, Missouri.

Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly has called a news conference for 3 p.m.&nbsp; "to present a major economic development announcement for the State of Kansas and the Kansas City Region." She will be joined by legislators and Kansas City-area representatives.

The move by the Chiefs would be a massive blow to Missouri lawmakers and Gov. Mike Kehoe, who had been working on their own package to prevent a second NFL franchise in a decade from leaving their borders. The Rams left St. Louis for Los Angeles in part due to their inability to secure funding to help replace The Dome at America's Center.

Kehoe had backed a special legislative session in June to authorize bonds covering up to 50% of the cost of new or renovated stadiums, plus up to $50 million of tax credits for each stadium and unspecified aid from local governments.

Quinton Lucas, the mayor of Kansas City, Missouri, has been working to keep both the Chiefs and Kansas City Royals on the Missouri side of the state line. He has called a news conference for later today as well regarding "sports team developments."

The Chiefs originally planned an $800 million renovation of Arrowhead Stadium in a joint effort with the Royals, who are similarly planning to build a new facility to replace Kauffman Stadium. The facilities sit a couple of hundred yards across the parking lot from each other, and both teams have leases with Jackson County, Missouri, that expire in January 2031.

Last year however, Jackson County voters soundly defeated a local sales tax extension which would have helped to pay for those renovations to the football stadium while helping to fund a new ballpark for the Royals in downtown Kansas City, Missouri.

The most likely landing place for the Chiefs is Kansas City, Kansas, near the Kansas Speedway and a retail and entertainment district known as The Legends. The area is also home to Children's Mercy Park, the home of MLS club Sporting Kansas City.

The Royals were not discussed by Kansas lawmakers today, but momentum appears to be building behind their own move across the state line. An affiliate of the club already has purchased the mortgage on a tract of land in Overland Park, Kansas.

Hunt has long said his preference was to renovate Arrowhead Stadium, which was beloved by his father and team founder, the late Lamar Hunt. It is considered one of the jewels of the NFL, alongside Lambeau Field in Green Bay, and is revered for its tailgating scene and home-field advantage; it currently holds the Guinness World Record for the loudest stadium roar.

This summer, Arrowhead Stadium will host six World Cup matches, including matches in the Round of 32 and quarterfinals.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/12/1766434608613.png" alt=" Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly holds a Chiefs jersey with team owner Clark Hunt ahead of a news conference Dec. 22, 2025, at the Kansas Docking State Office Building in Topeka. (Photo by Anna Kaminski/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption> Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly holds a Chiefs jersey with team owner Clark Hunt ahead of a news conference Dec. 22, 2025, at the Kansas Docking State Office Building in Topeka. (Photo by Anna Kaminski/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>By MATT PIKE Kansas lawmakers approved a proposal today to help pay for a new stadium for the Kansas City Chiefs, which is expected to lure the team across the state line from Missouri and replace the popular but aging Arrowhead Stadium.The Legislative Coordinating Council, which includes the state's top lawmakers, voted unanimously at the state capitol in Topeka to allow for STAR bonds to be issued to cover up to 70% of the cost of a stadium and accompanying district. The bonds would be paid off with state sales and liquor tax revenues generated in a defined area around it.The council meeting was attended by Chiefs owner Clark Hunt and team president Mark Donovan, along with other officials. They are expected to announce their intention to move later Monday from their longtime home in Kansas City, Missouri.Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly has called a news conference for 3 p.m.&nbsp; "to present a major economic development announcement for the State of Kansas and the Kansas City Region." She will be joined by legislators and Kansas City-area representatives.The move by the Chiefs would be a massive blow to Missouri lawmakers and Gov. Mike Kehoe, who had been working on their own package to prevent a second NFL franchise in a decade from leaving their borders. The Rams left St. Louis for Los Angeles in part due to their inability to secure funding to help replace The Dome at America's Center.Kehoe had backed a special legislative session in June to authorize bonds covering up to 50% of the cost of new or renovated stadiums, plus up to $50 million of tax credits for each stadium and unspecified aid from local governments.Quinton Lucas, the mayor of Kansas City, Missouri, has been working to keep both the Chiefs and Kansas City Royals on the Missouri side of the state line. He has called a news conference for later today as well regarding "sports team developments."The Chiefs originally planned an $800 million renovation of Arrowhead Stadium in a joint effort with the Royals, who are similarly planning to build a new facility to replace Kauffman Stadium. The facilities sit a couple of hundred yards across the parking lot from each other, and both teams have leases with Jackson County, Missouri, that expire in January 2031.Last year however, Jackson County voters soundly defeated a local sales tax extension which would have helped to pay for those renovations to the football stadium while helping to fund a new ballpark for the Royals in downtown Kansas City, Missouri.The most likely landing place for the Chiefs is Kansas City, Kansas, near the Kansas Speedway and a retail and entertainment district known as The Legends. The area is also home to Children's Mercy Park, the home of MLS club Sporting Kansas City.The Royals were not discussed by Kansas lawmakers today, but momentum appears to be building behind their own move across the state line. An affiliate of the club already has purchased the mortgage on a tract of land in Overland Park, Kansas.Hunt has long said his preference was to renovate Arrowhead Stadium, which was beloved by his father and team founder, the late Lamar Hunt. It is considered one of the jewels of the NFL, alongside Lambeau Field in Green Bay, and is revered for its tailgating scene and home-field advantage; it currently holds the Guinness World Record for the loudest stadium roar.This summer, Arrowhead Stadium will host six World Cup matches, including matches in the Round of 32 and quarterfinals.You can follow Matt on X @KfeqMatt.

Kansas approves STAR  bonds paving way for Chiefs to move across state line

Missouri football head football coach Eli Drinkwitz announced the hiring of Chip Lindsey as the Tigers' offensive coordinator, replacing Kirby Moore after he took a job as the head coach at Washington State earlier this month.

Lindsey brings 28 years of coaching experience to Missouri, including offensive coordinator stints at Michigan, North Carolina, Auburn, Arizona State, UCF and Southern Miss. He also served as the head coach at Troy from 2019-21. He has an impressive track record of developing NFL quarterbacks, including first-round pick Drake Maye (UNC), Jarrett Stidham (Auburn) and Nick Mullens (Southern Miss).

Lindsey arrives at Mizzou after rebuilding the Michigan offense in 2025. He developed true freshman Bryce Underwood into one of the most promising quarterbacks in the country while building a balanced offense that averaged 213.2 rushing yards per game (15th nationally) while averaging another 185.8 yards per game through the air.

"We are excited to welcome Chip Lindsey to Mizzou to lead our offense," Drinkwitz said in a news release from the university. "He does a tremendous job of not only coaching and developing players but organizing and implementing the offense. He is an excellent offensive mind with wide range of experience from high school to offensive coordinator to college head coach. Chip is a tremendous addition to our coaching staff and someone who can seamlessly transition into the job."

Prior to his season at Michigan, Lindsey served as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at North Carolina for two seasons. The Tar Heels ran a balanced attack in 2024 that averaged 32.3 points and 423.4 yards of total offense per game. UNC led the ACC in rushing offense (189.5 yards per game) while passing for an average of 233.9 yards per contest and three players earned All-ACC honors led by RB Omarion Hampton, a first-team honoree. Hampton was an All-American selection in both 2023 and 2024.

In 2023, the Tar Heels averaged 491.2 yards per contest (7th nationally) and scored 34.5 points per game (20th). Lindsey's offense, led by Maye, the third overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, threw for 292.2 yards per game (14th) while the offense rushed another for 192.1 yards per contest (19th). Hampton, a Doak Walker Award finalist and first-team All-American, was fifth nationally in rushing yards with 1,504 and 15 TD. Maye threw for 3,608 yards and 24 scores, while leading ACC in total yards and passing yards per completion.

"I could not be happier to have the opportunity to work with Eli Drinkwitz in Columbia," Lindsey said. "What Coach Drinkwitz has done at Mizzou over that past six years is remarkable. You couple that with the commitment the University of Missouri has made to the football program, this is one of the most attractive coordinator jobs in the country. The commitment and infrastructure in place from an organizational standpoint and the talent on the field is truly exciting."

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/12/1766375104064.jpeg" alt="With former offensive coordinator Kirby Moore taking the head coaching job at Washington State, the Missouri Tigers have hired Michigan offensive coordinator Chip Lindsey to take over the job next season/ Photo courtesy of X" />
 <figcaption>With former offensive coordinator Kirby Moore taking the head coaching job at Washington State, the Missouri Tigers have hired Michigan offensive coordinator Chip Lindsey to take over the job next season/ Photo courtesy of X</figcaption>
 </figure>By MATT PIKEMissouri football head football coach Eli Drinkwitz announced the hiring of Chip Lindsey as the Tigers' offensive coordinator, replacing Kirby Moore after he took a job as the head coach at Washington State earlier this month.Lindsey brings 28 years of coaching experience to Missouri, including offensive coordinator stints at Michigan, North Carolina, Auburn, Arizona State, UCF and Southern Miss. He also served as the head coach at Troy from 2019-21. He has an impressive track record of developing NFL quarterbacks, including first-round pick Drake Maye (UNC), Jarrett Stidham (Auburn) and Nick Mullens (Southern Miss).Lindsey arrives at Mizzou after rebuilding the Michigan offense in 2025. He developed true freshman Bryce Underwood into one of the most promising quarterbacks in the country while building a balanced offense that averaged 213.2 rushing yards per game (15th nationally) while averaging another 185.8 yards per game through the air."We are excited to welcome Chip Lindsey to Mizzou to lead our offense," Drinkwitz said in a news release from the university. "He does a tremendous job of not only coaching and developing players but organizing and implementing the offense. He is an excellent offensive mind with wide range of experience from high school to offensive coordinator to college head coach. Chip is a tremendous addition to our coaching staff and someone who can seamlessly transition into the job."Prior to his season at Michigan, Lindsey served as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at North Carolina for two seasons. The Tar Heels ran a balanced attack in 2024 that averaged 32.3 points and 423.4 yards of total offense per game. UNC led the ACC in rushing offense (189.5 yards per game) while passing for an average of 233.9 yards per contest and three players earned All-ACC honors led by RB Omarion Hampton, a first-team honoree. Hampton was an All-American selection in both 2023 and 2024.In 2023, the Tar Heels averaged 491.2 yards per contest (7th nationally) and scored 34.5 points per game (20th). Lindsey's offense, led by Maye, the third overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, threw for 292.2 yards per game (14th) while the offense rushed another for 192.1 yards per contest (19th). Hampton, a Doak Walker Award finalist and first-team All-American, was fifth nationally in rushing yards with 1,504 and 15 TD. Maye threw for 3,608 yards and 24 scores, while leading ACC in total yards and passing yards per completion."I could not be happier to have the opportunity to work with Eli Drinkwitz in Columbia," Lindsey said. "What Coach Drinkwitz has done at Mizzou over that past six years is remarkable. You couple that with the commitment the University of Missouri has made to the football program, this is one of the most attractive coordinator jobs in the country. The commitment and infrastructure in place from an organizational standpoint and the talent on the field is truly exciting."You can follow Matt on X @KfeqMatt.

Missouri hires Chip Lindsey to replace Kirby Moore as offensive coordinator 

The St. Louis Cardinals have found their ideal trading partner this offseason, making a second trade with the Boston Red Sox on Sunday and sending first baseman Willson Contreras to Boston in exchange for three pitchers.&nbsp;

Contreras has been one of the steadiest right-handed hitters in baseball since his debut and will bring his well-above-average glove to a position Boston had spent the offseason trying to fill. The Red Sox will receive $8 million to cover the remaining $42.5 million on the three-time All-Star's contract and sent right-hander Hunter Dobbins and right-handed pitching prospects Yhoiker Fajardo and Blake Aita to the Cardinals, sources said.

While the Cardinals were not intent on trading Contreras this winter, the opportunity to land a major league-ready starter in Dobbins helped facilitate a deal that came after Sonny Gray waived his no-trade clause to go from St. Louis to Boston in late November.&nbsp;&nbsp; Dobbins figures to have a spot in St. Louis' rotation when he returns from a July ACL tear that ended his season. Prior to the injury sustained when covering first base in his debut season, Dobbins went 4-1 with a 4.13 ERA over 13 outings, allowing just six home runs in 61 innings and striking out 45 against 17 walks.

Contreras likewise waived his no-trade clause after receiving an extra million dollars guaranteed through a renegotiation of his contract, sources said.&nbsp; The amended contract will pay Contreras $18 million in 2026 and $17 million in 2027 with a $20 million option in 2028 that now includes a $7.5 million buyout. (Previously, the deal paid him $18 million in '26, $18.5 million in '27 with a $17.5 million option and a $5 million buyout.)&nbsp;

The 19-year-old Fajardo, who had been traded to the Red Sox a year ago to the day, posted a 2.25 ERA over 72 innings between the Florida Complex League and Low-A Salem this year.&nbsp; Aita&nbsp; was a sixth-round pick out of Kennesaw State in 2024 and finished this year at High-A.&nbsp; Aita struck out 99 and walked 30 in 115.1 innings with a 3.98 ERA over two levels.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/12/1766373464601.jpeg" alt="The St. Louis Cardinals made their second trade of the offseason with the Boston Red Sox, trading first baseman Willson Contreras to Boston for three pitchers on Sunday evening/ Photo courtesy of X" />
 <figcaption>The St. Louis Cardinals made their second trade of the offseason with the Boston Red Sox, trading first baseman Willson Contreras to Boston for three pitchers on Sunday evening/ Photo courtesy of X</figcaption>
 </figure>By MATT PIKEThe St. Louis Cardinals have found their ideal trading partner this offseason, making a second trade with the Boston Red Sox on Sunday and sending first baseman Willson Contreras to Boston in exchange for three pitchers.&nbsp;Contreras has been one of the steadiest right-handed hitters in baseball since his debut and will bring his well-above-average glove to a position Boston had spent the offseason trying to fill. The Red Sox will receive $8 million to cover the remaining $42.5 million on the three-time All-Star's contract and sent right-hander Hunter Dobbins and right-handed pitching prospects Yhoiker Fajardo and Blake Aita to the Cardinals, sources said.While the Cardinals were not intent on trading Contreras this winter, the opportunity to land a major league-ready starter in Dobbins helped facilitate a deal that came after Sonny Gray waived his no-trade clause to go from St. Louis to Boston in late November.&nbsp;&nbsp; Dobbins figures to have a spot in St. Louis' rotation when he returns from a July ACL tear that ended his season. Prior to the injury sustained when covering first base in his debut season, Dobbins went 4-1 with a 4.13 ERA over 13 outings, allowing just six home runs in 61 innings and striking out 45 against 17 walks.Contreras likewise waived his no-trade clause after receiving an extra million dollars guaranteed through a renegotiation of his contract, sources said.&nbsp; The amended contract will pay Contreras $18 million in 2026 and $17 million in 2027 with a $20 million option in 2028 that now includes a $7.5 million buyout. (Previously, the deal paid him $18 million in '26, $18.5 million in '27 with a $17.5 million option and a $5 million buyout.)&nbsp;The 19-year-old Fajardo, who had been traded to the Red Sox a year ago to the day, posted a 2.25 ERA over 72 innings between the Florida Complex League and Low-A Salem this year.&nbsp; Aita&nbsp; was a sixth-round pick out of Kennesaw State in 2024 and finished this year at High-A.&nbsp; Aita struck out 99 and walked 30 in 115.1 innings with a 3.98 ERA over two levels.You can follow Matt on X @KfeqMatt.

Cardinals send veteran first baseman Contreras to Boston 

Cam Ward threw for 228 yards and two touchdowns, and the Tennessee Titans snapped an 11-game home skid beating the injury riddled Kansas City Chiefs, with several starters out due to being injured, 26-9.&nbsp; 

Ward posted his highest passer rating of this season at 122.3, and he overtook Marcus Mariota for the most yards passing by a rookie for the franchise.&nbsp; The Titans&nbsp; improved to 1-7 at home this season, ending a skid that matched the franchise's worst since moving to Tennessee in 1997.&nbsp;

With two games left, the Chiefs, now 6-9 on the season, are assured of their first losing record since 2012, their most recent season without Andy Reid as their coach. Kansas City has lost four straight, its longest skid since 2017, and six of seven.&nbsp; A week after Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes suffered a season-ending torn ACL, his backup, Gardner Minshew, was knocked out of the game with a knee injury early in the second quarter. Reid said he didn't have any results after the game and that Minshew will have an MRI exam.&nbsp; The fear is that Minshew also suffered a torn ACL.

Ward threw a shovel pass to tight end Chig Okonkwo that went seven yards to put the Titans ahead 9-3 to stay late in the first half. Ward also found fellow rookie Chimere Dike for a one yard touchdown in the third quarter.&nbsp; Tony Pollard ran for 102 yards, giving him three straight 100-yard rushing games for the first time in his career. Tyjae Spears added a 4-yard rushing TD, and Joey Slye had a 27-yard field goal for the final margin.

Three-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons tackled Kareem Hunt in the end zone for a safety and a 2-0 lead early in the second quarter. Simmons also batted down a pair of passes. The Titans finished with four sacks.&nbsp; The battered Chiefs came in with Mahomes on injured reserve along with right tackle Jawaan Taylor. They also declared nine players out Friday, including five starters, led by wide receiver Rashee Rice, left tackle Jaylon Moore and cornerback Trent McDuffie.

Minshew made his first start of the season. After he got hurt, the Chiefs turned to Chris Oladokun, just signed to the roster from the practice squad, to play in his second career game.&nbsp; Oladokun handed off on his first five snaps. Then he connected with Travis Kelce for his first NFL completion, and Oladokun drove the Chiefs to a trio of field goals by Harrison Butker. Oladokun finished 11 of 16 for 111 yards.

Isiah Pachecho rushed eight times for 34 yards and added six catches for 41 yards.&nbsp; Xavier Worthy also had 41 yards receiving on two catches, while Hollywood Brown had three catches for 22 yards.&nbsp; Kelce, JuJu Smith-Schuster, and Brashard Smith also recorded receptions in the loss.

Up next, the Chiefs return to Arrowhead Stadium to host the AFC West leading Denver Broncos on Christmas for Thursday Night Football.&nbsp; Pregame will be at 6pm with kickoff at 7:15 airing on KFEQ (680AM/95.3FM) and Q Country (92.7 FM).

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/12/1766372377787.jpeg" alt="The Kansas City Chiefs fell to the Tennessee Titans 26-9 on Sunday, dropping their first game without Patrick Mahomes following a season ending ACL injury/ Photo courtesy of X" />
 <figcaption>The Kansas City Chiefs fell to the Tennessee Titans 26-9 on Sunday, dropping their first game without Patrick Mahomes following a season ending ACL injury/ Photo courtesy of X</figcaption>
 </figure>By MATT PIKECam Ward threw for 228 yards and two touchdowns, and the Tennessee Titans snapped an 11-game home skid beating the injury riddled Kansas City Chiefs, with several starters out due to being injured, 26-9.&nbsp; Ward posted his highest passer rating of this season at 122.3, and he overtook Marcus Mariota for the most yards passing by a rookie for the franchise.&nbsp; The Titans&nbsp; improved to 1-7 at home this season, ending a skid that matched the franchise's worst since moving to Tennessee in 1997.&nbsp;With two games left, the Chiefs, now 6-9 on the season, are assured of their first losing record since 2012, their most recent season without Andy Reid as their coach. Kansas City has lost four straight, its longest skid since 2017, and six of seven.&nbsp; A week after Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes suffered a season-ending torn ACL, his backup, Gardner Minshew, was knocked out of the game with a knee injury early in the second quarter. Reid said he didn't have any results after the game and that Minshew will have an MRI exam.&nbsp; The fear is that Minshew also suffered a torn ACL.Ward threw a shovel pass to tight end Chig Okonkwo that went seven yards to put the Titans ahead 9-3 to stay late in the first half. Ward also found fellow rookie Chimere Dike for a one yard touchdown in the third quarter.&nbsp; Tony Pollard ran for 102 yards, giving him three straight 100-yard rushing games for the first time in his career. Tyjae Spears added a 4-yard rushing TD, and Joey Slye had a 27-yard field goal for the final margin.Three-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons tackled Kareem Hunt in the end zone for a safety and a 2-0 lead early in the second quarter. Simmons also batted down a pair of passes. The Titans finished with four sacks.&nbsp; The battered Chiefs came in with Mahomes on injured reserve along with right tackle Jawaan Taylor. They also declared nine players out Friday, including five starters, led by wide receiver Rashee Rice, left tackle Jaylon Moore and cornerback Trent McDuffie.Minshew made his first start of the season. After he got hurt, the Chiefs turned to Chris Oladokun, just signed to the roster from the practice squad, to play in his second career game.&nbsp; Oladokun handed off on his first five snaps. Then he connected with Travis Kelce for his first NFL completion, and Oladokun drove the Chiefs to a trio of field goals by Harrison Butker. Oladokun finished 11 of 16 for 111 yards.Isiah Pachecho rushed eight times for 34 yards and added six catches for 41 yards.&nbsp; Xavier Worthy also had 41 yards receiving on two catches, while Hollywood Brown had three catches for 22 yards.&nbsp; Kelce, JuJu Smith-Schuster, and Brashard Smith also recorded receptions in the loss.Up next, the Chiefs return to Arrowhead Stadium to host the AFC West leading Denver Broncos on Christmas for Thursday Night Football.&nbsp; Pregame will be at 6pm with kickoff at 7:15 airing on KFEQ (680AM/95.3FM) and Q Country (92.7 FM).You can follow Matt on X @KfeqMatt.

Injury riddled Chiefs ice cold in first game without Mahomes falling 26-9 to Titans

Following a trade that sent left handed reliever Angel Zerpa to the Milwaukee Brewers, the Kansas City Royals turned up the search to find new left handed help in their bullpen, and turned to a familiar face, acquiring Matt Strahm from the Philadelphia Phillies in a trade.&nbsp;&nbsp;

In return, the Royals sent right hander Jonathan Bowlan to Philadelphia.&nbsp; The 29 year old&nbsp;Bowlan pitched in parts of the last three seasons with the Royals, appearing in a career-high 34 games last season. The club transitioned him to a full-time reliever over the past year and he bounced back and forth between Triple-A and the Majors for much of the year.

Strahm has turned into one of the better lefty setup men in the league, and in the past three seasons with the Phillies, he posted a 2.71 ERA across 188 appearances. The 34 year old lefty was an All-Star in 2024 and finished that year with a 1.87 ERA, and last season, he posted a 2.74 ERA across a career-high-tying 66 appearances in 62 1/3 innings with a career-best 22 holds. In the last four seasons since 2022, Strahm ranks third among all left-handed pitchers with a 2.90 ERA, trailing only Tyler Holton (2.63) and Alex Vesia (2.74).

Strahm’s career began with the Royals, who drafted him in the 21st round of the 2012 MLB Draft out of Neosho County Community College. He made his debut with the Royals in 2016 and pitched two seasons in Kansas City before being traded to the Padres with Esteury Ruiz and Travis Wood for Brandon Maurer, Ryan Buchter and Trevor Cahill.

Nearly nine years after he left Kansas City, Strahm couldn’t be happier to reunite with his former team that’s now looking to be a sustainable winner.

“This all feels like a movie to me,” Strahm told MLB.com writer Anne Rogers. “This all started here in Kansas City. It’s gone full circle. With my family, I’ve been talking about the montage of my Spring Training profile pic over the [past] 10 years -- it’s going to be a good one to go from Royal to Royal.”

In his career, Strahm has held left-handed batters to a .239/.302/.376 slash line, and actually has better numbers against righties, who have slashed .212/.279/.370 against him. In 2025, lefties hit .233 with a .673 OPS against Strahm, while righties hit .196 with a .585 OPS. With the Royals, Strahm figures to be the go-to lefty in high-leverage situations, joining the back end of the bullpen that includes Lucas Erceg and closer Carlos Estévez, who are both right handers.

Strahm wasn't the only move Kansas City made on Friday.&nbsp; The Royals also added some depth potential for their bench, signing&nbsp;Abraham Toro to a minor league contract along with an invite to spring training.&nbsp;

Toro&nbsp;has appeared in the past seven big league seasons as a part-time, multi-positional player. He was with the Boston Red Sox in 2025 but he was outrighted off the roster in August. He became a free agent at season’s end, which allowed the Royals to sign him to this deal.&nbsp;&nbsp;He has 1,582 plate appearances over those seven campaigns with a combined .223/.285/.356 line over that time.

Defensively, he has logged hundreds of big league innings at the non-shortstop infield positions, with brief looks in the outfield corners as well.&nbsp; Kansas City currently has Nick Loftin and Tyler Tolbert on the roster as potential bench infielders but both are still optionable. If the Royals would prefer those guys to get regular playing time, they could be sent to Triple-A. The Royals have added Kevin Newman and now Toro as veteran infielders on non-roster pacts who could potentially take over a bench role. &nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/12/1766194733348.jpeg" alt="The Kansas City Royals are reuniting with a former 2012 draft pick after trading Jonathan Bowlan to the Philadelphia Phillies for Matt Strahm.&nbsp; Strahm debuted for the Royals in 2016, pitching two seasons before being traded to San Diego.&nbsp; In his most recent stint with the Phillies, Strahm posted a&nbsp;2.74 ERA across 66 appearances (62 1/3 innings) with a career-best 22 holds/ Photo courtesy of X" />
 <figcaption>The Kansas City Royals are reuniting with a former 2012 draft pick after trading Jonathan Bowlan to the Philadelphia Phillies for Matt Strahm.&nbsp; Strahm debuted for the Royals in 2016, pitching two seasons before being traded to San Diego.&nbsp; In his most recent stint with the Phillies, Strahm posted a&nbsp;2.74 ERA across 66 appearances (62 1/3 innings) with a career-best 22 holds/ Photo courtesy of X</figcaption>
 </figure>By MATT PIKEFollowing a trade that sent left handed reliever Angel Zerpa to the Milwaukee Brewers, the Kansas City Royals turned up the search to find new left handed help in their bullpen, and turned to a familiar face, acquiring Matt Strahm from the Philadelphia Phillies in a trade.&nbsp;&nbsp;In return, the Royals sent right hander Jonathan Bowlan to Philadelphia.&nbsp; The 29 year old&nbsp;Bowlan pitched in parts of the last three seasons with the Royals, appearing in a career-high 34 games last season. The club transitioned him to a full-time reliever over the past year and he bounced back and forth between Triple-A and the Majors for much of the year.Strahm has turned into one of the better lefty setup men in the league, and in the past three seasons with the Phillies, he posted a 2.71 ERA across 188 appearances. The 34 year old lefty was an All-Star in 2024 and finished that year with a 1.87 ERA, and last season, he posted a 2.74 ERA across a career-high-tying 66 appearances in 62 1/3 innings with a career-best 22 holds. In the last four seasons since 2022, Strahm ranks third among all left-handed pitchers with a 2.90 ERA, trailing only Tyler Holton (2.63) and Alex Vesia (2.74).Strahm’s career began with the Royals, who drafted him in the 21st round of the 2012 MLB Draft out of Neosho County Community College. He made his debut with the Royals in 2016 and pitched two seasons in Kansas City before being traded to the Padres with Esteury Ruiz and Travis Wood for Brandon Maurer, Ryan Buchter and Trevor Cahill.Nearly nine years after he left Kansas City, Strahm couldn’t be happier to reunite with his former team that’s now looking to be a sustainable winner.“This all feels like a movie to me,” Strahm told MLB.com writer Anne Rogers. “This all started here in Kansas City. It’s gone full circle. With my family, I’ve been talking about the montage of my Spring Training profile pic over the [past] 10 years -- it’s going to be a good one to go from Royal to Royal.”In his career, Strahm has held left-handed batters to a .239/.302/.376 slash line, and actually has better numbers against righties, who have slashed .212/.279/.370 against him. In 2025, lefties hit .233 with a .673 OPS against Strahm, while righties hit .196 with a .585 OPS. With the Royals, Strahm figures to be the go-to lefty in high-leverage situations, joining the back end of the bullpen that includes Lucas Erceg and closer Carlos Estévez, who are both right handers.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/12/1766195912380.jpeg" alt="The Royals also signed utility player Abraham Toro to a minor league contract on Friday.&nbsp; Toro spent last season with the Boston Red Sox, batting .239 with a .289 OBP/ Photo courtesy of MLB Trade Rumors on X" />
 <figcaption>The Royals also signed utility player Abraham Toro to a minor league contract on Friday.&nbsp; Toro spent last season with the Boston Red Sox, batting .239 with a .289 OBP/ Photo courtesy of MLB Trade Rumors on X</figcaption>
 </figure>Strahm wasn't the only move Kansas City made on Friday.&nbsp; The Royals also added some depth potential for their bench, signing&nbsp;Abraham Toro to a minor league contract along with an invite to spring training.&nbsp;Toro&nbsp;has appeared in the past seven big league seasons as a part-time, multi-positional player. He was with the Boston Red Sox in 2025 but he was outrighted off the roster in August. He became a free agent at season’s end, which allowed the Royals to sign him to this deal.&nbsp;&nbsp;He has 1,582 plate appearances over those seven campaigns with a combined .223/.285/.356 line over that time.Defensively, he has logged hundreds of big league innings at the non-shortstop infield positions, with brief looks in the outfield corners as well.&nbsp; Kansas City currently has Nick Loftin and Tyler Tolbert on the roster as potential bench infielders but both are still optionable. If the Royals would prefer those guys to get regular playing time, they could be sent to Triple-A. The Royals have added Kevin Newman and now Toro as veteran infielders on non-roster pacts who could potentially take over a bench role. &nbsp;You can follow Matt on X @KfeqMatt.

Royals send Bowlan to Philadelphia and reunite with Matt Strahm

For the first time since the 2014 season, the Kansas City Chiefs will not be a part of the NFL postseason, losing the Los Angeles Chargers 16-13 officially ending their postseason hopes after results of three other games turned into elimination for Kansas City.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The Chiefs needed a win against the Chargers to keep their playoff hopes alive, along with a loss from the Buffalo Bills, Jacksonville Jaguars, and Houston Texans.&nbsp; Even with the Chiefs loss, had any of those teams lost, there still would have been a chance, but the Jaguars blew out the New York Jets, the Bills came back for a win against the New England Patriots, and the Texans beat the Arizona Cardinals.&nbsp;

Kansas City did hold a lead for most of the first half, outscoring Los Angeles 13-3 for a lead.&nbsp; A 12 yard rushing touchdown from Patrick Mahomes gave the Chiefs the lead in the opening quarter.&nbsp; Cameron Dicker cut into the lead for the Chargers with a 49 yard field goal, but Harrison Butker knocked through field goals of 27 and 47 yards to extend Kansas City's lead in the second quarter.&nbsp;&nbsp;

From there, it was all Los Angeles, as the Chargers outscored the Chiefs 13-0, first cutting the lead to three points just before the halftime break with a 16 yard touchdown pass from Justin Herbert to KeAndre Lambert, making the score 13-10 at the halftime break.&nbsp; The first half was also riddled with injuries for Kansas City.&nbsp; Offensive tackle Jaylon Moore left, but did return, though later left with a knee injury and did not return.&nbsp; Xavier Worthy and Nick Bolton also went into the blue injury tent, but returned to action.&nbsp;

In the second half, Dicker tied up early in the third quarter with a 23 yard field goal, and then near the end of the quarter put Los Angeles in the lead with a 41 yard field goal.&nbsp; Kansas City's ensuing drive ended with an interception, Mahomes being picked off by Daiyan Henley at the Chargers 17 yard line.&nbsp; Kansas City forced Los Angeles to punt, after a 12 play drive that consumed over seven minutes of clock, and on a last ditch drive, it was a Chiefs fans worst nightmare with the playoffs on the line.&nbsp;

On 1st and 10, just after the two minute warning,&nbsp;Mahomes was sprinting toward the sideline and throwing the ball away when he was spun to the ground by defensive lineman Da'Shawn Hand, leaving the two-time MVP grabbing at his left knee.&nbsp; Backup Gardner Minshew would come into the game, Mahomes headed to the locker room, and six plays later Minshew's pass attempt was picked off by Derwin James, ending the game.&nbsp;

Mahomes was 16 of 28 passing for 189 yards and one interception, adding two rushes for 15 yards and a touchdown.&nbsp; Isiah Pacheco had 11 carries for 21 yards while Kareem Hunt had six carries for 12 yards.&nbsp; Travis Kelce was the leading receiver with seven catches for 70 yards, Rashee Rice had seven catches for 51 yards, and Tyquan Thornton had two catches for 47 yards.

Kansas City is now 6-8 on the season and will be on the road next week to take on the Tennessee Titans.&nbsp; Kickoff is at noon with pregame at 11am on KFEQ (680AM/95.3FM) and Q Country (92.7 FM).

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/12/1765749129757.jpeg" alt="Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) is checked on after being injured during the second half of an NFL football game against the Los Angeles Chargers Sunday, Dec. 14, 2025, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Ed Zurga)" />
 <figcaption>Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) is checked on after being injured during the second half of an NFL football game against the Los Angeles Chargers Sunday, Dec. 14, 2025, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Ed Zurga)</figcaption>
 </figure>By MATT PIKEFor the first time since the 2014 season, the Kansas City Chiefs will not be a part of the NFL postseason, losing the Los Angeles Chargers 16-13 officially ending their postseason hopes after results of three other games turned into elimination for Kansas City.&nbsp;&nbsp;The Chiefs needed a win against the Chargers to keep their playoff hopes alive, along with a loss from the Buffalo Bills, Jacksonville Jaguars, and Houston Texans.&nbsp; Even with the Chiefs loss, had any of those teams lost, there still would have been a chance, but the Jaguars blew out the New York Jets, the Bills came back for a win against the New England Patriots, and the Texans beat the Arizona Cardinals.&nbsp;Kansas City did hold a lead for most of the first half, outscoring Los Angeles 13-3 for a lead.&nbsp; A 12 yard rushing touchdown from Patrick Mahomes gave the Chiefs the lead in the opening quarter.&nbsp; Cameron Dicker cut into the lead for the Chargers with a 49 yard field goal, but Harrison Butker knocked through field goals of 27 and 47 yards to extend Kansas City's lead in the second quarter.&nbsp;&nbsp;<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">MAHOMES TO THE HOUSE 🙌<a href="https://twitter.com/PatrickMahomes?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PatrickMahomes</a> x <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ProBowlVote?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ProBowlVote</a> <a href="https://t.co/UzArap8kxJ">pic.twitter.com/UzArap8kxJ</a>&mdash; Kansas City Chiefs (@Chiefs) <a href="https://twitter.com/Chiefs/status/2000268118388552007?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 14, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>From there, it was all Los Angeles, as the Chargers outscored the Chiefs 13-0, first cutting the lead to three points just before the halftime break with a 16 yard touchdown pass from Justin Herbert to KeAndre Lambert, making the score 13-10 at the halftime break.&nbsp; The first half was also riddled with injuries for Kansas City.&nbsp; Offensive tackle Jaylon Moore left, but did return, though later left with a knee injury and did not return.&nbsp; Xavier Worthy and Nick Bolton also went into the blue injury tent, but returned to action.&nbsp;In the second half, Dicker tied up early in the third quarter with a 23 yard field goal, and then near the end of the quarter put Los Angeles in the lead with a 41 yard field goal.&nbsp; Kansas City's ensuing drive ended with an interception, Mahomes being picked off by Daiyan Henley at the Chargers 17 yard line.&nbsp; Kansas City forced Los Angeles to punt, after a 12 play drive that consumed over seven minutes of clock, and on a last ditch drive, it was a Chiefs fans worst nightmare with the playoffs on the line.&nbsp;On 1st and 10, just after the two minute warning,&nbsp;Mahomes was sprinting toward the sideline and throwing the ball away when he was spun to the ground by defensive lineman Da'Shawn Hand, leaving the two-time MVP grabbing at his left knee.&nbsp; Backup Gardner Minshew would come into the game, Mahomes headed to the locker room, and six plays later Minshew's pass attempt was picked off by Derwin James, ending the game.&nbsp;Mahomes was 16 of 28 passing for 189 yards and one interception, adding two rushes for 15 yards and a touchdown.&nbsp; Isiah Pacheco had 11 carries for 21 yards while Kareem Hunt had six carries for 12 yards.&nbsp; Travis Kelce was the leading receiver with seven catches for 70 yards, Rashee Rice had seven catches for 51 yards, and Tyquan Thornton had two catches for 47 yards.Kansas City is now 6-8 on the season and will be on the road next week to take on the Tennessee Titans.&nbsp; Kickoff is at noon with pregame at 11am on KFEQ (680AM/95.3FM) and Q Country (92.7 FM).You can follow Matt on X @KfeqMatt.

Chiefs eliminated from playoff contention for first time since 2014

The Kansas City Royals continued their activity after the conclusion of the MLB Winter Meetings, making a trade Saturday evening with the Milwaukee Brewers in their mission to upgrade their outfield and bullpen.&nbsp;

The Royals&nbsp;acquired switch hitting outfielder Isaac Collins and right-handed reliever Nick Mears from the Brewers, sending lefty reliever Angel Zerpa to Milwaukee, sources told MLB.com.&nbsp;&nbsp;The trade has not been confirmed by the clubs.

While Collins played a majority of his games in left field for the Brewers last season, utility player may be a better label for Collins, who also saw time at third base and second base. The 28-year-old was fourth in the National League Rookie of the Year voting after posting a slash line of .263/.368/.411 with a 118 OPS+, nine home runs and 54 RBIs.

The Royals have been scouring both the free-agent and trade markets for outfielders. They came to an agreement on a one-year deal with outfielder Lane Thomas on Thursday, a deal that’s not official yet. Collins fits the bill of what they’ve been looking for, especially as someone who can move around the field.&nbsp; Collins also fits the Royals’ type as a hitter, making solid contact and not missing much, with just an 18.4% chase rate last season and 22.5% whiff rate.

Mears, meanwhile, has some big stuff and posted a 3.49 ERA across 56 2/3 innings in 2025, with just 13 walks and 46 strikeouts.&nbsp;&nbsp;The 29-year-old logged a 33.5% chase rate in 2025 -- a number that ranked in MLB’s 93rd percentile, per Statcast.&nbsp;

Collins is not eligible for salary arbitration until 2028 and will be under club control until 2031. Mears meanwhile is arbitration eligible this year and can be a free agent following the 2027 season.

Zerpa had stretches of elite appearances over the past five seasons. He spent all of 2025 in the big leagues and posted a 4.18 ERA across a career-high 64 2/3 innings.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/12/1765679716693.jpeg" alt="Isaac Collins/ Photo courtesy of MLB Trade Rumors on X" />
 <figcaption>Isaac Collins/ Photo courtesy of MLB Trade Rumors on X</figcaption>
 </figure>By MATT PIKEThe Kansas City Royals continued their activity after the conclusion of the MLB Winter Meetings, making a trade Saturday evening with the Milwaukee Brewers in their mission to upgrade their outfield and bullpen.&nbsp;The Royals&nbsp;acquired switch hitting outfielder Isaac Collins and right-handed reliever Nick Mears from the Brewers, sending lefty reliever Angel Zerpa to Milwaukee, sources told MLB.com.&nbsp;&nbsp;The trade has not been confirmed by the clubs.While Collins played a majority of his games in left field for the Brewers last season, utility player may be a better label for Collins, who also saw time at third base and second base. The 28-year-old was fourth in the National League Rookie of the Year voting after posting a slash line of .263/.368/.411 with a 118 OPS+, nine home runs and 54 RBIs.The Royals have been scouring both the free-agent and trade markets for outfielders. They came to an agreement on a one-year deal with outfielder Lane Thomas on Thursday, a deal that’s not official yet. Collins fits the bill of what they’ve been looking for, especially as someone who can move around the field.&nbsp; Collins also fits the Royals’ type as a hitter, making solid contact and not missing much, with just an 18.4% chase rate last season and 22.5% whiff rate.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/12/1765680164851.jpeg" alt="Nick Mears/Photo courtesy of Brew Crew Scoop on X" />
 <figcaption>Nick Mears/Photo courtesy of Brew Crew Scoop on X</figcaption>
 </figure>Mears, meanwhile, has some big stuff and posted a 3.49 ERA across 56 2/3 innings in 2025, with just 13 walks and 46 strikeouts.&nbsp;&nbsp;The 29-year-old logged a 33.5% chase rate in 2025 -- a number that ranked in MLB’s 93rd percentile, per Statcast.&nbsp;Collins is not eligible for salary arbitration until 2028 and will be under club control until 2031. Mears meanwhile is arbitration eligible this year and can be a free agent following the 2027 season.Zerpa had stretches of elite appearances over the past five seasons. He spent all of 2025 in the big leagues and posted a 4.18 ERA across a career-high 64 2/3 innings.&nbsp;You can follow Matt on X @KfeqMatt.

Royals send Zerpa to Brewers, acquire more outfield help in Collins

A 10 year long agreement with Children's Mercy has come to an end and Sporting Kansas City will have to once again rename it's stadium.

Children’s Mercy confirmed in a news release on Friday that it would no longer be the team’s health care and sports medicine partner.

“As our 10-year naming partnership comes to a close, we want to express our heartfelt appreciation to the Sporting Kansas City organization, its players and staff, and the fans who have embraced Children’s Mercy as part of the team’s story. From player visits that brought joy to our patients, to collaborative efforts that elevated awareness for children’s health, this partnership has been a meaningful part of our journey,” the release read.

Reports show that Children’s Mercy Park will be renamed ahead of the KC2026 World Cup. The Sporting KC Training Facility will serve as a team base camp for at least one club during the World Cup.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Additionally, Sporting KC’s kits will now feature their new partner, Saint Luke’s Health System. The team showed off those kits were&nbsp; at a news conference today.

“Our two organizations have deep roots in Kansas City, and we are excited to join together to make a difference in local communities across the area through this partnership,” said Jake Reid, President and CEO of Sporting Kansas City during the news conference. “Saint Luke’s is an industry leader in many facets including patient experience, which aligns perfectly with our core values and focus on the experience for all our fans. We look forward to teaming up on impactful initiatives that will support Saint Luke’s patients and staff as well as Sporting Kansas City players and fans as we approach an incredibly exciting year for our sport and our region in 2026.”

Sporting Kansas City will kick off the 2026 Major League Soccer campaign on February 21st during MLS Is Back Weekend with the team’s first of 34 regular season games. Led by Designated Players Dejan Joveljic and Manu Garcia, Sporting Kansas City will also compete in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup in 2026 after reaching the tournament final in 2024 and previously winning U.S. Soccer’s club championship four times.

By MATT PIKEA 10 year long agreement with Children's Mercy has come to an end and Sporting Kansas City will have to once again rename it's stadium.Children’s Mercy confirmed in a news release on Friday that it would no longer be the team’s health care and sports medicine partner.“As our 10-year naming partnership comes to a close, we want to express our heartfelt appreciation to the Sporting Kansas City organization, its players and staff, and the fans who have embraced Children’s Mercy as part of the team’s story. From player visits that brought joy to our patients, to collaborative efforts that elevated awareness for children’s health, this partnership has been a meaningful part of our journey,” the release read.Reports show that Children’s Mercy Park will be renamed ahead of the KC2026 World Cup. The Sporting KC Training Facility will serve as a team base camp for at least one club during the World Cup.&nbsp;&nbsp;Additionally, Sporting KC’s kits will now feature their new partner, Saint Luke’s Health System. The team showed off those kits were&nbsp; at a news conference today.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/12/1765582305320.jpeg" alt="Photo courtesy of Sporting Kansas City" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy of Sporting Kansas City</figcaption>
 </figure>“Our two organizations have deep roots in Kansas City, and we are excited to join together to make a difference in local communities across the area through this partnership,” said Jake Reid, President and CEO of Sporting Kansas City during the news conference. “Saint Luke’s is an industry leader in many facets including patient experience, which aligns perfectly with our core values and focus on the experience for all our fans. We look forward to teaming up on impactful initiatives that will support Saint Luke’s patients and staff as well as Sporting Kansas City players and fans as we approach an incredibly exciting year for our sport and our region in 2026.”Sporting Kansas City will kick off the 2026 Major League Soccer campaign on February 21st during MLS Is Back Weekend with the team’s first of 34 regular season games. Led by Designated Players Dejan Joveljic and Manu Garcia, Sporting Kansas City will also compete in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup in 2026 after reaching the tournament final in 2024 and previously winning U.S. Soccer’s club championship four times.You can follow Matt on X @KfeqMatt.

Sporting KC to rename stadium as agreement with Children's Mercy ends

Coming off an All Star campaign in one of the best season's of his career at third base, the Kansas City Royals have signed Maikel Garcia to a five year contract extension according to reports.&nbsp;

The five year extension secures the Royals future with Garcia through 2030 with a club option in 2031, according to&nbsp;a source telling MLB.com's Mark Feinsand.&nbsp;&nbsp;If the 2031 club option is picked up, Garcia's extension bought out two years of his free agency.&nbsp;&nbsp;The club has not confirmed.

The 25 year old&nbsp;Garcia earned his first career All-Star berth and Gold Glove Award, playing alongside shortstop Bobby Witt Jr., who signed a 14-year extension in Spring Training of 2024.&nbsp; Garcia produced career highs in home runs with (16), RBIs (74) and OPS (.800) and played sterling defense at the hot corner, committing just seven errors for a .980 fielding percentage across 1,144 2/3 innings.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/6/1750338876368.jpeg" alt="Maikel Garcia/ File photo" />
 <figcaption>Maikel Garcia/ File photo</figcaption>
 </figure>By MATT PIKEComing off an All Star campaign in one of the best season's of his career at third base, the Kansas City Royals have signed Maikel Garcia to a five year contract extension according to reports.&nbsp;The five year extension secures the Royals future with Garcia through 2030 with a club option in 2031, according to&nbsp;a source telling MLB.com's Mark Feinsand.&nbsp;&nbsp;If the 2031 club option is picked up, Garcia's extension bought out two years of his free agency.&nbsp;&nbsp;The club has not confirmed.The 25 year old&nbsp;Garcia earned his first career All-Star berth and Gold Glove Award, playing alongside shortstop Bobby Witt Jr., who signed a 14-year extension in Spring Training of 2024.&nbsp; Garcia produced career highs in home runs with (16), RBIs (74) and OPS (.800) and played sterling defense at the hot corner, committing just seven errors for a .980 fielding percentage across 1,144 2/3 innings.You can follow Matt on X @KfeqMatt.

Royals secure future with Maikel Garcia signed to five year extension

After leaving Orlando at the conclusion of the MLB Winter Meetings, the Kansas City Royals have taken a step in addressing their need to add outfield depth this offseason.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The Royals have agreed to a one-year, $5.25 million deal with veteran outfielder Lane Thomas, sources told MLB.com on Thursday night.&nbsp; The club has not confirmed the contract, which is pending a physical and includes $1 million in incentives. 

The Royals are at 38 players on their 40-man roster, so a corresponding move is not needed.&nbsp; Thomas spent the last year and a half with the Guardians and went through several ups and downs. 

After joining Cleveland in a Trade Deadline deal with the Nationals in 2024, the Royals expressed interest in adding him then too, the outfielder batted .148 in his first 29 games for Cleveland. But he turned it on in September, with a .560 slugging percentage, and Thomas’ grand slam in Game 5 of the ALDS against Detroit and Tarik Skubal helped send the Guardians to the ALCS. 

There, Thomas’ double preceded a game-tying home run by Jhonkensy Noel in the bottom of the ninth in Game 3 against the Yankees, which the Guardians won in 10 innings.&nbsp;&nbsp;After that uneven 2024, Thomas was limited to 39 games and 125 at-bats for the Guardians in 2025, mostly due to a lingering case of plantar fasciitis in his right foot, which required surgery in September. And before that, Thomas missed a month with a right wrist bone bruise after he was hit by a pitch on the right wrist in Cleveland’s home opener. When healthy enough to play, Thomas batted just .160 with a .518 OPS and six extra-base hits.

The 30-year-old Thomas is a buy-low bounceback candidate and a right-handed hitter who can play center field, all items the Royals were searching for when looking at the free-agent market for outfielders who can provide some length to the bottom of their lineup. They missed out on re-signing Mike Yastrzemski, who inked a two-year, $23 million contract with the Braves on Wednesday, but had a list of free agents to continue to go after when they left the Winter Meetings.

Defensively, Thomas has seen time at all three outfield positions, including 276 starts in right field and 170 in center. In his last full season in 2024, he showed limited range but an elite arm. The Royals could use him as a right-handed option in center field when lefty Kyle Isbel sits, or in right field if lefty Jac Caglianone is not playing. There’s lots of opportunity in left field right now, too; the Royals plan to have Michael Massey split time between second base and left field in 2026.

The biggest question is if Thomas can recapture the form he showed in 2023, when he hit 28 homers and stole 20 bases for Washington, to go with a .783 OPS and 3.3 WAR. Even if not, he can still provide value against left-handed pitchers, against whom he has a career .292/.359/.500 slash line.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/12/1765501145656.jpeg" alt="The Kansas City Royals addressed their need in the outfield, signing former St. Louis Cardinal and Cleveland Guardian Lane Thomas to a one year deal on Thursday night/ Photo courtesy of MLB Trade Rumors on X" />
 <figcaption>The Kansas City Royals addressed their need in the outfield, signing former St. Louis Cardinal and Cleveland Guardian Lane Thomas to a one year deal on Thursday night/ Photo courtesy of MLB Trade Rumors on X</figcaption>
 </figure>By MATT PIKEAfter leaving Orlando at the conclusion of the MLB Winter Meetings, the Kansas City Royals have taken a step in addressing their need to add outfield depth this offseason.&nbsp;&nbsp;The Royals have agreed to a one-year, $5.25 million deal with veteran outfielder Lane Thomas, sources told MLB.com on Thursday night.&nbsp; The club has not confirmed the contract, which is pending a physical and includes $1 million in incentives. The Royals are at 38 players on their 40-man roster, so a corresponding move is not needed.&nbsp; Thomas spent the last year and a half with the Guardians and went through several ups and downs. After joining Cleveland in a Trade Deadline deal with the Nationals in 2024, the Royals expressed interest in adding him then too, the outfielder batted .148 in his first 29 games for Cleveland. But he turned it on in September, with a .560 slugging percentage, and Thomas’ grand slam in Game 5 of the ALDS against Detroit and Tarik Skubal helped send the Guardians to the ALCS. <div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">You might remember Lane Thomas for his grand slam off Skubal in the 2024 ALDS. Only played in 39 games last year, but slashed .237/.309/.400 with an OPS+ of 100 in 130 games in 2024. Good defender who can play all three OF spots. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Royals?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Royals</a> <a href="https://t.co/tdfQLS6tC2">pic.twitter.com/tdfQLS6tC2</a>&mdash; Jack Johnson (@JohnyJ_15) <a href="https://twitter.com/JohnyJ_15/status/1999264831845859434?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 11, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>There, Thomas’ double preceded a game-tying home run by Jhonkensy Noel in the bottom of the ninth in Game 3 against the Yankees, which the Guardians won in 10 innings.&nbsp;&nbsp;After that uneven 2024, Thomas was limited to 39 games and 125 at-bats for the Guardians in 2025, mostly due to a lingering case of plantar fasciitis in his right foot, which required surgery in September. And before that, Thomas missed a month with a right wrist bone bruise after he was hit by a pitch on the right wrist in Cleveland’s home opener. When healthy enough to play, Thomas batted just .160 with a .518 OPS and six extra-base hits.The 30-year-old Thomas is a buy-low bounceback candidate and a right-handed hitter who can play center field, all items the Royals were searching for when looking at the free-agent market for outfielders who can provide some length to the bottom of their lineup. They missed out on re-signing Mike Yastrzemski, who inked a two-year, $23 million contract with the Braves on Wednesday, but had a list of free agents to continue to go after when they left the Winter Meetings.Defensively, Thomas has seen time at all three outfield positions, including 276 starts in right field and 170 in center. In his last full season in 2024, he showed limited range but an elite arm. The Royals could use him as a right-handed option in center field when lefty Kyle Isbel sits, or in right field if lefty Jac Caglianone is not playing. There’s lots of opportunity in left field right now, too; the Royals plan to have Michael Massey split time between second base and left field in 2026.The biggest question is if Thomas can recapture the form he showed in 2023, when he hit 28 homers and stole 20 bases for Washington, to go with a .783 OPS and 3.3 WAR. Even if not, he can still provide value against left-handed pitchers, against whom he has a career .292/.359/.500 slash line.You can follow Matt on X @KfeqMatt.

Royals add to outfield signing former Cardinal Lane Thomas

The Kansas City Royals and St. Louis Cardinals both got reprieve from the rumors swirling around both teams during the MLB Winter Meetings, learning where they will be picking next summer in the 2026 MLB Draft during All Star Weekend.&nbsp;

For the first time, the Royals were big winners in the MLB's lottery system, as they were awarded the number six pick in the 2026 MLB Draft.&nbsp;&nbsp;Kansas City entered the day with 13th best odds at landing top pick in the draft, a 0.8% chance. If the Royals hadn’t gotten a lottery pick, they would have picked 16th.

Non-lottery picks are determined by inverse order of the teams’ regular-season records, and there were three teams, the Angels, Rockies and Nationals, that weren’t eligible for the lottery this year.&nbsp;&nbsp;The Royals have selected sixth two other times in their history, including Zack Greinke in 2002 and Caglianone in 2024.

With the Draft Lottery completed, the Draft order is set. In addition to No. 6, the Royals will also have a Competitive Balance A pick next year at No. 30. The 2026 Draft will be held July 12 in Philadelphia as part of All-Star festivities, and the White Sox will be making the number one overall pick.

The Cardinals&nbsp;drew the #13 pick in the 2026 MLB Draft.&nbsp;&nbsp;St. Louis went into Tuesday with MLB’s eighth-best odds for the top pick, 2.35%, but they dropped below the Rockies and Nationals. It is the second time in three seasons the Cards fell below their slot in the odds. In 2023, they fell from the fifth-best odds to number seven where they landed infielder JJ Wetherholt.

The Draft Lottery was a reprieve from the numerous trade talks the Cards front office have had with other teams interested in dealing for their established veterans. Nolan Arenado and Willson Contreras are the biggest names possibly on the move, but standout utility fielder Brendan Donovan has drawn interest from 18 MLB teams, per a source. 

The Mariners, Royals, Astros and Rays have been the most aggressive suitors, per that same source, but the Cardinals want to be diligent in dealing to make sure they extract the maximum prospect capital in return for their lone All-Star in 2025.&nbsp;&nbsp;Not far behind Donovan, in terms of interest from other clubs, is lefty reliever JoJo Romero, who is drawing interest from the Yankees, Rays, Astros, Tigers and D-backs, per a source.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/12/1765387555016.jpeg" alt="The Kansas City Royals and St. Louis Cardinals learned their slot in the 2026 MLB Draft during Tuesday's MLB Draft Lottery during the MLB Winter Meetings/ Photo courtesy of X" />
 <figcaption>The Kansas City Royals and St. Louis Cardinals learned their slot in the 2026 MLB Draft during Tuesday's MLB Draft Lottery during the MLB Winter Meetings/ Photo courtesy of X</figcaption>
 </figure>By MATT PIKEThe Kansas City Royals and St. Louis Cardinals both got reprieve from the rumors swirling around both teams during the MLB Winter Meetings, learning where they will be picking next summer in the 2026 MLB Draft during All Star Weekend.&nbsp;For the first time, the Royals were big winners in the MLB's lottery system, as they were awarded the number six pick in the 2026 MLB Draft.&nbsp;&nbsp;Kansas City entered the day with 13th best odds at landing top pick in the draft, a 0.8% chance. If the Royals hadn’t gotten a lottery pick, they would have picked 16th.Non-lottery picks are determined by inverse order of the teams’ regular-season records, and there were three teams, the Angels, Rockies and Nationals, that weren’t eligible for the lottery this year.&nbsp;&nbsp;The Royals have selected sixth two other times in their history, including Zack Greinke in 2002 and Caglianone in 2024.With the Draft Lottery completed, the Draft order is set. In addition to No. 6, the Royals will also have a Competitive Balance A pick next year at No. 30. The 2026 Draft will be held July 12 in Philadelphia as part of All-Star festivities, and the White Sox will be making the number one overall pick.The Cardinals&nbsp;drew the #13 pick in the 2026 MLB Draft.&nbsp;&nbsp;St. Louis went into Tuesday with MLB’s eighth-best odds for the top pick, 2.35%, but they dropped below the Rockies and Nationals. It is the second time in three seasons the Cards fell below their slot in the odds. In 2023, they fell from the fifth-best odds to number seven where they landed infielder JJ Wetherholt.The Draft Lottery was a reprieve from the numerous trade talks the Cards front office have had with other teams interested in dealing for their established veterans. Nolan Arenado and Willson Contreras are the biggest names possibly on the move, but standout utility fielder Brendan Donovan has drawn interest from 18 MLB teams, per a source. The Mariners, Royals, Astros and Rays have been the most aggressive suitors, per that same source, but the Cardinals want to be diligent in dealing to make sure they extract the maximum prospect capital in return for their lone All-Star in 2025.&nbsp;&nbsp;Not far behind Donovan, in terms of interest from other clubs, is lefty reliever JoJo Romero, who is drawing interest from the Yankees, Rays, Astros, Tigers and D-backs, per a source.You can follow Matt on X @KfeqMatt.

Royals and Cardinals learn their slot in the 2026 MLB Draft

While there is still a chance, the lights are beginning to dim on the Kansas City Chiefs making an 11th consecutive trip to the playoffs after a series of miscues led to a 20-10 loss the Houston Texans on Sunday Night Football.

&nbsp;Some odds have the Chiefs chances as low as 12% to make the playoffs, others are around 16%, but most are below the 20% chance mark.&nbsp; Despite the low odds, defensive tackle Chris Jones says they still have an opportunity, even if it is a slim opportunity

"Still got an opportunity, and we've got to finish strong, no matter what we've got to finish strong to put ourself in a position to be able to get in the playoffs if that opportunity presents itself," Jones says during his postgame press conference.&nbsp; "So, for us the door is still open, it might be a 10% chance, it might be a 5% chance, but as long as we've got an opportunity and a chance, then we still can control that and finish strong and let the cards fall where they fall."

Head Coach Andy Reid says the message to the team after the loss is that it's never over

"You keep battling, I've been doing this a long time, seen some things, so you keep going," Reid says.

The loss did end Kansas City's streak of nine consecutive AFC West titles, the second longest streak in NFL history.&nbsp; &nbsp;With a run of success close to ending, linebacker Nick Bolton says the team needs to respond to this loss by controlling the controllable.&nbsp;

"We've got four weeks left, one week at a time, we need some help from other people but my mindset is put our best foot forward and take care of what we can control," Bolton says in the locker room.

Leo Chenal echoes that sentiment, saying now it's all up to them.

"Message is go out and play top level football as best you can, with the best effort you can, at the highest level you can regardless," Chenal explains.&nbsp; "Whatever happens, we better be out there playing our hardest, especially now, it's not in our hands but we better be playing our hardest."

The Chiefs fell behind 10-0 at the halftime break thanks to a 35 yard field goal by Ka'imi Fairbairn and a nine yard touchdown pass from CJ Stroud to Woody Marks.&nbsp; On the first play of the game, an already thin offensive line for Kansas City got thinner, as Wanya Morris exited the game with a knee injury.&nbsp; Also in the first quarter, cornerback Trent McDuffie suffered a knee injury that put him out of the game.&nbsp;

Despite the injuries, and some miscues in the first half including an interception and a missed field goal, the Chiefs came back to tie the game in the third quarter.&nbsp; Kareem Hunt rushed in from two yards out on a 4th and 1 play to cut the lead to three early in the quarter, and then near the end of the frame Harrison Butker hit a 36 yard field goal to tie the game heading into the final quarter.&nbsp;

But after a quarter of execution to tie the game, things fell apart in the fourth for Kansas City.&nbsp; Patrick Mahomes threw his second interception of the game early in the quarter, which did turn into a punt from Houston, but then a turnover on downs from the Chiefs gave the Texans the chance to score the go ahead touchdown on a five yard run by Dare Ogunbowale.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Trailing by a touchdown, Kansas City turned the ball over on downs again, and Houston would end up punting the ball back, but again Mahomes threw an interception, the ball bouncing off the hands of Travis Kelce and into linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair.&nbsp; Fairbairn knocked through a 28 yard field goal to put the Texans up by two scores with 30 seconds remaining, and after three plays with no timeouts from the Chiefs, the game came to an end.&nbsp;

Mahomes was 14-of-33 through the air for 160 yards with three interceptions, adding seven rushes for 59 yards.&nbsp; Hunt rushed 12 times for 30 yards and the score.&nbsp; Xavier Worthy had three catches for 59 yards, while Rashee Rice was the leading receiver with four catches for 34 yards.&nbsp;

The Chiefs will host the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday in an AFC West battle with a lot on the line.  A loss in that matchup, and their run to the AFC playoffs could come to an end.&nbsp; Kickoff will be at noon with an 11am pregame on Q Country (92.7FM).

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/12/1765164441878.png" alt="The Kansas City Chiefs defense stepped up in the second half, but the offense failed to execute and saw their playoff hopes dwindle more with a 20-10 loss to the Houston Texans on Sunday Night Football/ File photo" />
 <figcaption>The Kansas City Chiefs defense stepped up in the second half, but the offense failed to execute and saw their playoff hopes dwindle more with a 20-10 loss to the Houston Texans on Sunday Night Football/ File photo</figcaption>
 </figure>By MATT PIKEWhile there is still a chance, the lights are beginning to dim on the Kansas City Chiefs making an 11th consecutive trip to the playoffs after a series of miscues led to a 20-10 loss the Houston Texans on Sunday Night Football.&nbsp;Some odds have the Chiefs chances as low as 12% to make the playoffs, others are around 16%, but most are below the 20% chance mark.&nbsp; Despite the low odds, defensive tackle Chris Jones says they still have an opportunity, even if it is a slim opportunity"Still got an opportunity, and we've got to finish strong, no matter what we've got to finish strong to put ourself in a position to be able to get in the playoffs if that opportunity presents itself," Jones says during his postgame press conference.&nbsp; "So, for us the door is still open, it might be a 10% chance, it might be a 5% chance, but as long as we've got an opportunity and a chance, then we still can control that and finish strong and let the cards fall where they fall."Head Coach Andy Reid says the message to the team after the loss is that it's never over"You keep battling, I've been doing this a long time, seen some things, so you keep going," Reid says.The loss did end Kansas City's streak of nine consecutive AFC West titles, the second longest streak in NFL history.&nbsp; &nbsp;With a run of success close to ending, linebacker Nick Bolton says the team needs to respond to this loss by controlling the controllable.&nbsp;"We've got four weeks left, one week at a time, we need some help from other people but my mindset is put our best foot forward and take care of what we can control," Bolton says in the locker room.Leo Chenal echoes that sentiment, saying now it's all up to them."Message is go out and play top level football as best you can, with the best effort you can, at the highest level you can regardless," Chenal explains.&nbsp; "Whatever happens, we better be out there playing our hardest, especially now, it's not in our hands but we better be playing our hardest."The Chiefs fell behind 10-0 at the halftime break thanks to a 35 yard field goal by Ka'imi Fairbairn and a nine yard touchdown pass from CJ Stroud to Woody Marks.&nbsp; On the first play of the game, an already thin offensive line for Kansas City got thinner, as Wanya Morris exited the game with a knee injury.&nbsp; Also in the first quarter, cornerback Trent McDuffie suffered a knee injury that put him out of the game.&nbsp;Despite the injuries, and some miscues in the first half including an interception and a missed field goal, the Chiefs came back to tie the game in the third quarter.&nbsp; Kareem Hunt rushed in from two yards out on a 4th and 1 play to cut the lead to three early in the quarter, and then near the end of the frame Harrison Butker hit a 36 yard field goal to tie the game heading into the final quarter.&nbsp;<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">KAREEM MUSCLES IT IN 💪<a href="https://twitter.com/Kareemhunt7?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Kareemhunt7</a> x <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ProBowlVote?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ProBowlVote</a> <a href="https://t.co/t5eFX8Kees">pic.twitter.com/t5eFX8Kees</a>&mdash; Kansas City Chiefs (@Chiefs) <a href="https://twitter.com/Chiefs/status/1997866525181809078?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 8, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>But after a quarter of execution to tie the game, things fell apart in the fourth for Kansas City.&nbsp; Patrick Mahomes threw his second interception of the game early in the quarter, which did turn into a punt from Houston, but then a turnover on downs from the Chiefs gave the Texans the chance to score the go ahead touchdown on a five yard run by Dare Ogunbowale.&nbsp;&nbsp;Trailing by a touchdown, Kansas City turned the ball over on downs again, and Houston would end up punting the ball back, but again Mahomes threw an interception, the ball bouncing off the hands of Travis Kelce and into linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair.&nbsp; Fairbairn knocked through a 28 yard field goal to put the Texans up by two scores with 30 seconds remaining, and after three plays with no timeouts from the Chiefs, the game came to an end.&nbsp;Mahomes was 14-of-33 through the air for 160 yards with three interceptions, adding seven rushes for 59 yards.&nbsp; Hunt rushed 12 times for 30 yards and the score.&nbsp; Xavier Worthy had three catches for 59 yards, while Rashee Rice was the leading receiver with four catches for 34 yards.&nbsp;The Chiefs will host the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday in an AFC West battle with a lot on the line. A loss in that matchup, and their run to the AFC playoffs could come to an end.&nbsp; Kickoff will be at noon with an 11am pregame on Q Country (92.7FM).You can follow Matt on X @KfeqMatt.

Chiefs fail to execute and fall to Texans 20-10 making playoff hopes dwindle more

As promised, 14 of the best football teams from around the state of Missouri came to St. Joseph and put on seven great football games at Spratt Memorial Stadium at Missouri Western Stadium over the last three days.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The MSHSAA Show Me Bowl wrapped up on Saturday, with action from Classes 2, 4, and 6.&nbsp; The seven games over the three days of the event drew in several football fans from around the St. Joseph area, as well as several fans that followed their teams from all across the state, as far as the southwest part.&nbsp;

The action started on Thursday with the 8-man championship game between two teams from northwest Missouri, the Worth County Tigers and the Rock Port Blue Jays.&nbsp; A rematch of week one in the regular season, in which Rock Port won, Worth County came out on top 56-46, earning their first state title since 2017.&nbsp;&nbsp;

On Friday, the odd classes battled.&nbsp; Class 3 took the field first with the Seneca Indians and Lift for Life Academy Hawks.&nbsp; The Indians held the lead throughout a tough battle, earning a 33-26 win, and their first state title since 1995 in their third consecutive trip to the championship game.&nbsp; Northwest Missouri featured again in the second game of Friday, with the Putnam County Midgets taking on the Tipton Cardinals.&nbsp; The Cardinals held the Midgets scoreless in the second half on way to a 39-14 win, for their first state championship in their first ever trip to the state title game.

Friday wrapped up with what may have been the best game of the weekend, again featuring northwest Missouri as the Platte County Pirates faced the Carthage Tigers.&nbsp; The two teams battled, the Pirates leading 21-7 at one point, before going to halftime tied at 21, ending up needing overtime for a 34-28 win for Platte County.&nbsp; It was the Pirates second consecutive state title.&nbsp; Also in the game, senior and Northwest Missouri State commit Adam Gisler ran for a 98 yard touchdown, which is the longest in MSHSAA Show Me Bowl history.

Saturday opened with the Class 4 championship game between the Kearney Bulldogs and the Hannibal Pirates.&nbsp; The Bulldogs retook the lead midway through the fourth quarter, winning 21-14 to take home another championship, after last winning one in 2023.&nbsp; The Class 2 championship between the Blair Oaks Falcons and St. Pius X Lancers of Festus was controlled by the Falcons from the opening quarter, scoring 31 in the second quarter, on way to a 59-0 win for their second consecutive championship.&nbsp;

Closing out the championships was another classic, between the Lee's Summit Tigers and the Nixa Eagles.&nbsp; Nixa led 28-21 at the halftime break, and both teams battled back and forth through the second half before the Tigers came away with a 41-37 win, earning their first state title in the programs history.&nbsp; In the game, standout running back Preston Hatfield had 457 rushing yards with four touchdowns, far surpassing the record held by Kyren Williams set in 2018 of 298 yards.

By MATT PIKEAs promised, 14 of the best football teams from around the state of Missouri came to St. Joseph and put on seven great football games at Spratt Memorial Stadium at Missouri Western Stadium over the last three days.&nbsp;&nbsp;The MSHSAA Show Me Bowl wrapped up on Saturday, with action from Classes 2, 4, and 6.&nbsp; The seven games over the three days of the event drew in several football fans from around the St. Joseph area, as well as several fans that followed their teams from all across the state, as far as the southwest part.&nbsp;The action started on Thursday with the 8-man championship game between two teams from northwest Missouri, the Worth County Tigers and the Rock Port Blue Jays.&nbsp; A rematch of week one in the regular season, in which Rock Port won, Worth County came out on top 56-46, earning their first state title since 2017.&nbsp;&nbsp;On Friday, the odd classes battled.&nbsp; Class 3 took the field first with the Seneca Indians and Lift for Life Academy Hawks.&nbsp; The Indians held the lead throughout a tough battle, earning a 33-26 win, and their first state title since 1995 in their third consecutive trip to the championship game.&nbsp; Northwest Missouri featured again in the second game of Friday, with the Putnam County Midgets taking on the Tipton Cardinals.&nbsp; The Cardinals held the Midgets scoreless in the second half on way to a 39-14 win, for their first state championship in their first ever trip to the state title game.Friday wrapped up with what may have been the best game of the weekend, again featuring northwest Missouri as the Platte County Pirates faced the Carthage Tigers.&nbsp; The two teams battled, the Pirates leading 21-7 at one point, before going to halftime tied at 21, ending up needing overtime for a 34-28 win for Platte County.&nbsp; It was the Pirates second consecutive state title.&nbsp; Also in the game, senior and Northwest Missouri State commit Adam Gisler ran for a 98 yard touchdown, which is the longest in MSHSAA Show Me Bowl history.Saturday opened with the Class 4 championship game between the Kearney Bulldogs and the Hannibal Pirates.&nbsp; The Bulldogs retook the lead midway through the fourth quarter, winning 21-14 to take home another championship, after last winning one in 2023.&nbsp; The Class 2 championship between the Blair Oaks Falcons and St. Pius X Lancers of Festus was controlled by the Falcons from the opening quarter, scoring 31 in the second quarter, on way to a 59-0 win for their second consecutive championship.&nbsp;Closing out the championships was another classic, between the Lee's Summit Tigers and the Nixa Eagles.&nbsp; Nixa led 28-21 at the halftime break, and both teams battled back and forth through the second half before the Tigers came away with a 41-37 win, earning their first state title in the programs history.&nbsp; In the game, standout running back Preston Hatfield had 457 rushing yards with four touchdowns, far surpassing the record held by Kyren Williams set in 2018 of 298 yards.You can follow Matt on X @KfeqMatt.

MSHSAA High School football championships wrap up in St. Joseph

Collin Klein called it a "Dream Come True" as he was introduced to a cheering crowd as the new head football coach at Kansas State University on Friday.

Klein spoke in front of an audience at the Morgan Family Arena on the K-State campus. He praised the Kansas State football competitive spirit, touched on the physicality of the game., the need for resilience to adversity and steps necessary to excel. He was presented with a&nbsp; jersey bearing the number 7.

Klein pledged that K-State will be aggressive in moving the program forward, will play hard and with a schematic advantage.&nbsp; "I love challenges" and noted that&nbsp; he wants to take the program where it hasn't been before."

Collin Klein recruited many of the Wildcat players during an earlier stint as the offensive coordinator at Kansas State. He succeeds Chris Kleiman, who is retiring after seven years as the head coach.&nbsp;

Klein is the 36th head football coach in KSU history. He returns to Kansas State after two years as the offensive coordinator for Texas A&amp;M, and will continue to also serve in that capacity for the Aggies during the upcoming college football playoffs.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/12/1764990688574.png" alt="Photo K-State Athletic" />
 <figcaption>Photo K-State Athletic</figcaption>
 </figure>Collin Klein called it a "Dream Come True" as he was introduced to a cheering crowd as the new head football coach at Kansas State University on Friday.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Introducing the 36th head coach in program history, <a href="https://twitter.com/CK_KleinCollin?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CK_KleinCollin</a> <a href="https://t.co/na02g1Oi6T">pic.twitter.com/na02g1Oi6T</a>&mdash; K-State Football (@KStateFB) <a href="https://twitter.com/KStateFB/status/1997099888291545307?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 6, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Klein spoke in front of an audience at the Morgan Family Arena on the K-State campus. He praised the Kansas State football competitive spirit, touched on the physicality of the game., the need for resilience to adversity and steps necessary to excel. He was presented with a&nbsp; jersey bearing the number 7.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Family first <a href="https://t.co/nqPrmp7bob">pic.twitter.com/nqPrmp7bob</a>&mdash; K-State Football (@KStateFB) <a href="https://twitter.com/KStateFB/status/1997042597248839970?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 5, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Klein pledged that K-State will be aggressive in moving the program forward, will play hard and with a schematic advantage.&nbsp; "I love challenges" and noted that&nbsp; he wants to take the program where it hasn't been before."Collin Klein recruited many of the Wildcat players during an earlier stint as the offensive coordinator at Kansas State. He succeeds Chris Kleiman, who is retiring after seven years as the head coach.&nbsp;Klein is the 36th head football coach in KSU history. He returns to Kansas State after two years as the offensive coordinator for Texas A&amp;M, and will continue to also serve in that capacity for the Aggies during the upcoming college football playoffs.

🏈 Collin Klein introduced as the new K-State head football coach

MANHATTAN, Kan.&nbsp;– One of the greatest players in school history will return to lead the Wildcats on the sidelines, as Collin Klein has been named the next head football coach at Kansas State, athletics director&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/staff-directory/gene-taylor/1">Gene Taylor</a>&nbsp;announced Thursday.

A 2012 Heisman Trophy finalist and member of K-State Football's Ring of Honor, Klein is now in his 12th year in coaching, nine of which have come at K-State.

Klein will be introduced to the public Friday in a welcome event at Morgan Family Arena. Doors open at 3 p.m., with the ceremony beginning at 4 p.m. It will also be streamed live on ESPN+."We are excited to welcome one of our all-time greats back home to Manhattan," Taylor said.

"Collin is a tremendous leader who cares deeply about his players. The grit, toughness and aggression he displayed as a player still fuels him today as a coach, and he is determined to carry on the tremendous success this program has achieved.

As we know, college football has changed, and I am confident that Collin is ready to embrace this new model while maintaining the culture that we know as K-State Football.

Welcome home, Collin, Shalin, Beric, Rhett, Trek and Briar."

Klein, the 36th head football coach in school history, has agreed to a five-year contract with an average base salary of $4.3 million to lead his alma mater.

He served as K-State's offensive coordinator in 2022 and 2023 and currently serves as the offensive coordinator at Texas A&amp;M, a role that he will continue in during the Aggies' postseason run."My family and I could not be more grateful for the opportunity to come home," Klein said.

"Thank you to President Linton and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/staff-directory/gene-taylor/1">Gene Taylor</a>&nbsp;for believing in us to lead the Cats into a new era. The position of Head Coach at Kansas State has a long legacy of service, hard work, determination, and competitive greatness that I am honored to carry forward.

This is Family business, and we cannot wait to get to work!

"The first K-State alum to serve as head football coach since Ellis Rainsberger from 1975-77,&nbsp; Klein helped the Wildcats to 51 wins and five bowl appearances during his tenure as a full-time assistant coach.

He helped guide Kansas State to a 19-8 mark and a Big 12 Championship during his two-year run as offensive coordinator.His first full season as K-State offensive coordinator in 2022 was a success as he led an offense that ranked in the top 10 in school history in 11 categories, including ranking second in offensive yards (5,863) and plays (958), fourth in rushing yards (2,916) and fifth in yards per game (418.8).

The Wildcats finished the 2022 season with 421.6 total yards per game – their most since 2014 – while their 32.3 points per game were the most by the squad since 2017. K-State improved its production in Klein's second season at the offensive controls, as its 37.1 points per game ranked 10th nationally and sixth in school history, while it was the highest average by a K-State team since Klein's senior season of 2012 (38.9 points per game).

Kansas State produced 445.2 total yards per game in 2023 to rank second in school history.In Klein's offense, running back Deuce Vaughn became the second player in school history to twice earn Consensus All-America honors, while Cooper Beebe became the first offensive lineman in school history to earn Consensus All-America honors.

Prior to serving as K-State's offensive coordinator, Klein was the Wildcats' quarterbacks coach in 2017, 2019 and 2021, while he was a co-offensive coordinator in 2018.

He earned his first full-time coaching position tutoring the quarterbacks at Northern Iowa in 2016, which was just a year hiatus from Manhattan as he worked as an assistant director of recruiting and defensive quality control coach for the Wildcats in 2014 and an offensive graduate assistant in 2015.

The 2012 Johnny Unitas Award winner, Klein finished his K-State career ranking in the school's top 10 in 34 different game, season and career record categories. He was the first quarterback from a Power 5 school since 1998 to rush for at least 20 touchdowns and pass for 10 scores in consecutive seasons by doing so in 2011 and 2012.

Klein led the Wildcats to a combined 21-5 record as the starting quarterback in 2011 and 2012, which culminated with a No. 1 national ranking, Big 12 Championship and Fiesta Bowl berth in 2012.

Serving as the offensive coordinator at Texas A&amp;M the last two seasons, Klein has helped the Aggies to an 11-1 record this season and a possible berth into the College Football Playoff, which will be announced on Sunday.

This season, Texas A&amp;M holds an 11-1 record as the Aggies rank in the top 30 nationally in scoring offense (16th; 36.3 points per game), total offense (20th; 454.4 yards per game), rushing offense (26th; 192.7 yards per game), passing offense (32nd; 261.8 yards per game), tackles for loss allowed (1st; 2.83 per game), fourth down percentage (2nd; 75.0%), sacks allowed (11th; 1.00 per game), passing yards per completion (11th; 14.09), time of possession (15th; 32:24) and first downs (29th; 272).

Texas A&amp;M has hit the 400-yard mark in total offense 10 times in 12 games thus far in 2025.A 2025 Broyles Award Semifinalist, Klein has guided Aggie quarterback Marcel Reed to top-15 individual marks this season in passing yards per completion (7th; 14.03), points responsible for (13th; 186) and passing touchdowns (14th; 25).

In his first season at Texas A&amp;M in 2024, Klein helped guide the Aggies to a 5-0 start in SEC play, marking the program's best start in SEC action and its best conference start since 1998. Texas A&amp;M boasted the No. 2 rushing offense in the SEC, ranking 26th nationally (195.5 yards per game), and the offensive line ranked 10th in the country by allowing just 51.0 tackles for loss on the year.

Klein obtained his undergraduate degree from K-State in December 2011 in business financial services and controllership, while he received his master's degree in academic advising in December 2019. He is married to the former Shalin Spani, a former Wildcat women's basketball player. The couple has three sons, Beric, Rhett and Trek, and one daughter, Briar.

<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Believe it, Coach <a href="https://t.co/MpF2E7zSOc">pic.twitter.com/MpF2E7zSOc</a>&mdash; K-State Football (@KStateFB) <a href="https://twitter.com/KStateFB/status/1997000680867836339?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 5, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Back like he never left <a href="https://t.co/cB2e91xezJ">pic.twitter.com/cB2e91xezJ</a>&mdash; K-State Football (@KStateFB) <a href="https://twitter.com/KStateFB/status/1996990122017825082?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 5, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">A message from <a href="https://twitter.com/CK_KleinCollin?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CK_KleinCollin</a> <a href="https://t.co/ef3FwC2pES">pic.twitter.com/ef3FwC2pES</a>&mdash; K-State Football (@KStateFB) <a href="https://twitter.com/KStateFB/status/1996779764246630534?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 5, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>MANHATTAN, Kan.&nbsp;– One of the greatest players in school history will return to lead the Wildcats on the sidelines, as Collin Klein has been named the next head football coach at Kansas State, athletics director&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/staff-directory/gene-taylor/1">Gene Taylor</a>&nbsp;announced Thursday.A 2012 Heisman Trophy finalist and member of K-State Football's Ring of Honor, Klein is now in his 12th year in coaching, nine of which have come at K-State.Klein will be introduced to the public Friday in a welcome event at Morgan Family Arena. Doors open at 3 p.m., with the ceremony beginning at 4 p.m. It will also be streamed live on ESPN+."We are excited to welcome one of our all-time greats back home to Manhattan," Taylor said."Collin is a tremendous leader who cares deeply about his players. The grit, toughness and aggression he displayed as a player still fuels him today as a coach, and he is determined to carry on the tremendous success this program has achieved.As we know, college football has changed, and I am confident that Collin is ready to embrace this new model while maintaining the culture that we know as K-State Football.Welcome home, Collin, Shalin, Beric, Rhett, Trek and Briar."Klein, the 36th head football coach in school history, has agreed to a five-year contract with an average base salary of $4.3 million to lead his alma mater.He served as K-State's offensive coordinator in 2022 and 2023 and currently serves as the offensive coordinator at Texas A&amp;M, a role that he will continue in during the Aggies' postseason run."My family and I could not be more grateful for the opportunity to come home," Klein said."Thank you to President Linton and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/staff-directory/gene-taylor/1">Gene Taylor</a>&nbsp;for believing in us to lead the Cats into a new era. The position of Head Coach at Kansas State has a long legacy of service, hard work, determination, and competitive greatness that I am honored to carry forward.This is Family business, and we cannot wait to get to work!"The first K-State alum to serve as head football coach since Ellis Rainsberger from 1975-77,&nbsp; Klein helped the Wildcats to 51 wins and five bowl appearances during his tenure as a full-time assistant coach.He helped guide Kansas State to a 19-8 mark and a Big 12 Championship during his two-year run as offensive coordinator.His first full season as K-State offensive coordinator in 2022 was a success as he led an offense that ranked in the top 10 in school history in 11 categories, including ranking second in offensive yards (5,863) and plays (958), fourth in rushing yards (2,916) and fifth in yards per game (418.8).The Wildcats finished the 2022 season with 421.6 total yards per game – their most since 2014 – while their 32.3 points per game were the most by the squad since 2017. K-State improved its production in Klein's second season at the offensive controls, as its 37.1 points per game ranked 10th nationally and sixth in school history, while it was the highest average by a K-State team since Klein's senior season of 2012 (38.9 points per game).Kansas State produced 445.2 total yards per game in 2023 to rank second in school history.In Klein's offense, running back Deuce Vaughn became the second player in school history to twice earn Consensus All-America honors, while Cooper Beebe became the first offensive lineman in school history to earn Consensus All-America honors.Prior to serving as K-State's offensive coordinator, Klein was the Wildcats' quarterbacks coach in 2017, 2019 and 2021, while he was a co-offensive coordinator in 2018.He earned his first full-time coaching position tutoring the quarterbacks at Northern Iowa in 2016, which was just a year hiatus from Manhattan as he worked as an assistant director of recruiting and defensive quality control coach for the Wildcats in 2014 and an offensive graduate assistant in 2015.The 2012 Johnny Unitas Award winner, Klein finished his K-State career ranking in the school's top 10 in 34 different game, season and career record categories. He was the first quarterback from a Power 5 school since 1998 to rush for at least 20 touchdowns and pass for 10 scores in consecutive seasons by doing so in 2011 and 2012.Klein led the Wildcats to a combined 21-5 record as the starting quarterback in 2011 and 2012, which culminated with a No. 1 national ranking, Big 12 Championship and Fiesta Bowl berth in 2012.Serving as the offensive coordinator at Texas A&amp;M the last two seasons, Klein has helped the Aggies to an 11-1 record this season and a possible berth into the College Football Playoff, which will be announced on Sunday.This season, Texas A&amp;M holds an 11-1 record as the Aggies rank in the top 30 nationally in scoring offense (16th; 36.3 points per game), total offense (20th; 454.4 yards per game), rushing offense (26th; 192.7 yards per game), passing offense (32nd; 261.8 yards per game), tackles for loss allowed (1st; 2.83 per game), fourth down percentage (2nd; 75.0%), sacks allowed (11th; 1.00 per game), passing yards per completion (11th; 14.09), time of possession (15th; 32:24) and first downs (29th; 272).Texas A&amp;M has hit the 400-yard mark in total offense 10 times in 12 games thus far in 2025.A 2025 Broyles Award Semifinalist, Klein has guided Aggie quarterback Marcel Reed to top-15 individual marks this season in passing yards per completion (7th; 14.03), points responsible for (13th; 186) and passing touchdowns (14th; 25).In his first season at Texas A&amp;M in 2024, Klein helped guide the Aggies to a 5-0 start in SEC play, marking the program's best start in SEC action and its best conference start since 1998. Texas A&amp;M boasted the No. 2 rushing offense in the SEC, ranking 26th nationally (195.5 yards per game), and the offensive line ranked 10th in the country by allowing just 51.0 tackles for loss on the year.Klein obtained his undergraduate degree from K-State in December 2011 in business financial services and controllership, while he received his master's degree in academic advising in December 2019. He is married to the former Shalin Spani, a former Wildcat women's basketball player. The couple has three sons, Beric, Rhett and Trek, and one daughter, Briar.

Back like he never left: Colin Klein and family arrive in Manhattan 

Redemption.  That's a word to highlight Worth County's 56-46 win over the Rock Port Blue Jays in the 8-man championship game at Spratt Stadium. 

The Tigers redeemed not only a week one loss to the Blue Jays, but also redeemed for a group of six seniors and 11 juniors, a heartreaking loss in the 2023 championship game. 

Head Coach Jon Adwell credits his group for being gritty, and says it feels good to win this after being so close the last four years

"They've been right on the cusp of being able to break through to get this, and they want it, they want it and they want it bad, and it's good to be on the other side isn't it Bo?" Adwell says during the postgame press conference, joking with Junior tight end Bo Collins.&nbsp;

Senior Lucas Frisch, who was a sophomore the last time Worth County competed for a championship, says winning this means everything

"To work since fourth grade, work your butt off, try your hardest, and finally get it done especially on your last game, it means a lot," Frisch says.

Collins, a freshman on that same team. shared the sentiment after the Tigers lost the championship on costly mistakes, which Collins says was heartbreaking for him and the team.

"I think that was represented, and man I think you've seen how hard we worked after having lost that state game, and we got another chance and we got it done this time," Collins says.

The state championship is the first since 2017 for Worth County and the eighth in program history, tying them for the most in 8-man football with Mound City.

The game started off the weekend of state championships in St. Joseph at Spratt Stadium with a bang.&nbsp; After a turnover on downs to start the game by Worth County, Rock Port scored the opening touchdown on a one yard run by Brock Holmes.&nbsp; The Tigers answered immediately though, Frisch rushing for a 14 yard touchdown, and quarterback Hayden Sanders converting the two point try to put Worth County ahead 8-6.&nbsp;

The Tigers held that lead into the second quarter, but the Blue Jays took the lead back early in the frame as Jack Meyerkorth rushed for an eight yard score.&nbsp; Worth County answered with a drive that took nearly five minutes, Sanders connecting with Caleb New for a touchdown, but failing the two point conversion.&nbsp; It looked like the Tigers would take a lead into halftime, but Meyerkorth hauled in a pass on the right sideline, cut all the way across the field, and with no time remaining scored, with Holmes converting the two point try, for a 20-14 Rock Port lead at halftime.

Then came a wild third quarter.&nbsp; After a miskick, the Blue Jays started the second half in Worth County territory.&nbsp; Rock Port took a two possession lead as Meyerkorth leaped over his defender to bring in a 29 yard touchdown, Holmes again converting the two point try.&nbsp; One play after the ensuing kickoff, Jude Archer made it a one possession game running for a 59 yard touchdown for Worth Countym converting the two point pass to New.&nbsp; 

An apparent missed fumble, turned into a 42 yard touchdown run from Holmes for Rock Port, the two point conversion failed.&nbsp; But again, one play after the kickoff, Archer broke free through the middle, this time for a 53 yard touchdown run, this time Sanders pass to New on the two point try falling incomplete.&nbsp; Holmes found the endzone one more time in the quarter, on a three yard run, again failing the two point try, again the score was answered by the Tigers, Frisch scoring on a five yard run.&nbsp; The Tigers took the lead to end the quarter, Brayden Stevens scoring in one play on a 16 yard run, with the two point pass to Collins good, for a 42-40 lead.&nbsp;

After the 48 point third quarter, the fourth was a little more tame, starting first with Worth County extending the lead to two possessions for the first time in their favor, a two yard run by Archer, converting the two point pass to Frisch.&nbsp; The Blue Jays cut back into the lead to stay close Holmes scoring on an 18 yard run, the two point pass good to Jadyn Geib.&nbsp; Late in the quarter though, after a 10 play drive that used just over four minutes, Sanders threw a touchdown to New for the 56-46 lead.&nbsp;&nbsp;

At the end of the game, with Rock Port needing to score to stay in striking distance, the kickoff by Frisch would be recovered by Archer at the Rock Port 20 yard line.&nbsp; Sanders knelt out the remaining time and the Tigers celebrated with big hugs from Adwell.

For Worth County, Sanders was an efficient 6 of 6 passing for 107 yards with two touchdowns.&nbsp; Archer ran 13 times for 152 yards with three scores, while Sanders ran 17 times for 56 yards. New had three catches for 40 yards and the two touchdowns.&nbsp;&nbsp;

On the other side for Rock Port, Westyn Amthor was 8 of 10 for 120 yards with two touchdowns.&nbsp; Holmes ran 36 times for 165 yards with four touchdowns, bringing his season total to 2,943 yards with 61 touchdowns.&nbsp; Meyerkorth hauled in every pass, with nine catches for 124 yards and two scores.

Both teams finish the season with a 13-1 record.&nbsp; Rock Port graduates four seniors, while Worth County graduates six.&nbsp; They meet again in week one of the 2026 season at Rock Port on August 28th.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/12/1764918496147.jpeg" alt="Seniors Brayden Stevens (20),&nbsp;Sawyer Thurman (11),&nbsp;Lucas Frisch (21), and&nbsp;Brayden Murphy celebrate after Worth County defeated Rock Port 56-46 for the Tigers first state title since 2017/ Photo courtesy of Clifton Grooms" />
 <figcaption>Seniors Brayden Stevens (20),&nbsp;Sawyer Thurman (11),&nbsp;Lucas Frisch (21), and&nbsp;Brayden Murphy celebrate after Worth County defeated Rock Port 56-46 for the Tigers first state title since 2017/ Photo courtesy of Clifton Grooms</figcaption>
 </figure>By MATT PIKERedemption. That's a word to highlight Worth County's 56-46 win over the Rock Port Blue Jays in the 8-man championship game at Spratt Stadium. The Tigers redeemed not only a week one loss to the Blue Jays, but also redeemed for a group of six seniors and 11 juniors, a heartreaking loss in the 2023 championship game. Head Coach Jon Adwell credits his group for being gritty, and says it feels good to win this after being so close the last four years"They've been right on the cusp of being able to break through to get this, and they want it, they want it and they want it bad, and it's good to be on the other side isn't it Bo?" Adwell says during the postgame press conference, joking with Junior tight end Bo Collins.&nbsp;"That's right," Collins adds.Senior Lucas Frisch, who was a sophomore the last time Worth County competed for a championship, says winning this means everything"To work since fourth grade, work your butt off, try your hardest, and finally get it done especially on your last game, it means a lot," Frisch says.Collins, a freshman on that same team. shared the sentiment after the Tigers lost the championship on costly mistakes, which Collins says was heartbreaking for him and the team."I think that was represented, and man I think you've seen how hard we worked after having lost that state game, and we got another chance and we got it done this time," Collins says.The state championship is the first since 2017 for Worth County and the eighth in program history, tying them for the most in 8-man football with Mound City.The game started off the weekend of state championships in St. Joseph at Spratt Stadium with a bang.&nbsp; After a turnover on downs to start the game by Worth County, Rock Port scored the opening touchdown on a one yard run by Brock Holmes.&nbsp; The Tigers answered immediately though, Frisch rushing for a 14 yard touchdown, and quarterback Hayden Sanders converting the two point try to put Worth County ahead 8-6.&nbsp;The Tigers held that lead into the second quarter, but the Blue Jays took the lead back early in the frame as Jack Meyerkorth rushed for an eight yard score.&nbsp; Worth County answered with a drive that took nearly five minutes, Sanders connecting with Caleb New for a touchdown, but failing the two point conversion.&nbsp; It looked like the Tigers would take a lead into halftime, but Meyerkorth hauled in a pass on the right sideline, cut all the way across the field, and with no time remaining scored, with Holmes converting the two point try, for a 20-14 Rock Port lead at halftime.Then came a wild third quarter.&nbsp; After a miskick, the Blue Jays started the second half in Worth County territory.&nbsp; Rock Port took a two possession lead as Meyerkorth leaped over his defender to bring in a 29 yard touchdown, Holmes again converting the two point try.&nbsp; One play after the ensuing kickoff, Jude Archer made it a one possession game running for a 59 yard touchdown for Worth Countym converting the two point pass to New.&nbsp; An apparent missed fumble, turned into a 42 yard touchdown run from Holmes for Rock Port, the two point conversion failed.&nbsp; But again, one play after the kickoff, Archer broke free through the middle, this time for a 53 yard touchdown run, this time Sanders pass to New on the two point try falling incomplete.&nbsp; Holmes found the endzone one more time in the quarter, on a three yard run, again failing the two point try, again the score was answered by the Tigers, Frisch scoring on a five yard run.&nbsp; The Tigers took the lead to end the quarter, Brayden Stevens scoring in one play on a 16 yard run, with the two point pass to Collins good, for a 42-40 lead.&nbsp;After the 48 point third quarter, the fourth was a little more tame, starting first with Worth County extending the lead to two possessions for the first time in their favor, a two yard run by Archer, converting the two point pass to Frisch.&nbsp; The Blue Jays cut back into the lead to stay close Holmes scoring on an 18 yard run, the two point pass good to Jadyn Geib.&nbsp; Late in the quarter though, after a 10 play drive that used just over four minutes, Sanders threw a touchdown to New for the 56-46 lead.&nbsp;&nbsp;At the end of the game, with Rock Port needing to score to stay in striking distance, the kickoff by Frisch would be recovered by Archer at the Rock Port 20 yard line.&nbsp; Sanders knelt out the remaining time and the Tigers celebrated with big hugs from Adwell.For Worth County, Sanders was an efficient 6 of 6 passing for 107 yards with two touchdowns.&nbsp; Archer ran 13 times for 152 yards with three scores, while Sanders ran 17 times for 56 yards. New had three catches for 40 yards and the two touchdowns.&nbsp;&nbsp;On the other side for Rock Port, Westyn Amthor was 8 of 10 for 120 yards with two touchdowns.&nbsp; Holmes ran 36 times for 165 yards with four touchdowns, bringing his season total to 2,943 yards with 61 touchdowns.&nbsp; Meyerkorth hauled in every pass, with nine catches for 124 yards and two scores.Both teams finish the season with a 13-1 record.&nbsp; Rock Port graduates four seniors, while Worth County graduates six.&nbsp; They meet again in week one of the 2026 season at Rock Port on August 28th.You can follow Matt on X @KfeqMatt.

Worth County gets redemption to bring home first state title since 2017

A 2012 Heisman Trophy finalist and member of K-State Football's Ring of Honor, Klein is now in his 12th year in coaching, nine of which have come at K-State. 

Klein will be introduced to the public Friday in a welcome event at Morgan Family Arena. Doors open at 3 p.m., with the ceremony beginning at 4 p.m. It will also be streamed live on ESPN+."We are excited to welcome one of our all-time greats back home to Manhattan," Taylor said. 

"Collin is a tremendous leader who cares deeply about his players. The grit, toughness and aggression he displayed as a player still fuels him today as a coach, and he is determined to carry on the tremendous success this program has achieved. 

As we know, college football has changed, and I am confident that Collin is ready to embrace this new model while maintaining the culture that we know as K-State Football. 

Klein, the 36th head football coach in school history, has agreed to a five-year contract with an average base salary of $4.3 million to lead his alma mater. 

He served as K-State's offensive coordinator in 2022 and 2023 and currently serves as the offensive coordinator at Texas A&amp;M, a role that he will continue in during the Aggies' postseason run."My family and I could not be more grateful for the opportunity to come home," Klein said. 

"Thank you to President Linton and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/staff-directory/gene-taylor/1">Gene Taylor</a>&nbsp;for believing in us to lead the Cats into a new era. The position of Head Coach at Kansas State has a long legacy of service, hard work, determination, and competitive greatness that I am honored to carry forward.

<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Got our guy. <a href="https://t.co/noyv4A8z7B">pic.twitter.com/noyv4A8z7B</a>&mdash; K-State Football (@KStateFB) <a href="https://twitter.com/KStateFB/status/1996758932828967155?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 5, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>MANHATTAN, Kan.&nbsp;– One of the greatest players in school history will return to lead the Wildcats on the sidelines, as Collin Klein has been named the next head football coach at Kansas State, athletics director&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/staff-directory/gene-taylor/1">Gene Taylor</a>&nbsp;announced Thursday.A 2012 Heisman Trophy finalist and member of K-State Football's Ring of Honor, Klein is now in his 12th year in coaching, nine of which have come at K-State. Klein will be introduced to the public Friday in a welcome event at Morgan Family Arena. Doors open at 3 p.m., with the ceremony beginning at 4 p.m. It will also be streamed live on ESPN+."We are excited to welcome one of our all-time greats back home to Manhattan," Taylor said. "Collin is a tremendous leader who cares deeply about his players. The grit, toughness and aggression he displayed as a player still fuels him today as a coach, and he is determined to carry on the tremendous success this program has achieved. As we know, college football has changed, and I am confident that Collin is ready to embrace this new model while maintaining the culture that we know as K-State Football. Welcome home, Collin, Shalin, Beric, Rhett, Trek and Briar."Klein, the 36th head football coach in school history, has agreed to a five-year contract with an average base salary of $4.3 million to lead his alma mater. He served as K-State's offensive coordinator in 2022 and 2023 and currently serves as the offensive coordinator at Texas A&amp;M, a role that he will continue in during the Aggies' postseason run."My family and I could not be more grateful for the opportunity to come home," Klein said. "Thank you to President Linton and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/staff-directory/gene-taylor/1">Gene Taylor</a>&nbsp;for believing in us to lead the Cats into a new era. The position of Head Coach at Kansas State has a long legacy of service, hard work, determination, and competitive greatness that I am honored to carry forward. This is Family business, and we cannot wait to get to work!"The first K-State alum to serve as head football coach since Ellis Rainsberger from 1975-77,&nbsp; Klein helped the Wildcats to 51 wins and five bowl appearances during his tenure as a full-time assistant coach. He helped guide Kansas State to a 19-8 mark and a Big 12 Championship during his two-year run as offensive coordinator.His first full season as K-State offensive coordinator in 2022 was a success as he led an offense that ranked in the top 10 in school history in 11 categories, including ranking second in offensive yards (5,863) and plays (958), fourth in rushing yards (2,916) and fifth in yards per game (418.8).The Wildcats finished the 2022 season with 421.6 total yards per game – their most since 2014 – while their 32.3 points per game were the most by the squad since 2017. K-State improved its production in Klein's second season at the offensive controls, as its 37.1 points per game ranked 10th nationally and sixth in school history, while it was the highest average by a K-State team since Klein's senior season of 2012 (38.9 points per game). Kansas State produced 445.2 total yards per game in 2023 to rank second in school history.In Klein's offense, running back Deuce Vaughn became the second player in school history to twice earn Consensus All-America honors, while Cooper Beebe became the first offensive lineman in school history to earn Consensus All-America honors.Prior to serving as K-State's offensive coordinator, Klein was the Wildcats' quarterbacks coach in 2017, 2019 and 2021, while he was a co-offensive coordinator in 2018. He earned his first full-time coaching position tutoring the quarterbacks at Northern Iowa in 2016, which was just a year hiatus from Manhattan as he worked as an assistant director of recruiting and defensive quality control coach for the Wildcats in 2014 and an offensive graduate assistant in 2015.The 2012 Johnny Unitas Award winner, Klein finished his K-State career ranking in the school's top 10 in 34 different game, season and career record categories. He was the first quarterback from a Power 5 school since 1998 to rush for at least 20 touchdowns and pass for 10 scores in consecutive seasons by doing so in 2011 and 2012.Klein led the Wildcats to a combined 21-5 record as the starting quarterback in 2011 and 2012, which culminated with a No. 1 national ranking, Big 12 Championship and Fiesta Bowl berth in 2012.Serving as the offensive coordinator at Texas A&amp;M the last two seasons, Klein has helped the Aggies to an 11-1 record this season and a possible berth into the College Football Playoff, which will be announced on Sunday. This season, Texas A&amp;M holds an 11-1 record as the Aggies rank in the top 30 nationally in scoring offense (16th; 36.3 points per game), total offense (20th; 454.4 yards per game), rushing offense (26th; 192.7 yards per game), passing offense (32nd; 261.8 yards per game), tackles for loss allowed (1st; 2.83 per game), fourth down percentage (2nd; 75.0%), sacks allowed (11th; 1.00 per game), passing yards per completion (11th; 14.09), time of possession (15th; 32:24) and first downs (29th; 272). Texas A&amp;M has hit the 400-yard mark in total offense 10 times in 12 games thus far in 2025.A 2025 Broyles Award Semifinalist, Klein has guided Aggie quarterback Marcel Reed to top-15 individual marks this season in passing yards per completion (7th; 14.03), points responsible for (13th; 186) and passing touchdowns (14th; 25).In his first season at Texas A&amp;M in 2024, Klein helped guide the Aggies to a 5-0 start in SEC play, marking the program's best start in SEC action and its best conference start since 1998. Texas A&amp;M boasted the No. 2 rushing offense in the SEC, ranking 26th nationally (195.5 yards per game), and the offensive line ranked 10th in the country by allowing just 51.0 tackles for loss on the year.Klein obtained his undergraduate degree from K-State in December 2011 in business financial services and controllership, while he received his master's degree in academic advising in December 2019. He is married to the former Shalin Spani, a former Wildcat women's basketball player. The couple has three sons, Beric, Rhett and Trek, and one daughter, Briar.

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